rec.autos.simulators

I bought NASCAR SimRacing about the second week after it was released. It
has been sitting on my shelf since about a month after the patch was
released. Every now and then I notice the box and sigh as I am reminded at
what a wonderful sim it would be if only EA would fix the bugs.

EA's pre-release hype of the sim promised up-to-the-minute communications
and towering support from the team of dedicated developers and race
enthusiasts who would not rest until NASCAR SimRacing was the universally
acknowledged NASCAR benchmark. In actual practice EA and the "dedicated
developers and race enthusiasts" went dead silent shortly after the release
of the patch.

The promised benchmark sim had appearently been abandoned after only one
patch and it seemed that official EA policy was to compleatly ignore those
who believed EA's pre-release promise of support. NASCAR SimRacing gathers
dust in the bargan bins while used copies of the sim it was supposed to
beat, "NASCAR Racing 2003 Season", brings $100 and more on Ebay.

Still, once in a while I cross my fingers and take a peek in EA's NSR forum.
Today I saw this:

=====================================================================================================================
 Subject:  Re: Ea,get your head out your ***
      posted on Aug 13, 2005 5:46pm PST  reply 5 of 19

first of all let me state this first. CGW and RTW are STILL testing.
Unfortunately we are bound to a contract from EA Sports to not release any
information about exactly what is being worked on exaclty. I wish that I
could put up on here everything that I know. I would say just be patient,
but god I dont even want to hear that word again. We as beta testers are in
an even worse boat then you. We have tested and raced new builds on the game
and know how freakin awesome its going to be. As I said before I wish I
could give all the details. I will say there are a LOT of them. I have
watched my own league be torn apart by the problems in this game. Even had a
few members quit the league because they cant run the game like it is and
are tired of the DQ's. I know every league out there just about has
implimented a call your own caution into each race.

So guys, all I can say to you is just hang on. Wait it out. It WILL be worth
it. I am itching to run a season with all the future fixes. Sorry I am sure
your heard those lines before. As soon as I can get an OK from EA on
ANYTHING i can release to the public I will post it here. No promises
though. But I will do my best.

RTW Stringer
NSR Beta Tester
www.teamrtw.com

==================================================================================================================

Just a post in a forum from a guy who claims to be beta testing "THE" patch
that will make NSR "freakin awesome". Perhaps BS but, then again, maybe the
corpse just twitched.

This wouldn't be the same beta testers that delivered us this p.o.s. in the
first place would it? You know, the ones that claimed the release candidate
would be the dog's boll***. This is spoken as one of many fools who parted
with the cash. Only hope is iRacing or maybe a NASCAR mod for rFactor - keep
hoping as always and enjoying NR2003 in the meantime (just finished a league
race with 38 cars at Bristol).

Regards

[snip]

That foker hasnt ever even tried NRxx (sierra/papy tittles!!!  by his own
admission).

 So any input from him would be like me telling you how great great the
madden game replacement from some other dipshit publisher is, when I never
played any of madden games (ever) "then new standard in Football games".

Jesus C H R Y S L E R, Ill bet the twit is a car salesman, Telemarketer, or
a phone scam artist in his "real" job.

 I can hear him now,

RTWStringer:"Uh,  you are looking at the future of transportation and
sportyness..."
<points to the Yugo>
"well you know it is 100 times nicer than the honda accord is to drive"
 <makes a jesture like ghetto coolness Phat ride>
"and wow, these puppies are going to be even more valuable after a year or
2..."
<drawing a dollar sign in the air, making the cashregister sound>
"CaCHING! Ca-CHING! baybee money in the bank dude"

<money thing raised his eyebrow, who doesnt want the next thing?>
<customer 1> "Oh really, hmm well maybe...  how man have you sold?"

RTWStringer: "Well in six months I have sold this particular one, uh five
times.  The wheels still haven't been delivered, nor the steering wheel, or
the brake cylinders, but you know we got these really good & <under his
voice: 'rust free'> replacement fenders last week!  Boy, and just wait until
the aftermarket guys kick in, whoowee, whale tails and go fast stickers, you
want Japanese sticker on your ride, or ???, <points to the babyshit orange
Yugo with both hands>" man...  you will be stylin."

more bullshit saleman talk.  Hell the guy is waiting for his wife to pick
him up anyway, so Stringer, he talks the guy into getting inside...  Now you
know, the they have to pretend to take it for a testdrive sittin in the lot,
Well you know, since they really can't because his brother-in-law, who runs
the local Tripple A's flatbed is out on a doughnut run...

<customer1>:"Wow, these SOB's are small and plasticy.  are the Honda's thas
bad?
RTWStringer:"Oh boy and worse, can you say ALUMINUM engines?  Vacum powered
brakes, hydraulic steering assist?  sheeesh they will self distruct in 30
thousand miles at best, Dont you know...

More bulshit goes on, wife of customer shows up, and he's still just not
sure...

<customer1) So, How many Honda's have you ridden in?"

RTWStringer: "Honda? what the hell, I never did drive or would conder owning
a high priced P.O.S. HONDA's!!, Wadya think I am stupid and rich here!?
SHeesh!"

on and on it goes...  But no sale...

its all shit, I wonder if the west brothers work at EA for real jobs, I mean
the updates to their site is almost model'd...

oh ok sorry!!!   cheap shot at the West's  Right now the products the west
have shipped are better than EA's sim...

They fooled me once with Thunder 04 (and that was at $4.99), then they
did it again with NSR (full price this time, $50), they WILL NOT do it
to me again. Those mutes at EA (and any other mutes they have
recruited) can shove all that hyperbole up their collective asses.
"That dog won't hunt", as they say. NSR is a steaming pile and the
authors and coders of that ***should be ridiculed more than the asses
that f*cked up the USGP this year.

NSR is the finest racing simulation bar none.

It's good to see that you at least consistent, if not a moron.

No, Mark is definitely a moron.

I don't have NSR, but...

The beta testers didn't deliver it - EA did.  You can blame them.  
Sierra did the same thing, btw - beta testers reported bugs, papy wanted
to fix them, but Sierra anchored them to a release date - bugs or not.

Fair point John but .... the beta testers (and others) gave the clear
impression that the release candidate was good. If you'd spotted
show-stoppers and the publisher wouldn't fix them, then at the very least
you'd stay quiet. Even running up to the first patch the beta testers
clearly viewed the latest patch software differently to how the world
received it. I've done enough beta testing to know that it's almost a no win
situation and I'm therefore usually slow to criticise but I have to say I
was majorly underwhelmed with the performance of these guys.

Anyway, the world's moved on and left that sim where it deserves to be (mine
is on eBay at the moment - any takers ;) ). Are you going to rejoin the
RASCARians for some rFactor?

Regards

   Was it the historic Touring sim that drew rave reviews UNTIL it was
released?  Blanking on the name..sorry.  They had a very good but difficult
to drive physics model and toned it down too much for the final release.

Anyhow, I've seen enough posts made after the fact of a product's release
once beta testers were released from NDAs, that indicate that internal
politics and budget battles determine far more of the release features than
any efforts by the beta team.
dave henrie

Not unless things change at the top...  :)

I'm racing at NASCOR right now, and they're gonna start up a rFactor
series when it comes out. I'm hoping that The Pits releases their 1970
mod (and some tracks) at the same time as rFactor is released so I can
still race stockcars until more desireable mods are released.

NASCOR runs series for cup, bgn, cts, and aero88. I just run aero88
(friday nights 9p eastern) - the competition is pretty good, and the
racing is exceptional.  My dad races there as well.

Anyone from RASCAR is invited, even Dave. :)

Sounds to me you are hoping against hope and knowledge, the f1rst debacle
pretty much killed the modding of nr03, but I could be wrong, but since
f1rst more orless came in all the moddrs mouths, so to speak I don't forsee
70's mod, or anything else do you?  even Brian Ring has left the building so
to speak.
John Simmons enlightened us with:

The Pits is currently working on both their TPTCC mod (featuring the
2005 Mustang "F1RC") and the 70's Stockcar mod for rFactor.  They may
even re-do their Aero88 mod as well.  Not only that, but they are close
to releasing the 70's mod for NR2K3 (using CTS physics).

As far as tracks are concerned, I thought I heard that Brian Ring is
working on tracks for rFactor, Lime Rock Park has already been released,
and there are at least three ovals currently being worked on, including
Daytona.  Hoping against hope?  I think not.

You can count on the popularity of stockcar racing to hit rFactor in the
near future. The genre is simply too popular to ignore in the US, and
mods and tracks will be forthcoming.

Personally, I'd also like to see someone do a 1967 grand prix mod to
replace the venerable (and highly respected) Grand Prix Legends.

says...

You gonna have a Rfactor series/league John?

Mitch

I'll run in one or more, but I'm done with running them...