rec.autos.simulators

Trying out the GPL demo.

So far I'm pretty impressed.

The graphics are top-notch, and the physics are pretty cool.  Runs
nice and smooth on my PII-233 with a Voodoo2 at 1024x768.

I'm having a hard time getting around corners with spinning out.  I've
learned to not use the brakes when cornering, now I gotta figure out
how to do some powerslides.

However, does anyone notice that the sense of speed in this game is
lacking a little (even when I'm at max speed)?  I know this isn't a
1998 Formula 1 car, but even for a 1967 car, the sense of speed is a
little low (whether in***pit view or not).

Marc..
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Hi marc

so with your V2 it allows you to use 1024x768? cool!:) I wasn't
sure if it did that.

practice powerslides with SODA :) i do! SODA is the most awesome
game for powerslides - once you have a really well balanced setup.

I have this theory about why all car sims have a shit sense of speed.
A car sim can only display about 30 degrees or so of your forward
view. all objects in this feild of vision are pretty slow moving
since they are more coming at you than going past you. In real life,
the rest of the field of view going right out to your left and
right sides (since your eyes have 180 degree field of view) provide
the sense of movement - nothing can beat having trees and stuff
flying past at high speed out the corner of your vision. But, in
a car sim, you can't show that - when i am driving on my computer
instead of all those fast moving objects to my left and right,
i see a stationary curtain, wall, closet, tv, etc. not particularly
"sense of speed" inducing, really:) until people invent a very very
wide-screen-wrap-around monitor, this sense of speed will always
be missing.

and now that i've had lunch - back to GPL for more crashes:)

Grant.

On Tue, 07 Apr 1998 13:42:13 +1200, Grant Reeve

My next try I skidded partly off the road (half the car was on the
road and half on the grass), I was perpindicular to the track.  My car
was see-sawing because the frame of the car was the only part touching
the side of the road, both my front and rear tires were mid-air.  I
tried "rocking" the car by accelerating and braking quickly, but never
could get out of that position.  This wasn't a bug, the car was
actually responding the way it should when presented in this
situation.  I thought that was so cool.  :)

Normally with a Voodoo2 (if the game allows) you can play at 800x600
with Z-buffer maximum, 1024x768 without Z-buffer.  I guess GPL doesn't
use a Z-buffer, so this resolution results in finer graphics and less
"jaggies".  The car looks extremely detailed.

I don't have SODA.  I guess I can practice with Ultimate Race Pro, cuz
every turn results in skidding.

Sounds good, but that doesn't explain why other games have a faster
sense of speed, and GPL not.  Maybe I'm jumping the gun anyways, since
the game isn't even finished yet.  I hope they can improve on that
part.

I'm taking a break from it for now, Im getting kinda dizzy from
spinning out and flipping upside down all the time. :)

Marc.
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Very true. But there is also one detail, in the graphics menu, there is
a checkbox called "skidmarks"This is probably "skidmarks as it happens"
stuff, but if they were like in N2, they add a lot
to the speed feeling.
Also, the corner speeds are really not that high, or were, in those
cars. Zilch grip. But on
the straights they were almost as fast as today....can't wait to try out
the Masta kink at the old Spa.....*grovel*

My general experience is that; graphics improve, sense of speed goes
down. I thought TOCA and GP2 were a blast on a P120, but on a 200MMX
with a good card, they were better to drive, easier actually.

My 2 kroner anyway.....:)

Cheers,
Matt

--

Matthew Birger Knutsen
Cheek Racing Cars (http://www.racesimcentral.net/~kareknut)

"Racing cars is like dancing with a chainsaw"
       -Cale Yarborough

On Tue, 07 Apr 1998 11:57:03 +0200, Matthew Knutsen

Cheers!
John