rec.autos.simulators

  As a recent buyer of GP2, I was surprised at how much the frame rate
can be improved by swiitching off various graghic details.  

  I have a Pentium 133, with 32mgs of  Ram and an ATI Mach 64 card
with2mgs. (I have Win95, but run GP2 in DOS)

  My frame rate with all graphics on (and in SVGA) was a brutal 8-9.
With most graghics off and in VGA, I was able to improve to 25.9 -- a
threefold improvement.

  My question(s) is: Is a 25 frame rate good/bad with the machine and
setup described above?  Could I improve some how?  What is the current
"top end" of frame rate available using a high end PC (Pentium Pro,
for example)?  Are there any other factors that affect frame rate?

  Thanks in advance for your comments.

-raceboy

JV WC97

M Lewis

That is not a lust for clouds, but rather a slam on Microprose for
writing sloppy graphics code and failing to support 3D acceleration for
this game.  Please refrain from posting mocking messages...

M Lewis

You really need to get that PC of yours looked at. From all the posts
you've written about this it sounds like you get considerably worse
graphics in GP2 with your PC than I and many others get with a bog
standard P133.

Cheers,
Richard

Just to give you an idea of what your PC will be able to handle :
  The graphics-settings I'm using for other circuits than Monaco are :
  (P120, 16MBEDO, DiamondS64_2MBDRAM/S3SPDUP)
  While not linking : SVGA, Fences, Track, Hills, Trackside objects
                      No plot and no texture in mirrors
                      All trackside objects
                      Estimated framerate 17.0 , I set it at 13.4
  While direct-linking : SVGA, Fences, Hills, Trackside objects
                         No plot and no texture in mirrors
                         All trackside objects
                         Framerate set to 12.8
  While modem-linking : Same as with direct, but fps set to 12.1 or 11.8

  At Monaco I set the options so, that just after the first corner (that'=
s the
  hardest place) the P.O. is 160%.

Ren=E9 van Lobberegt, The Netherlands.
-- =

  *                                                           *
 * If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.  *
* http://www1.tip.nl/users/t752096/                             *

  * The minute I touched the flame I knew it would never die  *

P.S. How do you write code enhanced for video cards when at the release
(and even now) there was no dominating video card. Its like releasing a
video on beta. It's not financially viable.

Regards
Scott

Forgive my incorrect statement, Microprose did only publish the game,
Geoff Crammond did write it.  I didn't mean to insinuate that the game
had bugs, I have found very few.  In that department, Crammond must be
commended.  I do know when GP2 came out in relation to the release of
the presently supported 3D cards.  Nonetheless, I believe that graphics
are merely icing on the cake, just as you do, but I also believe that
playing games at 30fps makes you a better racer than playing at 12fps(as
I have to do on GP2).  I no longer play the game because I cannot get a
decent frame rate in VGA OR SVGA with NO DETAIL on.  The game runs like
a pig.  I play nascar2 on my rendition card at a constant 30fps and I
even get to turn on some of the icing.  Gameplay comes first, and the
graphics of GP2 render it unplayable on my P100.  For the money I have
put into computers, I find it frustrating that I cannot play the best
racing sim out there.  

As for writing graphics that will still sell when P-800s are common, I
look at that as double-dipping.  I ran out the first day the game was
available and bought it.  It won't run good, but there is indeed an
extra market in the future to sell this game.  

Graphics do count, but only to the point that they allow you to enjoy
the product.  Microprose should support the hot video accelerators (3dfx
and rendition) via patches, because the graphics are getting in the way
of playing the game for many customers like me.

Peace and Happy Racing,
Matt Lewis

Hooray! Someone with a brain!   The BEST way to get a good framerate
is it dump GP2 and play GP1! 25 FPS on just about any computer!  It's
lots cheaper too!        
BTW, those hoping for a patch can forget it! MPS doesn't give a shit
unless theres money in it. I'll bet my dormant copy of GP2 it is the
end of the line for this version.

Sincerely, Karim

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Jo

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
When everything else failed, we can still become im-
mortal by making an enormous blunder....

                             John Kenneth Galbraith
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

No argument here, but going on past experience, Geoff/Microprose don't
seem to like to put out too many patches or fixes. I guess you don't
earn money on patches. Sad really, as the "get the sale and bolt"
approach doesn't earn you a lot of loyalty.

Regards
Scott