rec.autos.simulators

I would like to see drafting done in a way that you could could actually
see a big difference. Like say you were playing someone over the modem and
if the two of you drafted eachother you could pull away or gain positions
and if you started slugging it out for position, the field would drive you
by. I would also like to see a chat setup simular to nascar1, or how about
being able to talk to your modem partner(most newer modems support this). I
would like to be able to turn off black flags. I'm tired of skidding
through the pit enterence sideway due to an accident and getting nailed for
speeding down pit lane. How about a couple fantasy super speedways.
But most of all I don't want to have to upgrade my computer to have to be
able to play nascar 3, heck I just upgraded to a 166mmx, and now my monitor
is on the blink.

Just my two cents worth.

P.S. If they add the hands on wheel and shifter I hope that they alow us to
disable it.
        One last thing how about a view simular to sega rally, were you see
the hood of
       the car and rest is open.

     I fully agree with you on this point. Just last March I upgraded
my computer to a P166MMX as well as adding a Diamond Monster
3D accelerator card. I'm not really looking foward to having to
upgrade again just to be able to race in N3/Cart2.

Joel Willstein

Isnt it supposed to be released end of 98?

do you expect to be able to run a brand new game well on a 1 year old
computer, as nice as it would be. 166mmx is already too slow for a few
games, another year and nobody will even consider using them.

p.s. I dont mean this to sound ***, its just a point that needed making.

Steve.

     While I understand your reason for posting your reply,there are
other things more important than every year laying out $200-$1000 to
upgrade ones computer system just so that we can "play" the latest
racing sims.

     When I upgraded last year,it was with the intention that this
system would have to last at least a few years.  After all,family &
home comes 1st.  There are bills to pay.

     Right now I can run Nascar2 with all graphics on with still get
what seems like really good frame rates.  Hopefully with the fx3d
patch,it will be even better. So when Nascar3 and Cart2 are released,I
will have to carefully weigh just what trade offs will be needed to
get these 2 sims to run properly.  It may just be that I will have to
give up too much and decide for the time being to stick with Nascar2
and ICR2.

     I find it hard to beleive that Sierra/Papyrus thinks that the
vast majority of gamers have the latest and fastest computers.  I
asked several employees at work who have computers and use them for
*** just what they presently own and when they last upgraded. All
put one still has the original system that they purchased within the
last few years.  Asked what they would do if they couldn't get the
latest game to run up to their expectations,most said that they would
return it.

     We dedicated sim racers are a minority,and a small one at that.
Maybe it is time that the producers of computer games understand that
not all of us are willing to constantly upgrade just to play the
latest games that they produce.

  Joel Willstein

Yea I know, but It takes awhile to convince the wife it's time to upgrade
again.  :)

Someone out there must be buying these new games or else the game
companies would go out of business. I guess it`s just too bad for us
poor folks :}

Richard Woodliff

I disagree

I want to see the best games possible as time moves forward.  If you
can't afford to keep up fine, stick with what you have.  I don't want
to see software developers held back because of the finacial
constraints of those of you that think they need to extend the length
of their old hardware.  You say you just upgraded to 166??? How can
you call that an upgrade?  What did you have before 386sx33? A 166 is
not even a mid-range computer nowadays, that is a low-end computer.
If developers are constrained to develop for the lowest common
denominator we will all be stuck with low-end/mid-range games...

JAU

Well, I politely have to disagree with you. I just bought a MIcron 300 PII.
While your comments may for the most part be correct we as gamers have been
conditioned by Intel and the software *** companies to constantly
upgrade.

While software *** companies maybe creative in the products they put out,
they probably are not utilizing the power of a Pentium 90. For the most part
these software companies are under pressure to  turn out games within 1.5 -
2 years of its development cycle. It appears that most programmers cover
over their program inefficencies and coding with more cpu power and faster
video cards.

Just look at the Sony Playstation (which I also own). I've read it has the
CPU power of a 486 33mhz system. I find that most of the new games are
running faster and smoother with each new release. Why? because the
programmers are forced to think and be even more creative to squeeze out
more from the system. Imagine if that happened with our PC's. We wouldn't
have to spend $500-$2500 a year just to keep up with current technology.

But I disagree with your essential premise is that if developers would
wring every last ounce out of existing hardware that you wouldn't have
to upgrade. You still would because they'd wring every last ounce of
whatever the highest end hardware available was. (Speaking of
CPU-intensive real-time 3D games, not the Solitaires of the world.)

Game developers aren't extravagant with wasting resources. Sure, they
don't squeeze every last ounce out of every last function, because it
doesn't make solid business sense to do that...

---Jim