rec.autos.simulators

--David Cook

New features in GP3 since GP2 in the current beta version:

All the teams, drivers, tracks and races of the 1998 championship season with the
official FIA license.

Highly detailed vehicle/track 3D graphics in software and hardware rendering mode
with DirectX7 (supports resolutions from 640x480 to 1024x768)

Dynamic weather conditions (from sunny to monsoon) and changes on the ideal
driving line. The conditions can vary throughout a track.

More tyre marks are added as the race progresses.

Extremely realistic physics engine developed for the past 12 years

Full tumble (rolling and completely destroying of the car is possible)

New improved 3d sounds recorded with Arrows F1 team

Realistic car setup options (adjusting differentials now possible)

Improved data logging and performance analysis)

New driving aid in***pit view: steering help (F8)

10 in-car cameras and TV-style camera

Virtual***pit - when braking or accelerating, the head moves backwards or
forwards

New LCD display which now also shows the engine temperature

Improved AI (computer cars much aggressive and difficult to overtake)

More detailed tracks, buildings and trees modelled as seen in real-life. Tracks
also contain camber.

Multiplayer on LAN for for 2-4 players. Also supports modem and direct link
connections.

Totally new menu system which is easier and faster to use

Force feedback support

Works with Windows 95/98/98SE/2000/Me (requires DirectX 7)

Features which will not be added GP3, but will be added to Grand Prix 4 or future
games:

Support for more than 4 player LAN mode

Catch fencing and more 'tiny' details

Longer replays (full replay system)

Better timing system (as seen in TV)

Radio messages

Internet play

Animated pit crew and TV cameras on pits

Safety car

Red flags

Stop and go penalties

Formation lap

Jump starts

Own carshape for each team

Ability to look left or right from***pit view just like in many other sims

Starting driving career as a test driver and then moving to better teams

Livery editor

sims

Waaht?

We have to wait until GP4 for these things??

--
Thanks
Kieran Larkin
www.PCracing.co.uk for the best racing news

--
Thanks
Kieran Larkin
www.PCracing.co.uk for the best racing news

spent this long doing.....what?

What a rip-off.  Don't even tell me they can't model LAN (yes LOCAL AREA
NETWORK) multiplayer with more than 4 drivers.  It's pure machiavellian
corprate suit-thinking (or laziness) so they can make you buy Gp4.  There is
enhancements that aren't even important in the above list compared to this
one.  I mean we aren't talking about TCP/IP over the Internet multiplayer
here, but just LAN!!!! There is no excuse for Geoff to tell us "well we can
have 4 cars but I don't want you to race with 5! You'll have to pay 30quids
for that!". Pathetic...

GP3 = the best off-line racing sim ever probably.  What a disappointment.

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- May the Downforce be with you...
-- http://www.WeRace.net
-- People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise
how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.

% Features which will not be added GP3, but will be added to Grand Prix 4 or future
% games:

From the list of things to be added to future releases it really begins
to show how far behind Crammond and GP3 are in the race to create a
great overall sim.  I find it hard to believe that after 4-5 years some
of those things are being left out of GP3.  It almost sounds as if Geoff
has been hiding out and coding in a cave all this time.  Just as in real
life racing you gotta come out once and awhile to see how the
competition is doing....

Oh well here's hoping GP3 can live up to its hype and we don't have to
wait 4-5 years for a GP4 that has some of the things GP3 shoulda had.
Because more and more GP3 is beginning to sound more like GP2.5.

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

While the left out features are surprising and disappointing, wasn't it
announced that they'll do a new version each year? That sounds a little
like money grabbing, but there's at least another famous company that
could be accused of that with their oval racing sims...

If that's needed to fund the development of accurate sims, so be it.

--
l8er
ronny

Your mouse has moved. Windows must be restarted for the change
to take effect. Reboot now?
          |\      _,,,---,,_        I want to die like my Grandfather,
   ZZZzz /,`.-'`'    -.  ;-;;,_              in his sleep.
        |,4-  ) )-,_. ,\ (  `'-'     Not like the people in his car,
       '---''(_/--'  `-'\_)            screaming their heads off!

It sounds like Microprose had to force him to use a team for user
interface/graphics development, but that there are actually two separate
efforts going on.

By the time this sim finally comes out, it will almost 3 seasons
out-of-date, with only a subset of the features any modern game should have.

I'll still be buying it, but I am not nearly as e***d by the prospect of
this release as I was by GP2. I think Crammond is rapidly becoming an
ex-great sim programmer.

Regards,
Gordon

....

I will be happy to exchange a 100% correctly functioning computer-AI feature for
half a dozen needless bells and whistles.

JoH

------- The best way to accelerate a Mac is 9.81 m/s2 --------
--------------------------------------------------------------

LOL :-)

They even included the radio message sound files in GP2, and still
haven't got round to using them in GP3!

--
Cheers!
Graeme Nash