rec.autos.simulators

Bzzt. RIGHT!  I welcome anyone to go to www.ea.com, where they can quickly get
to the Longbow pages.  And if you look at the web address, its part of ea.com.

I didn't say I necessarily believed Dean.

Heh heh.  If you only knew where I worked...

clear.

Really? Then why in their FAQ do they state that they are considering other 3D
Boards at this time?

Independent software developers did. That's why some of their titles have D3D,
and some do not. LB2 will NOT have D3D, because it's makers refuse to
compromise on quality. They have been quite clear on this point.

D3D would be a compromise in quality only based upon which hardware a user had.
 If the user has a Riva128, its very competitive with Glide and the current
generation of 3DFX cards.

I can run it, just perhaps not in OpenGL mode.  And if I cared, I'd have bought
a Monster 3D already.

More "I've made up my mind.  Don't confuse me with any facts which might
contradict my own prejudices".

Randy
Randy Magruder
Staff Writer
Digital Sportspage
http://www.racesimcentral.net/

Your reaching. Today, and for the forseeable future, LongBow2 and
games like it will be 3dfx only.

Joe

Not true at all. Andy H was explaining just today how it *wasn't* just
a matter of speed, but capabilities the Glide API has that D3D lacks.
Even the software-only version of LB2 uses techniques/effects not
possible in D3D.

That's the whole point - there's dozens of games - several of them
"best of breed" - that as of today only run on 3dfx. So we come back
to the original inescapable conclusion: buying a non-3dfx board at
this point in time is an ignorant puchasing decision. In other words,
if one looks at the facts and reality of currently available software,
going non-3dfx is simply not logical.

Joe

--
Wolfgang Preiss       \ E-mail copies of replies to this posting are welcome.
wopr"at"stud.uni-sb.de \ There is no "2" in my real e-mail address.
Uni des Saarlands       \ Sorry for the inconvenience. You know why.

Cool - if that comes to pass then I'll buy a Riva based card. If that
strategy is blown out the water by Voodoo2 I'll buy one of those. The
fact is, the best card technically is not necessarily the best card to
buy. If GPL is released and happens to be the absolute top sim at that
time, I will go with whichever card happens to give the best support
to that - if it supports other software I like in addition then that
is a bonus. If CPR2 runs on the "Riviera 256" or whatever it may be,
and THAT is the ultimate sim, it's a Riviera 256. Perhaps not an
industry standard buying technique, but it gets me what I want.

Cheers!
John

You ask: Why should you buy a Voodoo?   While my 3dfx card has
provided me with much *** enjoyment over the past year, I don't
know or care what you or anyone else buys.  If you were satisfied with
an EGA card then that would be fine by me.

Just as a general comment on many of your posts which are as much
trolls as they are indications of a lack of conviction on what you
find to be satisfactory.  Or maybe you just like to argue.

: >I do have to say, it's interesting how you conveniently chopped the part
: >mentioning the fact you are comparing new cards to something that is a
: >year old.  It is ok to compare voodoo2 (early tests) to the precious Riva
: >128.

: Show me a Voodoo 2 at retail and then we'll talk. I can show you 4 or
: 5 Riva 128 boards on the shelves right now.

Well my comment would make more sense if you had quoted farther down.  Did
you see the recent test results from Brian Hook?  Yes, the Riva might be
working well for you, but did you not also say you have a PII system?
From reading the Riva cards are very cpu dependent.

: >Last we heard it was due 1st quarter 98 which isn't that far off and if
: >someone is thinking about buying a 3d card, is it so wrong to mention this
: >and possibly wait until it is out instead of spending the money now on
: >something that will be inferior?

: Depends.  The Voodoo 2 is likely going to cost over $200 when it
: ships, compared to the current boards which are far less.  Not to
: mention the fact that you could get a 2D/3D board now and buy a Voodoo
: 2 for its expansion port early next year if so warranted.  That's
: probably what I'll do.  I see no reason to tack a Monster 3D onto the
: Riva right now.  I'd just have to toss it out for the Voodoo 2.

Yes it's likely to cost over $200 but so did the original Voodoo and look
how the price dropped and it dropped quickly.  Also, a V2 card is likely
to serve someone well for quite some time.  I also would not add an M3D
onto the Riva card either.

: BTW, can you run OpenGL games like Quake 2 on that Riva?

Yes you can, but not nearly as well.

board at this point in time is an ignorant puchasing decision. In other words,
if one looks at the facts and reality of currently available software, going
non-3dfx is simply not logical.>>

Sorry, but using the same 4 titles over and over and over and using LongBow as
your main point of reference is simply not convincing.  Everything I want to
play I can play on my Riva 128.  Tell me what's illogical about me having a
Riva 128?

Randy
Randy Magruder
Staff Writer
Digital Sportspage
http://www.digitalsports.com/

Well, its been mine with both boards.  The 3DFX board collects dust and the
Riva 128 is in the machine.  It simply blows the doors off of the 3DFX card I
have, and I'm sure some of that is due to AGP.

strategy is blown out the water by Voodoo2 I'll buy one of those. >>

I'll probably buy a Voodoo 2 regardless.

Randy
Randy Magruder
Staff Writer
Digital Sportspage
http://www.digitalsports.com/

I don't own that the Canopus board so I can't say, but you can go to various
benchmark sites (www.gamecenter.com, www.gamespot.com and whatever site Final
Reality is at) and see what users have reported or people have tested.  I like
the Final Reality tests as they build two different game environments (a mech
style environment and a blade-runner style environment) and then benchmark
those.

Randy
Randy Magruder
Staff Writer
Digital Sportspage
http://www.digitalsports.com/

Joe

Why back to performance again? That isn't the issue at all. Fact is,
with a Rendition and a 3dFX in my machine I can play _anything_
(except of course the illogically titled "Ultimate" Race or whatever
it is). With a Riva 128 you can't play accelerated ICR2, N2, SODA, nor
any of the Glide only titles. Frankly it doesn't make sense for me to
own a Riva 128. I'm sure you and others Riva 128 owners have your own
buying reasons which are equally valid, but they don't amount to a
hill of beans for me. The Riva 128 could give 300fps in Longbow 2
accompanied by heavenly auras and a hallelujah chorus, but as far as
it's in Longbow 2, frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.

(Too many old films on TV in the run up to Christmas!).

Likewise, if it supports the software I'm interested in.

Cheers!
John

: >> "Not nearly as good" hasn't been my experience at all.

: Well, its been mine with both boards.  The 3DFX board collects dust and the
: Riva 128 is in the machine.  It simply blows the doors off of the 3DFX card I
: have, and I'm sure some of that is due to AGP.

If I remember you describing your system from a previous post, I think it
has more to do with your processor than anything else.