rec.autos.simulators

    I just downloaded the Test Drive 4 demo this evening.  It comes in a
regular 13 MB version or 18 MB 3Dfx version, available from
www.avault.com or www.accolade.com.  The 3Dfx version takes up 50 MB of
disk space once you install.
    Well, it's  pretty cool.  I recommend this for anyone who likes Need
For Speed or other arcade racing games.  It is VERY similar the Need For
Speed series, especially NFS2SE.  It offers a***pit view which the new
NFS2SE doesn't offer.  This could almost be the same game as that,
except this game is a little bit more grounded in reality.  The tracks
look a little bit more like something from this planet.
    There are several modern supercars to drive as well as some 60's
muscle cars.  The demo contains a Dodge Viper and Shelby Cobra.  The
Cobra has a noticeable suspension difference from the Viper and isn't as
easy to control.  The sounds in this game seem pretty awesome;
especially the motor of the Cobra.  I wish I could have cranked the
volume up a little more this evening with my 180 wpc speakers and Yamaha
subwoofer, but my wife's sleeping right now.
    The graphics are topnotch and frame rate was smooth, I'd estimate
20+, maybe better with a P200/32MB/Diamond Monster.  I turned the
traffic on and cranked all the graphics to maximum, so it might even be
smoother if I turn a few things down.  I didn't like the way the other
traffic cars looked anyway.   I've also seen better looking dashboards
(I like the ones in the original NFS best).
    There is one track, England, to drive.  There are some nice rain
effects like the ones in the NFS2SE, nice lighting, and the tailights
are the best effect of all.  I was too lazy to plug my wheel in so I
played this with a Suncom F-15 Eagle joystick, a terrible way to drive a
game like this.  So I'll have a better idea of the driving model here
tomorrow; it seems like it will be fun with the wheel.
    All in all, this looks like it will be a fun arcade racer, if you
like such games.

TD4 is obviously influenced by NFS.  However, the driving model is far
inferior.  While NFS offered a sim-like car handling, TD4's driving
model has no "weight" in it.  The cars handle way too sensitive; it
almost seems like that the cars are floating around.

Anyone who played 3DFX NFS2SE is going to be disappointed by TD4's
graphics.  It's not that the TD4 looks bad.  It's still better than
CART PR.  But TD4 just cannot compete with NFS2SE in graphics
department.  Morever, the sound in TD4 is no good.

This is pretty sad since I like the car line-up of TD4 better than
that of  NFS2SE.  Also, I agree that the tracks are more realistic in
TD4 (very similar to the tracks in NFS) than in NFS2SE, and I like
them that way.

The cars are definitely too sensitive, even with sensitivity set to the last
amount possible, and the dead zone increased.  But, I like the sound in TD4.
NFS2's sound was truly no good, all the cars were the same.

Brian Fox
"Bill Clinton thinks that Cheerios are donut seeds"
Geocities' MotorCity Community Leader
Get your own free homepage at http://www.geocities.com
The Fox Den:  Nascar 1 and 2, ICR2, GP2 and my Streetrod.
http://www.geocities.com/~foxman

--

Yeah!  I have the shuttering problem with my P2 266/w 3dfx.  This happens
almost everytime when I have a collision.  I don't have this problem with
any other games I played, including NFS2SE demo.  Maybe we just need Voodoo2
for Test Drive 4 :)