rec.autos.simulators

        1.  New chassis: 94 and 95 Reynards, 94 and 95 Lolas, and (of course)
                94 and 95 Penskes
        2.  The current engines: Honda, Mercedes-Benz/Ilmor, Mercedes stock
                (from the 1994 Indianapolis 500), any upgrades to the
                Cosworth.
        3.  Firestone tires.
        4.  Pace cars.
        5.  Pit speed limits.
        6.  Black flags for: Passing under yellow, violating pit speed limits.
        7.  Having the Yellow come out when something happens to you (slide,
                blow a tire, etc.)
        8.  Smarter artificial intelligence opponents.
        9.  Roger Penske's California SuperSpeedway.
        10. The Miami Grand Prix.

Please add anything else you can think of to this list.

        Jeffrey K. Stier

 In addition to these I would add:

        11.  Something like talk from a crew chief (like via radio?) helping
             you with what is going on. E.g.:  Telling you you're 2nd in
             qualifying and to push harder,  That you just won and to bring
             'er in to victory lane.  etc.  Perhaps there could be a little
             dialog box that pops up with his comments.

        12.  Along similar lines: Something like a track announcer, telling
             you that the qualifying session is over, Gentleman start your
             engines, etc.  

             I always feel like I am racing within a bubble.
             It would be more fun with some comments from outside the car.

 Btw: I have only the first 7 tracks, if any of this stuff comes with the
 add-ons, let me know.

My votes (in priority order):

1) better AI
2) better AI (especially at Australia and Cleveland)
3) better AI
4) stereo sound (which way'd he go?)
5) new tracks
6) simulation of curbs and pavement glitches
7) better AI
8) better AI
9) SVGA display (I'll buy a P125 or P133 just for this if we get this far)
10) better AI
--

Brian Wong                              Product Marketing Engineering

Just go into the drivers.txt file and change it.  Graphically, there
wouldn't be much of a difference.

-> 9.  Roger Penske's California SuperSpeedway.

From what I have heard of it, why not just copy the Michigan track over
to a California directory.  There won't be that much difference between
the two tracks.

Better AI is a must for V2.0.  Pit speed limits and a pace car and a
better paint kit would be nice.

Brian:

I especially like your suggestion for #6...

To which I would add:
11> Local yellows on road courses
12> More realistic chicanes that actually require you to SLOW DOWN... :)
13> Elimination of all or nothing damage to AI
14> A better paintkit -- NASCAR's was better, but keep improving it

...and if when they decide to come out with a new product, how about
having SPRINT CARS.

  All these are nice, but we should prioritize the list and put the most
important things first like BETTER AI!!!!!
             #1) Smarter AI which drive better lines and have realistic
                 speeds on the straights and in the corners.

The NASCAR things (black flag, pace car, penalties, radio in your pit
requests, etc.) should be in a new version automatically.

another VERY nice thing to see would be local yellow flags!

Later,
 Darrel
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Bonuses I'd like:
1. Stereo Sound
2. Some kind of communication. (I always feel really lonely in the car)
   Has anyone noticed they drive a lot better when talking to friend.
3. Different looking cars, (polygons... not the bitmapped stuff)
4. Better crashes... damage like NASCAR's.
5. Smarter way to control the pit crew while racing.  Nascar's way is
   a little dangerous (if you don't pause) IMO.

If only half of these things would be done....

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As far as communication, how about notification of 1 lap to go during
yellows. I was racing at Milwaukee last night and couldn't get a good jump
on the restart. It would be great to know when the course is going to go
green.

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Baloney.  I'm not the best driver out there, but I can *easily* tell the
difference between the Ilmor and Cosworth engines at Michigan.  I had to
work real damn hard to get a Penske/Ilmor to 240.413 mph, and when I
just switched engines to the Cosworth I went 240.9xx - I had to change the
gearing slightly too.  I can't run the 241mph laps like the real front
runners, but it's VERY obvious that there is a real and quantifiable
difference between the engines.  The Cosworth/Menard differential is even
bigger - the hotshots go high 241's, but the Menards can go 243.  That's
a HUGE difference.  If one had a Honda implemented, it would be a gross
difference.

--

Brian Wong                              Product Marketing Engineering

Cheers !

Simon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simon A. Milburn, B.Sc, B.Bus.Hons.                           Analyst/Programmer
                                                                    | | | | | |
"Blind obedience carries me through it all."                        | | | | | |
 - Behind The Crooked Cross [Slayer]                                |M|I|N|C|O|M

Control of the pit crew during racing.  How is this done.  I've
only got the UK manual, for what it's worth, and mentions nothing
about this.  What can be done?  Where can I get hold of the US
manual?

Bob

--
Bob Mallett - Maidstone, England

NO!!! I don't want to be the only one to use ridiculous lines through
corners ;-)

How true...

One thing I'd like to see would be some way of knowing if there is
someone driving right beside me. Perhaps mirrors a'la NASCAR would be
a solution?

Of course the Miami circuit should be included. And maybe some of the
F1 circuits as well...

--

Taidonkaari 1 A 7    
90570 OULU FINLAND   All errors, if any, in the text above are
+358-(9)81-5546152   intentional. Really.

        AJ

Wait a minute. Even if two tracks look quite similar their demands are radically
different. Michigan is one track, and Roger Penske's California SuperSpeedway is a
completely different track. They have two things in common though, they are
superspeedways and they are both owned by Roger Penske, but that's it. Maybe they
are similar in length, too, I don't know.

The engines are quite different from each other when it comes to engine torque,
top speed and revs. I am not so sure if the choice of chassis has any practical
consequences in the sim but I guess it has, the Lola94 is quite jumpy and cannot
compare with Penske94 or Reynard94. (Correct me if I'm wrong on the chassis side).
Anyway the real Lola94 that was used in the last IndyCar season was not good
at all, the new Lola95, which is being tested by the Newman/Haas team among others,
is said to be a major improvement, even Paul Tracy liked it.

Better AI? I mean as far as have seen those cars doesn't have any AI at all, so
Papyrus, give those lame ducks some brains? If you're satisfied with the AI try
to race at Cleveland.

__________________

                    University of Oslo, Norway
______________________________________________
"I am your inferior superior."
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No, why not some type of "fast_virtuality_side_view_left" and
"fast_virtuality_side_view_right" like the ones found in F.Sims? That would
be great.
But as the race is going at full speed, I think it's up to us to
"know" that somebody is now right beside us, with the use of standard
mirrors...