rec.autos.simulators

But . . .

I recalled immediately how much I had wanted to like this game when I
downloaded the demo.  I'm not really much of an F1 fan, or an historic
Grand Prix fan, for that matter -- Indy is my first love, and the old
cars in SoS were very reminiscent of the cars that ran at Indy in the
same era, and this alone was enough to make me want to like this
title.

And that Donnington track in the demo seemed so nicely-done -- IF it
weren't for those lousy frame rates.  So I started fiddling around with
the graphics settings, just to see if I could improve the framerate and
enhance the playability, recalling how painful GPL is at 14 fps.  With
all the graphics turned down, things started to feel better -- you CAN
hang the tail out, and a four-wheel drift is possible (it may not be as
well-done as it is in GPL, but it definitely is do-able, and it does
NOT seem canned).  With the graphics cranked down so low, the game
looked about like an older SVGA game, rather than a modern 3D-
accelerated Windows-based game, but things were starting to "feel"
better from a driving standpoing.

Then I started fiddling with the sound settings, and I discovered that
with all sounds turned OFF, the game REALLY sailed along, and things
started to feel MUCH better.  Yes, at this point I was working with
what appeared to be SVGA-quality graphics and no sound, but the driving
model was starting to feel gratifying.  Still, with no sound, the
driving experience definitely suffers, so I turned the sound back on
and proceeded to turn some laps and race a couple of races as well, at
a somewhat-reduced but marginally-acceptable frame rate.  The AI does
do some bonehead things occasionally, but overall, the more laps I
turned, the more I found the overall experience to be enjoyable and
somewhat rewarding.

Not as rewarding as GPL, to be sure, but far and away better than
something like Test Drive 6 (a TRUE waste of time, which I had deleted
from my hard drive earlier that day, after playing around with it for a
while to remind myself of just how bad it truly was -- and it was truly
bad).  Frankly, I'd even say that with the sound and video options
cranked back, SoS drove significantly better than NFS3 or NFS:HS,
feeling much more like a relaxed sim, rather than an out-and-out arcade
racer.

Again, it's definitely NOT GPL-calibur, but I gradually realized that
the SoS demo reminded me a lot of the latest in the NFS series -- Need
For Speed: Porsche Unleashed.  Judging by the demo, it occurred to me
that SoS might be able to offer the same fun-yet-somewhat realistic
driving model, plus the same relaxing, fun, and immersive
driving/racing experience that I find with NFSPU.

So the main problem with SoS, it seems to me, is that it is a hardware
hog, and you can't really scale back graphics details and sound options
in an acceptable manner for midrange machines (okay, that, plus the
fact that it's NOT GPL <G>).  I'm running and AMD K6-2 400 with 64 MB
of RAM and a 16 MB Voodoo Banshee card -- this is admittedly a midrange
system, but it handles virtually anything I throw at it quite
admirably, including F1 2000 (as long as I don't try to race the AI).
Even so, SoS brings my system to a virtual halt, but I have a feeling
that on a 600 MHz or better PIII or Athlon with more RAM and a more
modern video card, SoS might be TRULY enjoyable -- as long as you're
not expecting it to be the GPL physics engine applied to the 1937 Grand
Prix season.

Anybody else have any thoughts on this, or any experience with SoS on a
more potent machine?  I'm thinking about ordering a copy of SoS so I'll
have it on-hand later on, when I move up to a faster machine.

So, could SoS be the NFSPU of historic Grand Prix sims, or did I spend
a little too much time with Test Drive 6 before deleting it from my
hard drive? <G>

- JB

Sent via Deja.com http://www.racesimcentral.net/
Before you buy.

Nixx
Too many sims, too little time.

http://www.ebworld.com/ebx/categories/products/product.asp?pf_id=182615

I may give it a try on my DC with my Force RS wheel.. :)

Installed and configured without much problem apart from not being able to
get it to recognize seperate brake/throttle pedals. Oddly enough the read me
file contains this line "This race is set in the scenic French countryside,
accurately reproduced from a track used in 1937. You have 2 laps of the
circuit in which to beat the other cars, starting from Pole Position on the
track."  Did not know that Donnington was in France: will someone inform the
English ? :)

Tried it first with all details set high and you're right, it really has bad
framerate that is particularly apparent in the hairpin. Hitting the F1 key
several times puts you in the***pit which really looks quite nice. Editing
the .ini file allows you to use a manual gearbox which really helps the
immersion ( just dont try to shift up past 5th gear or you'll crash to
desktop). Donnington in hi rez (800x600) looks wonderful, the scenery
graphics are very nice with things like the farmhouse and track bridges
particularly nicely done. There is a spacious feel to the track and you can
go a fair way off the track surface without bouncing off invisible walls.
Sound on my MX-400 is so-so either with or without EAX enabled. The sounds
themselves are Ok with a nice rumble from the Mercedes motor but they dont
really give me good feedback on the state of the car. Tire squeal in
particular is too abrupt in onset to be useful in guaging acceleration out
of a corner.

Next I scaled back the graphics to the only other option on my demo which
was something like 512x384 (close but not quite sure), knocked down level of
detail to low, mirrors off , etc. Did not try it without sound . Sure enough
the framerate picked up (at the expense of a lot of pixelation :( ) and the
car moved through the corners in a much smoother fashion. Still could spot a
little chugging in the hairpin but certainly not nearly as much as in
800x600. I still found the car to have a very artifical (and uncomfortable)
feel to it. It drove like it was revolving around a pin that had been shoved
vertically through the center of the car. This is not the feeling I get when
I run NFS-PU,even when I'm driving the very earliest Porsches. This is where
SOS comes apart for me.

If SOS had the driving model of  Porsche Unleashed I'd buy it in a heartbeat
. The hardware hoggishness of SoS indicates a game that was rushed to market
too early. It appears to be a Beta rather than a finished product. Given
some optimisation of the graphics engine to run a decent framerate and a
NFS-PU it would be dandy sim-lite (arcade-heavy?) way to pleasantly waste
some time visiting the 1930's.

It'll be interesting to see what the Dreamcast crowd thinks of SoS (per
rrevveds post in this thread). Maybe the coding cleanup required for the
Dreamcast will go a way towards fixing a lot of SoS's troubles.

One of the more interesting might-have-beens

David

Parallel universe.  Napolean won... <g>

Regards,
Brett C. Cammack
That's Racing! Motorsports
Pompano Beach, FL

As well as the observations already made, I would say there are one or two
other floors in the game.

Firstly, I can't work out how to restore a saved game. If anyone knows
please tell me (the Readme.txt states it is not implemented!)

Secondly, the AI are awful. They run into the back of you constantly.

Thirdly, I cannot believe the amount of grip the cars have in the game.
Think about it, tyre technology was not what it was in 1967, the cars were
heavier (and in some cases more powerful) than those in GPL, and the weight
distribution not ideal (front engined) and yet I find I can throw then into
corners without the risk of loosing it like GPL.

Shame really, as the tracks are awesome -  I love Tripoli and Brooklands is
interesting from the historic point of view.

Definitely a case of "if only"

Steve

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition....

Stephen

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Good, for a moment I thought it was too subtle.

Stephen

--
Olav K. Malmin
remove spam when replying

<humor>

Thankfully, things like that NEVER happen in GPL!

;-)

</humor>

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

Regards,
Brett C. Cammack
That's Racing! Motorsports
Pompano Beach, FL