rec.autos.simulators

The screen is a tri-fold covering the front and part of each side window
using three front projectors mounted on the ceiling.  I raced against 15 or
so other cars.  The graphics were very close to N3 although I actually
prefer the crisp colors of my 19" monitor over the faded look of a front
projected image.  I also felt too closed in with the low front edge of the
roof line.  I had to duck to look out the window comfortably.  I'm 5'11" so
this should not have been the case.  Surprisingly the frame rates dropped
occasionally which was very disappointing.

The best part of Silicon Speedway is the movement/force feedback of the car.
You're on hydraulics so the car moves quite a bit and is pretty impressive.
It adds a level of immersion we can't get at home . . . yet.  Since the race
was only 10-15 laps I didn't have enough time to really get into it but I
can see much greater immersion long race of 100+ laps.

The most annoying features were: (1) I actually started the race from Pit
Row while other cars started at the S/F line; and (2) The race is overpriced
$7-10 (I didn't pay so I'm not sure) for about 10 minutes.

Overall, I actually prefer N3 with my LWFF and 19" monitor.  I'm comfortable
in my chair with my wheel and my sharp monitor, I paid $45 one time and own
the game, and I'm not racing against the "mall" racers who have a life and
don't take it as serious as I do ;^).

Joe Marques

It wasn't all that easy to transition from N2 to SMS.
The cars
seem to be a lot more loose than in N2.  One
disappointment for
me was the lack of FF on the steering wheel.  It was
just a
spring-loaded unit.  The moving***pit was pretty
cool, but
frankly, I think I get a lot more out of GPL FF with an
ACT
Labs wheel.

Graphics-wise, I would put it on par with N3.  I assume
based on
the people involved in development of SMS, that the
physics
are very accurate.

It's worth trying.  If I lived close to one, I'd
probably
join a league that races weekly.

I don't think the experience is much better than what
you
get with a really good PC setup these days.

--
Pat Dotson

Umm, oops. I meat to post this- HATE the new icons on Outlook!

I've been racing at the speedway since it opened here in Chicago.
It's great, but has a learning curve.

I find Automatic is easier to race with; Manual has a small advantage
for those co-ordinated enough to drive one-handed and shift.

The frame rates shouldn't drop; the machines running your simulator probably
needed to be rebooted. Each simulator has it own set, plus a server above
the hauler co-ordinating the whole thing.

Yes, the short 'walk-in' races are too short; you should've raced in a
pickup
race- they're much better.

(1) They are trying to figure out a way to start a race the real way, but
the
AI have major problems with that at the moment.
(2)Yes, it's not cheap. I've raced in the leagues they run in the off hours.
They are not cheap either- $250 the last time I ran for 6 weeks of racing
with (I think) 100 laps per race. But the immersion is really there over
a long run. They also do pickup races (they call them competitions)
which are usually one race, $50, 100 laps, with a prize for the winner.
They also run much longer ones for holdiays, in the 250-600 lap range,
which I tried once but found it too long.

I run N3 on a heavily modified Tmaster T1 setup. No FF, so I really can't
compare the two that fairly. It is a different experience. And don't just do
the
walk-in and race in something longer and you'll race with the really serious
ones.
later. -Mark Gums

--
Olav K. Malmin
remove spam when replying

....

Ummm, something must have been pretty fouled up for you to get this
impression -- the SMS steering wheels _are_ FF, no mechanical springs in
these systems at all.  It's done with a very smooth drive system, so you
won't feel any cogging or other "mechanical noise" on the wheel.

Sorry to hear that you had a "less than satisfying" time.

Since I just happened to be in C***te for another purpose, I took some
time off and watched the annual SMS championships, at the C***te SMS
site.  The racing was great, there were about 2 dozen drivers/players flown
in from the other sites across the country.  Winner took $5000 home.

-- Doug

                Milliken Research Associates Inc.
                (consulted a bit on the SMS vehicle dynamics)

It's surprising to hear that the wheels do have
FF.  I really didn't pick up on any forces.
I ran four different races in four different
SMS cars.  Actually, the movement of the cars
themselves was so strong that it might have
masked the FF on the wheel.

SMS was completely satisfying for me, and I'd
do it often if the closest one wasn't over
four hours away from where I live!

I sure wish we could get some high-dollar
purses in GPL :)

--
Pat Dotson

Actually, the fact that you mistook the Silicon Speedway FF for a
mechanical spring (presumably because it was so smooth??) could be taken as
a compliment.  The old Hard Drivin' FF had enough "switching noise" in the
drive that it was pretty easy to tell that you were connected to a
motor/servo-drive system.

Hmmm, quite possible.  Lots of my driving/testing time was with the motion
base turned off.

Hey, thanks.  I wasn't fishing for compliments, but I'll take them
when they come!

Doesn't someone run LAN races in a rented hall??  I thought I heard of
something like this, but I can't remember where I heard it...

-- Doug

The wheel turned very smoothly, and I remember thinking
at first that it was just loose, with no spring or
FF!  Later, I noticed it centering a bit.

It just seemed like the gain on the car movement
was much higher than that of the wheel forces.
Are the settings for those forces able to be
changed by the individual SMS site personnel?

They do it in Australia.  I haven't heard of any GPL
events in the U.S., although I'd like to try to set
something up in Indianapolis that would coincide with
one of the IMS events.  Would anyone be interested in
doing that?

--
Pat Dotson

Pat,

What you describe below doesn't seem right.  Someone else posted that maybe
that SMS site was due to re-boot some of their PC's, I tend to agree.  They
might also be due for a re-calibration of some sort, I'm not sure about how
this is done.

There is plenty of FF motor torque available -- before a new site was open,
I tried one of the cars with uncalibrated steering; I could barely turn the
wheel at all, the force was so strong.

We won't be able to solve the problem from here, that is for sure!!  Thanks
for your comments.

-- Doug Milliken