rec.autos.simulators

I got my GPL last night and was able to play about an hour with it. After I
ordered it last  Wednesday, from EB, I started reading the limitations it
has on Pentiums less than 300mhz. I have a HP P166Mmx with 32mb of memory
with a Monster 3d card (Voodoo 1) The demos ran fine without any choppiness
at all. Most of my  other sims such as F1RS, N2, Motoracer, NHRA DR,
Burnout, etc. etc.. run fine.

Nevertheless,  in GPL and I have not found the right balance between:

            1. detail bias
            2. screen resolution
            3. number of sounds
            4. texture usage
            5. effects

I would like to find out from  my fellow friends on the RAS how they are
adjusting these items on lower level  (now) Pentium. Then I'll worry about
adding opponents.

As always Thanks ! ! ! ! ! ! !  ! ! ! ! ! !

Tim A. Deatherage

"Admitted Sim ***"

On my system, which is similar except I have a Rendition card, I get best
results with mirrors set to cars only, no dynamic lighting or any of that
(except anti-aliasing), detail bias about 3/4 to the left, 3 sounds, and
everything else on, at 512x384. This gives me 30-33 FPS in practice, 10-14
exiting pits or on starts, and 21-26 in traffic(w/9 AI cars). Hope this
helps.

--
Scott Moore
Hoosier MotorSports
http://www.racesimcentral.net/
Sports *** Network
http://www.racesimcentral.net/***.com

On Tue, 6 Oct 1998 21:37:30 -0700, "Tim Deatherage"

    Here's some info I sent to DoktorB as a follow-up to his survey...

-----

Actually, it <fps> varies from about 18 to 24, so long as I stay on
the track. If I hit the rail or spin or go off, it can drop into the
single digits.

race type/mode: training
# of opponents: 0
# of sounds: 3
resolution: 640x480
detail bias: just a touch above 0 (at zero the wheels become octagons
        and make me dizzy :)
trackside objects: minimal
mirror detail: minimal
effects: anti-aliasing only (a necessity, IMO, or else ICR2/N2 has
        spoiled me <Rendition mode>)
any other boxes that you check/uncheck?: road surface, racing groove,
        tire texture, drivers arms (I'm startin' to dig that cute
        little guy :), smoke (to show lock-ups)

Also, I'm driving in <gasp> arcade view.  Sad but true...

BTW, with these settings and using two joysticks (X1 for steering, Y2
for gas/brake), I've run 1:34.02 at Monza with the Eagle and nearly
(~34 gal) tanks and the default set-up.  So you *can* take advantage
of the sim's driving model so long as you keep the frame rate at 20 or
more.  15 starts getting twitchy and you can get a couple steps behind
it.

You can drive with the minimum 5 competitors, but your solo rate drops
from 18-24 to 14-18 and in traffic you get into the high single
digits.

It's enough to learn the tracks and cars and get a taste of the sim.
But I definitely want more soon.  (Your full-on benchmark, as slow as
it was, had me drooling for all the details. :)

BTW, I didn't do the second benchmark, as my printer goofed up and
didn't print a few lines around step 3 of test B.  I think if I turn
*everything* off (anti-aliasing is worth about 5-6 fps or 20%), I
might hit 36 fps solo, but no way of doing it with any competitors.
Test one was enough to satisfy my curiousity and get a chuckle  (BTW,
I bottomed out at 0.61fps at the start, your form wasn't precise
enough to note that. :)

-----

   I'm running a P133 w/Intergraph Reactor (V1000).

   The numbers above are for Monza.  Recently, I've started running
Watkins Glen, which is tougher on the frame rate, particularly through
the esses.

   Also, the parts for a C300A PC are on order.  :)

   It's good to have you at our meeting, Tim, but no last names,
please.  You've made the first step and acknowledged that you have a
problem...  :)

NAR Northeast Regional Contest Board site - points and more...

Did some testing on my 200mmx and it seems that sounds and detail bias have
great effects on fps. From there only cars in mirrors, effects off, etc.
until you get a decent frame rate. It's known that the optimum video card
espescially for slower ( under 300) systems is a Thriller 8 meg. After that
add more ram,  64min. Even with my 200mmx,thriller8,64ram I need to turn
off a lot of stuff to get a good frame rate with any ai cars on the track,
without ai cars it goes full fps with all graphics.
John

I have a P166 non mmx,80mb, V2 12mb. If I am in training mode (no other
cars) then I use the following to get 10-20 fps.
1 detail bias in the middle
2  800x600 (I have V2 to run this better than V1)
3  4 sounds (Enough sounds to hear your car)
4  only cars in mirror, textures turned off are clouds,driver,arms.
5 effects turned off are dirt,dust,sparks
6 turn off dynamic lighting, specular highlights
   set trackside objects to many.
Most of these do little change in fps compared to how much it slows with AI
cars.
When I race 5 cars I turn everything off except for cars in mirrors, the
track and walls,skids and driving line. I get about 5-16 fps.
The GPL manual "Four Wheel Drift" explains that no other simulator has put
so much detail into the car physics and AI and thats why it needs a very
fast CPU.
Lutrell,
Dsr#74 :-)
http://www.racesimcentral.net/