rec.autos.simulators

Sim race fans:

Have you downloaded Bethesda's latest X-Car demo?  Much improved over
the earlier version, it'll give you a godd feel for what's in store
when the game is released.  Graphics have been bumped-up a bit, and
seem less-dark than before.  Also, the game runs much faster and
smoother, Bethesda saying that they learned quite a bit from coding-in
the 3D support.

The sounds are much better, and are very realistic.  They also seem
very familiar somehow...Listen carefully to the accelleration, as well
as the down-shifting.<g>

Two tracks are available for racing: Mid Ohio, and a fantasy figure-8.
A test oval is also included, but I'm not sure if you can hack the sim
to race there.  16 cars are included, but you can only drive the first
3...Easy enough to get around, as it seems Bethesda's new sim has an
open architecture that's fairly simple to configure.

The cars are still quite UGLY(!), and it's hoped that a car editor can be
either distributed by Bethesda, or created 3rd-party.  IMO, the cars,
and the included paintkit, are the only noticeable drawbacks to an
otherwise nice sim.

For those interested in a copy, it's available at the following URL:

    http://www.racesimcentral.net/

There's also a version for the 3Dfx cards (however it doesn't seem to
work on the Voodoo Rush)...Get it while you can, as it appears that
this 3Dfx version is totally unauthorized from Bethesda!!

Have fun!!  =)

Marc

Marc J. Nelson
Sim Racing Online / Sim Racing News / The Sim Project
http://www.racesimcentral.net/

Maybe it's better to just say that they didn't handle like cars in
other sims, or in a way I'd expect any real car to handle.

--                        

I've been running the 3Dfx version a little, after d/l'ing the regular
one.  They are both better than the original version shipped a couple of
months back, but there are so many features turned off that it makes it
difficult to evaluate it....you can only adjust a couple of car
settings.  The handling seems kind of...abrupt...that's the best word I
can come up with for it.

On my P133 with 3Dfx card, the game is quite smooth, although when I
cranked up the detail it started chugging badly....not nearly as
playable.  The non-accelerated version is just a little slower, but not
so pretty.  The detail on some of the buildings is very good (cuz that's
really important, right?), but the cars don't look too much better.  
Overall the visuals of the track are excellent, even at the default
values.  Probably the best I've seen in any racing game - almost like
racing in Links LS... :)

The wet race effect is pretty good, as far as both graphics and physics.

Overall, not bad...but I'd really like to see what modifying the cars
can do for the entertainment value.

Neil
--

Neil Yeatman          
Ajax, Ontario, CANADA

My REAL email address is:

ICQ# 1315725

--                        

Think the car  pivots......and there is too little difference between
running on/off the track....
But hey, I might have the wrong demo...anyway to find out?

Matt

--
Matthew Birger Knutsen
Cheek Racing Cars
Flatebyveien 5, N-1792 Norway
Fax (+47) 69 19 02 55
Mobile: (+47) 92 44 66 50
http://home.sn.no/~kareknut/
-----Please Remove "NoSpam" when replying.-----

Same here...Although I had a great time with the first version, the
improvements appear to major.

When I first mentioned this to Bethesda months ago, they were
surprised, but then mentioned that they would put it under more
intense play-testing...They asked about 50+ outside-simmers to
give some feedback, and it's apparrently paid off.

Not bad now...give it a try.  =)

BTW, I hear avault.com has removed the 3Dfx demo...

Cheers!

Marc

Marc J. Nelson
Sim Racing Online / Sim Racing News / The Sim Project

    I snagged the version listed first at Avault. I unzipped it,
installed it , ran it and got an error to the effect of, " No
Tires. Make sure the Xcar cd is in the drive". Anybody know what
I missed here?

Regards,
Greg                            

Have a go at turning some laps with the pacecar...Mucho fun!!
The only drawback being that you'll have to live with the light-
bar on the roof, and the car can't be painted from within paintkit.

To do this: open one of the first-3 car.des files in the XCAR\CARS
folder (00, 01, 02 - these are the only cars accepted in the demo for
testing).  Change the lines data and lodata (xcar000) to pace.3d.  =)

The zoom is the itsy-bitsy magnifying glass near the bottom center.

Just a little, but not much.<g>  I've already swapped a few cars
around (copying them over others) to get a group more suited to
my liking...works for now.  ;)

Also, paint some of the dash areas, placing the guages where you
like, and then alter the needle possitions from within the DES file.

Yes, very nice indeed!  =)

Yep...Let's see if Bethesda's listening...  ;)

Cheers!

Marc

Marc J. Nelson
Sim Racing Online
http://members.aol.com/simracing

Check the file dates...The first demo was released around Feb.

Marc

I hear Bethesda may release the correct (and authorized) version
in the next day or so.

Marc

Hi Greg,

Try unzipping the file with the -d option, instead of using the
install.bat...just a thought.  =)

Cheers!

Marc

says...

   Hi Marc,

   Thanks for the tip, it worked perfectly.:)  For those of you who may have
the same trouble I did with the Xcar demo here's the answer.
  Copy the Xcardemo.zip to a directory, unzip it normally. Then unzip the
  xdemo.zip file with the  -d extension. Don't use the install file or you'll
get the cd error. Again, thanks to Marc.
   I've only played it for about ten minutes but it's one heck of a lot better
than the first demo!! Can't wait for the final version.

Regards,
Greg

No need to.  The final 3Dfx version is available now at www.xcar.com.  I recommend avoid playing the
unauthorized version, cause it does have some program problems, and the controls aren't at default settings,
which make gameplay fustrating when you are trying to break into it.  Worth a download!

Clee

Thanks John...BTW, I want Seattle!!  ;)

Cheers!

Marc

Marc J. Nelson
Sim Racing Online / Sim Racing News / The Sim Project
http://members.aol.com/simracing

How's eveybody playing this?

In action mode?

Aids on off?

Cockpit view or with the hud/cockpit off, 3rd person?

Just wondering.

I personally like action mode, with all aids off, manual shifting and the
ground view without the***pit, this gives you a much better sense of speed.

The rain is cool as well.

In action mode the only thing I didn't care for is that the car oversteers but
not at first but when you try turning heavy. Then the whole car wants to come
around a bit to much, it's like the over compensated this for the rank
amatuer. I'm not sure if car settings fix this or not and it would be
interesting to see how much better we can tweak it with the garage enabled.

Overall the graphics are ok to good for a 3d accel. game.

Q.B.M.