rec.autos.simulators

>>>>Can you direct me to those surveys?

>>>No, I don't have the references (they were web surveys, there were
>>>several of them when NFS2 came out about a year ago).

>>Well, it would have been interesting to see what the people who filled
>>out those surveys had to say about the product and themselves, and
>>whether or not there was a good mix of people in the surveys.  If you
>>look here at the newsgroups, the respons has been about 95% positive
>>for NFS3, and yours is the FIRST message I've seen by someone griping
>>about the missing straightline segment tracks of NFS1.  If it was THAT
>>important, you'd think people besides you would be screaming about it.

>>>Well, isn't it obvious? Why would a cop chase you around in a circular
>>>track that you can't get off?

>>This is an amusing question.  Let me counter with this...why would a
>>cop chase you on a straight line track where if you got to a magical
>>point, you disappeared off the face of the earth and the cop could
>>never get you?  That's what happens on NFS1, right?  You go and if you
>>beat the cop to the finish line, oh well...toughies for him.  As far
>>as whether a cop would chase you around in circles...the answer is
>>simple:  If you go in huge several mile circles...and he's chasing
>>you, it logically follows he's going to chase you in circles!  (though
>>in real life, as in the game, the cops start putting up road blocks
>>etc).  Once you learn the shortcuts and the best ways to use off-road
>>stints they can be used to really spoil them...providing perhaps a way
>>to "get off" the track as you put it.  At any rate, you have failed to
>>make any kind of reasonable argument that makes NFS1 look superior to
>>NFS3 in that regard.  The fact is, you happen to be driving a long
>>twisty track that ultimately is a large closed circuit, and the cops
>>would like you to please not speed...Perfectly reasonable and I'd
>>expect no less in real life.  Again I ask you...in what way is the
>>NFS3 premise stupid in a way that the NFS1 premise is NOT?

>>>I will grant you the point, however, that since the tracks are longer
>>>and more realistic from the sounds of things (not fantasy tracks) it
>>>doesn't sound quite as bad as NFS2.

>>What makes a track "fantasy"?

>>>But I wish EA would just give people what we are asking for for once!

>>Many people, including myself, feel like NFS3 does just that.  When I
>>see legions of angry NFS1 owners screaming in the newsgroups about
>>missing straight line tracks, I'll concede that perhaps EA missed
>>something.

>>>One reason I dislike circuits is for precisely the reason that you
>>>like them - you become too familiar with the turns and tracks, which
>>>to me is another factor that detracts from the immersive feeling of
>>>being on real roads that NFS1 provided.

>>I fail to understand this point.  Why couldn't you become just as
>>familiar with a straight segment based race after you'd done it
>>several times.  It seems like your gripe is based upon the fact that
>>you do the segment once per game as opposed to doing it 2, 4 or 8
>>times per game in NFS3?  And getting familiar with the tracks for Hot
>>Pursuit is great because you learn where you're most vulnerable to
>>spinning out or getting pulled over.  And you also find out where the
>>cops are weak and learn to exploit that.

>>>It limits the replayability -

>>I respect your opinion, but I disagree.  Almost every racer besides
>>NFS uses laps instead of straight line segments.  If straight line
>>segments were in such high demand, don't you think we'd have more
>>racers that featured them?  As for it limiting the replayability...I
>>don't see how.  I can play for an indefinite period of time beating
>>the AI, then racing my ghost car and best times of others trying to
>>find precious seconds or tenths of seconds on courses, experimenting
>>with different car setups, trying different cornering techniques,
>>sliding versus grip cornering, etc.  The straight line segments in
>>NFS1 were one of the reasons I stopped playing that game.  I got tired
>>of going in more or less a straight line over and over.

>>> At the same time, even in the long non-circuit tracks of NFS1, I *did*
>become familiar enough with the
>>>layout of the road that I had a prety good idea what was coming up, so I
>could drive them aggresively.

>>Now you've got me confused..you just complained: "you become too
>>familiar with the turns and tracks, which to me is another factor that
>>detracts from the immersive feeling of being on real roads that NFS1
>>provided. "

>>and now you're saying that you DID become familiar enough with the
>>straight lined circuits to drive them aggressively, which was a BAD
>>thing for you about closed circuits.

>>I guess I feel like you're not doing a good job of making your
>>argument, either for stating that many other people agree with you and
>>are upset about this 'problem' in NFS3 or giving solid reasons why
>>straight lines are superior to closed circuits.

>>Randy
>>Randy Magruder
>>Contributing Reviewer
>>Digital Sportspage
>>http://www.racesimcentral.net/

> >>Can you direct me to those surveys?

> >No, I don't have the references (they were web surveys, there were
> >several of them when NFS2 came out about a year ago).

> Well, it would have been interesting to see what the people who filled
> out those surveys had to say about the product and themselves, and
> whether or not there was a good mix of people in the surveys.  If you
> look here at the newsgroups, the respons has been about 95% positive
> for NFS3, and yours is the FIRST message I've seen by someone griping
> about the missing straightline segment tracks of NFS1.  If it was THAT
> important, you'd think people besides you would be screaming about it.

> Yeah, the only thing that went through my mind when I first played
> with the Cop Chase in NFS3 was a sense of delight.  This pushes the
> overall value of the game upward for me.  Gotten bored of zipping
> through the country or city to win a race or beat a best time?  Fine,
> play a game of Cop Chase!  Nice addition.

> Ricky Wayne Brown

> Digital Sportspage <www.digitalsports.com>

>> >>Can you direct me to those surveys?

>> >No, I don't have the references (they were web surveys, there were
>> >several of them when NFS2 came out about a year ago).

>> Well, it would have been interesting to see what the people who filled
>> out those surveys had to say about the product and themselves, and
>> whether or not there was a good mix of people in the surveys.  If you
>> look here at the newsgroups, the respons has been about 95% positive
>> for NFS3, and yours is the FIRST message I've seen by someone griping
>> about the missing straightline segment tracks of NFS1.  If it was THAT
>> important, you'd think people besides you would be screaming about it.

>OK, I'll bite.  I got NFS2 directly from the company when it first
>came out, played it and beat it, then put it on the shelf.  It
>has stayed there ever since, while I play NFS1 at least once a
>week.  However, I never play the circuit tracks in NFS1.  I
>always play head to head with traffic.
>  I believe there are two reasons why this is true.  The first
>one is the track issue - yes, you can memorize the straight
>tracks, but it takes much longer, and you can forget sections
>if you go for a little while without playing.  The scenery
>changes from section to section.  I can outrun a cop and know
>that he's far behind me and I'll never see him again.  But
>most importantly, there's just something about the FEEL of
>the open road that I'll never get on any closed track, real
>or simulated.
>  The other issue is the cars.  Top performance *** car
>simulations are a dime a dozen.  NFS1 actually had cars that
>normal people could dream of affording, and that you could
>raced on the open road with a reasonable expectation that you
>wouldn't immediately kill yourself doing so.
>  I don't buy a lot of computer games, just the ones I think
>I'll actually play, so I'll summarize.  If the NFS series insists
>on sticking to closed circuits and *** cars, I'll go satisfy
>my driving simulation needs elsewhere, even if that means buying
>nothing and sticking to good old NFS1.  
>--
>Allen Johnson PP-ASEL ......... Remove the NOSPAM. to respond
>We pray for one last landing, on the globe that gave us birth,
>To rest our eyes on fleecy skies, and the cool green hills of Earth.
>Robert Heinlein