rec.autos.simulators

I will be getting ICR2 or GP2 from my wife for Christmas but I have to tell
her which one.  It will be running on a P120 with 3D rage card and 2 Meg
VRAM.  I will unfortunately be using a joystick instead of wheel/pedal set
up.  What SIM do you experts recommend I get first?  Thanks for the help.

Hi Bill,

The only choice is ICR2 or NASCAR 2. The Papyrus SIM's
are in a class of their own for racing simulation. With
NASCAR2 there is an extra element that is very exciting.
Nascar and Sierra/Papyrus have formed a joint venture and
a new NASCAR division called the NRO. This will allow
people from all over the country to participate in real time
true racing competition from the comfort of their own home!

This is a truly amazing development for racing enthusiasts!

Regards,
        ---Wayne.

   I'll give you three opinions (no extra charge)...

* Based on your machine, I'd suggest ICR2.  GP2 is a bit more
demanding on the CPU, so ICR2 would run more smoothly.

* Have you used past racing sims from Papyrus or Microprose?  Both
ICR2 and GP2 carry the spirit of their predecessors, so you might find
one more comfortable.

* Which racing series do you prefer as a fan?

Pick one or more: Model Rockets (competition-NERCB) / PCs (even Atari!) /
Papyrus ICR-ICR2-NCR / Who needs a life when you have multiple non-lives?

After playing them both to death gp2 for a number of reasons

1/ more tracks {no ovals which aren't tracks}
2/wheelspin and lock-ups
3/cars feel better to drive {only when u turn all the help off}
4/opponents spinning off and making mistakes trying to pass u and
stuff {the AI in other words}
5/ BECAUSE THEY ARE GRAND PRIX CARS :))

After playing them both to death {i am talking serious hours here} i
would go for gp2 by a tiny margin. They are both superb games and if u
actually like driving ovals go for indy2.

Gauntlet

"Emm i like sardines too batman"

Ovals are tracks but require a different discipline. GP2 has
only road courses while ICR2 and Nascar2 have both!

ICR2 and NASCAR2 have this

Feel of Sierra/Papyrus sims is far more realistic. I have raced
a number of different divisions and can honestly say the Papyrus
simulation is the closest thing to the real stuff.

Nascar2 has much improved AI and has all this and more.

However AI pales in comparison to real competition. In this area Nacar2
has everything else blown away. Out of the box you can race up to 8 people
via network, 2 via modem or 30+ via Ten Network and to top it off
there is a new Nascar divison called NRO, complete with real points, prizes
etc.

I personally prefer Sprint cars over all other types
of race cars as they are by far the narliest monsters on the planet.
As far as pavement cars go I think the cup cars are most demanding as
they are very heavy and must be 'muscled' around more than a GP or ICR
car.

Regards,
        ---Wayne.

You have got to be kidding. Have you ever driven an actual
racing vehicle of any type?

        ---Wayne.

Hi Bill!

It's all about taste. If you prefer Indycar instead of F1, buy ICR2,
else GP2. Because they are simulators they will try to fool your brain
to believe it's really the real thing, hence in a perfect simulator you
want know the difference from the real thing. So with this in mind, if
you're an Indycar fan your brain will easier be fooled by ICR2 and if
you're a F1 fan your brain will easier be fooled by GP2, because it
wants to be.

Think about the following when evaluating a simulator. Three things will
demand clock cycles in a simulator.

1. Physics Model
2. Model and showing the 3D world
3. Opposition AI

You can't have it all. If you get a simulator with a very good physics
model, the 3D and AI will suffer and so fort. Good simulators often
spend more clock cycles on the physics model, Arcade games spend it on
the 3D and strategy games spend it on AI.

/Kind Regards Christer Andersson, just a little bit smarter than a
chimp, relatively speaking!

On Mon, 16 Dec 1996 00:55:04 +0100, Christer Andersson

GP2 runs great on my P166 Matrox Mill system with just the sky turned off
and a few details in the mirrors turned off.

Back to the original person's question, all three are great games
it just depends on which kind of racing you like.

I own all 3, and I play different ones depending on my mood.

Both GP2 and Nascar2 have great graphics with GP2 having a bit better
physics and sound IMHO, although the damage model on GP2 is too forgiving
for collisions.

Nascar2 is great if you feel like racing ovals.... GP2 is great when
you feel like racing non-ovals, ICR2 is great when you feel like doing
a combination of the two.

Really comparing one against the other is like comparing
apples to oranges, why must people always argue about which one is
better since each one of these terrific games strives to simulate
completely different race series and car models, and each has
a different focus as far as playability and simulation.

Personally if I had to choose I would probably choose GP2 first since my
favorite racing series is Formula1 and that is my admitted bias, but Nascar2
would be very close behind, and ICR2 is starting to feel a bit dated as far
as the driving model goes, but it is still fun to take a car out on the great
Elkhart Lake track or Laguna Seca now and then.

Really if you are a driving sim fan like me you will end up buying all three
eventually and each one has redeeming qualities that will bring you
back for more.

To start with just ask yourself which race series you like most
and that should give you a point to start with.

Here's hoping we get MORE types of sims to choose from (i.e. motorcycle etc.)
and less bashing between different auto sims (GP2 vs Nascar2 vs ICR2 vs NFS.)

Cheers.

--John
--
 Note: my real e-mail address is below. Delete the asterisks.
------------------------------+--------------------------

  Seattle, Washington USA.    |    http://www.cool.com/~jsilva

On Mon, 16 Dec 1996 00:36:53 -0500, "Aw C'mon!"

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