rec.autos.simulators

Now, I can't
It doesn't matter if I have only 640x480x16 colors.
\I can not run a full field of cars without massive frame rate drop.

THis is unacceptable.
I have a P3 650 Mhz machine with 196 Megs of SDRAM.
I should be able to run a full field with l;owered graphics.

Is there something I am missing to make this game run fluid.
I would hate to put this sim on the shelve and go back with Nascar 3,
or NASCAR heat.
But if I can not race this game the way I want to, then what
alternative do I have?

Frustrated.

Shane

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Things I've found that really help framerate:
-reduce # of cars drawn
-turn off lightmaps and reflections
-Set World Detail and Draw Ahead really really low

If nothing else, Upgrade your PC, race with fewer cars, or just lower your
expectations.  :)  I run 20 or 26 AI cars at 25fps on most tracks.

-----------------------------------------
Dan Belcher
Team Racing Unlimited
http://simcrash.00game.com

--
Kevin Anderson

What card? V3? With a nice GFII GTS you should be able to run N4 quite
well..

Andre

You know what? Its that kind of thinking that allows game companies to
continue to program to the least common denominator. The preferred
recommendations on the Nascar 4 box read, "Pentium 3 600, 128mb Ram, 32mb
Direct 3d compatible video card".

We do not know James video card is, but it sounds like his system should
meet the preferred recommendations everywhere else. However, I can tell you
from experience this is not the case. One of my machines is a PIII 600,
128mb ram, with Geforce 2 MX and I have to turn down the details to less
than Nascar 3 quality to run the game at a decent frame rate with a normal
number of cars. With Nascar Heat on the same machine I run 40-50fps with
very good detail.
Less than a year ago, I purchased the fastest Intel PC available(PIII 933),
and the fastest video card available (32mb Geforce 2 GTS - the 64mb was not
out yet). I purchased this setup in the hopes of running Grand Prix 3,
Nascar 4, Nascar Heat, and WSC at the best levels possible. Keep in mind,
this was when Nascar 4 was still scheduled for release in the early fall.
Obviously the hardware life cycle has just been getting shorter and shorter
every year, but should we be expected to update our computers every 4-6
months with the highest speed processors and graphics cards just to continue
to keep up with the games? Again, I know its always been this way, but its
never been this bad. Graphics accelerators were supposed to help increase
the life cycles of our PC's yet this is the furthest thing from the truth.
In 4 years, I have upgraded my video card 6 times, and my processor 6 times.
This is just to keep close to running these games at a decent level. Now you
are telling me that I need to ditch my 9 month old video card for another
one just to play Nascar 4 effectively? Even though the preferred settings
make no mention of this? Damn! I am sure that as soon as I get a Geforce 2
Ultra, the Geforce 3 will be released.

Sorry I could not be much help James, but I guess the Nascar 4 box should
have really had a price tag of $500 and come with a 64mb Geforce Ultra
packed inside. :)

Don Chapman

Yup, the physics of N4 are not surprisingly a little bit more
demanding than those of N3. I agree with you on Heat, it's physics
don't seem to differ much from N4, while it runs much better.

Andre

I just upgraded from a p3 550 and with that old machine I was only able to
test tracks. The framerate hit was just too severe otherwise.

Even with my new box--1.2 ghz AMD and Voodoo5--I'm still running at 640x480
to keep the framerate up. I've got most of the options at high or midrange,
full 42 AI cars, and it never drops below 20 (and 20 is only during the
smoke intensive pile-ups). This one just loves processor power.

I'm curious if the Nvidia cards would help me much, but no way am I going to
buy the GF3 at $500, nor do I want one of the older Nvidia cards with the
new one out. When they drop in price, I'll get one but even then I don't
think I'll get more than a bump in resolution.

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--
Kevin Anderson