rec.autos.simulators

This is a very important week for the whole race sim community. The release
of GP3 is the best hope we have ever had of a really good modern Formula One
simulation in the 3D card age. Geoff Crammond's genius essentially created
the race sim genre, so it is not unreasonable to expect that the legend will
continue in just five days time (can you believe it's so near!).

Everyone has their wish list for what they would like to see in GP3. I
certainly have mine which I already know will not be fully answered (i.e.
safety car/proper pit penalty stops). However my main hope for the title
will almost certainly be fulfilled, i.e. that the game will in some way,
shape or form move the race sim genre a few notches forward. This hasn't
happened in a significant fashion since the 1998 (!) launch of Grand Prix
Legends.

Having already seen avi files and screenies of the wet weather
implementation, I think I can safely say, without yet having turned a wheel
in anger, that with this innovation alone, a new standard for realism has
been set. No-one has ever got this right in a sim yet, so GP3 will have
moved the goalposts in this area at least.

While it is natural in the pre-release phase for everyone to comment on the
visual aspects of the game, what we will not know for another few days is
how the gameplay has benefited from four years of development. Apparently
this has been one of the main focus areas during development, in particular
AI characteristics over a long race. Again I am certain that we can look
forward to a new benchmark here as well.

One of the main enjoyments with GPL is the tactile nature of the physics
model. GP3 will always struggle to match this same feel as todays cars have
an "on-rails" handling characteristic, in comparison to the lo-tech/hi-grunt
1967 version of F1. In this sense accuracy will always count against it -
old grand prix drivers often comment how wonderful their cars were to
drive - you don't tend to get the same level of enthusiasm from todays breed
over their hi-tech mounts! In other words, we are likely to react to the
physics model in the same way as, say, Chris Amon would if he could drive a
few laps at Spa in his '67 Ferrari and then jump straight into the 2000
model.

What I am trying to say here is that I think most of us are in this hobby
for the long stretch. We certainly get short changed too often by big name
developers who promise much and deliver an arcade driving experience, so
let's go into GP3 week in the sure fire knowledge that accuracy has been the
aim of the development team, just as in GP1 and 2.

I confidently predict that by this time next week the race sim world will be
a more enriched place than it has ever been before, because we are all about
to own something that doesn't happen every year - A GAME THAT MOVES OUR
HOBBY FORWARD -

That makes you an ignorant person I guess.

Man, you're not walking with the dinosaurs but with the ostriches.

I could comment on every point but i'll take 2, can't write to long
when i'm recooping from laughing my ass off.

Four years of development?....you don't really believe that do you?
Fours years of writing one line of code each week...well..then i
agree....but certainly not 4 years  of devoted 'full work week'
developement..

And what you write:
"
"
Now there's a bit of utter bullox...
The part which says "67 cars are different from '98 cars" is obviously
true....but  what you are trying to suggest with it *is* bullox...
A car is a car....and the laws of physics are the laws of physics...
In my opinion there's absolutly no reason whatsoever for a simulated
F1 car to feel canned as some say...i prefer to call it non
dynamic..as they do in GP3...
It might have wings...it might have 800hp...it might have beautifull
suspension and awesome brakes....but it's a car...it stands on 4
wheels..uses brakes to slow down...and needs traction(no matter if
there are wings to get more of it) to stay on the road...and they use
*** tires for that..
And if it was modeled based on physics and forces , like GPL, then i
see no reason at all why we shouldn't get the same enjoyment and the
"feel it's real" out of an F1 sim car as we do out of GPL cars.

cheers,
Willem

On Mon, 24 Jul 2000 21:20:15 +0100, "Chris Wright"

GP3 won't magically become whatever you wish it to be.

Have you ever considered copy writing for some or other Thirld-World
dictatorship? On the other hand, this kind of drivel is probably too soppy
even for their tastes!

Jan.
=---

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