the past year or so (with all the new sims announced and/or released-
rFactor, First, LFS, GTR et al.), but it's never been discussed
directly.
One advantage that an established sim, one which manages to
maintain a core audience beyond the first six months of release
(after which most games in most other genres go from being played
to being history) is all the add-on tracks that it has accumulated
through the efforts of dedicated fanatics. When deciding to try a
new sim over an older one, one has to consider whether it is worth
forgoing favorite tracks in favor of the base stock tracks which
come with the new game. For example if I buy GTR, I have to
say goodbye to such excellent NR2003/GPL tracks as Isle of
Man, Bullrun, Mosport, or Le Mans, at least until and if said
tracks are ported over to the new sim.
I am to understand that the Ring already has been, but it was of
mediocre quality, which brings me to my second topic: SHOULD
new sims be made with an eye to converting tracks from older
yet popular titles? Or will having to keep that door open hamper
the physics, visuals, and trackbuilding features of the new sim,
preventing it from taking simming to a whole new level, where
a conversion of an old title will be either impossible or look
hopelessly dated (if not glitchy) in comparison to the state-
of-the-art tracks which shipped with the new sim?
John DiFool