rec.autos.simulators

> (The poll is at that link)

> It looks like this game ( http://www.west-racing.com ) is not going to be
a
> simple 'plunk down your $30 for NFS6 at the store and all connection
between
> you and EA ends there' traditional sort of a game. The West's have set
> extremely high goals for this sim, and by all appearances they will be
> almost exclusively dependent on the Internet sim-racing community to buy,
> support, spread-by-word-of-mouth, and develop addons for it.

> Their website states that a beta-testing stage will start soon (like in
the
> next few months) and that while Beta Testers will be required to pay a
fee,
> this fee *will* count towards purchase of the game. I regard this as an
> investment situation that carries a certain amount of risk, with the hope
> that the game (and its continuing enhancements and addons) is worthwhile.
It
> is not clear (to me at least) that the Wests can really deliver on these
> promises, but RL also seems (to me at least) to be the last, best hope for
> an open, extensible racing sim that we have for the forseeable future, and
> that if we want it to materialize we have to make this risky investment.

> Are you willing to invest money (and not a small amount of money either)
to
> be a Beta Tester for Racing Legends? Vote now!

> rms

> (The poll is at that link)

> It looks like this game ( http://www.west-racing.com ) is not going to be
a
> simple 'plunk down your $30 for NFS6 at the store and all connection
between
> you and EA ends there' traditional sort of a game. The West's have set
> extremely high goals for this sim, and by all appearances they will be
> almost exclusively dependent on the Internet sim-racing community to buy,
> support, spread-by-word-of-mouth, and develop addons for it.

> Their website states that a beta-testing stage will start soon (like in
the
> next few months) and that while Beta Testers will be required to pay a
fee,
> this fee *will* count towards purchase of the game. I regard this as an
> investment situation that carries a certain amount of risk, with the hope
> that the game (and its continuing enhancements and addons) is worthwhile.
It
> is not clear (to me at least) that the Wests can really deliver on these
> promises, but RL also seems (to me at least) to be the last, best hope for
> an open, extensible racing sim that we have for the forseeable future, and
> that if we want it to materialize we have to make this risky investment.

> Are you willing to invest money (and not a small amount of money either)
to
> be a Beta Tester for Racing Legends? Vote now!

> rms

> >You guys are kidding, right? $50 is under anyone's curiosity threshold,
> >surely?

> I think the problem with the price is that people don't realize
> exactly how ambitious this project is.

> If this project is pulled off (and that's a big if, I'll admit) the
> difference between Racing Legends and GPL or N2k2 or F12k2 will be
> like the difference betweena military-grade flight simulator and
> Falcon 4.0.  One of them is a simulator meant to be literally
> interchangeable with real-world experience, one of them is a computer
> game with simulation elements.

> That ambition is why people are so e***d about this project.  I, for
> one, am tired of driving half-assed computer games.  The pinnacle of
> auto simulation is currently held by Papyrus and ISI.  Neither of them
> has produced a game with a sophisticated aerodynamic model.  Neither
> of them has produced a game with an accurate damage model.  Neither of
> them has evolved their tire model beyond 3 independent contact
> patches.  Neither of them has produced an accurate weather model.

> I'm willing to pay $500 for an auto sim with 10 tracks, passable AI,
> multiplayer capabilities (even if only LAN), and 1 class of car if
> it's actually 100% accurate to the tiniest detail of physical
> modelling.  Even without any chance or hope of further support or
> expansion.

> $500 is peanuts compared to what it would cost were I to actually
> invest the time and money into building a race car.

> Jason

> (The poll is at that link)

> It looks like this game ( http://www.west-racing.com ) is not going to be
a
> simple 'plunk down your $30 for NFS6 at the store and all connection
between
> you and EA ends there' traditional sort of a game. The West's have set
> extremely high goals for this sim, and by all appearances they will be
> almost exclusively dependent on the Internet sim-racing community to buy,
> support, spread-by-word-of-mouth, and develop addons for it.

> Their website states that a beta-testing stage will start soon (like in
the
> next few months) and that while Beta Testers will be required to pay a
fee,
> this fee *will* count towards purchase of the game. I regard this as an
> investment situation that carries a certain amount of risk, with the hope
> that the game (and its continuing enhancements and addons) is worthwhile.
It
> is not clear (to me at least) that the Wests can really deliver on these
> promises, but RL also seems (to me at least) to be the last, best hope for
> an open, extensible racing sim that we have for the forseeable future, and
> that if we want it to materialize we have to make this risky investment.

> Are you willing to invest money (and not a small amount of money either)
to
> be a Beta Tester for Racing Legends? Vote now!

> rms

> > I for one won't vote because I'm tired of signing up to the ump***th
> > bulletin board just to be able to post twice per year (or in that case,
> > vote).

> > I don't think that this 'beta-test' model is really geared towards
> diligent
> > testing. I think they're aiming to get early revenue, and also reports
> from
> > a wide variety of system configs. Real beta testing is time-consuming
and
> > requires a different approach from just using the sim. I don't think
> someone
> > who's paid money for a program, even if it's beta, will consistently
make
> > that sort of effort.

> > But, they'll get a good cross-section of systems and a good measure of
> > coincidentally found issues, so for them it's certainly a good plan.

> > Achim

> And they'll get immediate capital, basically the development will be
funded
> by the fan base. If this one fails to see light of day like WSC did, there
> is going to be quite a bit of flaming and angry posts, especially from the
> folks that payed for being a supposedly tester.
> I sure hope the West brothers take whatever feedback they do get from
these
> testers seriously, and are not just using them as a means to an end,

> Don Burnette

> > (The poll is at that link)

> > It looks like this game ( http://www.west-racing.com ) is not going to
be
> a
> > simple 'plunk down your $30 for NFS6 at the store and all connection
> between
> > you and EA ends there' traditional sort of a game. The West's have set
> > extremely high goals for this sim, and by all appearances they will be
> > almost exclusively dependent on the Internet sim-racing community to
buy,
> > support, spread-by-word-of-mouth, and develop addons for it.

> > Their website states that a beta-testing stage will start soon (like in
> the
> > next few months) and that while Beta Testers will be required to pay a
> fee,
> > this fee *will* count towards purchase of the game. I regard this as an
> > investment situation that carries a certain amount of risk, with the
hope
> > that the game (and its continuing enhancements and addons) is
worthwhile.
> It
> > is not clear (to me at least) that the Wests can really deliver on these
> > promises, but RL also seems (to me at least) to be the last, best hope
for
> > an open, extensible racing sim that we have for the forseeable future,
and
> > that if we want it to materialize we have to make this risky investment.

> > Are you willing to invest money (and not a small amount of money either)
> to
> > be a Beta Tester for Racing Legends? Vote now!

> > rms