Mafia

About a year ago I made the post below, and guess what, Mafia has actually been released now :) What I read so far from user-reviews this one seems to be a GTA3 killer. Only negative point is that you need a MONSTER pc to run this baby, it even seems to struggle on a P4 with a GF4 card :-/ Andre I thought the upcoming game 'Mafia: The city of lost heaven' would be mostly an fps game, but after reading the preview it seems to be more of a 'Driver' clone: Mafia's driving engine is more realistic than you might think. Each of the 60 different vehicles in the game behaves like its real-life counterpart, and they can all receive varying types of damage that can prevent them from running - like flat tires caused by bullet holes. There are specific missions where your driving skills are really put to the test. In one mission, you'll essentially be the driver for the getaway car, but other gangsters will shoot at you from their vehicle as you try to drive your compatriots to safety. Some missions even involve racing on an actual track - that happens to be owned by one of the crime bosses - in a vintage F1-style car. Full preview here http://www.gamespot.co.uk/stories/previews/0,2160,2098688,00.html Andre

According to the folks over in the action newsgroup, this is one of those titles that does not support a "save anywhere" feature. You either finish the mission or you don't. For those with massive amounts of time and patience, a reasonable design decision. For most everyone else, a reason to wait for a patch, a trainer and a lower price in the bargain bin. On Thu, 29 Aug 2002 09:12:18 GMT, [email hidden] (Andre Warringa) wrote:

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>About a year ago I made the post below, and guess what, Mafia has >actually been released now :) What I read so far from user-reviews >this one seems to be a GTA3 killer. Only negative point is that you >need a MONSTER pc to run this baby, it even seems to struggle on a P4 >with a GF4 card :-/ > >Andre > > >I thought the upcoming game 'Mafia: The city of lost heaven' would be >mostly an fps game, but after reading the preview it seems to be more >of a 'Driver' clone: > >Mafia's driving engine is more realistic than you might think. Each of >the 60 different vehicles in the game behaves like its real-life >counterpart, and they can all receive varying types of damage that can >prevent them from running - like flat tires caused by bullet holes. >There are specific missions where your driving skills are really put >to the test. In one mission, you'll essentially be the driver for the >getaway car, but other gangsters will shoot at you from their vehicle >as you try to drive your compatriots to safety. Some missions even >involve racing on an actual track - that happens to be owned by one of >the crime bosses - in a vintage F1-style car. > >Full preview here >http://www.gamespot.co.uk/stories/previews/0,2160,2098688,00.html > >Andre

Remove "hi" from address or it will bounce....

On Thu, 29 Aug 2002 10:58:22 GMT, [email hidden] wrote:

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>According to the folks over in the action >newsgroup, this is one of those titles that does >not support a "save anywhere" feature. You either >finish the mission or you don't. For those with >massive amounts of time and patience, a reasonable >design decision. For most everyone else, a reason >to wait for a patch, a trainer and a lower price >in the bargain bin.

GTA3 also doesn't have a save option.. personally I think a 'save anywhere' option spoils the fun. A nice solution is something like Operation Flashpoint had, a one-time save per mission only. Andre

To each his own. You can have my copy. ;) On Thu, 29 Aug 2002 11:07:47 GMT, [email hidden] (Andre Warringa) wrote:

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>On Thu, 29 Aug 2002 10:58:22 GMT, [email hidden] wrote: > >>According to the folks over in the action >>newsgroup, this is one of those titles that does >>not support a "save anywhere" feature. You either >>finish the mission or you don't. For those with >>massive amounts of time and patience, a reasonable >>design decision. For most everyone else, a reason >>to wait for a patch, a trainer and a lower price >>in the bargain bin. > >GTA3 also doesn't have a save option.. personally I think a 'save >anywhere' option spoils the fun. A nice solution is something like >Operation Flashpoint had, a one-time save per mission only. > >Andre

Remove "hi" from address or it will bounce....

"Andre Warringa" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> On Thu, 29 Aug 2002 10:58:22 GMT, [email hidden] wrote: > > >According to the folks over in the action > >newsgroup, this is one of those titles that does > >not support a "save anywhere" feature. You either > >finish the mission or you don't. For those with > >massive amounts of time and patience, a reasonable > >design decision. For most everyone else, a reason > >to wait for a patch, a trainer and a lower price > >in the bargain bin. > > GTA3 also doesn't have a save option..

Yes it does. It even explains how to save in the first mission Doug

On Thu, 29 Aug 2002 13:04:09 +0100, "Doug Ellison" <[email hidden]> wrote: >> GTA3 also doesn't have a save option.. > >Yes it does. Only in-between missions thought, it's not a save-anywhere. I don't know what all the whining's about. Has there EVER been an arcadish driving game with save-anywhere? Even in sims you almost never get this.

Buy this game. Now. Just bought it, and after 10 minutes in the free drive mode (Yea!) I'm hooked. The cars behave very realistically, you can spin, the cars are bouncy, as you'd expect, and they stop about as well as a freight train. Oh, and while still not a perfect in car mode, it does have a hood cam, a definate improvment over GTA. Oh, speeddomerter, tach, and gears too. Even fuel! A+++++

On Thu, 29 Aug 2002 11:11:01 GMT, [email hidden] wrote: >To each his own. You can have my copy. ;) Hehe, thanks :) Andre

On Thu, 29 Aug 2002 13:04:09 +0100, "Doug Ellison" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>"Andre Warringa" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> On Thu, 29 Aug 2002 10:58:22 GMT, [email hidden] wrote: >> >> >According to the folks over in the action >> >newsgroup, this is one of those titles that does >> >not support a "save anywhere" feature. You either >> >finish the mission or you don't. For those with >> >massive amounts of time and patience, a reasonable >> >design decision. For most everyone else, a reason >> >to wait for a patch, a trainer and a lower price >> >in the bargain bin. >> >> GTA3 also doesn't have a save option.. > >Yes it does. > >It even explains how to save in the first mission > >Doug

Obviously (imho) we were talking about an 'save anywhere' option. You can't save in-between missions in GTA3. Andre

On Fri, 30 Aug 2002 12:35:23 +0200, Andre Warringa <[email hidden]> wrote: >You can't save in-between missions in GTA3. If you go to your hideout you can.

On Fri, 30 Aug 2002 12:35:23 +0200, Andre Warringa <[email hidden]> wrote: >Obviously (imho) we were talking about an 'save anywhere' option. >You can't save in-between missions in GTA3. Sure you can. =) (you meant *during* missions right?) Jason ----- GPLRank 24.50 N2002Rank -12.995

Tried doing OFP on veteren level with only one save, LOL...its so realistic that like any solider entering the situations the game puts you in you are certain to died :) I had to resort to removing the savegame file from the temp and getting multisaves, and I'm pretty bloody good at it. OFP truely rules, get the new resistance addon game and you get no bugs and much improved net play... Andre Warringa <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> On Thu, 29 Aug 2002 10:58:22 GMT, [email hidden] wrote: > > >According to the folks over in the action > >newsgroup, this is one of those titles that does > >not support a "save anywhere" feature. You either > >finish the mission or you don't. For those with > >massive amounts of time and patience, a reasonable > >design decision. For most everyone else, a reason > >to wait for a patch, a trainer and a lower price > >in the bargain bin. > > GTA3 also doesn't have a save option.. personally I think a 'save > anywhere' option spoils the fun. A nice solution is something like > Operation Flashpoint had, a one-time save per mission only. > > Andre

Wimp. I beat the US and Soviet campaigns in less than a week and didn't have to replay anything. I forgot the game had a save function. Stick to blipping the throttle, mate. =p Jason On Fri, 30 Aug 2002 19:02:32 +0100, "David Powell" <DavidPowell@<nospam>clara.co.uk> wrote:

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>Tried doing OFP on veteren level with only one save, LOL...its so realistic >that like any solider entering the situations the game puts you in you are >certain to died :) > >I had to resort to removing the savegame file from the temp and getting >multisaves, and I'm pretty bloody good at it. > >OFP truely rules, get the new resistance addon game and you get no bugs and >much improved net play... > > >Andre Warringa <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> On Thu, 29 Aug 2002 10:58:22 GMT, [email hidden] wrote: >> >> >According to the folks over in the action >> >newsgroup, this is one of those titles that does >> >not support a "save anywhere" feature. You either >> >finish the mission or you don't. For those with >> >massive amounts of time and patience, a reasonable >> >design decision. For most everyone else, a reason >> >to wait for a patch, a trainer and a lower price >> >in the bargain bin. >> >> GTA3 also doesn't have a save option.. personally I think a 'save >> anywhere' option spoils the fun. A nice solution is something like >> Operation Flashpoint had, a one-time save per mission only. >> >> Andre > >

----- GPLRank 24.50 N2002Rank -12.995

On Fri, 30 Aug 2002 16:59:57 GMT, [email hidden] (jason moyer) wrote:

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>On Fri, 30 Aug 2002 12:35:23 +0200, Andre Warringa ><[email hidden]> wrote: > >>Obviously (imho) we were talking about an 'save anywhere' option. >>You can't save in-between missions in GTA3. > >Sure you can. =) > >(you meant *during* missions right?)

Yes, you and Revved are right, you can save in between missions, but not 'anywhere you want to'. In one mission I had to hijack a money transport car or something like that. After that the police is all over you and you have to get rid of them. Well, they were wrecking me from all sides, no way I could make it to my hideout to make a save. What would have spoilt all the excitement (imho) is when I could use quicksave and quickload whenever I wanted to. It takes away all the challenge from a game when you can save it everytime before things get ugly. Good games with a good gameplay balance don't need no stinkin' quicksave option. Andre > >Jason > >----- >GPLRank 24.50 >N2002Rank -12.995

On Fri, 30 Aug 2002 20:57:33 +0200, Andre Warringa <[email hidden]> wrote: >Yes, you and Revved are right, you can save in between missions, but >not 'anywhere you want to'. Right. If you save during a mission, the mission ends and you have to start over. I don't see a big deal about not having a save option. When there is an in-mission save, I always seem to abuse it - JK2, SOF2, MOHAA I spent more time saving than playing. Jason ----- GPLRank 24.50 N2002Rank -12.995

On Fri, 30 Aug 2002 22:18:41 GMT, [email hidden] (jason moyer) wrote: >I don't see a big deal about not having a save option. When there is >an in-mission save, I always seem to abuse it - JK2, SOF2, MOHAA I >spent more time saving than playing. > >Jason Exactly :) Andre

Exactly :) Andre

In article <[email hidden]>, Andre Warringa <[email hidden]> writes:

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>On Fri, 30 Aug 2002 22:18:41 GMT, [email hidden] (jason moyer) >wrote: > >>I don't see a big deal about not having a save option. When there is >>an in-mission save, I always seem to abuse it - JK2, SOF2, MOHAA I >>spent more time saving than playing. >> >>Jason > >Exactly :)

That might be good for YOU two, but it would HELP others. There *are* people who could use a savegame option and not abuse it, y'know...<g> Eldred -- Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPLRank:+8.03 N2002 Rank:+20.124 Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

On 01 Sep 2002 13:04:53 GMT, [email hidden] (EldredP) wrote: >That might be good for YOU two, but it would HELP others. There *are* people >who could use a savegame option and not abuse it, y'know...<g> =p Ok, I picked up Mafia. The save system is exactly the way a save system should work IMHO. Seriously, I want game developers to copy what they did. It saves relatively frequently at logical points and without any user intervention. Just finished driving for 15 minutes to go somewhere to complete an objective? Game saved. Just finished a mission? Game saved. The save points were really well thought out and much less frustrating than the save system in GTA3, where you could spend 30 minutes on a mission, die, and have to repeat the first 30 minutes over and over just to get past the part where you were killed. Also, the auto game save isn't overwriting any previously completed missions, so you can load a game at any previous save point (unlike a game like OPFP). Really well done. Jason ----- GPLRank 24.50 N2002Rank -12.995

On Sun, 01 Sep 2002 17:01:07 GMT, [email hidden] (jason moyer) wrote:

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>On 01 Sep 2002 13:04:53 GMT, [email hidden] (EldredP) wrote: > >>That might be good for YOU two, but it would HELP others. There *are* people >>who could use a savegame option and not abuse it, y'know...<g> > >=p > >Ok, I picked up Mafia. The save system is exactly the way a save >system should work IMHO.

Today I got it too, and I agree completely, this must be the perfect save system solution :) And what a damn good game it is!! Gameplay is fantastic (resembles GTA3 very much in the driving part), graphics and sound are totally stunning, and best of all despite of what I read, it runs damn fine on my P3 866 :) Andre

On Sun, 01 Sep 2002 23:57:46 +0200, Andre Warringa <[email hidden]> wrote: >Today I got it too, and I agree completely, this must be the perfect >save system solution :) >And what a damn good game it is!! Gameplay is fantastic (resembles >GTA3 very much in the driving part), graphics and sound are totally >stunning, and best of all despite of what I read, it runs damn fine on >my P3 866 :) What kind of graphics/sound settings are you using? I have a 1.4gHz athlon w/ 256mb pc133 ram and a GeForce Ti4400 and for the life of me I can't get completely acceptable framerates without dropping almost all detail. Lowering sounds and shadows to the lowest settings has gotten it back into the 20-30 range at 1280x1024x16 (as best as I can judge from just watching, I haven't used FRAPS or anything) but it seems like there's a ton of HD activity slowing the game down at certain sections. Jason ----- GPLRank 24.50 N2002Rank -12.995

"jason moyer" <[email hidden]> wrote > Lowering sounds and shadows to the lowest settings has gotten it back > into the 20-30 range at 1280x1024x16 (as best as I can judge from > just watching, I haven't used FRAPS or anything) but it seems like > there's a ton of HD activity slowing the game down at certain > sections. There's your clue right there. Tons of HD activity at odd moments in games is almost always equivalent to pagefile usage. In other words, you're most likely running out of RAM. -- Frode

On Mon, 02 Sep 2002 10:46:21 GMT, "Frode" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>"jason moyer" <[email hidden]> wrote >> Lowering sounds and shadows to the lowest settings has gotten it back >> into the 20-30 range at 1280x1024x16 (as best as I can judge from >> just watching, I haven't used FRAPS or anything) but it seems like >> there's a ton of HD activity slowing the game down at certain >> sections. > >There's your clue right there. Tons of HD activity at odd moments in games >is almost always equivalent to pagefile usage. In other words, you're most >likely running out of RAM.

Yeah, that's what I'd expect too, altho I have 256mb and about 250 free when I load the game, which seems excessive for a game that requires 64 and recommends 128, and doesn't save replays (that I'm aware of). The only thing I can think of is that maybe it's dumping some graphic textures into system RAM? Lowering texture quality from truecolor to low or compressed doesn't seem to help tho. Back to the game, what kind of laps are you guys doing at the racetrack? I've only run 5 laps so far (won the first try) and my pb is currently 1:29.024. I think it would be quite possible to run 1:25 to 1:26 with some practice. Looks like another one of Dave Henrie's 1:30 tracks. Jason ----- GPLRank 24.50 N2002Rank -12.995

"jason moyer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> On Mon, 02 Sep 2002 10:46:21 GMT, "Frode" > <[email hidden]> wrote: > > >"jason moyer" <[email hidden]> wrote > >> Lowering sounds and shadows to the lowest settings has gotten it back > >> into the 20-30 range at 1280x1024x16 (as best as I can judge from > >> just watching, I haven't used FRAPS or anything) but it seems like > >> there's a ton of HD activity slowing the game down at certain > >> sections. > > > >There's your clue right there. Tons of HD activity at odd moments in

games > >is almost always equivalent to pagefile usage. In other words, you'remost

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> >likely running out of RAM. > > Yeah, that's what I'd expect too, altho I have 256mb and about 250 > free when I load the game, which seems excessive for a game that > requires 64 and recommends 128, and doesn't save replays (that I'm > aware of). The only thing I can think of is that maybe it's dumping > some graphic textures into system RAM? Lowering texture quality from > truecolor to low or compressed doesn't seem to help tho. > > Back to the game, what kind of laps are you guys doing at the > racetrack? I've only run 5 laps so far (won the first try) and my pb > is currently 1:29.024. I think it would be quite possible to run 1:25 > to 1:26 with some practice. Looks like another one of Dave Henrie's > 1:30 tracks. > > Jason

Gimmie three years and I bet I can get under 1:30! dave henrie > > ----- > GPLRank 24.50 > N2002Rank -12.995

On Mon, 02 Sep 2002 14:17:34 GMT, "Dave Henrie" <[email hidden]> wrote: > Gimmie three years and I bet I can get under 1:30! =D I've been practicing Zandvoort off on and on lately, and I have no idea how I was running sub 1:30's before... Jason ----- GPLRank 24.50 N2002Rank -12.995

On Mon, 02 Sep 2002 01:06:22 GMT, [email hidden] (jason moyer) wrote:

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>On Sun, 01 Sep 2002 23:57:46 +0200, Andre Warringa ><[email hidden]> wrote: > >>Today I got it too, and I agree completely, this must be the perfect >>save system solution :) >>And what a damn good game it is!! Gameplay is fantastic (resembles >>GTA3 very much in the driving part), graphics and sound are totally >>stunning, and best of all despite of what I read, it runs damn fine on >>my P3 866 :) > >What kind of graphics/sound settings are you using?

I use all the default settings actually, the only thing I changed is setting the resolution to 800x600. I have set sounds to high and I'm using EAX (which is extremely well supported in the game by the way.. except when I use the look left/right button in the car, the sounds are reversed.. silly bug I think). I also get quite some HD access, allthough it's hardly influencing the game, maybe every 30 seconds I get a slight stutter in the game. I loved the racing part by the way, fastest lap was a 26.something. Most corners can be taken full speed actually, allthough it seems impossible in the beginning. Great game, can't stop playing it :)) Andre

"jason moyer" <[email hidden]> wrote > Yeah, that's what I'd expect too, altho I have 256mb and about 250 > free when I load the game, which seems excessive for a game that > requires 64 and recommends 128, and doesn't save replays (that I'm > aware of). The only thing I can think of is that maybe it's dumping > some graphic textures into system RAM? It does seem to load the *entire* driveable map into memory when you "enter the world" so to speak. It never halts while driving. I'm assuming that means it sucks up a lot of RAM for that. If it loads all possible textures into RAM and then swap it from RAM into graphics card when need be, I guess that could explain the RAM usage. And, yeah, it is nuts for a game with a 128 recommended spec. -- Frode