Motor City Online

Don't suppose there are any Beta Testers that hang in here that are tetsing this SIM? This thing looks sweet, I can't wait for a release date on it, pretty excited about building myself some classic cars for show, race, etc. Just wanted to get some feedback from Beta testers if this sim is as good as it looks, how far along before it's release date ,etc ANY INFO on it would be kewl...tired of watching videos and checking screens on their main site. haha

I thought it looked great too until I found out that: 1.) It can only be played online, and 2.) There is a monthly fee required to play it. Call me old fashioned, but the idea of paying for a CD which only works if I continue to pay every month seems a bit odd. All I ever wanted to do was drive the old cars. Guess I'll have to rely on Rally Trophy to make that possible. On Fri, 10 Aug 2001 00:11:09 GMT, Like2Golf <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>Don't suppose there are any Beta Testers that hang in here that are >tetsing this SIM? > >This thing looks sweet, I can't wait for a release date on it, pretty >excited about building myself some classic cars for show, race, etc. > >Just wanted to get some feedback from Beta testers if this sim is as >good as it looks, how far along before it's release date ,etc > >ANY INFO on it would be kewl...tired of watching videos and checking >screens on their main site. haha > >

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

And for those reasons you mentioned I think EA is in for a rude awakening. Maybe Im wrong but I dont see that many people willing to pay that much just to play online. <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> I thought it looked great too until I found out > that: > > 1.) It can only be played online, and > 2.) There is a monthly fee required to play it. > > Call me old fashioned, but the idea of paying for > a CD which only works if I continue to pay every > month seems a bit odd. All I ever wanted to do > was drive the old cars. Guess I'll have to rely > on Rally Trophy to make that possible. > > On Fri, 10 Aug 2001 00:11:09 GMT, Like2Golf > <[email hidden]> wrote: > > >Don't suppose there are any Beta Testers that hang in here that are > >tetsing this SIM? > > > >This thing looks sweet, I can't wait for a release date on it, pretty > >excited about building myself some classic cars for show, race, etc. > > > >Just wanted to get some feedback from Beta testers if this sim is as > >good as it looks, how far along before it's release date ,etc > > > >ANY INFO on it would be kewl...tired of watching videos and checking > >screens on their main site. haha > > > > > > > Remove "hi" from address or it will bounce....

In article <9kveg8$rgo$[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says... > > > And for those reasons you mentioned I think EA is in for a rude awakening. >Maybe Im wrong but I dont see that many people willing to pay that much just >to play online. Heh. Don't get out much, do you? -Tim

> And for those reasons you mentioned I think EA is in for a rude awakening. >Maybe Im wrong but I dont see that many people willing to pay that much just >to play online. > I'm not so sure. Doesn't Everquest have a monthly fee? That's immensely popular. Haven't seen one friend of mine very often since he bought it. Level 51 Wizard or something like that. I'd be willing to pay for that monthly if the price was right. Seems like quite a blast, right up my alley. Who knows about the rest of the world though? Todd Wasson --- Performance Simulations Drag Racing and Top Speed Prediction Software http://PerformanceSimulations.Com

I think the success of MCO will depend on what folks want to do. All I want to do is drive older American cars with a modified version of the NFS:PU physics engine. I have no interest in repeatedly paying real money to pretend to earn fake money in a fake job to buy fake upgrade parts and fake insurance and then risk my customized fake car in races over a shaky connection on 56K modem. Just doesn't seem real interesting to me. I say this realizing that for some folks this could seem like a slice of heaven. On 10 Aug 2001 03:09:03 GMT, [email hidden] (J. Todd Wasson) wrote:

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>> And for those reasons you mentioned I think EA is in for a rude awakening. >>Maybe Im wrong but I dont see that many people willing to pay that much just >>to play online. >> > > I'm not so sure. Doesn't Everquest have a monthly fee? That's immensely >popular. Haven't seen one friend of mine very often since he bought it. Level >51 Wizard or something like that. > > I'd be willing to pay for that monthly if the price was right. Seems like >quite a blast, right up my alley. Who knows about the rest of the world >though? > > >Todd Wasson >--- >Performance Simulations >Drag Racing and Top Speed Prediction >Software >http://PerformanceSimulations.Com

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>I think the success of MCO will depend on what >folks want to do. All I want to do is drive older >American cars with a modified version of the >NFS:PU physics engine. > Hmm... Maybe a few of us here at ras might dive into that :-)

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>I have no interest in repeatedly paying real money >to pretend to earn fake money in a fake job to buy >fake upgrade parts and fake insurance and then >risk my customized fake car in races over a shaky >connection on 56K modem. Just doesn't seem real >interesting to me. > >I say this realizing that for some folks this >could seem like a slice of heaven.

lol!! Very good way to put it! I'd be one of the few wierdos that would probably do it though :-) The thought of playing a beefed up version of Street Rod online with thousands of others sounds great, although I do wish they weren't charging monthly for it. Guess we'll see what happens. Still, it'd be a lot better if there was offline play against computer controlled cars too. Todd Wasson --- Performance Simulations Drag Racing and Top Speed Prediction Software http://PerformanceSimulations.Com

lol, eh? <g> You might enjoy this, then. http://www.gamesdomain.com/gdreview/depart/jun00/city.html On 10 Aug 2001 07:07:49 GMT, [email hidden] (J. Todd Wasson) wrote:

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>>I think the success of MCO will depend on what >>folks want to do. All I want to do is drive older >>American cars with a modified version of the >>NFS:PU physics engine. >> > > Hmm... Maybe a few of us here at ras might dive into that :-) > >>I have no interest in repeatedly paying real money >>to pretend to earn fake money in a fake job to buy >>fake upgrade parts and fake insurance and then >>risk my customized fake car in races over a shaky >>connection on 56K modem. Just doesn't seem real >>interesting to me. >> >>I say this realizing that for some folks this >>could seem like a slice of heaven. > > lol!! Very good way to put it! I'd be one of the few wierdos that would >probably do it though :-) The thought of playing a beefed up version of Street >Rod online with thousands of others sounds great, although I do wish they >weren't charging monthly for it. Guess we'll see what happens. Still, it'd be >a lot better if there was offline play against computer controlled cars too. > > >Todd Wasson >--- >Performance Simulations >Drag Racing and Top Speed Prediction >Software >http://PerformanceSimulations.Com

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

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>I thought it looked great too until I found out >that: > >1.) It can only be played online, and >2.) There is a monthly fee required to play it. > >Call me old fashioned, but the idea of paying for >a CD which only works if I continue to pay every >month seems a bit odd.

Out of curiousity, how do you feel about something such as Air Warrior, which is(was?) pay-to-play online, or Everquest, which is an online 'world'...?? Eldred -- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett F1 hcp. +16.36...Monster +366.59... Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

>>I have no interest in repeatedly paying real money >>to pretend to earn fake money in a fake job to buy >>fake upgrade parts and fake insurance and then >>risk my customized fake car in races over a shaky >>connection on 56K modem. Just doesn't seem real >>interesting to me. I myself have problem paying monthly because I'm in Canada and with Exchange rate, chances are - there will be no reasonable monthly rate for me. ;) I don't mind paying monthly fee but If i'm going to pay $60 for software I would like to play or practice Offline....this online racing 'community' that MCO is gonna offer sounds really great But just gonna have to wait and see what kinda pricing they come up with. What other monthly services are offered? Wondering what kinda monthly rates they have.

How do I feel about paying to play online? I feel it's great for those to whom it's interesting. It's not interesting to me. (I have never managed to live anywhere where anything better than a 56K connection was available. OK, make that a 48K connection...on a really fast day.) In the case of MCO, I had been very impressed by NFS:PU and was looking forward to seeing how that physics engine handled classic American iron. But dropping a monthly fee and a shaky internet connection between that experience and yours truly is two obstacles too many. If Motor City came to market as nothing more than NFS:PU (decent singleplayer -- online if you want it) with American cars and American locations, I'd buy it in an instant. What cheeses me off is that that was how EA was positioning the title in the beginning. The persistent world thing got tacked on later and the singleplayer got dumped. Well, this is one singleplayer who's probably going to be playing Rally Trophy instead. On 10 Aug 2001 23:58:25 GMT, [email hidden] (EldredP) wrote:

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>In article <[email hidden]>, >[email hidden] writes: > >>I thought it looked great too until I found out >>that: >> >>1.) It can only be played online, and >>2.) There is a monthly fee required to play it. >> >>Call me old fashioned, but the idea of paying for >>a CD which only works if I continue to pay every >>month seems a bit odd. > >Out of curiousity, how do you feel about something such as Air Warrior, which >is(was?) pay-to-play online, or Everquest, which is an online 'world'...?? > >Eldred >-- >Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 >Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett >F1 hcp. +16.36...Monster +366.59... > >Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you >with experience... >Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

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Interesting article, for all the drivel that you would care to read about this "community" just check out these sites: http://www.needforbetterspeed.com self explanatory http://www.needforbetterspeed.net/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro The New NFBS forum http://www.tipg.com/cgi-ubb/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro The Old NFBS forum From the amount of monthly EA-Sports MCO spam I get in my email accounts, seems to be a shortage of beta testers. I'd give it a go, but they want me to pay $4.95 for the beta CD? Let alone with my credit card? The way they have run their servers (granted they are up a lot) I don't think I'll trust them with my credit card number. BTW, as someone along time ago (that got paid for beta testing Win95) told me "Never pay to be a Beta Tester". IMAO -- R.I.P. - William Joseph Dunlop OBE MBE 2/25/52 - 7/2/2000 http://www.roadracers.uk.com/legend.htm

"Like2Golf" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> Don't suppose there are any Beta Testers that hang in here that are > tetsing this SIM? > > This thing looks sweet, I can't wait for a release date on it, pretty > excited about building myself some classic cars for show, race, etc. > > Just wanted to get some feedback from Beta testers if this sim is as > good as it looks, how far along before it's release date ,etc > > ANY INFO on it would be kewl...tired of watching videos and checking > screens on their main site. haha > >

I was chosen as a beta tester during the second round of selections. I had to buy the CD for $4.99. I tried it once last week and the lag was horrible, even with my rock solid cable connection. Not just in the "races" but just going from screen to screen. It would take about 1-2 minutes to go from one area to another. The lag issue may have been fixed over the weekend (according to an e-mail they sent out to everyone), but I have yet to try it again. As a racing simulation, this just doesn't interest me that much at all. Personally I think EA has gone way over their heads with this project, but I guess time will tell. -- Gary

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>I was chosen as a beta tester during the second round of selections. I had >to buy the CD for $4.99. I tried it once last week and the lag was horrible, >even with my rock solid cable connection. Not just in the "races" but just >going from screen to screen. It would take about 1-2 minutes to go from one >area to another. The lag issue may have been fixed over the weekend >(according to an e-mail they sent out to everyone), but I have yet to try it >again. As a racing simulation, this just doesn't interest me that much at >all. Personally I think EA has gone way over their heads with this project, >but I guess time will tell.

Hopefully lag does get fixed but sounds of things, not much progress happening. Keep us posted if you could

Might be an idea to read a few of Jessica Mulligan's Biting the Hand columns on the question of lag. She's been writing about it for years. You can find an archive of her stuff here: http://www.skotos.net/ Look under Articles, then Biting the Hand. The link to Archives is at the bottom of the page. Executive Summary: Lag is not going away anytime soon. On Sat, 11 Aug 2001 07:16:42 GMT, like2golf <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>>I was chosen as a beta tester during the second round of selections. I had >>to buy the CD for $4.99. I tried it once last week and the lag was horrible, >>even with my rock solid cable connection. Not just in the "races" but just >>going from screen to screen. It would take about 1-2 minutes to go from one >>area to another. The lag issue may have been fixed over the weekend >>(according to an e-mail they sent out to everyone), but I have yet to try it >>again. As a racing simulation, this just doesn't interest me that much at >>all. Personally I think EA has gone way over their heads with this project, >>but I guess time will tell. > >Hopefully lag does get fixed but sounds of things, not much progress >happening. Keep us posted if you could >

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

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>If Motor City came to market as nothing more than >NFS:PU (decent singleplayer -- online if you want >it) with American cars and American locations, I'd >buy it in an instant. What cheeses me off is that >that was how EA was positioning the title in the >beginning. The persistent world thing got tacked >on later and the singleplayer got dumped. Well, >this is one singleplayer who's probably going to >be playing Rally Trophy instead.

Fair enough...<g> Eldred -- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett F1 hcp. +16.36...Monster +366.59... Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

"like2golf" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > > Hopefully lag does get fixed but sounds of things, not much progress > happening. Keep us posted if you could > Yes, the lag problem was fixed when they switched to some new hardware. The first day of testing with the new server was a dream compared to the frustration of before. The next day was slower in some spots, but you have to remember that part of their beta testing is stress loading the servers. Besides the human testers, they have some 'bots that are used to add to the load for stress testing. We'll have to wait until they go live so see how the lag issue finally sorts out. ...Klinn

Any word on the lag for folks on 56K modems? On Sun, 12 Aug 2001 14:52:05 -0400, "Klinn" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>"like2golf" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> >> Hopefully lag does get fixed but sounds of things, not much progress >> happening. Keep us posted if you could >> > >Yes, the lag problem was fixed when they switched to some new hardware. The >first day of testing with the new server was a dream compared to the >frustration of before. The next day was slower in some spots, but you have >to remember that part of their beta testing is stress loading the servers. >Besides the human testers, they have some 'bots that are used to add to the >load for stress testing. We'll have to wait until they go live so see how >the lag issue finally sorts out. > > ...Klinn > > >

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<[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Any word on the lag for folks on 56K modems? > That's what I'm using. And I haven't even bothered to optimize it for on-line racing. (better connection quality instead of speed) BTW, when you heard people complaining about 'lag' in MCO (Motor City Online) what they're really referring to is the server response time when they preform an action in the front end of the game, e.g. changing shocks in your garage or bidding on a part in auction. It's not 'lag' in the sense it's often used here of causing warping while racing. ...Klinn

Considering my usual connection speed is 26.4K, is the driving still decent at that rate? On Sun, 12 Aug 2001 18:49:17 -0400, "Klinn" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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><[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> Any word on the lag for folks on 56K modems? >> > >That's what I'm using. And I haven't even bothered to optimize it for >on-line racing. (better connection quality instead of speed) > >BTW, when you heard people complaining about 'lag' in MCO (Motor City >Online) what they're really referring to is the server response time when >they preform an action in the front end of the game, e.g. changing shocks in >your garage or bidding on a part in auction. It's not 'lag' in the sense >it's often used here of causing warping while racing. > > ...Klinn > > >

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<[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Considering my usual connection speed is 26.4K, is > the driving still decent at that rate? > Well, I can only say that at my usual 43K - 44K, the races I've been in have been fine. I don't know if lowering that to 26.4K would make a difference or not. If you're interested in checking it out, you might want to sign up for the beta. Go to http://www.motorcityonline.com/main.html and click on the 'Beta' item on the left menu. ...Klinn

I have repeatedly signed up for the beta and, as a result, have had my inbox filled with "please sign up for the beta" announcements. Not sure what else I could do. What I will probably do is play Rally Trophy when it ships in October. On Sun, 12 Aug 2001 19:15:50 -0400, "Klinn" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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><[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> Considering my usual connection speed is 26.4K, is >> the driving still decent at that rate? >> > >Well, I can only say that at my usual 43K - 44K, the races I've been in have >been fine. I don't know if lowering that to 26.4K would make a difference or >not. > >If you're interested in checking it out, you might want to sign up for the >beta. Go to http://www.motorcityonline.com/main.html and click on the 'Beta' >item on the left menu. > > ...Klinn > > >

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<[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > I have repeatedly signed up for the beta and, as a > result, have had my inbox filled with "please sign > up for the beta" announcements. Not sure what > else I could do. What I will probably do is play > Rally Trophy when it ships in October. > From what I've heard, EA is distributing the beta depending on your system specs & geographic location. I guess they wanted a cross-section of different types to test against, rather than just first come, first served. With the new server(s) I believe they are going to greatly increase the number of testers, so who knows, you may get a confirmation email sometime soon. Yes, it does cost $4.95 to get the CD shipped to you, but I figured five bucks was a cheap way of sampling the game. And if some of my comments help make the game more like the sort of thing I'd want to play ("use the GPL physics engine!" - just kidding) so much the better. ...Klinn

[email hidden] wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>... > I have no interest in repeatedly paying real money > to pretend to earn fake money in a fake job to buy > fake upgrade parts and fake insurance and then > risk my customized fake car in races over a shaky > connection on 56K modem. Just doesn't seem real > interesting to me. LOL. But it IS a little LESS expensive than earning real money (yeah right) in a real job to buy real upgrade parts and real insurance and then risking your real wheels (and your physical being) on real asphalt. Probably the only way I'll EVER have a shot at a 427 Stingray or a Hemi 'Cuda too... > I say this realizing that for some folks this > could seem like a slice of heaven. Not exactly like heaven, but it will do for now... Sounds like fun, I'll buy it if it isn't stillborn. Gerald

On Mon, 13 Aug 2001 07:52:14 -0400, "Colin French" <[email hidden]> wrote: >And if some of my comments >help make the game more like the sort of thing I'd want to play ("use the >GPL physics engine!" - just kidding) so much the better. I wonder how open they would be to comments like "Hey, it sure would be nice to be able to practice driving my new car OFFLINE!" or "Wow, my internet connection is down so I can't check email or read Usenet...guess I'll play some Motor City -- OOPS, no I won't!" I don't think they would like me as a beta tester... *-*-*-*-*-*-* Todd Walker http://twalker.d2g.com Canon Pro90IS: http://twalker.d2g.com/pro90/index.htm *-*-*-*-*-*-*

"Todd Walker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> I wonder how open they would be to comments like "Hey, it sure would > be nice to be able to practice driving my new car OFFLINE!" or "Wow, > my internet connection is down so I can't check email or read > Usenet...guess I'll play some Motor City -- OOPS, no I won't!" > > I don't think they would like me as a beta tester... > > Todd Walker

Hey, why not - your opinion is as valid as anyone else's. And if you don't want to go the whole beta testing route, you can send them comments at http://motorcity.custhelp.com . Click on the Ask A Question link. ...Klinn

I signed up as a beta tester and have gone on a few times. I actually found it to be alot of fun. I love the idea of being able to basically build any car you want, one part at a time. Right now the only way you can buy parts is through a "auction" but they will be adding part stores from what I understand. Yes the lag is bad, but a few days ago I received a email from them that stated they have done some major upgrades to help fix that. I just have not been back on since I got that email though. Is it worth the monthly fee? Well, hard to say at this point since it is still beta. Personally, I will not be joining up. "Like2Golf" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> Don't suppose there are any Beta Testers that hang in here that are > tetsing this SIM? > > This thing looks sweet, I can't wait for a release date on it, pretty > excited about building myself some classic cars for show, race, etc. > > Just wanted to get some feedback from Beta testers if this sim is as > good as it looks, how far along before it's release date ,etc > > ANY INFO on it would be kewl...tired of watching videos and checking > screens on their main site. haha > >

Why not? Well, perhaps because these are the opinions that have been voiced since it was announced that NFS:MC was morphing into MCO. And there does not appear to have been any movement on the part of EA back toward an offline option. EA just sent me a "You've been accepted for the beta" note, so I'll report back what I think of how it performs on a really crappy modem. (Currently running at 46667 bps. Fast day for me.) On Mon, 13 Aug 2001 10:20:36 -0400, "Colin French" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>"Todd Walker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> I wonder how open they would be to comments like "Hey, it sure would >> be nice to be able to practice driving my new car OFFLINE!" or "Wow, >> my internet connection is down so I can't check email or read >> Usenet...guess I'll play some Motor City -- OOPS, no I won't!" >> >> I don't think they would like me as a beta tester... >> >> Todd Walker > >Hey, why not - your opinion is as valid as anyone else's. And if you don't >want to go the whole beta testing route, you can send them comments at >http://motorcity.custhelp.com . Click on the Ask A Question link. > > ...Klinn > > >

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On Tue, 14 Aug 2001 20:23:13 GMT, [email hidden] wrote: >EA just sent me a "You've been accepted for the >beta" note, so I'll report back what I think of >how it performs on a really crappy modem. I just got the same email this afternoon! I figure it's worth 5 bucks to try out the game and see if i like it. I think of it not as a beta test, but as a $5 fully functional demo ;-) *-*-*-*-*-*-* Todd Walker http://twalker.d2g.com Canon Pro90IS: http://twalker.d2g.com/pro90/index.htm *-*-*-*-*-*-*

It'll be interesting to see just how functional it is. :) After paying the price of admission, I spent some time reading the 211 answers in the Find Answers section of Game Help. While the answers weren't quite enough to make me sorry I paid for the CD, they certainly provide an insight into what can be expected of the title. And they definitely put me off wanting to buy the finished (if that ever comes) version and pay the monthly fee on top of it. The experience of playing online is going to have to be fabulous to make up for some of the issues which appear to be wired into the game. Like, for example, this: Question 47: What happens if I get disconnected during a race? Answer If you are involved in a race and get disconnected, you will forfeit the race. Staff of Motor City will not be responsible for restoring items or points lost in a race because of a disconnect. Nothing quite like dividing the skill of the driver by the fragility of the connection. :P On Wed, 15 Aug 2001 05:39:33 GMT, [email hidden] (Todd Walker) wrote:

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>On Tue, 14 Aug 2001 20:23:13 GMT, [email hidden] wrote: > >>EA just sent me a "You've been accepted for the >>beta" note, so I'll report back what I think of >>how it performs on a really crappy modem. > >I just got the same email this afternoon! I figure it's worth 5 bucks >to try out the game and see if i like it. I think of it not as a beta >test, but as a $5 fully functional demo ;-) > >*-*-*-*-*-*-* >Todd Walker >http://twalker.d2g.com >Canon Pro90IS: >http://twalker.d2g.com/pro90/index.htm >*-*-*-*-*-*-* >

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

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> Question 47: > What happens if I get disconnected during a race? > > Answer > If you are involved in a race and get > disconnected, you will forfeit the race. Staff of > Motor City will not be responsible for restoring > items or points lost in a race because of a > disconnect.

Here's the problem: some lame drivers will enter a best out of 3 race for 'pink slips' or large amounts of cash. Then when they find out they're going to lose, they deliberately disconnect. With no penalty for that sort of behaviour, what's the point of racing? To get around the current rule, now they will simply stop on the track to avoid crossing the finish line and ending the race. They hope that you (having already finished) will get bored of waiting for them and exit the 'race lobby' and thereby invalidate the race. The current rule is not a great solution, accidental disco's do happen (although never for me in MCO - yet). What do you suggest would be a better way of handling it, while not ending up making racing a risk-free, pointless activity? ...Klinn

<[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Why not? Well, perhaps because these are the > opinions that have been voiced since it was > announced that NFS:MC was morphing into MCO. > EA just sent me a "You've been accepted for the > beta" note, so I'll report back what I think of > how it performs on a really crappy modem. Like anything else, if you don't ask for it, you're not going to get it. If enough people tell EA that they like the concept but they won't buy it without an off-line mode, they'll see that the dollars will come from that direction. (they'll try to figure out a way around people hacking cars, etc) If the concept doesn't appeal to you, don't worry about it - I know I'll be playing Rally Trophy too. Anyway, when you get your CD, be sure to check out the Message Boards on the beta site, in particular the Announcements and Known Issues sections for the latest info. And when in the game, look me up. I go under my usual "nom du jeu" of Klinn. ...Klinn

This is one of those situations where an appropriate effort to penalize the cheats also penalizes those with poor connections. This would not be such a big deal if the entire Motor City experience hadn't been pushed online. Because MC is now O, one of the unintended consequences is that the internet itself takes on a role as a player simply because it is impossible to tell if a disconnect is accidental or intended. I've had too many unexpected disconnects to allow TCP/IP to be my co-pilot. It seems much too much like Rolling Roulette. My personal solution to this issue will probably be to play the beta until it times out and then dump the whole works. I'm not willing to wager real money in the form of monthly fee against the odds that my ISP won't fold in a critical race. As for racing being a risk-free, pointless activity, I would argue that the risks ought to be related to my skills, not my ISP's performance levels and that racing itself is the point. But then, I'm not a gambler, either. ;) On Wed, 15 Aug 2001 08:02:19 -0400, "Colin French" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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><[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> Question 47: >> What happens if I get disconnected during a race? >> >> Answer >> If you are involved in a race and get >> disconnected, you will forfeit the race. Staff of >> Motor City will not be responsible for restoring >> items or points lost in a race because of a >> disconnect. > >Here's the problem: some lame drivers will enter a best out of 3 race for >'pink slips' or large amounts of cash. Then when they find out they're going >to lose, they deliberately disconnect. With no penalty for that sort of >behaviour, what's the point of racing? To get around the current rule, now >they will simply stop on the track to avoid crossing the finish line and >ending the race. They hope that you (having already finished) will get bored >of waiting for them and exit the 'race lobby' and thereby invalidate the >race. > >The current rule is not a great solution, accidental disco's do happen >(although never for me in MCO - yet). What do you suggest would be a better >way of handling it, while not ending up making racing a risk-free, pointless >activity? > > ...Klinn > > >

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

You'll find me as MrLipid. :) Appreciate the discussion so far and plan to reserve judgment until I've actually had the opportunity to give MCO a spin. On Wed, 15 Aug 2001 08:20:14 -0400, "Colin French" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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><[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> Why not? Well, perhaps because these are the >> opinions that have been voiced since it was >> announced that NFS:MC was morphing into MCO. >> EA just sent me a "You've been accepted for the >> beta" note, so I'll report back what I think of >> how it performs on a really crappy modem. > >Like anything else, if you don't ask for it, you're not going to get it. If >enough people tell EA that they like the concept but they won't buy it >without an off-line mode, they'll see that the dollars will come from that >direction. (they'll try to figure out a way around people hacking cars, etc) >If the concept doesn't appeal to you, don't worry about it - I know I'll be >playing Rally Trophy too. > >Anyway, when you get your CD, be sure to check out the Message Boards on the >beta site, in particular the Announcements and Known Issues sections for the >latest info. And when in the game, look me up. I go under my usual "nom du >jeu" of Klinn. > > ...Klinn > > >

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

I have a feeling that the game will cost $50 in the store, then you have to pay the monthly fee to play (just like Everquest.) If the boxed game is inexpensive, say <$20, I would probably pick it up. That's assuming it gets good reviews. :) If the box is full price, i'm waiting for it to hit the bargain bin, again like Everquest, which is $10 for the base game now. The thought of paying full price for a game AND having to shell out cash each month to play it _really_ rubs me the wrong way.

EA currently puts the retail price at around $40. To your point, that, when coupled with a monthly fee, seems high. Unless, of course, they toss in three free months as part of the purchase price. Considering there will be no demo of MCO (so says EA), there has to be *some* sugar to get people to sign up. Given the comments showing up on the Beta Test Bulletin Boards, the reviews ought to be fascinating. :) On 15 Aug 2001 15:02:04 GMT, [email hidden] (Michael Haiduk) wrote:

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>I have a feeling that the game will cost $50 in the store, then you have >to pay the monthly fee to play (just like Everquest.) If the boxed game >is inexpensive, say <$20, I would probably pick it up. That's assuming it >gets good reviews. :) If the box is full price, i'm waiting for it to hit >the bargain bin, again like Everquest, which is $10 for the base game >now. The thought of paying full price for a game AND having to shell out >cash each month to play it _really_ rubs me the wrong way. >

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

On Wed, 15 Aug 2001 15:20:00 GMT, [email hidden] wrote:

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>To your point, that, when coupled with a monthly >fee, seems high. Unless, of course, they toss in >three free months as part of the purchase price. >Considering there will be no demo of MCO (so says >EA), there has to be *some* sugar to get people to >sign up. Given the comments showing up on the >Beta Test Bulletin Boards, the reviews ought to be >fascinating. :)

It will be very interesting to see if they have enough faith in the replay value of MCO to give away even one free month. My guess is that they don't... *-*-*-*-*-*-* Todd Walker http://twalker.d2g.com Canon Pro90IS: http://twalker.d2g.com/pro90/index.htm *-*-*-*-*-*-*