West Bros. and Track Talk - Radio Show

Hmmmm? I must be missing some "posts".....I can't believe its nearly 2 pm in the afternoon (East Coast)....and there are no posts regarding the awesome radio show yesterday, "Track Talk".......with Chris Crosby doing the emcee chores.......Guy Wilson as his able assistant (word is...Guy wore his short skirt and high heels....so he got the job of Chris' assistant...because of his "legs." .....lol...)....interviewing and fielding call-in questions with Chris and Tony West (from England)....for nearly 5 and 1/2 hours! If you listened to it all......(which I did...while working on building a new computer...it was a perfect backdrop for building a new "race box").....you were left with several impressions: 1. Chris and Tony West are dedicated to WSC....and what ever it may be called in the future....dedicated to it becoming a "universal" racing simulation software encompassing all forms of auto racing on all types of tracks. What will get initially "released" as WSC-Box....that's what I'm now calling it.....by Empire.....will barely scratch the surface of what this sim will eventually become. 2. Chris and Tony are funny.....even when not trying to be funny! 3. They have a "can do" attitude about WSC that is amazingly refreshing.......as opposed to some companies who only say, "can't do that....take it or leave it." That's becoming tiresome! 4. Unlike some companies who try to "block and stop" innovation from the talented "hackers" in this sim racing community....Chris and Tony not only desire this communities' help.....they will work with you and encourage you....help you with your "WSC-project" as much as they can! That's refreshing too....and virtually guarantees WSC - post "box"....will be "king of the hill" for a very long, long time! 5. If......in all of the eventual "history" of WSC.......jump ahead a couple dozen years if you like..........if only half of what was discussed yesterday for 5 1/2 hours gets actually implemented in WSC......it will boggle your mind! And, my sense is.....after listening to the entire show.....almost **all of it**.....will get implemented!!!! 6. "Track Talk".....rough around the edges as it is......is a total winner! I will be a regular listener from now on! 7. Guy Wilson is like "Radar" on the old M.A.S.H. TV show (or movie).........need a piece of equipment? Ask Radar......it shows up in 20 minutes....installed and working perfectly......no matter what it is you ask for! .....lol..... Guy did a great job of fielding the phone calls....and the "chat questions" whispered to him on VROC.....and Chris Crosby did a great job keeping things moving along....questions clarified....and the sometimes difficulty with the clear understanding of "answers or questions"......far less annoying than it could have been. 8. Two years from today.....there will be only one sim installed on my "race box." 9. Pro racing over the Internet will definitely happen.....and the money will approach that of real world racing eventually......and NROS will have nothing to do with this becoming a reality! It will be WSC that facilitates this happening.....and all the talented people in this sim community today will make their contributions along with Chris and Tony. 10. WSC will be an incredible financial success.....for everyone involved with it......despite the fact that no one associated with its creation and evolution.....cares about money. That's the "free enterprise" system at work....at its best! 11. Eric Cote's enthusiasm for sim racing is contagious! 12. The "hardcore" GPL sim racing community members deserve much more "recognition" then they are now getting. I was totally entertained......yesterday......and informed and encouraged and delighted........for nearly six hours! Thank you, Chris and Tony, Chris Crosby, Guy Wilson, Eric Cote, and every one of you guys in the GPL sim community! My regards, Tom Pabst

Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:xYJz6.1354$ix4.980965Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:xYJz6.1354$ix4.980965 snip <<< 8. Two years from today.....there will be only one sim installed on my "race box.">>> Think it will be out by then?? Seems like I have been hearing about WSC for a long, long time.. -- Don Burnette D Burnette in N4 Some people do nothing wrong. The problem is, they do nothing. And THAT is wrong. "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:xYJz6.1354$[email hidden]...

I agree with you completely Tom. I was one of the 100 or so that sat through the entire 4 1/2 hour(!) interview and I must say that it was thoroughly entertaining. Chris, Guy, and the Wests should be HIGHLY commended for putting that all together. If you listen to the whole interview and are not impressed you need to have your head examined. This sim will be the most significant piece of software ever created for sim racing in the next 5-10 years. Completely scalable graphics engine GPL quality physics Number of cars only limited by hardware Number of windows/viewports only limited by hardware Online play with nearly unlimited settings Actual pit crew and driver changes, all online and live Track conversions/building in WSC will be a snap (I predict all F1CS, SCGT, NASCAR Heat, and possibly GPL tracks imported within 2 months of release!!) Car painting/modeling tool will be released. Some extra tid bits of information that I caught: The code is still somewhat in pieces, they are currently putting a demo together for E3 in May Alpha testing to begin soon after. Initial release should include 8 tracks Featured vehicles will include cars from the '50's to the '90's (They have a "load" of cars modeled, licensing is the only hold up) A street car or two may be added to the initial release (they mentioned the Ariel Atom!) The tracks are getting better(!) A pace car will be included New and exciting add-ons will be available for years after the game is released with a rally pack expected to be one of the first. The clutch has been modeled in great detail The staccato sounds awesome and it's not even done yet (120 different sound emitting points on the car!!) These guys are the real deal. They are sim racers just like you or I and understand what it takes to create the ultimate all-purpose racing sim. It sounds like they still have about a year to a year and a half of work left (they mentioned some difficulty with weather, dirt, and differential modeling) but when it comes be prepared to have your socks knocked off. "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:xYJz6.1354$[email hidden]... > Hmmmm? > > I must be missing some "posts".....I can't believe its nearly 2 pm in the > afternoon (East Coast)....and there are no posts regarding the awesomeradio > show yesterday, "Track Talk".......with Chris Crosby doing the emcee > chores.......Guy Wilson as his able assistant (word is...Guy wore hisshort

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> skirt and high heels....so he got the job of Chris' assistant...because of > his "legs." .....lol...)....interviewing and fielding call-in questions > with Chris and Tony West (from England)....for nearly 5 and 1/2 hours! > > If you listened to it all......(which I did...while working on building a > new computer...it was a perfect backdrop for building a new "race > box").....you were left with several impressions: > > 1. Chris and Tony West are dedicated to WSC....and what ever it may

be

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> called in the future....dedicated to it becoming a "universal" racing > simulation software encompassing all forms of auto racing on all types of > tracks. What will get initially "released" as WSC-Box....that's what I'm > now calling it.....by Empire.....will barely scratch the surface of what > this sim will eventually become. > > 2. Chris and Tony are funny.....even when not trying to be funny! > > 3. They have a "can do" attitude about WSC that is amazingly > refreshing.......as opposed to some companies who only say, "can't do > that....take it or leave it." That's becoming tiresome! > > 4. Unlike some companies who try to "block and stop" innovation from > the talented "hackers" in this sim racing community....Chris and Tony not > only desire this communities' help.....they will work with you and

encourage > you....help you with your "WSC-project" as much as they can! That's > refreshing too....and virtually guarantees WSC - post "box"....will be"king

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> of the hill" for a very long, long time! > > 5. If......in all of the eventual "history" of WSC.......jump ahead a > couple dozen years if you like..........if only half of what was discussed > yesterday for 5 1/2 hours gets actually implemented in WSC......it will > boggle your mind! And, my sense is.....after listening to the entire > show.....almost **all of it**.....will get implemented!!!! > > 6. "Track Talk".....rough around the edges as it is......is a total > winner! I will be a regular listener from now on! > > 7. Guy Wilson is like "Radar" on the old M.A.S.H. TV show (or > movie).........need a piece of equipment? Ask Radar......it shows up in

20 > minutes....installed and working perfectly......no matter what it is youask > for! .....lol..... Guy did a great job of fielding the phonecalls....and > the "chat questions" whispered to him on VROC.....and Chris Crosby did a > great job keeping things moving along....questions clarified....and the > sometimes difficulty with the clear understanding of "answers or > questions"......far less annoying than it could have been. > > 8. Two years from today.....there will be only one sim installed onmy > "race box." > > 9. Pro racing over the Internet will definitely happen.....and the > money will approach that of real world racing eventually......and NROSwill

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> have nothing to do with this becoming a reality! It will be WSC that > facilitates this happening.....and all the talented people in this sim > community today will make their contributions along with Chris and Tony. > > 10. WSC will be an incredible financial success.....for everyone > involved with it......despite the fact that no one associated with its > creation and evolution.....cares about money. That's the "free

enterprise"

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> system at work....at its best! > > 11. Eric Cote's enthusiasm for sim racing is contagious! > > 12. The "hardcore" GPL sim racing community members deserve much more > "recognition" then they are now getting. > > I was totally entertained......yesterday......and informed and encouraged > and delighted........for nearly six hours! > > Thank you, > > Chris and Tony, > > Chris Crosby, > > Guy Wilson, > > Eric Cote, > > and every one of you guys in the GPL sim community! > > My regards, > > Tom Pabst > >

Btw was there any projection on any date at all during the show? anyone? Tia.. Thom_j. "Don Burnette" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:X4Kz6.17390$[email hidden]... <snipped> | Think it will be out by then?? Seems like I have been hearing about WSCfor | a long, long time..<snipped again>

"Thom j." <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ACMz6.30377$[email hidden]...

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> Btw was there any projection on any date at all during the show? anyone? > Tia.. Thom_j. > > "Don Burnette" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:X4Kz6.17390$[email hidden]... > <snipped> > | Think it will be out by then?? Seems like I have been hearing about WSC > for > | a long, long time.. > <snipped again> >

No, they did not even guess at a release timeframe. It sounded like there are still a ton of features that they want to include that haven't yet been completed or even started (although some of these features may be part of add-ons after the inital release). They did say that there will be a demo of some sort at Empire's E3 display in mid-May in Los Angeles (Empire will not be at the actual E3 convention but at a nearby hotel, instead. Also, the West Bros. will not be there at all). Soon after that, they hope to start Alpha testing, and at some later date there will be two stages of Beta testing, the first for only a select few simmers and then a more open beta for anyone who requests it. It sounded like they will be relying heavily on feedback from the beta (especially with regards to online play, which Chris West said he had little experience with), so there may be a lot more work to do between the beta and the final release. If you ask me, they are spreading themselves a bit thin with so many promised features yet only two men actually working on the game. It was a very interesting broadcast, though, so anyone with an interest in the game and a spare 4-5 hours would be well served to download the show at http://www.simracingmag.com/.

Nope, that's one of the few things they didn't answer. They really don't know themselves. There is still quite a bit of work and testing to do, not to mention licensing issues to iron out. They did hint at their current schedule: From now to mid-may they are piecing together all current work into a playable demo for E3 (they mentioned the code is still somewhat in pieces) After that they need to wrap up all major physics/modeling stuff and work with Nvida to update to the various graphics enhancements found in DX8. They mentioned that an alpha version would be hopefully made soon after E3 and that they will announce when they need Beta testers. Somewhere along the line licensing issues need to be wrapped up and a demo would most likely soon follow. My guess is that we've got a little over a year till the demo and should probably see the game released Christmas '02.

I think this title will never see the light of day, hope I'm very wrong !

Don Burnette <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:X4Kz6.17390$[email hidden]... > > > Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in messagenews:xYJz6.1354$ix4.980965Tom > Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:xYJz6.1354$ix4.980965 > snip > > <<< 8. Two years from today.....there will be only one sim installed onmy > "race box.">>> > > Think it will be out by then?? Seems like I have been hearing about WSCfor > a long, long time.. > It's a nice hobby for them anyways.

Sure whatever!.Time for them to produce. The time spent jawing with the media could be put to better use. I personally think its BS and vaporware their hyping while enjoying their 5 mins of fame. I'll believe it when it becomes a reality As I said before I hope I'm wrong but thats my gut instinct..

I don't think the Wests are any different from any other developer... all developers have an agenda of things they want to try in their game. Some of the stuff gets in there, other things don't as the product is shipped. Only through this chats and interviews we know about what the programmer is "toying" with. I don't think we should see these as a feature list (as they themselves might say: "that was a really dumb idea, let's junk it."). From the way they sound I'm pretty confident they'll get the basics right, any bells and whistles that make it in the game will be a bonus. I'd be far more happy with a game that doesn't live up to the wildest of expectations, but *is* the next reference, rather than some of the stuff we've seen released over the past year which have one well implemented feature, but fall several marks short of the current reference in other departments. Jan. =--- JJ Sricklin wrote... > Sure whatever!.<snip>

Very True !

The ignorance of some of you is amazing. > Sure whatever!.Time for them to produce. The time spent jawing with the > media > could be put to better use. First off, if you knew anything about the developement of this sim you would know that it was originally started in Glide, they are re-writting all of the orginal code because Glide is now dead. They've got basically one guy coding this entire sim and advances in technology (DX8!) )are slowing them down because whole sections are constantly being re-written to keep the code up to date. Second, how can you say that they are "jawing with the media" when they have decided to sit out E3 to work on the sim. If you were in their situation are you going to tell me you wouldn't take the week off and hang out in Las Vegas? I'm sure you wouldn't. These guys are aren't going so that they can dedicate that time to working on WSC. > while enjoying their 5 mins of fameFrom who? 300 or so sim racing fans? Before you post another bitchy comment I suggest you remind yourself that there are only 2 guys working on this entire project. Next time you exit out of a session with GPL take notice to the list of people who contributed to making that sim. There are about 100 names in the credits with about 50 of them directly resposible for the coding, physics, modeling, and graphics. And how long did it take to develop that sim?

Someotherdude heeft geschreven in bericht ... >"JJ Sricklin" <[email hidden]> wrote: > >>Sure whatever!.Time for them to produce. The time spent jawing with the >>media >>could be put to better use. I personally think its BS and vaporwaretheir

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>> > > > >Exactly, with nothing but hype and a few screen shots, some people >have already proclaimed this as the greatest racing game for the next >several years. > >They should do what Croteam did with Serious Sam, no hype at all, >just release a demo/test and blow everyone away. And follow that >shortly with a finished game, hats off to Croteam. > >

you didn't get, or seem to have forgotten that the Westbro's follow quite a different path than the usual. They where working on a rally game that was cancelled by their publisher half way. In the mean time they where impressed with GPL but even more so with what private parties added to it. Better graphics, better sound, new tracks, better onlineracing and so on. So they decided to start all over but "first" ask what the hardcore simmers would like in a racingsim. And if possible they would include it. So it looks like a long wait but it actually is not. Most other simdevelopers have been working on it for years before we know a new sim is on the horizon and they seek publicity just before release of a demo. The West's came out in the open not for publicity but to find out what you "the hardcoresimmer" would like to be in it. So we have known of this sim from the very early beginnings which usually we wouldn't have known about at such an early stage. Another point why it takes longer than what we are used to is that the West's are a two men team opposed to the usual big group of developers and specialists at other companys. I for one am happy that they are willing to listen to us and have our idea's vented before they reached the stage of a demo or final. Because than most idea's would be just that, idea's of what could have been. The purpose of the tracktalk radio show was not for publicity reasons but because they where invited to answer questions. If they wanted publicity there are far better ways than to be in a radioshow, in the middle of the night for hours, with only 120 or so listeners. I stayed up all night (Holland) for the show and enjoyed it very much and lots of questions where answered and also even more idea's where brought up. And since I thought some where brilliant idea's I wouldn't mind to wait even longer. With their aproach you can't simply say "put up or shut up" because they want to build what "we" want so they have to ask first. Sure, it can still flop, but so what. They didn't ask for any pre-payment also I don't have any stocks so just let them work as they like for as long as they like. But sofar I don't think it is taken much more time than a "behind the screens" sim would've taken, build by two men. And I like their openness and willingness to build what "I" want. Hans van Dam

>"Someotherdude" <[email hidden]> wrote > Exactly, with nothing but hype and a few screen shots Your memory surely forgot the movies and the big praise they got from many developpers at E3. -- -- Fran�ois M�nard <ymenard> -- May the Downforce be with you... -- http://www.ymenard.com/ -- This announcement is brought to you by the Shimato Dominguez Corporation - helping America into the New World...

Is there somewhere the radio show can be downloaded? I did some kind soul record it and be able to post it somewhere Thanks Hans van Dam wrote:

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> Someotherdude heeft geschreven in bericht ... > >"JJ Sricklin" <[email hidden]> wrote: > > > >>Sure whatever!.Time for them to produce. The time spent jawing with the > >>media > >>could be put to better use. I personally think its BS and vaporware > their > >> > > > > > > > >Exactly, with nothing but hype and a few screen shots, some people > >have already proclaimed this as the greatest racing game for the next > >several years. > > > >They should do what Croteam did with Serious Sam, no hype at all, > >just release a demo/test and blow everyone away. And follow that > >shortly with a finished game, hats off to Croteam. > > > > > > you didn't get, or seem to have forgotten > that the Westbro's follow quite a different path > than the usual. > They where working on a rally game that was cancelled > by their publisher half way. > In the mean time they where impressed with GPL but even > more so with what private parties added to it. > Better graphics, better sound, new tracks, better onlineracing > and so on. > So they decided to start all over but "first" ask what the > hardcore simmers would like in a racingsim. > And if possible they would include it. > > So it looks like a long wait but it actually is not. > Most other simdevelopers have been working on it > for years before we know a new sim is on the horizon > and they seek publicity just before release of a demo. > The West's came out in the open not for publicity but > to find out what you "the hardcoresimmer" would like > to be in it. > So we have known of this sim from the very early beginnings > which usually we wouldn't have known about at such an early > stage. > Another point why it takes longer than what we are used to > is that the West's are a two men team opposed to the usual > big group of developers and specialists at other companys. > > I for one am happy that they are willing to listen to us > and have our idea's vented before they reached the stage > of a demo or final. > Because than most idea's would be just that, idea's of what > could have been. > > The purpose of the tracktalk radio show was not for publicity > reasons but because they where invited to answer questions. > If they wanted publicity there are far better ways than to be > in a radioshow, in the middle of the night for hours, with only > 120 or so listeners. > > I stayed up all night (Holland) for the show and enjoyed it very > much and lots of questions where answered and also even more > idea's where brought up. > And since I thought some where brilliant idea's I wouldn't mind to > wait even longer. > > With their aproach you can't simply say "put up or shut up" > because they want to build what "we" want so they have to ask > first. > > Sure, it can still flop, but so what. > They didn't ask for any pre-payment also I don't have any stocks > so just let them work as they like for as long as they like. > > But sofar I don't think it is taken much more time than a "behind the > screens" > sim would've taken, build by two men. > And I like their openness and willingness to build what "I" want. > > Hans van Dam

Yup, head over to http://www.simracingmag.com/ I haven't had a chance to listen to it, though. -Gregor Guy Leach wrote: > > Is there somewhere the radio show can be downloaded? > I did some kind soul record it and be able to post it somewhere > > Thanks >

>Guy Leach wrote: >> >> Is there somewhere the radio show can be downloaded? >> I did some kind soul record it and be able to post it somewhere >> Gregor Veble heeft geschreven in bericht <[email hidden]>... >Yup, head over to > >http://www.simracingmag.com/ > >I haven't had a chance to listen to it, though. > Just a note, the zipped files contains the complete radio show and are 36 and 27mB big. The not zipped wma files are 8 and 6mB but seem to be missing lots of the interview. Hans van Dam

"ymenard" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:TlbA6.617854 > > Your memory surely forgot the movies and the big praise they got from many > developpers at E3. Movies? Ones I can download to watch on my PC, or just movies that were on show at E3? Got an URL? Cheers Jim

http://www.simracingmag.com HTH Ash "Jim L" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:vjnA6.4686$[email hidden]... | | "ymenard" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:TlbA6.617854 | > | > Your memory surely forgot the movies and the big praise they got frommany

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| > developpers at E3. | | Movies? Ones I can download to watch on my PC, or just movies that were on | show at E3? Got an URL? | | Cheers | Jim | | |

Cheers. There's only one movie there, the one of the Lotus playing about at Monza. Kinda cool. Anyone got any others? Thanks Jim "Ashley McConnell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:9auit6$ctl$[email hidden]...

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> http://www.simracingmag.com > > HTH > Ash > > "Jim L" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:vjnA6.4686$[email hidden]... > | > | "ymenard" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:TlbA6.617854 > | > > | > Your memory surely forgot the movies and the big praise they got from > many > | > developpers at E3. > | > | Movies? Ones I can download to watch on my PC, or just movies that were

on

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> | show at E3? Got an URL? > | > | Cheers > | Jim > | > | > | > >

"> First off, if you knew anything about the developement of this sim you > would know that it was originally started in Glide, they are re-writtingall > of the orginal code because Glide is now dead. They've got basically oneguy > coding this entire sim and advances in technology (DX8!) )are slowing them > down because whole sections are constantly being re-written to keep thecode > up to date. Well if thats the case at their present pace of development they will be in a constant state of catch up, never quite finishing the project due to the inability to keep up with present day technologies. > Second, how can you say that they are "jawing with the media" Ummmmmm..... I guess that gee just maybe thats all we hear, ya think? > Before you post another bitchy comment I suggest you I suggest you become more tolerant of other peoples opinions !

I can imagine people are a little sceptical about WSC. But having tried WSC myself a few weeks ago, i can assure you WSC is not just a few screenshots but an actual sim that actually simulates driving a car. Even when the game was at the time a little rough in places, and the setup of the car very wrong, and the track Monza, you could sense the game felt right... the car behaved like it should, it all "made sense", somehting i only felt in GPL so far. After a few laps we were already powersliding and trailbraking (and crashing, obviously. Well, i was). Also the stuff that was shown us about the editors, carmodels and trackmodels was awesome. It makes the GPL trackedit tools look really shitty (sorry Phil :-) . Having met Chris West at the European LAN in Holland in January, some of the stuff regarding online racing wasnt new to me, and the way he talked about it there was very nice, showed lots of ambition and perspective. After listening to the interview, meeting Chris and Tony, and listening to the live-commentary of a SRMSC race at Zandvoort on Tracktalk, i can only repeat after Niels "I have seen the future". Now it wont come tomorrow or next week, but i have confidence (and some reason to) to say that WSC will be the one we'll be playing with for a long time. I'm very much looking forward to driving it. Martijn >Exactly, with nothing but hype and a few screen shots, some people >have already proclaimed this as the greatest racing game for the next >several years. For all we know, those screenshots could have been madewith >conversions of an existing game, just like CART - Heat. Sheesh, theBitboys >have screenshots too, but do we expect to see the Glaze3D. > >They should do what Croteam did with Serious Sam, no hype at all, >just release a demo/test and blow everyone away. And follow that >shortly with a finished game, hats off to Croteam.

"�artijn" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3ae07c2b$0$25609@reader5... > I'm very much looking forward to driving it. We all are looking forward to it, but looking forward to something that won't see the light of day until Q4 2002 is frustrating.