I know this is old stuff but perhaps someone here remembers and can
help me out here. Never planned on buying NASCAR 3 (and my system is just
too slow for N4) but this weekend I found a copy at a used software store
for really cheap ($8). No box or docs...just the CD. Though everything loads
up ok the program won't run. However, I seem to be having more success
running the new tracks with NASCAR 2. Actually all I did was move some track
folders from the N3 directory to N2 (can't believe it was this easy). I
think I have everything pretty well setup, including pulling some of the
*.tga files to *.pcx for the tracklogos and stuff, for the five new tracks
(ims, lasvegas, homestd, memphis, and pike) I have from N3, but there's one
problem that goes beyond my meager knowledge.
It would appear that some modifications have been made to the asphalt
(specifically the groove) for N3 that has N2 showing some really weird colors.
For example the racing groove at homestd is BRIGHT pink (?!) and at lasvegas
it's BRIGHT yellow (!?). The groove at all five of these tracks seems to be a
single solid color but at least at the other three it's more tolerable (grey).
Also the outside walls seem to be closer than they appear to be. I've driven
slowly around ims and the at one of the N2 tracks and I seem to contact the
wall from farther away at the N3 track.....not much but it's noticeable. This
may have something to do with the track colors also since it mainly seems to
occur on the straights, where the racing groove is up against the wall.
From what I understand I will need to mess with the *.dat files or
find a good track convertor to fix something like this. I checked The Pits
website and found a few editors here but though they did mention being able
to convert N3>N2 none of them worked for me. I did manage to unpack the .dat
but the one utility I managed to do this with failed to mention what the heck
to do with it once you unpacked it...or how to get everything back into the
.dat file. So does anyone know where I can get a good track convertor or at
least something that can unpack/pack the .dat and tell me, in laymans terms,
how to accomplish this?? Or perhaps I'm way off base here and there is a
simpler way to change these colors? A few other questions I have:
-I've only had time to run a few practice laps at each track so far.
I did have the rest of the field out with me and it didn't look like
any cars were having problems getting around...except when they were
trying to get around the slowpoke human driver (obviously
setups/practice both need some work). Anyone else that's done this
remember any problems that I need to look out for?
-Since I never planned on getting N3 I never bothered downloading the
Daytona track that was available. Now I'm wondering.....will this
also work with that track, and if so does anyone know of a website
that still has it on-line??
-For N3 didn't the layout for Atlanta change? Did they move the
start/finish line to the backstretch at Darlington? Any other N2
tracks that were changed, I mean actual changes not just prettier
graphics, for N3?
You're probably wondering why I'm not asking how to fix N3. Well like
I said above I never planned on buying N3 and even if it was working I'd still
be running N2. I'm still quite happy with N2. I've created/downloaded many
cars, worked out setups, edited AI settings, and various other changes. I
think I'm happier with several new tracks for N2 than I would be with a whole
new game. I realize that its possible I may be the only person to even try
this, since most folks when they came home with N3 tossed N2 in the closet!
:)
TIA
Jeff
