NASCAR v1.3 or NASCAR II

I've been playing NASCAR Racing for about 6 months now, and thought I'd present what I think needs to be addressed in an upgrade and/or new version of NASCAR Racing (NRII!). I'm told that Papyrus will put out v1.3 of NASCAR Racing when Hawaii is made available. Here's hoping some of the below will have been incorporated. Let me know what you think. So, in no particular order: 1. Get rid of scratchy background noise under digital sound option. It's scratchy under both a SoundBlaster Pro and SB 16. 2. Going back to a past race during a season reveals corrupted race data (avg. speed, race time, etc.). 3. Would be nice if the program kept track of more stats during a season, like # of laps led, # of laps completed, avg. start and finish, as well as other stats that are commonly kept track of. 4. Better peripheral vision cues are needed. The rear-view mirror tells you what's behind you and beside you, but not how close a car is. Perhaps 800x600 resolution will allow for more screen space to reveal more out the left and right windows. Something I think is necessary, since looking up at the rear-view mirror while driving in traffic is pretty risky. 5. AI cars don't seem to suffer adversely from cold tires at the start of a race, nor from worn tires in the laps before a pit stop. Their lap times differ very little from race start to pit stop. 6. AI cars that lose a tire from spinning out into the wall are automatically removed from the race. Is it too hard to program AI cars driving slowly back to the pits? 7. Those AI cars that don't lose a tire from an accident are able to spin themselves in the right direction in record time. On a similar note, the player should be able to be towed back to the pits when he loses 2 tires. Currently it is impossible to make it back on just 2 tires and a DNF is your fate. 8. More than 39 drivers please. Or at least a drivers2.txt file that accomodates more so that there is increased variability in who exactly qualifies for each race. 9. Add a security feature for Internet tournament directors (ie: IWCC, NASSCAR) that enables users to send up a small encrypted file for a race that certifies the race results as legitimate. 10. Allow more of a race be captured in a replay file. Currently with 16megs of RAM I can store about 10 laps around Talladega with a full field in SVGA mode, yet was able store more laps (not sure how much more) when I ran Nascar Racing in VGA mode with my old computer and 8megs of RAM. This doesn't make sense, since you are able to record a replay in VGA and replay it in SVGA. Isn't the data recorded the same, irrespective of resolution NASCAR Racing is played under? 11. Allow adjustable opponent strengths for each race during a season, and some sort of modification of qualifying speeds at some tracks is necessary. 12. Replay files often reveal AI cars passing through each other and cars moving erratically. This is most prevalent at tracks like Bristol. 13. AI drivers are able to "see" too much behind them, so much so that they are able to anticipate the closing speed of the player behind him, and thus moves out of the way of the player. Uncanny, and makes navigating through traffic a little too easy at times. 14. Accidents - just don't happen often enough. And when they do, it is invariably just one car spinning out into the wall. AI cars NEVER bump into each other or demonstrate any variation in the line they drive. 15. Being able to determine how much damage will be repaired during a pit stop. To me, the big ones are improving the driver AI and frequency/type of accidents. Broadening peripheral vision is also important. How much easier does a steering wheel make door-to-door racing? Can't wait to get my T2 in February (still paying off my new computer ;). Bill.

The one thing I'd like to add is a spotter. Not anything fancy, just let you know why a yellow is out such as a text message similar to the way black flags are out. That way you know where, if at all, trouble is when the yellow comes out and you're racing to the line. Brad

Also, I thought of some more changes for NASCAR to add realism. 1. Shadows from the grandstand. 2. Glare/Dirty windshield. 3. Select percentage of repair. Randy

>13. AI drivers are able to "see" too much behind them, so much so that > they are able to anticipate the closing speed of the player > behind him, and thus moves out of the way of the player. > Uncanny, and makes navigating through traffic a little too easy > at times. what game are you playing? They sure don't move out of my way. The only thing I would want to add to that is makeing the cars line up correctly after a caution, ie, lapped cars on the inside.

: I've been playing NASCAR Racing for about 6 months now, and thought : I'd present what I think needs to be addressed in an upgrade and/or : new version of NASCAR Racing (NRII!). I'm told that Papyrus will put : out v1.3 of NASCAR Racing when Hawaii is made available. Here's : hoping some of the below will have been incorporated. Let me know : what you think. So, in no particular order: Also it should be programmed to VESA 2.0 video specs, like ICR2. Hires. needs the increased video speed... Bob/NYC

I real life, the drivers have spotters that tell them on the radio if there are cars approaching, in front, up high, down low, etc. How about setting up one of the function keys to display something like this #1 #3 #94 #12 #17 Where #94 is the player's car, #1 is the car in front, #3 is a car on the inside, #12 is the car on the outside, and #17 is the car in back. The #3 and #12 would show that cannot move higher or lower without bumping the respective car. If there is enough room, the display would show that car as being in front or behind you. Also, the rear view mirror could also show just what is directly behind. Just my $.02, Randy

I'd like the option to repair the car but try and stay on the lead lap. in other words, work on the car, then let you go back out on the track. come back in and continue repairs. this is more realistic. also, if you get a lap down, there is not chance to "Start upfront" and try and get ahead of the leaders, hoping for a caution, unless you're lucky and were up front with the leaders (double-file restarts) Go #6 Mark Martin and #16 Ted Musgrave - Jack Roush Racing!! NASCAR Racing!! http://camalott.com/~sean/nascar/nascar.htm <--NASCAR Racing Sim page

You think frame rates are bad now, try 800x600!! Besides the 3DBlaster will do 800x600 with the memory upgrade. Mike

I'd settle for a simple wav file that says "low" "clear all-around" "high" "still high" etc... but! that takes up precious ram and processor power. (meaning it'll slow down the frame rate) Go #6 Mark Martin and #16 Ted Musgrave - Jack Roush Racing!! NASCAR Racing!! http://camalott.com/~sean/nascar/nascar.htm <--NASCAR Racing Sim page

How about changing track conditions? Different grooves come into play as the race progresses. -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

>7. Those AI cars that don't lose a tire from an accident are able to > spin themselves in the right direction in record time. I agree with this one. If you just happen to be the one that has caused the accedent and the AI car spins itself around when your in front of it, or beside it then you going to take mega-damage. Depends on which ones you lose. I've made it back to the pits with 2 missing fronts, and a few times a missing front and rear (as long as there not both on the same side). Another big improvement would be with the yellow flags, Which come out much to often for minor accidents. eg just bumping another car into the wall when they try to come up your outside will cause a yellow to come out instantly, and the cars affected didn't even take any damage. Just lost a bit of speed. -- Dean Bobin http://www.zeta.org.au/~dbobin

Actually, time of repair would be better because you dont always know how bad the damage is. On a yellow flag pitstop, you want to be able to get back out ahead of the pace car. In a real race there would be somebody from your team looking down the track telling you where the pace car is. CT

I'd bet that if they got the rights to do Daytona, they would have a track pack out so fast our heads would spin. My wishes for future versions of NASCAR is the ability to have a field where all drivers try to make the race, but, only the top X number make it. This could be done with 2 options 1- player can't be bumped ('takes a provisional') or 2 - player can get bumped. As a championship season goes it might be possible to allow the player 4 provisionals for the season and let the season begin. Races that the player doesn't qualify for would be run through acceleration. Mike

I would like to save a race as it is. I don't like the restart of a race with all cars lined up in a row because that was not the situation when i did leave the track. -- Thomas Podewils

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>> how about datona and whrn >> you race a seson you have datona 500 and winston select >I'd bet that if they got the rights to do Daytona, they would have a >track pack out so fast our heads would spin. >My wishes for future versions of NASCAR is the ability to have a field >where all drivers try to make the race, but, only the top X number make >it. This could be done with 2 options 1- player can't be bumped ('takes >a provisional') or 2 - player can get bumped. As a championship season >goes it might be possible to allow the player 4 provisionals for the >season and let the season begin. Races that the player doesn't qualify >for would be run through acceleration. >Mike

I agree with you on the the provisionals. Nice idea! Go #6 Mark Martin and #16 Ted Musgrave - Jack Roush Racing!! NASCAR Racing!! http://camalott.com/~sean/nascar/nascar.htm <--NASCAR Racing Sim page

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>Also, I thought of some more changes for NASCAR to add realism. >1. Shadows from the grandstand. >2. Glare/Dirty windshield. >3. Select percentage of repair. >Randy

I have a couple minor things to add to this list: 1. Adjustable front/rear brake bias - it's actually a major part of how a real race car sets up for the turns. 2. Having to keep the car running in the pits - if a Winston Cup car were left to idle during a pit stop, it would severely load up & shut off. 3. Show halfway & two-to-go flags, as well as the five-to-go sign from the starter.

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> I have a couple minor things to add to this list: > 1. Adjustable front/rear brake bias - it's actually a major part of > how a real race car sets up for the turns. > 2. Having to keep the car running in the pits - if a Winston Cup car > were left to idle during a pit stop, it would severely load up & shut > off. > 3. Show halfway & two-to-go flags, as well as the five-to-go sign from > the starter.4. Let the computer cars have no damage when players car can't get

damaged (would remove some of the advantage with damage off).

A nice but at time unrealistic wish list. I love NASCAR and would be happy if they just stop it crashing everynow and then. Oh yeah and the dreaded teleport bug. Commenting on your list specifically: >4. Better peripheral vision cues are needed. The rear-view mirror > tells you what's behind you and beside you, but not how close a > car is. Perhaps 800x600 resolution will allow for more screen > space to reveal more out the left and right windows. Something I > think is necessary, since looking up at the rear-view mirror while > driving in traffic is pretty risky. Until I get my VR helmet, the vision is fine. Compare that to 'Days of Thunder' where the AI cars never have to pit. I would like to see wrecks on the track for a little more time while they clean up the track (like in the original Indianapolis 500) They improved this with V1.2. Now at least the AI car pauses before he does his recovery spin. You can race with 39 drivers on all tracks if you want to. Mail me to find out how. Then everyone qualifies. Bullshit big brother IVGA ***we can do without thank you very much!!!! This can be done by editing the BLAP and RELS files. Mail me. When my friend (Hi Phil Otto) and I race via direct connection, I see the AI cars bumping each other all over the place. You can drive through their smoke as they touch. I do this manually. If I have had a shunt and can get back to the pits quickly, then I set DO NOT REPAIR. Just fix the wheel. Then I get back on the line (without losing a lap) then I come into the pits again and only REPAIR. ie no wheels and no fuel. Works on the big tracks. You will drive like shit until you get used to the T2. Trust me. Craig. ****************************************************************************** Canberra, Australia IWCC3 Marker Bindings #2 Pontiac - Rick Higbee Motorsports IGN4 QANTAS Airways #75 Pontiac - Rick Higbee Motorsports IVL Toys-R-Us #43 Pontiac - Rick Higbee Motorsports IICC3 QANTAS Toys-R-Us #77 Reynard - Team Oz Racing ******************************************************************************