ICR2 control problem, question about framerates

Hiya... To my great disappoinment, it seems I can't use the F1GP key layout in ICR2... They probably disabled these keys just to annoy F1GP veterans :) Or perhaps Microprose would sue Papyrus for copyright violation if they used the same keys ? Either way, I'm pissed... Has anyone found any usable key layouts, or is a joystick a better choice (I have a Gravis Analog Pro) ? Also, I'd like to know what kinds of framerates people get when running ICR2 in SVGA ? To me ( P120 ) it seems a bit sluggish with 31 cars and full detail. It will run fine if I turn off asphalt+grass+ wall detail though, and that's ok with me. Just want to make sure that I'm not running a bad configuration. Otherwise this looks like a great game ( I never played the original ICR ), probably part of the reason why Microprose are delaying F1GP2, they don't want it to be too obviously inferior :) With thanks for your trouble,

writes: The reason you can't use your F1GP controls with ICR2 is because key 'A' is used for Accelerated Time in ICR2. You'll get used to the arrow keys... Just in case you want to know, I can run ICR2 in SVGA with full detail [windshield off, F-key display off] on my P90 with the UniVBE driver that comes with the game installed! -- ------------------------------------------ [http://www.ukps.com/thepits/] ------------------------------------------

Dave, off] on my P90 with the UniVBE driver that comes with the game installed!<< What's this Windshield, and F-Key business? What frame rates are you getting, and does it slow in traffic. I find the best setup on my P5-120 is all detail turned off apart from Cars/Walls/Dirt&Paint, and I have trackside objects on. Much more than this and it crawls. Steve.

hi d00d.. forget the keyboard..If you can get your hands on the Thrustmaster T1 or T2 driving controll. With a wheel, gearshift, brake and throttle theres definatly more realism. If you cant get one of these then I recomend a joystick. The keys are definatly ***in comparison... :) as with the frame rate I have a p100 pipeline burst cache, edo ram (8 meg) and a 2meg diamand stealth 64 dram and I have all on max, number of cars heard & seen, graphics...whatever. the only thing that I have off is road and grass texture (I pref off anyway as im not that fussed on them) not quite sure what it is exactly but It runs almost as smooth as silk. gets a little chunky if you start with all cars and from the rear from a complete standstill . Hope this has been some help to you.. if it hasen't..well..oh well :) cya satan aka shane

I just moved over a little on the keyboard and used 'S' & 'X' and 'N' and 'M'. Worked just fine, however.... ICR2 has no 'stearing help', and feathering the turn keys is a royal pain in the *ss. IMHO, spend some time getting used to the joystick. I have my joystick set up for turns and use the 2 fire keys for accel & brake. Now if only that TSW would hurry up and arrive..... Trevor ? Enjoy, Graeme > Hiya... To my great disappoinment, it seems I can't use the > F1GP key layout in ICR2... They probably disabled these > keys just to annoy F1GP veterans :) Or perhaps Microprose would[snip] > With thanks for your trouble,

[snip] : as with the frame rate : I have a p100 pipeline burst cache, edo ram (8 meg) and a 2meg diamand : stealth 64 dram and I have all on max, number of cars heard & seen, : graphics...whatever. [snip] : not quite sure what it is exactly but It runs almost as smooth as silk. : gets a little chunky if you start with all cars and from the rear from a : complete standstill . Is this VGA or SVGA? -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

>What's this Windshield, and F-Key business? 'W' for the shadow windshield affect I think it is. I keep it on myself so I don't use the key and could be wrong. Stuart. -- This message from the home of Stuart Booth, Somewhere in England...

: some time getting used to the joystick. I have my joystick set up for : turns and use the 2 fire keys for accel & brake. Buttons for accel & brake! What's the joystick for then? How do you change gears? How do you apply mild acceleration or modulate the braking when the front locks up?

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>Dave, >>>I can run ICR2 in SVGA with full detail [windshield off, F-key display >off] on my P90 with the UniVBE driver that comes with the game >installed!<< >What's this Windshield, and F-Key business? What frame rates are you >getting, and does it slow in traffic. I find the best setup on my P5-120 >is all detail turned off apart from Cars/Walls/Dirt&Paint, and I have >trackside objects on. Much more than this and it crawls. >Steve.

I cannot believe some of the comments about frame rates. I have a P90 with 2MB (DRAM) Diamond Stealth and I can run with all cars showing and ALL detail on and it runs smooth as silk. I choose to turn the road off cause I found there was too much visual 'data' for my eyes to digest. Check your configuration (CMOS settings ?) and compare with Checkit or Nortons. You are not getting the full measure of your machine. As for the windshield, the W key toggles the windscreen on or off. Cheers, 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 ******************************************************************************

> >What's this Windshield, and F-Key business? What frame rates are you > >getting, and does it slow in traffic. I find the best setup on my P5-120 > >is all detail turned off apart from Cars/Walls/Dirt&Paint, and I have > >trackside objects on. Much more than this and it crawls. One key to the framerates in ICR2 is the UniVBE driver. Until I set up UniVBE, my framerates SUCKED. After running the config for UniVBE, which will set it up to load automatically, my framerates are GREAT. I too can run with almost all textures on with my Cyrix 5x86/120. Check it out.

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>> >What's this Windshield, and F-Key business? What frame rates are you >> >getting, and does it slow in traffic. I find the best setup on my P5-120 >> >is all detail turned off apart from Cars/Walls/Dirt&Paint, and I have >> >trackside objects on. Much more than this and it crawls. >One key to the framerates in ICR2 is the UniVBE driver. Until I set up >UniVBE, my framerates SUCKED. After running the config for UniVBE, >which will set it up to load automatically, my framerates are GREAT. I >too can run with almost all textures on with my Cyrix 5x86/120. Check >it out.

I guess I am somewhat suprised. When I got ICR2 I happily ran it in VGA. I had a DX2. Now I have a DX4 & tried SVGA. Umm... I guess I have to drive it some more or something. THe only textures I turned off were road, grass & walls. Everythinng else was on & seemed fine. I was a little suprised to say the least. Especially in light of these last two posts.

When I installed UniVBE I didn't notice any change in frame rate at all. I installed under setup and was informed that the installation had been completed. Does anyone know if perhaps the installation didn't actually happen and how I could be sure? Thanks Ken

Let me clarify what I mean by 'crawl' - the graphics get choppy, probably dropping to around 18 or 20 fps. I find that distracting, and try to set my machine up so that it runs at a constant speed no matter what's happening on track. I realise that this means that when I'm on my own on the track, I could have more detail if I set things to auto, but I find this VERY distracting, and so in my setup everything is either on, or off. Cheers, Steve.

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> When I installed UniVBE I didn't notice any change in frame rate at >all. I installed under setup and was informed that the installation had >been completed. Does anyone know if perhaps the installation didn't >actually happen and how I could be sure? > Thanks > Ken

The improvement will depend upon the chipset in your video card and how it handles the VESA addons which Univbe uses. For me at least using my VLB Tseng4000w32p video card, it makes a HUGE difference. It allows me to play in SVGA on my DX2/66, although with most textures turned off. --John -- ----------------------------- http://www.wolfe.net/~kludger

Using my ATI MACH64 with the UniVBE reduces ICR2 to a 2 fps (yes 2 - literally!) flicker. Steve.

No I didn't! You have cut out the bit I wrote. This makes me look like one of the many who don't seem to read the manual nor readme file. :-) Craig. I don't think the UniVBE driver makes a difference if you have a 2mb Video Card. It didn't for me. Craig. ************************************************************** * Canberra, Australia * **************************************************************

>I have a 1mb video card. I want to upgrade both my cpu and my vid card. >Should I? How much faster will a 2mb card be than a 1mb card? Also, any >suggestions on my path to upgrade? If you're going to upgrade your video card, you might as well get a 3D one.They should work great with ICR2 (Nascar supports the 3D cards, so I presume ICR2 does too). If it's only 3D games that you need more power for you might not even need to upgrade your CPU. Joe

IndyCar Racing II does *NOT* support any of the 3D cards. Neither does the general, commercial version of NASCAR. There were special versions bundled with various cards that were customized to those particular cards; if you take the version for one card and try it on the other, it will not work. Hopefully this mess will get straightened out when Microsoft (finally) releases Direct3D, assuming we incorporate it into a future driving game... Rick Genter Technical Lead, IndyCar Racing II Papyrus Design Group, Inc.

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> >I have a 1mb video card. I want to upgrade both my cpu and my vid card. > >Should I? How much faster will a 2mb card be than a 1mb card? Also, any > >suggestions on my path to upgrade? > If you're going to upgrade your video card, you might as well get a 3D > one.They should work great with ICR2 (Nascar supports the 3D cards, so > I presume ICR2 does too). If it's only 3D games that you need more > power for you might not even need to upgrade your CPU.

ICR 2 does NOT support any 3D card. Wait until a standard emerges before you even consider buying a 3D card! For now buy a Diamond Stealth, it's rather cheap and fast in SVGA. -- --- Terje Wold Johansen --- http://www.ifi.uio.no/~terjjo/ --- "I am your inferior superior." O.W.

Thanks for the info - sounds like good advice, I'll wait. (Doesn't Microsoft have something to do with this? Let me ammend: I'll wait, and wait, and wait, and wait...) Joe

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>Subject: Re: ICR2 control problem, question about framerates >Date: 10 Feb 1996 23:41:25 +0100 >> >I have a 1mb video card. I want to upgrade both my cpu and my vid card. >> >Should I? How much faster will a 2mb card be than a 1mb card? Also, any >> >suggestions on my path to upgrade? >> If you're going to upgrade your video card, you might as well get a 3D >> one.They should work great with ICR2 (Nascar supports the 3D cards, so >> I presume ICR2 does too). If it's only 3D games that you need more >> power for you might not even need to upgrade your CPU. >ICR 2 does NOT support any 3D card. >Wait until a standard emerges before you even consider buying >a 3D card! >For now buy a Diamond Stealth, it's rather cheap and fast in SVGA. >-- >--- Terje Wold Johansen

About how much will my frame rate increase by?? (I currently get 15-18 fps in ICR2 in SVGA mode.) -Josh Beaulieu

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> >Wait until a standard emerges before you even consider buying > >a 3D card! > Thanks for the info - sounds like good advice, I'll wait. (Doesn't > Microsoft have something to do with this? Let me ammend: I'll wait, > and wait, and wait, and wait...) > Joe

Yes, Microsoft is working on a standard API (== application program interface) for 3D. When this is released, game developers can write to the API and ship one version of their software that works on any hardware with a compliant driver -- exactly the way VGA works now for 2D. That's the good news. The bad news is the time it takes MS to finish and ship the API, and then the time it takes developers to revise their games. Andy Wilson

Hi, Just wanted to express an opinion that my help anyone decide to purchase NFS. I had seen the demo and thought it was just another arcade driving game. Checked out a friends full version and was really surprised. It is professionaly produced and the videos and music is just fantastic. It does not have the depth of something like NASCAR Racing and the instructions are non existent but you will be playing for a long time. One thing I did not like was the cop with the shotgun arresting me. Very American. I believe some people have been having trouble getting their T1s to work with NFS. I had no problem after using the white adapter. Thanks for listening, Craig. ****************************************************************************** Canberra, Australia IGN4 QANTAS Airways #75 Pontiac - Rick Higbee Motorsports IVL Toys-R-Us #43 Pontiac - Rick Higbee Motorsports IICC3 QANTAS Toys-R-Us #77 Honda Reynard - Team Oz Racing ******************************************************************************

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>Hi, >Just wanted to express an opinion that my help anyone decide to >purchase NFS. >I had seen the demo and thought it was just another arcade driving >game. Checked out a friends full version and was really surprised. >It is professionaly produced and the videos and music is just >fantastic. It does not have the depth of something like NASCAR >Racing and the instructions are non existent but you will be playing >for a long time.

I agree, what a fantastic game! The driving "feel" is very authentic, it blows all the other "arcade" racers away. The ability to recover from skids with real-world steering techniques is very impressive. I'm not 100% sure of this but I think NFS was actually done in EA's Vancouver, BC office in Canada. Same with T2 - makes for an incredible driving experience. My favourite part of the race: on the mountain closed-circuit course, blasting by the church and flying down that twisty, steep downhull drop (and trying not to get distracted by the beautiful graphics of the sun beaming down through the clouds!). The graphics and gameplay in NFS are nothing short of spectacular - very close to arcade quality (like Daytona 500), at least on my fast Pentium. Much, much faster than ICR2; because NFS does not have true 3D roaming cameras (there are different views but you're always looking forward down the road) I think they were able to use pseudo-3D tricks to speed it up. I'm pretty sure it's running at 30fps, with full textures and hi-res. Not to bad at all. Joe