NASCAR Racing 2 Answers

Hi All, I thought I would post a message with some of the new features for NASCAR 2, so, here goes... Spotter/Crew Chief Feature This will give you more information about what is happening on the track. For example, you'll hear your spotter say things like "There's a crash in turn one...go high", "The leader's pitting", etc. The crew chief will say things like "Need to pit in a few laps", etc. You will have the option to either turn this off or have very brief messages. 96 Season This is an obvious one. The 96 season with real drivers, teams, sponsers, and tracks. Also, we are completely fixing some of the tracks. Namely Talladega, Darlington, Dover, N.Wilkesboro, Martinsville. Talladega is 100% better. You can run 2-3 wide through the tri-oval. Also, it actually takes some skill to drive a fast lap. Darlington is just like the real thing. Narrow racing surface high around the track. Faster Graphics We are doing everything we can to improve the speed of the game. All the great speed imrovements done in IndyCar 2 will be in NASCAR 2, including uniVBE support. Also, we are going to support some of the new 3D accelerator cards. Not sure which one's yet, but definately any with thr Network/NASCAR Racing League Now you'll be able to race with up to 8 people over the network. This is so you can get some experience before loggin into the NASCAR Racing League. NASCAR 2 is the client you will use to get into the NASCAR Racing League (Hawaii). Real Race Weekend Structure This will allow you to compete in the race like the real drivers do. Show up for Friday practice to get the qualifying setup right. Then attempt to qualify in the first round (real time qualifying), not good enough for the top 25, try again during the second round. You might even need to take a provisional to get into the field, provided you have one of course. New User Interface Not only will this look a lot better (our art department has gone wild) but it will be much easier to use. The race options won't be buried under a few layers of menus like before. Misc Stuff Of course, all the feature added into the Hawaii version of NASCAR will be included, as well as improvements in IndyCar 2. In addition, more stats and results will be kept. What we are not doing We are not touching the physics very much at all. So, what you are used to driving in NASCAR 1 will pretty much be what you'll drive in NASCAR 2. Some people are not going to like this but we felt it was the tradeoff we had to make to get a lot of this other stuff into the game. That's all I can think of for the moment. If you guys have any other questions, please feel free to ask. Adam Papyrus

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>Hi All, > I thought I would post a message with some of the new features for >NASCAR 2, so, here goes... >Spotter/Crew Chief Feature > This will give you more information about what is happening on the >track. For example, you'll hear your spotter say things like "There's a >crash in turn one...go high", "The leader's pitting", etc. The crew chief >will say things like "Need to pit in a few laps", etc. You will have the >option to either turn this off or have very brief messages.

Will the Spotter also yell "inside car#" or "outside car#" whenever you have a car on either side? This would provide badly-needed help in the peripheral vision department. Any chance of securing diffirent tracks (I know licensing arrangements currently preclude Daytona and Indy), say the BGN tracks as Tony Johns raised earlier? Does this mean your field limits at all tracks have increased? And does the above mean that, presuming you'll still be using a DRIVERS2.TXT file, that this file will no longer limit you to 39 drivers? Mouse support? Yeehah! OK with me. I don't expect to see cars airborne anyways. I WOULD like to see AI improvements though. No more lone AI cars mysteriously getting "loose" down straightaways, and recovering from their accident in 2 seconds. Better passing and pitting strategies are needed. Making the AI so that each car does not drive indentically to all the others would go a long way in my view. AI cars that actually bump each other would be great. Lastly, has opponent strength been changed in any way so that we can adjust the AI strength according to qual strength and race strength? I know we already can through modifying the BLAP and RELS values, but this doesn't produce very satisfactory results. Also, allowing for changes in the AI in increments less than 1% would be nice, since a 1% change often means a significant change in lap speeds. Other things taken off my Wish List page: 1. More driver skill variability. I don't want to keep seeing the same drivers qualifying in the TOP 10 each race. Also, drivers like Mark Martin are better at some tracks (road courses) than most drivers, and therefore their skill should be adjusted for these tracks. Allowing the user to somehow modify each driver's abilities to match the driver's track ability would be welcome. Rusty Wallace is good at short tracks, Earnhardt is just plain damn good, etc... 2. The AI should be prone to gaffes, like Kyle Petty's at the C***te race last week. 3. AI cars that don't reactly so damn congenially to the user's driving. The AI behaviour at tracks like Martinsville is comedic. 4. Damaged/lapped AI cars that know what line to take to get out of your way. 5. Damaged wheels no longer causing AI cars to DNF. 6. AI cars will no longer repeatedly bump into the retaining walls down the straights of Bristol (and some other tracks). 7. AI cars that SUFFER FROM COLD TIRES!!! Can't emphasize this one enough. Slower lap speeds at the beginning and after tire changes. 8. F11 key that displays what other drivers did during their last pit stop and when that was. 9. Variable pit positions and pit road speed. 10. AI cars that will attempt to pass damaged cars on the track rather than simply stop behind it. 11. Improved replay management. Options to record the entire race to disk without have to manually go into the replay and do it. Cut and paste (please). More data displayed on the screen (like speed, position and lap #). Being able to scroll back and forth between drivers, as opposed to just forward (small point, but really helpful). Enough for ya? ;> Bill.

When do you anticipate the tentatively scheduled not-to-be-held accountable-like-SH/MP-GP2-release date? Kyle

PLLLEEAAASSSEEEEEE tell us you are using the HAWAII physics, not the buggy physics of NASCAR 1 that had such discrepancy between pedals and buttons. Please, at least use the updated Hawaii physics. Tim V

[much interesting news munched] Leaves room for a Nascar 3 then, doesn it?!!!!! It's times like this, when you're getting pukka-gen information, that I thank whomever that I have an Internet account! Yeehaa! Stuart PS - after 1.5 years with Nascar and ICR2, I'm quite used to the menu structure actually!!!!! Sorry, had to quibble SOMETHING at least. PPS - Will the track structure change dramatically? It's nice to be able to take a Nascar around Toronto occasionally! -- Stuart Booth Somewhere in Godalming, England, UK

>PS - after 1.5 years with Nascar and ICR2, I'm quite used to the menu >structure actually!!!!! Sorry, had to quibble SOMETHING at least. There's one time when the menu structure bothers me, and that's when you're modem racing. You can't change any of the race settings (#opponents, Y/D/P, etc.) without disconnecting. That's my main gripe about the menus. In another message, Adam Levesque indicated that the reason that the pits at Talladega and C***te couldn't be fixed is due to the amount of time it would take to rewrite the tools for designing tracks. I take this to mean that there won't be any major changes to the track structure. Dave "davids" Sparks Sequoia Motorsports

>11. Improved replay management. Options to record the entire race to >disk without have to manually go into the replay and do it. Cut and >paste (please). More data displayed on the screen (like speed, >position and lap #). Being able to scroll back and forth between >drivers, as opposed to just forward (small point, but really helpful). Actually, if you hit SHIFT-V, you can scroll backwards... :) ________ Eldred Pickett I am NOT paranoid. And why are you always watching me?!?

: What we are not doing : We are not touching the physics very much at all. So, what you are : used to driving in NASCAR 1 will pretty much be what you'll drive in : NASCAR 2. Some people are not going to like this but we felt it was the : tradeoff we had to make to get a lot of this other stuff into the game. : That's all I can think of for the moment. If you guys have any other : questions, please feel free to ask. I want to race, not see cars flipping through the air. So if this is what is meant by changes to the physics model, fine with me. However, I REALLY want to see the AI guys suffer tire wear. Especially at the tracks that "eat tars". It is too frustrating to get a good setup, drive the perfect race only to have the AI guys go just as fast on the last 10 laps as they did on the first. -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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> >That's all I can think of for the moment. If you guys have any other >questions, please feel free to ask. > >Adam >Papyrus >

A few corrections to the AI mannerisms would be nice. Most were mentioned in replies to your message. I do have an additonlal one however. When going down the straightaways neck and neck with an AI car, the AI car refuses to give up the preferred line to take an outside line around the turn. It commences to drive into the side of my car at the turn entry point. It appears that you need to be leading the AI car by at least 1/4 of a car length entering the turn, before he gives up the line. This really needs to be changed. --- Frank ---

>When going down the straightaways neck and neck with an AI car, the AI car >refuses to give up the preferred line to take an outside line around the turn. >It commences to drive into the side of my car at the turn entry point. It >appears that you need to be leading the AI car by at least 1/4 of a car length >entering the turn, before he gives up the line. This really needs to be >changed. Yes! This is very irritating. It's even worse in IndycarII than Nascar. Joe

I have two questions. One, will Talladega's dimenisions be a lot closer to the real race track? (For example, will the tri-oval be longer and a smoother curve, like it is in real life? Or will the track's dimenisions be the same as on Nascar Racing 1? Also, will the pits be straight?) And question number two: What size computer will be needed to run Nascar Racing 2? (I.E. What size Pentium co-processor and how many RAM? Or will the requirements be the same as the orginal simulator?) Believe it or not, the only thing I care about is a REALISTIC Talladega Superspeedway and the ability to run 40 cars with all options on (except for asphalt and grass), which I can do with my Pentium 83. :) BTW- I LOVE Nascar Racing 1!!!! -------------------------------------------------------------- Scall5

>I have two questions. One, will Talladega's dimenisions be a lot closer to >the real race track? (For example, will the tri-oval be longer and a >smoother curve, like it is in real life? Or will the track's dimenisions >be the same as on Nascar Racing 1? Also, will the pits be straight?) The pits will still be curved. They didn't have time to rewrite the track tools. Dave "davids" Sparks Sequoia Motorsports

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>: What we are not doing >: We are not touching the physics very much at all. So, what you are >: used to driving in NASCAR 1 will pretty much be what you'll drive in >: NASCAR 2. Some people are not going to like this but we felt it was the >: tradeoff we had to make to get a lot of this other stuff into the game. >: That's all I can think of for the moment. If you guys have any other >: questions, please feel free to ask. >I want to race, not see cars flipping through the air. So if this is >what is meant by changes to the physics model, fine with me. However, I >REALLY want to see the AI guys suffer tire wear. Especially at the >tracks that "eat tars". It is too frustrating to get a good setup, >drive the perfect race only to have the AI guys go just as fast on the >last 10 laps as they did on the first. >-- >**************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* > Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Try racing humans on the papyrus network the AI is repaced with RS(real stupidity).

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> And question number two: What size computer will be needed to run Nascar > Racing 2? (I.E. What size Pentium co-processor and how many RAM? Or will the > requirements be the same as the orginal simulator?) > Believe it or not, the only thing I care about is a REALISTIC Talladega > Superspeedway and the ability to run 40 cars with all options on (except for > asphalt and grass), which I can do with my Pentium 83. :) > BTW- I LOVE Nascar Racing 1!!!! > -------------------------------------------------------------- > Scall5

Adam told me that they are working to make the program work well with Pentiums and video cards compatible with Pentiums. Performance would not change for 486 computers. He didn't specifically mention support for 64-bit video cards in a 486, so I am assuming that they aren't wasting their time. David Martin dgm26sam

Didn't have the time?? What is the big rush with Nascar 2? I want to see it as bad as everyone else, however I'd like to see some major improvements (I know they are doing quite a bit) but why rush it? I'd rather have it as close to perfect as possible than have a IC2 repeat. -- Andy http://www.westol.com/~ridger Nascar/Kali/Win95

>> We are not touching the physics very much at all. So, what you are >> used to driving in NASCAR 1 will pretty much be what you'll drive in >> NASCAR 2. Some people are not going to like this but we felt it was the >> tradeoff we had to make to get a lot of this other stuff into the game. >PLLLEEAAASSSEEEEEE tell us you are using the HAWAII physics, not the buggy >physics of NASCAR 1 that had such discrepancy between pedals and buttons. Well, why don't they compromise, and offer like MOST flight sims offer An "Arcade" Set of physics, AND the new "Physics" (Hawaii or whatever) There is no law against that! Keeps everyone happy.. ________________________________________________________________________ | | | Check \ _ / Six! *Stupid Poetic Justice! - Homer Simpson* | | \_(0)_/ ** Steve "Crow" ** | |______________________________________________________________________|

Guess why... Because NASCAR wants to start its online league as soon as possible. -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Folco Banfi | Check out the "records for sale", "NASCAR" Universite de Fribourg | and "Charts" sections of my home page! Institut d'Informatique | Chemin du Musee 3 | 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland | Tel. +41.37.29.84.79 | http://www-iiuf.unifr.ch/groups/sde/users/banfi/home.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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> A few corrections to the AI mannerisms would be nice. Most were mentioned in > replies to your message. I do have an additonlal one however. > When going down the straightaways neck and neck with an AI car, the AI car > refuses to give up the preferred line to take an outside line around the turn. > It commences to drive into the side of my car at the turn entry point. It > appears that you need to be leading the AI car by at least 1/4 of a car length > entering the turn, before he gives up the line. This really needs to be > changed. > --- Frank ---

Actually, it sometimes goes the other way: On some tracks, all I have to do is head for the inside line and the AI driver will see that I am faster and actually swerve to the outside and slow to let me pass. Of course I've also been run off the track as you mention, but sometimes they play chicken too. Like when exiting turns and he tries to squeeze me to the outside wall as we both try to setup for the next turn, or he sees how close he can get before he chickens out and jerks to the side. I've seen some very eratic behavior entering and exiting pits too. Rob Ryder -- Quote from 'Reservoir Dogs': "Mr. Brown? That sounds too much like Mr. Shit."

How about PaintKit and pcx cars? Will we be able to use custom cars and carsets from the original NASCAR game with the new game? Will PaintKit for NASCAR Racing be improved? Visit Spyder's NASCAR Racing page at http://home.gvi.net/~spyder/nascar.html

Are there any new setup options, i.e. springs, engine mods? Chuck Stuart - Mesquite TX USA

I'm glad that everyone with a 486 will be able to enjoy Nascar2. That was a real concern of mine (or of my friends, actually). Since my computer is a 486 upgraded to a Pentium 83, hopefully, you can understand why I was concerned. -------------------------------------------------------------- Scall5

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>Subject: Re: NASCAR Racing 2 Answers >Date: 31 May 1996 18:12:26 GMT >: What we are not doing >: We are not touching the physics very much at all. So, what you are >: used to driving in NASCAR 1 will pretty much be what you'll drive in >: NASCAR 2. Some people are not going to like this but we felt it was the >: tradeoff we had to make to get a lot of this other stuff into the game. >: That's all I can think of for the moment. If you guys have any other >: questions, please feel free to ask. >I want to race, not see cars flipping through the air. So if this is >what is meant by changes to the physics model, fine with me. However, I >REALLY want to see the AI guys suffer tire wear. Especially at the >tracks that "eat tars". It is too frustrating to get a good setup, >drive the perfect race only to have the AI guys go just as fast on the >last 10 laps as they did on the first.

I want to see the AI guys suffer ANYTHING. Tire wear, car damage, full tanks, WHATEVER... ________ Eldred Pickett I am NOT paranoid. And why are you always watching me?!?

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>Subject: Re: NASCAR Racing 2 Answers >Date: Sat, 01 Jun 1996 04:15:46 GMT >> Good stuff on NASCAR 2 snipped > >That's all I can think of for the moment. If you guys have any other > >questions, please feel free to ask. > >Adam > >Papyrus >A few corrections to the AI mannerisms would be nice. Most were mentioned in >replies to your message. I do have an additonlal one however. >When going down the straightaways neck and neck with an AI car, the AI car >refuses to give up the preferred line to take an outside line around the turn. >It commences to drive into the side of my car at the turn entry point. It >appears that you need to be leading the AI car by at least 1/4 of a car length >entering the turn, before he gives up the line. This really needs to be >changed. >--- Frank ---

That just gives you good practice for Hawaii<BWG> ________ Eldred Pickett I am NOT paranoid. And why are you always watching me?!?

Would it be possible to have the game detect when you enter the pits above the speed limit becaause you are cuaght up in a wreck? I don't mean swerving to avoid a wreck (Which would be a cheat-fest). For example, one time I was clipped by a car sliding down the banking at Taladega and found myself sliding backwards into the pits at around 100mph. I was then assessed the speeding penalty when the green came back out. -Kitantho

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>> The pits will still be curved. They didn't have time to rewrite the >track >> tools. >Didn't have the time?? What is the big rush with Nascar 2? I want to >see it as bad as everyone else, however I'd like to see some major >improvements (I know they are doing quite a bit) but why rush it? I'd >rather have it as close to perfect as possible than have a IC2 repeat.

It boils down to economics. The holiday season represents something like 35-40% of a typical game company's gross revenue. If you don't have a new title for Q4, you go hungry. We can all argue about how unfair that is, or how Papyrus should rewrite the physics and do all new tracks, but the reality is that if they can't pay the bills, there won't be a new release of anything. Dave "davids" Sparks Sequoia Motorsports

>>PLLLEEAAASSSEEEEEE tell us you are using the HAWAII physics, not the buggy >>physics of NASCAR 1 that had such discrepancy between pedals and buttons. >Well, why don't they compromise, and offer like MOST flight sims offer >An "Arcade" Set of physics, AND the new "Physics" (Hawaii or whatever) No, the difference between NASCAR and MULTI is they fixed a bug in the physics model. Believe me, you want the fixed version, it is a huge improvement over the buggy version and it doesn't take that long to fix your setups. Dave "davids" Sparks Sequoia Motorsports

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>>Hi All, >> I thought I would post a message with some of the new features for >>NASCAR 2, so, here goes... >How about PaintKit and pcx cars? Will we be able to use custom cars and >carsets from the original NASCAR game with the new game? Will PaintKit for >NASCAR Racing be improved?

From what I understand, the concept of a "carset" will go away, being replaced by somethingresembling an index/database of cars. Of course, this interpretation might be completely wrong. As far as the PaintKit is concerned, the palette will be "improved" (whatever that means)... More colors? They have also said that you won't be able to paint the decklids, but front fender painting will be available. Of course, all we can do is wait and see what's really gonna happen. /===================================================\

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| John Simmons (Redneck Techno-Biker) | | http://www2.connectnet.com/users/jms/index.html | |===================================================| | IGN #12 Zerex American Eagle Motorsports Ford | | http://www2.connectnet.com/users/jms/aemmain.html | | Hawaii NickName - AEMwest | |===================================================| | 93 FLSTC - 54,000 miles and counting | | Harley Scum Biker (tm) #14 |

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> >Adam told me that they are working to make the program work well with > >Pentiums and video cards compatible with Pentiums. Performance would > I'm glad that everyone with a 486 will be able to enjoy Nascar2. That was a > real concern of mine (or of my friends, actually). Since my computer is a 486 > upgraded to a Pentium 83, hopefully, you can understand why I was concerned. Yeah, I understand. But read between the lines. What they are saying is that they are not going to incorporate the ICR2 engine into NCR2. ICR2 takes advantage of VLB 2.0 standards. NCR1 does not. NCR2 will not. That means that they aren't actively supporting 486 technology. NCR3 will be impossible on 486s and won't be all that great for Pentiums. See where this is going. :-) David Martin

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> > >Adam told me that they are working to make the program work well with > > >Pentiums and video cards compatible with Pentiums. Performance would > > I'm glad that everyone with a 486 will be able to enjoy Nascar2. That was a > > real concern of mine (or of my friends, actually). Since my computer is a 486 > > upgraded to a Pentium 83, hopefully, you can understand why I was concerned. > Yeah, I understand. But read between the lines. What they are saying > is that they are not going to incorporate the ICR2 engine into NCR2. > ICR2 takes advantage of VLB 2.0 standards. NCR1 does not. NCR2 will > not. That means that they aren't actively supporting 486 technology. > NCR3 will be impossible on 486s and won't be all that great for > Pentiums. See where this is going. :-) > David Martin

I don't believe this is correct. The following is quoted from Adam Levesque in a posting dated 5/30/96 : It sounds to me like NASCAR 2 will indeed include the advances in ICR2. Chris Drake

Hi David, Uhmm...where did you get the idea that we were not using the same engine as ICR2 for NASCAR 2? We are. And we are taking advantage of the VLB standards. I don't know where you got the other information. Adam Papyrus

> >>A few corrections to the AI mannerisms would be nice. Most were mentioned in >>replies to your message. I do have an additonlal one however. > >>When going down the straightaways neck and neck with an AI car, the AI car >>refuses to give up the preferred line to take an outside line around the turn. >>It commences to drive into the side of my car at the turn entry point. It >>appears that you need to be leading the AI car by at least 1/4 of a car length

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>>entering the turn, before he gives up the line. This really needs to be >>changed. > >>--- Frank --- > >That just gives you good practice for Hawaii<BWG> > >________ > >Eldred Pickett > >I am NOT paranoid. And why are you always watching me?!? >

Believe it or not I have less problems racing with real people than I do with the AI cars. With the real racers I hang back, let them all wreck each other out, blow by the wrecks and run myself a race typically finishing in the top 5. With the AI you never know when they are going to decide to drive into the side of your door while entering the turns... --- Frank ---