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Rec.Autos.Simulators Archive

Interstate 76 - Is it worth buying ????

13 posts by 8 people · 23 Apr 1997 - 27 Apr 1997

Martin 23 Apr 1997#363965
Is this game worth buying ? What about graphics, gameplay, multiplayer .... ? Greetings Martin
Joe McGinn 23 Apr 1997#363966
>Is this game worth buying ? >What about graphics, gameplay, multiplayer .... ? Yeah, best game I've bought in a long time. Graphics and gameplay are both first rate. An "interactive movie" mode (really well done) with 17 missions, some of them incredibly fun. Extremely well written - the writers have screenwriting experience and it shows in both the plot, characters, humor, etc. Both the driving model and fighting are very well implemented. A seperate section allows you to jump right into pre-defined scenarios or open fighting areas on various tracks. Best of all they included their track editing tool, so there are already some great public domain tracks appearing on the web. It has built in Internet multiplay, incredibly easy to use. Just log onto the net, start the game, select the multiplay/Intnernet option, and yo can directly join or host games - including using the new tracks you've downloaded. Cheating's a bit of a problem but they've promised a patch for it. There's also a patch coming for D3D support if you have a 3D card. This is one game that is definetly worth the $ I paid for it. Joe McGinn =================================================== Author of Inside LotusScript, available August 1997 http://www.browsebooks.com/McGinn/ ===================================================
Joe McGinn 23 Apr 1997#363967
>I just got my copy of I76 yesterday, and I was interesting in trying out >this feature. I will admit that I was too busy playing to read the manual >cover to cover, but I did scan it for any mention of mission editting >and couldn't find anything. I also searched the install directory and >CD's as well as the various menus and didn't see anything obvious. Can >someone tell me how to get to the track editor? It's on the CD in a subdirectory (it might be Addon but I can't remember for sure). The reason it is not documented is it's a "beta level" tool that was not originally intended for end-users. It's quite complex and somewhat unstable - I'd recommed checing out some of the map editing web sites for tips and documentation. Activision gets big marks for releasing such a program - they have showed that Papyrus refusal to release their own program for Nascar is completely unjustifiable. Like Nascar, the I76 editor is very complex and not suited for most users, and is undocumented and unsupported. But as is obvious to everyone but Papyrus, not everyone HAS to be able to use it. Even if only a few dozen people become experts with it (as is the case with I76) public domain tracks will be created. For the life of me I can't understand why companies like Papyrus deliberately choose to limit the appeal and longevity of their racing titles by refusing to provide track editing tools. There's just no good reason for it at all, as Activision has proven. Joe McGinn =================================================== Author of Inside LotusScript, available August 1997 http://www.browsebooks.com/McGinn/ ===================================================
Lance Pick 23 Apr 1997#363969
... |> or open fighting areas on various tracks. Best of all they included |> their track editing tool, so there are already some great public I just got my copy of I76 yesterday, and I was interesting in trying out this feature. I will admit that I was too busy playing to read the manual cover to cover, but I did scan it for any mention of mission editting and couldn't find anything. I also searched the install directory and CD's as well as the various menus and didn't see anything obvious. Can someone tell me how to get to the track editor? Thanks! ...Lance -- IBM Microelectronics ICQ UIN: 216830 Burlington, VT Phone: (802) 769-7104 (tie 446)
Raev 23 Apr 1997#363970
I'll second and third all that has been said so far, I have'nt tried out the track editor for I76, but it is a perfect idea. Activision is coming from a Mechwarrior state of mind and so they already have some idea of what the gamers want, in my opinion thats also why the driving model and general interface turned out so nice, instead of thinking about pure racing sims they were looking at the big picture. I was a beta tester for this game and I've got to say it's one of my favourite games of all time. It's not perfect, but not game is. I would definitely pick it up. Guaranteed fun, if only to see Taurus come out of the Quick E Mart with Slurpees and strut across the parking lot.... Raevyn
Ed Benson 26 Apr 1997#364511
Quoted text (31 lines)> >I just got my copy of I76 yesterday, and I was interesting in trying out > >this feature. I will admit that I was too busy playing to read the manual > >cover to cover, but I did scan it for any mention of mission editting > >and couldn't find anything. I also searched the install directory and > >CD's as well as the various menus and didn't see anything obvious. Can > >someone tell me how to get to the track editor? > It's on the CD in a subdirectory (it might be Addon but I can't > remember for sure). The reason it is not documented is it's a "beta > level" tool that was not originally intended for end-users. It's quite > complex and somewhat unstable - I'd recommed checing out some of the > map editing web sites for tips and documentation. > Activision gets big marks for releasing such a program - they have > showed that Papyrus refusal to release their own program for Nascar is > completely unjustifiable. Like Nascar, the I76 editor is very complex > and not suited for most users, and is undocumented and unsupported. > But as is obvious to everyone but Papyrus, not everyone HAS to be able > to use it. Even if only a few dozen people become experts with it (as > is the case with I76) public domain tracks will be created. > For the life of me I can't understand why companies like Papyrus > deliberately choose to limit the appeal and longevity of their racing > titles by refusing to provide track editing tools. There's just no > good reason for it at all, as Activision has proven. > Joe McGinn > =================================================== > Author of Inside LotusScript, available August 1997 > http://www.browsebooks.com/McGinn/ > ===================================================
I think copywrite issues are the main thing preventing Papy from realeasing their track editing tool. I can think of no good reason why they wouldn't want us to have it otherwise. -- Ed "A friend of mine suggested I try America Online, I said 'But I already have a computer...'"
ymenard 26 Apr 1997#364512
Quoted text (25 lines)> >I just got my copy of I76 yesterday, and I was interesting in trying out > >this feature. I will admit that I was too busy playing to read the manual > >cover to cover, but I did scan it for any mention of mission editting > >and couldn't find anything. I also searched the install directory and > >CD's as well as the various menus and didn't see anything obvious. Can > >someone tell me how to get to the track editor? > It's on the CD in a subdirectory (it might be Addon but I can't > remember for sure). The reason it is not documented is it's a "beta > level" tool that was not originally intended for end-users. It's quite > complex and somewhat unstable - I'd recommed checing out some of the > map editing web sites for tips and documentation. > Activision gets big marks for releasing such a program - they have > showed that Papyrus refusal to release their own program for Nascar is > completely unjustifiable. Like Nascar, the I76 editor is very complex > and not suited for most users, and is undocumented and unsupported. > But as is obvious to everyone but Papyrus, not everyone HAS to be able > to use it. Even if only a few dozen people become experts with it (as > is the case with I76) public domain tracks will be created. > For the life of me I can't understand why companies like Papyrus > deliberately choose to limit the appeal and longevity of their racing > titles by refusing to provide track editing tools. There's just no > good reason for it at all, as Activision has proven.
Maybe but you can compare a editor for I76 like one for Nascar2. There's no way someone will create real tracks in I76. It's a shoot'em up game and a Daytona track would not be appropriate for I76. So legal stuff and copyright are OK for I76. IMHO, IMS would not be able to do anything if someone putted a Daytona track for I76. In Nascar2 the problem is that the main utility of a track editor is to do real tracks. Good race at the Brickyard, (Old'Indytrack guy in rec.autos.simulators) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ =ymenard now!!! SPEED- http://www.nascarnet.com/~speed [===] Go Rubens Barrichello, Jacques Villeneuve, | ! | And all you that thinks that Jacques Villeneuve is |!| from Canada, your right!! He's from St-Jean sur le |o| Richelieu, 30 minutes from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [--I--] v Fran?ois Mnard "Wasupe LeGrand" May the force be with you, always!! Que la force soit avec toi, jamais!(for you French people) Excuse me for my poor English(I'm French speaking)
Joe McGinn 26 Apr 1997#364513
>I think copywrite issues are the main thing preventing Papy from >realeasing their track editing tool. I can think of no good reason why >they wouldn't want us to have it otherwise. Not so. Papyrus has publically stated that they just don't want to support their track editing program, and that it's too complex for most people to use. Well, exactly the same issues appliy to Activision and I76, so Papyrus' excuse just doesn't hold water. Joe McGinn =================================================== Author of Inside LotusScript, available August 1997 http://www.browsebooks.com/McGinn/ ===================================================
Ed Benson 27 Apr 1997#364677
Yeah, but I still suspect that copyright protection is the real reason.
Quoted text (14 lines)> >I think copywrite issues are the main thing preventing Papy from > >realeasing their track editing tool. I can think of no good reason why > >they wouldn't want us to have it otherwise. > Not so. Papyrus has publically stated that they just don't want to > support their track editing program, and that it's too complex for > most people to use. Well, exactly the same issues appliy to Activision > and I76, so Papyrus' excuse just doesn't hold water. > Joe McGinn > =================================================== > Author of Inside LotusScript, available August 1997 > http://www.browsebooks.com/McGinn/ > ===================================================
-- Ed "A friend of mine suggested I try America Online, I said 'But I already have a computer...'"
Joe McGinn 27 Apr 1997#364678
>Yeah, but I still suspect that copyright protection is the real reason. Why? Papyrus has always been upfront about when they are confronted by copyright issues, such as the Daytona ones. And Activision faces the same issues, right? What reason do you have to believe Papyrus has publicly lied about their reasons for not releasing the track editor? Joe McGinn =================================================== Author of Inside LotusScript, available August 1997 http://www.browsebooks.com/McGinn/ ===================================================
Joe McGinn 27 Apr 1997#364679
>Maybe but you can compare a editor for I76 like one for Nascar2. Um, yes I can. The I76 editor is a full 3D terrain editor, with support for different terrainsm and textures and 3D dimensions and height changes - there's no fundamental difference from the Nascar one I'm sure. Joe McGinn =================================================== Author of Inside LotusScript, available August 1997 http://www.browsebooks.com/McGinn/ ===================================================
: I think copywrite issues are the main thing preventing Papy from : realeasing their track editing tool. I can think of no good reason why : they wouldn't want us to have it otherwise. The real good reason is the reason Papyrus has been giving for the last 3 years. There really aren't any tools per se (sp?). Over the years, I have done some programming and hacking. Many times I used odd ball this and that software packages and kludged together some bare minimum utilities which no one else could have been able to use easily. These were just simple projects. I am sure that Papyrus, from their past comments, is doing the same thing on a grander scale. Some of the art programs they are using I am sure are "off the shelf", but I bet most of everything else is coded as needed, with a klunky front end (if it even has a "front-end"). Now I will admit that for a company that is in the business to "create" real-to-life simulated tracks, it doesn't make sense to not have "easy" to use software to produce the product. But, I also understand the realities of the way they do it. How many months do they want to invest in re-writing their track building tools every time they alter their overall engine and design? How much money do they want to "sink" into this project? One that would require many months of "man hours" to create (and then maintain and debug). I am sure that the bean counters are telling them that to make money you don't throw it away on things that won't make money. Don't get me wrong. It would be wonderful (and do-able) to have a public track editor. But, this isn't Quake, it's not Doom, it's not even Monster Truck Madness. A simple, oh look here is a bunch of 3do files that when patched together look like Daytona would be easy. But a piece of code that incorporates the traction, effects of elevation/banking, etc. would be a lot harder to create. This is one of the reasons I don't think we will see a track editor from any REAL sim for a long time yet. But, it would be nice if Sierra decided to fund such a project. As a matter of fact, it could be in their own best interest if they plan on continuing to "produce" future sims. But again as the sim engine evolves it would require more man hours be spent evolving the track editing tools. One more point, Papyrus isn't holding out on a track editor program so they can make money selling "track packs". From what I understand, their Track Packs didn't generate any return in the past. And I wouldn't hold my breath expecting one for NASCAR2. -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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