TOCA

As Homer would say.. .. Huuuuuuughhhhhhhhh TOOOOOCCCCAAAA Get this demo..Still here? Get it now!?!?1 It has rekindled what all other demos failed to do, NFS2SE, hum pretty but. Microsoft CART, humm strange control, and AI , TD4, Again pretty but no driving skill needed. BUT TOCA Now this is the best thing since GP2, We are going to see some flack over the graphics, but they are good enough for the job, That is good enough for the job of "RACING" Yes RACING, not tearing into the distance in front of a pack of *** sports cars, not trying to force through a pack of cars that are glued to a track, but wheel to wheel, door handle to door handle, bonnet to boot RACING. Get the message yet!?!? This is still not a sim, it is obviously not packaged as one, no car set-up's available, more Jet planes than you can shake a stick at flying overhead,(Don't remember Donnington being that close to Heathrow airport?!?!). But it does have the right car physics, the cars lurch over the rumble strip, you can break late and get into all sorts of trouble, lose it on the S bends and go across the grass in a spin, ending up in the gravel traps (worth doing just for the sound effects, the gravel on the floor pan is excellent) If you do it right however, you are rewarded with that satisfying feeling you can only get from a fast lap. What about the AI, wow its good, its just like being in the middle of a British touring car race, door to door banging,(resulting in sparks from the body work) you can punt the car in front up the back, resulting in it running wide at the corner, they make desperate lunges at the hair pins, its just damm good?!? Contact with the other cars results in accidents, from a simple scrapes to full blown spin off's, body work is bent and buckled, glass and lights are broken. After being hit up the back by a Volvo I lost my complete rear screen and one of the light clusters, looking back at the Volvo, he was missing his front spoiler and a light, (only one was lit). OK graphics..Not its strong point I will admit, but I wouldn't have it any more complicated whilst using D3D, my favourite view is the Bonnet view, it has a dashboard view but its pretty ugly. An external view gives you the sweet rear lights and tyre smoke. One last thing GET THE DEMO See you Paul

Just to remenber that it has 5 weather options(sunny,cloudy,rain,storm and snow).The storm option is great with really dark sky with lightnings and thunders.And they appear ,sometimes just when you're braking for a hairspin(the screen becomes all white for a second and you can't see anything).You can also see the reflection of the other's car brake lights over the wet track,cool. Rafael.

Are you sure about that last statement??? I have a 3dFX card and the graphics do NOT look what is decipted at the Codemaster's web site. We are going to see some flack over the graphics, but they are good Yes, because to they race at "slower" speeds. Yes, I will "flack" a bit about the graphics. This is still not a sim, it is obviously Hehe.. Yes, I did notice that ..; ) But it does have the right car physics, Yes, there some nice "sound effects". Yes, they are pretty competitive, hard charging corners. The***PIT is horrible.. But, it's an "arcade game..": ( take care JD ------------------------------------------------------------------ Hungry for NEWSGROUPS??? USE feedME.ORG Read and Post to 30,000 groups through feedME.ORG FREE FREE FREE http://www.feedME.ORG FREE FREE FREE ------------------------------------------------------------------

???????? I don't usually like to be too picky, but Heathrow aint the only airport in England. Donnington is right next door East Midlands International, but an airliner a lap is probably a bit much :-) What's with those graphics? The PSX looks much better (or at least the framerates are more consistent). I run a non-MMX P200 32Mb and have tried full detail high res (still blocky - play N2 Sears Point immediately afterwards) and low detail med res with the Orchid Righteous, and done the same with the 3D Blaster. No matter what setting you have you just can't get a consistent smooth framerate. It seems to do with the track and not the number of cars displayed, as even on your own it's slideshow time past the start finish granstand (OK _slight_ exageration). It looks to me like a quick port from the PSX for an extra few quid at Christmas. Anyone know of a planned Glide version? Mark Reading, UK

I'll add some: Grass is too slippery. Seems I cant counter steer and save even a relatively low speed slide in the grass. Annoying big time but I suppose I shouldnt be in the grass in the first place huh? Non 3d accelerated gameplay is unplayable. The game should list a good 3d accel card as a requirement. Steering still to sensitive for me, even in low setting, using my MS Sidewinder 3d pro. I could use a super low setting. Sense of speed is just ok. Probably realistic but not all that exciting visually sense of speedwise. Pretty good other than what I say above.

>Grass is too slippery. Seems I cant counter steer and save even a >relatively low speed slide in the grass. Annoying big time but I suppose >I shouldnt be in the grass in the first place huh? You can counter stear sometimes, but it takes a *real* gentle foot on the gas pedal. Of course it if harder when it is wet, which makes you slip more. Agreed. I though so too, but I've gotten use to it (using a T2 wheel). Joe

> not packaged as one, no car set-up's available, more Jet planes than you > can shake a stick at flying overhead,(Don't remember Donnington being that > close to Heathrow airport?!?!). Ah, but it *is* right next door to East Midlands (Birmingham) airport. Sorry to be pedantic - I'm just jealous that you've played the demo ;-) Thanks very much for your comments - interesting reading.

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> I run a non-MMX P200 32Mb and have tried full detail high res (still > blocky - play N2 Sears Point immediately afterwards) and low detail med > res with the Orchid Righteous, and done the same with the 3D Blaster. > No matter what setting you have you just can't get a consistent smooth > framerate. It seems to do with the track and not the number of cars > displayed, as even on your own it's slideshow time past the start finish > granstand (OK _slight_ exageration).

Must be something wrong with your setup, Mark. I'm running it on a P133 3Dfx at high res and full detail and the framerate is quite steady (at what FPS I don't know) and quite playable. I'd a like a gamma adjustment, though, as it seems a little dull. I rather like the game...pity it won't be available here, for a while anyway. The computer cars perform quite realistically...you come across cars in mid-spin and they bump each other a fair bit without it being a demolition derby. The AI is certainly head and shoulders above what we see in CPR. Showing your name on the back window is a nifty touch. Anybody know if there's a replay option in the full game? -- Neil Yeatman Ajax, Ontario, CANADA

> > not packaged as one, no car set-up's available, more Jet planes than you > > can shake a stick at flying overhead,(Don't remember Donnington being that > > close to Heathrow airport?!?!). > Ah, but it *is* right next door to East Midlands (Birmingham) airport. > Sorry to be pedantic - I'm just jealous that you've played the demo ;-) > Thanks very much for your comments - interesting reading. HOLY SHIT!!! ENGLAND HAS MORE THAN ONE AIRPORT!!!!!

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> > > not packaged as one, no car set-up's available, more Jet planes than > you > > > can shake a stick at flying overhead,(Don't remember Donnington being > that > > > close to Heathrow airport?!?!). > > Ah, but it *is* right next door to East Midlands (Birmingham) airport. > > Sorry to be pedantic - I'm just jealous that you've played the demo ;-) > > Thanks very much for your comments - interesting reading. > HOLY SHIT!!! ENGLAND HAS MORE THAN ONE AIRPORT!!!!!

HOLY SHIT ENGLAND HAS THE WORLD'S BUSIEST AIRPORT :)

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>> > > not packaged as one, no car set-up's available, more Jet planes than >> you >> > > can shake a stick at flying overhead,(Don't remember Donnington being >> that >> > > close to Heathrow airport?!?!). >> > Ah, but it *is* right next door to East Midlands (Birmingham) airport.

Isn't that BHX, next to the NEC? :) yeah, well, at the TT, i can't remember planes appearing more often than 2 times per hour ;) Still, it's a nice-ish touch, if a bit enthuastic.