This is a long post, so for those of you with short attention
spans, here's a summary of my opinions:
CPR before the patch: B-
CPR after the patch: B+
Based on what this
patch fixed, the
estimated number
of patches before
I'm completely happy: 3 (including this one)
Why?
Mainly because of St. Louis and Cleveland scenery
(and accuracy in Cleveland's case) as well as the
ugly brown tracks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, the details (best viewed with monospaced font):
Equipment:
~~~~~~~~~~
Computer: Micron Millenia XKU
Processor: PII-266
RAM: 96 Megs (SDRAM)
Video Card: Diamond Viper 330 AGP
Controller: Gravis joystick (an older cheap model)
Misc. Settings:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Graphics: ALL graphics ON except steering wheel
Quality: 640x480, Best, Hardware acceleration w/smoothing
Clipping: 31 (maximum)
Sound: 8-bit Mono
Race settings:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Track: Fontana
Skill level: Professional
Race Length: 5% (12 laps)
# Cars: 20
Weather: 75 Degrees, clear
Misc: Temp. effects, pit stops, tire wear, fuel cons. all on
(All of the above settings were common to both the original
version of CPR and the patched version...)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frame rates:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pre-patch: Post-patch:
========== ===========
Test session: 28-30 fps 38-42 fps
Race:
Start: 15-18 fps 18-20 fps
In Traffic: 20 fps 25-26 fps
Clear track: 25-26 fps 25-26 fps
S/F Line: 18 fps 23-25 fps
AI/Setup Notes:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Setup used: <Default> <Default> (NOT "Fontana Sample")
Starting position: 20/20 20/20
My top speed: 214 MPH 238 MPH
My position after 1 lap: 5/20 16/20
Lap # when I encountered
back markers: 4/12 Never
Lap # when I took
the lead: 6/12 6/12
Number of cars I lapped
by the finish: 15 (!) None
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My random thoughts:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Frame rates: Improved! Yes! I didn't have time to test them
at home fully, but I did a very quick test session and on
my P-133 (with Viper 330 PCI), using my pre-patch settings
where I was getting 15-17 fps, I saw 22-25 fps! Quite a
gain there! (did not test in a race)
- Null zone slider: since I was using a joystick, I can't
really comment on this improvement... I never had problems
with the steering on my computer at home anyway (where I
have a T2)
- Object brightness: the cars can be made much more visable.
This is a nice improvement - no more slamming into the back
of the otehr cars. I found a setting of 75-80% to be about
right. Any brighter and the cars get washed out and their
tires turn gray...
- I thought there was going to be gamma correction for the
tracks, too? Apparently not - the tracks are still too dark
and way way too brown. The Cleveland surface looks about
right, but the other tracks don't even come close...
- AI: *Much better* than the original, but superspeedway AI
still needs work. I didn't have time to test it on the
other ovals, however. And forget about road courses for
me - the computer ***es at *me* for my "intelligence"
there...
- Rain tire cheat: I didn't use it in the pre-patch version,
so I didn't test the fix now.
- Better default setups: Definitely. Not the best, but half
the fun is finding the best setup for yourself so they
shouldn't be the best. I think the new default setup is
a good place for novices and experts alike to start (At
least for Fontana). Good job!
- Traction on grass: Cool - put it in first and floor it and
just watch yourself go nowhere... Er, I mean, I don't ever
end up in the grass, so I don't know..... ;-)
- Being able to control the car in the pits: GREAT!! Now,
just give me some way of finding my pit!! Also, how about
a way to tell my pit crew what I want BEFORE I enter the
pits??
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lingering complaints (most of these concern the advertised
"racing reality" and were probably not intended to be part
of this patch anyway... I just hope there is another patch
to follow this one...):
- Still no yellow flags!!
- The tracks are still too brown and too dark...
- Cleveland track not fixed (that annoys me). GPS precision?
I think not... it's not even close. I've read that there was
a problem getting the AI to work with the real Cleveland
layout... uh, how about fixing what's broke instead of making
up a new "reality"?
- Asphalt is black. Weathered asphalt is gray. Never is asphalt
brown (unless it's covered with dirt...)
- I've been to Cleveland and Gateway, and the scenerey at those
two tracks is just attrocious (sp??). At both tracks, the city
skyline is backwards. Cleveland appears to be floating on Lake
Erie (which, despite popular belief, is NOT the case!). You
should be able to see downtown from the front stretch, not the
back side of the course. St. Louis appears to be down river
and WAY WAY too close to the track. You should only be able to
see the arch when you are going through Turn 3, and then only
in the distance... Papyrus/Sierra did an excellent job with
the St. Louis skyline and other horizon scenery in the BGN
expansion pack. I suggest MS/TRI buy a copy of that sim and
take notes.
- I'd like to see lap SPEEDS, not lap times, on ovals...
- What is up with the brown tracks anyway??
- Michigan pit bug: still there... if you lose it in T4 and
just barely hit the concrete pit surface, you're going to
pit whether you want to or not...
- I apprecaite the artists' beautiful work in creating the St.
Louis and Cleveland skylines, but you can't have both reality
and artistic license at once... I much prefer reality!
- It would be nice to independantly control MY skill level and
the computer cars skill level. What I mean is, sometimes I
NEED help braking and shifting, but if I set the computer
cars to intermediate or rookie where I can choose those
settings, I can blow them away too easily.
- The extra chicane at Cleveland has got to go...
- Would it really be that hard to fix the track color?
For what it's worth,
- Mike.
============================================
Mike Holthouse - Indianapolis, IN
My new philosophy is to never explain my
philosophies. I wish I could tell you why.
============================================
I disagree (at least somewhat). I'd like to see both values shown, but time
should come first. That's how its really measured on the track. You look at
shaving time off your laps, not increasing average speed. They are one and the
same, but in terms of measuring, its all done on the clock. NASCAR 2 is nice
that they let you toggle. I'd just as soon see the time on the course and then
when I go to the session results screens see both speed/time. That's how it
works if you watch real CART races and look on the timing and scoring web
sites.
Randy
Randy Magruder
Staff Writer
Digital Sportspage
http://www.digitalsports.com/
I, too, would like to see speeds on ovals, but what I wish for more
would be a comparison of qualifying speeds during the session! I have
not seen this anywhere, and if you have the order shown on the
pitboard, it is only a lap counter (from what I have seen). How about
something like in GP2 where it would show place and speed on the dash,
or on the T&S board.
Dan.
"Three options: Right, Fast, and Cheap.
Pick Two."
Like everyone else, I've changed my reply address.
To reply, remove ._nospam_ from address.
I think the track color varies based on your graphics card. If I select
software rendering, the tracks are brown and ugly. When I use my Pure3D
card, the tracks are a nice black/gray color. I'm not sure why this is.
--
Kevin
(Remove the "x-" prefix from my address in order to reply via email)
