CPR Final Patch?? wouldnt be a good idea

If the CPR team is making this the "final" patch for CPR, then I do feel ripped off. The beta patch showed alot of promise, frame rate, etc., but I just got the "final" patch, and tried to run a race at milwaukee. Tried is the key word, got 2 laps into the race and comp. cars were crashing all over the place...terrible. I've only tried the one race so far, but that experience has left me with a bad impression of the game again. I did not notice this problem with the beta patch. What good is a racing game, with good frame rate, good control, and the rest, when you try to actually race, the computer cars just wreck each other every lap or so. If MS quits trying to patch this game, I think we've all been ripped off. This game has so much potential, it would be a shame to see them give up on it, and let it get classified with other companies flop projects, such as the Sega CD, and 32x. Please dont quit on us now Microsoft, you've made real progress fixing it, but it still has big problems. Pat

I do not know. Have you read the TRI letter? There were suggestions in making every car to become damageable all over, not just the wheels, the front and rear wings, or the nose. Too much alterations can "re-make" MS CART. Perhaps, MS CART needs an upgrade or an expansion pack.

I read it as "the final version of patch 1.01." Now that to me means, that v1.01 is done and they are releasing the patch. It then gets vague...Will there be more versions later than 1.01? Or should they have said: "This is the final patch, v1.01." DEAN???? dave henrie

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> If the CPR team is making this the "final" patch for CPR, then I do feel ripped > off. The beta patch showed alot of promise, frame rate, etc., but I just got > the "final" patch, and tried to run a race at milwaukee. Tried is the key > word, got 2 laps into the race and comp. cars were crashing all over the > place...terrible. I've only tried the one race so far, but that experience has > left me with a bad impression of the game again. I did not notice this problem > with the beta patch. What good is a racing game, with good frame rate, good > control, and the rest, when you try to actually race, the computer cars just > wreck each other every lap or so. If MS quits trying to patch this game, I > think we've all been ripped off. This game has so much potential, it would be > a shame to see them give up on it, and let it get classified with other > companies flop projects, such as the Sega CD, and 32x. Please dont quit on us > now Microsoft, you've made real progress fixing it, but it still has big > problems. > Pat

I am sure that this is being referred to as the "final" patch to avoid confusion with the "beta" patch that has been the topic of so much discussion here over the past few days. I guess we will have to wait for some sort of official confirmation, but since most of us agree that 1.01 is a major step forward but still far from a "final" version of the game I would suggest this is the final version of this patch. They are undoubtedly already working on 1.02.....at least I hope they are!! Marc.

I had almost the exact same thing happen at Milwaukee. A 12 car pileup on the second lap. It was really funny watching the AI cars trying to untangle themselves. This went on for several minutes. The whole time that this went on the passing flag kept being displayed! No yellow at all. I sat and waited for the cars to untangle themselves, gave them a head start, then blew their wheels off. Won easily. The player's car grip is lessened, which makes it more competitive, but it is still too easy to beat the AI cars on oval tracks. I agree with you; if this is the final patch, we have indeed been "ripped off " , since my 30 expiration period has expired (for a refund). Let's hope we get another patch. All the fixes in the world are nothing, if the AI isn't challenging! Ken The Game Pad http://gamepad.org/

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> If the CPR team is making this the "final" patch for CPR, then I do feel ripped > off. The beta patch showed alot of promise, frame rate, etc., but I just got > the "final" patch, and tried to run a race at milwaukee. Tried is the key > word, got 2 laps into the race and comp. cars were crashing all over the > place...terrible. I've only tried the one race so far, but that experience has > left me with a bad impression of the game again. I did not notice this problem > with the beta patch. What good is a racing game, with good frame rate, good > control, and the rest, when you try to actually race, the computer cars just > wreck each other every lap or so. If MS quits trying to patch this game, I > think we've all been ripped off. This game has so much potential, it would be > a shame to see them give up on it, and let it get classified with other > companies flop projects, such as the Sega CD, and 32x. Please dont quit on us > now Microsoft, you've made real progress fixing it, but it still has big > problems. > Pat

>much snipped >too easy to beat the AI cars on oval tracks. I agree with you; if this is the final >patch, we have indeed been "ripped off " , since my 30 expiration period has >expired (for a refund). Let's hope we get another patch. All the fixes in the world >are nothing, if the AI isn't challenging! > Ken I think the term "final patch" was used regarding the first patch to be issued to make the game more playable (rather than a "beta"). I fully expect to see at least another patch. Jeff

<snip> Yes, I'll bet a lot of people missed the refund boat. Nice timing by MS????????????

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><snip> >> I agree with you; if this is the final >> patch, we have indeed been "ripped off " , since my 30 expiration period has >> expired (for a refund). Let's hope we get another patch. All the fixes in the world >> are nothing, if the AI isn't challenging! >> Ken > Yes, I'll bet a lot of people missed the refund boat. Nice timing by >MS????????????

After testing both patches for the last week. I have decided to return CPR to Microsoft for a refund. My reasons are as follows: 1-Frame rate has increased to mid 20s in testing,but with a field of 12-20 CCS, the frame rates have been as low as 8fps,making it rather hard to drive,and completely unenjoyable. 2-The graphics of the CCs are still poor,and the colors are washed out compared to ICR2. 3-The auto pit stop feature is completely unrealistic. 4-Over reving the engine does absolutely no harm to the engine at all. Joel Willstien

CCS, the frame rates have been as low as 8fps,making it rather hard to drive,and completely unenjoyable. >> Sounds like GP2 when I first got it. compared to ICR2.>> I disagree, but of course it depends upon what graphics you have on and what video board you're running. So is the idea that you should be frantically pressing keys for setup changes while still trying to drive around the track at speed My guess is you hated GP2 for the same reason? Randy Randy Magruder Staff Writer Digital Sportspage http://www.digitalsports.com/

snip > >> 3-The auto pit stop feature is completely unrealistic. >> > So is the idea that you should be frantically pressing keys for setup changes > while still trying to drive around the track at speed Because there is no sim with a working pit radio (except maybe this thing called VoiceCommander) you can pause the game, change what needs to be changed, unpause and drive into the pits. This is an unrealistic simulation of a pitradio. But I really prefer that compared to being driven into the pits by magic. BTW, the same critique hits F1RS as well. l8er ronny -- |\ _,,,---,,_ I want to die like my Grandfather, ZZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ in his sleep. |,4- ) )-,_. ,\ ( `'-' Not like the people in his car, '---''(_/--' `-'\_) screaming their heads off!

Yep, same performance but with lower spec processor and no 3D accelerator. Sorta makes you wonder where all that horsepower is going?! As opposed to having an out of body experience in F1RS or schizophrenia in CPR as your alter ego takes over control of your car? :) No-one's done it well so far. I'd like to see Papy's style done with the aid of a crew chief who recommends stuff, with CPR's motion captured pitcrew viewed from inside the car, and you drive yourself down the pit-lane. Oh, and a rev limiter, drinks bottle and visor wipe as well! :) Cheers! John

Actually, the Mac version of ICR2 has voice command capability allowing you to change your pit options as you drive. This capability used Apple's Voice Recognition technology. As you're driving, you say things like "give me 10 gallons of fuel" and "adjust rear wing to 7 degrees" and it prepares your pit stop accordingly. You can also give a command like "show standings" to view the race order or "show tire temps". Very cool. It actually works pretty well, although it isn't reliable enough for constant use and you can't have your motor sound too loud or it can drown out your voice commands. I would guess that someday voice recognition will be perfected enough for all sims to use it as the standard since it most closely models reality: drivers conversing with the pits. Jim Getzen Unofficial CART Precision Racing HQ http://members.home.net/getzen/

>Because there is no sim with a working pit radio (except maybe this >thing called VoiceCommander) you can pause the game, change what needs to be >changed, unpause and drive into the pits. This is an unrealistic simulation >of a pitradio. But I really prefer that compared to being driven into >the pits by magic. BTW, the same critique hits F1RS as well. I actually think that this is one of the areas that the ABC IRL sim did right. If you bring up the pit menu while driving, it takes over for you while you make your choices. It won't do anything terribly aggressive on the track, but it won't put you into a wall, either. So it gives you a chance to change your pit settings without requiring that you keep driving on the razor's edge or totally lifting off while doing so. And then whenever you escape out of the pit menu, you're back in control (and if I recall, it 'fades' in rather than plops you in). Randy Randy Magruder Contributing Reviewer Digital Sportspage http://www.digitalsports.com

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> >Because there is no sim with a working pit radio (except maybe this > >thing called VoiceCommander) you can pause the game, change what needs to be > >changed, unpause and drive into the pits. This is an unrealistic simulation > >of a pitradio. But I really prefer that compared to being driven into > >the pits by magic. BTW, the same critique hits F1RS as well. > I actually think that this is one of the areas that the ABC IRL sim > did right. If you bring up the pit menu while driving, it takes over > for you while you make your choices. It won't do anything terribly > aggressive on the track, but it won't put you into a wall, either. So > it gives you a chance to change your pit settings without requiring > that you keep driving on the razor's edge or totally lifting off while > doing so. And then whenever you escape out of the pit menu, you're > back in control (and if I recall, it 'fades' in rather than plops you > in).

Sorry, but to me this is even worse than being driven in the pits by magic... l8er ronny -- |\ _,,,---,,_ I want to die like my Grandfather, ZZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ in his sleep. |,4- ) )-,_. ,\ ( `'-' Not like the people in his car, '---''(_/--' `-'\_) screaming their heads off!