MTM2 Demo Has Been Released

I hope you all will try the MTM2 demo. I'm just as serious a sim enthusiast as most of you, and while this isn't exactly a pure sim, it is an excellent driving game that should interest many of you here at r.a.s. It may very well set new standards in a lot of key areas of driving games/sims. It also is just a blast to drive and to race against the AI or others on-line. Myself and the other beta testers were almost all serious sim racers and we had a great time testing this game and racing each other. I found myself saying "wow" all the time and laughing quite a bit at what I saw going on in front of me and even from what I did myself on the track. It's a great way to take a break from the more serious sims and have some fun but don't assume by that statement that I mean it's easy. It is very challenging to be fast and you will need to use all your driving skills and also find some new skills to be good. If you can do a 49 sec lap on the Farm Road track in this demo than you ARE good. The reason MTM2 is very relevant to the sim world is because the game engine could be used to make an excellent sim in the same way Ubi Soft used their very good arcade game POD to make F1RS. IMO sim developers will now have to equal or surpass the level of some of the components which make up MTM2. The graphics are the best I have ever seen in any driving sim/game. The tracks are beautiful and the trucks look incredibly realistic.The Photex2 graphics engine produces stunning graphic effects. I could go on and on about them but it's best to see for yourself. The driving model is excellent. Although reality is definitely stretched due to the nature of the game, it still has a tremendous feel to it. Set the suspension to soft and enjoy throwing the trucks around the course and sliding through the turns. There is weather and time of day effects such as night, pitch black, dusk, fog, dense fog, rain (with thunder and lightning strikes), accumulating snow, clear, and cloudy. The translucent headlights piercing the darkness is done beautifully. Sound is as good as it gets. Force feedback is the best I've experienced so far. Drive down the railroad tracks and see how your hands feel. Internet races are extremely smooth. I've had people in Europe, Hawaii, and across the U.S all in the same race and warping was almost non-existent. Check out the demo to get an idea of what the full version will offer when it's released in a couple of weeks. If you love to drive, and race, and have some fun, I think you will really enjoy it. MS and TRI have created an excellent and fun driving sim. Dave (DmndDave)

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> I hope you all will try the MTM2 demo. I'm just as serious a sim enthusiast > as most of you, and while this isn't exactly a pure sim, it is an excellent > driving game that should interest many of you here at r.a.s. It may very > well set new standards in a lot of key areas of driving games/sims. It also > is just a blast to drive and to race against the AI or others on-line. > Myself and the other beta testers were almost all serious sim racers and we > had a great time testing this game and racing each other. I found myself > saying "wow" all the time and laughing quite a bit at what I saw going > on in front of me and even from what I did myself on the track. It's a great > way

snip I agree with everything snipped, just one thing I just don't understand: How complicated is it for game developers to grasp the simple concept of PC joysticks??? One port supports two (2) joysticks, that's four (4) axis and four (4) buttons. BUT, why the hell should they support ALL of them, just for the FEW guys with a setup that can use them... BTW, the night and snow racing is awesome! l8er ronny -- How to get rid of censorship in German game releases <http://www.gamesmania.com/german/maniac/freedom/freedom.htm> |\ _,,,---,,_ I want to die like my Grandfather, ZZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ in his sleep. |,4- ) )-,_. ,\ ( `'-' Not like the people in his car, '---''(_/--' `-'\_) screaming their heads off!

I'm an idiot. After all that I didn't include the URL. http://www.microsoft.com/games/monster/default.htm Dave (DmndDave)

Great sales pitch. Your Great Gandfather must of sold cure all alixers in the old days :) Is there no wrong with this game? I only have 2 problems with this game. 1. Microsoft. 2. TRI But I will dload it and give it a fair trial.

David G Fisher wrote Well, seriously, I sort of changed my mind about MTM2. You will be happy ;-) . Well sure, it's irrealistic, but I think it's more a simulation of something who is impossible. You know like if MTM racing existed, that's probably how it would be. I had a little discussion with somebody from Microsoft about this. He told me what the game engine modelled, and all I can say is that only by knowing what is modeled in the game engine it makes me want to buy the game. If only they would tell us ALL what they simulate. That would boost up their sale We don't care about Fog, we just want to know what the game engine models.(from a serious SimRacer point of view). Another point they should tell us. <g> That's probably the major point about me buying it. I just want to relax from my 75% C***te race on the NROS. Well, I agree, but not all. Sure the game engine is better. But it's still the same type of racing. If UbiSoft decided to do Pod2, whatever realistic they would put in the game, it's still not a simulator. (but Pod is not MTM, Pod is boring compare to it IMHO). I had a blast in MTM (I use my horn each time I pass in front of a stand). Hehe Yee haa ! ;-) Graphic is ice on the cake for most of us. Just take SODA. I woudl rather have a better framerate+less graphics than good graphics+bad framerate. I'm up at 14megs of Download, so I'll reply after. Well, from a point of view (that I adopted), it's a simulation of irreality, but well done. If you understand my point. It's probably the only fictif racing title that I would consider more a sim (not like Al Unser Indy racing [gulp], I'76, Pod, MegaRace, etc...). Can you just explain more ? 4players TCP/IP ? 8 players IPX ?? I hope your happy to hear me tell this, and sorry for calling you a "young Spice Girls listening wannabe kid" ;-) Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard> Good race at the Brickyard, (-o-) Official Mentally retarded guy of r.a.s. Member of the r.a.s. Ego-maniac club Excuse me for my English (I'm French speaking) Excuse me for being provocative (I'm dumb speaking) --"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."--

>Graphic is ice on the cake for most of us. Just take SODA. I woudl rather >have a better framerate+less graphics than good graphics+bad framerate. I'm >up at 14megs of Download, so I'll reply after. I'm always interested to hear what people's impressions are of the graphics and frame rate. I understand exactly what you're trying to say. It is a little difficult to describe MTM2. Sort of falls in-between arcade and sim. In the demo it's 4 players but in the full version it will be 8 with the Zone or TCP/IP. I got a good laugh reading this. :-) Surprised you remember. I get called worse things than that all the time. <g> Dave (DmndDave)

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>Great sales pitch. >Your Great Gandfather must of sold cure all alixers in the old days :) >Is there no wrong with this game? >I only have 2 problems with this game. >1. Microsoft. >2. TRI >But I will dload it and give it a fair trial.

I wish it was a sales pitch. Unfortunately I won't be receiving a penny from sales. Just a lowly beta tester. <g> I know I raved about it, but I was being honest in my opinions. The demo track is just a sample. The 11 others are just as good or better. Various lengths and settings. Some rally and some circuit. Also 3 multi-play only summits. I'd expect maybe 200? tracks created by some very talented users with the editor as well when it's released. I knew there would be responses like this to what I posted but like you said, you'll give it a fair trial after you download and maybe have a different opinion. Dave (DmndDave)

> I only have 2 problems with this game. > 1. Microsoft. > 2. TRI Agree with No.1, not sure about No. 2, but let me add a third one: 3. Monster Trucks. What's next: Celebrity Racing? Off-Road With Jerry Springer? WWF Meets WRC? Which leads to the fourth one: 4. Now that the "Greatest Monster Truck Sim Ever Created" is done, can we assume that the hard-working programmers in Kathi Lee Gates' sweatshops have had their "well-deserved vacation"? If so, when can we expect the satisfactory completion of Microst CART Precision Racing (remember that? "Greatest Racing Sim Ever Produced"? -- rushed out unfinished in time for Christmas -- fifty bucks -- didn't work -- 2 patches and it worked worse -- TRI finds GOD -- bargain bin -- rebates -- everyone asking for a real patch, get dubious track editor and promise of Secret Killer Racing Sim to Come! -- turns out to be MTM2 -- heavily ad-subsidized print mags say CPR "Game of the Year!" -- all talk of final patch to CPR disappears...you folks at MS DO remember that one don't you? So, David/Dean/John/Kathi -- when's the final version of CPR coming out? Bart Brown

Yep! On early impressions, the emphasis is most certainly in "game", probably rather more so than with MTM1. I'ld be interested to know what <g> The graphics are excellent, very atmospheric with good framerates (PII300, 3dfx), but I have to say that I am just not getting any feel at all of driving a vehicle. I think a lot of this is due to poor control response. TRI/MS *STILL* seem to believe that cars/trucks have their gas and brake controls connected <sigh> and so far I can't find a steering setting that seems at all natural - even with it set to 'most responsive' and zero null zone it seems to be very non-linear. Indeed the 'most responsive' setting seems to be either no response or full lock with little inbetween :( Maybe the patch to remove the null zone built into DirectInput will correct this - I'll give it a go. I'm finding the audio feedback to be rather lacking as well. Actually, a more accurate statement would be that I'm finding the audio feedback required to control a sim vehicle near the limits to be completely drowned out by all the other noises. The resulting combination is very muddy and adds to a general detached feel. Well my best is 56.x, so I'll reserve final judgement until I'm at least somewhere near the mark.... ;-) btw - what shortcuts (if any!) are required for a 49? Maybe, but F1RS had some serious limitations as well. Again, I'ld like to know which <g> (other than the graphics of course). From a 'sim' point of view, my early impressions would indicate that TRI have made a wrong turn somewhere. MTM1 really felt like I was *driving* and I loved it. So far, MTM2 seems to have concentrated on the candy to the point of hiding any improvements that may have been made to the physics. I'm not going to write it off, that would be silly based on only a quick test. But atm I am seriously disappointed. MTM1 was one of my favourite games - a perfect respite from the serious sims - but MTM2 feels like an arcade game and they have never held my interest for more than a few minutes. So unless I can find something major I've missed (I hope so! <g>), I won't be buying MTM2 :( Cheers, Richard

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>Great sales pitch. >Your Great Gandfather must of sold cure all alixers in the old days :) >Is there no wrong with this game? >I only have 2 problems with this game. >1. Microsoft. >2. TRI

How big a problem it that for you then? About as big as how ICR2, Nascar2, SODA and GPL are published by the big bad Sierra? Does that prevent you from enjoying those games?

Just for the record: I downloaded and tried it. The graphics are excellent, and although I never drove a monster truck, it seems to handle as I would expect. I especially like flying through the air! You can go way off road and knock over telephone poles. My kids are probably going to love this game. I'll probably buy it, although... 1. I can't get the truck to roll over! 2. The 3Dfx setting doesn't work at all with my machine. 3Dfx screen is way out of sync with my monitor (cheap VGA). Works fine in Direct3D video. I have a Righteous 3D (version 1, not 2). My 3Dfx works fine with appx. 12 other 3dfx games or demos I have, so I don't think it's the hardware. To make sure a game's using Glide, I enabled the 3Dfx logo at game startup and the game run time logo in my autoexec.bat. John

says...

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> >I hope you all will try the MTM2 demo. > Yep! > >I'm just as serious a sim enthusiast > >as most of you, and while this isn't exactly a pure sim, it is an excellent > >driving game that should interest many of you here at r.a.s. > On early impressions, the emphasis is most certainly in "game", probably > rather more so than with MTM1. > >It may very > >well set new standards in a lot of key areas of driving games/sims. > I'ld be interested to know what <g> > The graphics are excellent, very atmospheric with good framerates (PII300, > 3dfx), but I have to say that I am just not getting any feel at all of > driving a vehicle.

If anyone cares about my $0.02, there was a light year of difference in physical models when you go from the rookie driving level to the professional level. In rookie level, the truck seemed to be riding on rails with super glue on the tires. For example, it was nearly impossible to roll the truck over in rookie level. In pro, I noticed a *LOT* more 6 DOF, such as body roll (in multiple axis) and sliding around a corner. I rolled the truck over in pro mode and had a much tougher time with the corners, which is what I expected for a vehicle with a high center of gravity. Had to set myself up way in advance for the next corner in pro level. Can't say anything about the input though... Works for me. If this game had the ability to control car generated noise vs. outside (such as the farmer yelling at you), it could have reduced the feedback problem. I thought with all that noise from those truck engines at 8K RPM, how can you hear anyone yelling at you (as the farmer does when you cut through his field)??? In this respect, it's more game than sim. Cut through the farmer's field, for one. I noticed the AI cars doing this in pro level a lot. That's one *EXTREMELY* nice thing I like about this game: no restrictions on where to drive!!!! I chased after the train, went into the hills (until the terrain went flat), drove through a fence, etc. There's almost nothing stopping you from how you go from checkpoint to checkpoint! I thought the modelling was enough to call it a 'sim', and the game is a lot of fun. OTOH, it went from 0 to boring in one lap in the rookie driving level, but I'm having fun with it in professional driving level. It may have not completely simulated driving off road in all aspects, but it'll do until I can drive off road in real life :-). The only real complaint I have about it is I can't get it to work in native 3Dfx video.

There's another shortcut and I could tell you although finding it is part of the fun. I'll put it down the page a little in case you don't want to know. : : : : : : : : At gate 3, immediately make a hard left after passing through and drive down the tracks until you reach gate 4. Just be careful because if the train happens to be on it's way.... Dave (DmndDave)

>Graphic is ice on the cake for most of us. Just take SODA. I woudl rather >have a better framerate+less graphics than good graphics+bad framerate. I'm >up at 14megs of Download, so I'll reply after. I'd rather have BOTH, which there's absolutely no excuse for not delivering with the power of 3Dfx chips available. Joe

>I loved it. So far, MTM2 seems to have concentrated on the candy to the >point of hiding any improvements that may have been made to the physics. I can't agree at all. The driving model in MTM2 is FAR more realistic than the old version. Joe

Make sure you are driving on Pro setting. That's wierd, 3Dfx mode works fine with my Monster 3D. It looks exactly the same as D3D mode, but is a good 5 fps faster. Joe

> >Graphic is ice on the cake for most of us. Just take SODA. I woudl rather > >have a better framerate+less graphics than good graphics+bad framerate. I'm > >up at 14megs of Download, so I'll reply after. > I'd rather have BOTH, which there's absolutely no excuse for not > delivering with the power of 3Dfx chips available. Ok, I was looking forward to having a quick look at MTM2 and having a little fun with it. So after the 18 meg DL after well over 2 hours I try to install it and it tells me I need a compatible browser???????? ARE THEY &*^$ING WELL KIDDING OR WHAT!!!!!! I have Netscape 3.0. Anyone got a workaround for this? I assume IE4 or NS4 would do but why in the ***y hell should I need to install one of them to get a ***y demo to run???? Why in the hell should I need a ???compatible??? browser to run a demo locally?????? After CPR I must say I'm not really too suprised!!!!!!! ***Y HOPELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey I have a idea Byron. Since you dont like anything MS does why do you continue to try out there products? Here is a suggestion for you Stay away from MS games, you wont like one of them, they dont run on your system at all, and it will make you miserable existance maybe a little better

I try to install it and it tells me I need a compatible browser????????>> Byron -- Now you know a company as morally upstanding as Microsoft would NEVER configure one of their apps so that you could only use *another*Microsoft product to make it work, right? Heaven forfend! That would fall under the DOJ's definition of illegally maintaining a monopoly, and we ALL know MS just wouldn't do anything like that, am I right? Bart Brown

Yeah, quickly found that one as well although it's annoying with only two laps available since the only way I can find of missing the train on the second lap is to wait for it to pass the s/f line before starting the lap. So are there any more required to get down to 49 secs? <g> Cheers, Richard

>If anyone cares about my $0.02, there was a light year of difference in >physical models when you go from the rookie driving level to the >professional level. Well the first thing I do is look for and turn off all aids and set things to the highest settings, so I haven't tried the rookie mode ;-) Cheers, Richard

No more shortcuts on that track. It's one of the smallest tracks in MTM2. Just finding the right lines are needed. Try setting up your truck with a transfer gear around 1100, med tires, and soft suspension. If you get around the first lap in 55 secs you should be able to just reach gate 4 before the train comes while using the shortcut on the second lap. That 49 was something I've done very few times so a 51 is more what you should shoot for. I think I must DEFINITELY be a bit of an odd driver. It took me a loooong time to do a 49 on that track. Yet I did a 1min 7.77 sec lap after about 5 hours in GPL. I really like GPL, but CPR has been more of a challenge for me than GPL. F1RS feels easier than both of them. I got my CPR rank up to 1 at Case's Ladder (with some luck), use all my own setups, but even after 6 months I still can't break through that damn barrier that separates me from a driver like Sandman. Never will be able to beat him. Fom my own experiences with these 4 sims, and listening to others, I get the strong impression that some people just "fit" better with certain driving models than others. There's been some discussion of the MTM2 driving model here at r.a.s. I found that once I got the feel of it, I was able to push the trucks limits and appreciate it even more. You have to really work the throttle and be good with countersteer. Takes a little time. Also, some of the other tracks are a lot faster, so you aren't really getting the whole package with regards to the abilities of the driving model in the demo. Dave (DmndDave) >So are there any more required to get down to 49 secs? <g> >Cheers, >Richard

> Hey I have a idea Byron. Since you dont like anything MS does why do you > continue to try out there products? Here is a suggestion for you Stay > away from MS games, you wont like one of them, they dont run on your system > at all, and it will make you miserable existance maybe a little better Guess, he didn't loose all hope that one day they might actually do something worthwile...?! BTW, how much is the yearly fee in the MS fan club? ;^) l8er ronny -- How to get rid of censorship in German game releases <http://www.gamesmania.com/german/maniac/freedom/freedom.htm> |\ _,,,---,,_ I want to die like my Grandfather, ZZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ in his sleep. |,4- ) )-,_. ,\ ( `'-' Not like the people in his car, '---''(_/--' `-'\_) screaming their heads off!

And here we have Bill Gates Gay lover. Perhaps you need to stay away if he bothers you so, and who is fool enough to like monopolies anyway? Exxon Oil is your Gas? People like you who drive in the middle of the road are clueless. Rant over. >Hey I have a idea Byron. Since you dont like anything MS does why do you >continue to try out there products? Here is a suggestion for you Stay >away from MS games, you wont like one of them, they dont run on your system >at all, and it will make you miserable existance maybe a little better

>And here we have Bill Gates Gay lover. >Perhaps you need to stay away if he bothers you so, and who is fool enough >to like monopolies anyway? Only a fool puts down a great game ONLY because it is published by Microsoft. Like someone already pointed out, GPL is a Sierra game. And we all know how much Sierra sucks. So don't buy GPL, otherwise you are a Sierra gay lover. Be consistent, Steve.

Thanks, at least I know what I'm aiming for now. 55 second first lap. Hmmm.... <g> I don't think it means that you're at all odd <g> The time to get to a decent speed isn't a reflection of the accuracy of a sim, but rather the 'challenge'. Anyone who tries to drive GPL as though it were another sim (and especially one like GP2, much though I love that one) will be all over the place. But a driver with either real life experience or an appreciation of how a racing car handles will be able to get to good times pretty quickly. It is still a great challenge to be able to lap consistently at, say, 1:07 pace though. This is rather like my experiences with MTM1. I could get good times, but there were always some on the Zone who would be 2 seconds a lap quicker than me. Personally I suspect it has something to do with the physics engine used by TRI. It is pretty damn good when driven realistically but can be broken by unrealistic driving - it then becomes a matter of working out what can and cannot be done and then being ultra-consistent. But yes, I learned some time ago that there would always be *someone* who was simply a much better driver than me ;-) Cheers, Richard

Nitpicker. You missed a spot. Compare the size and depth of each company and then rant. And I hate the word GREAT. Seems there are great games everywhere. MTM2 is far from great. Opps..nitpicking.

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>>And here we have Bill Gates Gay lover. >>Perhaps you need to stay away if he bothers you so, and who is fool enough >>to like monopolies anyway? >Only a fool puts down a great game ONLY because it is published by >Microsoft. Like someone already pointed out, GPL is a Sierra game. >And we all know how much Sierra sucks. So don't buy GPL, otherwise you >are a Sierra gay lover. Be consistent, Steve.