newbie questions about CART Precision Racing

I got CART Precision Racing last Christmas as a gift from someone and tried it immediately but could not control the cars at all with the Sidewinder 3D Pro joystick, and gave up on the game after a few weeks or so. Two weeks ago I got the Thrustmaster NASCAR Pro steering wheel setup, and my opinion of CPR has changed 360 degrees since then. I was able to get around the ovals right away, and can even get around some of the road courses without crashing, if I stay at slow speeds. The road courses are a matter of learning the courses. Anyway, I thought the game was killer and I had no complaints at all really until I discovered this newsgroup a few nights ago. I learned about the patch at the Microsoft site (downloaded and installed it after that) and the game's history from the newsgroup. But I was surprised to see so many negative opinions on the newsgroup about the game, but then it seems that a lot of the posters are hard-core sim users who have super-high expectations. I had no expectations about the game prior to using it, so being able to pretend to be driving an IndyCar at all is an unbelievable thrill to me. I have a long way to go until I master the game - I'm still in the rookie mode and learning the tracks, car setups, options, etc. For comparison's sake, however, I bought NASCAR Racing 2 game over the weekend and tried that out. It's only been a couple of days, and I'm far from mastering the NASCAR game as well, but my initial reaction is that both games have their good and bad points. One bad thing about NASCAR, IMO, is that it's still a DOS game (although I have not had any Windows/DOS problems at all with it, and I run it under Win98). I love the radio in NASCAR, however, and the spotter giving information over it. I wish CPR had that feature - in fact, I'm surprised it doesn't given the details it does have. For realism, I checked the 0-60 and 0-100 accelleration times of both games using my stopwatch, and both games are accurate according to magazine tests of the real cars: I got less than 3 seconds 0-60 and less than 5 seconds 0-100 for the IndyCars, and about 4 seconds 0-60 and 6 seconds 0-100 for the NASCAR cars. The braking in the NASCARS seems not nearly as good as the IndyCars, but maybe this is correct since the IndyCars weigh less than half of what the NASCAR cars weigh. Anyway, my questions: - I see guys talking about frame rates. Is this the number that shows up in the lower left corner of the screen when you type "frame"? Mine is only showing up as 6 or 7! I read posts talking about rates between 30 and 60! If so, I must not be seeing CPR at all as it was intended. - My current system is a Gateway P5-100 with 64MB RAM and Windows98. No MMX. The video card is the ATI Winturbo Mach64 PCI. I just added a Monster 3D graphics accellerator. Would I see a noticeable performance increase in CPR if I added a 200MHz overdrive processor such as the Evergreen MXPro200 (about $110)? Please don't suggest a motherboard/processor upgrade as I am not willing to spend more than $100 or so on my current system. I'll be getting a new system probably next year sometime, so I'm just interested in using what I have until then. remove <7of9> for e-mail replies -- Bill Jones e-mail addresses: (860) 437-5650 WWW: http://pages.cthome.net/billj

Sorry bud but the P100 doesnt cut it. Though try running less detail and that should increase frame rate. Also make sure you are using the Glide patch for CPR, should give you another 20-30% in performace because of your Monster 3d. That overdrive CPU could help a bit too. Also overclocking the Monster 3d could give you some more fps. Arthur s t e a l t h r a c i n g http://www.***sys.com/stealthracing.html

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>I got CART Precision Racing last Christmas as a gift from someone and tried >it immediately but could not control the cars at all with the Sidewinder 3D >Pro joystick, and gave up on the game after a few weeks or so. Two weeks >ago I got the Thrustmaster NASCAR Pro steering wheel setup, and my opinion >of CPR has changed 360 degrees since then. I was able to get around the >ovals right away, and can even get around some of the road courses without >crashing, if I stay at slow speeds. The road courses are a matter of >learning the courses. >Anyway, I thought the game was killer and I had no complaints at all really >until I discovered this newsgroup a few nights ago. I learned about the >patch at the Microsoft site (downloaded and installed it after that) and

the >game's history from the newsgroup. But I was surprised to see so many >negative opinions on the newsgroup about the game, but then it seems that a >lot of the posters are hard-core sim users who have super-high expectations.

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>I had >no expectations about the game prior to using it, so being able to pretend >to be driving an IndyCar at all is an unbelievable thrill to me. >I have a long way to go until I master the game - I'm still in the rookie >mode and learning the tracks, car setups, options, etc. For comparison's >sake, however, I bought NASCAR Racing 2 game over the weekend and tried

that

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>out. >It's only been a couple of days, and I'm far from mastering the NASCAR game >as well, but my initial reaction is that both games have their good and bad >points. One bad thing about NASCAR, IMO, is that it's still a DOS game >(although I have not had any Windows/DOS problems at all with it, and I run >it under Win98). I love the radio in NASCAR, however, and the spotter >giving information over it. I wish CPR had that feature - in fact, I'm >surprised it doesn't given the details it does have. >For realism, I checked the 0-60 and 0-100 accelleration times of both games >using my stopwatch, and both games are accurate according to magazine tests >of the real cars: I got less than 3 seconds 0-60 and less than 5 seconds >0-100 for the IndyCars, and about 4 seconds 0-60 and 6 seconds 0-100 for

the

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>NASCAR cars. >The braking in the NASCARS seems not nearly as good as the IndyCars, but >maybe this is correct since the IndyCars weigh less than half of what the >NASCAR cars weigh. >Anyway, my questions: >- I see guys talking about frame rates. Is this the number that shows up

in >the lower left corner of the screen when you type "frame"? Mine is only >showing up as 6 or 7! I read posts talking about rates between 30 and 60! >If so, I must not be seeing CPR at all as it was intended. >- My current system is a Gateway P5-100 with 64MB RAM and Windows98. No >MMX. The video card is the ATI Winturbo Mach64 PCI. I just added a Monster

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>3D graphics accellerator. Would I see a noticeable performance increase in >CPR if I added a 200MHz overdrive processor such as the Evergreen MXPro200 >(about $110)? Please don't suggest a motherboard/processor upgrade as I am >not willing to spend more than $100 or so on my current system. I'll be >getting a new system probably next year sometime, so I'm just interested in >using what I have until then. >remove <7of9> for e-mail replies >-- >Bill Jones e-mail addresses: >(860) 437-5650 WWW: http://pages.cthome.net/billj

> - I see guys talking about frame rates. Is this the number that shows up in > the lower left corner of the screen when you type "frame"? Mine is only > showing up as 6 or 7! I read posts talking about rates between 30 and 60! > If so, I must not be seeing CPR at all as it was intended. ROTFL. PS - Bill, when your no longer a newbie you'll understand why I'm ROTFL :)

>Sorry bud but the P100 doesnt cut it. You're tellin me! It was a state of the art, $3200 machine back in 95 and now... But what am I missing out on? The game seems to play okay, and the graphics seem okay to me. Is the processor speed going to hurt me if I race online? Thanks for the tip on the glide patch. I found that last night, and just installing that alone doubled the frame rate from the 7-8 range to the 15-17 range. Honestly though, the game doesn't seem twice as good or anything with the higher frame rate. I guess I'd have to switch the 3Dfx rendering mode off and on to directly compare the seat-of-the-pants difference, but I didn't notice anything earth-shattering, that's for sure. I'm going for the 200MHz regardless to try and squeeze another 6 months or year out of my system, but how do you overclock the Monster 3D? Is there a website that gives instructions? -- Bill Jones e-mail addresses: (860) 437-5650 WWW: http://pages.cthome.net/billj

I'm running a P233mmx, 64mb ram, Voodoo2. My frame rates are in the 40-50's and there is a big difference in the way the car handles and just the over all smoothness of the game. (snip) I know how you feel when i bought mine just over a year ago it was top dog, but now it is the min req PC on games. Life sucks if your not rich and love to play the latest games with all the features turned on. But hey will all have our hobby's and this one is just like other you have to pay to play. >>Sorry bud but the P100 doesnt cut it. >You're tellin me! It was a state of the art, $3200 machine back in 95 and >now... >But what am I missing out on? The game seems to play okay, and the graphics >seem okay to me. Is the processor speed going to hurt me if I race online? >>Though try running less detail and >>that should increase frame rate. Also make sure you are using the Glide >>patch for CPR, should give you another 20-30% in performace because of your >>Monster 3d. >Thanks for the tip on the glide patch. I found that last night, and just >installing that alone doubled the frame rate from the 7-8 range to the 15-17

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>range. Honestly though, the game doesn't seem twice as good or anything >with the higher frame rate. I guess I'd have to switch the 3Dfx rendering >mode off and on to directly compare the seat-of-the-pants difference, but I >didn't notice anything earth-shattering, that's for sure. >>That overdrive CPU could help a bit too. Also overclocking the >>Monster 3d could give you some more fps. >I'm going for the 200MHz regardless to try and squeeze another 6 months or >year out of my system, but how do you overclock the Monster 3D? Is there a >website that gives instructions? >>Arthur >>s t e a l t h >>r a c i n g >>http://www.***sys.com/stealthracing.html >-- >Bill Jones e-mail addresses: >(860) 437-5650 WWW: http://pages.cthome.net/billj

>>Sorry bud but the P100 doesnt cut it. >You're tellin me! It was a state of the art, $3200 machine back in 95 and >now... >But what am I missing out on? The game seems to play okay, and the graphics >seem okay to me. Is the processor speed going to hurt me if I race online? With faster frame rates you get a better sense of speed and better car control. And online racing will take a few of those fps away, so any extra power helps for online play. Go get a program called Tweak It at [link lost in import] Look under latest downloads. The voodoo1 runs at 50Mhz, you probably will want to overclock it to 57Mhz Once you install the program you should see those options. Arthur s t e a l t h r a c i n g http://www.***sys.com/stealthracing.html

Hi Bill. I have a 233mmx, 32 mram, and win98. I'm getting 30 - 50 frames at all times. Even during online races. You will feel a difference with the processor. -- mark "You *will* hit what you look at. In that case, try looking at the apex instead of the gravel at your turn in point." F1RS - http://www.nmia.com/~chaser/car/results.htm Remove us here and there to mail me. >I'm going for the 200MHz regardless to try and squeeze another 6 months or >year out of my system, but how do you overclock the Monster 3D? Is there a >website that gives instructions? >>Arthur >>s t e a l t h >>r a c i n g >>http://www.***sys.com/stealthracing.html >-- >Bill Jones e-mail addresses: >(860) 437-5650 WWW: http://pages.cthome.net/billj