driving simulator?

I am looking for a "driving simulator", similar to the old Sierra Driver's Education 98 (which no longer runs well on modern video cards).

"magnulus" wrote... > I am looking for a "driving simulator", similar to > the old Sierra Driver's Education 98 (which no > longer runs well on modern video cards). See "An ethical Auto Driving Simulator simular to Microsoft's FS2004"-thread above (or below depending on how you sort your messages). Jan. =---

"Jan Verschueren" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:m3sRb.7607$[email hidden]... > > See "An ethical Auto Driving Simulator simular to Microsoft'sFS2004"-thread > above (or below depending on how you sort your messages). > Hm... the German simulator looks interesting... too bad no American roads though. I may want to find Driver's Education 99. Harder to find, I know Driver's Ed 98 runs Ok on my computer, just I cannot find a Glide wrapper for it. Software works fine, but it's not great looking and draw distance could be much better. I haven't spent much time with it... the driving lessons are a bit frustrating because it's very picky. My situation is I have been trying to really drive a car for years, but I lack the confidence and the experience in dealing with traffic and road rules. I'm going on 28 years old. I have 20/60 vision in one eye, and 20/40 in the other.. that's with glasses on. I go to an eye doctor yearly and the perscription doesn't change. I have nystagmus and starbismus and they always have a hard time fitting my eyes with glasses, also there are some defects in my vision beyond just the Snelling eye chart. Sometimes my eyes just feel tired. I have been driving around on a learner's permit with my dad or mom. My eyes felt tired and I was driving about 5 miles to the mall. I come to this intersection and there's this car with a turn signal blinking, and it really didn't click that I had the right-of-way, so I stopped even though I had a green light. My dad starts screaming "Go! Go Go!", but I'm worried the car is going to turn right into my driving path, so I stopped. Oh yeah, and I can't read most of the signs until I'm right on top of them. Well, I cannot drive a real car on my own in real life but I really enjoy racing games, especially rally and dirt track racing.

"magnulus" wrote...

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> > <snip> > > Hm... the German simulator looks interesting... too bad > no American roads though. > > I may want to find Driver's Education 99. Harder to find, > I know Driver's Ed 98 runs Ok on my computer, just I > cannot find a Glide wrapper for it. Software works fine, > but it's not great looking and draw distance could be much > better. I haven't spent much time with it... the driving > lessons are a bit frustrating because it's very picky.

It's a question of teaching style. Some people feel instructors should be more strict than your average examiner. When I learned to drive, I landed the instructor from hell. She was high strung, treated me as an irresponsible little brat and I could nothing right for her. Then, due to a scheduling conflict I was moved to an utterly relaxed guy, who spent 15 minutes with me in traffic, then broke off the lesson and made an appointment for an exam the next day. I passed without any problem whatsoever. The examiner even remarked I was holding things up with my "over-polite" style of driving. I've since become a lot more assertive (15 years of Belgian traffic will do that to you), but, touch wood, I'm still accident free (once you get the knack of driving you realise it's other people's carelesness that'll get you into trouble). > My situation is I have been trying to really drive a car > for years, but I lack the confidence and the experience > in dealing with traffic and road rules. Like I said in the other thread... this is an area where sims can really help. > I'm going on 28 years old. That's a good age... still young enough to easily aquire a new skill, but, in some ways, unfortunately, old enough to have lost a bit of youthfull bravado.

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> I have 20/60 vision in one eye, and 20/40 in the other.. > that's with glasses on. I go to an eye doctor yearly > and the perscription doesn't change. I have nystagmus > and starbismus and they always have a hard time fitting > my eyes with glasses, also there are some defects in my > vision beyond just the Snelling eye chart. Sometimes > my eyes just feel tired.

I don't know what that means in seeing terms. If it means you see better in the sim than out on the road, you have to watch out for overconfidence. > I have been driving around on a learner's permit with my > dad or mom. *Big* no-no... you need to seek out professional instruction which understands your disabilities. Mom and dad care to much about you to really expose you to what is required. Likewise, you're too comfortable with them to really push your limits. We have a saying in Dutch: "Unfamiliar eyes command".

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> My eyes felt tired and I was driving about 5 miles to > the mall. I come to this intersection and there's this > car with a turn signal blinking, and it really didn't > click that I had the right-of-way, so I stopped even > though I had a green light. My dad starts screaming > "Go! Go Go!", but I'm worried the car is going to turn > right into my driving path, so I stopped.

On the plus side, you can't be flunked for not exercising your right of way (the "go-go-go" 2nd guesing by your dad is just another reason why you should get specific professional tuition). On the down side, other road users expect you to behave in a certain way. They don't know you're unsure and expect a reaction from you within a certain timeframe. Therefore they might "go" when, finally, you decide you had the right of way. It's all about being clear. Even if you have the right of way, it's important to send a clear signal as to whether you intend to act on it or not. Regardless of your dad/instructor 2nd guessing you. If you act in a consistent manner your tutor should pick up on that and work on it with you in order to integrate you in modern traffic. > Oh yeah, and I can't read most of the signs until I'm > right on top of them. That shouldn't stop you from driving. There is a certain logic to the placement of "traffic furniture" (as it's called over here). Familiarity with the sort of environment certain signs are placed in, should really give you an idea as to what to expect and that aids recognition... even from a distance. Normal sighted drivers rely on these things when visibility is poor, so, under normal conditions, you should do fine. I take it you're viewing getting a licence as a personal acchievement rather than a nescessity and would pass on driving in potentially dangerous conditions. > Well, I cannot drive a real car on my own in real life > but I really enjoy racing games, especially rally and > dirt track racing. Even for those who can, it's an escape from the drudgeries of every day driving. That said, I have personally witnessed what it means in terms of independance, so I hope you get there. You can't be more blind than the 20/20 vision idiots who are blind to everyone else in their Volkswagen Bora TDis which infest the roads over here. Jan. =---

Try this http://3d-fahrschule.de/uk_shop.htm "magnulus" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ErkRb.949$[email hidden]... > I am looking for a "driving simulator", similar to the old Sierra Driver's > Education 98 (which no longer runs well on modern video cards). > >

"Jan Verschueren" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:1XDRb.8788$[email hidden]... > I don't know what that means in seeing terms. If it means you see betterin > the sim than out on the road, you have to watch out for overconfidence. > Nystagmus is back and forth eye motion. Everybody has it, but they usually only use the term when it is pronounced. Somebody under the influence of alcohol, ie, drunk, usually has it.. and it can also be indicative of brain damage or a head injury. In my case it's a reaction to the small optic nerves, ie, the eyes move faster back and forth to increase the stimulation to the optic nerve (if your eye stayed perfectly still, the image you see would fade). Pathological nystagmus is a very, very rare condition, affecting a fraction of a percent of the population. In my case, when I am tired, it feels like sometimes my eyes just won't look in certain directions, won't focus easily. Strabismus is just an outward on inward turning of the eye- sometimes called "cross-eyed" or "wall-eyed". In my case, one or both eyes tend to turn outward, alternatively (not both at the same time). This happens often when I'm tired. I don't think it effects vision in itself, but it's usually a symptom caused by an underlying condition. It's not a rare condition, but neither is it common- it affects about 2 percent of the population (one famous person I can think of with strabismus would be Barbra Streisand). I'm also myopic, I have a family history for moderate myopia. Add onto the nystagmus and it becomes difficult to fit glasses. Many optometrists have basicly given up, and I have been to a few experts that have been polite about it, but basicly can do very little. > > I take it you're viewing getting a licence as a personal acchievementrather > than a nescessity and would pass on driving in potentially dangerous > conditions. > No... it's pretty much a necessity in many parts of the US to drive. The US is not like Europe, especially in the suburban and rural areas... if you want to get anywhere, you have to drive. Our mass transit systems are usually not good compared to Europe, not unless you live in one of the big cities (I don't). Disability is handled on a state-by-state basis in the US and they make it difficult to actually receive assistance from the government, whereas in Europe they would be alot more permissive. I'm basicly living at home and making a little money selling and refurbishing antiques. I do cleaning house, and cooking... but not much money. Very little. If I want something I usually mail order it.