Is GPL good practice for N3?

Okay, I've got on my flame-retardant suit... I'm sure it's been covered before, but dejanews is SUCH a pain in the ass (to me) so I'm gonna ask again: We all know N3 is gonna use GPL's engine. We also know that there's VERY little in common between a 1967 Lotus and a 1996 Chevy Monte Carlo (or 98 Ford Truck). Would it be good practice to prepare for N3's new physics to use GPL? From many posts by others it's superiority in modelling may be a BAD thing for those of us that still prefer NR99 et al for our "normal" racing fix. Whaddaya think? I PLAN on trying the demo, but haven't just yet. "Gunner" ORSA Bronze #78 Navy Dodge

This brings up a topic that has not really been debated. Which sim prepares drivers better for N3: GPL or N2/99? I would have to think that GPL prepares you better because the engine is so much different than N2/99. However, N2/NR1999 does give you the experience of oval racing and the prefered racing lines on all of the tracks. The answer is: Know how to drive BOTH.

Or maybe drive N2/99 tracks in GPL? ;o) A. Renault

If that's the way NASCAR 3 is going to be, then YES, I would definetly get proficient at GPL.........

The cars, though, will feel more like N2 or N99 than GPL. How anyone can think that the same physics engine will mean that the cars feel the same I don't know. M > If that's the way NASCAR 3 is going to be, then YES, I would definetly get >proficient at GPL.........

If I may add.... Every time tou run N2 against the Ai you gain time you run GPL... Viper Racing.. NFS3.. ect.. ect.. You gain expieriance. Whether or not the same physics engine is used in N3. The more times you race against your self, AI, Online, You gain expieriance. So, Do I think you should practice with GPL in hopes that it will help you in N3? Any SIM that you use will help you with N3. YES, Run GPL! For that mater, Run as many Racing SIMs as you can as often as you can. Just my $0.02 worth, Mike Barlow

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> The cars, though, will feel more like N2 or N99 than GPL. How anyone can think > that the same physics engine will mean that the cars feel the same I don't > know. > M > > If that's the way NASCAR 3 is going to be, then YES, I would definetly get > >proficient at GPL.........

-- Mike Barlow of Barlow Racing? MikeBa on the TEN network. Racing online with the help of...... Race Communications Association http://members.xoom.com/RCA/toc.html Holodyne Engineering Mystic Music

>So, Do I think you should practice with GPL in hopes that it will help >you in N3? Any SIM that you use will help you with N3. YES, Run GPL! What brought my question about was that many people are making comments about how they can no longer drive (insert sim name here) as fast as before because they've been driving GPL. The physics are SO much different from what's out there right now that they have to driver DIFFERENTLY. I tend to agree with an earlier post about using NR99 (which I LOVE, BTW) for better practice. WC cars handle so much more differently than a '67 Lotus that it may alter my style TOO much ('course NOTHING could really hurt my style any worse <G>). While GPL shows us what the next generation will bring, you have to drive a Lotus differently from a Monte Carlo, or a McLaren, or a Dodge Truck, or a Mustang... Variety isn't NECESSARILY a good thing, I'd think... "Gunner" ORSA Bronze #78 Navy Dodge

My two cents... Few days ago, I was watching the 95 Nascar season in review. In it they had a interview with Gordan after and accident. In that interview, he had stated that he had no place to go. He pick the high line over the low line due to the possiblity of spinning the car. I have heard other drivers say basically the same thing. When was the last time you spun, in N2, trying to avoid a wreck? Now, I have spun many-a-time after hitting the car infront of me, I have even spun on my own. I don't believe I have ever worried about spinning when trying to avoid a wreck. I was running GPL at my friends house. We where running at Monza. My biggest problem, was gearing down for the hair pin. I kept locking up the rear tires and kicking the rear wheels out, because I was gearing down too fast. Never happened to me in N2... Oh, by the way, the three laps that I did complete in a race at Monza, was some of the best sim racing I have ever seen. The biggest problem, I have with road racing, is learning the track. 22 miles at the ring (not going to try and spell it.) NASCAR tracks are mostly ovals. Not much to learn for each track. That leaves more time learning to drive the car and less to worry about whether the next turn goes left or right and how tight it is. I feel that GPL is forcing me into a proper or better drive style. My two cents....

Well, being a proffecient <cough cough> N2/N99 racer, and owning GPL, I can offer my comment that, GPL isnt much "practice" for Nascar3/Nascar2000 (whichever it will be called) But rather a sneak peak at the Physics engine. IMHO,(I might also add my HOPES) Those darn 67 F1 cars are just a tad over out of control. N3 should bring about more control with the additon of a few thousand lbs and the addition of downforce via spoilers and airdams that the 67 cars just dont have. I just think that, though not "easy" to drive, stock cars are easier to handle than those little death rockets. NOW that being said, GPL is and AWESOME sim in its own right. The physics are TOP NOTCH. It brings the feeling of acceleration and braking right into your grasp. The AI is by far the smartest I have ever witnessed in a driving sim, showing the hopeful future to our Nascar series from Papy. I didnt buy GPL to "practice" for N3, but to get an idea of what N3 would be.........and now I race GPL not to get an idea or practice for N3, but to enjoy racing. Now if I could just be good at it.....hehe So buy it to glimpse the future of things to come, and race it to enjoy racing. Enjoy JT John Tomlinson

Hi Don, The simple answer is that N2 has always been 2D. The physics model has concentrated on modeling the basics of a stock car, and as of now, it is still the most realistic we have. I have learnt that to drive N2 fast, you can give inputs that in reality would leave the car in the wall very quickly. To qual fast at Rockingham you would enter turn1, using the maximum amount of brakes, and a ton of steering. Thankfully the tire wear model means a more realistically smooth entrance is required in a long race. N2 is every bit as challenging to drive *fast*, over a large distance such as a fuel window, as it is to stay on the track in GPL. Just with N2, the physics are not developed to the level where small changes in throttle, brake, weight distribution, steering and a plethora of forces that I can sense and see happening in real life but do not know the names of. In GPL, just about all these effects are plugged into the physics engine. My guess is that with N3, going from no throttle to full throttle quickly will kick the rears spinning at just about any turn on the WC calendar. This may be a lot easier to catch due to weight of these vehicles, but will be no good to tire wear... Dabbing the brakes will cause the car to be upset, to much weight forward, you're at a steady equilibrium on a banked oval, a loose condition shall be coming your way very soon. I can't wait for the demo. :-T ~~~ Cheers, -:http://www.simproject.com/ccg/

Simple one this. If you get good at GPL, then you will be REAL good at any other sim! :)

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> Okay, I've got on my flame-retardant suit... I'm sure it's been covered > before, but dejanews is SUCH a pain in the ass (to me) so I'm gonna ask > again: > We all know N3 is gonna use GPL's engine. We also know that there's > VERY little in common between a 1967 Lotus and a 1996 Chevy Monte Carlo (or > 98 Ford Truck). Would it be good practice to prepare for N3's new physics > to use GPL? From many posts by others it's superiority in modelling may be > a BAD thing for those of us that still prefer NR99 et al for our "normal" > racing fix. > Whaddaya think? I PLAN on trying the demo, but haven't just yet. > "Gunner" > ORSA Bronze #78 Navy Dodge

-- Byron Forbes Captain of Team Lightning Bolt http://members.tripod.com/~HOSHUMUNGUS and http://www.frontiernet.net/~godsoe/bolt/home.htm

Getting the hang of the new physics model in GPL will defenitly help out with N3 and Cart2 sims to come.The new physics model is dead spot on IMO and a car is a car is a car.BUT theres a little catch here.Many Nascar tracks have extreme banking and this requires a totally different approach to driving.Oval track racing is a totally different ball game compared to tracks with less banking.I read in many racing books that you DONT want oversteer on ovals.You want a car that understeers slightly on throttle.With flat tracks you want slight oversteer on throttle application to help you steer the cars thru turns.I figure that Nascars have a tendency to understeer heavily from the weight of the huge motor resting on the front wheels and overloading them. Papyrus states that their new physics model is excellent in that to model a new type of car they just punch in its variables and it handles like its real life counterpart.Nascars have weightmore HP,more stable suspension,front engined,etc.etc..But like i said before a car is a car is a car.Nascars or Cart cars or 67F1 cars all experience weight transfer from braking and acceleration.Of course they all handle differently but the basics stay the same.Well most likely find that N3 will be much easier then GPL since no grip tires on low banked turns is gonna require some very artful driving to race quick on:))))) Skeeter

% Okay, I've got on my flame-retardant suit... I'm sure it's been covered % before, but dejanews is SUCH a pain in the ass (to me) so I'm gonna ask % again: % We all know N3 is gonna use GPL's engine. We also know that there's % VERY little in common between a 1967 Lotus and a 1996 Chevy Monte Carlo (or % 98 Ford Truck). Would it be good practice to prepare for N3's new physics % to use GPL? From many posts by others it's superiority in modelling may be % a BAD thing for those of us that still prefer NR99 et al for our "normal" % racing fix. % Whaddaya think? I PLAN on trying the demo, but haven't just yet. Yes! But, don't bother if you still want to run N2/99, as the GPL experience may just sour you on the lame physics in N2. ;-) -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=