Viper racing kamakazi AI

Well now that the initial blush has worn off of Viper arcing (picked it up cheap the other day) I am finding a lot to dislike about the game. Namely the poor control and the AI that absoltuely ignores your presence on the track. I want to blame myself, but If I am someplace the AI wants to be it will ram me no matter what. I find this totally annoying and pretty much make that career unplayable. I cant get past the thrid turn at castle rock without being rammed from behind or side swiped even though I stay in my lane/line. Also the understeer is TERRIBLE! I cant get my NASCAR to work very well at all in the career. Although in the single races I do it works great? Anyway, I quit it tonight in frustration, I doubt I will return it, but dont think it will take the place of SCGT or GPL in term of AI and fun. Its just to stupid to compete for the same drive time. ed

If you want a good example of bad AI try SCGT. Better after patching and an editor but still lacks. JM

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> Well now that the initial blush has worn off of Viper arcing (picked it up > cheap the other day) > I am finding a lot to dislike about the game. Namely the poor control and > the AI that absoltuely ignores your presence on the track. I want to blame > myself, but If I am someplace the AI wants to be it will ram me no matter > what. > I find this totally annoying and pretty much make that career unplayable. I > cant get past the thrid turn at castle rock without being rammed from behind > or side swiped even though I stay in my lane/line. > Also the understeer is TERRIBLE! I cant get my NASCAR to work very well at > all in the career. Although in the single races I do it works great? > Anyway, I quit it tonight in frustration, I doubt I will return it, but dont > think it will take the place of SCGT or GPL in term of AI and fun. Its just > to stupid to compete for the same drive time. > ed

Ed, It's all in the setups -- Viper Racing is in the same league as ICR2 when it comes to being setup-sensitive. Without a good setup, you've got a dog. Look around the Web and grab some decent car setups, and you'll be surprised. You may have no desire to be a chassis engineer, but time spent in the garage is time well-spent in Viper Racing. As for the AI, they do bump and grind, and I had similar problems to what you've experienced, but after I finally got a better setup, I found that it was my own sloppy driving that was getting in the way of the AI, as opposed to the AI doing a kamikaze routine on me. I've won many races in career mode, and I've worked my way up to the GT level (I though the Pro level was tough, but now it's all I can do to keep up with the AI cars!). Keep at it -- there's lots to love about this game. -- JB On Wed, 19 May 1999 23:10:43 -0400, "Ed Kloskowski"

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>Well now that the initial blush has worn off of Viper arcing (picked it up >cheap the other day) >I am finding a lot to dislike about the game. Namely the poor control and >the AI that absoltuely ignores your presence on the track. I want to blame >myself, but If I am someplace the AI wants to be it will ram me no matter >what. >I find this totally annoying and pretty much make that career unplayable. I >cant get past the thrid turn at castle rock without being rammed from behind >or side swiped even though I stay in my lane/line. >Also the understeer is TERRIBLE! I cant get my NASCAR to work very well at >all in the career. Although in the single races I do it works great? >Anyway, I quit it tonight in frustration, I doubt I will return it, but dont >think it will take the place of SCGT or GPL in term of AI and fun. Its just >to stupid to compete for the same drive time. >ed

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>Well now that the initial blush has worn off of Viper arcing (picked it up >cheap the other day) >I am finding a lot to dislike about the game. Namely the poor control and >the AI that absoltuely ignores your presence on the track. I want to blame >myself, but If I am someplace the AI wants to be it will ram me no matter >what.

I have control problems myself (well, the Viper isn't exactly a lightweight car, and in the early stages of a career, the car is a dog. This is intentional, I believe - what reason would there be for upgrading if it didn't make the car faster and better?) But I can't agree with your observations about the AI. Check the replays and ask yourself: Did the AI driver have another option than hitting you? The AI cars obey to the same laws of physics that control your car. And they drive fast (if not always with good judgment). If you happen to block their way, they will hit you - but only if they can't brake anymore and can't find a way to avoid the collision. I find that the AI cars frequently choose to crash into the countryside rather than hitting me. Are you much, much slower than the AI cars when that happens? If so, complete a few races (even if you finish 8th, you will collect some price money) and save up for some gadgets for your car. If you can keep up with the pack, collisions will be much less frequent. BTW, go for better tires first - much more advisable than more HP in the early stages of the career. -- Wolfgang Preiss \ E-mail copies of replies to this posting are welcome.

>Try these setups: [good setups snipped] Nice work! Do you use the same setups also for the reversed tracks? -- Wolfgang Preiss \ E-mail copies of replies to this posting are welcome.

I want to know how you got a NASCAR in Viper Racing ~daxe -----------== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News ==---------- http://www.newsfeeds.com The Largest Usenet Servers in the World! ------== Over 73,000 Newsgroups - Including Dedicated Binaries Servers ==-----

>If you want a good example of bad AI try SCGT. Better after patching and an >editor but still lacks. Yup, makes the Viper drivers look like polite gentlemen! Joe

This is because in career mode you start with a plain-jane Viper. It's up to you to earn money to buy accessories that make it more raceworthy. High performance tires, for instance, will help the car stick to the track in corners, so, like another poster suggested, these should be the first thing you buy. I would suggest buying handling accessories before horsepower enhancements since more horsepower would only add the the understeer problem if you're not sticking to the track. On the other hand, in single races, you apparently are given a machine that's already equipped to be competitive with the other cars. That's why it handles so much better. Hope that helps, Robert

Nah! Go for HP and slide that Viper around :) The car understeers way more in simulation mode. Fran > >Well now that the initial blush has worn off of Viper arcing (picked it up > >cheap the other day) > >I am finding a lot to dislike about the game. Namely the poor control and > >the AI that absoltuely ignores your presence on the track. I want to blame > >myself, but If I am someplace the AI wants to be it will ram me no matter

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> >what. > I have control problems myself (well, the Viper isn't exactly a > lightweight car, and in the early stages of a career, the car is a > dog. This is intentional, I believe - what reason would there be for > upgrading if it didn't make the car faster and better?) But I can't > agree with your observations about the AI. Check the replays and ask > yourself: Did the AI driver have another option than hitting you? The > AI cars obey to the same laws of physics that control your car. And > they drive fast (if not always with good judgment). If you happen to > block their way, they will hit you - but only if they can't brake > anymore and can't find a way to avoid the collision. I find that the > AI cars frequently choose to crash into the countryside rather than > hitting me. > >I find this totally annoying and pretty much make that career

unplayable. I > >cant get past the thrid turn at castle rock without being rammed from behind

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> >or side swiped even though I stay in my lane/line. > Are you much, much slower than the AI cars when that happens? If so, > complete a few races (even if you finish 8th, you will collect some > price money) and save up for some gadgets for your car. If you can > keep up with the pack, collisions will be much less frequent. BTW, go > for better tires first - much more advisable than more HP in the early > stages of the career. > -- > Wolfgang Preiss \ E-mail copies of replies to this posting are welcome.

cancellation warned.