Microprose's startling re-enactment of 1937 Grand prix Racing

I kind of like it better without the bump mapping! ---8x--- snip ----8x-----

On Sat, 14 Aug 1999 20:21:55 GMT, "=rez=" >I kind of like it better without the bump mapping! Same here... Cheers! John

On Sun, 15 Aug 1999 01:14:25 +1000, Yawn... -- * rrevved at mindspring dot com

But can it do snap rolls? Oops, wrong group. Jerry Morelock

Ditto! -- JB

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>On Sat, 14 Aug 1999 20:21:55 GMT, "=rez=" >>I kind of like it better without the bump mapping! >Same here... >Cheers! >John

Spirit of Speed 1937 With Environment Mapped Bump Mapping Check out the awesome detail that is added to the racing tarmac (ie, the road) with the inclusion of Environment Mapped Bump Mapping. G400 bump mapping is great for adding these types of details, raising game content to new heights of realism. Without Environment Mapped Bump Mapping "The implementation of DX6 environment mapped bumped mapping in Spirit of Speed 1937 has afforded us the opportunity to provide a whole new level of realism. Once all the coding and art were done, the team was astounded by the results that the G400 bump mapping was producing in front of their eyes! Now the team will be going crazy with adding bumps to the cars, tyres, etc..." - John Jones-Steele, Joint Managing Director, Broadsword Interactive With Environment Mapped Bump Mapping ...more EMBM goodness on the racing tarmac. Without Environment Mapped Bump Mapping Spirit of Speed 1937 conjures up the greatest era of motor racing when the racing car first grabbed the public imagination with its speed, danger and beauty. Imagine racing a six-litre car hurtling around steeply banked tracks at killer speeds; drivers with nothing to protect them but their overalls and a silk helmet; tracks deliberately built for speed not safety. Race the cars whose mere names are legendary: Mercedes, Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, Napier Railton and Auto Union. In Microprose's startling re-enactment of 1937 Grand prix Racing you'll get the chance to drive a choice of twelve real racers on nine authentic circuits across Europe and the USA. Take up the challenge in Time Trial, Single Race or Complete Season modes or, try your skills against others in the multi-player modes. Once you could only imagine the experience! Now you can live it. Drive the 12 greatest racers ever built from the heyday of motor sport; each with their individual handling characteristics and special quirks. Experience nine different racing venues that became shrines to motor racing history such as Brooklands with its steeply banked curves; the tremendously fast autobahn circuit at Avus in Germany; the Roosevelt Raceway in the USA; the original (and lethal) Monza and the 8.5 mile, sand-streaked circuit at Tripoli, Libya. Drive accurately simulated racing cars that have a special physics model, including individual suspension for each one. Develop the right racing strategy to suit your car and the circuit; follow the correct racing line to suit your racer's capabilities and be aware of its specific tyre wear, petrol, oil usage and braking characteristics. Marvel at the detail. Everything is fully researched and simulated from the wooden dashboard to the throaty roar of those massive engines. Check your oil, water and petrol and decide the right time to make that crucial pit stop - the technology may be a lot simpler but it's less forgiving and more deadly: if you blow your engine, or run out of fuel, you're out of the race! Immerse yourself in the authentic period detail: the Thirties soundtrack, the interface styling and the realistic newspaper articles. Screenshots here http://home.datacomm.ch/srcb/

You know, I was thinking the same thing myself. Also, what extra load is placed on the CPU/video card with the bump mapping "on"? (I hope that it can be turned on/off!)

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> I kind of like it better without the bump mapping! > > Spirit of Speed 1937 > > With Environment Mapped Bump Mapping > > Check out the awesome detail that is added to the racing tarmac (ie, the > > road) with the > > inclusion of Environment Mapped Bump Mapping. G400 bump mapping is great > > for adding > > these types of details, raising game content to new heights of realism. > > Without Environment Mapped Bump Mapping > ---8x--- snip ----8x----- > > Screenshots here > > http://home.datacomm.ch/srcb/

>Ditto! I agree, but I'm wondering if this is one of those things that you have to see in motion to appreciate. What you get in the screenshot is a non bump mapped shot that already looks blurred due to blending or anti-aliasing. The bump mapped shot looks more pixellated in a screen shot, but the effect in motion may be totally different. I don't know one way or the other, but with graphics changing as fast as they are, the time is coming that you can't judge a games true appearance screen shots any more than you can judge a movies cinematography from stills. Just a thought, Tim

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>>Ditto! >I agree, but I'm wondering if this is one of those things that you >have to see in motion to appreciate. >What you get in the screenshot is a non bump mapped shot that already >looks blurred due to blending or anti-aliasing. >The bump mapped shot looks more pixellated in a screen shot, but the >effect in motion may be totally different. >I don't know one way or the other, but with graphics changing as fast >as they are, the time is coming that you can't judge a games true >appearance screen shots any more than you can judge a movies >cinematography from stills.

I agree with you both, but the real question seems to be: are the bumps just eye candy, or do they really exist for the physics engine? Personally, I don't think I would miss this kind of bumps if they are purely ornamental. They might look awesome on the right computer with a very fast graphics card, but if they don't influence gameplay, I can do without them easily. Regarding Tim's argument, I agree wholeheartedly that stills can never tell you how good a game or sim looks in motion. But I would go a step further and claim that - at least for me - fluid animation is much more important than details. Anyone remember the old (non-autosim) titles "Lemmings" and "Prince of Persia"? I mention those because they had, from today's point of view, really awful graphics. Nonetheless, they were masterpieces in animation IMO. PoP was a 2D jump'n run where you had to guide your playing figure through different levels. The prince could jump and run (what a surprise :) , and even though the figure consisted only of a few pixels and used only maybe five or six animation stages for each move, the motions looked extarordinarily 'real'. In Lemmings, the playing figures were even smaller (something like 6x8 pixels, I think) and used only *two* animation stages, yet a walking lemming looked incredibly cute and "alive". You thought you saw the in-between stages that actually weren't there! This is real artistry, IMO. Such simple means and such a great effect. I would any day prefer a display that tricks the eye with simple, but clever means, over one that provides much more detail, but doesn't get the impression of motion right. -- Wolfgang Preiss \ E-mail copies of replies to this posting are welcome.

: I kind of like it better without the bump mapping! I think it's just because those screen shots are quite low res. What bugs me is the cars look like they've got tractor tyres on. What gives? I thought the 30s cars had skinny round tyres - these beasts look like they've just been stripped off a combine harvester. Also don't 30s GP cars have that distinctive suspension lean? I know the sports cars of the era have it - (wheels and two suspension arms form a parallelogram so that the wheels lean "in parallel"). If they're not modelling that I don't see how it can be accurate (or was it a feature only of the sports cars of the era). -- Richard G. Clegg Only the mind is waving Dept. of Mathematics (Network Control group) Uni. of York. www: http://manor.york.ac.uk/top.html

(snip) I thought the 30s cars had skinny round tyres - these beasts look like they've just been stripped off a combine harvester (unsnip) Most of the cars of that era.....and all eras, when I come to think about it.....had round tyres, Richard. There was some rumour that during the dark years of WW1 the Germans were experimenting with oval tyres....and there is some strength to this rumour, as can be seen in the period photographs, with the cars "leaning forward" and their tyres displaying a definite ovoid shape. But round tyres became the norm as they simply provided a much more comfortable ride for the occupants of the vehicle.

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> (snip) > I thought the 30s cars had skinny round tyres - these beasts > look like they've just been stripped off a combine harvester > (unsnip) > Most of the cars of that era.....and all eras, when I come to think about > it.....had round tyres, Richard. There was some rumour that during the dark > years of WW1 the Germans were experimenting with oval tyres....and there is > some strength to this rumour, as can be seen in the period photographs, with > the cars "leaning forward" and their tyres displaying a definite ovoid > shape. > But round tyres became the norm as they simply provided a much more > comfortable ride for the occupants of the vehicle.

I still think they should have gone for square tyres myself!

: (snip) : I thought the 30s cars had skinny round tyres - these beasts : look like they've just been stripped off a combine harvester : (unsnip) : Most of the cars of that era.....and all eras, when I come to think about : it.....had round tyres, Richard. There was some rumour that during the dark : years of WW1 the Germans were experimenting with oval tyres....and there is : some strength to this rumour, as can be seen in the period photographs, with : the cars "leaning forward" and their tyres displaying a definite ovoid : shape. : But round tyres became the norm as they simply provided a much more : comfortable ride for the occupants of the vehicle. Lol.... Oh there's always one clever sod isn't there. Just to be completely clear "I thought 30s cars had skinny tyres with a round cross-section." -- Richard G. Clegg Only the mind is waving Dept. of Mathematics (Network Control group) Uni. of York. www: http://manor.york.ac.uk/top.html

GOSH! did they really have wheels and tyres in the 1930's I mention this because we still use wheels and tyres.... Technology has really progressed, uh? Alan

Those were artifacts of the photographic techniques used at the time (slow focal plane shutters, I think?).

:o) (It just *begged* for a response such as mine! Sorry mate.) > : (snip) > : I thought the 30s cars had skinny round tyres - these beasts > : look like they've just been stripped off a combine harvester > : (unsnip) > : Most of the cars of that era.....and all eras, when I come to think about > : it.....had round tyres, Richard. There was some rumour that during the dark > : years of WW1 the Germans were experimenting with oval tyres....and there is > : some strength to this rumour, as can be seen in the period photographs, with

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> : the cars "leaning forward" and their tyres displaying a definite ovoid > : shape. > : But round tyres became the norm as they simply provided a much more > : comfortable ride for the occupants of the vehicle. > Lol.... > Oh there's always one clever sod isn't there. > Just to be completely clear "I thought 30s cars had skinny tyres with > a round cross-section." > -- > Richard G. Clegg Only the mind is waving > Dept. of Mathematics (Network Control group) Uni. of York. > www: http://manor.york.ac.uk/top.html

I expected all of us to be driving hovercars by the year 2000. I also thought we'd all be wearing silver jumpsuits. There's still time! Martin Nigel Mansell RIP!

WHOOOOOSH! Through to the keeper!! :o)

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> Anyone remember the old (non-autosim) titles "Lemmings" and "Prince of > Persia"? I mention those because they had, from today's point of view, > really awful graphics. Nonetheless, they were masterpieces in > animation IMO. > PoP was a 2D jump'n run where you had to guide your playing figure > through different levels. The prince could jump and run (what a > surprise :) , and even though the figure consisted only of a few > pixels and used only maybe five or six animation stages for each move, > the motions looked extarordinarily 'real'.

Yeah ! Prince of Persia was an awesome game, all round. I must have been about 15 when I first played it, Anyone know its original release date? The animation was stunning for the technology, and the game had a real sense of atmosphere and danger. Does anyone remember the game Defender of the Crown ? (DEFinitely non-racing, but I spent hours playing it until I could amass ridiculously large armies to crush my opposition in seconds ;-) ) Viper Racing has a great framerate, although as everyone must know by now, it suffers from a lack of apparent speed. I love the game though, especially for the marvelous dynamics, crash damage and force feedback which resembles wrestling a tiger! Powerslide, too, has an awesome framerate, even on low-spec'd machines and diverse video cards. Ryan