In defense of NFS:HS 2 (PS2)

Now, I'm certainly no expert on what constitutes a sim, and what doesn't, but perhaps these words from someone more knowledgeable than me will shed some light on just how good this game is: As arcade-oriented this game is, it certainly makes an honest effort to encompass many sim-like handling qualities (something that has always made NFS games stand-out among other pure arcade drivers in the past). I just wanted to list all the neat handling behaviors I've experienced in the game so far. �power-on understeer (even more so on AWD vehicles) �brake-on understeer �power-on oversteer �trailing throttle oversteer �trailing brake oversteer �massive balanced powerdrifting �lifting the inside rear wheel causing it to overspin with power application at speed, with resultant gentle oversteer (you also get the resultant rpm flash and inside tire trail mark) �at low speeds while tight turning, you can lift the inside rear wheel, visibly lock it with light brake application, and then do a donut style oversteer with throttle application �observance of slip angles when it comes to turning traction in the front as well as lateral control in the rear �increase in launch traction and general off-axis stability on AWD vehicles �lateral squirm as the drive wheels hook-up while launching hard �increased turning traction after brakes are applied to cause a forward weight transfer �observance of rotational inertial causing the car to wag like a pendulum (if not, spin out entirely) due to overcorrection �naturally, there is an observance overall car mass when it comes to general mobility and collisional contact between cars �observance of a difference between rolling traction and sliding traction �I'm pretty sure there is an observance of increased downforce with speed on certain cars (though drafting seems to be missing, as far as I can tell). �it appears that independent tire loading is in effect front-to-rear and side-to-side (the variable gradiations of tire tracks left by extreme manuevers are convincing if not interesting, at least) There's probably a few more, but just this seems like a pretty full plate giving way toward extremely varied handling experiences and responsiveness to many driving tactics. I wonder if there are any handling features that are missing, such as those that appear in your typical full-sim driving games? Anybody care to comment? -- "Life is what you experience between racing games" Galley

This game (demo) is awesome!. Sure no hardcore sim, but i never thought NFS pretended to be that either. The tracks are pretty NFS to me, with lovely graphics (running full details everything, 32bit, 800*600, and gets 25fps on my Duron 800 + GF3. I can also feel the poweroff oversteer in the car, etc. Well, very fun to get chased by the cops thru a beatiful landscape :) Wished those tracks got converted to F1 2002 instead of boring chicanes ;) "Galley" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Now, I'm certainly no expert on what constitutes a sim, and what doesn't,but > perhaps these words from someone more knowledgeable than me will shed somelight > on just how good this game is: > > As arcade-oriented this game is, it certainly makes an honest effort to > encompass many sim-like handling qualities (something that has always madeNFS > games stand-out among other pure arcade drivers in the past). I justwanted to

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> list all the neat handling behaviors I've experienced in the game so far. > > .power-on understeer (even more so on AWD vehicles) > .brake-on understeer > .power-on oversteer > .trailing throttle oversteer > .trailing brake oversteer > .massive balanced powerdrifting > .lifting the inside rear wheel causing it to overspin with power

application at > speed, with resultant gentle oversteer (you also get the resultant rpmflash and > inside tire trail mark) > .at low speeds while tight turning, you can lift the inside rear wheel,visibly > lock it with light brake application, and then do a donut style oversteerwith > throttle application > .observance of slip angles when it comes to turning traction in the frontas > well as lateral control in the rear > .increase in launch traction and general off-axis stability on AWDvehicles > .lateral squirm as the drive wheels hook-up while launching hard > .increased turning traction after brakes are applied to cause a forwardweight > transfer > .observance of rotational inertial causing the car to wag like a pendulum(if > not, spin out entirely) due to overcorrection > .naturally, there is an observance overall car mass when it comes togeneral > mobility and collisional contact between cars > .observance of a difference between rolling traction and sliding traction > .I'm pretty sure there is an observance of increased downforce with speedon > certain cars (though drafting seems to be missing, as far as I can tell). > .it appears that independent tire loading is in effect front-to-rear and > side-to-side (the variable gradiations of tire tracks left by extrememanuevers > are convincing if not interesting, at least) > > There's probably a few more, but just this seems like a pretty full plategiving > way toward extremely varied handling experiences and responsiveness tomany > driving tactics. I wonder if there are any handling features that aremissing, > such as those that appear in your typical full-sim driving games? Anybodycare > to comment? > > > -- > "Life is what you experience between racing games" > Galley

Well, unlike NFS3 (HP1), it does make a gesture in the direction of a car- like driving feel. But NFS5 (Porsche) was much more realistic, so it's expected that many people would see this as a step backwards. I understand that simulation isn't the goal of these games, but for my taste NFS5 struck the perfect balance -- for an arcade/console-type game -- between realism and gameplay, and sort of represents the minimum degree of realism that a game can have and still be compelling.