Well, I warned you. I got a PC and immediately bought NASCAR Racing
and IndyCar Racing II.
The biggest surprise is the difference in frame rate between the two.
NASCAR is, I think it's safe to say, twice as slow as ICR2. Running
with the same graphics/frame guidelines and testing at the same track
it's just incredible how much smoother ICR2 is. Granted, there's more
stuff on the screen to be drawn around for NASCAR, so I took a few laps
then watched replays from the nose camera, and the effect still is there.
ICR2 with my settings gets easily over 20fps, while NASCAR drops below 13
and begins shutting stuff off (I have everything off, with car texture,
smoke and skidmarks on auto).
(Same track in this case being Michigan.)
Is this just better programming, or the result of the extra graphics
driver ICR2 installs, and is there a way to bring NASCAR up to snuff?
On road courses, I can run in SVGA with full fields on ICR2, with some
objects on (for an annoying reason griped about below) and the rest as
listed above, and rarely have all those auto things shut down. With
NASCAR, even going down to 20 competitors still sees everything shutting
down -- even when not in traffic.
Even running with FM sounds (which sounds much worse in NASCAR than in
ICR2), NASCAR can't come close to the performance ICR2 puts out with
digital sound.
The big gripe about ICR2 though is the objects option. Shutting down all
objects also shuts down the turn markers! What were you thinking, Papyrus?
If there's ever a time one really needs to have the turn markers, it's when
all the scenery is gone! I really hope there's a patch out there to fix
this.
There's a bug in the objects textures control at Long Beach. When checking
the replay (and when subsequently returning to the track), a couple constant
objects on the front straight (i.e., there even with objects off) get their
full texture put back on -- the Toyota signs on the starter's stand, and one
of the street signs.
I haven't run a race with yellows on yet, 'cause I haven't yet got a
steering wheel, and mouse control doesn't work despite what the readme.txt
says (and my mouse driver >should< be loaded; have to check on that yet),
but from what the docs are saying, it seems like there are no local yellows
on road courses? Whose hare-brained idea was that? Granted, more experi-
mentation is required to learn if that's true, but it better not be, or
better be fixed PDP. I suppose one could just race with no yellows on the
road courses, but that still doesn't alert one to an accident round the
next corner.
I hear that Win95 versions of these will be out soon, which should run
faster as well as having a better interface. What will the upgrade
policy be? If one of them comes out within 90 days of my purchase of
these older versions, can that fall within the warranty guidelines, hope
hope?
Speaking of older versions, can veterans out there let me know which
patches are out there that I should get, or is it easy enough to figure
out? ICR2 says it's version 1.0.0f2 (though I don't remember where it
said that; the CD just says 1.0). NASCAR says 1.21 on the CD.
And how about carsets? Who would you say has the best-looking carsets
and driver text files for full fields from the years the simulations were
based around (i.e., 1994 for NASCAR; 1995 for ICR2)?
Gotta get the NASCAR track pack yet. I haven't seen IMS for ICR2 on sale
anywhere. Phooey. Is it generally harder to find?
I've heard about utilities which convert tracks from one to the other.
Where/how/any good?
I'm surprised at just how chunky VGA mode is. I'm new to PCs, of course,
but I'd always heard that VGA was good. I guess `good' is a relative term.
I find it unplayably vague. I suppose on a monitor with only 12 inches
viewable, it might not look so bad, but on a 15-inch flatscreen -- egad.
If the old World Circuit (F1GP) from Microprose looks like this on a PC,
maybe I'll stick with the Amiga version. Not like I've been able to find
it for sale anyway.
Well, can't think of anything else to mention for now. Can't wait to
get a wheel and pedals. How people can drive with a joystick is beyond
me.
After the wheel and pedals, it's learn to drive well, then find people
in the Santa Cruz area to race against, yeah... then convince my race-
fan brother to get a computer so I can race against him...yep... whee!
--
[link lost in import: /~keeper/] Funny Looking Little Kitty, 1982-1996
with:
[snip]
That's because ICR2 is almost two years newer than NASCAR.. NASCAR's
still pretty respectable for a 1994 release.. ;-)
Doubt it, but don't worry about upgrades until at LEAST this fall.
You have the latest for both sims.
I, of course, am biased -- I happen to like the ones our design team
does. Mike Carver also has done a heck of a job on his 1996 car sets
as well. I'll tell ya, there's no lack of talent on the 'Net. Our
site is http://www.xmission.com/~iwcc/project.htm, and Mike's is at
http://www.teleport.com/~mcarver/.
I found mine in a dusty corner of Software Etc. the other day (it pays
to live in Utah sometimes..). Try calling Papyrus direct.
There's only one site you can mention when talking utilities for sim
racing: The Pits. Bar none, it's the best resource for utilities on
the 'Net. http://www.ukps.com/thepits
NASCAR's VGA is the way to go if you want performance from your
computer. SVGA is nice to look at, but not as refined as ICR2's
engine.
Good to see you back, Ron! :-)
_________________________________________
Tony Johns
IWCCCARS Project Coordinator
http://www.xmission.com/~iwcc/project.htm
