N2: Car To Car Signaling

While watching the last few WC races on TV, I realized how much those guys signal each other using hand gestures (non ***!) for instruction on which side to pass on, etc. I know we have chat functions, but chat messages can originate from ANY car on the track (on Hawaii, NRO) and when you're bearing down on somebody from behind, you're hardly sitting there reading chat messages. Wouldn't it be nice to have a special, non-textual method of signalling just the car behind you? Obviously the sim knows which cars are in front of and behind you, with one keystroke you could send a graphical signal to the car behind you telling him which side to pass on. The driver behind would instantly know it was the car in front of him sending the signal, since it was other than a chat message. Maybe it could be just a large arrow on one side of the screen or the other. Think about how many collisions this would prevent while allowing the sim to approach even more closely the realism of NASCAR racing. Just a thought.. Patrick. ================================================= ===--- Patrick O'Neal (PatrickO on Hawaii) ---=== ===------- Shamrock Racing Enterprises -------=== ===-- (Remove NOSPAM from my reply address) --=== =================================================

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> While watching the last few WC races on TV, I realized how much those > guys signal each other using hand gestures (non ***!) for > instruction on which side to pass on, etc. I know we have chat > functions, but chat messages can originate from ANY car on the track > (on Hawaii, NRO) and when you're bearing down on somebody from behind, > you're hardly sitting there reading chat messages. Wouldn't it be nice > to have a special, non-textual method of signalling just the car behind > you? Obviously the sim knows which cars are in front of and behind you, > with one keystroke you could send a graphical signal to the car behind > you telling him which side to pass on. The driver behind would instantly > know it was the car in front of him sending the signal, since it was > other than a chat message. Maybe it could be just a large arrow on one > side of the screen or the other. Think about how many collisions this > would prevent while allowing the sim to approach even more closely the > realism of NASCAR racing.

Well said Pat and I agree. Maybe just a quick arrow in the rear window? Or for some of our more esteemed colleagues, flashing lights, bells, whistles and auto-steer to force them to move them over. :-) David T.

: Well said Pat and I agree. Maybe just a quick arrow in the rear window? : Or for some of our more esteemed colleagues, flashing lights, bells, : whistles and auto-steer to force them to move them over. :-) I would like to order a dancing hula girl for the back deck of my car. She leans right to pass to the right, left to pass to the left, leans forward when I want the driver behind to link up for a drafting partner, and bounces up and down wildly when I'm slowing down for a big wreck. Then again, I may need to cancel that order, I may end up spending too much of my time looking in my rearview mirror to watch her dance... -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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> > While watching the last few WC races on TV, I realized how much those > > guys signal each other using hand gestures (non ***!) for > > instruction on which side to pass on, etc. I know we have chat > > functions, but chat messages can originate from ANY car on the track > > (on Hawaii, NRO) and when you're bearing down on somebody from behind, > > you're hardly sitting there reading chat messages. Wouldn't it be nice > > to have a special, non-textual method of signalling just the car behind > > you? Obviously the sim knows which cars are in front of and behind you, > > with one keystroke you could send a graphical signal to the car behind > > you telling him which side to pass on. The driver behind would

instantly

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> > know it was the car in front of him sending the signal, since it was > > other than a chat message. Maybe it could be just a large arrow on one > > side of the screen or the other. Think about how many collisions this > > would prevent while allowing the sim to approach even more closely the > > realism of NASCAR racing. > Well said Pat and I agree. Maybe just a quick arrow in the rear window? > Or for some of our more esteemed colleagues, flashing lights, bells, > whistles and auto-steer to force them to move them over. :-) > David T.

I think it should have the spotter give you the instructions.

On Mon, 14 Apr 1997 23:34:53 -0700, Patrick O'Neal

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>While watching the last few WC races on TV, I realized how much those >guys signal each other using hand gestures (non ***!) for >instruction on which side to pass on, etc. I know we have chat >functions, but chat messages can originate from ANY car on the track >(on Hawaii, NRO) and when you're bearing down on somebody from behind, >you're hardly sitting there reading chat messages. Wouldn't it be nice >to have a special, non-textual method of signalling just the car behind >you? Obviously the sim knows which cars are in front of and behind you, >with one keystroke you could send a graphical signal to the car behind >you telling him which side to pass on. The driver behind would instantly >know it was the car in front of him sending the signal, since it was >other than a chat message. Maybe it could be just a large arrow on one >side of the screen or the other. Think about how many collisions this >would prevent while allowing the sim to approach even more closely the >realism of NASCAR racing. >Just a thought.. >Patrick. >================================================= >===--- Patrick O'Neal (PatrickO on Hawaii) ---=== >===------- Shamrock Racing Enterprises -------=== >===-- (Remove NOSPAM from my reply address) --=== >=================================================

I think you answered your own question. The chat message feature does a splendid job of it. Evidently, you've never raced N2 in multiplayer because it automatically displays the car # of the driver originating the autochat message. For instance, if the #5 car is directly in front of me and he chooses to enter the pits, all he needs to do is press <ctrl><F1> and I will see #5 Pitting on my screen. BTW, you can change the 10 chat messages by altering the text file autochat.msg. Perhaps the NRO should require everyone to run with a standard set of autochat messages such as pass on left, etc.

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> I think you answered your own question. The chat message feature does > a splendid job of it. Evidently, you've never raced N2 in multiplayer > because it automatically displays the car # of the driver originating > the autochat message. For instance, if the #5 car is directly in > front of me and he chooses to enter the pits, all he needs to do is > press <ctrl><F1> and I will see #5 Pitting on my screen. BTW, you can > change the 10 chat messages by altering the text file autochat.msg. > Perhaps the NRO should require everyone to run with a standard set of > autochat messages such as pass on left, etc.

Believe me Al, I've raced multiplayer. I've got all my autochat messages set up, even in my Verbal Commander. I give "Pitting Now" and "Exiting Pit" warnings religiously. Many times I've asked the guy that hit me from behind, "didn't you see the 'Pass Me Low' message I sent?" and the response is "No". Using autochat, you've got to first READ the message, which could be in any format from "#28 pitting" to "#28 [FastGuy] ======>>>>>> P I T T I N G N O W ! ! ! ! <<<<<<=======" then check the F2 display for the car number all the while your eyes are somewhere other than on the road. And odds are that the message came from someone other than the car ahead of you. With a simple graphic signal near my field of view that ONLY means that the car ahead is signalling ME and me alone, I'll know instantly what's going on. Someone else suggested that the spotter give an audio indication which I think is a great idea. In any event, autochat is far from "spendid". Patrick. ================================================= ===--- Patrick O'Neal (PatrickO on Hawaii) ---=== ===------- Shamrock Racing Enterprises -------=== ===-- (Remove NOSPAM from my reply address) --=== =================================================

What I do is set my screen up for the <F2><Enter> view so that I always know who the next two cars are in front and behind. Also, it shows close to real time changes in distance between cars. Maybe that'll help you.

try using your mirror