SODA notes: epilogue

From Papyrus, it's Off-Road Racing... Hey guys, I'd just like to get a couple of things off of my chest concerning the SODA game, demo , etc.. I know that a while back a lot was said concerning this demo and 3d acceleration and all that, but I have been watching real SODA racing for a bit and I've got to tell you,,,if the game is going to be anything at all like the real thing it is going to have to go through some serious changes.. Now, I fully believe in Papyrus's ability to turn out a supercool sim, I've put a lot of hours (months) into playing/practicing ICR2 and N2, but the SODA demo just does'nt reflect the quality that something like Nascar 2 shows us. SODA on tv is brutal, muddy and full of these extremely heavy vehicles flying into the air and coming down in a chaotic mess of dirt and adrenalin (man, I should write the PR -ha).. The SODA demo however, is sterile, impossible to control (for me at least,, I've really been trying to play it, and even with my sim skills I can barely make it around in last place..) and just not really like racing in the mud should be. The '3d enhanced' track is so impossibly boring, now I know that this is an early demo and I'm glad that they gave us something to chew on, but c'mon... I can't imagine the final version coming out with those little trees and big Wrong Way signs on the back of the regular signs. I believe that the simplicity of the track is due to the customizing feature they are working on,. so that people can make their own tracks, but it would be a drag if that meant that the in-game tracks looked so simple. In the past it made sense to have boring track details, because the physics model and AI were so advanced... but hey, this is 97, and people are going to want the whole enchilada... I'm just voicing my rather harsh opinion because I really don't want this game to end up as a "could've been"... The concept is really good, and the company is solid. What if the final SODA game had splashing, messy mud everywhere hitting the windshield, breaking the windshield (come to think of it, I don't think there usually is a windshield, but you get the idea), barreling down those big hills at full speed barely holding onto the wheel.. Big, solid sounds when you collide, heavy g-force drifting, A versatile paintkit that would allow you to emulate the colorful sticker laden trucks of the series, What if this game gave you at least part of that feeling of awe and disbelief you get when you see those insane guys on tv taking these trucks to the limit? Adrenaline rush, once again... The trucks on tv have the driver sit really low, panels are always tearing off and it seems to be an overall white knuckle ride. The RAC rally game gave a bit of what it must be like to sit in those Rally cars at top speed. Watching rally's on tv you get this weird feeling (well I do..) when they show the in-car camera that these people Inside the cars must be insane, it always looks like they're going to hit a tree at 100mph, and sometimes they do.. So I'm just hoping that SODA rocks, and is not just a realistic sim that happens to include a 3d rendered dirt graphic.. It's easy for me to armchair judge it, but hey.... Raevyn see ya at the track

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>SODA on tv is brutal, muddy and full of these > extremely heavy vehicles flying into the air and coming down in a > chaotic mess of dirt and adrenalin (man, I should write the PR -ha).. > The SODA demo however, is sterile, impossible to control (for me at > least,, I've really been trying to play it, and even with my sim > skills I can barely make it around in last place..) and just not > really like racing in the mud should be.

Well, I haven't played with SODA for several months now, but the version I played was *possible* to control, but *difficult* to turn fast laps with. (Steve Travers and I raced for hours on end, struggling to top each others' best lap.) Couple things: analog throttle is MANDATORY to have any hope of driving the game quickly. Analog brakes help bunches too. Try the 4WD trucks, which are much easier to drive than the 2WD vehicles. Heh, honest criticism is important, however "harsh." (Besides, it's nowhere near as harsh as other Papy-related posts here have been...) That's what the game is like when you've gotten a handle on the trucks. Racing head-to-head near the limits of the truck is GREAT. (I should probably get the latest demo, so I can be comparing against what you guys are seeing, as I know Sean occasionally changes the physics model.) Personally, I've never been much for paintkits and the like (I'm the least artistic person I know), but I realize that it does add some measure of coolness to a game... ---Jim

>The SODA demo however, is sterile, impossible to control (for me at >least,, I've really been trying to play it, and even with my sim >skills I can barely make it around in last place..) and just not >really like racing in the mud should be. Sorry if this comment sounds harsh but perhaps you should be as critical of your sims skills as you are of SODA...? :-) When I first installed SODA I also thought it really difficult to drive, but I can now run in the top three pretty consistently even at higher opposition levels. You really have to be careful about lines into the corners to avoid those bumps that throw you off-line or spin you, you also need to be extremely careful with use of throttle. It is more difficult than NASCAR to stay on the track, but that's a part of the sport as I understand - slim tyres on mud will never give as much grip as wide slicks on tarmac. That is one valid criticism, and certainly with the power of Rendition and 3dFX at their disposal I would have hoped for something a bit more convincing. Having said that, there is a track editor so you're free to do whatever you want! Sound is a bit weedy, and I for one would like to see (hear?!) beefier engine sounds, nice over-revving if you keep throttle mashed when car is airborne, good collision sounds etc. Esp. engine noise though, that's what we hear most of the time. A lot of points are great though - I already think that it's a lot of fun to drive, the***pit view is really nice, moving suspension and the like looks really good. If graphics and sound could be tweaked it would be a definite improvement, but in terms of driving experience I can see me buying this one for sure. Cheers! John

I downloaded the SODA demo the other day and was pleasantly surprised. After spending a little while fooling with setups it became very drivable to the point where I was leading and winning races. I hope the release version is better. That would be a blast online.

: From Papyrus, it's Off-Road Racing... : Hey guys, : I'd just like to get a couple of things off of my chest concerning the : SODA game, demo , etc.. -------- SNIP --------- : : It's easy for me to armchair judge it, but hey.... : : Raevyn Hmmmmm. It's so much less time consuming when someone else says EXACTLY what I was planning on saying. heheheh. As Raevyn says, we know this is just a demo. But it doesn't really bode well in my eyes either. This does NOT look to be the next in a truly SUPERB series of racing sims. In fact, so far it seems to be a step backwards. Has Papyrus been defanged by Sierra? Doug

It was my understanding that the game is being coded by Software Allies, with Papyrus producing the game and Sierra publishing it. -- http://ebusch.akorn.net

> As Raevyn says, we know this is just a demo. But it doesn't really bode >well in my eyes either. This does NOT look to be the next in a truly >SUPERB series of racing sims. In fact, so far it seems to be a step >backwards. Has Papyrus been defanged by Sierra? > Doug Be that as it may; the REAL question in my mind is; 'Who will do the SODA-track-editor to ICR2/N1/N2" CONVERTER??

Well, I watched SODA racing again this week on tv, and all I can say as a follow up to my last rant is: More Mud!! I'm only going to play this SODA game if they put in about 200% more mud everywhere. so there. Raevyn and John, I'd say my sim skills are pretty good, I've done much better on far more difficult games... so I don't think it's just me..

> and John, I'd say my sim skills are pretty good, I've done much better > on far more difficult games... so I don't think it's just me.. This made me chuckle: "done much better on far more difficult games" after complaining that SODA was too difficult? Make no mistake: the 2WD vehicles are damn hard to control in the game. I suspect the same is true in SODA, but we're seeing people who have lots more experience in SODA trucks than we do AND they have a better feedback loop... ---Jim

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> > As Raevyn says, we know this is just a demo. But it doesn't really bode > >well in my eyes either. This does NOT look to be the next in a truly > >SUPERB series of racing sims. In fact, so far it seems to be a step > >backwards. Has Papyrus been defanged by Sierra? > > Doug > Be that as it may; the REAL question in my mind is; 'Who will do > the SODA-track-editor to ICR2/N1/N2" CONVERTER??

I thought it was pretty good. i think it will be 10x better when they put it online...

>and John, I'd say my sim skills are pretty good, I've done much better >on far more difficult games... so I don't think it's just me.. Okay, it's just that I found the game difficult to start with and I seem to recall Eric (Busch) also found the game initially pretty tough when he tried it at E3. For me it just needed a bit of perseverance to get the hang of how to drive these and it was fine. Cheers! John

> The SODA demo however, is sterile, impossible to control (for me at > least, I found that with my style, the factory setup had way too much oversteer. I was able to get great times and finish on the podium with some suspension/gearing modification. I like the way you can see and feel the changes you made in the garage. This is what makes a sim enjoyable over the long run(as opposed to splashing mud/flying body parts) imho. Jim S said to try the trucks, and I'm anxious to but couldn't in my demo. If experience with the buggy is any indication, the trucks will feel like the lumbering behemoths they are! ___ _______ ________ ______ __ __ ______ ____ ___| |__ | __|__ __| _____| \ / / _____| \ | | _ \ |__ | | | | ____| \ \/ /| ____|| |\ | |_ ) | |_______| |__| |______| \ __ / |______|___| \____|________| "By US Code Title 47, Sec.227(a)(2)(B), a computer/modem/printer meets thedefinition of a telephone fax machine. By Sec.227(b)(1)(C), it is unlawful to send any unsolicited adverti***t to such equipment. BySec.227(b)(3)(C), a violation of the aforementioned Section is punishable by action to recover actual monetary loss, or $500, whichever is greater, for each violation."