Papyrus and 3Dfx/Rendition

There have been a lot of concern among Papyrus customers about support for 3D accelerator cards, specifically Rendition and 3DFX. Going forward, I would like to assure everyone that Papyrus is aware of the importance of 3D accelerators, and our future products will include native support for both Rendition and 3Dfx technologies. This will start with Grand Prix Legends and continue with NASCAR Racing 3. As mentioned earlier in this forum, Papyrus is working with 3Dfx to develop a 3Dfx version of NASCAR Racing 2 that will include NROS support. When released, this will be distributed to our customers via the Papyrus studio page http://www.sierra.com/papyrus page at http://www.nros.com Due to Papyrus' focus on ensuring that NASCAR Racing 2 and all future Papyrus products will support 3Dfx and Rendition technologies, we will not be able to produce a 3Dfx patch for SODA Off-Road Racing. While we understand that many of our customers would like to see 3Dfx support in SODA, we feel that we can satisfy more customers by focusing our efforts on the much more popular titles of N2, GPL, and N3. We will issue a press release when the NASCAR Racing 2/3Dfx patch is released. Mike Lescault GPL/N3 Producer Papyrus Design Group

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>There have been a lot of concern among Papyrus customers about support >for 3D accelerator cards, specifically Rendition and 3DFX. Going >forward, I would like to assure everyone that Papyrus is aware of the >importance of 3D accelerators, and our future products will include >native support for both Rendition and 3Dfx technologies. This will >start with Grand Prix Legends and continue with NASCAR Racing 3. >As mentioned earlier in this forum, Papyrus is working with 3Dfx to >develop a 3Dfx version of NASCAR Racing 2 that will include NROS >support. When released, this will be distributed to our customers via >the Papyrus studio page http://www.sierra.com/papyrus and the NROS home >page at http://www.nros.com

Wow, two updates from Papyrus on one day - thanks! This certainly bodes well for this newsgroup, it's very nice to see Papyrus making a reappearence here. This is disappointing. I'll give SODA a miss then, expecially with the N2 3Dfx patch coming. I am looking forward to GPL and N3, especially since I should have a Voodoo2 by then. Joe

Thank you, Mike. Well, there you have it, folks. An official statement from Mr. Lescault direct from the steps of the imposing concrete bunker of the Papyrus Design Group, or "PDG" as we affectionately know them.....the acronym which, incidentally, also stands for "Pretty Damn Good"!! (Do I get my free copy of GPLegends for coming up with that, Mike? Hmmmm?! :-)) We now return you to our normal programming after these few messages.......... -- Bruce. (At home)

On Tue, 03 Feb 1998 22:30:39 -0500, Mike Lescault >We will issue a press release when the NASCAR Racing 2/3Dfx patch is >released. I think that this statement says it all. Joel Willstein

Wahay! Thanks, Mike. Now that's the kind of info. I like to see here! Especially since I'm planning my next system upgrade specifically so I'll be able to run GPL without too many compromises. >There have been a lot of concern among Papyrus customers about support >for 3D accelerator cards, specifically Rendition and 3DFX. Going >forward, I would like to assure everyone that Papyrus is aware of the >importance of 3D accelerators, and our future products will include >native support for both Rendition and 3Dfx technologies. This will >start with Grand Prix Legends and continue with NASCAR Racing 3.

Well, thanks very much. Although the customers appreciate very much the efforts, the unhappiness over the 3DFX patch steems more from the " enthusiasm" from the developer that didn't quite match the customers' enthusiasm for the N2 game. Anyway, it is a free patch and was not promised in the original game, so everyone should atleast be thankful for the efforts. ( PR is something else ). I look forward to the patch and perhaps thereafter understand the enthusiasm :) regards Leong

I'm very pleased Papyrus is making GP Legends, since I believe this increases the chances of it being an incredible sim :o). I, and I do believe all no helpers in the world, have a little request. Why not make the car slower if any helps are used? For example if anti-spin, ABS or anti-skid is on, then decrease the BHP with say 5%. This would encourage people to drive without any helps whatsoever, instead of the opposite, which we had in GP2 with it's opposite lock help and in F1RS with ABS, anti-spin and anti-skid. /Christer Andersson, with a tiny little request :o)

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> I'm very pleased Papyrus is making GP Legends, since I believe this > increases > the chances of it being an incredible sim :o). I, and I do believe all > no > helpers in the world, have a little request. Why not make the car > slower if any > helps are used? For example if anti-spin, ABS or anti-skid is on, then > decrease > the BHP with say 5%. This would encourage people to drive without any > helps > whatsoever, instead of the opposite, which we had in GP2 with it's > opposite lock > help and in F1RS with ABS, > anti-spin and anti-skid. > /Christer Andersson, with a tiny little request :o)

I second this, but I hope GPL will have a pedal sensivity slider in any case. With helps off, these new sims (CPR, F1RS, SODA) that have very sensitive gas/brake are not to my taste.

On Fri, 06 Feb 1998 21:34:28 +0100, Christer Andersson

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>I'm very pleased Papyrus is making GP Legends, since I believe this increases >the chances of it being an incredible sim :o). I, and I do believe all no >helpers in the world, have a little request. Why not make the car slower if any >helps are used? For example if anti-spin, ABS or anti-skid is on, then decrease >the BHP with say 5%. This would encourage people to drive without any helps >whatsoever, instead of the opposite, which we had in GP2 with it's opposite lock >help and in F1RS with ABS, >anti-spin and anti-skid.

Hi Christer, If it goes along the same lines as previous Papy sims then I think your (our <g>) wish will be satisfied. In the ICR & NR series, the aids have only been there to help the inexperienced or casual driver race without too much frustration. Hopefully it will be the same with GPL. One further thought on your 5% BHP reduction - why not allow the driver to choose differently powered engines, rather like in SODA? So if someone can't control the wheelspin with a F1 engine then they can choose a lower powered F2 engine. This actually would be pretty realistic as back then the engine was the main difference between F1 and F2 with the chassis being very similar. Many of the F1 drivers also drove in F2 races (I wish Jimmy hadn't at that particular one though :( ) and in '67 at least, the Nurburgring race had both F1 and F2 classes with the F2 drivers starting from an alternative grid. Maybe too late to build into GPL now, but who knows? Cheers, Richard

> Due to Papyrus' focus on ensuring that NASCAR Racing 2 and all future > Papyrus products will support 3Dfx and Rendition technologies, we will > not be able to produce a 3Dfx patch for SODA Off-Road Racing. While we > understand that many of our customers would like to see 3Dfx support in > SODA, we feel that we can satisfy more customers by focusing our efforts > on the much more popular titles of N2, GPL, and N3. I'm *really* disappointed to read this...I'd been looking forward to playing the 3Dfx version of the game ever since release. Maybe when I'm running a PIII-566 I'll be able to enjoy the 2D version... -- Neil Yeatman Ajax, Ontario, CANADA

Maybe when I'm running a PIII-566 I'll be able to enjoy the 2D version... Neil The way things have been going, that will be next year. <g> -- JerryD(upstateNY)

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> I'm very pleased Papyrus is making GP Legends, since I believe this increases > the chances of it being an incredible sim :o). I, and I do believe all no > helpers in the world, have a little request. Why not make the car slower if any > helps are used? For example if anti-spin, ABS or anti-skid is on, then decrease > the BHP with say 5%. This would encourage people to drive without any helps > whatsoever, instead of the opposite, which we had in GP2 with it's opposite lock > help and in F1RS with ABS, > anti-spin and anti-skid. > /Christer Andersson, with a tiny little request :o)

In other words leave it the same as ICR2!

>I'm *really* disappointed to read this...I'd been looking forward to >playing the 3Dfx version of the game ever since release. Maybe >when I'm running a PIII-566 I'll be able to enjoy the 2D version... I was too, Neil. I snagged SODA for 14 bucks at Software Etc, and I'm totally ***ed to it. I was quite willing to pay 50 bucks for the game, I was just waiting on the patch. I'm due for an upgrade anyway, so I think when do, I'll get one of the Rendition 2200 cards. I asked about them in another thread, and the consensus is that they're well rounded performers. (Pretty cheap, too. The 4 meg Diamond is 100 bucks.) -- http://www.users.fast.net/~fusion1 (dirt bikes, rat bikes, rental car abuse...)