www.elite-systems.co.uk
Here's some correspondence which we - as this game's developer - have been
exchanging with it's prospective publisher. We would welcome independent
views on this pre-Alpha demo.
"The handling in this version of the demo is clearly improved from the first
demo we looked at."
The vehicle handling has NOT been changed between versions 001 and 002 of
the demo, only the
camera type has been changed. We believe that this evidences that the
current short-comings of the vehicle handling are IN SIGNIFICANT PART a
perception issue, 'though further improvement of the vehicle handling is
certainly possible, and is in hand. "Super Touring" is being developed using
two important tools. Both tools are of our own design. The first tool is the
vehicle handling editor.This enables us to modify the values of more than a
hundred of the vehicle parameters which the game's vehicle simulation
algorithms support. Suspension, steering, engine, transmission and other
vehicle characteristics are all independently simulated, and variable.The
second tool is the environment editor. This enables us to modify further
parameters, such as road friction and rolling-resistance. The number of
permutations of parameter values which can be created using these editors is
virtually limitless. It certainly runs into the millions. A significant
change to the values used by just ONE of these parameters can make a
material difference to the perception of vehicle handling...for better or
for worse. In the demo (version 2), the green 2000cc saloon uses a
permutation of parameter values which we arrived at last month. This
permutation is NOT definitive, and is unlikely to be used in the game at
it's release... particularly so given your comments. We believe that the
acid-test for any race game is that 'the vehicles do WHAT the player wants
them to do, WHEN the player wants them to do it'. We also believe that with
the aid of the development tools which we have designed, along with further
changes to the camera types which are employed in the game, we can READILY
satisfy this 'acid-test'.
"The web demo is certainly interesting, but we would need more to look at.
The main problem is that because it is a freely available net demo, there
are restrictions on which courses and cars you can race. What we really need
is a more open demo, which will allow us to drive the different cars and
look at the different courses."
As you obviously appreciate, we are not able to release an 'unrestricted'
demo into the public domain. Neither are we able to release an
'unrestricted' demo in circumstances other than when under our direct
supervision. The reasons for this are not only that the current revision of
the 'unrestricted' demo features many of the vehicles and many of the
tracks, but also that the 'unrestricted' demo contains a number of our
development tools, the cost of which runs into many hundreds of thousands of
pounds. We have previously offered, and happily do so again here, to visit
your offices and to make a personal presentation of the current work. We
believe that this is the only way in which you will be able to gain a true
understanding of the sophistication and flexibility of the current work, and
MORE IMPORTANTLY an understanding of how YOU could use the development tools
to create vehicle handling of the type which you desire.
"Could you tell me how many cars you are planning to have on track at one
time? Do you have a playable / technology demo which shows more than two
cars on track at once?"
There is, in theory, NO LIMIT to the number of vehicles which we can have on
the track at one time. In the LAN version of "Super Touring(TM)" - which we
have just implemented - EIGHT player controlled vehicles are on the track at
one time. Similarly, on a sufficiently high spec. system, ONE player
controlled vehicle and SEVEN CPU controlled vehicles can be on the track at
one time - without compromise to either the designed frame-rate (30f.p.s.),
or to the designed draw-distance (24 units). In practice, the number of
vehicles which we can have on the track at one time will be dictated by: (i)
the 'minimum system spec.' (we assume this will be a 166MHz Pentium with a
4MB 'voodoo' type accelerator), (ii) the desired frame-rate at the 'minimum
system spec.' (we assume this will be not less than 20 f.p.s.), and (iii)
the desired draw-distance at the 'minimum system spec.' (we assume this will
be not less than 12 units). Again we have previously offered, and happily do
so again here, to visit your offices and to make a personal presentation of
the current work, including a presentation of multiple vehicles on track at
one time.
"If you have anything finished that would let us play some of the 'stunt'
element, that would be great."
By reference the the attached development task-list you will see that
implementing the 'stunt' competition is one of the last tasks which we have
planned. When implemented the 'stunt' competition will be very similar to
the classic 'auto-test', and it will take place in a skid-pan style
environment. All of the engineering work, and almost all of the art work
necessary to implement the 'stunt' competition is already complete.
Implementing the 'stunt' competition is merely a matter of 'handle-turning'.
XXXXXXX (name with-held), given all of the above, and the attached, we again
suggest that you invite us to make a presentation of an 'unrestricted' demo
of "Super Touring" which will include a presentation of the operation and
considerable value of the development tools. We genuinely believe that you
will not be
disappointed. We now look forward to receiving your further response.
Kind regards......Steve Wilcox
Elite Systems Ltd. Registered in England No. 1840901. Anchor House, Anchor
Road, Aldridge, Walsall, West Midlands, England. WS9 8PW. Tel.: +44 (0) 1922
Web Address: www.elite-systems.co.uk
Re: "Super Touring(TM)" PC - Down-load Site: 2nd Pre-Alpha Demo
Hmmm how can their be something "pre-Alpha" ?? Hehe.
Still it's a great load of fun.
- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard> Good race at the Brickyard, (-o-)
- Official Mentally retarded guy of r.a.s.
- Member of the r.a.s. Ego-maniac club
- Excuse me for my English (I'm French speaking)
- Excuse me for being provocative (I'm dumb speaking)
- "People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise
how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."--
