After what seemed like a year, I finaly got N3.

On the way home from the local CompUSA, I ponder the question of having to pay $49.99US for a game that I have supported from it's beginning. Well, it came down to support to Papyrus/Sierra. Okay, the issue of the cost is out of the way. I am not going to compare features to price. Was it worth the full price? Yes and No. For me....no. But for someone else, who has just bought their first Nascar racing simulation game....Yes. Okay! First off, everything seemed a little more polished. But, I got to tell you, I wanted to see the smoke! So I go directly to Bristol. Every spin, was happening behind and I wasn't seeing the smoke. So, I try Dega. That was the best AI race at Dega I have ever had. Still no smoke. Then it happened. A car up front started losing a motor. The first time I saw N2 in rendition, I was truly impressed with the "haze" on the track when looking at the corners. The hint of smoke on the track just added so much more. After running a lap in light smoke, I was wishing to see the heavy smoke. The stuff not caused by me. No luck I tried to spin some AI's. No luck. I walked away wanting to play again. And that is the key to any successful game. After a 'quality time' break with my son, I am back. This time I am going online! I did get to race on one of the Test Servers. That was the best race I had had all night. Mainly due to the fact that it didn't drop the race, just to go start the same race in another arena. This is when it happened. I finally got to see the smoke and have to deal with the desired effect. I was running mid-pack. when the spotter warns me of a spin. Then I see the smoke. Okay....aim for the spinning car....He won't be there when you get to that spot.....wait, I can't see the spinning car! How many are spinning?! There's one! Which direction was he crossing the track?! I have no idea what the spotter was saying, if he was saying anything at all. I had totally tuned him out! When in doubt, hug the wall, close your eyes and pray! I couldn't see a thing! That was the coolest thing since seeing actual mountains on a flight simulator. WOW! The next spin that took place, I wasn't so lucky. WOW! Was it worth the full price? Maybe for me it was...... Thad LTOThud......For now, One and the few other dozen guys that are #143

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> On the way home from the local CompUSA, I ponder the question of having to > pay $49.99US for a game that I have supported from it's beginning. Well, it > came down to support to Papyrus/Sierra. Okay, the issue of the cost is out > of the way. I am not going to compare features to price. Was it worth the > full price? Yes and No. For me....no. But for someone else, who has just > bought their first Nascar racing simulation game....Yes. > Okay! First off, everything seemed a little more polished. But, I got to > tell you, I wanted to see the smoke! So I go directly to Bristol. Every > spin, was happening behind and I wasn't seeing the smoke. So, I try Dega. > That was the best AI race at Dega I have ever had. Still no smoke. Then it > happened. A car up front started losing a motor. The first time I saw N2 > in rendition, I was truly impressed with the "haze" on the track when > looking at the corners. The hint of smoke on the track just added so much > more. After running a lap in light smoke, I was wishing to see the heavy > smoke. The stuff not caused by me. No luck I tried to spin some AI's. No > luck. I walked away wanting to play again. And that is the key to any > successful game. > After a 'quality time' break with my son, I am back. This time I am going > online! I did get to race on one of the Test Servers. That was the best > race I had had all night. Mainly due to the fact that it didn't drop the > race, just to go start the same race in another arena. This is when it > happened. I finally got to see the smoke and have to deal with the desired > effect. I was running mid-pack. when the spotter warns me of a spin. Then > I see the smoke. Okay....aim for the spinning car....He won't be there when > you get to that spot.....wait, I can't see the spinning car! How many are > spinning?! There's one! Which direction was he crossing the track?! I have > no idea what the spotter was saying, if he was saying anything at all. I > had totally tuned him out! When in doubt, hug the wall, close your eyes and > pray! I couldn't see a thing! That was the coolest thing since seeing > actual mountains on a flight simulator. WOW! The next spin that took place, > I wasn't so lucky. > WOW! Was it worth the full price? Maybe for me it was...... > Thad > LTOThud......For now, One and the few other dozen guys that are #143

Thanks for the story, I enjoyed it!! It was great to read one that didn't pick apart the program and point out all the things that they didn't like about it! It is all too often and easy to point out flaws with something rather than appreciating and complimenting it. H-H

It's funny how little things make a big difference. Yesterday I was racing on C***te (oops, sorry, Lowe's... :-), I was at the back (as usual, when in the middle of the pack a car got trouble with his motor. The tiny trail of smoke looked so cool! Another nice thing was that he didn't go the the pits immediately: he tried to keep up one more lap but after that he went into the pits. It was just as if a REAL driver was in that car, who couldn't make up his mind what to do: go in the pits or not....? This little thing made the race so increcible realistic, so immersive! I also never could believe how something simple as skid marks could make a game even more realistic! N3 is great. If only I could keep up with the fast guys... Jeroen