Need for Speed mmo

zoom zoom http://www.mmorpg.com/newsRoom.cfm/read/16468/utm_campaign/MMORPG%20News%20Alert%20Email/utm_source/MMORPG/utm_medium/email mls67

The first beta test was in Asia (Taiwan). The second beta test, this time in english, was March 5->8. The third beta test will be March 19->22. The free roam area and the tracks are from a combined NFS Most Wanted and Carbon. About 1/2 of the map was unlocked in the second beta test, and I expect it to be about the same for the third beta test. The physics is simplified, with peformance just a bit slower than Most Wanted or Carbon. One of the goals was to allow for keyboard or gamepad play, although normal controllers such as joysticks or wheels will also work. The main MMO part of the game is leveling up to unlock cars, and also accumulating shots of nitrous that get consumed when used, as opposed to previous NFS games where the amount of nitrous was reset each race. There's a forced delay between usage of the nitrous, similar to NFS games where nitrous accumulated during a race, so the main difference with the MMO aspect is having to do single player races to earn shots of nitrous, then spending them during multi-player races. There are a lot of videos at youtube already. The next round of videos should be better since players will know what to expect.

The first beta test was in Asia (Taiwan). The second beta test, this time in english, was March 5->8. The third beta test will be March 19->22. The free roam area and the tracks are from a combined NFS Most Wanted and Carbon. About 1/2 of the map was unlocked in the second beta test, and I expect it to be about the same for the third beta test. The physics is simplified, with peformance just a bit slower than Most Wanted or Carbon. One of the goals was to allow for keyboard or gamepad play, although normal controllers such as joysticks or wheels will also work. The main MMO part of the game is leveling up to unlock cars, and also accumulating shots of nitrous that get consumed when used, as opposed to previous NFS games where the amount of nitrous was reset each race. There's a forced delay between usage of the nitrous, similar to NFS games where nitrous accumulated during a race, so the main difference with the MMO aspect is having to do single player races to earn shots of nitrous, then spending them during multi-player races. There are a lot of videos at youtube already. The next round of videos should be better since players will know what to expect.

"rcgldr" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:qWjon.114848$[email hidden]... > The physics is simplified, with peformance just a bit slower than > Most Wanted or Carbon. One of the goals was to allow for keyboard > or gamepad play, although normal controllers such as joysticks > or wheels will also work. Well, that sucks! Physics dummed down because of whining keyboard and gamepad users!

>> The physics is simplified, with peformance just a bit slower than >> Most Wanted or Carbon. One of the goals was to allow for keyboard >> or gamepad play, although normal controllers such as joysticks >> or wheels will also work. > Well, that sucks! Physics dummed down because of whining keyboard and gamepad users! I think all they do is smooth out digital inputs over time via some type of filter. There aren't enough cars in the beta test to judge the physics, as each car was given a different feel in the older NFS games that Wolrd is based on. For players that played Most Wanted and Carbon, the feel (responsiveness, oversteer), of the cars in NFS World bets test are within the range of the cars in the previous games. The pursuits were fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YtYQGA2IY8&fmt=22

On Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:42:27 -0700, "rcgldr" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted text (11 lines)

>>> The physics is simplified, with peformance just a bit slower than >>> Most Wanted or Carbon. One of the goals was to allow for keyboard >>> or gamepad play, although normal controllers such as joysticks >>> or wheels will also work. > >> Well, that sucks! Physics dummed down because of whining keyboard and gamepad users! > >I think all they do is smooth out digital inputs over time via some type >of filter. There aren't enough cars in the beta test to judge the physics, >as each car was given a different feel in the older NFS games that Wolrd >is based on.

You are on a racetrack, what do you want to do? >Go fast You're approaching a lefthand turn, what do you want to do? >Go left <Time skip> Congratulations, you've won the race! Sounds like a swell game! :) Cheers! Remco

"rcgldr" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:qWjon.114848$[email hidden]:

Quoted text (12 lines)

> The first beta test was in Asia (Taiwan). The second beta test, > this time in english, was March 5->8. The third beta test will > be March 19->22. The free roam area and the tracks are from > a combined NFS Most Wanted and Carbon. About 1/2 of the > map was unlocked in the second beta test, and I expect it to > be about the same for the third beta test. > > The physics is simplified, with peformance just a bit slower than > Most Wanted or Carbon. One of the goals was to allow for keyboard > or gamepad play, although normal controllers such as joysticks > or wheels will also work. >

That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. There's no way that a 90 WPM typist can beat a 10+ Mb/s USB cable. 90 WPM= 60x5x8 b/s=2400 b/s or the same as a 2400 Baud modem. Unless the wheel is only checked once every 8/2400 seconds or 0.0033... (1/300th), they won't compare. This would apply for getting *one* byte of information only - whereas 3 or 4 would be about right. One for each axis and one every 8 buttons.

Quoted text (9 lines)

> The main MMO part of the game is leveling up to unlock cars, and > also accumulating shots of nitrous that get consumed when used, > as opposed to previous NFS games where the amount of nitrous was > reset each race. There's a forced delay between usage of the > nitrous, similar to NFS games where nitrous accumulated during > a race, so the main difference with the MMO aspect is having to > do single player races to earn shots of nitrous, then spending > them during multi-player races. >

So even NFS has a version of KERS to dumb it down. <g>

Quoted text (8 lines)

> You are on a racetrack, what do you want to do? > Go fast > You're approaching a lefthand turn, what do you want to do? > Go left > Congratulations, you've won the race! > Sounds like a swell game!

Sounds like every racing game ever made. What was your point?

>> The physics is simplified, with peformance just a bit slower than >> Most Wanted or Carbon. One of the goals was to allow for keyboard >> or gamepad play, although normal controllers such as joysticks >> or wheels will also work. > That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. I should have stated that digital control inputs are simplified, not the physics. The way this is done is to modulate control inputs based the frequency and duration of button presses. Some games implement the equivalent of a steering assist when a digital controller is used. Note that Live For Speed, a sim-oriented racing game, still supports keyboard play although a wheel and pedals are recommended. At one time, Live For Speed keyboard players had an advantage because the game's steering assist was too close to perfect. For most games, this is a front end process. Digital control inputs are filtered and "enhanced" via the equivalent of a steering assist, similar to the one in Nascar Racing Season 2003, before being fed into the physics engine, which is shared by both digital and analog control inputs.

rcgldr wrote:

Quoted text (13 lines)

>> You are on a racetrack, what do you want to do? >> Go fast > >> You're approaching a lefthand turn, what do you want to do? >> Go left > >> Congratulations, you've won the race! >> Sounds like a swell game! > > Sounds like every racing game ever made. What was your point? > > >

It was a wink to text based adventures. :) My point is that if you dumb down the physics too much you'll lose the essence of racing. I'm sure NfS MMO will be a great game, but I wonder if it will be a good racegame. Cheers! Remco

> It was a wink to text based adventures. :) My point is that > if you dumb down the physics too much you'll lose the essence > of racing. I worded that badly. The physics wasn't simplified, but my guess is that digital inputs (keyboard, gamepad) are filtered and perhaps "enhanced" (similar to what Live For Speed does) before being fed into the physics engine.

"rcgldr" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:62Eon.44606$[email hidden]:

Quoted text (18 lines)

>>> The physics is simplified, with peformance just a bit slower than >>> Most Wanted or Carbon. One of the goals was to allow for keyboard >>> or gamepad play, although normal controllers such as joysticks >>> or wheels will also work. > >> That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. > > I should have stated that digital control inputs are simplified, not > the physics. > > The way this is done is to modulate control inputs based the frequency > and duration of button presses. Some games implement the equivalent of > a steering assist when a digital controller is used. Note that Live > For Speed, a sim-oriented racing game, still supports keyboard play > although a wheel and pedals are recommended. At one time, Live For > Speed keyboard players had an advantage because the game's steering > assist was too close to perfect. >

So there are keyboard cheats in other words? Pass. If it involves anything more complex than <- for left -> for right up for accelerate, down for brake and separate keys for shifting up and down one gear, all as non-repeating keys, it's not legit IMHO. I've used both and found that a wheel *is* faster and easier than a keyboard without accelerators. Time to give all keyboard users a Model T interface IMHO.<g> > For most games, this is a front end process. Digital control inputs > are filtered and "enhanced" via the equivalent of a steering assist, > similar to the one in Nascar Racing Season 2003, No idea what you're talking about there - I don't *do* NASCAR period. Real life, simulation anything. (well *maybe* something like a Smurf Massacre or Kill Saddam clone, but that's it). define what you mean by "enhanced" please. That word in isolation has as much meaning as "reform" does. > before being fed into the > physics engine, which is shared by both digital and analog control > inputs. > Did you get this from their website itself or is this your own wording?

Quoted text (12 lines)

>> I should have stated that digital control inputs are simplified, not >> the physics. >> The way this is done is to modulate control inputs based the frequency >> and duration of button presses. Some games implement the equivalent of >> a steering assist when a digital controller is used. Note that Live >> For Speed, a sim-oriented racing game, still supports keyboard play >> although a wheel and pedals are recommended. At one time, Live For >> Speed keyboard players had an advantage because the game's steering >> assist was too close to perfect. > So there are keyboard cheats in other words?

In the case of Live For Speed keyboard players had an advantage before they detuned the steering assist. > If it involves > anything more complex than <- for left -> for right > up for accelerate, down for brake Think of it as the equivalent of pulse width modulation as used for brushless DC motors, or fuel injectors on a car. The current or fuel is pulsed out in tiny bursts at some frequency to result in some average rate of flow. The duration of each burst and the frequency determines the amount of input the player is trying to achieve. >> For most games, this is a front end process. Digital control inputs >> are filtered and "enhanced" via the equivalent of a steering assist, >> similar to the one in Nascar Racing Season 2003, > No idea what you're talking about there - I don't *do* NASCAR period. > define what you mean by "enhanced" please. Think of it as the equivalent of a semi "auto-pilot". As an example of an "enhancement", a players actual steering inputs would only have to be somewhat close to ideal, and then the game would modify these inputs to make them very close to ideal. Somewhat like having steering speed sensitivity set to 100%, where holding down left arrow or holding the steering wheel left at some fixed position would end up targeting some rate of cornering load in a turn as opposed to targeting a radius. Sort of like the pressure senstive stick on a F-16 fighter, where the pilot's control input is to request a rate of roll or pitch (g force), and the onboard electronics translate this into actual surface defelection based on airspeed. >> before being fed into the physics engine, which is shared by both >> digital and analog control inputs. > Did you get this from their website itself or is this your own wording? My own wording, although braking and steering assists, where the game brakes and steers for the player can be found in a few sim-oriented games, as options for a player new to racing games.

"rcgldr" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:LPipn.53936$[email hidden]: Sorry for the delay. I sometimes delay my more involved posts a few days for a break in my other postings/replies.

Quoted text (25 lines)

>>> I should have stated that digital control inputs are simplified, not >>> the physics. > >>> The way this is done is to modulate control inputs based the >>> frequency and duration of button presses. Some games implement the >>> equivalent of a steering assist when a digital controller is used. >>> Note that Live For Speed, a sim-oriented racing game, still supports >>> keyboard play although a wheel and pedals are recommended. At one >>> time, Live For Speed keyboard players had an advantage because the >>> game's steering assist was too close to perfect. > >> So there are keyboard cheats in other words? > > In the case of Live For Speed keyboard players had an advantage before > they detuned the steering assist. > >> If it involves > anything more complex than <- for left -> for right >> up for accelerate, down for brake > > Think of it as the equivalent of pulse width modulation as used for > brushless DC motors, or fuel injectors on a car. The current or fuel > is pulsed out in tiny bursts at some frequency to result in some > average rate of flow. The duration of each burst and the frequency > determines the amount of input the player is trying to achieve. >

So it's a key repeater you're saying?

Quoted text (20 lines)

>>> For most games, this is a front end process. Digital control inputs >>> are filtered and "enhanced" via the equivalent of a steering assist, >>> similar to the one in Nascar Racing Season 2003, > >> No idea what you're talking about there - I don't *do* NASCAR period. >> define what you mean by "enhanced" please. > > Think of it as the equivalent of a semi "auto-pilot". > > As an example of an "enhancement", a players actual steering inputs > would only have to be somewhat close to ideal, and then the game would > modify these inputs to make them very close to ideal. Somewhat like > having steering speed sensitivity set to 100%, where holding down left > arrow or holding the steering wheel left at some fixed position would > end up targeting some rate of cornering load in a turn as opposed to > targeting a radius. Sort of like the pressure senstive stick on a F-16 > fighter, where the pilot's control input is to request a rate of roll > or pitch (g force), and the onboard electronics translate this into > actual surface defelection based on airspeed. >

Now that's just plain cheating. Like the recent addition of speed proportional steering that has appeared in high end cars. If you mean the amount of steering lock is determined by the maximum lateral g's at the apex speed.

Quoted text (10 lines)

>>> before being fed into the physics engine, which is shared by both >>> digital and analog control inputs. > >> Did you get this from their website itself or is this your own >> wording? > > My own wording, although braking and steering assists, where the game > brakes and steers for the player can be found in a few sim-oriented > games, as options for a player new to racing games. >

I much preferred it when such things were limited to separate background programs. Is that the case still or is it actually built into the software? I'd much prefer it if you would use plain language and detailed explanations than the marketing terms you've been using. I still am unsure enough about your meaning that I'm not at all sure my reply is even relevant to what you replied with. Are there league restrictions placed on these cheats at all? or is it just a free-for-all?

Quoted text (7 lines)

>> Think of it as the equivalent of pulse width modulation as used for >> brushless DC motors, or fuel injectors on a car. The current or fuel >> is pulsed out in tiny bursts at some frequency to result in some >> average rate of flow. The duration of each burst and the frequency >> determines the amount of input the player is trying to achieve. > So it's a key repeater you're saying?

The player has to do the key repeating in this case. I was explaining how button "steering" works, with just filtering, but without the assist. Say the tires have 20 degrees of steering angle to either side. To get an average of 10 degree left angle, the left key must be tapped so that it's ends up being pressed down 50% of the time. Without any filtering the steering would instantly transtion between 0 degrees and 20 degrees, a 10 degree average, but with +/- 10 degree variation. What flitering does is slow the response rate of the steering to key presses, usually some type of ramp up, where the initial rate of movement is small, and then increases the longer that a key (or button) is held down, so that the steering angle doesn't oscillate much if the key is tapped reasonably fast. Using my example, the end result with filtering might be a 10 degree average with a +/- .5 degree variation if the key is tapped fast enough (as opposed to a +/- 10 degree variation without any filtering).

Quoted text (13 lines)

>>> No idea what you're talking about there - I don't *do* NASCAR period. >>> define what you mean by "enhanced" please. >> >> Think of it as the equivalent of a semi "auto-pilot". >> >> As an example of an "enhancement", a players actual steering inputs >> would only have to be somewhat close to ideal, and then the game would >> modify these inputs to make them very close to ideal. > Now that's just plain cheating. Like the recent addition of speed > proportional steering that has appeared in high end cars. If you > mean the amount of steering lock is determined by the maximum lateral > g's at the apex speed.

That's speed sensitive steering. Set to 100%, then steering input becomes lateral g input at all speeds. Steering assist is where the game steers for you. At 100% you don't do any steering all, the game does it all for you and you're just along for the ride. How perfect the steering assist is at 100% depends on the game. Some racing games setup the assist so that lap times are a bit slower if all the assists are on, while others may produce close to record lap times. Another variation on steering assist is that the game requires that you at least press left or right in order to start the car steering, but then takes over after that. Depending on the level of assist, it will enhance your steering inputs so that they more closely follow the ideal line. The game still steers for you, but you have to press left or right to initiate the steering, and as long as you hold left or right down, the game will do most of the steering for you, adjusting the actual control inputs based on speed, conering radius, bank angle, grip level, ... . In the case of Live For Speed, the steering assist for digital contoller was too good, so they backed it off a bit to less than ideal, and the player generally has to tap the left or right arrow keys in order to achieve optimum lap times. In the case of Need For Speed Shift, digital steering doesn't work well at all. Player with gamepads have to use the joystick to steer. Shift does have steering assist, and setting it to low seems to help some players. Setting it to high generally hurts lap times. The braking assist and/or ABS on generally hurts lap times. In the case of Need For Speed World, digital steering works OK, but I suspect that analog steering will produce better lap times, based on my experience with the Beta tests. In a strange twist, most of the sim-oriented games have steering and braking assists, while most arcade racing games do not (other than filtering and some enhacement of digital inputs).

Quoted text (13 lines)

>>>> before being fed into the physics engine, which is shared by both >>>> digital and analog control inputs. >> >>> Did you get this from their website itself or is this your own >>> wording? >> >> My own wording, although braking and steering assists, where the game >> brakes and steers for the player can be found in a few sim-oriented >> games, as options for a player new to racing games. >> > I much preferred it when such things were limited to separate background > programs. Is that the case still or is it actually built into the > software?

The assists need to be built into the game, since only the game would know the conering radius, bank angle, and grip level at each section of track, which is required in order to steer for the player. Filtering to smooth out digital inputs could be done outside of the game. > Are there league restrictions placed on these cheats at all? Depends on the game. On some racing games, a race server can restrict the options, such as no assists, and limiting the view option to in car only.