Re[2]: Stimulator accuracy

[<rsalzmann@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I haven't been to any driving schools yet, but I would like to offer this about 
Sims from my own experience.

For a couple of years, I was a big fan of the Papyrus Nascar Racing product.  
What this experience has done that supports John's comments is build a sort of 
track familiarity.  An example of this is, now when I flip on a race at one of 
the tracks that were part of the sim, I can recognize what track the race is at 
from just a 10-12 sec in-car cam shot.  I'm not a big follower of nascar, but I 
really enjoy the physics in the sim, and it was really sort of uncanny how I 
could turn on a race, and know exactly where it was, just by checking out the 
track.  Then, when I followed the cars around on the TV, I kind of knew what the
driver that I was watching had to contend with at certain parts of the 
track(provided the sim acurately represents the real thing, and that was their 
big selling point)

A big part of getting good in the sim was familiarizing myself with the track.  
Road courses seem especially prone to this.  Once I spent (hours, if not 
days)driving pretty slowly around the track, I could start to predict, or 
anticipate the next set of course features as I increased my speed.  

I am looking forward to my first driving school, and with all this in mind I 
anticipate a couple of things for myself.  I will probably be slow for at least 
a couple of schools, as I uncover the shortcomings in the car and in my skill.  
I will also seek an accurate sim that has the track that the school if possible 
to start building track familiarity.  I certainly can't speak from experience, 
but I think it might help.

For those of you who are DS veterans, I invite you to try a good sim and then 
see if it does anything for you on the track, then let us on the digest know 
what you think.  If nothing else, I would expect you would do well in the sim, 
having already driven the track in person.

Robb

Robb Salzmann
86 635CSi

"You've gotta put your behind in your past"
- -Pumba

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Stimulator accuracy
Author:  bolhuijo@domain.elided at Internet_TCO
Date:    10/14/98 10:15 AM


On Wed, 14 Oct 1998, Matthew Yip wrote:
     
> to spend the $$.  The reality is that while the games are getting more
> realistic, they are still GAMES.  For anyone who has actually spend time 
..
> be GAMES.  If you steer violently, the car may yaw slightly but it's 
> nothing like the real thing.  Besides, if you wreck your virtual car,
     
 I won't argue that there's a whole lot of input missing from a
simulation, but not all driving games are as forgiving as you may 
think.  Some of these things take driver input very seriously, and a 
violent steer will result in more than a little yaw.  Most of the sims 
have settings for steering help, anti-skid, ABS, etc.  Try turning 
them off and see how hard it is to control the car not only with no 
help from your normal sensory input, but also no help from the 
computer!  MS Cart precision racing comes to mind - if you turn off 
the help, you have almost no chance of controlling the car with the 
keyboard, as your only inputs are ALL or NONE.  Go get the demo and 
have fun.
 Also, don't overlook the value of getting to know the basic layout of
a track via a mere game.  Some of these things have the major tracks 
laid out with great precision.  So don't overestimate the value of a 
racing sim, but don't completely write them off either...
     
- --
  John Bolhuis    | These are no ordinary monkeys --
 bolhuijo         | these are mean, spiteful, butt-biting
  @domain.elided   | monkeys with an obvious mission: conquest.
                                        -tabloid.net
     
     

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