| NASCAR SimRacing Facts : | ||
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Nascar SimRacing has surely enjoyed its fair share of hype in the past few months. Hype can be a good thing, creating buzz that gets the buying public primed for the release of their almighty dollar. EA Sports certainly got people talking with claims that NSR was going to be the best Sim-racing title ever produced. However, the energy contained in the buzz can turn into a riot if what is promised is not delivered. There is a distinct line between commercialism and fact. I have been in business long enough to have developed a fair sense of cautious cynicism coupled with knowing the difference between advertised promotion and reality. For those that cannot tell the difference, I have some gorgeous oceanfront property in Eastern Kansas that I need to sell. :-) EA Sports made some grandiose promotional statements and there are people that took these declarations as gospel. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but companies like EA are very perceptive in the media blitz category. You do not sell a million copies of each of 27 titles in a year’s time without doing a little work on the marketing end of your business. That success also does not come from narrowing your audience to 25 % of a targeted market and 25% is a generous calculation. Sim-Racers of the hardcore variety are not the mainstream regardless of what we might think. In case you missed it the first time I will say it again. We are not the majority when it comes to PC computer games that involve racing. Generally a writer ( and I use that term loosely !) will put his disclaimer at the end of his article. In this case, I felt compelled to place it nearer the beginning. I am forced by my own integrity and my respect for the community to be as honest and objective as possible. My neutrality has been tainted somewhat by the negativity of items written about EA Sports and NASCAR SimRacing before I got the chance to experience the game. I have a subjective opinion, but not because I chose to judge this title against any other nor will I hold EA Sports in contempt for their marketing strategies.
Nascar SimRacing is a good solid game built on a proven platform that has worked for many titles in the past and will continue to do so in the future. This title is far from what a hardcore sim-racer would call perfect but there is tremendous potential for this series to become another mainstream product enjoyed by many. NSR is neither the worst nor the best sim-racing title out there. This title contains some classic game elements that can be developed further, and it contains some totally inexcusable oversights that should have never made it out the door. EA Sports is not an upstart company straining to stay afloat in the sea of computer gaming. The opportunity to seize the NASCAR faithful was not going to die off after SpeedWeeks. The mindset to release an unpolished product that they themselves touted to employ the best of everything, escapes me. The Graphics Engine's multiple textured tasks coupled with the latest version of DirectX 9c has certainly upped the ante as far as processing power and texture loading. As the old saying goes: ‘Good software sells good hardware’ and the requirements for the game are certainly prohibitive for the casual computer user. The minimum system requires a 1Ghz or better CPU, a 32Mb or better AGP graphics card with at least 256Mb of RAM---not a state-of-the-art computer system by today’s standards, but definitely lofty. From my perspective, I would hate to think what the gaming experience would be on a system with only the minimum requirements. My gaming system is about a year old and much above the stated minimum, but I cannot begin to run all of the graphical enhancements on ‘full’. I can see a few of these CD’s are going back to the store due to poor user experience derived from an insufficient computer system. It will not be because the end user was displeased with the action itself, but disappointed simply for the reason that their system met the stated requirements, yet fell way short of being playable. I believe this underestimation of required hardware has initiated some of the negative reaction to NSR. Either the code needs optimization to run well on the least possible required system specs or the box needs to indicate the true requirements for the expected level of enjoyment. Ideally one would expect to view the “recommended system requirements” from the label on the box and not the readme file. The consumer must be better informed from the outset of the purchase. As a software consumer, if my system tops the recommended system requirements, in my mind that means that I should be able to run the program with all enhancements. In NSR, this is not the reality. However if you have the power to turn on all of the eye-candy, you are in for a treat. The dynamic lighting effects and pixel shading are very well done. Some pleasant features in NSR that do not require an enormous amount of processing power are the mixture of menus and options screens within the game. I have always been impressed by the controller interface in the ISI based games. The various dead-zone and sensitivity settings are extremely useful and they provide the user an opportunity to be well connected. It is disappointing that the instructions for the controller settings are missing from the manual and the readme file. For the majority familiar to sim-racing, it is not a task that is foreign. However, too often the users are left to fend for themselves in the abyss of trial and error. I probably harp on developers about controllers too often but it is a crucial adjustment that should not be left to chance. This is the only physical interface linking the user to the game and if the correlation is not absolutely perfect, everything that happens after that suffers from that missed connection. Producers of all games need to take a long hard look at this issue. Take the time required to include a controller document that explains each and every aspect of the settings available to the user. With the enormous number of different controllers available, it is truly a miracle that any of them work at all. If gaming producers would divulge just a little bit of information, they would be miles ahead in achieving customer satisfaction. The various game selections, options, and setup menus are simple and provide easy navigation throughout the game. Graphics settings that are selected on the main screen are about the only items left unavailable once at the track. A few graphical tweaks are offered but if your system cannot handle the tasks and settings that you have selected before the track has been loaded, you will have to start over from the beginning. A few have encountered an issue with selecting and assigning the current car set up to the current session. Although you would assume that the current car set-up would be automatically assigned, this is not the case. The interface does allow the user to edit and save the set-up without overwriting the old settings. This allows the driver to make edits to the set-up without the commitment of overwriting the previous choices, thus removing the fear of not being able to find their way back. The interface simply denotes the edited setup with an asterisk (*) and saves it separately until you decide to keep the changes. The remainder of the set-up menu is standard fair for any garage area and contains the ability to change springs, shocks, air pressure, caster, camber, steering lock, etc. The coding engineers deserve high praise for their work on the relationship between the set-up interface and the correlation to the physics of the car. The adjustments that the user makes in the garage create a predictable reaction on the track. Setting up a racecar to outperform the competition and at the same time make the driver comfortable to a point where the maximum potential of both can be reached is not a simple task. The guys and gals that excel will be the ones that do their homework in the garage area. NSR stores telemetry data from saved replays and displays that data in various charts and graphs. To those who are mechanically challenged, this interface may seem useless. For people like myself who enjoy the mechanical nuts and bolts of racing, this will be an amazing tool to compile and reaffirm the reactions of your racecar. NASCAR teams spend countless hours working on and testing set-ups. They create volumes of data related to the set-up options that generate speed. NSR will require you to do the same if you want to succeed. Once your set-up is tweaked and assigned to your particular session all that is left is to blend off the pit lane and drive. The first thing that becomes apparent in pulling out of your pit stall is that the engine seems flat. Whether you use the Auto-clutch feature or a pedal on the floor, the car just does not seem to jump to life the way 750 HP should. Once the car begins to roll, everything seems to be ok but the first 50 feet feels like the car is in the gravel trap. SimRacing is about driving. Aside from some of the distractions, the game does drive well. Physics have always been on the top of my list when it comes to driving games and I will give credit to the physics of this game because honestly and objectively, they are darn good. As the game is now, there are a couple of things that were missed in modeling the Detroit Locker rear-end coupling but a painless text edit to the player (.plr) file will remedy that. Having said that, I really have to wonder why NRS was released without some of these simple text edits in the first place. Since there are different driving modes for specific ability as well as corresponding car set-ups, I am a little baffled at how it slipped out the door and onto the gold copy. It would seem rather straightforward to leave the edit out for the arcade mode and include it in what they term as the “Veteran” and “Expert” Mode. This edit alone changes the feel and the dynamic of the cars to a tremendous degree. The sad thing is new EA Sim-Racing customers who do not have this information will essentially miss the experience because of a 2-digit text edit. All projects of this magnitude get crunched near release time but concessions in other areas would have had much less effect on the final product. Not every sim-racer will have the desire to compete solely against the AI drivers but by the same token not everyone has a broadband connection required for multiplayer racing in NSR. For the most part the AI cars in NSR are quite good. I will qualify that statement to say that they are selectively good at selected tracks. At a few of the tracks AI stands for Aggressive and Intelligent, yet at others AI stands for Abhorrently Inept. I drove a few truck races at The Milwaukee Mile where there were caution flags almost every other lap and believe it or not, they were not caused by me. Yet in the same race there were stretches where the AI drivers were tough, aggressive, and intelligent all in the span of a few laps. They gave me room to race, yielded a little when I slid up the track and fought hard for their position. Their behavior was actually more lifelike than some of the real-life racers that I have competed against in other venues. Regardless of people’s perception, there is a little give and take on a racetrack. Not every driver enters the corner or hits his braking point exactly the same every lap. Some corners you win as a driver and some you lose, and there lies the challenge. Racing is not about doing perfect laps. Racing is about competing with other drivers, racing the track as well as the competition, and using your skills to put yourself in a position to make a pass. The AI drivers do compete amongst themselves as well as the player and in one instance I even got a little bump on the straight during a caution. Whether that is a bug in the AI tracking, my imagination or maybe I upset that particular driver on the previous lap---I’m not sure. If it was the latter of the three, I can only hope that driver had a meeting in the “Oval Office” after the race! It was definitely not one of those out of control braking maneuvers that we have seen from other AI pilots. He jacked me up right at the flag-stand and spun me out. I have always had a passion for multiplayer racing because of the opportunity to compete against human opponents as well as the pleasure of meeting new people from around the world doing something we enjoy. I was under the impression that since NSR required every player to have a broadband connection that the multiplayer game would not be dragged down by people joining with low connection speeds. The hope was for more cars racing and less warp. Unfortunately they missed the target wide left. Every single person that joins a server lags all other joined connections until the connection is completed. This means that every racer who is qualifying or practicing loses control of their virtual racecar at that moment. Various cheats remain undetected by the dedicated server applet. There are very few necessary remote server controls or pass-worded administration commands. The capability to see 40+ drivers online is nowhere close to reality because processor usage on the server is just too high. The magical watermark of 40+ drivers in an online venue is certainly a lofty goal--a goal derived more from hype than necessity. I would be perfectly satisfied to race against 25 drivers if I was guaranteed minimal warp and all 25 had to finish the race. One consideration this title does possess in multiplayer mode is the ghosting of a car when it does experience lag. This will allow a car that is warping to regain its connection to the server and not destroy the event for the other competitors that might be affected during the lag and the ensuing carnage. The outcome and experience of many online racing events has been ruined by a few seconds of latency or packet loss. It is refreshing that considerations are being given to latency in online racing. The sound effects in any sim are crucial to the immersion as well as to provide feedback. In absence of a motion platform the sounds are important information given to the player. NSR provides sounds that are realistic in nature but lack the feedback needed to create the illusion of speed, position and attitude of the car. The volume of the cars around you drowns out the sound of your car as well as the crew chief and spotter’s transmissions. I have adjusted the sound options, text tweaks, and the volume sliders and none of them produce accurate volumes. One of our forum members discovered that by switching the external [_EXT.wav] sounds with the internal [_INT.wav] the in-car volume was corrected. The spotter volume is still barely audible but the fix did allow for better feedback and gave the audible sensation needed to feel the car. As a driver in a simulation, I need to feel the power under my foot through those sounds since there is no other feedback to create that sensation. If EA Sports and Tiburon are guilty of anything it is that they have tried too hard to appeal to the masses. There is music playing in your ear when you load up the game. There are jets flying over the track before you race. Who is that supposed to impress? Sim-Racers don’t care about that stuff. We come to race. Period. Despite what you might think by now, I actually enjoy this sim. For the first time in this review, you heard me call it a sim because it is. NSR is a sim and it is a game. Many people judged this game on the hype and what they perceived as real. Using one game as the yardstick to measure the legitimacy of another is just ridiculous. Quite a few racers confuse their ability to excel in a computer game with their self-worth. Challenge the validity of that prowess and then things get personal quick! There is a balance. All of the name-calling, false accusations, and half-truths that have been spewed around on both sides have left me with an extremely sour taste. There is no question that EA used the media machine to its full extent. No one can blame them for promoting their product. What producers would release a statement saying they were going to come to the market with a mediocre effort? What do you expect them to say? One thing their media blitz did do however was create exposure for a product that many people would have written off well before the release of the NSR Demo. They even got me to buy it because I had to see for myself what all the commotion was about. To be perfectly honest, I think it is pretty darn good. If you consider what people claim to like most about simulation software, get in and drive. I think you’ll like it. Is it perfect? Nope, none of them are perfect. Does it need work? Yep. They all do. Is it worth buying? Yep. BUT???---- and it is a major but and there is a problem. EA Sports has confessed (or more accurately “leaked” to the media) the game in its current state needs a patch. Actually it needs more than one. If we are expected to believe they are going to support the title until they get it right, there needs to be proof of their commitment. That support has not yet materialized. If some of these issues are addressed, NSR might possibly move to the head of the class. This Sim definitely has potential but that potential has not yet exceeded the hype. |
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Comments : |
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| Author: Peogeot | 04-03-2005 |
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Hmmm...nice story and interesting!!! |
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| Author: Dennis Sublett | 04-03-2005 |
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Finally, an accurate review of this sim / game -- and yes I watched your use of that word from the outset. Fantastic review that is refreshingly honest and perfect right out of the wind tunnel! |
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| Author: DRat | 04-03-2005 |
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Thanks for the first honest review I've seen anywhere on this. Based on past experience with EA, I really don't expect to see all the big issues resolved if the game sells well in the console versions beforehand. Not to compare EA with ------, but with EA there has been a demonstrated lack of willingness to fix and an apparent eagerness to sell you a new game instead (NSR 2006?). |
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| Author: SteveTRM | 04-03-2005 |
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Very good and honest review. |
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| Author: M.J. | 04-03-2005 |
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The first honest and fair review of Nascar Simracing thus far.. Thanks |
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| Author: DDawg | 04-03-2005 |
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I personally like the National Anthem/jet fly over ... its about the only realistic part of the game thus far! Does NSR have lots of potential ... Heck yes ... but, because it is "EA Sports", don't hold your breath! I remember their support for thier older nascar games ... |
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| Author: ElfjeTwaalfje | 04-03-2005 |
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Well written and spot on. Back to NR2003. |
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| Author: shane | 04-03-2005 |
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have always liked the nascar sims even though im from the uk not so popular over here but a very informative article |
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| Author: B_T_R | 05-03-2005 |
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Well thought review, I wish you had listed the text edits you did!
Thanks,
Dan |
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| Author: RCR | 05-03-2005 |
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Well said! |
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| Author: Bill Krause | 05-03-2005 |
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NASCAR Sim is a step forward in the car handling category. Time will tell is the mod community embraces the sim or not. |
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| Author: Stevie D | 05-03-2005 |
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Best review I have seen yet, you can tell they didn't pay you off for this one. I think the same about everything you said, if they support this thing like they say its going to be pretty awesome. |
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| Author: 15yearsatSimracing | 06-03-2005 |
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They misused the name just like most companies do these days
5/10 just cause it's still a little fun but still at the end of the day you are going round in circles & the only game that made it fun to do that was nascar 4
ea stop the bull & put more time into the SIM FACTOR
no sale |
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| Author: Rick Savage | 07-03-2005 |
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This article is one of the more informative and well rounded reviews I have read thus far. |
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| Author: Steve | 09-03-2005 |
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good review I loved the feel and looks of the game, but, hated the sound and the fact you must be connected to the Internet to host a LAN game. |
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| Author: BernL | 19-03-2005 |
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Its a fair call. |
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| Author: Tim Hill | 01-04-2005 |
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We need to let this rest. Lets EA
work this out and when EA release
the patches everyone should be
happy. |
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| Author: LegendsRacer | 06-04-2005 |
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EA needs to take a hint... their games sucks there is no realism to it if you want a good nascar sim you might have to drop $70 dollars but it is well worth it in the end |
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| Author: TRM | 17-04-2005 |
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I couldn't have said it better my self. If it takes six months for them to get it right so be it. Run your Heat and NR2003, thats what i'am doing. |
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| Author: instinct6 | 30-04-2005 |
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I think that Sierra should remass produce 2003 season and put it back on the shelves. That would help those that want to have a real nascar sim game. It would save them about $50. Cause EA will never do a nascar sim game anywere close to being as good. |
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| Author: dddibley | 09-05-2005 |
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enjoyed the overview. It's not always about the race.
lost a point for the tiny text. my eyes aren't what they used to be.
:)
ddd |
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| Author: Jay | 10-06-2005 |
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I agree the sim is almost up to speed. What we all need as a sim community is to get all 43 drivers in a relaease. Not just the top 20 plus some others. I have givin' EA a second chance and will not buy another racing game from them EVER again. I thinks its high time we all send a powerful message to EA Sports and boycott their next and all future racing products. one voice doesn't make a difference, but over 1,000,000 will definitely send a powerful message to EA to give up on NASCAR and stay to Other sports. Anyone who accepts the fact that Dale Earnhardt is still alive and still needs to be involved in 2005 Season seriously is not considerate of those that not only enjoyed watching him race but his fan base as well is disrepecting US THE TRUE NASCAR FANS!! If you still think its better as the WInston Cup Than you know what I am talking about If you know it as the nextel cup than abviously you do not care about what happens you just bought the game because of the pretty box. ENOUGH EA Let The RACING COMMUNITY HAVE THEIR SAY DO RESEARCH BEFORE YOU TAKE OVER A LISCENSE.. WE are your consumer please us and your life can good. Keep making this S#!& you call a racing simulater and you can count on the teenage and some young adults who still live with their mother buying your games.. Stand Up TRUE Fans and lets make a Difference...Go to their website and tell them about it. Don't lay down anymore.. WE DON'T HAVETO TAKE IT..BOYCOTT EA RACING SIMS and let true racing proffessionals resume Making the games. IS ANYONE OUT THERE CAPABLE ENOUGH TO GIVE US A TRUE OUT OF THE BOX RACING GAME WITH NO THIRD PARTY HAVING TO MAKE THE FINAL ADJUSTMENTS AND MISSING PIECES... Give us that and you could too could be a billionaire.... |
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| Author: Sardukar | 14-06-2005 |
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I'm not sure how some of you can slag off NSR. Unless you've driven in Nascar i don't think you can comment. Just accept it how it is and trust that it's "close" to the real thing. If your judging it from previous Nascar games than your quite sad. |
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| Author: David | 26-11-2005 |
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I am going to get Nascar SimRacing anyway but now I know some of the minor problems. But with all PC games patches are a fact of life. |
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| Author: SIGGY001 | 06-01-2006 |
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excellent review, have not purchased sim, but am convinced to do so. |
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| Author: Rick Rice Jr | 13-05-2006 |
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As a sim racer since 1999, I have to agree with your review. Some folks like Papyrus Nascar 2003 and some like EA's Nascar. Heres what I think.
Nascar SimRacing is the best as far as racing the AI offline. If you slam the into Veteran mode against the AI it is very competitive.
Online however I would have to vote for Nascar Racing 2003 Season. Because of the clean drivers there? NO! Only for the fact that Papyrus added the rating system to their sim.
As far as I am concerned, when you turn all the driving aids off and switch into veteran mode, EA's title doesn't have enough HSP and the Papyrus title does not enough grip. Mix the two games together and you would have an awesome simulation game. |
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| Author: Brent Ruvio | 21-12-2006 |
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i'm 16. i have both NSR and NR 2003. i have to go with NR 2003. only because i think the gaming experince overall is better. NSR is good but not that good. has better grafix but lacks the other areas. To JAY: i'm a teenager buddy, i ain't no mommas boy. i bought the game cause i thought it would be like NASCAR 05 : chase for the cup. i bought with my own money not my parents. i was dissapointed, BIG TIME. stop stereotyping buddy and grow up. |
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