|
How do I get connected to a race?
Start the sim, choose "Multiplayer" from the menu, and at the next screen, check the "Internet" box and then click on "Join".
How do I keep my server private?
When you go to the Multiplayer screen, make sure the "Internet" connection option is NOT selected, and that TCP/IP IS selected.
What's all this business about car numbers?
Nascar Racing 3 allows us to pick our own car file for use online. On the right side of the multiplayer screen, there's a place to enter a filename (or you can select from the multi list).
A bug in the sim allows more than one person to pick the same car, and this can be quite troublesome when you're in a race that has pace lap or yellow flags turned on. When the spotter tells you to "Stay behind the 103 car", and there's two or more 103 cars in the race, your chances of getting a black flag for passing under caution are GREATLY increased.
Please make sure you check the "roster" in the race screen and make sure you're in a different car number than everyone else.
One really great aspect of this is that we're not restricted to using a car in the multi car list. If you want to use a cup car that was supplied with the sim, all you have to do is manually enter the car file name in the space provided on the multiplayer screen. For instance, if you want to drive in Dale Earnhardt's car, enter the filename c99_3, and you will be seen by everybody as driving that car.
If you pick a car file that nobody else has, (I **think**) the sim will pick a car out of the multi list on everyone else's machine.
Why are there different "channels"?
The only way I know to answer this is that "it's a WON thing". I think it's there so that we (as hosts) might put all pickup races in the Alpha channel, passworded races in the Bravo channel, and league races in the Charlie channel. This is only a theory of mine though.
How do you limit the number of cars in a race?
You have to change TWO settings on TWO different pages. On the first multiplayer screen, you have to set the number of human players that your server can support. Then, after you move to what I call the "Race configuration" screen, you have to specify the "Staring field size". This will limit how many cars actually race (combined AI and humans).
Why are there other cars on pitroad when I'm the only one in the race?
The sim uses these cars as place holders in the pits. If you count them, you'll find exactly one less than the number of cars allowed by the field size (you're the other car).
I'm waiting for people to join, but nobody wants to race (or only one other person does). Why?
Because you probably reduced the starting field size to 2 (the sim's minimum value). Increase this number to be equal to at least your max connections value.
What is the difference between IPX, TCP/IP, and Internet connections?
IPX - This connection can be useful on LANS that don't use TCP/IP, such as Novell-based networks.
TCP/IP - This is the protocol used by the internet (and most LANs). If you select this type of connection as a host, only people that know your IP address can connect to your server. If you select this connection as a client (joining a race), you will not see any of the servers that WON can find, and you will be required to enter the server IP address in order to connect.
Internet - This connection allows WON to find your server and put it in its list of active servers. If you select this option when joining a race, you will be presented with a list of servers that WON detects.
How do I chat in a race?
I would like to be able to tell you that it's not possible, but it is. Simply press "T" on your keyboard and start typing. Keep in mind that the chat system in the sim only allows something like 30 or so characters to be typed in any given message.
How do I change my autochat text?
There's a file called AUTOCHAT.TXT in your Nascar Racing 3 directory. This file contains 10 preset messages ("Exiting pits...", etc.). If you want to change your autochat messages, simply use NOTEPAD to edit this file. Remember, there's a limit of 30 or so characters for every chat message sent, so be brief.
Why do cars disappear?
Cars driven by other humans may pop in and out of view from time to time. This is caused by the server losing track of where the car is because the client machine can't send data (or the server can't receive the data) fast enough. Once the server catches up, the car will reappear. This is called "warping".
How do I improve my connection?
Generally, the better your connection to the internet, the better your connection to a given server will be. Among the things you can change, are:
- Improving hardware - the faster your CPU is, the better your machine will be able to"keep up" with what's going on. Also, more memory and a high-quality 3d video card are factors.
- Improving connection to ISP - If you must use a dial-up connection, do NOT use a WinModem. In fact, anything more than a 33.6 modem is pretty useless when playing online games. If it's at all possible, get a cable modem or ADSL service. There is simply NO REPLACEMENT for simply having a bigger data pipe.
- Change ISP - If your trace route makes more than 10 hops to your favorite server, consider changing ISP's or asking your ISP to take measures to improve their routing. I can't guarantee they'll be receptive to that suggestion, but at least you will have posed the question.
- On Your System - Turn off ALL software you don't absolutely need to race online. If you're using Microsoft Office, make sure FastFind is NOT in your Startup folder. If it is, remove it NOW.
- Improve your frame rate within the sim. The best thing you can do is make YOUR system provide a solid frame rate (above 30fps) at ALL times. Graphics problems can severely impact your quality of racing.
What are some of the problems I should expect to see in online races?
The following list of issues has not been verified as a problem by Papyrus, and is the things I have personally witnessed or observed while racing online.
- The sim allows more than one person to select the same car file. This can be quite troublesome when you're in a race that has pace lap or yellow flags turned on. When the spotter tells you to "Stay behind the 103 car", and there's two or more 103 cars in the race, your chances of getting a black flag for passing under caution are GREATLY increased. The code that allows drivers to select car numbers reacts inconsistently, and the feature is quite frankly documented poorly. Pickup races are going to be a pain in the butt until this is addressed.
- During caution laps, large gaps appear in the line of cars parading around the track. This phenomena has only been seen at Charlotte so far.
- You cannot host a TCP/IP race from behind a (Linux) firewall. In order for ANYBODY to join such a race, you must select "Internet" as one of your connections.
- The race WILL NOT start unless all of the cars have appeared on the grid. I sat there for 20 minutes in a race waiting for the sim to time out, and it never did.
- There should be a time limit of 60 seconds for all cars to make the grid before the pace car starts leading the field down the track. If the user wants to start the race late, the sim should place his car on pit road (in his pit stall) and held there until the entire field has passed the end of pit road.
- If you exit the race by pressing ESCAPE, your car remains onthe track (or wherever it was when you pressed ESCAPE), and you can rejoin the race at any time. I have a suggested fix here.
- I like the fact that I can rejoin the race in progress, but if the user presses ESCAPE, their car should automatically be towed to the pits, and some kind of time limit should be imposed so that if they don't return to the race, the car is eliminated from the track and they *can't* rejoin.
|
.
