Steam Summer Sales Begins - (June 19-30)

[JudgeDredd]

I keep going back to the Nascar 14 page...for $16 it's a tough call.  It has so damn many negative reviews, but I'm a pretty soft core car race guy so I keep wondering if I'll dislike as much as the hardcore guys do.

NASCAR 14 - oooh. I don't particularly regard myself as a hardcore racer. I rally like the genre, but I have no idea what all the settings etc do and never really bothered to find out.

It's not a terrible game, and for $16 it could probably be regarded as ok for that...but I had three main gripes :

• Grille Tape - absolutely no effect whatsoever. You should be able, from what I gather, to put 100% grille tape on your car and notice a significant speed increase and also a significant rise in engine temp...I saw absolutely nothing
• The second gripe is the AI. It's ok on the bigger circuits like Texas and Daytona and other big ovals....but on Bristol??? OMG - not a lap will go by without being whacked

[liDrafting seemed to make zero or negligible difference to engine temp[/li]
[/list]

The bigger ovals were "fun" (as fun as ovals can be for some people). It looked good and the AI raced ok. I would say for 16 dolla you would likely get your money's worth based on you not being hardcore...I laid off for a while hoping those little issues were fixed.

[JudgeDredd]

In fact Toonces, these were my first impressions at SimHQ

*************************************
Well...just raced my first race in career mode.

It's actually very enjoyable. I mean really enjoyable. I just done 60 laps at Daytona. The race was close at the start and as is Daytona kind of spaced out over the laps. There were occasional cars where I could draft and the drafting effect is cool and seems to work well, allowing a slingshot but allowing the car behind to stay with you. It seemed to me also that the drafting had "degrees" of effectiveness and the better your line behind the car, the better the draft...I don't know, but it seemed that way.

So I rather enjoyed it.

I wasn't entirely sure about the results or the format. For example I was 16th on the final lap and I didn't see anyone I could've passed (though a car or two may well have pulled in the pits)...but the race finished telling me I was 11th. However, when I went to the garage, it told me I had finished 15th. Also, it said I had qualified 30th when in actual fact I had qualified 4th. And finally when the race format for Daytona was
Practice 1
Qualify
Practice 2
Duel 1
Duel 2
But I only took part in Duel 1. Was Duel 2 not available to me because I only finished 16th? 15th? 11th?

Anyway - that seemed to me to be what I expected from a NASCAR game. I also liked the fact that you could tap the cars in front or keep being tapped in the rear and it didn't make you spin...much like Nascar 2003 Season used to. And that the AI seemed to be aware of where you are. The two accidents in the race were caused by me and my "nervous" driving.

Of course the AI may not be so great in some other races, like Watkins Glen (a road course) or a Bristol (a very short oval).

There are some things I wasn't too keen on....like the pits. When you drive in the AI takes over and then you get the chance to make your selections...but you ONLY get the time from the AI taking over until you box...and it really isn't enough time...or at least it wasn't. Perhaps as you perform races and understand the pit menu better, you'll be able to make your selections quicker. Also there were a couple of accidents but no yellows. I don't know if yellows come out for all accidents, they seemed to for NASCAR 2003 Season...but the two accidents in the race didn't bring out the yellows...though they weren't big pile ups.

I actually don't mind the AI taking control of the car into the pits.

Things I enjoyed
Drafting effect
Graphics overall are pretty good
Racing was good
AI seemed aware of you
Bumping did not result in an automatic spin
Options for setup seemed enough for me
AI taking over at pit entry

Things I'm not sure about
Results and race format
Not enough time to make pit selections

A big thumbs up from me so far.
*************************************


Followed my further impressions going in...
*************************************
I could be wrong, but I did a run at Daytona with 50% tape and 100% tape and I didn't notice any difference in speed when in NASCAR Season 2003 grille tape made quite a difference. I also didn't notice too much in the way of heat issues...and with 100% tape in NASCAR Season 2003 100% grille tape would have got you a blown engine in a few laps.

I was able to do 9 laps, with some drafting, with seemingly no heat issues.

Was NASCAR Season 2003 grille tape effect exaggerated or isn't it modelled very well in this game?
*************************************

And...
*************************************
So - a quick test

Daytona, no traffic

Lap 1 100% grille tape 47.27
Lap 1 0% grille tape 47.38

Lap 2 100% grille tape 47.15
Lap 2 0% grille tape 47.20

Lap 3 100% grille tape 47.38
Lap 3 0% grille tape 47.23

Also, temperature was not affected by the grille tape
*************************************

[Toonces]

I'm the kind of guy that sort of bulls my way through the first two or three turns in F1:2013, so I'm thinking the AI shortcomings would be a bit lost on me.

And, I think I'd like the lower brain burn of zipping around ovals when F1 is just too much work.  I'll let you know what I decide.

[Yskonyn]

Good advice Toonces. I was debating on whether or not to pull the trigger on AOW3 this morning but will wait for the next big sale since I also have too many unplayed games. Waiting a few more months will also allow another patch or two to be released.

I honestly don't think AoW3 is worth getting unless you're quite desperate for another fantasy 4X.

Rooks, yeah, Frozen Synapse is a fantastic game.  Last year I thoroughly schooled Arctic Blast over a few games. :) I really like it, and there's so much to the base game that I haven't even had the inclination to buy the DLC.

I have received FS as a free game some months back, but never really played it.
As far as I understand you can play multiplayer without having to be online at the same time, am I correct? In that case would you guys fancy giving me some ass whooping? ;) I am into that sort of stuff.

[Huw the Poo]

I have received FS as a free game some months back, but never really played it.
As far as I understand you can play multiplayer without having to be online at the same time, am I correct? In that case would you guys fancy giving me some ass whooping? ;) I am into that sort of stuff.

Yep, you can log in and out as you please, and if you have turns waiting when you log in you'll be notified.  It's a really good system.

What's your in-game name?  Mine's huwie, feel free to add me. :)

[Yskonyn]

I would imagine its Yskonyn, just like always...

[MikeGER]

...lost control over my right hand somehow, could not resist   ;)

and now got Borderland2 GOTY  in the flashsale  :)

[Gusington]

Looks like the only game I may get isn't even on sale...Making History - The Great War.

[Grim.Reaper]

Looks like the only game I may get isn't even on sale...Making History - The Great War.

Technically it is because the price will go up closer to release:)

[Nefaro]

My damage thus far..

Steam:
Divinity: Original Sin
SotS: The Pit DLC
Fate: Undiscovered Realms


GOG
Smugglers V
Nexus: The Jupiter Incident

also got these for FREE at GOG:  Magrunner, Omerta+DLCs.


Quite tame for me.  The only one I can see myself playing for long stretches is Divinity:OS.  Hopefully their huge updates this final week won't bork things for me.

[Shelldrake]

My damage thus far..

Steam:
Divinity: Original Sin
SotS: The Pit DLC
Fate: Undiscovered Realms


GOG
Smugglers V
Nexus: The Jupiter Incident

also got these for FREE at GOG:  Magrunner, Omerta+DLCs.


Quite tame for me.  The only one I can see myself playing for long stretches is Divinity:OS.  Hopefully their huge updates this final week won't bork things for me.

I also picked up Nexus: The Jupiter Incident at GOG. I always wanted to play this game and the mods look interesting. So far I have resisted the Steam sale offerings.

[Arctic Blast]

Picked up Battleblock Theatre, which is a pretty solid little platformer with a legit sense of humor. Also purchased Infested Planet and Company of Heroes 2. The former seems good from the early missions, and I've yet to load up the latter.

[Kushan]

I've been able to hold myself to just State of Decay. The only thing I wish I had gotten was Divinity: Original Sin.

And finally when the race format for Daytona was
Practice 1
Qualify
Practice 2
Duel 1
Duel 2
But I only took part in Duel 1. Was Duel 2 not available to me because I only finished 16th? 15th? 11th?

This mirrors the real Daytona 500 just about perfectly. The starting positions for every race but the Daytona 500 is determined by where you qualify, the 500 is obviously very different.

[JudgeDredd]

I've been able to hold myself to just State of Decay. The only thing I wish I had gotten was Divinity: Original Sin.

And finally when the race format for Daytona was
Practice 1
Qualify
Practice 2
Duel 1
Duel 2
But I only took part in Duel 1. Was Duel 2 not available to me because I only finished 16th? 15th? 11th?

This mirrors the real Daytona 500 just about perfectly. The starting positions for every race but the Daytona 500 is determined by where you qualify, the 500 is obviously very different.

Yes - that was explained to me at SimHQ thanks  :)

[Huw the Poo]

I would imagine its Yskonyn, just like always...

I sent you a challenge.  Let's do this!