NASCAR The Game 2011 News Post

NASCAR The Game 2011 Q&A and Impressions

12:47 PM - March 24, 2011 by bluengold34_OS

I received the game this morning at 9 AM. Please keep in mind, I have only raced 4 times so far and practiced at another.

I am going to answer as many questions as I can that have already been asked, then will keep posting impressions and answer as many questions as I can. I have my PS3 in my office hooked up to the same monitor as my PC, so I have to switch over, so If I don't immediately respond to something, it's because I am on the PS3.

On to the questions, from the other topic.

I wanna know how are the Graphics compared to NASCAR 09? I really can't get a good grasp from the videos. Thanks.

IMO the graphics are a bit better than NASCAR 09. NASCAR 09 was a nice looking game, but I think NTG11 does a better job here. There is a very natural, organic look to it, almost like MLB The Show has. The color palate is there, but it's not too crisp, or overdone.

The car models are nicely executed, and tracks look beautiful.

1. I think we are all wondering about the difficulty of the game and if what we saw in the videos was on some easier level. Is the game more realistic than what the videos may have lead us to believe?

2. Is there a true career mode, or is it just a season, and how does that work?

3. Do you get the sense that you are at 30+ different tracks, or does it feel like most of the tracks run about the same?

1. I set the difficulty for the AI on the highest at Tally, Daytona, and Texas. They were very competitive at Tally and Daytona, and Texas were just better than me....flat out! What I really like so far about the AI, is that they are aggressive, but not cheap. They understand that you are also on the track, and try to be cautious of their surroundings. They did bump draft with me at Tally and Daytona, and I could do the same with them...and there was no sign of them being disturbed by it.

2. Have not jumped into career mode as of yet, but will give it a run as the day progresses.

3. There was a nice difference in the feel from Atlanta, Texas, Daytona and Tally. They didn't feel that same at all, and based off early impressions, they did a nice job trying to individualize and realistically replicate each track.

Pre-race presentation-Is there a full pace lap with the driver/grid position rundown like EA did a few years back? Very tv-style touch that was very nice. Also, any featured drivers pre-race?

Wreck/caution-how long is it between the wreck, caution and going into the pace lap? Time enough to 'go thru' the wreck if it happened up in front and you're in the back of the pack, or just 'there's a wreck' and then two seconds later in the caution lap?

Keep in mind, I have not done season or career, but in "race now" option, there was no pre-race or any presentation. It literally took you to the race about 100 yards away from the start finish line.

In regards to wrecking, you get to watch the whole wreck. It doesn't take you away to a cut scene instantly. I was in one at Tally, and it seemed like it lasted 20 seconds, and I was in one at Texas, and it only lasted about 10 seconds. Then it gives you the option to pit under caution...if you choose no, it takes to a few seconds before the green flag drops again.

I am very curious about the realism of the track surface. For example, Are there bumps in on the lowside of turns 1 and 2 at Las Vegas? Do the bumps upset the car and make you create a setup that can handle those bumps?

That leads to my other question. How much does messing with the setup actually change the feel of the car? When the track rubbers up, does the car get tighter?

From what I have seen, the bumps feel like they are barely noticeable. I felt a little bit at Daytona in turns 3 going into 4(keep in mind its still Daytona 10 on my copy) but nothing that really forced me to white knuckle the wheel at all. When an AI car gets into you, you notice that a lot more than any bumps on the track surface. If you're hoping to really feel the surface bumps and have it effect the car....probably not going to be real happy.

I will say the the driving model is really well done though, and you truly feel connected to the track surface.

Ok, going to go test some more, and try to get some photos, but videos may be very difficult. I am trying to find a way to do it right now. I will be back in a few to answer some more questions and give some solid impressions.

Game: NASCAR The Game 2011Reader Score: 4/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Wii / Xbox 360Votes for game: 15 - View All

NASCAR The Game 2011 Videos

Member Comments

# 1001 mason3132 @ 03/29/11 04:41 PM

They also took Hardcore out of it on 360 so i dont think we will ever see a caution again online.

# 1002 TIm @ 03/29/11 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mason3132


	They also took Hardcore out of it on 360 so i dont think we will ever see a caution again online.

It's a good thing I'm good with offline play.. Was REALLY excited about the league but at this point it's not even a reality... That's VERY upsetting.. I really hope we get some sort of statement and soon. Or I'm hoping that it's just the first day issue..>Sometimes on a game they have issues online the first day... Hopefully this is the case

# 1003 skydog71 @ 03/29/11 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creijays


	Online is just completly insane if you have over 6 people on ps3. I raced about 6 races and two of them just ended randomly and had me finish 2 positions lower than i was. While other cars pit everyone else on the track just run into eachother and one car even dropped from the sky. Very disappointing at this point...

Well cars dropping from the sky sounds kinda cool. I don't have any games with that feature.

# 1004 mason3132 @ 03/29/11 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TIm


	It's a good thing I'm good with offline play.. Was REALLY excited about the league but at this point it's not even a reality... That's VERY upsetting.. I really hope we get some sort of statement and soon. Or I'm hoping that it's just the first day issue..>Sometimes on a game they have issues online the first day... Hopefully this is the case

We have been having the same issues since Thursday they released a patch and will still have the same issues. They took Hardcore out after the patch so they made it Worse.

# 1005 Lieutenant Dan @ 03/29/11 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skydog71


	Well cars dropping from the sky sounds kinda cool. I don't have any games with that feature.

Ahh....levity. Thank you.

Hopefully, Eutec will get the online straightened out with another patch. They seem to really care about this game so I think they'll try their best.

# 1006 TCrouch @ 03/29/11 04:53 PM

Spent an hour with it at lunch. I'm decidedly undecided.

The good parts:

The handling is pretty good. It's a bit on the easy side once you're at speed. I could bobble down onto the apron at Daytona and it wouldn't break loose or wiggle at all. Try that in NR2003 and your traction will be gone faster than a fart in a whirlwind. It is very easy to correct when you overcook it into a corner or press too much.

With both a wheel and a controller, I was able to put the car where I wanted it and held a very smooth line around Indianapolis (even with the controller). I didn't tweak a single setting for controls and it was very smooth with both the pad and the wireless 360 wheel.

It sure is pretty, and I like the cockpit1 camera quite a bit. Gives me just enough peripheral vision out the side windows to know who's even with me. Not sure what I think of that crosshair thing at the bottom with the cars zipping about, however, as my wheel obstructs my vision to it easily at my desk, so I have to sit up really high to see it...then wreck when I had to take my eyes off where I was going.

The bump drafting from AI cars is pretty believable. They didn't cream me at Daytona, but they hit me hard enough to create some wiggle and force me to correct. That was good stuff.

Now, the bad:

The AI half the time I've raced them so far (Texas, Bristol, Indy, and Daytona). At Indy and Daytona, they raced pretty well, but they still had the old school "bunch up at corner entry or exit" way too much. I remember Blue saying that they'd do that at the start, but this is like dropping 50mph coming off of turn 4 at Texas or Bristol. If you're anywhere near them, you're going to destroy them and you, because you'll either overcorrect trying to miss them and send it into a spin, or plow right into them and kill you both. This happened a ton at Texas, and then a ton at Bristol on Very Hard AI with Legend settings and manual tranny. It was enough that I cancelled both races at those tracks because the AI was just way too slow in or out of the corner. That's the trademark of "first gen" AI that really shows its warts sometimes. They were pretty good at Indy and Daytona, so maybe the problems rely entirely on their braking ability and negotiating mile-and-a-half and smaller tracks.

Yellow flags. At both of the problem tracks I ran, I would get tossed into a spin or wreck and NO YELLOW WOULD FLY. This has been reported over and over, but I wrecked probably 10 times in the first two races just getting the feel for it, and I got a yellow twice...despite stopping dead center in the track. They completely ignored solo-car spins or stops, which is what's causing the issue. If another car hit me, it MIGHT pull out a yellow. If TWO more cars hit me, it definitely would. So they are way too lenient with it. They should be tossing out yellows for cars off the pace that can't make it to Pit Road and things like that (impossible to do with no DNFs though). This will have to get fixed or it's going to really piss a lot of people off.

The interface itself is way too clunky. You go to Single Player--load screen. You pick a car--load screen. You set race options, and you're taken to controls. Choose those--another load screen. You suddenly appear on track with no clue what's going on, and then you realize it's a qual session. Finish that--load screen to rolling start in the race.

Just way too many loading sessions and abrupt in-or-out sequences to make it smooth.

At this point, I really don't know. I *think* I like the handling, but it's tough to tell when I have to spend half the corner out of the throttle and putt-putting through turn 2 or 4 to make sure I don't annihilate anybody, or blow by 10 cars on an exit because I'm planning for it and dive down to the apron at mach IV just to avoid the train of idiotic AI drivers.

I think there may be a really good game under here, but my first impression after an hour is decidedly less impressed than I hoped I would be. AI and Yellow Flag implementation are some of the biggest things in NASCAR, so for them to be the two things I'm most unhappy with after my first session, that's not a good thing for me.

# 1007 goosedawg68 @ 03/29/11 05:04 PM

The more I read, the more undecided I am becoming.

# 1008 Skyboxer @ 03/29/11 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TCrouch


	Spent an hour with it at lunch. I'm decidedly undecided. The good parts: The handling is pretty good. It's a bit on the easy side once you're at speed. I could bobble down onto the apron at Daytona and it wouldn't break loose or wiggle at all. Try that in NR2003 and your traction will be gone faster than a fart in a whirlwind. It is very easy to correct when you overcook it into a corner or press too much. With both a wheel and a controller, I was able to put the car where I wanted it and held a very smooth line around Indianapolis (even with the controller). I didn't tweak a single setting for controls and it was very smooth with both the pad and the wireless 360 wheel. It sure is pretty, and I like the cockpit1 camera quite a bit. Gives me just enough peripheral vision out the side windows to know who's even with me. Not sure what I think of that crosshair thing at the bottom with the cars zipping about, however, as my wheel obstructs my vision to it easily at my desk, so I have to sit up really high to see it...then wreck when I had to take my eyes off where I was going. The bump drafting from AI cars is pretty believable. They didn't cream me at Daytona, but they hit me hard enough to create some wiggle and force me to correct. That was good stuff. Now, the bad: The AI half the time I've raced them so far (Texas, Bristol, Indy, and Daytona). At Indy and Daytona, they raced pretty well, but they still had the old school "bunch up at corner entry or exit" way too much. I remember Blue saying that they'd do that at the start, but this is like dropping 50mph coming off of turn 4 at Texas or Bristol. If you're anywhere near them, you're going to destroy them and you, because you'll either overcorrect trying to miss them and send it into a spin, or plow right into them and kill you both. This happened a ton at Texas, and then a ton at Bristol on Very Hard AI with Legend settings and manual tranny. It was enough that I cancelled both races at those tracks because the AI was just way too slow in or out of the corner. That's the trademark of "first gen" AI that really shows its warts sometimes. They were pretty good at Indy and Daytona, so maybe the problems rely entirely on their braking ability and negotiating mile-and-a-half and smaller tracks. Yellow flags. At both of the problem tracks I ran, I would get tossed into a spin or wreck and NO YELLOW WOULD FLY. This has been reported over and over, but I wrecked probably 10 times in the first two races just getting the feel for it, and I got a yellow twice...despite stopping dead center in the track. They completely ignored solo-car spins or stops, which is what's causing the issue. If another car hit me, it MIGHT pull out a yellow. If TWO more cars hit me, it definitely would. So they are way too lenient with it. They should be tossing out yellows for cars off the pace that can't make it to Pit Road and things like that (impossible to do with no DNFs though). This will have to get fixed or it's going to really piss a lot of people off. The interface itself is way too clunky. You go to Single Player--load screen. You pick a car--load screen. You set race options, and you're taken to controls. Choose those--another load screen. You suddenly appear on track with no clue what's going on, and then you realize it's a qual session. Finish that--load screen to rolling start in the race. Just way too many loading sessions and abrupt in-or-out sequences to make it smooth. At this point, I really don't know. I think I like the handling, but it's tough to tell when I have to spend half the corner out of the throttle and putt-putting through turn 2 or 4 to make sure I don't annihilate anybody, or blow by 10 cars on an exit because I'm planning for it and dive down to the apron at mach IV just to avoid the train of idiotic AI drivers. I think there may be a really good game under here, but my first impression after an hour is decidedly less impressed than I hoped I would be. AI and Yellow Flag implementation are some of the biggest things in NASCAR, so for them to be the two things I'm most unhappy with after my first session, that's not a good thing for me.

Thanks man! appreciate the impressions

# 1009 Tidefan6869 @ 03/29/11 05:15 PM

I've only played for a little while, but here are some concerns of mine. The online has very little options when I looked at it. I tried to get in an online race but it wouldn't load.

As far as handling, it may feel realistic in some parts, but I don't like the car darting all over the place going down the straight away. I have to drive it more on the straights than I do in the corner. If or when they get online fixed, Daytona and Talledega will be a mess with people trying to bump draft and stay off each other. If there is a setting that will correct this, someone please let me know.

I'm not going to say this is a bad game yet without more playing time and I'm not even leaning that way right now, so I don't want everyone thinking I'm saying not buy it. However my first impression is that I like the way the cars in F1 2010 handle better than this. I don't think the cars (F1 and Nascar) should handle the same and at Daytona so far the cars handle the way I think they should in the corner, but at least on F1 you could drive straight. There is no way a real sprint cup car handles like this.

# 1010 lVlAtlZiX @ 03/29/11 05:18 PM

I noticed that when I get a race to work correctly online on PS3 that bump drafting is nearly impossible. Whenever I tried to do it or someone tried with me it would just start to spin us both out.

# 1011 FSU Judge @ 03/29/11 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TCrouch


	Spent an hour with it at lunch. I'm decidedly undecided. The good parts: The handling is pretty good. It's a bit on the easy side once you're at speed. I could bobble down onto the apron at Daytona and it wouldn't break loose or wiggle at all. Try that in NR2003 and your traction will be gone faster than a fart in a whirlwind. It is very easy to correct when you overcook it into a corner or press too much. With both a wheel and a controller, I was able to put the car where I wanted it and held a very smooth line around Indianapolis (even with the controller). I didn't tweak a single setting for controls and it was very smooth with both the pad and the wireless 360 wheel. It sure is pretty, and I like the cockpit1 camera quite a bit. Gives me just enough peripheral vision out the side windows to know who's even with me. Not sure what I think of that crosshair thing at the bottom with the cars zipping about, however, as my wheel obstructs my vision to it easily at my desk, so I have to sit up really high to see it...then wreck when I had to take my eyes off where I was going. The bump drafting from AI cars is pretty believable. They didn't cream me at Daytona, but they hit me hard enough to create some wiggle and force me to correct. That was good stuff. Now, the bad: The AI half the time I've raced them so far (Texas, Bristol, Indy, and Daytona). At Indy and Daytona, they raced pretty well, but they still had the old school "bunch up at corner entry or exit" way too much. I remember Blue saying that they'd do that at the start, but this is like dropping 50mph coming off of turn 4 at Texas or Bristol. If you're anywhere near them, you're going to destroy them and you, because you'll either overcorrect trying to miss them and send it into a spin, or plow right into them and kill you both. This happened a ton at Texas, and then a ton at Bristol on Very Hard AI with Legend settings and manual tranny. It was enough that I cancelled both races at those tracks because the AI was just way too slow in or out of the corner. That's the trademark of "first gen" AI that really shows its warts sometimes. They were pretty good at Indy and Daytona, so maybe the problems rely entirely on their braking ability and negotiating mile-and-a-half and smaller tracks. Yellow flags. At both of the problem tracks I ran, I would get tossed into a spin or wreck and NO YELLOW WOULD FLY. This has been reported over and over, but I wrecked probably 10 times in the first two races just getting the feel for it, and I got a yellow twice...despite stopping dead center in the track. They completely ignored solo-car spins or stops, which is what's causing the issue. If another car hit me, it MIGHT pull out a yellow. If TWO more cars hit me, it definitely would. So they are way too lenient with it. They should be tossing out yellows for cars off the pace that can't make it to Pit Road and things like that (impossible to do with no DNFs though). This will have to get fixed or it's going to really piss a lot of people off. The interface itself is way too clunky. You go to Single Player--load screen. You pick a car--load screen. You set race options, and you're taken to controls. Choose those--another load screen. You suddenly appear on track with no clue what's going on, and then you realize it's a qual session. Finish that--load screen to rolling start in the race. Just way too many loading sessions and abrupt in-or-out sequences to make it smooth. At this point, I really don't know. I think I like the handling, but it's tough to tell when I have to spend half the corner out of the throttle and putt-putting through turn 2 or 4 to make sure I don't annihilate anybody, or blow by 10 cars on an exit because I'm planning for it and dive down to the apron at mach IV just to avoid the train of idiotic AI drivers. I think there may be a really good game under here, but my first impression after an hour is decidedly less impressed than I hoped I would be. AI and Yellow Flag implementation are some of the biggest things in NASCAR, so for them to be the two things I'm most unhappy with after my first session, that's not a good thing for me.

The "bunch up" problem is a big concern. Anyone else seeing it?

# 1012 petty43 @ 03/29/11 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FSU Judge


	The "bunch up" problem is a big concern. Anyone else seeing it?

Yes really bad plus no yellows when they need to be plus the caution lights stay on. I'm on xbox did the patch fix this for the ps3 ?

Sent from my PB99400 using Tapatalk

# 1013 goosedawg68 @ 03/29/11 05:25 PM

Are all of these problems mainly on xbox?

# 1014 TCrouch @ 03/29/11 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tidefan6869


	I don't think the cars (F1 and Nascar) should handle the same and at Daytona so far the cars handle the way I think they should in the corner, but at least on F1 you could drive straight. There is no way a real sprint cup car handles like this.

If you already know this, I apologize, but a Sprint Cup car will have camber settings that literally rotate the top of the tire in or out, so that when you are under weight at speed in a corner, the tire rotates back to being flat. This creates an issue where the car will naturally pull to the left on a straight, since it's built to turn left. That requires a driver to pull to the right to compensate while going down a straight. If you're not accustomed to that, it can create a 'fishtail wiggle' as you go back and forth trying to keep it straight. On a gamepad especially you have to get used to moving the stick over about 5 degrees all the time just to go straight--and some tracks are worse than others.

# 1015 FSU Judge @ 03/29/11 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petty43


	Yes really bad plus no yellows when they need to be plus the caution lights stay on. I'm on xbox did the patch fix this for the ps3 ? Sent from my PB99400 using Tapatalk

I picked up a copy at lunch. I may just leave it in the wrapper and focus on the new Tiger Woods/Masters that I picked up as well. Too bad because the pre-release commentary and videos in this thread were so positive and had me really looking forward to some NASCAR.

# 1016 chrisasst @ 03/29/11 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goosedawg68


	Are all of these problems mainly on xbox?

NO, some problems on PS3 also, let me think..

Cautions don't come out when they should, the bunching in corners..... it still puzzles me that there is no option to fix any damage when you make a pit stop... Also had the game freeze once.. some wrecks are not realistic,

is there a way to get a photo from ps3 to computer from the psn.com?

# 1017 goosedawg68 @ 03/29/11 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisasst


	NO, some problems on PS3 also, let me think.. Cautions don't come out when they should, the bunching in corners..... it still puzzles me that there is no option to fix any damage when you make a pit stop... Also had the game freeze once.. some wrecks are not realistic, is there a way to get a photo from ps3 to computer from the psn.com?

Even with the patch?!

# 1018 chrisasst @ 03/29/11 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goosedawg68


	Even with the patch?!

yes...even with the patch...if I could upload a photo I took I could show you a crash that happened with no caution..

Also I really don't enjoy getting a about 1 second head start if I am on the pole, and getting front end damage, when I brush the wall..

# 1019 goosedawg68 @ 03/29/11 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisasst


	yes...even with the patch...if I could upload a photo I took I could show you a crash that happened with no caution..

I don't know how to do that. My wife just picked my game up, now I don't know if I want to open it or not.

# 1020 jhamlin1971 @ 03/29/11 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goosedawg68


	I don't know how to do that. My wife just picked my game up, now I don't know if I want to open it or not.

I bought it this morning, kept it in the wrapper for most of the day contiplating if I should open it or not. Then decided, what the heck, I heard some positive things about the game. So I cracked the seal on the game and now I wish I didnt...

It does have some good aspects, when the AI isnt bunched up in the corners or driving at top speed into a wreck, it does race pretty good. Bump drafting is a cool thing. Everything good or bad has already been covered in this forum and for the most part, spot on.

This is the first racing game that is actually better with a controller than with a wheel! There is no way to adjust the sensitivity to my wheel, so the dead zone is way off and twitchy. Lots of times I wrecked just because of the wheel.

I am so used to Nascar Racing 2003 and this is just not close to the realism and immersion factor that it had. Funny how a 7-8 year old game still holds up today. Wonder if Papyrus was still around and making games, how cool would the latest edition be???

Anyways, I am just disappointed and feel like I threw 60 bucks away. I am sure they can patch some of the problems up but that seems to be the norm with games nowadays. Ship the product, fix it later. For those looking for a quick and easy game to pick up that represents NASCAR, then it might be for you. Those of you who enjoyed NR2003 or even iRacing, maybe a little disappointed.

« Previous 1 2…48 49 505152 53 54…80 81 Next »

More Links

NASCAR The Game 2011 Q&A and Impressions