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

# 1241 nascarthegame @ 03/31/11 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skydog71


	This game has some major issues, but you are hitting the nail on the head. I started playing an hour ago and I'm having an absolute blast. First race was an 8-lapper in Bristol. I was digging my way around the track really sloppily, swerving all over the place, trying to get a feel for things. The field was fixing to lap me in turn 1, and I somehow caused a 40-car pile up. I spent the next 90 seconds pushing cars bumper car style, driving under cars that were on top of other cars, before I could finally manage to bang my way out into open space again. Finally got to grinding again, and of course, when I got back to turn 1, they are still having a bumper car party with cars driving on top of each other. The caution flag never came out. Switched to Indy next, and it was a lot more open and easier to drive. Of course I still managed to cause wrecks every 30 seconds because I'm a noob and can't drive a straight line. The spotter was making all sorts of idiotic comments. Nothing like getting spun 540 degrees, finally getting your bearings only to see another car coming at you full-speed, and right before the head-on collision, the spotter says "all clear". Just switched to Talladega. Loving this game.

Another hilarious post. Do you play on PS3? I'm not used to playing on it, mostly 360, but as far as I can tell all the "friends" on my list do not have, or are not playing this. If you are, I'd like to add some people. I'm pretty much a noob when it comes to these racing games too, the assists come in handy. I've finally found the HUD options, so why is the NXP grayed out? We can't turn that off? Why even have it in the HUD settings?

# 1242 Bmore @ 03/31/11 01:34 AM

The wrecks in this game are hilarious. I just flipped in the air, landed on all 4 wheels, and rode away like nothing happened. I felt like I was playing Tony Hawk.

# 1243 skydog71 @ 03/31/11 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nascarthegame


	Another hilarious post. Do you play on PS3? I'm not used to playing on it, mostly 360, but as far as I can tell all the "friends" on my list do not have, or are not playing this. If you are, I'd like to add some people. I'm pretty much a noob when it comes to these racing games too, the assists come in handy. I've finally found the HUD options, so why is the NXP grayed out? We can't turn that off? Why even have it in the HUD settings?

You're welcome to add me, but I'm not going online for a while. Maybe in a week or two when I have enough skill to at least run a clean race.

# 1244 gamemaster-2005 @ 03/31/11 06:39 AM

a question for you guys, are you guys able to get CPU to make pit stops on shorter races. I'm racing like 15% of the laps and I have yet to see CPU drivers make pit stops?

# 1245 Aggies7 @ 03/31/11 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gamemaster-2005


	a question for you guys, are you guys able to get CPU to make pit stops on shorter races. I'm racing like 15% of the laps and I have yet to see CPU drivers make pit stops?

I believe you just change tires/fuel to X3 and that will work. I'm running 10% in season mode and all CPU cars pit at least once.

# 1246 nflman2033 @ 03/31/11 08:46 AM

It seems that pit/caution/restart is real buggy. Had over 110 of 125 laps in at California. Went to pit screen for gas tire change didn't come up and I no longer had control of my car not even when I was back on the track low on gas and shot tires. On restarts lapped cars start ahead of the leaders so even though I was in 3rd I had almost a whole field of cars ahead of me. Then what is funny is those cars in front can't be caught, they seem to run faster like if they had been running that well they would be in front. This game is great for short races, but when you want to run even a 50% race it really shows It's flaws.

Anyone else see this on longer races. Makes me want to not try and run 50% maybe do 30%.

# 1247 Aggies7 @ 03/31/11 08:52 AM

I agree for some reason lapped cars run faster. I was getting passed by lapped cars left and right at Vegas but still had 2.1 second lead. And the lapped cars were killing me in fastest lap category.

# 1248 xxJosh93xx @ 03/31/11 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senor Nascar


	Message to Developers: Here are my concerns and suggestions for issues which should be fixed in future patches: 1. Obviously the caution issue which has been well addressed by numerous people. 2. The AI aggressiveness at bump drafting on Auto Club Speedway. I have been wrecked numerous times by the AI simply slamming into the back of me at a place where bump drafting is minimal. 3. The AI difficulty needs to be ramped up especially in Qualifying. 4. The lack of TIRE TEMPERATURE readings. I would really like to see this added in. If you do not know your tire temperatures it makes it really difficult to set up a car properly. 5. The small tire wear indicator needs reworking. It is very difficult to see how much your tires are wearing and if the insides, middle, or outside of the tire are wearing more than other parts of the tire. This is key info for finding out what is wrong with the setup and how to make it better. I would advise using a system like other games. Where the tires are blue, then green, then yellow and then red. 6. The AI needs help when pitting under yellow. Numerous times I have seen them run into each other on Pit Road causing a huge mess. 7. When Pitting, the DEFAULT should be a full gas tank not the opposite like it is now. You already don't have much time to make adjustments so it would be great if this could be reversed so I am not wasting time filling that meter up. If I want less than a full tank than I could dial it down instead. 8. I would like to be able to save more than 50 setups. I know it sounds like a lot but it really isn't if you calculate that you at least have one saved setup for each track (23) and when the update comes you will need at least another 23 for the 2011 models which will handle differently. I would like to see the number of allowed save setups to go up. 9. The spotter should stop saying all clear at odd times like when I am stopped or on pit road. It is just way overdone. Also for future versions of the game I would look at maybe omitting the comedic lines because although they might be funny the first time...they get real old real quick. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard the hot dog line. I would rather the spotter focus on positional info. 10. The bunching up of AI on certain tracks. 11. It was my understanding that there would be an Adaptive AI setting in this game. What happened? It could help solve some difficulty issues for some if it were to be added. 12. I think for future iterations try to make the default setup not so good out of the box. It really takes away from the need to work on your car. I know you are trying to appeal to people who don't want to work on their car but it just kills it for those who do. 13. The draft is way overdone at certain tracks. I think it greatly needs to be toned down overall. I think it will really help with the difficulty as well. 14. The online timer (even in private races) needs to go away. All other racer games have always had a ready up feature which works much better. Hopefully this can be addressed soon. F1 does a good job of this. 15. Better online stability. 16. The wheel support needs revamping. I play with a Porsche Fanatec GT2 wheel for Xbox 360. It is operational but is certainly not tuned for this game and the force feedback seems to come and go. After playing with the g25 on PS3 last night, I can honestly notice a HUGE difference. Hopefully you guys can look at all the wheels people are using and tune them for this game. 17. When your fuel runs out, it should not be an automatic DNF. There needs to be a chance to coast to the pits. 18. The AI needs to be more careful when coming out of pit road and onto the track (Auto Club Speedway is a good example of this) They move all the way over near the wall when not at speed yet and it causes major bunching. They need to stay near the white line till they are up to speed somewhere on the backstretch. That is what I got in terms of immediate fixes to help get this game on the right path. I am sure I left out a couple of things but overall I think there is a good base here in this game (driving model and AI) and with these fixes the game would be much better.

The AI adaptive difficulty is built into the game. When the race is getting easy on very hard it is pretty easy to tell that the AI has adapted to you because I have done very hard legend settings and race up to the laders then once I get close you start to fall off and then you have to try and find a better line to run smother and try to gain ground that way.

# 1249 Pezell04x @ 03/31/11 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TIm


	7-10:30 or so Est time is Bruins hockey... Maybe make a thread saying at 11:00PM this evening?? Maybe we can get a few people together.. Just make it a wide track because this is my first racing game since Nascar 08 so I have to get used to it again.. Man I wish I had a wheel simply because my hands aren't used to this

You're a good man.

I've had the game since Tuesday, but I've only been able to play for a few hours. Now, before I go into my impressions, I'm a racing noob. I played NASCAR 09, but not to the extent where I've played NHL or NBA games (forever and ever).

With that said, I bought NTG specifically to race my friend and my brother online (in or out of private matches) and I've really enjoyed the experience. I figured that a first-gen title would have some buggy issues because I remembered what it was like playing Madden 06 (I believe) as a first-gen title.

There are some bugs, but I think the developer will work on them. They owe it to us to work on them, but that's never the case (looking at you Homefront).

My only gripe is the sensitivity with the thumbsticks. I feel like my car is swerving a lot and I know most of it has to do with me and these stupid hands of mine. I bought a wheel online that should be coming in next week. I'm excited to try it out on a wheel.

I'm having fun playing it despite it's faults.

# 1250 Aggies7 @ 03/31/11 11:06 AM

Just did a 50 lap race at Bristol. Anyone else notice when you pit under caution there the pace car laps you but you don't go a lap down. Game is getting frustating with all the issues and bugs.

# 1251 chrisasst @ 03/31/11 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senor Nascar


	Blue, Here it is with an update. Message to Developers: Here are my concerns and suggestions for issues which should be fixed in future patches: 1. Obviously the caution issue which has been well addressed by numerous people. 2. The AI aggressiveness at bump drafting on Auto Club Speedway. I have been wrecked numerous times by the AI simply slamming into the back of me at a place where bump drafting is minimal. 3. The AI difficulty needs to be ramped up especially in Qualifying. 4. The lack of TIRE TEMPERATURE readings. I would really like to see this added in. If you do not know your tire temperatures it makes it really difficult to set up a car properly. 5. The small tire wear indicator needs reworking. It is very difficult to see how much your tires are wearing and if the insides, middle, or outside of the tire are wearing more than other parts of the tire. This is key info for finding out what is wrong with the setup and how to make it better. I would advise using a system like other games. Where the tires are blue, then green, then yellow and then red. 6. The AI needs help when pitting under yellow. Numerous times I have seen them run into each other on Pit Road causing a huge mess. 7. When Pitting, the DEFAULT should be a full gas tank not the opposite like it is now. You already don't have much time to make adjustments so it would be great if this could be reversed so I am not wasting time filling that meter up. If I want less than a full tank than I could dial it down instead. 8. I would like to be able to save more than 50 setups. I know it sounds like a lot but it really isn't if you calculate that you at least have one saved setup for each track (23) and when the update comes you will need at least another 23 for the 2011 models which will handle differently. I would like to see the number of allowed save setups to go up. 9. The spotter should stop saying all clear at odd times like when I am stopped or on pit road. It is just way overdone. Also for future versions of the game I would look at maybe omitting the comedic lines because although they might be funny the first time...they get real old real quick. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard the hot dog line. I would rather the spotter focus on positional info. 10. The bunching up of AI on certain tracks. 11. It was my understanding that there would be an Adaptive AI setting in this game. What happened? It could help solve some difficulty issues for some if it were to be added. 12. I think for future iterations try to make the default setup not so good out of the box. It really takes away from the need to work on your car. I know you are trying to appeal to people who don't want to work on their car but it just kills it for those who do. 13. The draft is way overdone at certain tracks. I think it greatly needs to be toned down overall. I think it will really help with the difficulty as well. 14. The online timer (even in private races) needs to go away. All other racer games have always had a ready up feature which works much better. Hopefully this can be addressed soon. F1 does a good job of this. 15. Better online stability. 16. The wheel support needs revamping. I play with a Porsche Fanatec GT2 wheel for Xbox 360. It is operational but is certainly not tuned for this game and the force feedback seems to come and go. After playing with the g25 on PS3 last night, I can honestly notice a HUGE difference. Hopefully you guys can look at all the wheels people are using and tune them for this game. 17. When your fuel runs out, it should not be an automatic DNF. There needs to be a chance to coast to the pits. 18. The AI needs to be more careful when coming out of pit road and onto the track (Auto Club Speedway is a good example of this) They move all the way over near the wall when not at speed yet and it causes major bunching. They need to stay near the white line till they are up to speed somewhere on the backstretch. That is what I got in terms of immediate fixes to help get this game on the right path. I am sure I left out a couple of things but overall I think there is a good base here in this game (driving model and AI) and with these fixes the game would be much better.

how about being able to patch up damage in the pits, there is no option for damage repair....!!!!

# 1252 bluengold34_OS @ 03/31/11 12:23 PM

I just wanted to let everyone know that Dave personally emailed me this morning to let me know he did the recieve the letter I sent him from Senor Nascar. I am going to put together a small little group of guys for further information, and breakdown of issues.

I will send out pm's to guys who will be invited to provide feedback directly to the Dave and the rest of the developers, through me.

# 1253 y2j469 @ 03/31/11 12:25 PM

As best I can tell there doesn't seem to be any way to use a custom car in split-screen multi-player. Also there seems to be a random issue with player controlled cars flickering on and off on restarts.

# 1254 nflman2033 @ 03/31/11 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by y2j469


	As best I can tell there doesn't seem to be any way to use a custom car in split-screen multi-player. Also there seems to be a random issue with player controlled cars flickering on and off on restarts.

yes this is another thing, also no way to change paint scheme on anyone you just pick a driver and go. would like to be able to select a different car than default car for drivers when I race my son or wife. probably won't be able to fix till next year other issues that a patch may fix are more important.

# 1255 mm boost @ 03/31/11 02:15 PM

http://forums.eutechnyx.com/threads/...damage-crashes

I made this post on their forums so that hopefully I could be heard about the wrecking/crashing fixes. I posted a video of an example of how it is now, and then posted a video of actual Nascar wrecks to show how much difference there is. I believe that since they clearly advertised life-like, never before seen wrecks and damage engines, that we have been severely let down, and that this should be one of the main areas of focus. I mean, this was one of the things the devs preached to us that differentiated this game from past Nascar games. As of the game I received on Tuesday, the damage engine is one of the worse I have ever seen in a racing game that actually has damage.

Please take a few moments to read that post. Blue, I'd like to possibly be considered for the crash and damage fixes if you need someone. Just throwing that out there

# 1256 mm boost @ 03/31/11 02:23 PM

and here is a link to nascar wrecks in a video game done right (keep in mind the damage model is not exactly the best in NR2003), but the car physics and smoke looks awesome. If we could have this with NTG2011's damage model, we would be right where we need to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riFK6ly8rbY

and another example, pay attention to the smoke and debris flying off the cars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Mlo...feature=fvwrel

# 1257 Papi34 @ 03/31/11 02:45 PM

This thread has honestly fascinated me. First I was amazed how much interest there was when Blue and Senor got the game, especially given the apparent lack of interest in the preview threads.
Then when more people got the game, I couldn't believe the hating. The thread was really hard to read because the useful/informative posts were getting buried under a lot of............ less useful posts, let's say. Sorry, but some people should think before engaging the post button.

Living in the UK, I have to wait until early next week before I get the game. Thanks very much to the constructive/informative posters for helping me make my mind up about ordering the game. I really think I'm going to have great fun with it, but I try to be a glass half full kind of guy!

Plus, something is telling me the devs will do their best to sort out as many of the issues that they can.

# 1258 AceFan84 @ 03/31/11 03:20 PM

Straight from the NTG2011 Forums:

Bugs:

Fix lack of Caution Flags - To Be Fixed
Fix issues with the A.I. exiting the pits and then pulling straight up the track - To Be Fixed
Reconfigure the damage to improve the look and add more debris on impact - To Be Fixed
Fix Cautions Lights being illuminated all of the time - To Be Fixed
Improve the PS3 voice comms - To Be Fixed
Fix the Rolling Starts Online/Offline so the cars begin in the correct formation and together - To Be Fixed
Fix the instant wrecking during Online Rolling Starts - To Be Fixed
Fix the Lobby Race Start Counter freezing - To Be Fixed
Fix Spotter saying “Clear” too often - To Be Fixed
Improve general stability and freezing issues - To Be Fixed

Improvements:

Change the Gas indicator so it defaults to full in the pit stop interface - To Be Fixed
Draft effect both on the car and visual to be tweaked - To Be Fixed
In Private games, the host will start the timer when they are ready - To Be Fixed
Add support for the Porsche GT2 wheel - To Be Added
Add support for the T500 wheel - To Be Added
Allow the HUD to be completely turned off - To Be Added
Free up the A.I. cars so that when they are hit by a player they will get loose - To Be Fixed
Ensure only Carl Edwards performs a back flip - To Be Fixed
Add the ability to change your Online Car - To Be Added

Investigating:

A.I. being overly aggressive when bump drafting the player
A.I. difficulty being too easy when qualifying
A.I. pitting problems causing them to collide in to each other
A.I. bunching on certain tracks
A.I. slamming their brakes on for no reason
Hitting the wall often turns the car ending up with the player facing the wrong way

I posted this in another topic on the board as well. Sorry I can't post the link I haven't posted on these boards enough to do so.

# 1259 TCrouch @ 03/31/11 03:21 PM

That's the thing...I've alternated between having a great deal of love and a great amount of hatred for the game, in almost even amounts.

I think you can have a lot of fun in short sprint races where you don't have to worry about pit strategy and cautions, but that's a huge portion of NASCAR racing to take out of the equation.

I'm glad I'm not reviewing this one. I'd really be in a tough spot

I would sum it up like this:

In its current state, it's not worth a purchase for anybody wanting anything other than a quick, short race against AI cars that can be fun to race, but sometimes a little overaggressive.

HOWEVER...

I haven't seen a development team so actively involved with communicating to their audience their intentions and desire for ALL feedback (not just the good stuff). I, possibly naively, think that they can actually sort some of the horrendous stuff out--like yellow flags and pit AI. That's the stuff that usually takes the most tweaking to fix, and it's actually fixable. It's not like it would take a complete re-write of the AI to make the game driveable. It's actually very good at RACING, but not good at the ancillary stuff around the racing environment.

So I would say if you're looking for a complete NASCAR experience, hold off for probably a few months and save yourself some aggravation. Check back around June and see what it's become. I'm pretty confident it will become at least a close representation of the sport--but as it stands, it's like a Cliff's Notes version of a NASCAR event.

...but if you are the type that wants a full career mode and stat tracking, avoid it entirely, as that's not something that just suddenly gets patched in.

# 1260 TCrouch @ 03/31/11 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AceFan84


	Straight from the NTG2011 Forums: Bugs: Fix lack of Caution Flags - To Be Fixed Fix issues with the A.I. exiting the pits and then pulling straight up the track - To Be Fixed Reconfigure the damage to improve the look and add more debris on impact - To Be Fixed Fix Cautions Lights being illuminated all of the time - To Be Fixed Improve the PS3 voice comms - To Be Fixed Fix the Rolling Starts Online/Offline so the cars begin in the correct formation and together - To Be Fixed Fix the instant wrecking during Online Rolling Starts - To Be Fixed Fix the Lobby Race Start Counter freezing - To Be Fixed Fix Spotter saying �Clear� too often - To Be Fixed Improve general stability and freezing issues - To Be Fixed Improvements: Change the Gas indicator so it defaults to full in the pit stop interface - To Be Fixed Draft effect both on the car and visual to be tweaked - To Be Fixed In Private games, the host will start the timer when they are ready - To Be Fixed Add support for the Porsche GT2 wheel - To Be Added Add support for the T500 wheel - To Be Added Allow the HUD to be completely turned off - To Be Added Free up the A.I. cars so that when they are hit by a player they will get loose - To Be Fixed Ensure only Carl Edwards performs a back flip - To Be Fixed Add the ability to change your Online Car - To Be Added Investigating: A.I. being overly aggressive when bump drafting the player A.I. difficulty being too easy when qualifying A.I. pitting problems causing them to collide in to each other A.I. bunching on certain tracks A.I. slamming their brakes on for no reason Hitting the wall often turns the car ending up with the player facing the wrong way I posted this in another topic on the board as well. Sorry I can't post the link I haven't posted on these boards enough to do so.

That right there gives me huge hope. If they actually fix those things and pinpoint the issues with their "investigative" section, this could really turn into a gem. It's an absolute debacle of a launch (which is another issue entirely, I know), but in a few months' time, I may forget all about it if all of those issues are genuinely resolved.

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