Game is awful in its current state.

[PizzaSubCombo]

Just got a chance to play the newest update, not impressed at all, this game should NOT be sold to the general population in three weeks.

The AI is ungodly slow and the brake checking has returned. At plate tracks, nothing the AI does makes any sort of sense. They are always 10mph off pace, even on champion, brake check when you try to tango with them (which should be removed, because the tango doesn't exist with these cars anymore), and AI cars will pull out of the draft for absolutely no reason. All Eutechnyx needs to do is watch the Daytona 500 from this year and compare it to how their AI races on NTG2013, and they will immediately see the problems. It's not an accurate representation of plate racing and a lot of people are going to be disappointed.

At 1.5 milers, the AI is just sad. They are 20mph off pace at Kansas, and it is frustrating trying to avoid them.

Obviously, the lack of controller support is a big issue. The game cannot be played adequately with a 360 controller unless you are a total noob and don't care if you ride around mid pack bouncing off everyone with all assists on, which is what I assume most of you do, since anyone with any actual talent would have said something by now. Also, the hidden "save assist" setting NEEDS to be turned off. In real life, these cars can get a little loose without issue. Here, you even LOOK at another AI car and it's game over. With a controller, anyways.

Wheel support needs to be improved. Add support for multiple devices, since most PC racers run mix-and-match wheel & pedals, often with a bodnar cable. If you don't even know what a bodnar cable is, don't post in this thread, because the devs need help from people who know their stuff, not casuals who buy one racing game every three years.

General stability needs to be improved. My computer can run virtually any racing game out there on max detail, and here it stutters and drops FPS all the time. Lots of artifacts and stuff everywhere as well. Not cool.

The paint booth needs to be dropped completely in favor of photoshop-friendly painting templates. This is a PC racing game and not including external image editing support is bizarre. That's how people design paint schemes on the PC. Deal with it.

The menu needs to be completely changed. Too many unnessecary details in a place where nobody will notice. Navigating to the correct screen is a chore; every single button has a flashy effect or animation and just getting into a race takes forever. Yes, that's cool you built the menu like a sprint cup garage. Newsflash: nobody cares, and it takes forever to navigate.

I don't even want to talk about career mode, it needs to be totally rebuilt. Anyone who says it's just like NASCAR Thunder 2003 is lying. It's about as detailed as an iPhone game. Buy upgrades. That's all you do. No team or sponsor managment, no R&D, just buy LEVEL 2 ENGINE UPGRADES (TM) when you have the money.

Paint Schemes need to be renamed. Not everyone is going to know what Dale Jr's Daytona scheme is. Make it simple: National Guard. 3M. Target. Not DAYTONA.

[|OcO|]

don't know what a bodnar is but ^^.
Things are not well with a 360 controller and this game cert isn't giving me an expeirience that makes me want to buy a wheel.

Worried multiplayer will be a track full of racers on 360 controllers demo derbying

[PizzaSubCombo]

Given how the last two games have been, no one in their right mind would buy this for multiplayer...

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

[Dez]

iracing

[PizzaSubCombo]

Originally posted by Khyber:

iracing

If you actually know what it takes to go fast in iRacing, iRacing's not much better.

The gold standard for oval racing games is still NR2003.

[Dez]

yeah welll nr2003 will never happen again

[Martial Biker]

Nascar 2006-07 were the last good games. Controls, ai, drafting, splitscreen seasons, you name it.
I agree with the OP. Playing with a controller is a nightmare, no sensitivity differences at all. I'm not going to buy a wheel when there is too many problems. And Daytona and Talladega are the most unfun tracks to play because of how completely wrong they play.

[Melo]

I have no problem with 360 controler. I mean you can have total control over how sensitive you want steering to be. I have no problem holding line through turns as well as I do with my wheel. Just cause you stink with the controller don't mean what you say is right.

Not all of us have problems with this control type. I have raced probably 20+ 10%, 10 total 50% races and 2 full Talledega's and all with the 360 pad. If your not used to using thumb pads like this you will have trouble. I used to think people playing on ps3 and xbox were cheating beating me when I had a wheel and they were telling me they were just using the pad. Over the years though I got very used to the pads using them for shooters and racing.

Hell I didn't even break out my wheel for F1 2012 and have raced 2 full careers on highest difficulty, and DESTROY the AI with gamepad. I know some may not believe what I am saying but, to those people I tell you there was a point when I hated gamepads and was saying ♥♥♥♥ like "Playing with a controller is a nightmare. Gamepad are a beast to get used to but once you do you can play any game and be just as good as any other control type.

[ProudTiger]

I agree with you Melo.It's not the tools ,it's the user.I used to race in Iracing with a gamepad no problems.The greatest thing in gaming the humble gamepad.You can lie on a couch with one.I love the 360 gamepad.Fits my hands like a glove.You just need to be more patient with it in racing games.After a while,it becomes like using a wheel.

[PizzaSubCombo]

Originally posted by Melo:

You just suck with the controller so that's why you're complaining.

No, I don't suck, but because of the hidden countersteering assist, the moment the back end steps out, there's no saving the car because the front wheels just turn randomly.

[Howard]

Arca08

[Axe]

I am obviously not worthy to reply to these experts but... I love the game and I'm sure many others do too. This is a' game' and not real life...

[JimClarke]

From what I gather, this is not a hardcore sim, so you complaining in such a way is a bit like buying a Mini and then complaining that it wont pull 5g in your favorite local bend.

Im going to buy it, the only thing that worries me is from videos it looks like there is a catchup feature (rather than the cars being off pace maybe?) which is not disabled by selcting the hardest difficulty.

But anyway, whiel waiting for the new F1 to come out and pCARS, Im happy to knock about USA style for a little while : D (cant wait to try the road tracks either, where NASCAR is at its best imo)

[JimClarke]

Oh and I actually usd to play NR2k3 with a controller online for a while lol....it was ok though, just not as good when things went wrong, compard to a wheel. Counteracting over/understeer etc, but a smooth drive was always possible even in that. People never seemed to notice I was on a controller anyway.

If you are into driving sims and you have the space on a desk etc, a wheel is the way to go...I was against it at one point, but once you get one or have a go on one, you dont really look back.

Especially nr2k3 which to this day I think has the best FFB in any game Ive played since. How is FFB in this? not just rumble effects I hope?

[SupraTHICC]

The AI do suck at super speedways but at tracks like Kansas they seem fine to me other than them turning into you on entry, but there's no way you're 20mph faster than them on champion. I'm playing with a PS3 controller with all assists off and have no problem controlling the car but I agree about the "hidden save assist", just drive from cockpit view and try getting the car loose and stop turning. The wheel will counter steer by itself so any attempts to save the car by the user seems to just put you in the wall.

General stability seems fine to me, I haven't opened dxtory yet but with max settings it looks like I'm easily getting 60+ FPS. Paint booth seems fine to me, there is an option to import/export paint schemes so hopefully they will release templates and allow us to paint in photoshop.

Menu's seem fine to me too, in fact I actually like them. They look 'modern' and something you'd expect from a game that's released in 2013.

[Melo]

Originally posted by James !YZn5/0rr7A:

Originally posted by Melo:

You just suck with the controller so that's why you're complaining.

No, I don't suck, but because of the hidden countersteering assist, the moment the back end steps out, there's no saving the car because the front wheels just turn randomly.

I didn't even say what you qouted me of saying, Stop with the changing what I actually said.

As for the hidden counter steering I have no Idea what your talking about. You do know you CAN turn off assists? I haven't had the problem. Only assist I use is the braking assist the makes it so you can't lock up the tires and there I only got 3 stars of it. Its harder for me to control not locking up during braking than not spinning wheels on acceleration. Now the auto braking feature is really for those that really don't know what they are doing.

You either stink with controllers which I agree I was like you 7 years back. I even got a relative that hold the same opinion you do. He even holds it while looking at me do what he says is not possible. All I am saying is controllers are a beast however once you get used to them you CAN be every bit as good as a person using a wheel. I was like this in the past then I got into Call of Duty world at war. I really sucked at first then I got to the point where I could hold my own with the best. I even sometimes use controllers on PC shooters and I always come in above average in MP shooters. If you had asked me if a controller user could beat a mouse-keyboard user 7 years ago I would have said no way in hell. Today I don't hold that opinion.

Lol, I don't even know why i waste time on this as its never going to sway the opinions of those who don't know. I didn't type what you quoted of me in my post above. You where the one having problems with controllers. I was just trying to convey that not all of us share your problems.