ZCT293 - Symmetry

[Duplode]

Starting with a poll! And with an amusing tidbit from Wednesday's PTB update 

[CTG]

I have to say it's a nice track, based on the map (and the prohibition of dual-way switch).

I am not aware of the current car (bonus) rules, but it seems to be a perfect Audi Quattro circuit.

Btw: please suggest optimal DOSBox settings for Win11!

[alanrotoi]

I hope a full Lambo scoreboard to not see this car in the next years

The first question is, left or right? Is right right or right is wrong?

[Matei]

Btw: please suggest optimal DOSBox settings for W**11!

Yeah, get rid of that malware and install an operating system.

https://matei.one/idxscr.html#story (a little lower):

Even if you obtain a proprietary program from a legitimate source (see picture above) and don't pay anything, by using it you give free advertising to an organisation that works against you.

Which you just did.

[CTG]

Currently my level is 1:08.xx in drunk state, online Default.trk racing - so, not a big deal, can be beaten easily by 5-10 pipsqueaks in an instant...

However, if I can find some motivation, podium is almost sure.

Quite a dilemma... shall I come back for "only one race"? I am pretty sure that if DOSBox will be available again, I will hunt (most of) you down, month to month...

But I don't want to. It was a sick life, with goals without real value...

[Duplode]

I am not aware of the current car (bonus) rules, but it seems to be a perfect Audi Quattro circuit.

The Audi is not far off, though I guess it is a couple bonus points away from really fighting at the top -- the margins are narrow these days!

Btw: please suggest optimal DOSBox settings for Win11!

The basics remain the same, I think. 20k cycles keeps being a sensible default, though a relatively recent computer should handle cycles well about that with no problems. While preferred DOSBox version these days is DOSBox Staging, plain old vanilla DOSBox 0.74 is still good enough. For vanilla DOSBox 0.74 on Windows, I'd use something like this as a base for dosbox.conf (some of these are not necessary with Staging due to better defaults. Also, I prefer windowed to full screen, but YMMV of course):

Code Select Expand

[cpu]
cpu_cycles=20000
core=dynamic

[render]
aspect=true

[sdl]
output=overlay
fullscreen=false
windowresolution=960x720
priority=higher

Alternatively, for a ready-made setup on Windows you can try the R4K Stunts installer.

Quite a dilemma... shall I come back for "only one race"?

Only you can answer that... but you don't liking your earlier goals means there's a window to change or reframe them

[Matei]

What you recommend is outdated. Version repaired by Mr. HerrNove, DOSBox included:

https://marnetto.net/projects/stunts

I arranged it a little:

https://matei.one/games.html#download

Details above in the page and in the downloadable file. You can run "SETUP.BAT" and select 2 viewing distances, which work well at about 25000 and 35000 cycles, respectively. I also raised the car a little, as can be seen in the pictures.

[Argammon]

Currently my level is 1:08.xx in drunk state, online Default.trk racing - so, not a big deal, can be beaten easily by 5-10 pipsqueaks in an instant...

However, if I can find some motivation, podium is almost sure.

Quite a dilemma... shall I come back for "only one race"? I am pretty sure that if DOSBox will be available again, I will hunt (most of) you down, month to month...

But I don't want to. It was a sick life, with goals without real value...

The end of the season is usually the best time to win a race without too much effort. Most of us are taking it easy right now. However, if you were to race at the beginning of next season I think you would struggle to beat MiDiaN, but who knows. 

[Argammon]

I have a question regarding the "dual-way switching is not allowed on this track" rule. When you power gear through the section with the many tunnels and the many crossroads it is hard to see whether you do a dual-way switch or not.

I propose the following procedure to double check whether a given replay is ok:

1) Load the replay with Bliss
2) Remove some roads from the way you did not take, or even remove the other way entirely.
3) Save it under a different name.
4) Load the replay with the modified track in Stunts. When it finishes without penalty time the original replay is valid.

Do you agree with this approach @dreadnaut and @Duplode?



PS: I  am not sure a PG replay is competitive. Indeed, it may be several seconds too slow just like it wase last race. I just do power-gear laps for entertainment purpures. 

[Duplode]

@Argammon That is a reasonable test; in particular, it follows the precedent we set at ZCT280: a dual-way switch is a line that wouldn't work without the dual-way bug. For doing such a test on this track, I'd suggest breaking the path you aren't using removing a single element at the beginning the track, near the split.