NASCAR Racing 3 Pre-Alpha Preview

Grand Prix Legends is nearing the final phase of development and it’s time to look forward with the racing simulation developers locked away at Boston-based Papyrus. Some developers have already moved on to work on the third installment of the company’s flagship product line – NASCAR.

The pre-alpha build of NASCAR Racing 3 features several test cars and a test track, and the consensus in the Papyrus office was that it already felt unbelievable. We got behind the wheel and have to agree, as the fantastic physics engine created for Grand Prix Legends has already been improved upon for the leap to NASCAR 3.

For one thing, NASCAR 3’s physics model is more accurate, as it will take into account airflow dynamics and downforce on the modern cars. Plus, the suspension, shock absorbers, and tires will move more realistically, based on new computation methods. The chassis itself will also pitch and roll more accurately.

“So if you whack into a wall,” says Randy Cassidy, senior software engineer, “a real car would tend to nose down and go end over end. The same thing will happen here. You’ll certainly be able to get airbourne in these cars, but it’s not the way to win a race.”

As for tracks, the team is fairly confident it will have 19 in the box when the game ships, barring any licensing problems. (Daytona will be missing once again, as Sega holds the exclusive license to that course.) Also, a Grand National expansion pack may be available when NASCAR 3 releases, adding what should be another 12 to 14 tracks based on the Busch series.

In addition to the physics model enhancements, the AI is undergoing a serious overhaul. Designer Dave Mattson has been studying races religiously to get the most realistic racing strategies simulated in the game. Ultimately, he is trying to figure out every reason and situation for a pit stop, and then model it. “There is an awareness,” says Mattson, “of the strategy goals beyond the race. Cars will stay out for an extra lap to try and lead a lap, where they get five bonus points for that. Which they do all the time in real life.”

Mattson also hopes to augment the NASCAR experience by expanding the live race weekend features. For instance, there are now two qualifying sessions, as well as two practice sessions and a happy hour final practice.

Visual enhancements for the series include 16-but textures and new light sourcing techniques, for instance, specular highlights on cars. Particle systems are also in place to provide fantastic sparking and smoke effects, as well as dirt clumps, which will stick to vehicles that stray from the track.

The NASCAR 3 team is also planning an advanced damage model for the cars. Papyrus isn’t being specific as to how, but it may be a similar method to the one GT is using for Trans-Am Racing, whereby damage is shown by warping textures at vertices on the car models.

Considering Grand Prix Legends is over a year late, it’s likely to take a while before NASCAR 3 ships. However, considering how remarkable Grand Prix Legends is looking, it’s not unwarranted to be curious about the company’s next project, even at this early stage.