This review I will get into the new rendition drivers that have arrived on the NRO and talk about some of the basic rules of how you should drive online.
New Rendition .exe files have arrived on NRO (1/7/98)
I got on last night to see if the Ten support team has done anything new and in their news they indicated that the new Rendition .exe files are now available. I retrieved the files by first bringing up the Ten network, then going to the pop down menus at the top of the screen and selecting "file" and then "download files". This will bring up all the download files for all the games on Ten. Select the one that says "NRO game enabler(1-7-98)". Once you select it, then click on it again to download the file "nrozip.exe" file into your system. This file is over 3 Meg, so it will take about 25 minutes to download.
Installing the files: Just click on the file nrozip.exe and it will ask you first to set up a temp directory to put the install files in. Once files are extracted, the Ten installer will come up. Now tell the installer where your Nascar 2 main directory is located, and the rest of the install is automatic.
Getting rendition to work: When you brought up the download files menu and selected the NRO game enabler file, below the lists is a gray text box that explains how the rendition files are to work. They mention that when you create or join a race after this install it is to allow you to select either "nro.exe" or "nrorend.exe". I never saw this, so if that does not happen do the following paragraph.
There is a file called "nro.bat" in the main Nascar 2 directory which contains one line to bring up "nro.exe" at this time. I went in and changed it to "nrorend.exe -dma" and left the rest of the line the same. I then went to the "file" pop down menu at the top of the screen and selected "preferences". This will bring up a tabbed menu of categories in which to select from. Select "game" tab. Click on the browse button and change the executable from "nro.exe" to "nro.bat". This will now bring up the rendition program when the race is started from the arena.
A couple of things some users might want to do in the "nro.bat" file. If your processor does not have the horsepower, put in the line "rorend.exe -dma -4". The -4 will cut down on some of the heavy graphics in the rendition mode. I use the -dma to make the rendition graphics look and run smoother.
That's about it. You should now be enjoying the rendition graphics of online racing.
There are a few basic rules to follow when racing online with your fellow competitors and if you follow these, you won't get jumped on or sworn at by the other drivers. You will also gain their respect to race with them again. They are as follows:
Leaving Pits: When you leave the pits, try to stay on the apron until you get to the back stretch of the track. Use your mirrors to see what is coming up on you from behind and try your best to stay out of the way until your car gets up to speed. Some tracks don't have an apron, so be careful coming out onto the track. If you use the auto-chat hot keys, indicate to other racers you are coming out of the pits. I have seen too many racers just dart out onto the track from the pits and wonder why they get yelled at when they cause an accident.
Towing when car damaged: If your car gets damaged and can't race it anymore, always try to get off main part of track (high or low) as quickly as possible and drive it back to the pits. Do not stay on the track with fast cars coming up behind you. If the car is not driveable, then hit the ALT I as soon as your car is completely stopped to get a tow. Remember, your car is still visible until your car starts to get a tow.
Partially damaged car: If your car is partially damaged and can continue to be raced, try to do the best you can for the rest of the race. If you have to go into the pits, try not to slow down on the track before entering the pit areas and use aprons where ever possible. Do not block the leaders when they come up on you when you know your car can't beat them. Example, I had one restart under yellow where I was at the point with a damaged car at Taladeaga. During the pace lap, I told the other drivers to go by me low when the green drops. I knew I could not race with them and I would probably have caused an accident and another yellow flag. So use common sense and be respectful when racing. You can always get them next race.
Starting Races: The only thing I have to say here is don't try to win the race on the first lap or first turn as in real racing. I've seen many times where everyone says keep the race clean and the first lap we have a 5-10 car pileup. Remember, You have 20-50 laps as an example to beat your competitors. I sometimes purposely qualify slow to get to the back of the pack, and then watch everyone knock themselves out of the race. I then go on to place somewhere in the top five. Wait till the field spreads out on the first couple of laps and then go for positions or for the win. Also use common sense again.
Language online: Please hold back on using harsh, vulgar language while racing as much as you can. The other drivers are trying to concentrate on racing and don't need to see these messages flashing up on the screen while the race is going on. I know we are paying good money to race online and we get mad, but this is only a game and we are not racing for money here. You don't need to tear off someone's head the whole race because he made a mistake. I sure you made some dumb moves in the past also. I know I have.
Conclusions: If you try to follow these basic rules, it will make you a better racer and have fun racing online. I am not an expert, but I try to follow the above rules. There is no way that accidents will never happen, and I have done some dumb mistakes in the past. Learn from your mistakes and try not to do the same ones over and over. Each time you race is a new experience because you are racing with new drivers each time and learning new techniques to get by him for the win. Read my fourth article on gaining respect of other racers. These two articles go hand and hand with each other.
Enjoy racing online with the Ten network, that's why it there for your entertainment.
Well, that is about it for now. See you at the track,
Dave Thayer(Daterror - Ten handle)
This page last updated Saturday, February 7, 1998
