5 replies to this topic

[Schummy]

I'd like to know if someone knows if there is any racing game with multiple "ghost" replay cars. I'm asking this because I liked a lot the ancient game Car&Driver which had the possibility to race against multiple copies of your earlier races with (improperly called) ghost cars that were non transparent and solid! It's to say, you actually could touch and "figth" for position with them! It was great fun (in my eyes, at least).

All the games I know just let you run "against" a "non material" copy of your car in the best lap available or the last lap, not solid copies, not multiple copies and not for a whole race.

Please, someone know about a C&D "succesor"? Thanks.

[Bjorn]

'fraid not, but it sure sounds interesting...

Well, you can find the old game here: http://www.the-underdogs.org ... I'm downloading it as we speak

[karlth]

Originally posted by Bjorn
... I'm downloading it as we speak

You should be programming!

This was published in 1998:

Question
--------
Can you find evidence of a game that used "ghost" vehicles used before
Hard Driving? (Only one reward will be paid - see Conditions)

Background
----------
We are a developer of computer and video games based in the UK. One of
our titles (Micro Machines V3) has recently been published in the U.S.,
and following that we received a letter from Atari Games Corporation and
a copy of some of their patents.

Basically they are taking the position that they were the first to
invent the idea of "ghost" vehicles, typically used in racing games to
show the movements of the "best" run, for you to race against. We have
included ghost cars in MicroMachines in the Time Trial mode, and so they
are asking us to pay them for the right to use this system.

If they were infact the first to use this system then it seems likely
that the patent will be enforceable and we (and any other game
developers) using ghost cars will have to pay them to use it. It seems
that they first used the idea in the arcade game "Hard Driving", and to
pre-date the patent another game using a similar system would have to
exist before the 1st August, 1989.

So, a reward is on offer for the first person who can mail me with
either:

a) the name, title and format of a game (console/home
computer/arcade) that uses a similar system, first published before the
above date.

b) a copy of any article, review, advert etc. describing a similar
system, published before the above date.


Similar System
--------------
If you know of a racing game that used a ghost of the previous best lap,
displayed simultaneously with the current cars movements, then that
would be perfect. However, any system that simultaneously displays a
previously recorded route and the current route would also do the job.
The "vehicles" would not have to be cars, they could be anything the
player controls, including a character. The "ghost" image of the
previous route does not have to appear as a ghost; any moving indicator
of the position of the "vehicle" being replayed would be fine.

Conditions
----------

The first message that I receive that significantly helps us in this
matter will get the reward of 500 U.S. dollars, paid in your local
currency, and the satisfaction that they have helped to ensure that more
racing games in the future will continue to use this system.

Please send any replies to: richardd@codemasters.com
or fax: UK 44 (0)1926 817595

Please include your contact details.


Many thanks for your help,

Richard Darling
Codemasters


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[mahelgel]

I remember playing that game alot! fun little game when it was released... and the ghost mode was great, only after some time, you had to go off racing line alle the time not to crash into youre old runs

[Schummy]

According to its patent, Atari will let users to play with games with its patented "ghost car" concept if they repeat the word "atari" aproximately once per minute while playing it. Oh Lord, why lord ;)

I played C&D eventually way after it became technically outdated by more recent standards just because its solid ghost cars were so fun. Very OT but I also remember "Carrier Command" as one of those old games that I played many times when they were graphically outperformed by more modern games.

Bjorn, thanks for the link. I actually go on having C&D myself but that link hints me about others games

[UPRC]

I've always enjoyed driving against my previous fast lap ghost car thingies.... It was a challenge to beat them... This sounds quite nice.