The installation program on the new Papyrus CART Racing CD is a disaster. It copies all of the files for all three versions, DOS, DOS/Rendition, and Windows 95 to your hard drive, using up 200mb, and doesn't tell you that it's doing this. By default, it runs the worthless Windows 95 version (known as "Windy").
You only need one of these versions. Don't bother with Windy. It's not worth it; the frame rate hit from Win95/DirectX overhead is too high. Use one of the DOS versions. If you have a Rendition card (which I really hope you do!) use the Rendition version, otherwise use the original "Classic" version. Windy has great menus, while the DOS versions' menus are next to awful. Believe me, the superior play in the DOS versions is worth putting up with the menus.
Unbelievably, I couldn't find any installation instructions on the new CD. Appallingly, they seem to have also omitted the special Readme file that came with the original Rendition version, and which contains important information specific to all Rendition versions aand which is available nowhere else. Read it here.
I'll do my best to explain how to install CART.
If you haven't already installed from the CD using the Autoplay installer, I suggest you use the DOS installer. This version won't let you do anything but a full install, but you'll need only about 60 mb for the Rendition version, and a little less for the Classic version.
Open a DOS prompt in Windows 95 and cd to the appropriate directory for the version you plan to install. Then run the installer. For the Rendition version, assuming your CD-ROM drive is D:, do this:
d:
cd \dos\rend
install
If you don't have a Rendition card, do this:
d:
cd \dos\cart
install
Follow the instructions. I was able to successfully set up the sound card while doing this install from the DOS prompt. If you can't, see below. Be sure you close the DOS prompt and Restart the computer in MS-DOS Mode through the Start menu before you try to run the game! See below for more information on running it.
If you've already run the Autoplay installer, the best thing is probably to uninstall it and install using the DOS installer as described above. If you really want to stick with what you've already installed, I suggest you delete the versions you aren't going to use. Find your installation in Explorer and delete all the files and directories in \sierra\cart except \sierra\dos. Then delete sierra\dos\cart if you have a Rendition card, and delete \sierra\dos\rend if you don't have a Rendition card.
Then you'll need to overcome a bug introduced with this version. In Windows, go into each Track folder that you plan to use, and right-click on the DEFAULT.ST1 file. Choose Properties, and uncheck the read-only checkbox. Do the same with all files in the CART root directory that end with .cfg.
First be sure you are in MS-DOS mode. Click Start/Shut Down/Restart the computer in MS-DOS Mode. Or, from the F8 menu during startup, boot into Command Line Only.
I'll assume you installed the game in C:\sierra\cart. Change working directory to the path of the version you are using. If you have a Rendition card:
c:
cd \sierra\cart\dos\rend
If not:
c:
cd \sierra\cart\dos\cart
If you haven't yet configured CART for the sound card, run setup.exe. This will figure out the settings needed for the sound card, and test it. Once you get sound, exit this and run the game. If you have a Rendition card:
cartfast
If this doesn't work try the non-DMA version:
cartrend
If you don't have a Rendition card, to run the Classic version, do this:
cart /h
The /h option runs it in high-resolution mode; otherwise it's impossibly ugly. Calibrate your controller, and then go into the Options menu. Under controls, configure your controller for steering, brake, gas, shifting, and choose nonlinear steering. Under opponents, set to 15 to start with to help the frame rate (assuming you are running the Classic version). Under Driver aids, choose manual braking. Use manual shifting if you want, but be warned there is no rev limiter. I blow engines every time I try this.
Graphics are the critical part for frame rate. Running the Rendition version on a P-133 or above with a Rendition card, you can turn everything on and forget it; you'll get at least 30 fps.
Classic mode is another matter. On my AMD K6/200, running the Classic version (ie using the Rendition card in 2D mode, no 3D acceleration) I can get decent frame rate with almost everything on, but would probably cut out smoke and some other stuff like grandstand textures to get frame rate up over 20 fps consistently. Don't use any Auto settings except for testing; the overhead associated with calculating when to turn textures on and off hurts the frame rate too much.
You can also improve frame rate by reducing the number of cars heard ahead and behind.
I originally wrote this in response to a query by a Microsoft CART Precision Racing (CPR) fan who bought Papyrus CART for purposes of comparison; hence the comaprisons to that game.
Once you start racing, you'll find that the CART cars seem very slow at first compared to CPR's cars, and they have much less traction and much worse braking. There is much less sensation of speed in comparison to CPR, which amplifies the sensation by its sound, dashboard vibration, and by using a fish-eye lens effect in the display to emphasize the motion of objects as they get near.
However, run Papyrus CART for a while, and you will find that you can "talk" to the car, using trailing brake to turn into corners, and lift-throttle oversteer to tuck the nose in once into them. You can balance the car on throttle for power oversteer in slow corners also, and squeezing the throttle on in mid-speed corners on ovals actually "points" the car down toward the apex.
Note that Papyrus CART Racing really needs a Rendition card, almost as much as F1RS needs a 3Dfx card. Not only does a Rendition card improve frame rate dramatically, but the enhanced tracks look far better. Not only do the 3D tracks look better, but the additional detail and preciseness of the display makes it easier to drive more quickly, because your eye has more visual cues.
Papyrus only supplies five 3D enhanced tracks, but the Sim Project has just released the betas for 3D kits to enhance most of the tracks that Papyrus didn't enhance for Rendition. These enhanced tracks are gorgeous and a huge improvement over the 2D versions on the CD-ROM. There are 3D kits for most of the NASCAR 1 to ICR2 conversion tracks as well.
The Sim Project also has enhanced AI files available for many of the tracks, including David Mocnay's brilliant Mid-Ohio AI, which drives better than my brother (just kidding, Nate!)
Also, there is a sound patch for CART which is a big improvement over the stock motorcycle sounds, and zillions of setups. A good setup transforms the handling and makes CART a real pleasure to drive.
See my ICR2 and links pages for more into and pointers to this stuff if you want to see CART Racing at its best.
Note: check here for some information about running ICR2 on the newer Rendition 2x00 3D cards.