Am I the only one who hates the DFP???

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Benfolio

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For my birthday last week my lovely wife bought me what I thought was gonna be the prime accessory for mt GT driving.

Turns out either I am a horrible gamer, or the wheel is just too over the top and belongs in an actual arcade environment.

I could never get comfortable with it. I'd have to buy a stand or build a cockpit to use it. And that would look a tad tacky in our family room. To understand my wife you'd have to also realize she made me take my PERFECT gaming chair and put it in the basement, a driver's seat out of a '03 Dodge Intrepid complete with center armrest/storage and dual cupholders. :)
I like the feedback and realism it brings to driving, but 900 degrees? Too much. I'd find myself hacking away at it with my sometimes brutal driving style, and on the occasions where I did spin out, it took WAY to long to find reverse, cut the wheel all the way to the left or right to back up, then cut it all the way back the other way and be on my way. In all honesty I never tried it on 200 degrees, but the other problem I had with it overruled my decision to keep it.
And that is the NOISE. I play mostly at night when the wife is sleeping (boy, she sure is the reason behind alot of this, eh?) and I could barely hear my own TV over the noise the wheel makes, especially when sawing the crap out of it trying to save my car from a spin, or trying to drift it.
All this on top of being easily spun out by other cars (not being able to save my own) I took it back to the store the next day after getting it.
Ihave NO problem with my DS2 controller, and have been slowly but surely passing all licence tests (mostly silver....) and driving missions (haven't tried the SLR at the Ring yet....).

I'm sure SOMEONE else out there has had a similar experiance, and I'm not saying it's a bad wheel (I have a Microsoft racing wheel sans vibration for my PC, and I LOVE IT), I'm just saying it doesn't fit my life/driving style.
 
When I first got the wheel for GT3 I was very disappointed with it. The ratios where way off in GT3. Gran Turismo 4 has a direct feeling, though it does feel like I have to arm wrestle with an electric motor while I'm driving. I do agree with you about reverse being a joke, though if you ever have to put it into reverse you've lost the race already. Sure it's not exactly like driving a car, but it's overall the most realistic driving simulation out there. It's just one of those thing that you have to get used to.
 
In response to the thread title: Yes
 
It seems that it's the 900 degrees thats causing you the most trouble, so turn 900 degree mode off so it's only 300 degrees lock to lock. I personally think thats it's a fantastic wheel, it offers so much feedback and feels very sturdy it makes GT4 a much better experience. As for complaining about the noise it makes at night, when it's late just use your DS2 instead and use the DFP during the day time when the noise isn't an issue. Taking it back the next day wasn't good choice imo you didn't give yourself much time to get used to it at all, and from what you said I don't think you looked into many if any solutions for your problems.
 
How can you not like the 900 degrees? You don't actually turn the wheel that far in any situation unless you're making a U-turn in the middle of the track. If the noise bothers you, turn off feedback and it's not so bad.

But yes, the DFP is pretty worthless unless you have a good place to mount it.
 
Benfolio
For my birthday last week my lovely wife bought me what I thought was gonna be the prime accessory for mt GT driving.
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Give it some more time. I bought the wheel this past January after I had been running many laps on the Japanese Demo Nurburgring for about a month with my DS2. It took me about two weeks to better my best DS2 lap time, but I stuck with it and I personally think that the DFP is awesome, except for occasional pedal problems.

As far as 'sawing the wheel' left and right, I've had several experienced DS2 players try out my DFP, and it is hilarious watching them trying to keep a car on a straight section of road. They put WAY too much input into the steering, when it is not required. I suppose that I started off this way. It takes practice to develop skill.

I will agree with you on the noise factor. I lower the volume on the TV when others go to sleep, and the noise produced by the wheel is annoying. I don't even notice it when I am playing with normal volume settings.
 
I'd like it a ton more if I had a decent place to put it. Right now it just sits on my lap, and it's the most uncomfortable thing you could imagine. So I generally just use my DS2 until I can find someplace to put my DFP.
 
Perhaps one of you dfp users could let me know how well the pedals perform?

On my current fanatec wheel, the throttle pedal applies 100% throttle in the first 2mm of movement.

Do the dfp pedals work better? ie, 50% pedal movement = 50% throttle?

Cheers and thanks for any help you can provide
 
I wish DFP was more linear going both ways. I mean...I like the feel of the wheel when you make your turn-in, but when you counter steer, the wheel changes feel (not realistic at all).

Another thing is when you straighen the wheel after you counter-steer...it's very difficult to this correctly with DFP, which makes it feel non-realistic IMO.
 
Perhaps one of you dfp users could let me know how well the pedals perform?
On my current fanatec wheel, the throttle pedal applies 100% throttle in the first 2mm of movement. Do the dfp pedals work better? ie, 50% pedal movement = 50% throttle? Cheers and thanks for any help you can provide
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Yes, DFP is pedals work correctly. 100% pedal travel equals 100% in the game, and 50% equals 50% braking or acceleration.
 
MR_GT
Yes, DFP is pedals work correctly. 100% pedal travel equals 100% in the game, and 50% equals 50% braking or acceleration.
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Thanks for that quick reply Mr GT

Like wooooo.. ok, I'll have to buy one then....

Final question.... do the pedals from the Logitech 'Driving Force Wheel' work correctly as well?

Not really that fussed about the 900^ rotation....

Any major differences apart from that?

Cheers
 
Its just too loud for me, and it dosent feel very realstic because of the springs that automatically recenter the wheel, and at point the force feedback can be incorrect. and IRL, my steering wheel does not just move back to dead center if I let go of it. I will say the steering is very precise tho. And to put the icing on the cake, I have one of the flawed DFP's where the accelerator just stops responding all of a sudden. Its just a matter of sending it in for the warranty, but who has time to do that thesedays?
 
I have never liked wheels with racing games, give me my controller anyday and I'll be happy.
 
If it's to loud....your to OLD!!!! Try turning up the sound to eleven. That works quite well.(joke)
Question? How can GT4 be a simulator with a hand controller???
 
I had a Momo Force for GT3, which I never got to like. Partly it was the shifting paddles, but mostly it was the lack of decent mounting. I was never comfortable using it.

But for GT4/DFP, I've got a solid and comfortable rig hooked up. It's made all the difference in the world. In about 4 hours I'm back up to the speed I was with the DS2, and I can see it will get better from there.

I agree about the noise, though. I also play at night, usually, and I need to make sure all the bedroom doors are closed upstairs because of the 'vweeeeeeep... vweeeep... VWEEEEEEEEP!' it makes. I also am disappointed about the return-to-center - it feels like all the cars have zero caster, because it's nearly as much effort to unwind the wheel as it is to turn in.
 
Duke
I also am disappointed about the return-to-center - it feels like all the cars have zero caster, because it's nearly as much effort to unwind the wheel as it is to turn in.
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Do you have the power steering assist turned off? The default settings (in my import) had the power steering assist turne on, and I turned it off after feeling how limp it felt with it on. And my return-to-center is fine.
 
I have to say that before I bought the DFP I was kind of scare of how this was going to work with the GT4. I bought it and have a good practice with NFSU2 and Toca2, and now I only can say that I love my DFP. I would have problems going back to a normal wheel...!
 
Like someone already said, give it some time. Keeping it one day is not enough time. Likewise, it seems you didn't have a proper place to mount it.

The first day I got the wheel, I had it mounted on a cheap stand. At first it was very different driving it, and obviously I wasn't doing so well. Having played the GT series since GT1, I'm obviously pretty good with the DS2, so crashing into the wall every 30 feet was VERY frustrating. I stuck with it though. Built a sturdy stand for it, and have been playing for about a week. And now I absolutely love the wheel. I'm used it to, and it's just a blast now. You simply can not make a judgement on it after 1 day, especially without a place to mount it.
 
Indyxc
Like someone already said, give it some time. Keeping it one day is not enough time. Likewise, it seems you didn't have a proper place to mount it.

The first day I got the wheel, I had it mounted on a cheap stand. At first it was very different driving it, and obviosly I wasn't doing so well. Having played the GT series since GT1, I'm obviosly pretty good with the DS2, so crashing into the wall every 30 feet was VERY frustrating. I stuck with it though. Built a sturdy stand for it, and have been playing for about a week. And now I absolutely love the wheel. I'm used it to, and it's just a blast now. You simply can not make a judgement on it after 1 day, especially without a place to mount it.
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well said!

i love my dfp...i don't have a stand though. i'm playing it on a cheapie guitar stand. i'll make a thread later w/pics.
 
It has to be known that im not the biggest fan of driving wheels in game but My dad has just got he DFP and ive used it on 3 games so far GT3, GT4 & TOCA RD2.

Ive always been a little scepticle of how a steering wheel feels in games in rrelation to a pad (Im all about the old skool ;) ) But since using this wheel in GT3 and GT4 im a changed person, granted my times arnt as fast as they are with a pad yet, and i stress yet as the more i use it the better i become.

I suggest you stick with it and try and make a tacky set up maybe out of the main living room. But dont give up yet, im a total convert and even contenplaiting trying to move over to manual gears instead of auto :)
 
not having a proper place to mount a dfp, while paramount to making the dfp useful, is not the fault of the dfp.

Hell, right now i have my kitchen table parked in front of my tv, with a chair with a bunch of quilts and pillows and a book sandwiched between the front of the chair and the quilts to simulate a bucket seat ;p

cheesy, but it works.
 
dpf is the best! you just have to give it some time and ill work :) (try putting the settings for the force feed bace to minimum if you find it too strong thats what i did!)
 
i have a red/leather momo force at present and IMO the wheel is the best wheel ever made and due to the money grabbing scheming bunch at sony who have made my wheel not work im considering a DFP.

Is there any way to turn off the 900 degree lock in gt4? or does it auto detect to 900 degrees? because race cars don't have 900 degress more like 300 degrees.

900 degress lock on the road cars sounds like fun though.
 
if you guys have problems with sounds, have you tried using headphones? Currently i use wireless headphones (since my tv's speakers are more or less crap) and the sound is much more direct and it mutes out the whine of the steering wheel. I guess for the people with the hardcore sound systems, this idea will not fly too far, but hell it worked for me.
 
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