Are you constantly getting quicker?

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Redskywalker7

Redskywalker7

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Redskywalker7
Been thinking about this recently.

I've been playing 'competitively' for about a year now. I'm obviously faster than I was a year ago, but does everyone reach a certain plateua after a while? A point where you've reached your limit and can't go any faster?

I terms of racing, things like race-craft, setups, strategies and general race-smarts obviously come over time, but does everyone have a limit to their driving abilities? If you keep playing GT for years, does that really mean you're getting quicker?
I look at real life drivers like giancarlo fisichella and Rubens Barrichello who raced for years in F1 without ever becoming championship winning drivers (obviously in Fisichella's case he didn't always have the greatest car).

Any thoughts?:boggled:
 
Yes, everyone has a limit, but some people have a much higher potential skill threshold. I personally haven't reached my limit yet and I don't know where it is; I'm hoping I don't reach it anytime soon! :)
 
Hmmmm...nature or nurture? I'm not a 'natural born racer' as you can probably gather from my PSN ID, I had to learn to get faster, & I think I've most definately plateaued.


Good thread. 👍
 
The thing is . . . every car is different.
However fast you become capable at one car, there is always another one to push to its limits, and yours.
I feel that we do become better and better with constant play because of the fact that a longer experience at the game unravels new challenges that tests our driving (and decision-making) skills and this hones our ultimate control of the game.

As for a plateau - again, different days, different moods can affect one's skill, and it's hard to effectively measure if one is consistently improving or just having good days, bad days, and a couple of flukes thrown in.
 
Well, I didn't reach my limit yet, but I've been increasing my pace slowly lately, I've had in June what I think it was my peak, at that point that I was on the podium or close to it every race, or either dominate servers.
 
I feel like I am getting slower all the time. I used to just become focused, drive in an autopilot manner and handle cars rather aggressively. These days I think about and attempt far too much at being smooth or "clever" and as a result, feel slower. Though going back to notoriously difficult events such as the Alfa Romeo at Eiger in the Grand Tour, I beat my previous record on my 2nd lap. I remember spending around 10-12 laps in order to gold it first time around.

There is another game that I play as well, although admittedly I used to play it religiously, when I spent sometime on it again recently, my lap times were no where near what they used to be and I just can't figure out how I used to do it . In an actual race however, especially in GT5, I still stand a good chance of winning as generally my skills with dealing with traffic and alternative racing lines to get around people have become second nature now, rather than hardcore lap times.

So in other words, I'm not as good in time trial conditions, but better at worming my way through a field of cars on the circuit.
 
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I don't like to think I'm at my peak, because I'm not the fastest (in the world) yet..
 
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Think I am driving faster now than one year ago.
Used to take insane number of tries to gold b license. Started new account and took 1-3 tries to gold most of it. Was placed outside of 40000 in tt last time but now within 5000 In both recent tt (though I tried harder this round).
Sadly, the time gap to top drivers has increased instead of decrease. In short, I seriously lack talent and should probably just enjoy the driving.
 
Sometimes I come across some really old times in my practice leaderboards that now with the same car I'll wipe the floor with, but can remember at the time thinking that was as much as I could give... so yes even 2 years on I'm still getting quicker, but having no real road experience (23 and still don't have a licence... silly I know), GT5 and other driving games/sims are the only way to hone my skills.
 
gtnoobie
...just enjoy the driving.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly. I have no space for a wheel and pedal combo, so have been playing this whole series over the years with just the DualShock controllers. I play to have fun. Sometimes I win online, most of the time I suck, and that's ok. It's all about enjoying yourself!
 
I've constantly gotten faster through the day i turned ABS off. That took me a bit back but today i believe i've mastered the physics well and i'm quicker than before.
Not only that, the ABS off makes me enjoy my driving more...!
 
yea after 5 continuous laps of Nurburgring i can definitely clock it faster.
Ofc after a period of not playing, i have to get back on it.
And sometimes jump between my wheel and the DS3
 
Though I undoubtedly have got faster, there is still a time I set on the Ring in the Mazda Kusabi back in early '11 that is light years ahead of anything I've mustered since... it's 7.35 or something like that (on Racing Softs) and despite a few goes I've never got into a groove as good as that lap! I saved the replay and watched it recently and I was on another planet!
 
I've actually been trying to slow down to better replicate realistic times.

Such as 3:30s at Le mans or 7s at Nurb with LMP/Group C cars
 
djs
I've constantly gotten faster through the day i turned ABS off. That took me a bit back but today i believe i've mastered the physics well and i'm quicker than before.
Not only that, the ABS off makes me enjoy my driving more...!
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This 👍

There are plateaus (plateaux?) for sure, but if you keep looking for ways to push yourself or evolve/broaden your driving skill, you can keep climbing (to the next plateau ;)

Also, the better you get, the harder it is to improve and it's by more subtle degrees, yet if you look back far enough (let's say where you were a year ago) it's nearly certain you will be surprised at how much better you are now. The progression of the game versions (and their degree of simulating reality) is related to this as well.

Finally, challenge yourself against other drivers, this is very important. There's always more to learn. I learned an incredible amount just from doing the Spa TT (#46) and immediately crushed my best laptimes at Le Mans and Nordschleife as a result.

sumbrownkid
I've actually been trying to slow down to better replicate realistic times.

Such as 3:30s at Le mans or 7s at Nurb with LMP/Group C cars
Click to expand...

Really fun if you do that by reducing power, adding ballast, nerfing tires, and it's still a way of making you a better driver (which lends itself to being faster under the circumstances rather than subjectively in outright lap time). I've done that myself at the 'Ring, trying to get the Group C cars limited enough to make around a 6:11 (Bellof's 1983 record in the Porsche 956). I'm certain it's not just tires, I think somehow both power and braking are also exaggerated, drag is probably not high enough at high speed, who knows. But the Bentley Speed 8 was still doing 6:09 on Sports Mediums and something like 600hp and 900kg (about what the 956 had).
 
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Yeah the horsepower and drag levels are a bit wonky. I did a 3:25 with racing mediums front and hards rear running 650 HP and half downforce in the Speed 8. Still a bit too fast as the Bentley's did 3:30s average.
 
I suppose it's like anything else - you reach plateaus in your progress and to overcome them you have to take a step back and re-evaluate the basics of what you're doing.

That's what the champions do; the also-rans just bang their heads against the wall, doing the exact same thing over and over, forever.
 
I definitely got better after GTAcademy Demo Trials. Round 8-5 (and Tidgeney) taught me a technique that definitely improved my lap times over Pre GTA Demo Time trials I did.
 
I know I'm still getting faster. I was doing 1 lap runs around the Nurburgring with some supercars several months ago. I went back these last couple of days and have consistently been around 4-8 seconds faster with every car I've taken out for a 2nd time. But like danardi, I have one time I only picked up a tiny amount. I only ran the 458 about 3 tenths faster than the first time around. I have no idea how I put down such a great lap the first try there because I felt like I was flying the 2nd run. :odd:

I noticed that throttle control has been has been key to me picking up times and getting faster over the long haul. When I used to hang the back end out coming out of the corners, I now take it easy on the gas and am smooth off. Tons of time can be gained there.
 
I find I get slower after a physics update then after I feel it out again I'm back my edge improving.




sumbrownkid
I've actually been trying to slow down to better replicate realistic times.

Such as 3:30s at Le mans or 7s at Nurb with LMP/Group C cars
Click to expand...

FormulaKimball
Really fun if you do that by reducing power, adding ballast, nerfing tires, and it's still a way of making you a better driver (which lends itself to being faster under the circumstances rather than subjectively in outright lap time). I've done that myself at the 'Ring, trying to get the Group C cars limited enough to make around a 6:11 (Bellof's 1983 record in the Porsche 956). I'm certain it's not just tires, I think somehow both power and braking are also exaggerated, drag is probably not high enough at high speed, who knows. But the Bentley Speed 8 was still doing 6:09 on Sports Mediums and something like 600hp and 900kg (about what the 956 had).
Click to expand...



I like to replicate closer to real times as well. I do it mainly by dropping tires on the race cars to sports mediums or hards and the street cars to sports hards to as low as comfort mediums. I leave the power level the same because it really makes the car an animal and seem a little more real. I think a high horsepower race car should EASILY fry the tires if the throttle is not handled well.
 
Some great points:) I enjoyed reading them all.

I agree with alot of you in that setting challenges, or raising the difficulty helps. I recently started paying attention to time trials and I've learned alot in a short space of time just by watching the fastest ghost.

I almost get the feeling that it's down to how seriously you take this - that if your prepared to scrutineer all your lines and approaches and try adopt what the fastest aliens do, then you can dig yourself out of any 'rut'. That takes time and dedication of course, and alot of guys just want to play for the enjoyment, which is understandable.:)
 
Redskywalker7
Some great points:) I enjoyed reading them all.

I agree with alot of you in that setting challenges, or raising the difficulty helps. I recently started paying attention to time trials and I've learned alot in a short space of time just by watching the fastest ghost.

I almost get the feeling that it's down to how seriously you take this - that if your prepared to scrutineer all your lines and approaches and try adopt what the fastest aliens do, then you can dig yourself out of any 'rut'. That takes time and dedication of course, and alot of guys just want to play for the enjoyment, which is understandable.:)
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I have a very difficult time following online ghosts... I usually feel more comfortable using my own racing line. It just feels unreal watching some of those online ghosts zip by me in corners while my car slides out to the sand trap.

Speaking of time trails, I can get in one really good hot lap once in a while, I just don't know how to be consistent cause I always try to push a little too hard with next lap.
 
I got my DFGT about two weeks ago, so I better hope I'm getting faster!

Seriously though, yes. I am finding Rufs formerly hard to control cars more manageble, and I find that I'm having more fun because of it. I'm staring down at the line less.
My recent switch from automatic to manual is a testament to that. The last time I tried it (about two months ago) I found myself staring at the rev meter the entire time, and was crashing left and right. Now, I am much better at taking things in as a whole, just looking at the center of my screen and seeing everything at once (that might be the ADD, though:lol:). I can now shift just by the sound of my engine, I only really look at the rev meter when I first get a car.

And Mitch, this would be a good topic, right?
 
Me personally I take each day as it comes, when I first drive a car I am about 2 seconds a lap slower than say a steady race pace and it takes a good half hour for me to be able to push the car to is absolute limit. This is why I limit the amount of driving games I play, to many driving games in my opinion will slow you down. Swapping and changing between different physics interpretations and trying to get used to them each day you swap is a nightmare for someone who like to be competitive.
 
I've noticed from this thread that some keep progressing as some stay at a stand still, which is normal in my opinion. I think that the ones who have "reached their peak" need to try something different, tunes, cars, etc. If you change it up a bit, you'll always find something you can improve on, even if you think you're at the top of your game.

As for me, I think I'm constantly getting faster. I have times where I would be at a standstill and seems like I'm at my peak when in actuality, I've just reached my peak with that certain car/tune. I'll usually switch it up to something different and try to master that one.

Each car has it's own peak performance, we, as the driver, needs to find it!
 
I often believe I hit my limit then I seem to muster some new found skill, almost two years and still getting better, no pro though.
 
Callumfromleeds
I often believe I hit my limit then I seem to muster some new found skill, almost two years and still getting better, no pro though.
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I believe anyone's potential is limitless, it's WE that put limits on ourselves :).

When we think we reached the top of our game, we stop trying and just sit at that level.
 

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