Automatic or Manual?

[Parnelli Bone]

I actually DID read it!


your website is not DUMB!! ITs FUNNY. and I like it.

Cool, well I'm glad at least SOMEBODY is reading that stuff. It sure is a lot of work!

 

[Fogelhund]

Go look at my GT2 championship times (previous season), complete the race in the same car, get screenshots, and then we can chew the fat some more 👍

Hmmmm



I'd take you up on that challenge.

There are many cars that Auto is just not an option. The powerband is well off where the Auto shifter would shift at. Many cars need to be shifted about 1000 rpm below redline, and Auto won't get the job done. No amount of fiddling with the gears will change that. I hate to burst your bubble, but yes, many of the JGTC cars, including the Calsonic Skyline are examples of this.


To boot, shifting needs to be done at strategic places on the track. Track times will bear this out, 0-400, 0-1000 times will bear this out.

Manual shifting is the only way to go.

 

[Mike Rotch]

A) Jebus couldnt beat the Fogel.

B) It is impossible to answer this question with enough scientific fact. One needs two drivers of identical ability to test both gearbox's, or, one need one driver equally adept at both gearbox's to deliver an opinion.

Just as you say the Calsonics need manual box's to get the optimum performance, one can equaly argue that the benefits of not having to worry about manual gears on a 300HP GT40 outweight the benefits of using the manual box.

👍👎

 

[Pupik]

I got about 50% through the game using strictly automatic at first.

I first tried manual on the Plymouth Sperbird for the Muscle Car Cup races, and was 3rd the first time, second the next time, and then won the last two as well.

My next bit of practice was to race the [R] GT-R challenge events over and over again, using an R32 V-Spec II with a weight reduction and race mod, and a race tranny as the only mods. Those could be some fun races, and it was an fairly easy car to drive. I learned shift points on all the circuits, and after 2-3 hours, I made the switch to manual with no problems.

 

[Fogelhund]

Mike, I've tested every concievable method to go faster in this game. For some cars, the difference may be nil. For others there will be a large difference.

On this balance, manual is better. Once you know how to use it, there is no point in using Auto, as it does become a second nature to use the standard.

 

[vette_7t9]

it does become second nature to use manual. AND what i meant was that the auto shifts at bad points, and doesnt take advantage of the powerband. You can judge the powerband by reading the charts...... and i like driving stock cars, not racing prep or overpowered upgraded...... i actually enjoy driving stock miatas! lol.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Hey, thought I would bump this, see if anything has changed over the years. Probably not...

 

[Xenn]

I'm mixed between the two, I can use manual, but only more comfortable using it on slower cars.

 

[csmeteora9]

Perhaps I can help you there, Parnelli. Personally, I use Manual, every single time. Not only is it more involving and challenging, it allows more access to the engines power; especially useful on undulating courses such as Trail Mountain.

 

[Liquid]

Manual. Always. Like csmeteora says, you can extract more power, and generally have a greater 'feel' for the drive.

I hate the short shifts of A/T, and when it fails to shift down when the revs are too low coming out of a corner.

Love manual!

 

[DrKronin]

Manual. Always. Well, almost. You see, I just finished (finally) golding the X2010 special event on Suzuka. There's no way I would try to drive that car with a manual. There are places where you have to downshift 5 times in just over 1 second while throwing the steering wheel (g27) all the way to lock and back. I just don't think I could do that with the manual.

I think that's the exception that proves the rule, however. Even though I've only been using the manual for the last year (been playing GT since GT1), I'm already significantly faster with it than I ever was with the auto.

 

[Celicaas]

Both but i kinda perefer MT

 

[AMCNUT]

I usually use automatic because I was never able to shift when I was younger, and by the time I got older I just got used to automatic shifting and am too lazy to get super-good at manual (can do it OK in a pinch though, as long as the car isn't crazy powerful.)

 

[jeffgoddin]

Have tried several times to train myself, but it just feels like work to drive MT. Many cars absolutely require it though in order for them not to suck (old muscle cars, the racing Skylines) so in a few rare cases I've forced myself to do it.

Yes, being able to downshift when you're going through a corner and the revs drop out of the powerband would be nice on occasion, and many cars will get slightly better performance when you tap into the power still left above the redline (and so shift up higher into the powerband), but for the most part, AT driving will be as fast or close to it. Golded all the license tests AT, anyways.

 

[Epic B]

Really, auto or manual is a matter of preference and experience. I typically drive with an automatic, for convenience. It allows me to focus on driving the car and not having to worry about getting behind cause I forgot to shift. But whether you drive auto or manual, okay then. But well I do prefer an automatic, I have driven a manual a few times in GT4. When I had a bit of seat time in a Pagani Zonda, I drive a manual a lot, mostly for a useful second gear launch. But the stock Zonda box requires a lot of shifting.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Have tried several times to train myself, but it *snip*

but for the most part, AT driving will be as fast or close to it. Golded all the license tests AT, anyways.

Wow, I would not have guessed that.

 

[oldmodelt]

Wow, I would not have guessed that.

Me either?

 

[Schwartz]

I find the game pointless using automatic. It really takes the challenge out of the game and its just gas/brake/turn with every car.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

I find the game pointless using automatic. It really takes the challenge out of the game and its just gas/brake/turn with every car.

I take it you've never roleplayed a yuppie driver then, eh? Lol. just kidding.

 

[tricd04]

In Gran Turismo and other racing simulators, I try to use manual whenever possible.

On a side note, last summer I went back and played some Need For Speed: Most Wanted, and I tried using manual for the first time in that game. Sadly, manual makes almost all of the cars undriveable because of SEVERE lag between when you hit the R2 button to shift up, until the game actually shifts up. In that case, I did end up using auto.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

I most of the time like to use automatic because I like to focus on the track more without the worries of shifting. It seems like too much work to use Manual. I will at other times use Manual and am currently trying to master using it on the track, but it's difficult for me.

I try to practice manual in GT5 & FM4 mostly since they're the current most realistic driving games on vg consoles.

 

[McLaren]

I find the game pointless using automatic. It really takes the challenge out of the game and its just gas/brake/turn with every car.

Because adding in the task of "clutch/shift" is what makes the gameplay so much better.

 

[BJBEOSmitty]

lol i bet no1s gona read my lecture.......

I did. I figured I was not good enough for automatic... but I'll give it a shot. Promise!

 

[Tahli462]

i use auto but when i do time trial in any gt series i use manual

 

[Ravicale]

I usually use automatic.

 

[Nero9]

Manual almost every time.

 

[Falcon787B]

Played using AT for ages, then when I got a steering wheel for GT4 I trained myself to use MT, seeing as I was already training myself to use force feedback steering, I thought I'd best train myself to use MT. It's really not as hard as people make out, it's that old 'easy to learn, hard to master' chesnut. I think I've just about got it now. But I won't get elitist about people who use AT, that really annoys me anyway.

 

[Tahli462]

.

 

[Patruck GT2]

I learnt the basics of MT when I used to play GT2 with my classmates on someone else psx, 'cause I had N64 (We were 8-10 years old or so) and, being basically the worst driver, I invented a "MT challenge" so that everyone had to use MT: I had figured out how a real gearbox worked, they hadn't, so on the start they shifted up to the highest gear possible with terrible acceleration and I easily went away, even if my manual shifting wasn't really precise. I gained maybe 1 hour of victories, then they understood and came back winning.