Best Driving Tips for NooBs?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Peregrinus
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zero_speed
My tips for people new to sim racing using a controller ( I don't like using the term "noob" )

1. Remap your controller so R2 is gas, L2 is brake. Might take you a bit to get used to it, but your better off. You will learn control like this.
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I disagree with this cause the Analogue sticks can actually simulate a gas peddle better with being able to do quarter/half/three-quarters throttle. I have friends who still think that using the Directional pad is better then using the Stick for turning.
 
NotSoSilentBob
zero_speed
My tips for people new to sim racing using a controller ( I don't like using the term "noob" )

1. Remap your controller so R2 is gas, L2 is brake. Might take you a bit to get used to it, but your better off. You will learn control like this.
Click to expand...
I disagree with this cause the Analogue sticks can actually simulate a gas peddle better with being able to do quarter/half/three-quarters throttle. I have friends who still think that using the Directional pad is better then using the Stick for turning.
Click to expand...

I use L2/R2 and have no issue with being able to apply quarter throttle using these buttons. Use R3 for shift up / down.
 
Water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend.


Obviously he wasn't talking cars but I've applied this philosophy to my driving technique.
Flow through your driving lines, Become the car.
 
Kenny Brown
If it feels good, it's probably good. If it feels bad, IT'S PROBABLY BAD!
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Kenny Brown is a successful Mustang tuner and racer. I also recomend reading The Art of Racing in the Rain.

Slow hands in fast corners, fast hands in slow corners.

Listen to your tires.

Use The Force.
 
DIA1974
I use L2/R2 and have no issue with being able to apply quarter throttle using these buttons. Use R3 for shift up / down.
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X = Throttle, Square = Brake, D-pad = turn, L2/R2 for gears.


Worked in GT4, works in GT5.


Though to be honest i have a wheel now so i rarely use the DS3.
 
Bigbazz
X = Throttle, Square = Brake, D-pad = turn, L2/R2 for gears.


Worked in GT4, works in GT5.


Though to be honest i have a wheel now so i rarely use the DS3.
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I still use a DS3 and the above also works for me. I'm sure I could train for hours with a wheel, but the DS3 gets most challenges done, even online.
 
Throttle control is a good way to win. Especially on some cars where you can't use full throttle on corners. :)
 
Try to listen to the wheels, you can hear when you are pushing too hard, this helps to avoid under/oversteer and keep maximum grip in the corners.
 
I think people should start with a really easy fwd car (like the Lupo Cup car) to learn different lines. Passing in corners is often about picking the right line to counter your opponent's line. If he goes fast in slow out, go slow in fast out etc.

In a real racing situation you must be able to fluently adapt your lines and the amount you push while racing a couple metres away from someone else without crashing. In order to cope in a situation like this you can't be thinking about staying on the track or where the line is, it must come naturally so you can concentrate on your opponent. Driving a really edgy rwd car in a situation like this adds another magnificient level to the whole thing.
 
One of the major thing slowing people down is automatic shifting. This is how I learned to shift manually (back in the GT2 days, when almost all, not only 16 cars could be race modified (sorry had to get that dig in :sly: (dammit I wanted to stop using so many parentheses (looks like it isn't working (le sigh)))))

Take a very easy car. I suggest the Daihatsu OFC-1 tuned to something like 80 bhp. The handling of the car is so forgiving, it should be called the "Mother Theresa Concept Car", so you won't need to pay much attention to keep it on the black stuff - not that it actually goes fast enough to skid off, anyways.
Now pick out an easy circuit. I'd prefer Tsukuba, back in GT2 I used Highspeed Ring and Tahiti Road. Drive it in automatic, like you always did until you nail the driving line.

While doing that, start using a comfortable pair of buttons to "phantom shift". Many people use something like R1/L1 or R2/L2 for that, but it always messed up my steering. I prefer R1/R2, since you only need 1 finger for that and it doesn't distract from the steering. Once you found a comfortable combination, turn off the auto-shift and start shifting yourself.

Don't get discouraged, you'll probably make a monkey's breakfast of it for a few laps and the rev-limiter might scream bloody murder at you for a couple of times, but it'll soon become second nature and you'll see your lap times tumble. Once you can run your laps without actually having to concentrate on the shifting, you can first try more complex tracks and then work up your way to more powerful and more savage cars.

Back in the olden days it took me about 3 days to nail this shifting malarkey, but the improvement in lap times was definitely worth it. There are some license tests, which are very tricky to gold with auto shift, especially the brake tests, since you lose a lot of time in the run-up to the actual braking.

Another way to learn it is LAN parties. Online is nice, but nothing beats having an experienced driving god giving you hands-on instructions on getting it right. I've got about 11 years of experience with the pad and it works well for me, although lately I've started transition towards a wheel (after 5 incarnations of GT and 11 years of sim racing - how quick is that :dopey: )
 
Always keep your steering wheel straight while braking.

Learn to drive with the driving line first to get an idea of the circuits and then turn it off 👍.

Drive with the least number of aids possible. ABS 1 only.
 
DylanWhite
Practice. Its all you can do to get better. Try to learn one car first, and master it before moving on to the other 1000 cars. Im not the best driver either, but I can keep up.
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^This.

Also, do the license tests. Learn how to corner properly. If you're an automatic driver who used all the driving aids, turn all this crap off until you can start to turn consistent lines without them.

Don't overkill sim cars with horsepower. Cheaters only cheat themselves in the long run because by the time they make it to the fastest races, they don't actually know how to drive, how to avoid the enemy, etc.

Watch real-life racing on TV or if you're lucky enough to visit a real track. Study (if you can) in-car cornering lines in YouTube vids if you can find them. Notice how real-life drivers DON'T use walls or bump other cars for advantage. If they do such, they lose speed, are given a penalty, or (at worst) stop racing.
 
CarBastard
Learn to drive with the driving line first to get an idea of the circuits and then turn it off 👍.

.
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I always wondered about this...can you 100% trust the ingame driving line? I mean can you be 100% sure that those lines the game offers are indeed the best/fastest ones round the track? I'm intersted to see if I could improve my lap times using the driving line...I have never used it since starting GT5 but I wonder if maybe I'm hindering myself?
 
I have never turned driving lines on, but I'm sure it would help you take corners more efficiently. For me when racing against opponents my driving line factors in when I'm trying to catch up or in the lead. If I'm chasing then I rely on track knowledge and wait for mistakes (if any) made by others. Lines are fundamental to racing so effort spent there is valuable.
 
First thing first:

-Stop playing arcade racing games.
Those irrational techniques that you learn in those games cannot be applied in GT series, and vice versa.

-Turn on the driving lines until you're "confident" enough to turn it off.

-Drive smoothly and stay calm at all times.

-Be patient.
 

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