Circuit Experience - Sectors vs full lap

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I'm working my way through the Circuit Experience tracks. One thing I've noticed is that I do better on the individual sectors than I do on the full circuit run. I can usually get gold on the individual sectors within my first 3 attempts. But for the full laps, it can take me upwards of 15 attempts to get gold.

Earlier, I got so frustrated from screwing up an absolutely blazing fast run (for me) on Mount Panorama, I had to put the controller down and walk away for a bit. I was on pace to get gold by at least 3-4 seconds, when I clipped the curb on the next to the last turn, spun out, and put the car across the track into the sand. I was PISSED! To know I was that far ahead of my previous run (which was less than 0.3 from the gold) and then to screw it up on a stupid mistake.....I got so mad I was literally shaking and I could feel my adrenaline starting to rise. From a video game. So I just laid the controller down and went downstairs for a bit.

I hate making stupid mistakes like that. Anyway.....

Does anyone else have the same issue where you do/did better on the individual sectors than you do/did on the full circuit run? Or am I the only idiot? 😉
 
It's fairly common occurrence for people just starting the circuit experience. I had a lot of frustration with it myself. BUT...

Part of that frustration comes from the fact that a medal for the full lap has faster time requirements than the individual sectors, when added all together.

Take for example your current nemesis, Mount Panorama. The individual gold sector times are:

Sec 1: 36.6
Sec 2: 33.3
Sec 3: 35.4
Sec 4: 33.8

That totals a lap time of 2:19.1.

The gold full lap time is 2:12.9. Almost a full 7 seconds faster than when running the individual sectors. Some of that comes from the fact that you're going to be entering each sector with more speed when running the full laps than you do in the individual sector challenges but it still requires you to run a faster lap.

Take a break, calm yourself down and know that the requirement for a full lap is more difficult than the requirements for the individual sectors.
 
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It's fairly common occurrence for people just starting the circuit experience. I had a lot of frustration with it myself. BUT...

Part of that frustration comes from the fact that a medal for the full lap has faster time requirements than the individual sectors, when added all together.

Take for example your current nemesis, Mount Panorama. The individual gold sector times are:

Sec 1: 36.6
Sec 2: 33.3
Sec 3: 35.4
Sec 4: 33.8

That totals a lap time of 2:19.1.

The gold full lap time is 2:12.9. A full 7 seconds faster than when running the individual sectors. Some of that comes from the fact that you're going to be entering each sector with more speed when running the full laps than you do in the individual sector challenges but it still requires you to run a faster lap.

Take a break, calm yourself down and know that the requirement for a full lap is more difficult than the requirements for the individual sectors.
I caught myself trying to add up the sector times vs. the full lap time (in my head, on the fly) on one of them. But it was off by a bit so I figured I made a mistake with my addition. Oh well, I guess I was on the right track (no pun intended), after all.

Oh, and I got the gold for Mount Panorama. I also knocked out one of the Tokyo Expressway circuits (can't remember which one, already shut the game off for the night). I have all gold on the individual sectors on one of the other Tokyo circuits, but only silver for the full lap. I have 3 other tracks like that, too.

I will say, the McLaren 650S is quite easy to drive on Mount Panorama. When I first started on that particular track and saw which car it was, I figured I'd be bouncing off those walls in the first half like a damn pinball. But it was rather easy to drive through that section.
 
One thing I've noticed is that I do better on the individual sectors than I do on the full circuit run. I can usually get gold on the individual sectors within my first 3 attempts. But for the full laps, it can take me upwards of 15 attempts to get gold.
I often struggle on some sectors but pass the full lap relatively easily (with some exceptions), for me it is more like 1 to 4 tries for most sectors, 10 to 20 on some sectors I struggle, and 1 to 3 tries on the full lap and I get gold.
Not true for every track. On some I have gold everywhere and don't succeed to get gold on the full lap (the explanation of @barak181 might be the reason)
I got so mad I was literally shaking and I could feel my adrenaline starting to rise. From a video game. So I just laid the controller down and went downstairs for a bit.
ahah I feel you bro, but the reward when you finally succeed... is priceless. This game is not easy to "master" (I am far from that) but training regularly makes you progress and the pleasure increases with time. Much more rewarding than a game you roll trough with ease.

Part of that frustration comes from the fact that a medal for the full lap has faster time requirements than the individual sectors, when added all together.
[...]
Almost a full 7 seconds faster than when running the individual sectors. Some of that comes from the fact that you're going to be entering each sector with more speed when running the full laps than you do in the individual sector challenges but it still requires you to run a faster lap.
really ??? I was sure thought that it's was the opposite, as I tend to have less difficulty to gold the full lap than some sectors. So I always thought that the lap time was longer than the sum of the times of all sectors. But, you did the math (and I didn't) and you must have the explanation : "the fact that you're going to be entering each sector with more speed when running the full laps". Must be, because my full laps are way crapier than my gold on each sector, which sometimes are really hard to get
 
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I've been playing over 2 years and am STILL 2 seconds off gold at Nürburgring Nordschleife (yes, I had to copy / paste that from the Master Track List.... 🙄 )!
Admittedly I only give it a go every couple of months or so (it's too long to do lap after lap....). However, it is frustrating.
One day I'll find that extra time from somewhere 😄
 
I've been playing over 2 years and am STILL 2 seconds off gold at Nürburgring Nordschleife (yes, I had to copy / paste that from the Master Track List.... 🙄 )!
Admittedly I only give it a go every couple of months or so (it's too long to do lap after lap....). However, it is frustrating.
One day I'll find that extra time from somewhere 😄
ow man, I already don't look forward to attack that beast, but your comment is a bit discouraging 😅

I usually tend to do all sectors and the full lap during the same game session, as I am as sharp as possible on each sector, but for the Nordschleife it will be different. And for some where I struggle on the full lap, I have to try again, without the fresh memory of the sectors.

But as I get to know more and more the tracks by playing other modes (like mission challenges or league events), I struggle less on circuit experience, and I am "forced" to run on tracks I don't like or even despise that I wouldn't be motivated to choose on circuit experience. This way I even get to like them (once I've learned how to manage the tricky turns).
 
I'm working my way through the Circuit Experience tracks. One thing I've noticed is that I do better on the individual sectors than I do on the full circuit run. I can usually get gold on the individual sectors within my first 3 attempts. But for the full laps, it can take me upwards of 15 attempts to get gold.

Earlier, I got so frustrated from screwing up an absolutely blazing fast run (for me) on Mount Panorama, I had to put the controller down and walk away for a bit. I was on pace to get gold by at least 3-4 seconds, when I clipped the curb on the next to the last turn, spun out, and put the car across the track into the sand. I was PISSED! To know I was that far ahead of my previous run (which was less than 0.3 from the gold) and then to screw it up on a stupid mistake.....I got so mad I was literally shaking and I could feel my adrenaline starting to rise. From a video game. So I just laid the controller down and went downstairs for a bit.

I hate making stupid mistakes like that. Anyway.....

Does anyone else have the same issue where you do/did better on the individual sectors than you do/did on the full circuit run? Or am I the only idiot? 😉
It sounds like you had the speed but it was the mistake that let you down. Dust yourself off and you'll know you have the talent to get it right which is what you did.
With your username I'm not surprised you were after the gold shiny thing.
 
With your username I'm not surprised you were after the gold shiny thing.
🤣 I suffer from the same illness, does someone have a
Antidote.gif
?
 
To know I was that far ahead of my previous run (which was less than 0.3 from the gold) and then to screw it up on a stupid mistake.....I got so mad I was literally shaking and I could feel my adrenaline starting to rise. From a video game
Just wait when you get this way when you are doing the daily races, I do so well and then I make a mistake and find myself 5-7 positions back. I get the adrenaline shakes too...
 
Nurburgring was the ultimate challenge to me. I had easily golded every section but it did take probably about a year before I did the gold.

Problem is the BMW M6 drives like a schoolbus.

I would say that you shouldnt rush it.

I was never good at this. This is going back 10yrs to GT5/6 and the Xbox Forzas.

The only way I got gud at the "Ring was laps times N... where N is a big number. Sections is useless.

I did two laps a day to get the DwG. It comes to just under 42.5km.

Do it in N400/500 road cars up against the GT4 class until you can blast them all day to day.

Start N500 to give you a boost then move to N400. Then move to N300 if you're king enough,

Then once you start dreaming of lapping the Ring in your sleep, then you're probably ready. Yes I did dream of driving the Ring. Its in me now. I'm one of those people who can drive the Ring sometimes half asleep with a beer and still do a clean lap and get a good time.

I think I did three laps over a few days. Times were 7'10. Then 6'59 then 6.54".

They really should have given people an achievement trophy for this because I think anybody who has done a sub 6'57" really has either devoted their life to it or is insanely talented from the get go.
 
I went on a mission last Labor Day weekend to conquer the Nordschleife circuit experience. I was always intimidated by the track before then and didn't know it at all. There was a Gr 4 Daily Race the week of Labor Day and I wanted to be able to take part and see what all the fuss was about. Attached are the notes I took for my progress over 5 days. I had done some of the sectors in August leading up to this (I don't think I golded all of them either), but focused on the full laps only starting Sept 1. You'll see I tried different cars, did some Arcade races and GT League races just to gain more familiarity with the track.

What finally got me over the hump was doing the Gr 3 GT League Endurance Race with the M6 using RH tires. I was getting tired of just doing time trial laps, so doing that race let me focus on getting around the track and by other cars without worrying about lap times. At the end of it, I finally got the feel for the course without having to think too much. I also saw that my optimal time from the race was 6:54 so I knew I had it in me! You'll see that I did two circuit experience attempts after that race and finally got the gold (just barely!). That was a fun and satisfying weekend :cheers:.

nord notes.jpg
 
I see what you mean when you advice to race on a circuit to become better on that track.

I've done Alsace 15 laps from mission challenge 5-8 the other day, and tonight I've tried the circuit experience on this track for the first time ever => gold for each sector at first try, gold at lap tour on the first try ! Never won a car so fast.

Plus I've been lucky :


😍

Did the same on Tokyo South Inner Loop, nearly ever raced that one, so a bit surprised to get gold on sectors on one shot each, and again gold on full lap.

Nice reward again :


Also finished the full lap on Tokyo Central Outer Loop, where I've been struggling (10 attempts already, and 6 today to get gold)

Cool reward (not dupe) :


And finally for the daily gift :


Nice and not dupe either !!

A good evening, 4 nice cars with only 48km of driving 😅
 
I got gold on the Circuit de Sainte-Croix track, just now. The 1st sector wasn't too bad. I got gold on my 3rd attempt. The 2nd sector took me the most tries; maybe 10. The 3rd sector I got gold on my 1st attempt. The final sector took me about 5 tries to get gold. The full lap took me 3 attempts to get gold (2nd attempt was going great until I forgot where I was on the track and slowed down for a turn you can take at full speed). And man, that Citroen GT is a pig of a car. Damn thing handles like a submarine. But I got it done.

I have 4 tracks left:
Nürburgring Nordschleife
Firshermans Ranch
Sardegna - Windmills
Colorado Springs - Lake

The 3 rally tracks I am NOT looking forward to. I'm not a fan of rally stages and always do terribly on them.

I also have 4 tracks where I need to get gold for the full lap:
Tokyo Expressway - Central Outer Loop
Circuit de la Sarthe
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Sardegna - Road Track - A


EDIT: I just did the Sardegna - Windmills track. Got gold in all. It took me 2 attempts for each sector and 3 attempts for the full lap. That was easier than I thought it'd be. That Fishermans Ranch track reminds me of the old Tahiti Maze track from previous GT installations. All those switchbacks.....on dirt.....with no grip.....
 
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As someone with All Gold in the Hamilton Time Trials, I feel that you have to approach the Green Hell as a rally stage - you have to be your own co-driver and know the upcoming sequence of turns by heart so that you can brake and/or steer accordingly. I can’t name any parts of the Nordschleife except for both Carousels and the Dottinger Hohe, but I can turn out a half decent lap in about an hour.
 
I have 4 tracks left:
Nürburgring Nordschleife
Firshermans Ranch
Sardegna - Windmills
Colorado Springs - Lake
oh you've done a good part of circuit experience already 😃
The 3 rally tracks I am NOT looking forward to. I'm not a fan of rally stages and always do terribly on them.
I hate rally tracks !! 😤
I also have 4 tracks where I need to get gold for the full lap:
Tokyo Expressway - Central Outer Loop
Took me some attempts to gold the full lap on this one ! 😅 No problem for Spa, I like this track 😁
 
Rally on this game I find you have to brake and turn early and then power through the corner. So the natural understeer of the conditions takes you away from the barrier you're facing. But it seems you have mastered 1 already.

Nurburgring is all about knowing which corners are next. I have a somewhat photo memory and know where I am on the track. Doesn't stop me making mistakes but not being surprised by what corner is next helps you keep it mostly on track.
 
oh you've done a good part of circuit experience already 😃

I hate rally tracks !! 😤

Took me some attempts to gold the full lap on this one ! 😅 No problem for Spa, I like this track 😁
I like Spa, too. But I feel like that Porsche is a little under-powered for what it is. It just seems slow, to me, for some reason. But I have the same issue on that track as I do on others…..I’ll do good on one half but crappy on the other. And I know the turns coming up, I just have a brain fart and it says “Nope! You’re not gonna have a good lap, this time.”

But I’ll eventually get them done. I honestly can’t believe I got all gold on the “license” tests. That’s the first time I’ve ever done that. And some of them were quiet easy.
 
OK, so the game has made me out to be a bit of a liar. I just completed the 3rd rally stage in Circuit Experience. I got gold in all sectors and on the full lap for all 3 rally stages. And they were much easier than I'd anticipated. It still took me a couple tries on the full laps to get the gold, but that's what surprised me. It only took me, at most, 2 tries to get gold. And on the first one I tried, Colorado Springs - Lake, I got gold on my 1st try of the full lap. The last one, Firshermans Ranch, took me 2 tries only because I misjudged a tight-as-hell turn and slammed into the wall causing me to almost stop completely so it took me a little bit to get going, again. But I nailed it on my 2nd try.

And on the wheel were 2 Gr.4 cars (I'm assuming, couldn't really tell), an F1500T-A, and an Impreza 22B-STi Version '98. And while I'm glad to get the 22B as it's fun as hell to drive, I'd have much preferred the Formula car.

So all that's left is the Nordschleife and the 4 with silver on the full lap.

Also, I won my 5th Viper GTS '13 from the other Rally I did, today (Colorado Springs - Lake). But at least they're all in different colors.
 
Spa would have been the easiest for me. I've been on that track since Crammond's F1GP.

The 2nd hardest for me was Le Mans. What a horror show that was. Nowhere near as bad as the Ring since it took like... an hour.
 
Slow is fast on the nordschleife best bet is to go into a practice session with a gr4 car and just work your way around slowly at first and then build up speed. You really have to flow the car around the track if you throw it in and get too aggressive it will bite you. Learn where the big bumps are because you can avoid them or use them but you have to be careful about where you position the car as it isn't always where you would expect.

I learned the track properly on GT4 for the endurance race tuning up an M3 with racing tyres and then running it for 24 hours which took about 5 days and it was when I first purchased a wheel. Good old driving force GT from Logitech made me even more addicted to the game than I already was.
 
I just completed the 3rd rally stage in Circuit Experience. I got gold in all sectors and on the full lap for all 3 rally stages. And they were much easier than I'd anticipated.
Your post gave me the motivation to try and... it is way easier than those damn mission challenges where I struggle.

Nearly golded Colorado Springs Lake and Windmills Sardegna at first try on each sector. I even got 2s better than gold on a sector of Colorado Springs.

And before those two I went to Willows Springs : Big Willow that I use to dislike, now I've raced it enough to do correct laps and I like it better. So I've golded it too with relative ease. I won that :)


On Sardegna, I won this one 😁


On Colorado Springs, this one :


(dupe but nice one, and a GRAN TURISMO RED BULL X2014 STANDARD 2014 on the wheel too)

And for the daily workout :


There was a Greddy Fugu Z on the wheel, I would have preferred the Greddy

And I got the achievement for +50% circuit experience done.
 
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Spa would have been the easiest for me. I've been on that track since Crammond's F1GP.

The 2nd hardest for me was Le Mans. What a horror show that was. Nowhere near as bad as the Ring since it took like... an hour.
Just got the gold for the full lap on Sardegna - Road Track - A. I hated that damn Peugeot at first, but now that I've been in the game a bit and have driven a few of the VGT cars, I know what it can and can't do. It took me another 3 tries.....once to get familiar with the track, again; another time to smack a wall at full speed because, you know, it's what I do when I don't pay attention to where I am on the track, and a third time to get a good, clean lap and get gold.

I'm about to tackle the Le Mans full lap. It's 1 of 2 silvers I still need to change. The other being Tokyo Expressway - Central Outer Loop With that damn, slow-ass WRX Gr.3.

Your post gave me the motivation to try and... it is way easier than those damn mission challenges where I struggle.

Nearly golded Colorado Springs Lake and Windmills Sardegna at first try on each sector. I even got 2s better than gold on a sector of Colorado Springs.

And before those two I went to Willows Springs : Big Willow that I use to dislike, now I've raced it enough to do correct laps and I like it better. So I've golded it too with relative ease. I won that 🙂


On Sardegna, I won this one 😁


On Colorado Springs, this one :


(dupe but nice one, and a GRAN TURISMO RED BULL X2014 STANDARD 2014 on the wheel too)

And for the daily workout :


There was a Greddy Fugu Z on the wheel, I would have preferred the Greddy

And I got the achievement for +50% circuit experience done.
Ugh, don't even get me started on those damn Mission Challenge rallies. I HATE those things. The 2 night ones are hell, for me.
 
Just got the gold for the full lap on Sardegna - Road Track - A. I hated that damn Peugeot at first, but now that I've been in the game a bit and have driven a few of the VGT cars, I know what it can and can't do. It took me another 3 tries.....once to get familiar with the track, again; another time to smack a wall at full speed because, you know, it's what I do when I don't pay attention to where I am on the track, and a third time to get a good, clean lap and get gold.

I'm about to tackle the Le Mans full lap. It's 1 of 2 silvers I still need to change. The other being Tokyo Expressway - Central Outer Loop With that damn, slow-ass WRX Gr.3.


Ugh, don't even get me started on those damn Mission Challenge rallies. I HATE those things. The 2 night ones are hell, for me.
The Porsche for le mans needs to be in a straight line coming out of corners to get the most out of the hybrid system you want as little steering angle as possible and if you step on it and then try and change direction it will go straight ahead as the hybrid system works on the front wheel. Might take a couple of runs to figure out how much kerb you can cut at the chicanes especially at the entry. From memory Porsche curves you drop a gear going into the right hander then another one or two after the double left before the next right. Try and clip the inside kerb on the last left hander the exit is off camber but when you get to the apex the downforce should let you be flat out to the exit.

Don't know if any of that helps but good luck!
 
The Porsche for le mans needs to be in a straight line coming out of corners to get the most out of the hybrid system you want as little steering angle as possible and if you step on it and then try and change direction it will go straight ahead as the hybrid system works on the front wheel. Might take a couple of runs to figure out how much kerb you can cut at the chicanes especially at the entry. From memory Porsche curves you drop a gear going into the right hander then another one or two after the double left before the next right. Try and clip the inside kerb on the last left hander the exit is off camber but when you get to the apex the downforce should let you be flat out to the exit.

Don't know if any of that helps but good luck!
Is that why I keep yelling "WHY WON'T YOU TURN?!" at a couple spots on that track?
 
Is that why I keep yelling "WHY WON'T YOU TURN?!" at a couple spots on that track?
That would be why, hybrid motors on the front wheels and they work up to 250kph second and third gear corners you need to set your exit up to be in a straight line as early as possible. Turn 2-3 chicane for example you need to sacrifice the first part to hug the left and then be able to straight line a late apex to the exit on full power to run over the hill down to the next corner.
 
That would be why, hybrid motors on the front wheels and they work up to 250kph second and third gear corners you need to set your exit up to be in a straight line as early as possible. Turn 2-3 chicane for example you need to sacrifice the first part to hug the left and then be able to straight line a late apex to the exit on full power to run over the hill down to the next corner.
I got the first part down, pretty good. I'm good through the Esses. It took me a bit to really get what you were talking about with the hybrid system workin on the fronts. But once I learned how and what it was doing, I got it down. I'm good through Tetra Rouge; and I'm hauling ass down the back straight. I do really well on Mulsanne Kink at the end, there. I haul ass some more down Mulsanne. I do decent, but could be better
, at Indianapolis and Arnage. I do pretty good on the Porsche Curves and Maison blanche. But then I short-cut either the first chicane or the second (short and sharper) chicane at the finish. I've gotten my silver time down, but it's still silver. There are a couple spots I can pick up some speed and shave off some more time. It's just a thing where I have to chip at it, bit by bit. But it being a long track, it takes a while. Which brings me to.....

I decided to give the Nordschleife a run. I got all gold in all sectors. I attempted a couple full lap runs, but they went abysmally, lol (as expected). I need quite a few more laps on it to really get it down to where I can flow through it instead of just reacting. But the length of it is not really conducive to me just hammering it out, quickly. By the time I'm at the end and I'm starting another run, the first few sections are already foreign to me, just a bit. So I need to get in a bit more time with it to really get it memorized.
 
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