Coming from GT Sport, having trouble enjoying PC2

[OneGunner]

This thread is not to bash Project Cars 2. I just want to know what others think because maybe I'm missing something overall, but I'm struggling to get into this game.

I play using a controller, and generally race in third person (chase camera). I also normally play racing sims for the single player, which is why I was excited to try PC2, because I understand that it has a deeper career mode than that of Gran Turismo Sport. But something about the chase camera in PC2 is off, like it appears to be zoomed in and slightly distorted. Even after adjusting the chase camera I found much of the same. The control sensitivity is also way off, and even after spending time tweaking the sensitivity and dead zone, I still cannot achieve that sweet spot. With GT Sport, the controls are responsive and easy to pick up, and I found that they required no extra customization.

Is this game simply better using a wheel/pedal with first person perspective?

**edit** wow, thanks everyone for the detailed replies!

 

[SlipZtrEm]

Is this game simply better using a wheel/pedal with first person perspective?

Short answer: yes.

PCARS2 is much better than the first in terms of controller optimization though. That said, it's still not at the level of things like GTS or FM7 for approachability. I can't offer much on the third-person perspective either, but from memory, I know what you mean about its chase cam feeling a little... different, at least compared to GTS. I stick to hood/roof/cockpit for any of the sim-style games, and only go to third-person for something like Forza Horizon. Sorry!

FWIW, we definitely have some folks that have put some time into pad play. I'm tagging @Wolfe since he's the first one that comes to mind, maybe he can share settings to help. 👍

 

[OneGunner]

FWIW, we definitely have some folks that have put some time into pad play. I'm tagging @Wolfe since he's the first one that comes to mind, maybe he can share settings to help. 👍

Hey thanks

 

[Sick Cylinder]

Hey thanks

I use a wheel and cockpit view only, but I race against a couple of controller users who are faster than me - @Harsk100 and @JockeP22 are both good drivers and might be able to share their settings.

I have heard that the Chase Cam in PC2 is not well implemented so there probably aren't any adjustments which can make it good.

It might come as a bit of a wrench and be much slower at first, but I strongly recommend trying to get used to other views - particularly cockpit or if that is a stretch too far - hood. Once used to them I am sure you will find them more immersive and less like a game. I started with bumper then gradually transitioned over a period of years through hood to cockpit and couldn't consider going back now.

 

[Blob_91]

I find that getting used to the cockpit view gives you a much better feeling and experience in the game as well as better feeling for the car control.

As far as getting used to the controller there are some settings available on the official forum and on Youtube but I still run the default settings and I am able to be around the top in online lobbies with default setups and race the AI on a pretty high level on most tracks.

As you might have read somewhere the game takes time to get used to but in the end it will be very rewarding. A friend of mine bought the game today and in F1 2018 he's a good driver who is a little faster then me. He cursed me today for encouraging him to buy the game when he could only drive the McLaren around Long Beach but after a few hours he started to turn around. Will continue to help him adept to the game.

 

[Wolfe]

I sometimes use the chase cam in certain games, but this is one game where I can't get very comfortable with it. Can't help you there, sorry.

For playing with a controller, these are my settings:

Steering Sensitivity:   10
Throttle Sensitivity:   45
Brake Sensitivity:      45

Speed Sensitivity:      75
Controller Damping:     85

Driving Assists Menu
Opposite Lock:          ON

The two most important things are the opposite lock "assist" (which is not the crutch you might expect it to be), and the speed sensitivity of 75, which is the ideal setting for recovering oversteer, giving you just the right amount of countersteer almost every time, in almost every car. I narrowed that down after a bunch of testing.

The speed sensitivity setting can make the car relatively sensitive, which calls for a gentler input style than many racing games -- but not uncomfortably so (unlike PCARS1). I have tuned the steering sensitivity and controller damping to compensate for that sensitivity; those can be adjusted freely. Also, don't get too discouraged trying to make one particular car work out for you, because there are unfortunately a few bad apples in the bunch -- but only small handful in my experience, now that the game is patched up.

 

[IfAndOr]

You can also use the tilt axis of the controller to steer if you want. It makes input more wheel like I believe. That might require some sensitivity changes though.

@rj5992 you said the tilt worked quite well, perhaps you could share the settings you used when you were wheelless.

 

[FOG-Smokebeer]

It might be hard for a bit but try and stick to bonnet view and turn the player arrows on chase cam is a bad habit you have to break to enjoy the more sim type games about

 

[OneGunner]

The speed sensitivity setting can make the car relatively sensitive, which calls for a gentler input style than many racing games -- but not uncomfortably so (unlike PCARS1). I have tuned the steering sensitivity and controller damping to compensate for that sensitivity; those can be adjusted freely.

This was very helpful, thanks! I will try your input configuration as well!

 

[rj5992]

You can also use the tilt axis of the controller to steer if you want. It makes input more wheel like I believe. That might require some sensitivity changes though.

Go to button assignments, press X on steer left, and tilt the controller to the left. Do the same for steer right. The other settings I have on controller are:

Gear Up: Circle
Gear Down: Cross
Headlights: L1
Request Pit Stop: R1
Cycle Camera: Square
Look Back: Triangle
Cycle HUD: Left on D pad

Throttle and Brake are automatically assigned to R2 and L2 respectively.

The next thing is to change the settings in the configuration menu to those in the picture below. That steering sensitivity was for the Ferrari 250TR, you might find that you want to adjust that for something like the GT3 cars.

 

[slthree]

I started with a controller and eventually got a wheel so I can't help you there.

I'm still not quite good enough to use the cockpit view and I hate the chase view. I use the view where you can just see a little bit of your front end. I'm fastest with that view because i can see more of the track ahead of me.

You may wonder then, why I'm even posting if I'm unable to help you.

You own GT sport and that game isn't going anywhere. I implore you to ignore that game and let it sit dormant for at least 3 weeks

You are going to have so many "wide-eyed" moments in Project Cars 2 that you will never go back. It's been well-chronicled that I have re-downloaded GTS 5 or 6 times (usually because if the hype of an update), only to delete it after about 20 minutes of play.

This game is a true Sim and really forces you to learn how to drive. Every car feels different. The tracks are insane oh, and I mean that in a good way. For goodness sakes, I own this game over a year and @Sick Cylinder hosted a race in his league at a track I've never heard of. I wasn't able to join the race but I watched it as a spectator and it was breathtaking. Can you imagine owning a game for over a year and not having raced on many of its tracks? It's ludicrous and delightful.

Instead of me going on forever, you can just search my posts because, like you, I came from GTs for the offline experience. I literally gave up on the game and shelved it, but came back to it when I was ready to be patient and go slow and really absorb it.

It's not as easy as GTS because you can't just push every car to the limit and save it at the last second every time but it is the most rewarding video game I've ever played.

I won't even bother going into the beauty of a race weekend. Some people may not enjoy something like that because maybe they lack patience or time and just want to jump right into a race

But, having a one-hour practice session where you can see how your time stacks up against the AI and then tinker with your settings over and over and over again is very beneficial. Early advice I got on these forums from the veteran drivers was that you should really take numerous laps on a track to get to know it before you attempt to race on it. That may be the best piece of advice I've ever received. The practice session allows you to learn the tracks so well that you literally know what gear you want to be in when you go into every turn.

Then you have your qualifying session and then the third part of the race weekend is the actual race. I absolutely love it!

Didn't mean to ramble. Please, give this game your exclusive screen time for a few weeks.

 

[OneGunner]

Go to button assignments, press X on steer left, and tilt the controller to the left. Do the same for steer right. The other settings I have on controller are:

Gear Up: Circle
Gear Down: Cross
Headlights: L1
Request Pit Stop: R1
Cycle Camera: Square
Look Back: Triangle
Cycle HUD: Left on D pad
.

I appreciate the recommended controls! Thank you.

 

[OneGunner]

Didn't mean to ramble. Please, give this game your exclusive screen time for a few weeks.

Quite the contrary. I appreciate the detailed response! I also put GT Sport on the shelf for quite some time. I finally went back to it recently and finished up the single player content. While it wasn't what I was looking for initially, I found my own way of enjoying it. It's good to see that somebody is really passionate about Project Cars 2 as you are. I should have mentioned in my post that I was playing the demo version, so I know it's possible that some of the issues I had were fixed in later patches. I will certainly play the demo a second time and try the hood camera again. Several people have posted helpful suggestions so I will try those.

 

[IfAndOr]

I was playing the demo version, so I know it's possible that some of the issues I had were fixed in later patches

Ah yes. The demo was released in November 2017. There's been quite a few updates and improvements to the game since then. Shame they didn't update the demo to reflect this.


So you quite like PC2 then @slthree?

Can you imagine owning a game for over a year and not having raced on with many of its tracks cars?

That's my trouble with GT's credit system!

 

[JockeP22]

I race against a couple of controller users who are faster than me - @Harsk100 and @JockeP22 are both good drivers and might be able to share their settings.

I've been using the default settings for ~6 months or more.

 

[OneGunner]

That's my trouble with GT's credit system!

Just last night I was talking with a buddy about this. I was saying when I first purchased the game, I was hoping for the classic, career simulation that I remember from older GT titles. He replied, "Didn't they add a career mode later on?" I tried to explain to him that the game was designed around constantly gifting free cars to the player, so there is little or no way for the you to experience buying a low-end car, and slowly working your way through a racing career.

More than that, I really wish the Career Mode offered the option to earn your place in the starting grid. The career mode in GT Sport is purely hinged on over-tuning your car so that it's unstoppable against the AI. There's no feeling of progression there. With all of that said, I did ultimately enjoy the Driving School, Mission Challenge, and Circuit Experience. I just hope that the next GT title offers a deeper single player experience, even if it just means more races in Mission Challenge.

 

[Wolfe]

I should have mentioned in my post that I was playing the demo version, so I know it's possible that some of the issues I had were fixed in later patches. I will certainly play the demo a second time and try the hood camera again. Several people have posted helpful suggestions so I will try those.

The analog stick steering has improved since the version the demo was built from -- they tweaked the (counter)steering logic some more IIRC, and the opposite lock help didn't appear until later.

 

[guailifit]

I use controller default settings
gas/brake : right stick
Gear Up: R2
Gear Down: L2
Headlights: R3
Wipers: L3

 

[potvinsuks]

This thread is not to bash Project Cars 2. I just want to know what others think because maybe I'm missing something overall, but I'm struggling to get into this game.

I play using a controller, and generally race in third person (chase camera). I also normally play racing sims for the single player, which is why I was excited to try PC2, because I understand that it has a deeper career mode than that of Gran Turismo Sport. But something about the chase camera in PC2 is off, like it appears to be zoomed in and slightly distorted. Even after adjusting the chase camera I found much of the same. The control sensitivity is also way off, and even after spending time tweaking the sensitivity and dead zone, I still cannot achieve that sweet spot. With GT Sport, the controls are responsive and easy to pick up, and I found that they required no extra customization.

Is this game simply better using a wheel/pedal with first person perspective?

**edit** wow, thanks everyone for the detailed replies!

I wish I saw this post sooner, but it appears that you've gotten some really good advice already.

As I was skimming through these posts, I didn't see anyone mention anything about Field of Vision (FOV) to you though.

pCARS 2 has a really cool feature where you can adjust this setting to give you a proper life-like visual experience. This may be your issue.

I recommend that you search engine - Field of View and also, either download or use a Field of View Calculator online. What this will do is have you input 3-4 bits of info, like your Monitor Size, Monitor ghz, Distance of your eyes from the monitor etc. and will give you a recommended FOV Setting in the game. Also, you can adjust the FOV in all camera views, wether you're using Cockpit Mode (like me ), first person, bumper cam, third person, rear cam, etc, etc.

I can't help you much when it comes to driving this sim with a DS4 as I use a G-27. However, I know a few of the guys who do use a DS4 in the leagues I'm in on pCARS 2 that can help you .

Send me your PSN name and I'll invite you to one of the practices and we'll take it from there .

 

[OneGunner]

I recommend that you search engine - Field of View and also, either download or use a Field of View Calculator online. What this will do is have you input 3-4 bits of info, like your Monitor Size, Monitor ghz, Distance of your eyes from the monitor etc. and will give you a recommended FOV Setting in the game. Also, you can adjust the FOV in all camera views, wether you're using Cockpit Mode (like me ), first person, bumper cam, third person, rear cam, etc, etc.

This is also incredibly helpful, thank you! This is one of the reasons I posted here because I knew there must be some fix that I didn't know about.

 

[potvinsuks]

You're very welcome .

I'm not sure if adjusting the FOV has helped your issue in particular? Nonetheless, it's still something to know about and utilize going forward.

 

[MetaKraken]

I'm with you there, OP. I tried to have fun with PCars 2 myself. It was more of a major snore-fest than a fun game, and the way cars handle are way off and they don't actually handle pretty well, and the engine sounds are just displeasing to my ears. And it sure doesn't feel rewarding apart from earning trophies/achievements, especially when you practically have all the cars to begin with, not counting paid-DLC contents which I'm not willing to give up my wallet for a couple of new toys.

On a side note, the devs claiming that they want to make a console of their own is utterly laughable.

 

[Sentry87]

We get it, you like GT Sport's approach. Release with little to no content, then have free dlc's released after. Despite the fact, even so GT's track list still isn't up to par, not even close.

And PC2's car handling is leaps above GT Sport, which doesn't even feature a tire model which comes close to replicating things pc2 does. Tire pressure, tire flex, brake temperatures affecting tire pressures etc. Need I say more?

 

[potvinsuks]

I'm with you there, OP. I tried to have fun with PCars 2 myself. It was more of a major snore-fest than a fun game, and the way cars handle are way off and they don't actually handle pretty well, and the engine sounds are just displeasing to my ears. And it sure doesn't feel rewarding apart from earning trophies/achievements, especially when you practically have all the cars to begin with, not counting paid-DLC contents which I'm not willing to give up my wallet for a couple of new toys.

On a side note, the devs claiming that they want to make a console of their own is utterly laughable.

Nice try.

The OP had concerns regarding playing a new game in 3'rd person mode. His main intention wasn't to ridicule or even criticize the game like your imagination wanted it to be. All he did was extend his hand out for some advice, and many people who actually play pCARS 2 tried to help in return.

What you are trying to do is to turn this into a fanboy contest, instead of actually addressing the OP's true need.

Now, I can turn around and rebutt you on about 2 dozen reasons why pCARS 2 is the best and most complete Sim to ever hit a console. However, we'd be losing focus of the intent of this conversation wouldn't we?

 

[MetaKraken]

Nice try.

The OP had concerns regarding playing a new game in 3'rd person mode. His main intention wasn't to ridicule or even criticize the game like your imagination wanted it to be. All he did was extend his hand out for some advice, and many people who actually play pCARS 2 tried to help in return.

What you are trying to do is to turn this into a fanboy contest, instead of actually addressing the OP's true need.

Now, I can turn around and rebutt you on about 2 dozen reasons why pCARS 2 is the best and most complete Sim to ever hit a console. However, we'd be losing focus of the intent of this conversation wouldn't we?

My bad, then.

It still doesn't change the fact that PCars 2 is struggling, just my honest opinion. If it's indeed the best, then why is it having a hard time catching up, might I ask? Not hating it, mind you.

 

[potvinsuks]

So because, someone like Mariah Carey sells more albums then anyone, she must be the best singer-performer?

Sorry, but you are hating and again, if you want to have that sort of conversation-debate, there are many other threads on GTP we can continue from.

Oh, and just one question. Since you had so many problems with pCARS, how come your search history has never shown you post even once on pCARS?

 

[Sentry87]

Catching up where exactly? Multiplayer wise, Gt Sport is more accessible for a casual racer to jump in and play than Pcars 2. Same with chase cam, controller settings etc all appeal to that crowd. We have all established that, however this is about singleplayer and there are controller settings in PC2 and camera settings that can help the OP get more enjoyment out of the game.

 

[Wolfe]

It still doesn't change the fact that PCars 2 is struggling, just my honest opinion. If it's indeed the best, then why is it having a hard time catching up, might I ask? Not hating it, mind you.

The best sims are never very successful, and the most successful sims are never among the best. That's always been true regardless of one's opinion of PCARS2.

More people want to play something like GT or Forza than a hardcore motorsports simulator.

 

[Daz555]

My bad, then.

It still doesn't change the fact that PCars 2 is struggling, just my honest opinion. If it's indeed the best, then why is it having a hard time catching up, might I ask? Not hating it, mind you.

Race sims are a fringe genre. Always have been. Racing for the masses remains the domain of GTS, Forza etc.

 

[Petroperu]

I have no problem with it.
I got it yesterday and did a few custom races.
If GTSport is more track oriented, PC2 is both, track and car oriented.
Tried Brands Hatch and I could feel more the uneveness and elevations from the track.
Also I could feel a world of difference between a Ford Capri and the Toyota 86.