Convince me to get an iRacing membership

fps_christian

fps_christian

144
fps_nilsen
I've had a look at the game and it seems pretty fun. I'm just not really into paying a monthly subscription and on top of that, you need to pay for the cars and the tracks.
But what do I know, I haven't tried the game yet. Is it any good? It looks very realistic compared to other racing games which consider themselves "simulators".

One thing to add, should I get a good wheel to race with? I have a Ferrari GT experience (the cheap one...), but I can imagine there's more fun with a G27.
 
You have to think of iRacing of less of a game and more a hobby, completely separate from gaming, and like any hobby you'll have to invest a fair amount of time and money in it for it to be worthwhile. It's not like GT or Forza where you can just pop it in and play for 5 minutes here and there, you've gotta expect to spend a solid hour on a race including qualifying, as well as however long it takes to practice and learn the track/car. People on iRacing don't take too kindly to someone who tries to learn the track during a race, and your safety rating won't appreciate it either.

If you're willing to invest the time, the money really won't matter, it's well worth the price of admission. I would suggest giving it a go for a month, and if you like what you see upgrade your wheel, at least to something with 900 degrees and FFB, and sign on for a year. Sign up for their newsletter as well, they're always having deals on subscriptions.

I'm not currently playing, because I really don't have much in the way of free time, but I'll probably join again in the new year when things calm down. A good thing to note too, is that any content (Cars and tracks) that you buy stays licensed to your account even if you let your subscription run out, so you don't have to worry if you find you don't have time for it anymore but you've bought a bunch of stuff. Assuming you plan to join again in the future of course.
 
fps_christian
I've had a look at the game and it seems pretty fun. I'm just not really into paying a monthly subscription and on top of that, you need to pay for the cars and the tracks.
But what do I know, I haven't tried the game yet. Is it any good? It looks very realistic compared to other racing games which consider themselves "simulators".

One thing to add, should I get a good wheel to race with? I have a Ferrari GT experience (the cheap one...), but I can imagine there's more fun with a G27.
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I have been a member for 6 months and I will throw in my 2-cents on iRacing.
:)

good stuff here:
http://www.iracing.com/membership/faqs/

Yes, iRacing can initially be expensive with a up-front investment needed to get going in the game. However, over time (considering one stays with the game) the cost goes way down.

*iRacing appears to be offering membership deals so it costs $50-$75/year. That comes out 20 cents/day at the most.
*The initial membership gives you some tracks and cars to start out in the rookie series, but you do have to pay for extra content. I thnk the game has 3 or 4 low-powered cars and 10 or so tracks with basic membership and that is all you need for the rookie series tournaments(?)
*Once you pay for extra content ($10-$15 for each car or track) you will always have access to it even if you stop your subcription and then rejoin, say, two years later!
*Clean pickup racing thanks to safety rating and license requirements.
*excellent game physics
*The best tracks I have ever raced on!!
*cohesive, friendly, and helpful iRAcing community


I think the big question to you is "what are you looking for in a racing game?"

My enjoyment of racing sims is the head-to-head action on the track.
I told myself I would never join iRacing because I can do online racing with all of my other games (GT5, GTR2, GTL, F1 2010) since I started ~2006. However, I am waaaaay to busy with real-life to join a league for scheduled events and I have to satisfy myself with pick-up races. And, as you might expect, the pickup racing against strangers in the games listed above are not very clean.

After getting GT5 last year and trying to play online pickup racing for a few months I threw up my hands in frustration at the careless, terrible pilots wrecking everyone.

At that point I finally decided to give iRacing a try and I signed up with the $49/year new membership. After spending time hotlapping and learning the basic car (Mazda MX5) I finally started online racing against other members. I believe I had more clean pickup races in iRAcing in my first 30 days than in all the other games for the past 5 years! It was that good for me and now I am convinced I will stay with iRacing for a few years. If I get bored I will let my subscription run out and if I ever come back to iRacing all of my previous purchases of extra content will still be there for me to enjoy!

anyway...enough of my long-winded story of how I got to iRAcing! :dunce:
 
Patrocles
After getting GT5 last year and trying to play online pickup racing for a few months I threw up my hands in frustration at the careless, terrible pilots wrecking everyone.
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This is exactly what made me subscribe. Not only that, but the constant connectivity issues. I have no issues when racing on my PC. 👍
 
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Watch how the suspension behave when cars are cornering. The physics of iRacing seem light-years ahead of GT5's. Also, you can get a one month subscription for $5, so give it a shot and see if it suites you.
 
I have been thinkin about it for awhile too but haven't gotten it due to costs but I was also wondering If I need something better than a DFGT wheel
 
Roush_fan_99
I have been thinkin about it for awhile too but haven't gotten it due to costs but I was also wondering If I need something better than a DFGT wheel
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DFGT is great with iRacing. Have one myself. All the extra buttons on the front help with shortcuts. Saves using the keyboard.
 
Pretty good advice here.

If you want a great experience without purchasing a bunch of extra content, stick with the rookie series for awhile. I spent a good 4 or 5 months almost exclusively racing the MX5 Cup car, it's great fun and a good learning car.
 
Also, a tip......

This isn't the right way to play the game, but there is a way to boost your safety rating up quick. Say you just want to get to Class C so you can drive the Radical, fine nothing wrong with that. Get in your MX5 you get for free with you membership, and make absolutely sure that you race as SAFE as you possibly can. It doesn't matter if you are running 15 seconds a lap slower than everyone else, just do whatever you have to do to finish the race with no crashes/spins/etc. This will boost your safety rating quick. Now buy whatever Class D car you like the most and do the same thing.

Your iRating will be terrible after Rookie and D Class constantly finishing last place. But once you get into the car you like, don't jump right into races......TEST TEST TEST TEST. Watch YouTube tutorial videos, watch the iRacing School videos, etc, etc. Get to where you are coming within 2 or 3 seconds of the laps you see on Youtube. Also take advantage of the spectate (ghost) mode to drive with other cars without worrying about your Safety Rating.

Like I said, not the ideal way to play the game, but if you find the Rookie and other class cars to be miserable, just get and out of them quickly with the method I explained here. This may help increase your enjoyment.

Many people take this game VERY seriously, don't go into races acting like a fool, you will get complaints and will possibly have your account suspended.

But in the end, just enjoy it, try it out with one of the new member deals for very little money and see how you like it.

Oh, one more thing, DO NOT think you are going to start off winning races immediately, it takes most people weeks or even months to win their first race. But when you do, it's a GREAT feeling, better than any feeling I ever got with GT5 or any other racing sim.
 
@superbike81...

You don't even need to buy a D-Class car to race the radical. I drove the MX5, got promoted to D-class, and one you get above D4.0, I was able to race the radical. Only took me maybe 15 or 20 races. :)

The Radical is prob the most fun car on iRacing. Cant wait to see how it drives with the NTM.
 
Thanks for advice and your multiple cents. There was a special offer, so I got a 3 month subscription. I find the game fun even though I'm not so wild about oval races. I think I also could do with a better racing wheel, but the one I have will have to last until I can get myself to buy a G27.
 
I think this year's oval racing champion uses a DFGT, not sure about his pedals though. Don't be concerned with your equipment, you probably won't get any faster just by geting a new wheel. What a new wheel/pedals will do though is enhance your user experience.
 
cmpinberkeley
@superbike81...

You don't even need to buy a D-Class car to race the radical. I drove the MX5, got promoted to D-class, and one you get above D4.0, I was able to race the radical. Only took me maybe 15 or 20 races. :)

The Radical is prob the most fun car on iRacing. Cant wait to see how it drives with the NTM.
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Forgot about that, that's what I get for responding while tired.

Thanks for the correction!
 
I agree with the first reply - iRacing isn't like a video game at all

from my experience there are 2 types of gamers out there (most that I've met - including just about every one of my friends) falls into the first category and for them video games are never anything more than entertainment ... most people will go through anywhere from 3 to 15 different games (whether PC or Console) in a single year of free time - they always either beat the game and move on or get bored and find the next game.... most of these types of gamers wouldn't last long in iRacing because it requires more than a passing interest to improve at - its exactly like a very involved hobby and not anything like the casual games these people go through on a regular basis.

the next group are not as common but are other people out there who aren't into games for entertainment so much as the fix of competition - whether its a first person shooter or strategy gaming it doesn't' matter - the point is for them its about the fix of going head to head against other people in multilayer online in their favorite game - this group is more likely to stick to only a single game for a much longer period of time, even years - but this type of gamer/person would love iRacing for all the reasons the 1st group wouldn't - loves a challenge (even if terrible at) and even more willing to work harder to improve because they see the value in being a great player at a single game instead of playing every single game out there to say they did it.

I would definitely consider myself more interested in competition than entertainment because when you put the even best entertaining games in front of me Like Red Dead Redemption or Deus EX human revolution (amazing games) ... I can't focus on them for very long because its like a waste of time to me - time that would be better spend getting ahead against my competitors in something that's actually skill based.....

if you fall into the 2nd category and are looking for competition in a racing game iRacing in my view is about the only real choice to get competitive racing every day of the week (or whenever you have free time) ... I've only played racing games for a couple years but so far out of the 40+ games I've tried in the past few years, its really the only thing that stuck for me and the only one I play.
 
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Also, just a side note, if you need to be "convinced" to try iRacing, it might not be for you.

From the first day I found out that iRacing even existed I had to have it. I'm not saying everyone was that way, but many people have a negative attitude towards iRacing before they even try it, due to the subscription charges and content prices that many complain about without ever even having tried the game.

It might not be the absolute best sim out there, and it might not be the most fun sim out there, however it is the most complete, and IMO the all-around best racing sim available, despite the price.
 
fps_christian
Thanks for advice and your multiple cents. There was a special offer, so I got a 3 month subscription. I find the game fun even though I'm not so wild about oval races. I think I also could do with a better racing wheel, but the one I have will have to last until I can get myself to buy a G27.
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Awesome! Welcome to iRacing!
👍
 
I had to be convinced to go with iRacing. The prices to a nooblet (like i was) is simply mind blowing. It took me a long time to figure out this sim

So this is the deal. iRacing is dirt cheap if you're a professional racer that needs to get familiar with the tracks, the bumps, etc. Watch vids of pro racers playing the sim. One indy driver was like, "Yep that bump is right there in the real track too!!!"

Now for the avg joe this is the problem. We see all the money they want at every corner and think thats crazy?! GT5 has more cars then this.... But after you try the sim you realize this is a real tool to train you how to drive.

Also, for better or worse, this sim is constantly evolving as it adds on more tracks. How many tracks has GT5 added over the year? Just SPA? iRacing has added on suzuka, oulton park, 2 ovals, etc in that amount of time.

Granted, it has its downsides nothing is perfect. But it feels great and when you approach this sim with the mindset you are playing a true simulator (not a game / toy) then you will begin to think this is a good value for the money

*** summary:

1) You get to feel the real bumps on a track. Go back to the same track on GT5 and it just might feel lifeless in comparison
2) Online racing at its best. Full Grids with 30+ cars.
3) Saftey rating system to keep noobs with the noobs and pros with the pros
4) Seasons based on real racing series (IndyCar, Grand Am Rolex, etc)
5) Highly detailed tire model & physics
6) You always get to enjoy online play even during practice sessions
7) Safety Car, Cautions, Pits, etc everything you demand a real racing sim to have.
8) I could keep going all night long but its getting late :)
 
superbike81
I think this year's oval racing champion uses a DFGT, not sure about his pedals though. Don't be concerned with your equipment, you probably won't get any faster just by geting a new wheel. What a new wheel/pedals will do though is enhance your user experience.
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Oooh ya, I forgot I have the stock dfgt pedals, should I change that?
 
One thing that I think iRacing has over most other sims is the online system. It does have it's minor problems, but it is lightyears ahead of anything else out there. The way your history is tracked, the safety rating system, the iRating system, etc, etc, they just all work together so well.

Like I said in another thread, how expensive it is all depends how you play. You can play iRacing all year long and enjoy the hell out of it for the price of a new copy of GT5. Nobody is making you buy every single car and track, just take your time with the game and really enjoy it.
 
Roush_fan_99
Oooh ya, I forgot I have the stock dfgt pedals, should I change that?
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I would, but it's not absolutely required. The biggest problem with cheap pedals like that is being able to feel thresholds. But I understand that not everyone can afford $150+ for good brakes with load cell technology. You can probably enjoy the game perfectly well with the pedals you have now, but a nicer set of pedals will improve the feel of the game and your consistency.
 
superbike81
I would, but it's not absolutely required. The biggest problem with cheap pedals like that is being able to feel thresholds. But I understand that not everyone can afford $150+ for good brakes with load cell technology. You can probably enjoy the game perfectly well with the pedals you have now, but a nicer set of pedals will improve the feel of the game and your consistency.
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What pedals would you reccomend that are fair in price, so about mid grade?
 
Roush_fan_99
What pedals would you reccomend that are fair in price, so about mid grade?
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Well, the base Fanatec CSR pedals are a big step up from the DFGT pedals, and they are only $75 or so I think, but they still operate on the same basic principles that the DFGT do, but they will still feel much better. Another alternative is to get the G25/G27 pedals, I think you can get them used for pretty cheap.

But as a minimum, personally I would recommend the Fanatec CSR-Elite pedals for $150. Pedals are tough though, you've got several in the <$200 price range, but not much else available until you are willing to spend $1000+.
 
sandboxgod
2) Online racing at its best. Full Grids with 30+ cars.
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I race in the ISRA League which gets 50+ cars every week racing on the major tracks like Suzuka, Spa, Silverstone, Road Atlanta, Laguna Seca, etc, plus I race in the official iRacing series that get 30+ cars each race.

To me, the biggest difference for iRacing is the online competition. There is structure, it has been sanctioned by an organizing body, everybody uses their real name, there are complete statistics for EVERY event, including lap times for every lap and tracking of every single incident, and everything you do has consequences.

When I line up on the grid, it feels like I am racing for real. Butterflies and all :)

Oh, and the tracks and cars are painstakingly reproduced and modeled, both from a physics perspective and for graphics. Seeing the suspension movements on cars in front of you at each bump is amazing.

Replay functions and ability to move cameras around and get the exact footage of your is great.

Still lacks some features that I want, but new stuff gets added every 12 weeks. Best game / hobby money I have ever spent. :)

(can't wait to see what rFactor has to offer. Because of all the above, GT5 has been dead to me for a long time)
 
Also, the mixed class racing is fun. Adds a whole new dynamic to the racing. Have to be very mindful of what's going on around you and strategically overtake cars and even when being overtaken to lose as little time as possible.
 
Just got started with iRacing myself a couple days ago now. Participated in my first full race tonight (first one resulted in some horrible framerates so I quit).

377915_334141316611531_100000469969143_1243490_157316464_n.jpg


I'm hooked.
 

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