DFP users - Best way to manage the DFP's shortcomings?

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dr_wheel

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Long-time lurker, first post. :D

I've owned and loved my DFP for many years now, but I can't help but be extremely frustrated by the shortcomings of the DFP in GT5 as of late. Specifically, I'm talking about the steering (and lack of options in the game to customize it).

900 degree mode:
Works well... until you lose traction. It then becomes a race to fight the antiquated ffb motor/poor center spring effect.

200 degree mode (select + R3 + right paddle):
Works okay for drifting, but I usually find it to be way too short for general use. Force feedback also becomes stiffer (read: annoying) when in this mode.


I sometimes find myself pausing mid-race to switch between modes. I run 900 most of the time, but if I find that a car is especially tail-happy, I'll switch to 200-degree mode (which comes with a whole other set of issues due to the very short wheel travel). I really wish there was an option for a middle-ground lock setting as I find 200 is way too short, and 900 is waay too long.

So, all that being said, what have other DFP users found to be the best way(s) to manage the shortcomings of this wheel? Do you use particular steering settings? Suspension settings? Etc.



Side note: Guess it's time to start saving up for a G27/Fanatec/Thrustmaster T500. :(
 
After seeing the latest video of the Thrustmaster, it seems FFB has not made a very sizeable difference between even the newest wheel and the oldest GT compatible wheel, quite dissappointing considering the asking price of newer products.

I personally use my DFP all the time and find no real issue other than a higher level of steering resistance being a bit too mechanical than smooth due to the gear drive setup instead of newer belt driven wheels.

The other setting for this wheel I find useful is the in-built FFB toggle which is used by pressing Select+R3+Left Paddle, this makes it about 50% of its normal strength and much easier for drifting etc.

Considering you can find some DFP's for less than $50 on Ebay, This wheel is still an excellent choice for harcore racers but with the inclusion of newer sports such as drifting, there is a need for a more realistic feel in steering.
 
dr_wheel
Long-time lurker, first post. :D

I've owned and loved my DFP for many years now, but I can't help but be extremely frustrated by the shortcomings of the DFP in GT5 as of late. Specifically, I'm talking about the steering (and lack of options in the game to customize it).

900 degree mode:
Works well... until you lose traction. It then becomes a race to fight the antiquated ffb motor/poor center spring effect.

200 degree mode (select + R3 + right paddle):
Works okay for drifting, but I usually find it to be way too short for general use. Force feedback also becomes stiffer (read: annoying) when in this mode.


I sometimes find myself pausing mid-race to switch between modes. I run 900 most of the time, but if I find that a car is especially tail-happy, I'll switch to 200-degree mode (which comes with a whole other set of issues due to the very short wheel travel). I really wish there was an option for a middle-ground lock setting as I find 200 is way too short, and 900 is waay too long.

So, all that being said, what have other DFP users found to be the best way(s) to manage the shortcomings of this wheel? Do you use particular steering settings? Suspension settings? Etc.



Side note: Guess it's time to start saving up for a G27/Fanatec/Thrustmaster T500. :(
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As a DFP owner I share your pain.

thanks for the 200-degree rotation info. I did not know about that!

my big complaint is lack of FFB on road tracks. The FFB is decent for me in rally/offroad courses. I have found that the Active steering = OFF gives me better, but still weak, FFB.
I am also a newb so I cannot really help you out much more.

good luck
:)
 
A friend of mine gave me his DFP. "My" first wheel.

It took some days to get used to it. I started out using mostly FF cars.

Then came the time to play with FR cars, and I started to feel terrible as I've been watching other people managing to counter steer on videos. But I simply can't do it, unless the oversteer is very mild.

I'm kinda glad the blame is not entirely mine.

Anyway, I may not be very fast, but being "forced" to avoid oversteer has made me a very smooth player. And that is how I cope with my/FDP shortcomings. Driving slowly but surely.
 
Long-time DFP user too. Welcome to the legion!
After using a friend's G25, my issues with the DFP are very short but specific, maybe because I've gotten used to my wheel.

- Gear-drive vs. belt-drive: G25 wins hands down, I was surprised how much smoother things were. Power and force was the same, but in areas that shake and rumble there was much less noticeable "fight" against the wheel to maintain stability

- Pedal: G25 has a harder pedal with more realistic feel, but ironically slipped more because you had to apply more force. I found "weighing" them with your R heel or even L foot was the only solution short of fixing a weight to them or bolting them down...

- Sequential stick vs double-H: it's a wash... DFP's was mostly too small and mostly useless unless I felt nostalgic, but the "paddle" shifters (if you could call them that) were sometimes too small with extreme turns. G25 actually had THREE SHIFT OPTIONS (wow!). HH was cool, but need to practice not missing gears, clutch not available yet. I-shift was same as DFP, and you could mount the stick left or right and lower to seat (like in a real car's position). But ended up back with the paddles..


OP: the wheel is great though! Much faster than controller because of ranged inputs. I think what helped for me was running through licence tests with the wheel and trying to really be smooth with my inputs, and slowly ramp up my aggressiveness. Remove the racing line as well. Start playing around with the throttle and brake inputs, especially stab and trail braking.

I guess because it's not a "fancy" wheel, and your lowest denominator for FFB in GT-series, I think it forces you to be a quality driver.... much like Jet Black states above. I don't know how fast I am, but I am running all golds in B-A-iC and all silver in iB so far. Not tootin, but not shabby either. I typically don't steer beyond 180 while in 900-mode, unless it's a gear1 hairpin or something REALLY sharp of that ilk. Not sure how to do crazy drifting or countersteer yet..

As a side note, it IS possible to set ranges between 200-900deg... but using it on PC.
 
I got this wheel when it came out and I've used it exclusively since I bought it.I only recently discovered or more accurately re-discovered how to switch to the 200 or 270 degree mode.I always played in the 900 degree mode but I found it very difficult to control the car when counter steering and I found myself not turning enough in hair pins.Once I switched to the other mode it made all the difference , the cars became manageable and I can now recover from a skid or when the rear breaks free. I'm going leave the wheel in the shorter mode and I'm already getting used to it.
As far as the peddles go They are a little on the sensitive side, but that will teach you throttle control,which you will need if you turn off T.C and you should.The brakes are again on the sensitive side, you just can't stomp on the brakes every time you have to slow down.
There is something I saw on another thread where it says to fully depress both brake and gas peddles after you turn on the game and after the wheel goes through it's calibration, I'm not sure if this makes any difference, but that's what I've started to do.
The DFP is what I will continue to use as long as it last, and when this wheel no longer works then I will look for another wheel.
 
quite frankly the FFB in GT5 sucks no matter what wheel you use, for a game that has spent so long in the making they really should have done better with the FFB support in GT5.
I would go as far as to say the FFB is worse in GT5 than it is in shift and although shift has quite good FFB support GT5 should still blow it out of the water.
Even the option to reduce steering lock would make a huge differnce in the feel of the FFB, or even doing pre-sets of lets say 240 for drifting and rally and maybe 360, 540, and 900 for track racing.
 
How does the DFGT compare to DFP though? The pedals of my DFP seems to be giving up the ghost so i'm thinking about upgrading (unfortunately no pedal improvement). G27 isn't 100% supported and that T500 seems to be way too expensive.
 
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I have the DFGT; so if you have questions let me know..

All i do in Gt5 is drift so;

In my opinion the DFGT has a way to big deadzone to be able to drift in the 900° mode. Its what causes every "i can hold a drift but then it snaps me into a wall" thread comes from i think.. Also; with 900° you cant really use any of the buttons on the face of the wheel, (Which is why the G25/G27 do not have so many) so its kinda hard to rip the ebrake while countersteering. Ive tried remapping buttons and stuff but cant get used to it. So instead i try not to need the ebrake which forces me into all kinds of weird initiations..

Sorry for off-topicness
 
Mysterious R
The other setting for this wheel I find useful is the in-built FFB toggle which is used by pressing Select+R3+Left Paddle, this makes it about 50% of its normal strength and much easier for drifting etc.
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Tried this out last night. I like it. Thanks!

Jet-Black_
Anyway, I may not be very fast, but being "forced" to avoid oversteer has made me a very smooth player. And that is how I cope with my/FDP shortcomings. Driving slowly but surely.
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I agree. It's definitely made me a better driver. The problem for me, however, comes with high-powered rwd cars. I can drive well 99% of the race, but that one time I screw up and lose the back end... game over. :(

TypeX
As a side note, it IS possible to set ranges between 200-900deg... but using it on PC.
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Thank you. My DFP saw a lot of action on the PC between the SimBin games and RBR and I could have sworn that I used to be able to set wheel lock. I wonder how hard it would be for PD to implement this functionality, or if they'd even bother to support a "legacy" product at this point.

Thanks for the replies, all. As a side note, I got a playseat evolution for Christmas. I was hoping it would magically cure some of my gripes, being a more stable platform and all, but it did not. I'm not disappointed, mind you. I can play longer and it's definitely more comfortable than my old folding chair/tv tray setup.
 
Mysterious R
The other setting for this wheel I find useful is the in-built FFB toggle which is used by pressing Select+R3+Left Paddle, this makes it about 50% of its normal strength and much easier for drifting etc.
Click to expand...

Do you have to do this everytime you go on the game or does it save it?
Thanks
 
AJT-95
Do you have to do this everytime you go on the game or does it save it?
Thanks
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Not sure if it saves the setting, but you do get a confirmation when you set it. I believe that the left (green) led light on the wheel will blink once for low, twice for high setting.
 
Sohvakettu
How does the DFGT compare to DFP though? The pedals of my DFP seems to be giving up the ghost so i'm thinking about upgrading (unfortunately no pedal improvement). G27 isn't 100% supported and that T500 seems to be way too expensive.
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I used to have the DFP and now have the DFGT.

The brake pedal is better, but the difference isn't massive.

What I liked most was the bigger wheel diameter and, in general, it is much smoother and gives you more feedback.
 
dr_wheel
Not sure if it saves the setting, but you do get a confirmation when you set it. I believe that the left (green) led light on the wheel will blink once for low, twice for high setting.
Click to expand...

Exactly correct. It doesn't save but it does light up in the way said above to notify you.
 
Still using my DFP, really glad I have it. I wonder a bit about what a better brake and drive system would feel like. I'm not sure when I'll upgrade.
 
I've been using the DFP for years. The only issue I have is since the return-to-center speed is so slow, I have to manually rotate the wheel back. How is the return-to-center speed on the DFGT? Is it worth upgrading from the DFP to the DFGT just to get the more powerful FFB motor? Thanks!

Peace \/
chisel316
 
I knocked the FFB on my DFP down to 5, that helped alot. But GT5 did force me to upgrade, to a G27, and I'm happy I did. My DFP (as well as my copy of Prologue) was handed over to a family member who had never had a wheel and he adores it, and I don't mind taking a few laps on it either. Viva la DFP!!
 
Thank you so much for the Select+R3+right paddle trick... I am drifting like Sam Hubinete now!!!!
 
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