Driving Techniques?

[nasanu]

Sometimes I just dont get how this game wants me to drive. I usually like to follow classic racing lines and technique, but often it just does not work.

Take spa with the DB9. There are some turns where I want to be braking towards the apex then power out. But unless I slow to a speed where I will be passed by cyclists I just drift well wide. I find myself much faster if I treat it like an arcade game and throw the car about, doing things like braking turning hard to get the back out then hitting the throttle for a controlled drift through the turn. This gives me much better lap times but geez, this is meant to be a sim right? Feels like the FiA on the side of the car needs to be replaced with D1.

Anyway how are you guys finding the game driving technique wise? Also what assists if any do you use? I have done a little testing and it seems to me that TCS 1 and some abs is fastest. Abs just seems to be an understeer meter really, and tcs set to 1 lets you throw the car around while not crippling the power too much.

 

[nasanu]

Actually I have a different view now after my session just now. I went back to all assists off and it seemed turning the car was easier. I seem to have a different opinion of this game every time I play it.

BTW do you guys think that a 2:09 around spa is legit? I was in a room today with half and no star ranked drivers who were doing 2:09's around spa with penalties turned off.

 

[hm66]

hi nasanu
After driving the beta for 3-4 month i found that the stile your describing is not the fastest way with the db9.I use to drive like that,but after some testing i found that braking when your not turning ie. a little earlier is better.What i do now is when i approch a corner i usaly drive thru in 2 gear,i brake down until i can get it to 3 then release the brake carrying the speed into the corner,and let the car slow until it downshift to 2 gear when driving with automatic,or shift down yourself with manuel.After i addapted to this driving stile i was able to shave 1 sec. of my time at both track.btw.2:09 at spa is out of my leauge,but i think Mhailwood is down at those times.

 

[TheMoose]

BTW do you guys think that a 2:09 around spa is legit? I was in a room today with half and no star ranked drivers who were doing 2:09's around spa with penalties turned off.

Sounds like they may have been using the crashes off "cheat"
With the crashes off if you work together you can draft through each other & pick up a lot of speed.

 

[Blitz187]

2.09 on Spa?!?!? Whoa... fastest ive done there in the DBR9 is 2.16.... and Cooldawn was down to 2.13s I believe when I raced him in the beta a while back... 2.09 is pretty insane there...

 

[nasanu]

Yeah I went back to my usual style after turning all assists off. With TCS on the back was not coming out at all and the car was not turning that much so I needed to kick it out.

Oh and yes the room with the 2:09 laps did have collisions turned off and they were in a pack. Spa is a long track so I can see how drafting can make time there, but still 2:09 is quick. I can only run high 2:13's. But then I have only had the demo a few days.

 

[TBR 427]

What initially seems like plough understeer...seems to be the assists not turning in enough for you (you'll get halfway around the corner and the steering wheel is turned maybe 15 degrees).

Also, watch your speed and be aware of the car and it's tyres. Yes, a McLaren F1 will handle well, but it's on 10 year old rubber and car have had a decade to improve. Brake early, trail brake, and set your car up for more front end bite and you'll be fine. Not only that, but a more drivable car is generally easier to push hard, easier to overtake, and move around the track than one that's undrivable.

 

[Vincent Viceroy]

hi nasanu
After driving the beta for 3-4 month i found that the stile your describing is not the fastest way with the db9.I use to drive like that,but after some testing i found that braking when your not turning ie. a little earlier is better.What i do now is when i approch a corner i usaly drive thru in 2 gear,i brake down until i can get it to 3 then release the brake carrying the speed into the corner,and let the car slow until it downshift to 2 gear when driving with automatic,or shift down yourself with manuel.

Yeah...this is easily the best driving style for SCC. On Spa in the DBR9 the first fast right/left chicane after Eau Rouge and the long straight I tend to brake and pull down the gears, the torque helps to decelerate the car, all before I turn in to the corner.

I really like that aspect because, in most other games, you can brake and turn in without consequence. This way it's a lot more challenging.

Using this technique I've managed a 2.11.XX around Spa. I'm not quite sure how people managed 2.09 though. I wish this game had a ghost option.

 

[jjaisli]

You know what really sucks on this game?

You are faster with all driving aids on then all off!?

I tried a time trial on the Canada F1 track with the F40 with all driving aids off and my best time was 1:43:xxx (after 2-3 laps) and the number 1 placed got an 1:38:xxx with ALL aids on even auto braking...

So I tried that too with all driving aids on,even auto brake was on just like that guy on place one in the time trials... so I got to give only full throttle and I was faster than my lap with all aids off...

That pissed me off if thats really so!? or can somebody say I´m wrong?

If that is so,thats the biggest reason for me to kick that game in the trash and give system3 no more chance...

WTF? why should I drive a racing sim when i´m faster with driving aids on?

I don't think this is necessarily wrong. I may not like it but it's correct. There is no question that even for the best drivers, and I'm speaking now of professional racing drivers IRL, having traction control and ABS is a boon and they'd be able to crank out (slightly~moderately) faster lap times as a result. And either way, certainly more consistent lap times. The truly gifted and faster drivers are probably able to get very close to their best 'assisted' lap times. But they're not quicker. When TC was allowed in F1 did you hear any driver or team say, "forget it--we're faster without it?" No, because they're not. But just like in SCC, using assists requires you to change your driving style slightly and I've always driven SCC without any aids as I think it's much more of a challenge. Racing on-line in lobbies without aids levels the playing field.

Call me a snob if you want, but when I look at lap times on the FC/SCC leaderboard, I tend to dismiss those times set with SC/RL and to a lesser extent even those with ABS/TC. Because I don't think it's a fair comparison. For those guys who can set truly fast lap times without any aids, they have my full respect.

 

[hiiambang]

If you're still wondering why your car runs wide, it's because you're trying to turn and brake at the same time.

Your tires' traction limit is 100% at any time. Anytime you exceed this limit, you lose grip.

If you accelerate too hard and exceed 100%, you will lose grip (and speed). If you accelerate too slowly, you will not be using all your grip, therefore also losing speed.

When you brake too hard and exceed 100%, you lose stopping power since the wheels lock. The same goes with braking too little - you don't stop as fast.

Cornering speed is also limited to your tires' 100% grip. Turn too quickly and your tires will slide, as they don't have enough grip to change direction (at that speed).

So if you're using 100% grip for heavy braking, turning in even a little bit will exceed that limit and you will lose grip (and speed).

Trailbraking is simply balancing braking and turn-in to try to maintain 100% grip throughout corner entry.

Remember, anytime you exceed your grip limit , you are losing speed. Anytime you are under your grip limit, you could be going faster.