Encouragement for fellow newbs.

KaffeineKeiser

KaffeineKeiser

130
KaffeineKeiser
Gentlemen and Ladies,

Indulge me.

As I just had a major breakthrough in my F1 driving, I wanted to remind others that your breakthrough is coming too.

I am completely new to F1 racing, although I have been to Monaco, Valencia, Singapore and Monza, I was not a fan. (I am a big fan now due to Codemasters, but that's another thread)

Had driven some arcade racers and kart racers, I did buy the PS3 for my kid after all :sly: . Have owned GT5P for a while, even bought a Dual Force GT wheel and a WheelStandPro to go with it.

Still, the driving sims are daunting. Learning how to tune a car, memorizing tracks, keeping nerves in check, are all acquired traits. Come to these forums looking for guidance, and despite most folks being very helpful and giving with advice (advice like "Don't talk about Steve McQueen in the F1 thread!" :guilty: ) It can still be overwhelming.

Well I buried myself in career mode or "The Life" as it's grandiosely referred to. Put myself in cockpit view, as I realized that anything else is cheating (who wouldn't want the advantage of being an extra 1m higher to see further into the turns?) and started paying my dues in frustration and blisters. Yes I used some aids in the start, not my fault as I didn't know what the defaults were.

Got some advice on tuning from the local experts, thanks LeftyWright and Terronium-12, along the way. But basically hung-out in my own dark cave trying to crack the code of how to drive. Turned off all aids.

If you're like me, and you know the principal of apexes, the enter slow and exit fast principal, and have good reflexes, then you just expect to do well at the onset. Yet it's not that easy. Not feeling actually G-forces to give you feedback, not being able to really use peripheral vision as you enter a hairpin, and not feeling the loss of traction when losing grip in heavy braking, can all lead to complete exasperation. I know how to drive, I have auto racing friends (instructors even) who've schooled me in meat space (as opposed to virtual).

Well all this is just a way of expressing what I imagine a lot of new virtual drivers are experiencing, so that you know you are not alone shaking your head wondering how in the world a guy can lap you in a 20% distance race.

Last night I had my moment of enlightenment. It wasn't a "eureka" moment that happened all at once. I was a series of turns in Bahrain that made me realize I was driving completely differently from the way I was just the day before.
• Suddenly my braking points made sense, and if I started too early I'd realize it and back off on my next shift for a beat or two.
• Double turns, morphed into long single turns. Just like on TV!
• I saw that the little posts in the apexes were actually there to mark the apexes and I should wait just a second, until they almost passed my peripheral, before cutting hard.
• I let the end of the turn and the rumble strips come to me as I accelerated and didn't turn towards them like targets.
• I remembered to drive the track and not stare at the back side of my closest road rival. Setting up my turn and letting reflexes take care of proximity.

The words of LeftyWright popped into my head, "I'm learning to fly the corners". Suddenly I wasn't gritting my teeth and cursing "this stupid f-ing game", and I was driving with a concentrated smile on my face.

Now I'm not claiming to have set the track on fire. Don't go searching for my TT times just yet. But I'm getting faster and having fun.

For the record, this morning I went to start up my second season race in Melbourne and got the dreaded "Corrupt save". Despite having won the championship on "Custom" which I guess I'd made pretty easy, I was disappointed for about 5 seconds before I realized that I could easily get through season 1 again and much more elegantly. In fact, I joined Torro Rosso and played "Expert". Drove away from 'em all in Bahrain with 40" up on the next driver with no flashbacks.

Love this game. Jazzed to find this forum for all the guidance it's given me thus far.

Thanks,
Kaffeine
 
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WOW, I feel the same exactly way, only I'm not at the stage you are. I'm wanting to trade it. I can't stand the inconsistency of this game. Every online race is different. Physics are completely different online than off. I will make my final assessment once I get my DFGT because the 180˚ crap, I cant handle anymore.
 
Terronium-12,
Thanks for your support and help.

grafpt,
Stick with it. The payoff is very gratifying. I cannot imagine playing this without a wheel. Also, learn to race without any aids so that you will not be surprised when you are at the mercy of somebody's whims as they control the settings.

When you get a wheel, set the "Saturation" to ~ 70. This will keep you from turning your arms into pretzels when trying to execute hairpins. This is actually how I found GTPlanet as I was in serious pain after completing a race weekend at Monaco.

-Kaffeine
 
Hi, thanks for giving me some hope KaffeineKeiser :) & i prob need it even more than you :) . Its hard to bear with it, when your Carp, at least only way is up thou :)



Cheers BOB
 
KaffeineKeiser
grafpt,
Stick with it. The payoff is very gratifying. I cannot imagine playing this without a wheel. Also, learn to race without any aids so that you will not be surprised when you are at the mercy of somebody's whims as they control the settings.
Click to expand...

I have a wheel DFP, But its not "supported" and its restricted to 180˚. I use no assistants. Im not even going to attempt career again until patch is out.
 
KaffeineKeiser
Now I'm not claiming to have set the track on fire. Don't go searching for my TT times just yet. But I'm getting faster and having fun.
Click to expand...

Keep this mentality up and there'll be no limit to what you can achieve 👍
 
It's nice to see someone getting enjoyment from this game.

Personally I think there is a great game in there trying to get out through the bugs. Bugs and all I still do enjoy this game. Hopefully the patch will fix most of it.

Stick with it Kaffeine the more you drive the more natural it all becomes and you'll see your times come down even more. 👍
 
Hehe,
I came to give support, and it ends up that I receive more than I gave.
It's good to have a virtual water cooler that we can all stand around and commiserate, advise, and talk smack.
-Kaffeine
 
KaffeineKeiser
Put myself in cockpit view, as I realized that anything else is cheating (who wouldn't want the advantage of being an extra 1m higher to see further into the turns?)
Click to expand...

Nice post mate but I don't agree with this bit, remember it's a videogame and unlike in real life there's lots of little head/eyes movements missing when driving in front of a screen; at least as far as track view is concerned, real drivers have more than one advantage in my opinion.
 
Feschka
Nice post mate but I don't agree with this bit, remember it's a videogame and unlike in real life there's lots of little head/eyes movements missing when driving in front of a screen; at least as far as track view is concerned, real drivers have more than one advantage in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Feschka,
I understand this point of view as well. Yet I have a bit of Marquis de Sade about me...
BTW, will be in Milan next week. Can't wait to eat and drink.
-Kaffeine
 
This actually sums me up pretty good. Although i have spent time playing gran turismo and forza with the controller, i just recently purchased a wheel and this was really the game i have played most with it. At first i was finding it really hard and questioning whether i would ever get used to a wheel and be able to put in fast laps.

But just like you, i eased myself into the game using aids at first and then slowly lowering them until i was using none at all. I found i rapidly got better once i had the confidence to drive with no aids at all, and it may come as no surprise at all to many, but the whole experience became far more fun.
 
cicohipe,
The most surprising boost to my performance was to turn off the "Driving Line". You never learn the track with it on. You look at the line and never learn how to read, and thus memorize the turn entries, exits and other nuances. There are so many visual aids that are indigenously part of the track.
-Kaffeine
 
KaffeineKeiser
cicohipe,
The most surprising boost to my performance was to turn off the "Driving Line". You never learn the track with it on. You look at the line and never learn how to read, and thus memorize the turn entries, exits and other nuances. There are so many visual aids that are indigenously part of the track.
-Kaffeine
Click to expand...

Yeah I found the same thing, I thought the driving line was helping me at first but i was completely wrong. I used the driving line for half of my first season but not the second half. Come the start of my second season i didn't remember any of the tracks i did with driving line on, while the tracks where i had turned driving line off i remember most of them.
 
That was very good. You should play online with some of the better drivers to improve even more.
 
Great write up! I feel exactly the way you do. I'm just renting it right now cuz I'm saving my money for Black Ops next week! :D I was VERY frustrated when playing it in the beginning, but I have learned (still learning) the physics of the game and came in 4th last night after 2 hours of playing. lol Not great, but definitely a work in progress!
 
One thing that cracks me up with the track markings method is that if you don’t compensate for a better run and preload the entry and start breaking earlier, you will most assuredly overshoot the turn. It’s just so difficult to understand that your haveing a better run going before you hit a turn until it’s to late and you fly off the track. I’ll stick with the only assist I use and that is the driving line in the turns only. :)
 
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LeftyWright69
One thing that cracks me up with the track markings method is that if you don’t compensate for a better run and preload the entry and start breaking earlier, you will most assuredly overshoot the turn. It’s just so difficult to understand that your haveing a better run going before you hit a turn until it’s to late and you fly off the track. I’ll stick with the only assist I use and that is the driving line in the turns only. :)
Click to expand...

I actually don't seem to have that problem, occasionally when i do slightly overshoot though i just quickly grab a lower gear and this will generally give you the extra stopping power you need.
 
KaffeineKeiser
Terronium-12,
Thanks for your support and help.

grafpt,
Stick with it. The payoff is very gratifying. I cannot imagine playing this without a wheel. Also, learn to race without any aids so that you will not be surprised when you are at the mercy of somebody's whims as they control the settings.

When you get a wheel, set the "Saturation" to ~ 70. This will keep you from turning your arms into pretzels when trying to execute hairpins. This is actually how I found GTPlanet as I was in serious pain after completing a race weekend at Monaco.

-Kaffeine
Click to expand...

I will re-try this setting as right now at 100%
 
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LeftyWright69
One thing that cracks me up with the track markings method is that if you don’t compensate for a better run and preload the entry and start breaking earlier, you will most assuredly overshoot the turn. It’s just so difficult to understand that your haveing a better run going before you hit a turn until it’s to late and you fly off the track. I’ll stick with the only assist I use and that is the driving line in the turns only. :)
Click to expand...

And maybe my 49 year old eyes don't pick out the track markers (braking points) as well as they should; or its the sepia colour of the game graphics; but I use racing line (only assist I use); especially on unfamiliar tracks.

If I raced everyday for hours I am sure I could and would turn off the racing line.
 
KaffeineKeiser
cicohipe,
The most surprising boost to my performance was to turn off the "Driving Line". You never learn the track with it on. You look at the line and never learn how to read, and thus memorize the turn entries, exits and other nuances. There are so many visual aids that are indigenously part of the track.
-Kaffeine
Click to expand...

Absolutely great point.

Using the driving line constrains the learning of the circuit. The driving line never helps you learn the circuit. You've got to learn it yourself.

For any musicians out there! - It's a bit like trying to learn to play a piece of music from memory. The longer you keep using the page, the longer it keeps you from being able to learn it properly. It's like it uses a different part of the brain or something; your actions are directed largely by what you read, rather than by being directed by the understanding in your mind.

It's the same using the racing line assist. It stops you from creating your own essential understanding of how to execute the line, and importantly, how to execute different lines in different situations.

Some people make the point that they don't have time to learn the circuit without the line. In my opinion, it doesn't take that long. Most people know the rough layout of most of the circuits already. After that, you just need to learn the braking point, after which the whole thing falls into place.
 
Alan_G
Absolutely great point.

Using the driving line constrains the learning of the circuit. The driving line never helps you learn the circuit. You've got to learn it yourself.

For any musicians out there! - It's a bit like trying to learn to play a piece of music from memory. The longer you keep using the page, the longer it keeps you from being able to learn it properly. It's like it uses a different part of the brain or something; your actions are directed largely by what you read, rather than by being directed by the understanding in your mind.

It's the same using the racing line assist. It stops you from creating your own essential understanding of how to execute the line, and importantly, how to execute different lines in different situations.

Some people make the point that they don't have time to learn the circuit without the line. In my opinion, it doesn't take that long. Most people know the rough layout of most of the circuits already. After that, you just need to learn the braking point, after which the whole thing falls into place.
Click to expand...

Yep, also I rely heavily on listening to the engine pitch. Some braking points I use visual references (a wider kerb, an advertising banner, a building etc) but also many times I rely on the sound of the engine and for how long i've been in a certain gear. That's why finding your rhythm is so important, both figuratively and literally.

Note, this doesn't really help when braking from top speed at the end of a long straight, that's when I rely almost solely on visual references.
 
That was inspiring. :) I completely agree with disabling the driving line. The experience is improved drastically as the tracks become more personal. In learning the track by yourself, you notice the defining characteristics of the track and how it stands out from the rest.

For example, this week I am racing Brazil for the first time. I missed my turn-in for the final kink before the home straight. To my surprise, the car bottomed out when I hit a massive bump. First of all, it scared the s*** out of me, and second, I was barely able to wrestle the car back into shape. I now have a new appreciation for the circuit. It has a great rhythm, a tight track, exceptional corner diversity, and is dangerous to boot.

Had I had the driving line on, I would have been deprived of this experience.

P.S. I definitely recommend that those following this thread should seek out said bump at Brazil. You'll be surprised!
 
This is the only game that I've ever played that I use driving line on. Even when I spend an hour learning the track with the line off, I'm still hopeless. I tend to explore off the driving line though as well. I have it at corners only because when your following it on a straight you are immediatley going towards the corner and you would probably less likely to overtake.
 
Condogg - I think that bump thing in the 2nd final kink in Brazil is a bug. I've caught that thing twice. But it's completely unrealistic. You slowly sweep in, and suddenly the front wheels start bouncing up and down while the car just goes straight on. Must be a deficiency in the physics engine.
 
Alan_G: You're right. I was racing last night and I hit the bump hard again. I watched the replay and saw the car lift two feet in the air and land again. It was definitely a bug. Even with this bug though, I still love the track.
 
I'm on the road this week and just checked-in to see the thread is rambling along just fine.
Jaques, you can keep your driving line as-is, we don't wanna deprive anyone of their enjoyment, just know that there is another way and hopefully you will come to enjoy that one too.
To the others, than you for further increasing my off-track enjoyment of this game.
Best,
Kaffeine
 

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