How long did it take you to become good?

  • Thread starter TheNormsk
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TheNormsk

TheNormsk

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Being pretty new to GT7, I am still a very mediocre driver (about 30 hours drive time). I'm still driving auto until I learn the circuits and car dynamics. I tried manual but there is still there is just too much going on, particularly in daily races. I did splurge for a G29 and Playseat Challenge to get a better driving experience and I could not handle the controller.

My question is, I know getting good will take some time, I need to learn each track and figure out the dynamics of each car, but how long did it take you before you considered yourself getting good?

Also, if you are a DR A driver, do you still use controller, a basic wheel or a full DD wheel/load cell pedal set up (and did that make a difference)?
 
If this is your first ever GT, please stay out of the daily online races until you have a full grasp on car control - that means manual transmission and driving without any assists other than TCS and ABS.

You are "good" when you can consistently get the silver trophies in the Circuit Experiences and/or driving missions.

As for control methodology, there are very fast drivers on controller as well as wheel setups, so it's really whatever you feel comfortable with and/or can afford. As a new GT player, I would not go breaking the bank on wheel/seat/pedal setups until you know this is something you really want.
 
MikeUD06
If this is your first ever GT, please stay out of the daily online races until you have a full grasp on car control - that means manual transmission and driving without any assists other than TCS and ABS.

You are "good" when you can consistently get the silver trophies in the Circuit Experiences and/or driving missions.
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Not my first GT. I've played GT1, GT2, GT3 and GT5, but never "seriously" and it has been years since I've done that. Prior this I was last playing Dirt Rally.

I have pretty good grasp of car control with regards to throttle, braking (including trail braking) and steering input but I'm probably driving at 95% of my capability when I am "flat out". It's learning how to eke out the last 5% now, which includes shifting to manual, learning the tracks and car dynamics. On the time trials, I was able to get to +2.66% on the last one for gold but the current one is more of a challenge in the Cayman and I am at +4.67% so Silver.

I do not use assists accept TCS at 1 (sometime off - depends on car) and ABS which I left as default as I was not seeing an advantage with it at weak. I do still include racing line and braking markers when it is a new circuit to me but after I start to figure it out I start to switch those off.

The Circuit Experiences I have not done much of so that is a really good pointer for me to learn the circuits and improve. I will switch to the manual and start thought over again (including those I got all gold on) to train myself with the manual for improved time and learning tracks.
 
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I saved Mission 34 for last to do 100% in Gran Turismo 4 (NTSC):

"It will be easy because I already know the track (Nürburgring) and the car (SLR), and I'm good..."

So I finished my first lap being 40 seconds away from the goal. :crazy:

So I trained, trained, trained... and managed to reduce that time to 20 seconds... But I was already at the limit of my technical capacity.

Well, I thought I was good...
_________________________________________

A tip is to get all the Golds from the Circuit Experience. ;)
(by the way, I've done everything on Automatic Transmission - except in Laguna Seca).
 
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MikeUD06
If this is your first ever GT, please stay out of the daily online races until you have a full grasp on car control - that means manual transmission and driving without any assists other than TCS and ABS.

You are "good" when you can consistently get the silver trophies in the Circuit Experiences and/or driving missions.

As for control methodology, there are very fast drivers on controller as well as wheel setups, so it's really whatever you feel comfortable with and/or can afford. As a new GT player, I would not go breaking the bank on wheel/seat/pedal setups until you know this is something you really want.
Click to expand...
I could not agree with you less.
Plenty of decent, fair and reasonable players race with auto gears, and some assists.
I agree with having some car control, but that is why there are different DR and SR.

Sport mode should be for all, no matter the speed or experience.
 
Good is relative, but as with anything you become good through practice. And more specifically through productive practice, and by challenging yourself. A lot of people will just drive and drive and drive with no thought put into what they're doing. They might get better over time and become more consistent, but they won't get nearly as good or make progress as fast as if they were more aware of what they were doing and tried different things and tried to actively improve. It's a game. Crashing doesn't matter.

Definitely don't shy away from daily races and racing online. There's a lot to learn by finding your level, and then going up against people better than you. Similarly watch lots of replays, and YouTube videos/streams from the top guys and make a conscious effort to understand what they're doing that makes them fast. Turning off assists and driving manual will be faster in the long run.

There's a guy that posts stats about the time trials in the time trial thread, and usually about 10% get gold, although the last one was easier, and some of the previous ones were much harder. But generally if you are getting gold and silvers in those, you are better than average.

Hard to give a specific answer on how long it takes since everyone is different, but if you gold all the licenses, missions and circuit experiences, then I'd say you're definitely considered good. You'll probably easily settle into driver rating b in sport mode at that point. It's just worth mentioning that being good at one car and track combination doesn't make you good at another in this game. So it takes time to build the experience that lets you jump into any combo and be fast without practice.
 
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gtg.png
 
I was practicing Laguna Seca this evening running the Porsche for Race B. I spent an hour or more practicing. My best Automatic time was 1:28, but that was without much practice. Still it was a mile away from the top times 1:19.. For the first 1/2 hour my manual driving was slower than the Auto. By a lot. Then it started to come together after watching some replays from the leaderboard and seeing how they would upshift early and which gears they chose. In the next 1/2 hour my manual driving gradually got to be similar to the Auto but it still just was not the speed I was expecting.

Then I made an important change.

I switched off TCS (which was on 1). All the advice I had listened to about upshifting early for traction and to avoid wheel spin was sinking it. Also my use of downshifting to rotate the car was beginning to see progress. All of a sudden I dropped another couple of seconds to be in th 1:28 range. Over the next 1/2 hours or too I steadily improved until I got a 1:24.003 lap time. I know that is still a lfew seconds off what the "good" guys can get here but I was very happy with the couple of hours progress, just training myself tonight.

I think from tonight on I will be sticking with the manual transmission going forward.

So that is one more rung on that ladder to becoming better.
 
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I always try to remember there's room for improvement no matter how long I try at something. Whether it's trying to get within the top 10 worldwide (which is very rare for me) or just getting gold in a time trial, I can always improve. It's just more about if it's worth putting in the time to improve depending on the scenario.
 
TheNormsk
My question is, I know getting good will take some time, I need to learn each track and figure out the dynamics of each car, but how long did it take you before you considered yourself getting good?
Click to expand...
I'll let you know when I get there.
 
When you use a wheel it's different at first and maybe discouraging but after some time it becomes natural. You'll find you have a connection to cars after a while where you don't even think about what your hands and feet are doing anymore and you can do things more organicaly. If I drive an ev with auto I find my fingers shifting anyways so manual becomes natural. It's such a clear advantage in corners or waiting to shift late to gain a couple feet going down a straight side by side.


Having a wheel has made me a snob where to me it's not playing a racing game if I can't use a wheel. I would recommend driving slower cars and testing grip limits and getting a feel for when you lose traction. Make sure your ffb is 3-4 and sensitivity 1-3 because the wheel can't handle anymore than that.

It's a great feeling of accomplishment winning a race knowing you did everything except abs.
 
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People focus too much on gear and tricks etc, just drive the correct line and you're 95% of the way there.

I am AT, D-pad, X and box buttons and have a high A DR, just get comfortable with your input of choice. One thing does stand though, you absolutely positively CANNOT use TC in this game, it's a monumental time suck. Other assists are fine, personally I use ABS default and counter steer on weak, anything more slows you down a bit too much.
 
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Monkdapunk
Having a wheel has made me a snob where to me it's not playing a racing game if I can't use a wheel.
Click to expand...
I'm like that. I've be using a wheel on and off for 20+ years. My old wheel was not compatible with the PS5 and after one week drive with the controller, while initially impressed with it, I was like, I'm buying a new wheel...

The steering and pedals are so natural I just can't consider anything else. The brake is still not quick up to real car control yet, so I have some mods to figure out... Currently, I think the brake feels and ability to correctly dial the right amount of braking is a good chunk of the game. My stock G29 pedals I'm fairly used to now and they are not "bad" but they're not "good" either. They do the job and frankly I'm still probably not capable enough to just better pedals anyway. Still, it makes you wonder what it would be like to drive a nice set.. LOL.
 
I've accidentally bought a new TV to put in front of my covered in dust rig and doing my first wheel laps since June tomorrow. 1st goal, keep it on the track... :scared:
 
TheNormsk
Not my first GT. I've played GT1, GT2, GT3 and GT5, but never "seriously" and it has been years since I've done that. Prior this I was last playing Dirt Rally.

I have pretty good grasp of car control with regards to throttle, braking (including trail braking) and steering input but I'm probably driving at 95% of my capability when I am "flat out". It's learning how to eke out the last 5% now, which includes shifting to manual, learning the tracks and car dynamics. On the time trials, I was able to get to +2.66% on the last one for gold but the current one is more of a challenge in the Cayman and I am at +4.67% so Silver.

I do not use assists accept TCS at 1 (sometime off - depends on car) and ABS which I left as default as I was not seeing an advantage with it at weak. I do still include racing line and braking markers when it is a new circuit to me but after I start to figure it out I start to switch those off.

The Circuit Experiences I have not done much of so that is a really good pointer for me to learn the circuits and improve. I will switch to the manual and start thought over again (including those I got all gold on) to train myself with the manual for improved time and learning tracks.
Click to expand...
personally I'd call that good. I always except once get bronze on the time trial but I am usually able to get that my first lap or some times it make take me 3 or 4 but I never take it further than that. Like doing a million laps to eek out the best time. If you can hit silver pretty easily I'd call that good but then again thats coming from a player who is not necessarily "good" I have fun though.
 
What constitutes "good"? I mean, I can gold all the missions, circuit experiences, and win pretty much any race in single player, but I get owned in daily races regularly. So I don't think I'm "good", but I'm clearly not "bad"...
 
TheNormsk
Being pretty new to GT7, I am still a very mediocre driver (about 30 hours drive time). I'm still driving auto until I learn the circuits and car dynamics. I tried manual but there is still there is just too much going on, particularly in daily races. I did splurge for a G29 and Playseat Challenge to get a better driving experience and I could not handle the controller.

My question is, I know getting good will take some time, I need to learn each track and figure out the dynamics of each car, but how long did it take you before you considered yourself getting good?

Also, if you are a DR A driver, do you still use controller, a basic wheel or a full DD wheel/load cell pedal set up (and did that make a difference)?
Click to expand...
It takes a while, it needs months(not every day, dont need to Rush it) of training to reach a decent lvl of skill/knowledge, you need to learn race/track rules first, you also need to read or see videos to help you.
Consistency and knowing how to race its the most important the rest you need to pratice.

Search on youtube for Tidgney driving lessons they will help you a lot.
 
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