Is it really worth learning to drive MT?

  • Thread starter Thread starter parmi
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Manual is great for down shifting early. However for the cars with close gear ratios (FGT, X2010, F2007) I prefer automatic.
 
This thread just makes me laugh. It's a fair assumption that just about everyone that buys a Gran Turismo game is a sports car enthusiast. How can you call yourself such if you don't drive a manual transmission? To have the most fun and be the fastest you possibly can be you want control of the entire car. And that includes the transmission.

You need to be able to control shifting so that you can:
-compensate for low grip situations
-be in the right gear for specific turns (cars often rotate better in a lower gear at redline than at mid-range in the next highest gear)
-control engine braking when slowing for a turn
-shift at the right time to take advantage of the car's powerband
-because it's a lot more fun

With the exception for giant people with giant hands its laughable for someone to say they can't manage to press buttons for shifting up and down in the game. Everyone has the ability to train themselves to use a manual transmission, be it in GT5 or real life.
 
Vinura
well, at the end of the day it depends on how serious you are as a sim racer.

If you are playing for fun, just to win cars, and drive, then why bother learning manual.
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I diasgree, because like you said, driving with MT is more fun (a matter of taste maybe, but for me it is). It's just so much more rewarding and the cars actually start to do what you want them to do. Driving with AT feels very awkward for me now.
 
parmi
I am currently on automatic and am wondering if it's worth trying to learn how to play without AT. What do you say?
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I had the same question about a month back and now I can surely say that manual is the way to go. Though I drive full manual in real life, it took me a week or so to match the laptimes I achieved with auto because I got too used to auto. Anyways, with manual,

You'll have more ways to tame oversteer and understeer.
You'll be much more consistent and you'll crash less often.
You'll eventually be quicker too.
 
WolfpackS2k
This thread just makes me laugh. It's a fair assumption that just about everyone that buys a Gran Turismo game is a sports car enthusiast. How can you call yourself such if you don't drive a manual transmission? To have the most fun and be the fastest you possibly can be you want control of the entire car. And that includes the transmission.

You need to be able to control shifting so that you can:
-compensate for low grip situations
-be in the right gear for specific turns (cars often rotate better in a lower gear at redline than at mid-range in the next highest gear)
-control engine braking when slowing for a turn
-shift at the right time to take advantage of the car's powerband
-because it's a lot more fun

With the exception for giant people with giant hands its laughable for someone to say they can't manage to press buttons for shifting up and down in the game. Everyone has the ability to train themselves to use a manual transmission, be it in GT5 or real life.
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I can see your enthusiasm, but for some of us, the video game peripherals just don't feel right. The positive feel you get from clucth pedal and gear shift interaction, just isn't there. I'm sure it's heavily dependent on each individuals setup as well. Some people just don't have the space for a full rig. Like l said, I see your point, but automatic drivers have just as much love for GT, as manual drivers.
 
doctorrg
It was the same for me. I simply couldn't comfortably use the DS3 trying to steer, accelerate, brake and gear shift. I'd love to drive manual as the AT really annoys the hell out of me at times, but I simply can't coordinate it. If I should ever be able to justify buying a wheel, I'll instantly change to manual.
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Exactly why I bought a wheel; and then a race seat :)
 
It's only worth learning a manual transmission if you want to eek out the most performance from your car. If you're using a DS3, just playing for fun, and / or learning to use a new wheel, then it's probably not that important.
 
I use a DS3 and don't really understand how using it complicates using manual, I've always used a controller since the very first GT and also always used manual gears (using the triggers to shift) and never felt it was difficult or complicated (not even in the beginning).

Is it worth learning manual? Well, GT is supposed to be a sim and a lot of cars in the game don't even have the option to drive with an automatic gearbox in real life so it feels logical for me to use manual (however there are also a lot of cars not available in real life with manual gears but the automatic function in the game doesn't truthfully replicate a real automatic transmission unfortunately, as I'd really like to drive some cars as real autos with kickdown function, etc., but that's another discussion) even regardless from the fact it's much more fun and offers so many new elements not experienced using auto.

Aside from being significantly faster on most occasions since you can revv much higher, downshift quicker or keep a chosen gear through a corner, it gives you more control and feel when driving.
And when just practising on a track you can have fun by upshifting at low speeds hearing engine noises not heard using auto, I even shortshifted my Corvette ZR-1 RM on the Laguna Seca endurance race to save fuel and tyres which is possible due to the massive torque available and made for a relaxing but still fast drive, using auto it would only shift in the higher revv regions since it's programmed to do that.
 
For me, BY FAR the most important advantage about manual is being able to short shift. Low exit speed corners in high powered/light cars require a short shift otherwise its too easy to just spin and have no real drive forward. I use a pad so I find it much easier to control the power with this way instead of trying to back off the throttle instead. Second reason: Tyre wear. In certain cars I exit a slow speed corner in 2nd or even 3rd, where as in auto I'd be frying the tyres spinning in 1st. And finally, launching off the line. Again, with regards to high powered cars, I can often get away better launching off in 2nd and not having to worry so much about too much throttle.
 
There are so many advantages...

Short shifting on acceleration puts you back into the power band of low hp cars. You can sometimes accelerate quicker using low end torque. With an automatic transmission it will always run to redline which isn't necessarly the quickest route to top speed on a straight.

Short shifting also prevents oversteer on corner exit. High revs can cause the tires to brake loose at low speeds so shifting early will prevent that

Down shifting can improve stopping distances. Downshifting early on corner entry can enduce slight oversteer allowing you to turn in better.

it all takes learning and experimentation though. Each track and each car becomes a new animal. Once you start using it you'll never go back. It will make you pay more attention to speed and gear making lap times more consistent.
 
Gaining a second or two is not that significant. It's all based on preference.
Being at the power-band after you hit the apex is nice with a manual and gaining some traction at a higher gear on turns are nice but it's not going to win you races everytime....
Again....it's just depends on you feel about using auto or manual....
When I'm learning a track and a new car, I'm on auto. Once I get the car dialed in, I switch to manual just to have better exit control out of corners. But most of the time, auto is fine. I don't have a big ego anyway.... :)
 
westladog
Gaining a second or two is not that significant. It's all based on preference.
Being at the power-band after you hit the apex is nice with a manual and gaining some traction at a higher gear on turns are nice but it's not going to win you races everytime....
Again....it's just depends on you feel about using auto or manual....
When I'm learning a track and a new car, I'm on auto. Once I get the car dialed in, I switch to manual just to have better exit control out of corners. But most of the time, auto is fine. I don't have a big ego anyway.... :)
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I'm with you on the automatic thing, but a second or two is huge. You want that time. If the guy is only .2 or so faster, you can make that up with the draft.
 
Yes, because it is more fun! That is the only reason I need. This is a game, and you are supposed to enjoy it. The faster lap times are a bonus. Try out the MT for a while, and if you aren't having as much fun as you were when you used AT then switch back.
 
I have learned to drive MT in GT2 since I was 2 years old, it was like riding my bike, you just never forget, It just sticks in my head and I have noticed AT transmission changes down very late in the corner, meaning you lose power & traction, MT allows you to gain so much traction and get more control of the car.. if you want a demo of proper MT just add me and I'll show you a few techniques ;)
 
Straight answer to the OP, yes, it's a must to fully enjoy this game. I'm even switching from a dfp to a g27 just to get that extra bit of realism (they where hard to get after gt5 was released :) ) with the clutch and real shifter.

Not saying you need to get a g27, but try manual shifting, it'll add that extra dimension to the game. Besides, you asking that question here means that deep inside you want to shift yourself ;) Just do it.
 
I learned how to drive stick because of GT1. The day it came out with the Dual Shock, I instantly started on manual, R2 and L2. Right analog up/down was gas/brake, left stick for steering. I played like that for YEARS until I got the G27.
 
Absolutely. There's just too many benefits to not switch to manual. Although many cars nowadays use automatic, if you're considering becoming a race car driver, you're going to have to learn this since you all sports car require manual transmission.
 
Learning MT is more of a challenge. You will get better coordination using MT. The more challenging the task the better it will be for you. When you master the task you will become more skill ful.
 
Using a G25 with h-shifter and clutch, I love to move any car on the edge. Gives you much more controll about the given situations on track. More than that, if you overdid it and were able to regain control, that´s just a great moment :)
 
Manual only.

Would be great if they made it a restriction in online so that people only uses manual.
as well as ABS restriction.

DS3 user that doesn't use ABS or Automatic.
 
Absolutely. I have the transmission on Manual for the Ferrari F2010, and I was very fast around the corners :D (the right thumbstick is my shift buttons) I say I recommend using MT if you want to go around the corners w/o loss of torque and power because of incorrect shifting on AT. It takes a while to get used to, but you can definitely get it right as you practice on MT :sly: Make sure the place that is the shift buttons is comfortable for you.
 
Auto for me, plus racing line.

As long as I am winning races online with Auto, It's all good :)
when I get a wheel, I will switch, This is how I am enjoying the game that I bought with my hard earned money.
 
IceGT
Yes, because it is more fun! That is the only reason I need. This is a game, and you are supposed to enjoy it. The faster lap times are a bonus. Try out the MT for a while, and if you aren't having as much fun as you were when you used AT then switch back.
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Absolutely true.👍
 
I drive MT in real life and would never drive anything but (...well, in the wife's mini-van I don't really have a choice). But for some reason my brain can't make the transition into the virtual world. I seem to have problems remembering to shift or what gear to be in. Not sure why what comes natural in real life can't be done on a game - anyone else experience the same thing?
 
I think you have the most fun by using MT and the clutch. I am using the G25. Like this you can get a better feeling and control of the car. But most of the time I am not faster. It is like cockpit vs. bumper view. The bumper view laps are faster but the cockpit view laps are more like driving the thing.

MT brings a big advantage for cars where the power is dropping at high RPM. E.g. old muscle cars and diesels.
 
playing GT with automatic...you might as well not play at all.

You don't see any premium interior without the driver shifting with the lever or paddles.
 

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