Is the red recommended gear number thing a distraction for you?

  • Thread starter Thread starter GTOne2Three
  • 58 comments
  • 7,414 views
G

GTOne2Three

Messages
932
Messages
Chicano3000X
Messages
Chicano3000
Back in GT1 and 2, we had to come up with our own strategy. Since GT3, I had that habit of looking down at the number and looking at the road at the same time.
Now that I'm using manual, it's an even more tedious task. I wish I can turn that off without turning off the speedometer because the speedometer helps to keep track of my speed. Also I wish the controller could rumble when you need to change gears.

It's hard not to look down, especially when it flashes.
 
I have used it as an indicator to start braking when I first learn a track. Other than that I don't really pay attention to it.
 
Yes, it's a BIG distraction.
It also prevents from correctly learning braking points since your brain will unconsciously take the blinking signal as a reference rather than trackside signs and objects.
I'd like an option to remove only that and not the entire HUD.
 
fiream400
I have used it as an indicator to start braking when I first learn a track. Other than that I don't really pay attention to it.
Click to expand...

It's good for learning, but when your on a tight race on a tough track.. Well, it's like juggling on a unicycle.
 
When there wasn't the option to turn the HUD off, it didn't bother me at all. Never really looked at it, and never felt the need. I'm really glad they let us turn the whole HUD off now, it makes racing much more enjoyable, in my opinion.


Parker
 
I don't notice it. Unless I want to use it... never used it as a braking indicator though, since it isn't one...
 
GTOne2Three
Back in GT1 and 2, we had to come up with our own strategy. Since GT3, I had that habit of looking down at the number and looking at the road at the same time.
Now that I'm using manual, it's an even more tedious task. I wish I can turn that off without turning off the speedometer because the speedometer helps to keep track of my speed. Also I wish the controller could rumble when you need to change gears.

It's hard not to look down, especially when it flashes.
Click to expand...

Why dont you listen to what the engine is doing? turn down the music and try it?
 
I use it definitely, I think it's beneficial. But I don't use it as a full on "AAAAH BRAKE NOWWWW !" It's actually a good cue of what proper gear you should be in to make the corner without coming off it. Not always accurate of course, more or less you can make the corner a gear or 2 higher sometimes. But when you see it flash, for you DS3 users out there, try this: when pressing the brake, do it halfway. The button is pressure sensitive so it does give you an advantage from doing a full on stop before the corner, which I am sure many people have. Helps come into the corners smooth and in a good gear to accelerate out of, not the prior "brake too early from red blink light-accelerate into corner-brake again and go" cornering method.
 
RedBullRacer
It was, until I turned the HUD off. Much better without the HUD on, your driving will improve and it's way more immersive!
Click to expand...

I would take that with a grain of salt, I did this same thing and it forces you to look at the track details much more. When you race online it's a detriment as it's hard to see track details when there are 15 other cars around trying to win the race too. Trying to see track details like that is more of a distraction than having the blinking light there letting you know you should be gearing down or at least preparing to slow down.
 
Dunno, it's not that bad of a feature. I'm not using it religeously, as it's not very accurate most of the time, but it does serve as a somewhat decent indicator for breaking, as long as you remember how long you can still go without breaking after it shows up for each corner respectively.
If you manage to do so, it's no different from an actual brake spot. You just have to focus leess on track side objects, as the flashing is far more noticible by peripheral vision.

Either way, knowing a track completely by hard will make this redundant, though.
 
No, because it's usually completely wrong in terms of when you need to slow down and which gear you need to be in. Generally speaking I take most corners a gear higher than the thing suggests.
 
I must not pay much attention to it as I didn't even realize it blinks. Maybe I'll use it now when learning a track. Personally I use the driving line for my first 10-25 laps on a track to help learn my braking points. They are never 100% accurate, but I find it's easier to learn where I brake in relation to the red line then without it. Once I feel comfortable with that I'll turn it off. When I know the track it can actually be more of a distraction.
 
I got used to using it in GT3/4 and still use it to help find brake points on new tracks. But if I could turn it off, without turning everything off, I probably would.

By "Turning off the HUD" do you mean turn off the race display, or am I missing something? I would like to keep the map and tire wear displays...
 
SimonK
No, because it's usually completely wrong in terms of when you need to slow down and which gear you need to be in. Generally speaking I take most corners a gear higher than the thing suggests.
Click to expand...

Actually it's usually spot on, because most people tend to drive the cars harder than usual, in a 20 or 30 lap race, if you use the braking points you will save tires and stay on the road a lot longer than those people who drive hard. I ran a race at Fuji on racing softs 20 laps and had half tire strength left, never pitted once. While you say it's redundant, it's very useful if you want to run endurance races, this was online by the way.
 
There are some corners where it's a total mile-off. I get all Victor Meldrew when that happens and start cussing it out - "Second??? My granny wouldn't take that corner in second!"
 
SavageEvil
Actually it's usually spot on, because most people tend to drive the cars harder than usual, in a 20 or 30 lap race, if you use the braking points you will save tires and stay on the road a lot longer than those people who drive hard. I ran a race at Fuji on racing softs 20 laps and had half tire strength left, never pitted once. While you say it's redundant, it's very useful if you want to run endurance races, this was online by the way.
Click to expand...

Not really, I find my own braking points like any real racing driver does.
 
I find it greatly helpful actually. Until you start to learn your own breaking points, it's a great tool. Since I (and most others) drive manually, I cant just leave the downshifting to the right gear for a corner to the game, and although I dont completely obey the indicator, breaking a little after the flash and sometimes being one gear higher tends to net me good, clean lap times. It's easy to not let it distract you imo.
 
When it starts to blink I know that I'm within the braking zone, depending on my tire health and speed I usually let off the gas and then apply light brake pressure, then gear down and turn. It's not supposed to be perfect, but following the driving line it's usually correct especially when your tires are cold or warm and when they are fresh and worn. Sure you can stay if a higher gear than it suggests but that depends on how well you lined yourself up for the corner, after a few times doing that it will select the gear that you tend to go through the corner at. Still a very helpful things especially on courses where drivers tend to knock over the distance markers, Laguna Seca im looking at you.
 
It used to be rather helpful in previous GT's but it doesn't appear to follow the racing line logic so it's very inconsistent... It either needs to be calibrated to the driving line or just removed... I'd rather a bigger flashing shifter light in its place...
 
p-coletray
You are a real racing driver? I doubt it. :rolleyes: If one doesn't have every blind corner memorized, it can be a good 2nd line of defense.
Click to expand...

Where did I say I was? I said racing drivers find their own braking points and so do I.
 
Yes, it's a BIG distraction.
It also prevents from correctly learning braking points since your brain will unconsciously take the blinking signal as a reference rather than trackside signs and objects.
I'd like an option to remove only that and not the entire HUD.
Click to expand...

this! I use it as a breaking marker all the time. Not that i break when it tells me to, but i'll start to figure out, "ok, brake half a second after it flashes on this corner...this corner says 2 but its actually 3..." etc.

I hate that i do it and i know its cheap but its a habit since i first started playing GT. i love turning the HUD off now and trying to learn the track in a more realistic way, but we need more customization over the HUD. i would like to keep the timers and lap counters, but get rid of the gear indicator etc.
 
I find neither the gear indicator nor the driving line any good as a correct way to get round the track fastest. Only time either of them are any use is when you are either driving an unfamiliar car or an unfamiliar track. Mind you, with so many tracks (especially the reverses, which don't get as much use as others) and 1000 cars, keeping it all in your head is tricky. Especially the difference between stock cars and upgraded versions.

Gear indicators are often massively wrong on many cars, and don't seem to take into account whether you change final drive ratio, so again, can be massively off. Driving line is again pretty poor on many tracks... even the Prima track guide admits as such. Which begs the question why put it in if it's wrong?

There's a great feature that has been missed from the game (or any other, I believe)... How about taking your BEST lap, and using THAT to generate driving line and gear indicators? The telemetry is all there.

There's also a feature from Shift I really liked (though, again, their default settings were often wrong). Their racing line indicator not only showed line and braking points, but had a yellow between the green and red for where you coast, or come off of full throttle. Again, it would have been a better feature if it optionally went from your telemetry once you start to refine your lap times, but it was still useful.

However, yes, for maximum immersion once you have a car and track dialed in, turning it all off would be optimum.
 

Latest Posts

Back