Suggestions for going from AT to MT

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dylpro

dylpro

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dylpro98
I've been playing GT since GT2 and for as long as I can remember, always on automatic. I've never learned to drive stick in real life unfortunately and therefore in game just went with what I always knew. Recently with GT Sport I've decided to give manual a go as I've heard it can help increase lap times for people.

I started practicing on time trials last night with my GR.3 4C. I had been fiddling with the tune on it when I decided to give MT a go for the first time. Probably practiced for about an hour and only got one lap within a second of my best time with us AT. I'm attributing this to the fact that the car is a little jittery and probably wasn't the best car to start trying MT with.

However, I find that my biggest problem is just not knowing when I should be shifting up or down. At times I'll mistakenly shift down when I should be going up, or up when I should be going down. I find myself trying to focus on shifting so much that I wind up crashing on parts of the course I'd normally ace with ease.

I'm assuming the most common advice I'll receive will be "practice" which is what I'll keep doing. Hoping eventually to have it ingrained in my mind as second nature. But other than that, any other little things I should do or try that could maybe help? And do you think MT is faster than AT? Thanks for any advice.
 
There is a recommended gear indicator on the HUD for when to downshift (and what gear to downshift to). The rev gauge on the HUD should give you a quick visual reference of when to shift, as soon as it goes blue or blinking is usually a good place to start shifting up.
 
I learnt MT on the pad back in GT3. Took an easy car to drive on a straight forward, short track (Mini at Tsukuba, IIRC), and just ran 100's of laps until gear changing became 2nd nature.

Eventually, you'll get in tune with the engine sound to understand where the car is in the rev range both up and down the gears.
 
Yes, you are correct on the car. Find something awd for stability. Use the gear counter as mentioned. And practice of course. But the biggest tip I’ll give you is to watch where the rpm needle falls when you upshift. This will actually help you for downshifting, no really! If you shift at 6,000rpms, and it falls to 4,000, then you know that shift from second the third is a 2,000rpm gap! So when you downshift from third to second, you know about 4,000 rpms is when you need to do it. When downshifting you don’t want the engine banging off the rev limiter, because that’s not compression braking.
 
Thanks everyone, took to the track to practice a little more after I posted this. This time I used my Gr.3 F-Type, which is my current go-to for online. It's just the stock tune with full upgrade right now so still not that much slower than the Alfa, but it's something I've been used to using and definitely felt more comfortable practicing with it. I feel the Alfa could be faster as the tune I've got set right now I feel is pretty good, but it's far less stable than the F-Type w/TCS at 2. Alfa was set to 0 and I was managing about 2-3 seconds within what I was getting with the Jag, but I was getting faster lap times with the Jag more consistently

I managed to shave off about 2 seconds from my fastest AT time with the Jag, but still just need more practice. I think if I took the Jag back out on AT and went as long as I did with MT I'd beat my time. Going to take something else out, maybe in the N400-500 group to just get more of an understanding on it.
 
Definitely use a slower car. Heck, use the Miata. It basically trains your brain in slow motion. I started MT training in gt3. It was tough, but I did crawl before I walked, and walked before I sprinted. That was the way that game progressed you though. You’ll have to manually do that in this game since “career mode” is practically non existent.
 
I have to say, driving a manual in real life helps immeasurably.

All I can advise is as the previous have. Drive something nice and slow and you'll get there. I don't look at the rev drop, there's too much going on, but by driving in manual you get a feel for what gear you need for each corner. I know that if I'm approaching a certain hairpin, I need to be in second, so as the engine note drops down I hit the shift button. Likewise it's a case of watching the rev limit bar and when it flashes, you shift up.

The biggest challenge will be when sliding etc. as the wheels will spin and the limiter will kick in, but you don't want to shift until the wheels have traction - but that again is a feel thing.

Practice makes perfect, but play about in something slowish. I'd avoid the GT86 and MX5 as the shift times are too slow - you'll go mad! Try an Evo or WRX road car. Nice and stable, fairly quick shift and nice easy engine note.
 
Ian Fairbanks
Definitely use a slower car. Heck, use the Miata. It basically trains your brain in slow motion. I started MT training in gt3. It was tough, but I did crawl before I walked, and walked before I sprinted. That was the way that game progressed you though. You’ll have to manually do that in this game since “career mode” is practically non existent.
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Miata at Brands Indy would be perfect IMO 👍
 
Each and every corner has a designated gear that is optimal for your current car and setup. As soon as you learn what these gears are to the rest will work itself out; it's just a matter of getting into a rhythm. NJ72 above sums it up very good.

Something that I would recommend as a beginner is to try and drive without music, and with a car that has a distinct rev sound. Because your ears will be your greatest guide when you start to get the hang of it.
 
Started playing manual in GT2 and I have never gone back to automatic in any game since. It all just takes time and practice to make it a habit, but before long you will do it without even thinking about it.

I would keep practicing with the Gr3 car since that's what your used to already, it's also easier to learn on a car that shifts very quickly.

Before you hit your braking point, try and remember what gear you need to be in and use the engine sounds and/or use your peripheral vision on the hud to know when to shift up on the exit. It's not good to be staring at the rev counter, it won't lose you time but it just creates an unnecessary lapse in concentration and could lead to an error. So knowing your engine sounds is ideal imo.

The gear indicator is a good way to see what gear you need to be in, but it's also wrong 99% of the time. You should really be one gear higher than what the indicator tells you. So if it says 3rd gear, then do it in 4th. It might be difficult at first but you will be able to carry more momentum through the corner as a result.

Manual is always faster than automatic in every racing game I've played. That won't change.
 
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I have to disagree with “stay with the gr3 because you know it and it shifts quick.” He needs to start slow so he learns car control WITH the MT setup. Otherwise he misses that with quick cars, and never feels the chassis unsettling due to an over revving downshift. Gotta be slow before you can be fast.
 
Yeah I don't agree with starting in a different car. To me he'll learn it quicker in a car he's already familiar with so he has that as a reference. You still feel all the stuff you mentioned in Gr 3 without having the abnormally slow shift time of the Miata.
 
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Are you trying to mimic the behaviour of the automatic transmission -- trying to shift at the same time? Don't!!
Automatics shift way too late, that's one of the main reasons manual is faster -- you can shift at the ideal RPM for the specific situation.
I guess you don't have F1 2017 or you could use the shift-tone feature there to practice (a beep is heard when it's time to shift up).
Also, you might want to try watching other people videos of car & track combos and see where they shift gears.
 
dylpro
I've been playing GT since GT2 and for as long as I can remember, always on automatic. I've never learned to drive stick in real life unfortunately and therefore in game just went with what I always knew. Recently with GT Sport I've decided to give manual a go as I've heard it can help increase lap times for people.

I started practicing on time trials last night with my GR.3 4C. I had been fiddling with the tune on it when I decided to give MT a go for the first time. Probably practiced for about an hour and only got one lap within a second of my best time with us AT. I'm attributing this to the fact that the car is a little jittery and probably wasn't the best car to start trying MT with.

However, I find that my biggest problem is just not knowing when I should be shifting up or down. At times I'll mistakenly shift down when I should be going up, or up when I should be going down. I find myself trying to focus on shifting so much that I wind up crashing on parts of the course I'd normally ace with ease.

I'm assuming the most common advice I'll receive will be "practice" which is what I'll keep doing. Hoping eventually to have it ingrained in my mind as second nature. But other than that, any other little things I should do or try that could maybe help? And do you think MT is faster than AT? Thanks for any advice.
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I did not use manual until gt6. I sucked at first but now I cant even drive automatic. it makes a huge difference no doubt about it. manual is way faster than automatic. it does take practice and in gt6 every car is different on when you should shift. when practice long enough and get the hang of it you will never go back to automatic. Trust me.

Tekku
Each and every corner has a designated gear that is optimal for your current car and setup. As soon as you learn what these gears are to the rest will work itself out; it's just a matter of getting into a rhythm. NJ72 above sums it up very good.

Something that I would recommend as a beginner is to try and drive without music, and with a car that has a distinct rev sound. Because your ears will be your greatest guide when you start to get the hang of it.
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great advice. driving without the music definitely helps. sometimes know when to shift just by the sound of the engine.
 
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My advice for controller users is always to map shift up and down to L1 and R1, so that it actually feels like you are using shifters. After a few laps of practice it should feel normal and you can never go back to AT.
 
Tekku
Each and every corner has a designated gear that is optimal for your current car and setup. As soon as you learn what these gears are to the rest will work itself out; it's just a matter of getting into a rhythm. NJ72 above sums it up very good.

Something that I would recommend as a beginner is to try and drive without music, and with a car that has a distinct rev sound. Because your ears will be your greatest guide when you start to get the hang of it.
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Agreed with turning off music. It's horrible anyways.
 
I tend to find that the Suggested gear is not really helpful, still trying to work out if it just gives yo the suggested gear for the next corner, mine constantly seems to be in second..
 
Run some AT for awhile but pay close attention to when it is upshifting and downshifting. The shift points with a MT will be somewhat similar. Knowing how drive stick in real life helps you to know how to drive manual in the game. The most difficult thing is getting used to it on a DS4. It’s awkward. With a wheel, it quickly becomes second nature. Like it does in a real car.

When I use a wheel it feels weird to use automatic. Its the opposite with a DS4 (L1/R1 for shifting). It doesn’t matter if I use L2/R2 or the right stick for gas & brake. It’s just not easy for me to get used to it.
 
Now that I have turned the other aids off, I now need to give up the AT too.

I'm using motion/ tilt steering on DS4, what controls are people using to change gears?

Seems like L1 R1 would be good, though my Accel/ Brake is L2 R2, does this get messy?
 
Tristan Jones
Now that I have turned the other aids off, I now need to give up the AT too.

I'm using motion/ tilt steering on DS4, what controls are people using to change gears?

Seems like L1 R1 would be good, though my Accel/ Brake is L2 R2, does this get messy?
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I use MC
Brake & gas
L2/R2
Shifting
L1/R1

My fingers are naturally there, it’s just a matter of coordination. Also, SONY shoulda built L2/R2, especially R2 a bit beefier lol.
 
I play with a pad. In gt6 I had MT set up like this:
L2 - brake, R2 - accel
L1 - shift up, R1 - shift down

i have it set up that way so that i can change down without removing my finger from the brake as I only usually use one finger for each set of shoulder buttons.
 
What I do is set up my controls so that I have Gas in R2, Shift Up in R1, Brake in L2, Shift Down in L1. It's intuitive that way; right shoulder buttons make the car go faster, left shoulder buttons slow it down. (I have to thank NFS: Shift for this)

Also, and I have been doing this since GT4, memorize the engine note at when the car redlines, because that's usually when you have to shift up. That wah you won't have to keep looking at the tachometer when you change gears.
 
unrealManiac
I play with a pad. In gt6 I had MT set up like this:
L2 - brake, R2 - accel
L1 - shift up, R1 - shift down

i have it set up that way so that i can change down without removing my finger from the brake as I only usually use one finger for each set of shoulder buttons.
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Now that is why I mention things, get some ideas I hadn't thought of! Will be good to play around with this, though seems counter intuitive at first.

Skygrasper550
What I do is set up my controls so that I have Gas in R2, Shift Up in R1, Brake in L2, Shift Down in L1. It's intuitive that way; right shoulder buttons make the car go faster, left shoulder buttons slow it down. (I have to thank NFS: Shift for this)

Also, and I have been doing this since GT4, memorize the engine note at when the car redlines, because that's usually when you have to shift up. That wah you won't have to keep looking at the tachometer when you change gears.
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I'll try that mapping to start with, I played hundreds (more?!) of hours of GT 1 2 3 4, only played a few hours of 5 and 6 at a mates house, so the trigger is still pretty new to me. The PS4+GTS purchase & preorder was a missus-sanctioned treat to myself for finishing uni. Trigger works well, more travel could improve it imho, the pressure sensitive X button was revolutionary when I first tried it! Was great being able to use part throttle. Pity DS4 doesn't have it, though I guess that is why the trigger is there.

I do pay good attention to the engine note, you should have heard my R32 GTST with BOV on my profile pic ;) I will still need to learn which cars benefit from early/ late shifts etc, and get used to braking the same way while still hitting extra buttons for gears.
 
Tristan Jones
Now that is why I mention things, get some ideas I hadn't thought of! Will be good to play around with this, though seems counter intuitive at first.
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yeah it takes some getting used to but i feel it gives you more control, allowing you to always have a finger free to use the brake / gas while changing gears. To me it feels weird to use both my index and middle finger on the shoulder buttons so I learnt how to do it that way. I think of it like some cars that have the sequential shifter where you pull the leaver down to change up gears (strange thing to compare it to i know).
 
Tristan Jones
I'll try that mapping to start with, I played hundreds (more?!) of hours of GT 1 2 3 4, only played a few hours of 5 and 6 at a mates house, so the trigger is still pretty new to me. The PS4+GTS purchase & preorder was a missus-sanctioned treat to myself for finishing uni.
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Nice 👍👍

Trigger works well, more travel could improve it imho, the pressure sensitive X button was revolutionary when I first tried it! Was great being able to use part throttle. Pity DS4 doesn't have it, though I guess that is why the trigger is there.
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Personally I find the triggers to be better than pressure-sensitive face buttons, because the triggers give you more range, thus more control over the gas and brake.

I do pay good attention to the engine note, you should have heard my R32 GTST with BOV on my profile pic ;) I will still need to learn which cars benefit from early/ late shifts etc, and get used to braking the same way while still hitting extra buttons for gears.
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You won't have any problems with late shifts because this game essentially does not allow you to go past the redline. Only a few hundred RPm though but that's it. Early shifts, well there aren't any classic muscle cars in the game so the redline is pretty much the optimal time at when you should shift up.
 
I am also finally going to foce feed my brain manual for this game. I have driven a stick in real life for 25+ years., but could never get used to it in games. I love the semi-auto in driveclub and the dirt games cuse i can nail downshifts and really reduce brake time and speed loss as well as manage the cars weight better in turns, but i always forget to up shift if i go full manual. I don't know why, tried a few arcade races last night and was getting so mad at myself the wife threatened to turn of the ps4
 
Question about downshifting: is it ok if I downshift to desired gear before even braking? For example, car is driving 200kmh in 4th gear, I am about to enter the corner where it is recommended to pass it with 50 kmh in 2nd gear. What if I just downshift to 2nd gear while still driving 200 kmh, and after that I brake? Is there any gain / loss in doing that?
 

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