There is no Goldilocks wheel, is there?

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praecurvo

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praecurvo
From what I have read, there truly isn't a wheel that can do exactly what it should do as of yet? Even with the Fanatecs, the shift paddles just aren't up to par. I am not sure as to why one would really care for a gated shifter anyway considering the true lack of tactile reality that is impossible to replicate from a machined transmission. The paddles are a wonderful addition if someone could get them right; anyone who has driven a M3DCT, IS-F, or TTS (in the real world) knows what I am referring to. The G25/27 are both touted for being an overall notchey experience, and not completely compatible with GT5. So what am I to do, wait for the $600 bohemouth? Sounds expensive...
aaron
 
The h-shifter is fun. That is why people use it.

As for the paddles on the Fanatec wheels...

They aren't the greatest in tactile feel, but they do the job just fine. I've never missed a shift because of them.
 
Funny you should say that... I bought the G27 because it was just right... not the BEST at everything, not the WORST at anything....

GOOD pedals, wheel and FFB
BEST shifter and paddles (so far)
EASY mounting with hard mount options
FAIR price (sub $300 US with a little careful shopping)
PROVEN reliability (I've owned four Logitech wheels and never had one fail)

I'd like a GT2 for it's 360 compatibility, but I didn't like the mounting options, the shifter or the price. The T500RS looks like it's gonna be awesome, but way expensive, and no shifter (yet) and the G27 has it all.
 
Gunstar
Funny you should say that... I bought the G27 because it was just right... not the BEST at everything, not the WORST at anything....

GOOD pedals, wheel and FFB
BEST shifter and paddles (so far)
EASY mounting with hard mount options
FAIR price (sub $300 US with a little careful shopping)
PROVEN reliability (I've upgraded every Logitech wheel I've owned and never had one fail.)
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I disagree about the shifter. I think the Fanatec one is the better of the 2. It is loud, but it has a great feel.

That being said...

I gotta agree with your main point though...

There is no wheel that will ever be perfect at everything. There will always be an improvement made somewhere on another wheel.

Neither the Logitech or Fanatec wheels suffers from some fatal flaw. They are both exceptional overall wheels, even if there is something here or there to nitpick about. Unless you are looking to play on the PC where you can spend a fortune mixing and matching the best parts from everywhere, then you have to just look at the strong points of the packaged wheels, and pick which packages strong points better match your needs.





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Oh, and I don't get the whole "G27 isn't fully compatible with GT5" thing... Everything works. Shifter is great, clutch is great, shift lights are great... it just doesn't have a slot in the options menu because it isn't an officially licensed Sony wheel. The Fanatec wheels don't either.

On the G27 all of the controller buttons are represented and mappable. Maybe the only downside is all 6 of the wheel buttons don't work... but since I want to use a chilicoke adapter and replace the wheel anyways... plus I hate wheels covered with buttons... that's not any kind of deal breaker to me.
 
versapak
I disagree about the shifter. I think the Fanatec one is the better of the 2. It is loud, but it has a great feel.

That being said...

I gotta agree with your main point though...

There is no wheel that will ever be perfect at everything. There will always be an improvement made somewhere on another wheel.

Neither the Logitech or Fanatec wheels suffers from some fatal flaw. They are both exceptional overall wheels, even if there is something here or there to nitpick about. Unless you are looking to play on the PC where you can spend a fortune mixing and matching the best parts from everywhere, then you have to just look at the strong points of the packaged wheels, and pick which packages strong points better match your needs.





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Agreed. The Fanatec wheels have lots of strong points, and I was darn close to buying a GT3RS V2 CSP package. I just didn't want to deal with the price, the backordered status, or the mounting issues, especially the shifter. The thing that really killed the Fanatec shifter for me (as I've never used it, just seen it) was the difficulty mounting it to anything but the Fanatec wheel. I've seen alot of inventive guys with alot of awesome solutions, but I just want to fasten the thing down and go! I'm hoping the Clubsport shifter is awesome tho, because again, come Forza 4, I'm gonna be looking to upgrade my old M$ wheel, and maybe the G27 as well...
 
Gunstar
Agreed. The Fanatec wheels have lots of strong points, and I was darn close to buying a GT3RS V2 CSP package. I just didn't want to deal with the price, the backordered status, or the mounting issues, especially the shifter. The thing that really killed the Fanatec shifter for me (as I've never used it, just seen it) was the difficulty mounting it to anything but the Fanatec wheel. I've seen alot of inventive guys with alot of awesome solutions, but I just want to fasten the thing down and go! I'm hoping the Clubsport shifter is awesome tho, because again, come Forza 4, I'm gonna be looking to upgrade my old M$ wheel, and maybe the G27 as well...
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Yeah, I hear you about the mounting.

I got a little creative mounting it when it first came out, with a brace on the metal bars that held it pretty solid, but then bought the clubsport wheel mount, which came with the shifter mount, and that thing holds the shifter very solid anywhere you can screw it down.
 
praecurvo
From what I have read, there truly isn't a wheel that can do exactly what it should do as of yet? Even with the Fanatecs, the shift paddles just aren't up to par. I am not sure as to why one would really care for a gated shifter anyway considering the true lack of tactile reality that is impossible to replicate from a machined transmission. The paddles are a wonderful addition if someone could get them right; anyone who has driven a M3DCT, IS-F, or TTS (in the real world) knows what I am referring to. The G25/27 are both touted for being an overall notchey experience, and not completely compatible with GT5. So what am I to do, wait for the $600 bohemouth? Sounds expensive...
aaron
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For consoles, no, for PC there are far more options.
 
The PWTS and GT2 ClubSports are the closest I've found to Goldilocks wheels since I have an Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. But I still really want to get some seat time with a T500RS.
 
Paddle shifters on the Turbo S are great.

I used the G25 for a long time and was concerned with the Fanatec paddles too. G25 has a very obvious sure press, Fanatec is very short precise. At first, sometimes I wasn't ending up with the right gear on the Fanatec from changing down from say 6th to 2nd, probably end up with 3rd after one of my presses missed. After an hour I got used to the short throw of the paddle and I actually think when you build up that feeling you can rifle through the paddle shifts faster, and switch easier from 2nd to 3rd mid corner, feels very solid. A year on, my Fanatec paddles have the same short sharp response from new. I did the X1 Vettel all Gold with some manic downshifting and not once did my press not work.
 
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I tend to think even the bed that was just right would have probably still smelt pretty funky, considering there were 3 bears all living in a pretty small house. However, it still worked just fine as a bed.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it was the house letting the bed down, just as the software (GT5) is letting the wheels down.

There's never going to be a perfect simulator, because the only way to be perfect would be for it to be the real thing. You could spend 20 grand on all the motion cockpits and hydraulic brake pedal thingys and it will still never simulate the danger and thrill of motorsports.

From my experience the G27 and Fanatec both work just fine, it's reality that's letting them down.
 
alexleighton
I tend to think even the bed that was just right would have probably still smelt pretty funky, considering there were 3 bears all living in a pretty small house. However, it still worked just fine as a bed.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it was the house letting the bed down, just as the software (GT5) is letting the wheels down.

There's never going to be a perfect simulator, because the only way to be perfect would be for it to be the real thing. You could spend 20 grand on all the motion cockpits and hydraulic brake pedal thingys and it will still never simulate the danger and thrill of motorsports.

From my experience the G27 and Fanatec both work just fine, it's reality that's letting them down.
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An obvious irrelevance, and yet appropriate.
aaron
 
If you are that worried about the wheel being perfect, then GT5 is not the game for you anyway, because the FF isn't that great. It wouldn't matter what wheel you get with the expectations you have, you will be let down. As far as "tactile reality" goes, you will not find that anywhere in video games. It's all about having fun and getting as far into the game as you can. In all honesty, I drive a standard in real life every day, and when I shift in a game that uses it right, my mind takes over and if feels as realistic as I want it to. You have to have some imagination to enjoy a toy steering wheel and pedal setup when you're playing a game.

I have a fanatec turbo s wheel, and had a G25. Both of them have their perks, and the turbo s wheel's were enough for me to sell my G25. I actually liked the FF of the G25 better, but the turbo s just has so many features and the clubsport pedals are great.
 
Noob question alert. I know the g27 pedals will work with the fanatic.
Will the CSP work on a g27.
 
Spagetti69
Noob question alert. I know the g27 pedals will work with the fanatic.
Will the CSP work on a g27.
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On a PC yes, because you can hook the pedals straight up to your PC via USB. On PS3, no, because the pedals have to be hooked into the wheel.
 
Bevo is right on the money. Each of the wheels has its pros & cons. Thinking that one must be the goldilocks wheel - probably the one you don't have :drool: - is a mistake. However, it's that kind of thinking that helps drive our consumerist economy.

I believe a lot of us spend enough time with our virtual set-ups to make them more "real" than out RL set-ups. So, for example, the G25/27 H-shifter doesn't really feel like a RL gated shifter, but after hundreds of hours of virtual racing it starts to seem more real than the real thing. Similarly, IMO the Fanatec wheels feel more like a real car than the G25/G27, but I have grown accustomed to the distinctive "notchy" feel of the Logitech wheels.
 
I've never driven a car in real life with paddles... what is the feel that you get from them that you can't get from the controllers? I always thought it was just a button as it is in any game.
 
Considering I have yet to drive GT5 with a wheel/paddle combo, i can't explain. But in real life, the paddles is great paddle shifting cars feel crisp and connected!
aaron
 
Paddle shifters are cool. I use them in game all the time, the closest I've come IRL is the shifter buttons in the automatic IS300, and I just couldn't deal with that. I liked the manual one ALOT more.
 
I do not own a butt kicker but I think it should be connected to the steering wheel when changing gear. I drove a BMW M5 (507 bhp) once and thought something was broken, given how hard the gears change. Kind of like if you were taking a conventional car and rev it up to max and then just release the clutch. It cuts straight through the body.
 
sbozic
I do not own a butt kicker but I think it should be connected to the steering wheel when changing gear. I drove a BMW M5 (507 bhp) once and thought something was broken, given how hard the gears change. Kind of like if you were taking a conventional car and rev it up to max and then just release the clutch. It cuts straight through the body.
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That sounds intense. I guess the automatic transmission can engage the clutch much faster than a human can.
 
sbozic
I do not own a butt kicker but I think it should be connected to the steering wheel when changing gear. I drove a BMW M5 (507 bhp) once and thought something was broken, given how hard the gears change. Kind of like if you were taking a conventional car and rev it up to max and then just release the clutch. It cuts straight through the body.
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Yeah I know what you mean about this. I remember my first time out on a track was in a friend of my parents' touring car, which had a conventional gearbox, but I seriously thought he was just destroying the car or something after being used to shifting for comfort all my life.
 

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