Thinking of trying IRacing

[HBR-Roadhog]

I have been considering trying out IRacing but don;t really know what to expect from it. I have a 6 core 3.5ghz PC, 9800GT video card connected to a 40" plasma set with a custom rig using a Fanatec CSR Elite wheel and Club Sport pedal set.

I am thinking the hardware should work great with the game but I am wondering about how the available cars drive and how the game is set up to move up through the ranks and be able to race good clean drivers in competitive races.

My brother tried the game briefly and was a bit turned off by it though his taste in racing games is a bit different than mine.

I have played GT4 and 5 Forza 2,3,4 as well as a few other titles, some of the older NFS and a couple of the older test drives. I definitely prefer realism over arcade.

Can anyone provide some insight into the game and do you think I would enjoy it?

 

[Kevin01SH]

Do a lot of homework before you buy the game because A) its definitely not an arcade game where you go smashing into cars/objects, B) it takes a long adjustment period, especially when you're used to GT5, C) its freakin expensive.

This game is a lot of fun once you get out of the rookie level, the Mazda and Street Stock series will be your first taste at road/oval racing and there are wrecks lap 1 almost every time. Beyond that it gets a lot better, very rewarding game once you find your place in it. It contains real life racing series and we're always getting new cars/tracks.

 

[awr117]

Seems you have the PC to run it. For like $5 you can test for a month at the rookie level. Give it a try. Best racing sim i have tried.

 

[HouseChampion]

Or go the Cadillac cup promo which is 3 months free, plus some extra tracks or something?

Can't go wrong with free! 3 months is plenty f time to see if you'll like it

 

[brad259]

Or go the Cadillac cup promo which is 3 months free, plus some extra tracks or something?

Can't go wrong with free! 3 months is plenty f time to see if you'll like it

Im on the 3month deal and I've ended up investing $186 you can tell i like it Trust me best racing game ever

 

[Goshin2568]

Its worth it. Its fantastic.

 

[martton]

Or go the Cadillac cup promo which is 3 months free, plus some extra tracks or something?

I think the Cadillac Cup promo has ended. The links are still up, but the code doesn't work when you try to sign up. I don't know if iRacing is planning a similar new free trial promo to replace it.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Makes sense as its no longer a rookie car.

 

[Patrocles]

I have been considering trying out IRacing but don;t really know what to expect from it. I have a 6 core 3.5ghz PC, 9800GT video card connected to a 40" plasma set with a custom rig using a Fanatec CSR Elite wheel and Club Sport pedal set.

I am thinking the hardware should work great with the game but I am wondering about how the available cars drive and how the game is set up to move up through the ranks and be able to race good clean drivers in competitive races.

My brother tried the game briefly and was a bit turned off by it though his taste in racing games is a bit different than mine.

I have played GT4 and 5 Forza 2,3,4 as well as a few other titles, some of the older NFS and a couple of the older test drives. I definitely prefer realism over arcade.

Can anyone provide some insight into the game and do you think I would enjoy it?

A potential welcome to the dark side.

iRacing is simply fantastic!

For myself, I was looking for clean online pickup wheel-to-wheel roadracing with human opponents + realistic physics model and GT5 was woefully inadequate. I joined iRacing ~2 years ago and never looked back to GT5.

As Kevin01SH mentioned above iRacing is not for everyone so you need to do your homework on the service. As part of this homework you should also ask yourself what do you want to do with a racing sim and does iRacing fit your needs?

iRacing is also expensive so keep that in mind when researching and asking questions. What do you value in a racing sim?

iRacing is a difficult sim and if you do join the service you need to approach it in a real-life manner (e.g. start out with lower power cars, learn car control, read the Sporting Code is essential, etc.etc.etc.). the iracing service has a steep learning curve so I assume that was a big factor of your brother not enjoying the game.

good luck. ask anything about the game. These guys here are experts on the service and can help you out.
let us know what you decide to do!

 

[HBR-Roadhog]

Thanks for the info, I'll be pretty busy the next few weeks but I think when I get a chance I will try it for a bit and see for myself.

I do like realism in a racing game and I enjoy good clean competitive racing when I can find it. I guess I am fairly good with the wheel at this point, been using the Elite for a bit over a year and a Turbo S for about a year before that.

Are the cars fully tunable in iRacing?
How long does it take to advance past the rookie level, assuming I am a decent driver? Can it be done only in online lobbies or are there other options?

 

[WedgeX]

Thanks for the info, I'll be pretty busy the next few weeks but I think when I get a chance I will try it for a bit and see for myself.

I do like realism in a racing game and I enjoy good clean competitive racing when I can find it. I guess I am fairly good with the wheel at this point, been using the Elite for a bit over a year and a Turbo S for about a year before that.

Are the cars fully tunable in iRacing?
How long does it take to advance past the rookie level, assuming I am a decent driver? Can it be done only in online lobbies or are there other options?

you can only change setup on things that don't give a horsepower advantage, like suspension, tire pressures etc.

the rookie and fixed series don't allow you to change much and depending on the cars, some changes are very limited, the more advanced your ranking and car your driving (typically) the more options available - its also somewhat close to what drivers are allowed to alter with those cars in real life in their respective series. It has more to do with personal preference in iRacing until you get to very competitive level, then any speed advantage is necessary even if it makes the car handle worse or less stable, like the nascar series, they run the cars so low they're sometimes hitting the ground and making the car more risky to drive because it gives them better aerodynamic characteristics.

 

[HBR-Roadhog]

As far as tuning I was thinking along the lines of downforce, springs, ride height, dampers, roll bars, tire pressure, toe, camber, gear, diff and such.

I know some people refer to it as tuning when they add parts to the car but to me that is modifying, tuning would be changing settings on existing tunable parts.

I have did a lot of tuning on Forza 2-4 and created several tuned cars that pretty much any half decent driver could post a top 100 time in. On the ovals anyway, Road courses takes a bit more driver to get that result.

If the tuning is comparable to what you could do in the real life car within the rules of a given event then that would be fine. Just wanted to make sure the game allowed you to do it. sometimes a slight damper adjustment or roll bar tweak can make a huge difference in lap times.

 

[Imari]

As far as tuning I was thinking along the lines of downforce, springs, ride height, dampers, roll bars, tire pressure, toe, camber, gear, diff and such.

If the tuning is comparable to what you could do in the real life car within the rules of a given event then that would be fine. Just wanted to make sure the game allowed you to do it. sometimes a slight damper adjustment or roll bar tweak can make a huge difference in lap times.

Yes.

Some series have fixed setups (ie. no tuning at all). But most allow some degree of tuning depending on how much the car allows. Stuff like the F1 has a mind-boggling number of setup options. Stuff like the Mustang are pretty basic, simply because you can't adjust much on a Mustang.

You will be able to set the car up to suit your own style, and for most cars there are knowledgeable people to give help or donate their setups if necessary.