Wheel vs. Pad

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badmuhfuggah

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badmuhfuggah
What might be the expected average time improvement, assuming someone practices enough with the wheel that they're as comfortable with it as they were the pad? Also, and this is both my assumption and my hope: will rear wheel drive cars become easier to control/modulate i.e. KEEP STRAIGHT(!?!) with a wheel vs. a pad? Has anyone else made the switch, and have you been faster with the wheel, eventually?

Obviously the reason I ask is I just bought a wheel, and as I won't be able to try it out until sometime this week, I'm curious if it's going to be worth the effort? Any thoughts?

In the meantime.. I need some sort of temporary mounting system until I can build a decent one... hmmmmmm..
 
I got my wheel 2 weeks ago and im about 1 second faster with AWD cars and 3 seconds faster with RWD but could still go loads faster with some practise. RWD are loads easier to control with a wheel. I attach my wheel to the keyboard pull out thingy on my PC desk
 
I have been playing with a pad since gt1 and got plenty of top 10 times. I got a driving force ex about a week ago, and ive just started to be about 0.5sec faster. Definately worth it
 
i got mine last week and have only played on it for about 5 hours. already i'm about 1-1.5secs faster with the rwd but 0.5 secs slower using the awd. remember i have only played on this for 5 hours. just imagine how much faster your times can be if you used this for a couple of months. definately worth it imo. if i was you though i would just get a DFP for now until you can master that, instead of getting the G25 straight away. i got mine for £40 off ebay.

edit i should really read all of your post before replying :lol: put it this way the majority of the super fast racers on here are wheel users.
 
i got mine last week and have only played on it for about 5 hours. already i'm about 1-1.5secs faster with the rwd but 0.5 secs slower using the awd. remember i have only played on this for 5 hours. just imagine how much faster your times can be if you used this for a couple of months. definately worth it imo. if i was you though i would just get a DFP for now until you can master that, instead of getting the G25 straight away. i got mine for £40 off ebay.

edit i should really read all of your post before replying :lol: put it this way the majority of the super fast racers on here are wheel users.

No worries, I did buy a DFP, amusingly enough. :)
 
i have been a pad driver and drifter for years... and i does it well lol.... although the wheel seems to be very very good..... i just don't thank ill ever buy one.

i have a DFPII only played with it twice.
 
I'd say to be competitive with this game now you pretty much have to have a wheel. In fact PD should really put in on the case as a recommended option. 👍

You really can only take the game so far with a pad. That's what I've found even though I'm not great with my wheel I'll keep practicing.

Driving the F1 is night and day that's for sure.:)
 
Going by GT Academy the fastest times are all done on wheels, but that doesn't mean you will be faster with a wheel. My advice is to give the wheel a chance as initially you may not take to it, considering you are so comfortable with the controller (as is everyone before they try a wheel).
 
Driving with the Sixaxis is impossible. I have pretty good thumb control, but with that piece of crap, I can only really manage 0%, 50%, and 100% throttle and steering inputs, which makes RWD cars as easy to control as a rabid badger. I only drive GT5P with the wheel.
 
I use a G25 and must say that anything else feels second rate compared to it!
I feel that with the 4WD cars especially, you can chuck it in the corner much more easily, more precise than with a pad.
My times are much quicker with the wheel than the game pad.
It's not only the times that improve, but also the immersion sky rockets using it.
An H pattern shifter coupled with the clutch gives you not only more control, but a feeling of accomplishment as well.
 
I've owned a wheel for some time now, and various ones at that. Give yourself about two weeks of learning curve and you'll be at the same level as with a Pad. Given more time after that, you'll improve more.

As for a "Set time" improvement, its likely you will improve, but the degree of improvement is anyones guess.

I will note, that you will enjoy the game considerably more. ANd it's time to lok into a racing seat to mount the wheel to.
 
I'm a pad user, but a wheel wannabe, hehe. I just don't have the setup available at the moment to use a wheel properly and until I do, I just keep plodding along with the SIXAXIS. My throttle and steering inputs are pretty good, I can easily adjust throttle in 10% amounts and I can't see myself being much quicker with a wheel after ten years of using a pad, but for realisms sake and the insane enjoyability factor of it all, a wheel is a must.

There are some seriously fast guys out there who use a pad though...
 
i got mine last week and have only played on it for about 5 hours. already i'm about 1-1.5secs faster with the rwd but 0.5 secs slower using the awd. remember i have only played on this for 5 hours. just imagine how much faster your times can be if you used this for a couple of months. definately worth it imo. if i was you though i would just get a DFP for now until you can master that, instead of getting the G25 straight away. i got mine for £40 off ebay.

edit i should really read all of your post before replying :lol: put it this way the majority of the super fast racers on here are wheel users.

Hmmm, whops I just jumped into a G25 straight away, not very good at the moment, havent touched it in a couple months (I'm 16) been busy with exams.
 
I think this has been discused before with one or two people reporting that they're some of the fastest drivers and use a pad.

My personal experience is that cutting over to the wheel took a week or two and then I started going faster and more importantly enjoying the game more.

So, it seems some people like it , some don't.
 
I played all the other Gran Turismo games with a gamepad and even beat prologue with the pad even though I owned a wheel (I used it for PC sims only), but when I went online with prologue, I found I couldn't keep up. I decided to hook up my wheel to the PS3 and it INSTANTLY knocked 2 seconds off my laptimes, and within a few hours of playing, I was over 3 seconds faster around Suzuka in the same car.
 
I've always used the pad. However, the Sixaxis is more irritating than the DS2 that I used in GT4 because it's much more sensitive. Also, no vibration really leaves a large aspect of the driving experience out. I would really love to buy the DFGT or even a DFP, but college = always broke. Wise money management is key, and a new DFGT would be great, but I simply just can't afford to spend money on that instead of books or food or clothes.
 
I've always used the pad. However, the Sixaxis is more irritating than the DS2 that I used in GT4 because it's much more sensitive. Also, no vibration really leaves a large aspect of the driving experience out. I would really love to buy the DFGT or even a DFP, but college = always broke. Wise money management is key, and a new DFGT would be great, but I simply just can't afford to spend money on that instead of books or food or clothes.
you mean the dual shock from the ps2 is more sensitive then the sixaxis yeh? because thats how i feel.
 
Quick update for my personal experience with the wheel:

Today was the first time I had a chance to use it, and it was only for a couple of hours.

First impressions were WHAT THE F? Can it really be this difficult to control with a WHEEL? I was running an F430 around Daytona just to get a feel for it, and I couldn't keep the thing from spinning at all.

Switched to a Subaru on Fuji, and after switching from 900 to 200 to 900 and playing with the feedback settings, I started to get the hang of it. I was still about 6 seconds slower, with no consistency and all kinds of sloppy, but I glimmered toward some control.

I then switched to an M3 and gave that a shot on Fuji, immediately it seemed easier to control with the wheel than it was with the pad. This was very exciting. I managed a time only a second off my pace with the pad, and there seemed to be a lot of time left out there for me to shave.

I then moved to Suzuka in an R8, and was quite surprised at how corners that are difficult on the pad are quite natural with the wheel, and also the reverse, particularly the hairpin, is more difficult with the wheel than with the pad (for me). I managed to get a time that was only a bit more than a second slower with the wheel than my usual with the pad. Again, I could see there was lots more time to pick up, too.

I wish there were some happy medium between 200 and 900.. am I alone in this?

Overall I'm very pleased with the potential the wheel presents, and I wonder how others have their wheels set up, settings-wise, within the game?

Also, the wheel is much more immersive, and much more physically taxing, instead of sore thumbs, I may get shin splints!

Last thing: this may be my last post with this username, and I may change my PSN ID to match, I was warned for violating the user agreement when I chose this nickname. Any suggestions on how to change it to something more acceptable? I don't think "GTP_TheRacerFormerlyKnownAsBadmuhfuggah" is going to work, somehow ;)
 
you mean the dual shock from the ps2 is more sensitive then the sixaxis yeh? because thats how i feel.

Oh, no - other way around. When I use the Sixaxis on GT4, I have three steering choices - all the way left, all the way right, or straight. Even at high speeds, there doesn't seem to be any of the force that resists the turning of the wheel. I had to dig out the DS2 from the basement just to play GT4. With the Sixaxis, it's impossible.

It's a little strange that it's the other way around for you. I don't think there are sensitivity differences that can be changed in GT4 in-game. Weird.
 
one can be very efficient using the triggers on the sixaxis. I should know because i've been trying and getting better and better with it, and by now i can completely control my throtle and brake; complete modulation in all degrees. same goes for the steering input including the F1. It all comes to to practise and improving your skill. A lot of people look at my replays and are convinced that i'm using a steering wheel and not a pad...

so it all comes down to practise and not giving up. I love how I can control the 599 and win s2,s5 and I think its s8 without any aids, that means no abs either! So ultimate control on a pad I think at least can be done! :)

Should give the rest of the 'padders' some hope ;)
 
GTP_BMF it is, already made the online name, just have to reg with Sphinx now, it seems, thanks Angelx!

Working with the wheel again today.. it amazes how hard the transition is proving to be to get where I was with the pad. Has anyone given any serious effort to driving with 200 degree steering? I'm using the DFP wheel.
 
This is just my initial post with this account since the name change was required. As soon as it's activated, I'll PM Sphinx to register the name.
 
Working with the wheel again today.. it amazes how hard the transition is proving to be to get where I was with the pad. Has anyone given any serious effort to driving with 200 degree steering? I'm using the DFP wheel.

It's not hard with the wheel, it's just that you've built up so much skill with the pad over time, that it's going to take a while to reach the same level with the wheel.

Now that you've changed your name I'm gonna kick your butt. :trouble:



I used to be too scared to pass you... :nervous:
 
It's not hard with the wheel, it's just that you've built up so much skill with the pad over time, that it's going to take a while to reach the same level with the wheel.

Now that you've changed your name I'm gonna kick your butt. :trouble:



I used to be too scared to pass you... :nervous:

I don't recall racing you, but I'm sure if we did, you had no difficulty passing me :grumpy:

Too funny tho, Biggles, you make being gangsta on the internet fun :dopey:
 
Man I hate my pad, you have to have a lot of patience controlling your thumb to make perfect curves, by the third lap I cant take it anymore and start under steering, too wide, breaking in and accelerating. I NEED a wheel, but I cant afford one right this moment =(, I've spent too much this month. Hopefully by GT5 I'll have one and join you guys on the top fastest laps.
 
I don't recall racing you, but I'm sure if we did, you had no difficulty passing me

Too funny tho, Biggles, you make being gangsta on the internet fun


I recall racing you a number of times: SimcoeAce
 
Watching some replays, there is no way that G25 users are turning into corners like they do without changing some sort of steering wheel setting?

I've not amended my G25 settings/steering angles or anything. Am I missing out?
 
I seriously cannot drive anymore using the SIXAXIS it just to damn tricky.

My Wheel of choice is the G25 what a serious peace of kit it is:).

Just a quick question/statement, I drive my cars manually in GT5P but change gears using the paddle shifters not the H shifter option.

Which is quicker for changing gears Paddle Shifters or H Shifter?
 
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