Why do AI cars take a different line to the blue driving line, and which one is right?

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KERSengage

KERSengage

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AI seems to stay out wider and really square off the corners. If I follow the blue driving line I'll often get my nose chopped off by the other cars apexing later than me. Which line is actually faster?
 
yeah the blue line is generally the line that cant possibly make you crash. but sometimes danger = speed
 
This is why its best to take off the driving line. When you do you will see a line there on track that looks like a true racing line with black rubber lines showing the racing line proper
 
I learnt during GT5 that keeping religiously to the blue line was not the way to win. You are often better off taking the line of the AI cars in front of you, as others have said. There are times when the blue line is the correct racing line, but with the faster cars a more squared-off approach to the corners can reap rewards. It seems to me that in GT6 the red braking line is usually far too generous; I either do not brake at all, or leave my braking until I am some considerable way into it. For those who are just entering GT via GT6, this does not make learning easy. Surely it ought to have been sorted by now.
 
In my opinion, one big part of it is the type of car you are driving. A front wheel drive tends to understeer, whereas a rear wheel drive tends to oversteer. And as xpc316e indicated, power plays a factor. Know your car well to truly get the fastest line. And take off the driving line, which will give you more of a challenge but also make things more fun.
 
Blue line is a safe suggestion, but if you watch the ghosts's of the fast drivers, they don't follow that line very often.

The car you're in makes a big difference. A chicane in a high-hp MR for example, sometimes, you want to brake in late & hard, apex late, and stay tight (and relatively slow) to the inside of the first so you can sweep the second with a wider and come out fast. (Eiger's turns at the end of the hill are another example of this)

We all know the blue line will suggest you to take it in a big smooth S curve, touching apexes. Might be the fastest line in some cars, but specific ones can certainly benefit from taking a different line. Taking a line while in traffic also means that blue line is not the line you want to be on, sometimes the "fast" line is the only one you can really take without hitting someone or something.
 
My experience so far suggests that AI is showing at least 2 clear behaviours:
The cars around you at the start are not pushing hard, they brake too early (like the red lines suggest) and only get interesting if you're competing with them (driving beside/behind them) when they do show blocking tactics etc. They don't seem to worry too much about the driving line.
The cars at the front however, apart from being the best cars in the field, are also driving much harder, braking at the last minute and generally a lot of fun to compete with. They even spin you out if they get the chance.
It's not perfect but it's a lot better than 5 (which I thought was great btw).
 
I turn the racing line off and just try use the line that I think is best. I use the flashing gear indicator to plan braking but I usually wait till its been flashing a bit then brake.
 
Try this..
Arcade mode, time trial, pick a track, run some laps and set a time.
Back out and switch off racing line. Turn off timing in the hud and using the same car run some more laps but don't try and be fast.
Drive slow enough so you hit EVERY apex. If you miss an apex or track out then you are overdriving... turn off your ghost and just concentrate on hitting that apex every time.
Take each corner one at a time much slower than you normally would.
Gradually increase speed every lap but always hit that apex.
Resist the urge to go flat out straight out of the gate .
Do enough laps until you are confident your smooth and consistent driving is giving you similar results every lap.
If you mess a corner up, punish yourself but insisting you drive at least the next 2 laps consistently.
Pay special attention to corners before long straights.
When your done, back out and marvel at how you blitzed your old time.
You won't need the fake driving line ever again...
It's not there in real life either.

Of course.. This only applies if you're serious about becoming a better, faster more consistent driver.
If you see GT6 as a game (which is perfectly fine too of course) then the fake driving line probably is for you.
It exists as a mere guide for getting those around an unknown track safely for those that don't wish to or can't take the time to learn it.
As others have said it provides a safe path and not necessarily a fast path around.
:)
 
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the blue line in the game is not the fastest. In general, if there is a long straight after the turn, you want to late-apex it to get as much speed as possible onto the straight. If there is another, more important turn after it, you might want to early-apex it as to setup the car for the next corner.

Below the light blue is early-apex, the dark blue is late-apex, and the green is the 'ideal' line.

300px-Racing_line.svg.png
 
I learnt during GT5 that keeping religiously to the blue line was not the way to win. You are often better off taking the line of the AI cars in front of you, as others have said. There are times when the blue line is the correct racing line, but with the faster cars a more squared-off approach to the corners can reap rewards. It seems to me that in GT6 the red braking line is usually far too generous; I either do not brake at all, or leave my braking until I am some considerable way into it. For those who are just entering GT via GT6, this does not make learning easy. Surely it ought to have been sorted by now.
Click to expand...

The red line is not consistent either. You can find yourself breaking a little late on all of them and being just right. Then you're 3/4ths of the way through a lap and you break at what seems like the same relative point and you go off the track and miss the corner. I forget which track I've had the most difficulty using the red line as an indicator, but I'm not quite ready to turn it off yet. :)
 
There is no "right" driving line. One person could take a completely different line to another person and they both come out with the same time.

I find that hitting the apex early is an easier way especially when you are not overfamiliar with the car or track. However if I am on Tsukuba or Apricot Hill for example, a track I know really well, then I might turn in later and have a much faster exit line
 
Trux
Try this..
Arcade mode, time trial, pick a track, run some laps and set a time.
Back out and switch off racing line. Turn off timing in the hud and using the same car run some more laps but don't try and be fast.
Drive slow enough so you hit EVERY apex. If you miss an apex or track out then you are overdriving... turn off your ghost and just concentrate on hitting that apex every time.
Take each corner one at a time much slower than you normally would.
Gradually increase speed every lap but always hit that apex.
Resist the urge to go flat out straight out of the gate .
Do enough laps until you are confident your smooth and consistent driving is giving you similar results every lap.
If you mess a corner up, punish yourself but insisting you drive at least the next 2 laps consistently.
Pay special attention to corners before long straights.
When your done, back out and marvel at how you blitzed your old time.
You won't need the fake driving line ever again...
It's not there in real life either.

Of course.. This only applies if you're serious about becoming a better, faster more consistent driver.
If you see GT6 as a game (which is perfectly fine too of course) then the fake driving line probably is for you.
It exists as a mere guide for getting those around an unknown track safely for those that don't wish to or can't take the time to learn it.
As others have said it provides a safe path and not necessarily a fast path around.
:)
Click to expand...

This is a great writeup, thanks I will def give this a try and see how I go. It's the braking points that worry me more than the actual line into the corner!
 
KERSengage
This is a great writeup, thanks I will def give this a try and see how I go. It's the braking points that worry me more than the actual line into the corner!
Click to expand...

The only way you get rid of that worry is by learning the tracks. The line really does hold you back. Even when I was using the line just to see the corners easier I was still relying on it much more than I thought. After I turned off the line it sucked for a while but then I got faster and faster, faster than I'd ever been before. Learning the braking points from practice gave me a better feel for each track and for each car as I had to learn each car's braking point for each turn. After a while you gain a level of control that will allow you to pick up a new car, hop on any track, and within a few laps of practice you'll pretty much have it nailed down.

Sark
 
I don't play with any lines. but I find the blue line is more suited to the type of car you are currently using. and the AI line is more suited to their general movement.
 

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