Here is a quick poll to see how people are controlling cars ingame. Obviously forum members are only a small sample of the number of players in game but should give a picture of what is popular and by how much.
Just out of curiosity: those of you who play RR with gamepad/keyboard: is it because you simply prefer that method, or something else "forces" you to use it? (I mean something like tight budget/disability/religion etc.)
@J-F Chardon basically hot-glued the gamepad to my hands because they needed a gamepad tester... ...and I'm also one of those people who don't like to spend several times for slight upgrades, so I refuse to buy a wheel until I can afford the one that I'd be happy with.
I actually like it, but you would if you have used it as primary control device since you were 12. I probably have some underlying fear of change too as I have an Iphone I hardly ever use cos I find an old Nokia 2G faster and more practical for day to day use! Throttle management is really the only issue I have in this game on some cars but if the forum represents a good sample of actual players and 85% of people in game are really using pedals, then there are lots of others who are really struggling too judging by the amount of crashes and spin outs I see in DTM 92, silhouettes and even Gt3. It´s also laziness/comfort as you can just plug in and play in 2seconds any place you want and all the other stuff like force feeback can be forgotten about. I know my skill and time limitations and using a wheel and pedals or rig is not going to add much to my experience apart from making me more neurotic! Perhaps I am also one of the ones that sees it as a game and not an immersive experience. If I want to drive with a wheel and pedals then my car is waiting for me outside.
If you guys want someone to test on digital devices who does actually enjoy using them, hit me up. Happy to help. From the feedback and comments on the two surveys, it seems that the vast majority of forum users are delighted with the new car physics and are mainly using wheel and pedals but the digital community, albeit small, deserves a bit better than what we are getting regarding how our controllers match up with the new physics in some aspects. I am sure this could be addressed without changing the car physics and upsetting other players.
I'm now wheel and pedals so voted accordingly but have only recently converted. I spent just over a year playing with an Xbox One controller before buying a Thrustmaster TMX Pro in April. The wheel took a bit of getting used to but I prefer it. In terms of speed difference, I find the wheel a little quicker overall but it varies class by class. The advantage seems much reduced in FWD cars such as WTCR which tend to be driven on edge against GT3 where inputs tend to be a little smoother and the wheel has more of an advantage. I'm not sure if a better wheel and pedals might further improve pace.
I use keyboard because it's much more comfortable and convenient for me than a wheel or a gamepad. Even though I had enough time trying them out, I'm talking dozens of hours, it just doesn't "click" with me. A wheel is too cumbersome and doesn't feel as much of an improvement for me, and a gamepad is just bad in every way possible, I feel like I'm handicapped.