Adjusting car settings: What we are looking at is adjusting the car and then running X number of laps and comparison? Or is there a more efficient approach to this? If you want to mess around w/ acceleration standing still (yet measure it), running qualifying laps at the 1st marker will help. Trying to measure 4-5-6 gears w/ various traction control won't seem to work. Any thoughts or a previous post that hits on these topics?
I was going to create a post on beginners (+Rookies), so I just edited this title for a combine. The first 24 hours any kind of distraction (accident / bump / drive-by / read map / Fast Time), and you are either riding concrete or eating dirt. Swerving is an improvement but still pretty ugly for those from a rear view. What I did and what I would do differently: 0 - 24 Hours: Just joined random servers, tried various tracks & cars, and basically got nowhere. ____________________________________________________________________________ - What I would do is practice on RaceRoom Bridge (best track for beginners; long straightaway stretch to regroup). - Adjust Single Player / Single Race w/ Laps (1), Pole Position (1), and number Players (?); this will give you a good feel. - Jumping up from Single Race to Championship is HUGE. You can bully and crash the AI players in Single Race, but it's like jumping in a pool of sharks w/ Championship; they ALL take you out. 24 - 48 Hours: Just started using same cars (unmodified / stock), that I could control better: _______________________________________________________ - Two things that make the biggest difference early on is traction (track settings) and steering (w/ each car varying to various ranges) - Wheel settings VIP (steering lock degrees) for staying in-track / cutting corners (best time) 48 - 72 Hours: Found w/ RaceRoom Bridge that I could reduce my time just by using tracks "All Cars" available setting: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cougar C14-1 BP Motorsports #20 - ~ 1:14 Mistral 531 Momo Racing ~1:12 Mistral 530 Koni ~ 1:07 I adjusted Wheel Settings and only carried 14-16 L fuel w/ Koni and down to ~1:06 and change. The other day got beat by another Koni 2 seconds faster per lap. Gonna try match that. You will get smashed off the practice track by "Bangers"; that's good. There is no better way to quickly improve your reactions and awareness, then getting into a "mano a mano". So if you get crashed off the track, just drive them (try), into the corner next lap. Presently At 80 Hours: Just gonna start using Qualifying Timer (standing still) and measuring early acceleration, and markers in between for later gears. I will calibrate car setup settings at each extreme to see the overall impact. This will also give one a chance to understand the dynamics of race vs time. Hope that helps some of you!
Traction Control: So the car accelerating sounded like when a carb gets flooded, going on the turns. Set up parameters to min and max on Traction Control; see major difference / impact. After playing around with settings (not knowing what I am doing), first time I broke 14 secs for 1st marker, 46 secs on second marker, and still maxed out same speed on straightaway (279). Yesterday missed 1:05 by a hair (106:064). Default Settings Traction Control - Good car is like the Mistral 531 GreyMatters in scoping the track out for corner cuts (sight) - I don't think that the Wheel Settings are saved in track configuration (Steering Lock, FBB) - Low fuel configurations w/ Pit Stop presets - Never use brakes unless I get drilled into wall or lose focus (admiring Best Times / Lap) Will try a few other things; if I get to 104 will post.
Something to know: Qualifying laps are only official (portal) if online server; not Single Player as noted in yesterday's screenshot ~ 1:05 (I always went online for laps) - Fuel can't be modified & Single Player track requires brakes (slip) - If you select Steam Screenshot library, it deletes it from your SimBim folder; can't be transferred to RaceRoom profile (screen shot) - 6 Pressure points on Bridge track (4 of them in first 25 seconds) - Players that go headhunting (drive opposite way) turn into ghosts and can't hit you (usually) - Koni starts choking on you keep her on an angle for acceleration Steam Screenshot:
Added this in other thread, but even if it's Single Player option this would help a lot. It would help keep players driving through the track (improving their times), even after they mess up the first part of the lap. This would help beginners (+Rookies) the most!
So after 150 Hours, there are 4 times you might want to keep note of: 1 - Best online time (1:05.856) * Obvious but empty server gives you best shot * 2 - Best local time (Single Player mode which is always about ~ .500 faster 1:05.386) * Be aware of Server Ping online for faster lap times * 3 - Best Raw time online (Usually out of track bounds is 1 - 1 1/2 secs faster 104.512) * Improvement window target * 4 - Best Default time online (Straight out of the box Koni car setup 106.680) * This will help gauge your improvement in JUST handling of the car and track, as your lap times decrease vs any car setup changes * ___________________________________________________ I finally cracked 1:04 (1:04.917) but with a catch: Changed Assisted Braking to ABS. This is like the whole learning process starting all over, as first 0 - 24 hours you are riding a lot of concrete (extra speed and new manual braking). Sometimes lucky to register 1 lap time in 10 tries (BTW Raw time 103.566). Huge difference between cars that are at least 2 seconds faster. Between 1/2 and 2 seconds you are always chasing, and within 1/2 sec you got yourself a race. I find the best times are when you are on the edge (almost lose control of the car), so I try to aim for that each lap. I figure you learn a lot quicker the harder you push, then consistent laps with a much slower registered time (then again look at my Hud ). Guessing third stage is manual transmission, where your type of controller setup amplifies players times and skill levels in online competition. Hopefully this might help some of you. So if you are a Rook or a beginner, take a run at this post and lap times as a measuring stick. Just don't take a run at me
And these are the settings that I used in car setup. Some I just quickly set at extremes to see the end result. If I progressed, it stayed. Fuel set 14 L since it will give you 10 laps. Found 6th - 10th lap was usually the best time, and you can review setup then. Traction Control played around with until I could hit that 2nd turn really hard w/ control (accelerate around ~ 203 KPH before braking triggered). Previously, I could only accelerate maybe 1 in 5 attempts (assisted braking). After messing around with the Traction Control, I was good about 50 - 70 % of the time. Extra boost allows you to cut inside (hill), for slower cars & wide competitors (unless you miss lol), or make up a second if you follow through (w/ very good speed). It's also a great place to reel in a unsuspecting Banger This setup is ideal for control w/ my mouse, and since it's all about handling and control, adjust accordingly. (1:05.856)
Basically after 150 hours, you can nail down a best online time (1:05.856) and best default time online (Straight out of the box Koni car setup 106.680). I found it helpful to add lap times in description of car setups (Best Local, Best Online, Raw, Default). You have to change the dates manually tho or it will overwrite the existing settings. Remove assisted braking w/ ABS and start seeing splits of 0:14.000 & 0:44.000 (~ 6 hours) _____________________________________________ Today hit new Raw Time 1:02.412 (Best should equal soon 1:03.400 - 1:03.900) Todays new Raw Time DEFINITELY brought to you by: _____________________________________________ Edit: Might as well credit Bud for new Best Time 1:04.051 too <Rookie Brag> "Bud Magic" - Have you had some today? Note: Should have a Rookie & Beginner Forum Section (search is weak)
Adjusted ARB and finally cracked 1:03. All is good now. So set new Raw Time on 16th (1:02.186) Set new Best Time today 18th (1:03.810) In the footsteps … "Rookie of the Year"
First time I went on Leaderboard I challenged a top driver and was surprised that he "accepted". Got to the track and he didn't show. Tried another top driver and he "accepted" too. I thought this was pretty good. Again, he didn't "show". Figured my track rep preceded me and scared them all off Realized later that this was their track lines that you were chasing. I was going to suggest in the improvement thread, that they do this with all cars and tracks. Already done! This is definitely underutilized (unknown?), but a great learning tool. I would have spent the first 24 or even 48 hours just on this segment alone. You can also chase your own track line and shave off a second here and there. So I did the three (Novice, Amateur, Get Real) and standings & results captured. The gold number is how many completed the task for Bridge and Mistral 530. Novice: The 1st place was using some kind of gear manipulation around the turn towards the bridge, like I did for the turn. He shaves off a couple of seconds there. Amateur: Edit: The 1:03.555 is my new Best Time since it's registered on Portal. It jives with new Raw Time on 16th (1:02.186). So Leaderboard uses online server for verification. Get Real: There is 3 sections on the track that is programmed like driving on black ice (at beginning turn, between 1st entry and exit turn, and downward curve towards start of bridge). Use acceleration with extreme caution. Another tool is using replay. I tried searching, and with limited info you can capture all of Single Player quite a bit, but online it's only races ( I think).