Since I started simracing at the end of last year, I had always used the cockpit view with a realistic field of view (0.5), and that gave deep immersion. But recently my son got interested, after I took him to the ADAC GT3 races at Zandvoort. As he only has a game-controller and didn't like the cockpit view, I changed to arcade view with a wide field of view, to let him try the game. He liked it and I gave him the ADAC 2013 pack and some VRP's to get started. Meanwhile I had noticed that I was much faster in the arcade view, as from the high and wide point of view I could see and judge the apexes much better than from the lowly narrow cockpit view. I had also noticed from video's that some very fast multiplayer drivers also used this arcade point of view. So who is sacrificing speed for immersion, and who just wants to be fast?
Replays can be recorded from any view point, they could be racing any camera view at all It isnt that simple nor black and white. Cockpit and what "you" consider a realistic point of view is personal preference, debatable as to what is realistic, immersive or just a better more enjoyable experience. My preference is bonnet view, 20+ yrs of racing games has made it almost impossible for me to drive any other view unless its single seater then its cockpit, could give a 1001 reasons, but i`ll stick to just 1. Its how "I" enjoy it the most. There, not about speed or being faster or slower, it is how i enjoy it the most. When, if, i ever get a triple screen setup i may consider a change of viewpoint, it will not be because its faster or slower but how enjoyable is it. Gamepad, joystick or wheel, i dont use a wheel because im faster with it, its more enjoyable, same with view or the game\s played. If you enjoy it great, if your slightly faster with that view thats a bonus not a reason.
You know, I love the immersion, that is why R3E is my sim, that is why I upraded my rig like it's written down in my signature... I love touring cars and I drive them not with the paddles but with my shifter... Do I care about realism? I don't know, it's just a feeling I have, that I have to drive them like this! Bam gear up, Bam Bam two gears down...!!! ...and I would be faster with paddle shifting for sure! I think everyone should drive R3E the way he/she thinks it's the right way and get the most fun of it... no judgement here...! @edit ...and if your son likes the 3rd person view (and perhaps some driving aids) to enjoy R3E, I think it's a good way to go! ...didn't we all start in a way like this some years (decades) ago like this?!...
Agree, not only because of the better overview but mainly because when using a gamepad the swingman camera makes it a lot easier to detect and counter the car stepping out, you get some additional visual feedback about the movement of the cars rear end. Nevertheless I always use cockpit view, mostly for immersions sake. Swingman feels a bit like slotcar- or RC-racing to me, which I've little interest in.
At this point I also have to say, that the crewchief app is a godsend thing for me... I could never speak for S3S, but if I would have a voice to raise in this company, I would buy/license or at least support it the best way I could! Just in the way of immersion... and for all the guys who take sim racing serious... rig, hardware, fair/community racing, whatever... enough OT...
Everyone has right to use what view they want imo, but for league races i do wish there was a way to lock view in dedicated server so league admins could lock to cockpit view only to level field , if you don't like that view then you don't join league simple as that , but option would be nice again "option"
It's not the viewpoint alone, it depends on your personal attitude and your approach. As I take the term "Simulated Racing" seriously, it's about to come as close as to what a real driver feels and endures while racing, what his impressions are, driving a racecar. So I only drive in cockpit view, never use so-called "exploit setups" (means unrealistic setup-settings, even if I would be faster), mainly because my philosophy is not about the urge to become the fastest at all costs, but because the hardest opponent to beat is primarly myself..which is my personal preference generally, cause I don't believe in this faster, better, higher at all cost mainstream ideology.So I'm in to advance consequently under all given circumstances I encounter to make the best of it, and if that results in a good position , even a podium and most important, good, fair racing with tough & fair drivers around me - what can I ask more for ? That's my kinda tribute to thousands of mostly unknown professional racedrivers so to say (and their counterparts in virtual racing) without whom there would be no racing at all (to promote a handful of "Stars" at the Top ). That's often forgotten in many areas of so-called show-buiz....