I suck at Imola

[Myshkin]

I can't even blame the stuttering at a couple of corners... I just suck at it. Jeez, I couldn't even put together one decent lap during all qualifying and the race. A couple of times during the race I was battling up through 2nd and 3rd place, only to lose a battle for a corner by getting hit or screwing up. This was my only race so far on amateur that I have not come in first :blush: :nono: The other races weren't even close. At least I still walked away with the tourney trophy by a long shot.

Grrrrrr

[Blitz]

Yeah, I agree, it's a hard track that Imola. Even in Beginner mode, I still suck at it. :( But then again, I just got GTL last week, so... *shrug*

[Myshkin]

I was thinking it was a bit deceptive. Like it could be faster than it is... on one lap I would go into a corner thinking I could do it way faster, then the following lap I would try it a little faster and go off track.

Anyway, I found a major reason for my suckiness that day: turned out when my controller was reset (GTL does that to me occasionally, was not Windows), I did not reset the brake correctly. It had it configured like combined axis, and my Windows setup is separate. So whenever I was taking my foot off the gas, it was actually braking as of halfway off... which kinda explains what was happening at Imola. I would let off more than half and I would slow a lot due to the brakes being applied, so I would let off a quarter and without any brakes of course I was going off course. It's a miracle I ended in 3rd despite that.

I am having fun with the Lotus Elan now... I like this car. Without even realizing it was that much faster, I cut 10 seconds off my Mustang time at Zolder with the Elan. It's faster than it seems.

[Myshkin]

I just dropped my Lotus Cortina time at Imola by 3 seconds under my old time by the third lap. Funny that I thought my setup was all wrong and was trying to play around with that, never occurred to me that my controller setup had gone awry.

I am not too pleased that GTL is a little flaky with my wheel. When I started it today it didn't recognize it again, but thankfully it remembered when I went into the options and then it worked. Last time that happened I had to go to the Windows control panel and that is when it lost all the settings.

[FIATLOVE]

Glad to hear you found out about the slow laps, hehe, this happend to me also, the gas was only working 80% effect.
The Lotus Elan is really fast after learning to drive it (wich takes some time for me, it feels like a very special car), so light and quick.

[MATT]

I just dropped my Lotus Cortina time at Imola by 3 seconds under my old time by the third lap. Funny that I thought my setup was all wrong and was trying to play around with that, never occurred to me that my controller setup had gone awry.

I am not too pleased that GTL is a little flaky with my wheel. When I started it today it didn't recognize it again, but thankfully it remembered when I went into the options and then it worked. Last time that happened I had to go to the Windows control panel and that is when it lost all the settings.

Don't tell me you're using the MOMO Sr. (Red). Because I just bought the game and I intend on using it with that very wheel!

[Myshkin]

Matt,

Yeah, I still have my Momo Sr.

It works great almost all of the time. My issue has more to do with me unplugging the wheel all the time, and twice now it has "lost" my controller settings. I just had to go back in and reset them, which is a PITA, but considering I have unplugged it every day and it has only happened twice, and besides that it works fine, I am only going to mark it down as a minor annoyance. In fact, NFS:MW was worse about controller settings than this... in MW I couldn't use separate axis and if I plugged in my joystick sometimes and forgot to unplug it, MW would just give me the finger completely.

I am having fun with GTL, no regrets at all... I got it for $29.99 but later saw people saying Wal-Mart has it for $19.99!!! Anyway even at $29.99 it is a great deal. I would recommend it to anyone that likes racing sims (less arcade) and don't have a beef with Starforce.

I just bought the AC Cobra (in the game) and am having a go at Magny-Cours... at first this thing seemed almost undriveable, as twitchy as it is. But once I understood that you need to concentrate on keeping her steady, use trailbraking and only floor it if you are going in a straight line, it is fun to drive. I got accustomed to the Corvette first (which I found absolutely required trailbraking), so that probably helped the transition to the Cobra.

[FeZ]

Hey all :wave:

I also had problems with split axis pedals at first. Brake pedal was setup like a on-off switch. Had to use the good old DXTweak to fix it.

Also at the risk of going off topic again :D, does anybody else have troubles with the force effects on the wheel ?

The wheel keeps loosing the centering spring every 3rd race or so, and this sucks bigtime. I need to go back out and reload the race to make it work again.
Now that I think of it this only happens on my new system, never had the problem on my old board. Maybe some problem with the new USB 2.0 controller vs. the old USB 1.1 wheel :comp:


EDIT: About Imola, could it be that the GTL Rank reference times especially for that track are very optimistic ? I cannot see how I can go much below 2:20 in say the Cortina or Alfa ???

[Myshkin]

My force effects are almost completely unnoticeable. Just some rumbling when I go off-track, and resistance turning the wheel from center. But I still have my settings optimized for GPL and have never tweaked them for another game because it always seemed godo enough and I am lazy.

About the Imola reference time: yeah, that and a few others are pretty ridiculous. There are a few tracks where no one has come within a few seconds of what is supposed to be an achievable time with practice, not an unattainable time.

I am now finding the 911 a pure joy to drive. These cars just seem to keep getting better :) By design, of course.

[FeZ]

Yeah the faster cars are great but after learning the brake points with the slow cars I kind of have a hard time with the faster cars ^_^

Just some moment ago the right gear shifter stopped working, I tried to repair it and now its completely broken )=)

Damn it what kind of quality is that already broken after just 5 years :D

So to finally go off topic, any recommendations for a good Force Feedback Wheel ?

Is the red Logitech Formula any good ? I think I saw one quite cheap in the shops :rolleyes:

[FeZ]

Ok forget it, I did it, I bought that Logitech Formula EX.

So far I hate it, but at least it was cheap :rolleyes:

Cables not long enough for decent setup on my desk.
Stupid method of screwing it onto the desk.
The pedals look and feel as if they would break within 1 hour.
Non existing Force Feedback effects in GTL :mad:

Now that I look back that Microsoft Sidewinder wheel was a very good wheel with some clever features (quick release lever ....)

[FIATLOVE]

I have now changed the potentiometer for gaspedal with a new. It means that e.g my laps at Imola is still hard to cut down times because I really stink at that track.
I have this problem at every GP track with any car, tie the reference times in stats seems to be lightyears ahead.

Now having a 100% working potentiometer I'm not just driving faster in accelleration and topspeeds, the best thing about it is now I have FULL grip exiting curves.
In example my old pb at The Ring in the 911RSR was 8.55.
The first testlap with new pot I did a 8.44, included railcontact so I lost the frontwing after the little-carusel (kinda jumpy driving the longstraights) :-)

[FIATLOVE]

Conclusion after driving most of the cars at most of the tracks, I can see that all the tracks I have problems tie the reference times is at TRACKS WITH CHICANES.

Another important thing if you have problems making the car cut a second or 2, try race online or at least drive against faster AI-cars, then take advantage of the slipstream effect when they pass ;-))
Even in the 76gtc cars it helps if planning a fast lap by knowing who is in front, that way you can take helps from upto 4-5 cars slipstreams during 1 lap. Plan to stream at points letting you overtake at next inbraking, then go for next stream at exit.

[chris]

Hey all :wave:

I also had problems with split axis pedals at first. Brake pedal was setup like a on-off switch. Had to use the good old DXTweak to fix it.

Also at the risk of going off topic again :D, does anybody else have troubles with the force effects on the wheel ?

The wheel keeps loosing the centering spring every 3rd race or so, and this sucks bigtime. I need to go back out and reload the race to make it work again.
Now that I think of it this only happens on my new system, never had the problem on my old board. Maybe some problem with the new USB 2.0 controller vs. the old USB 1.1 wheel :comp:

EDIT: About Imola, could it be that the GTL Rank reference times especially for that track are very optimistic ? I cannot see how I can go much below 2:20 in say the Cortina or Alfa ???

I think you need one of those Frex GP wheels and pedals (with clutch) and manual gear selector. ;)

Wish I did have GTL, and that GTL didn't have starforce, because I'd love to join in with the racing. I'm finding some fun with F1C 99-02 and the standard F1 cars however. :)