docbong
06-14-2002, 06:48 AM
Ok, I'm still not too good at NFS 5, but I've been using wheel and pedal setups for years now, on every Playstation racing game worthy of driving, so here's some tips:
Most important is the angle of everything.
First comes the chair. It must be plush and comfy, and you must cut off the legs. Chairs are too high, and you want to replicate the interior of a Porsche or Ferrari. So, you need to sit no higher than 10" - 12" off the floor (30cm).
Next, the wheel. I've never found a wheel that is at the correct angle if clamped to a flat surface, like a table. The board that mine clamps to is at about a 20 degree angle, making the wheel itself sit at about 80 degrees from vertical. Anymore than that, and you'll feel like you're driving a dumptruck!
Next, the pedals. Again, a big design problem in all systems I've encountered. Try to get a system with both pedals the same size and shape. If you think about a cars pedals, they pivot downwards from the top, but these setups all have them pivoting down from the bottom, so if you have a setup with equal sized accel/brake pedals, mount it upside down, and switch the pedals in the game controller options. Again, try to replicate the angle of a real cars pedals, and mount them there.
If you want an external shifter, you'll probably not find a setup with one at the right angle for you, so buy one without the shifter, then use some obsolete joystick you've got laying around somewhere (come on, weve all got one - I just replaced the one from my Atari for a better one from my buddy's Commodore Vic 20), and you just drill a hole through the back of the wheel, and wire the joystick into the buttons. Then, you can strap your shifter to anywhere that you find comfy on your legless living room chair.....
Finally, Force Feedback. Turn it down!!!! Especially road effects, and whichever one gives it the 'pull' from side to side. It may feel cool, but it will affect your cornering, and set high will probably also wear the wheel out faster.
Don't give up!!! They do take getting used to, especially on NFS5 PU, as it seems that the cars tend to be easier to get sliding than in most other games I've played. I could race 200 laps in Gran Turismo and not touch the shoulder once (well, maybe ONCE :D ), but it's taking much longer for me to get like that on any of the MC circuits on PU.
There is absolutely no way a keyboard is faster. There is no way you could accurately drive a car at high speeds, and expect to get the right weight transfer on corners by using on/off switches for your accelerator/brakes. Some corners need 30% throttle, some need 80%, not onoffonoffonoffonoff :beer: See ya!
Most important is the angle of everything.
First comes the chair. It must be plush and comfy, and you must cut off the legs. Chairs are too high, and you want to replicate the interior of a Porsche or Ferrari. So, you need to sit no higher than 10" - 12" off the floor (30cm).
Next, the wheel. I've never found a wheel that is at the correct angle if clamped to a flat surface, like a table. The board that mine clamps to is at about a 20 degree angle, making the wheel itself sit at about 80 degrees from vertical. Anymore than that, and you'll feel like you're driving a dumptruck!
Next, the pedals. Again, a big design problem in all systems I've encountered. Try to get a system with both pedals the same size and shape. If you think about a cars pedals, they pivot downwards from the top, but these setups all have them pivoting down from the bottom, so if you have a setup with equal sized accel/brake pedals, mount it upside down, and switch the pedals in the game controller options. Again, try to replicate the angle of a real cars pedals, and mount them there.
If you want an external shifter, you'll probably not find a setup with one at the right angle for you, so buy one without the shifter, then use some obsolete joystick you've got laying around somewhere (come on, weve all got one - I just replaced the one from my Atari for a better one from my buddy's Commodore Vic 20), and you just drill a hole through the back of the wheel, and wire the joystick into the buttons. Then, you can strap your shifter to anywhere that you find comfy on your legless living room chair.....
Finally, Force Feedback. Turn it down!!!! Especially road effects, and whichever one gives it the 'pull' from side to side. It may feel cool, but it will affect your cornering, and set high will probably also wear the wheel out faster.
Don't give up!!! They do take getting used to, especially on NFS5 PU, as it seems that the cars tend to be easier to get sliding than in most other games I've played. I could race 200 laps in Gran Turismo and not touch the shoulder once (well, maybe ONCE :D ), but it's taking much longer for me to get like that on any of the MC circuits on PU.
There is absolutely no way a keyboard is faster. There is no way you could accurately drive a car at high speeds, and expect to get the right weight transfer on corners by using on/off switches for your accelerator/brakes. Some corners need 30% throttle, some need 80%, not onoffonoffonoffonoff :beer: See ya!