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PC Racing Sims Thread

A

Ark

Member
Initial Aston impressions:

Seems really fun to drive, it's nice driving a car that doesn't have ABS again, but once again the baseline setup is awful and the rear is spin-city. Hopefully the community will share some setups. The car looks gorgeous though, I can't wait to start working on GAF paint for it next week.

Oh, and the timer on black flags is fantastic.
 
B

Betta Lines

Member
Really enjoying the Aston too, but not used to blipping the downshifts on something so fast yet feels like a road car in some ways. I want to drive it with my right foot but I think I'm going to have to re-learn left-foot braking if I'm gonna be competitive in this.
 
T

TheBear

Member
Are G27's still a good purchase for a sim setup?
In aus they retail for about $299, compared to the $500 T300.
Is the technology getting any better or is still a trustworthy accessory?
My current steering wheel is a Driving force Pro so anything would be an upgrade but the g27 seems like great value considering it comes with the shifter and clutch in the box, whereas I'd be spending upwards of $700 for the Thrustmaster equivalent.
 
TJP

TJP

Member
JimmyRickard said:
Are G27's still a good purchase for a sim setup?
Click to expand...
Yes the G27 is a solid purchase with great customer support. If the wheel dies, you'll get a replacement very quickly and without fuss from Logitech. You'll find a great many sim racers (and developers) use the G series of wheels - it's a widely used and supported product.

I've no idea about the QA of Thrustmaster or their post-purchase support. I do like their wheels a lot and the FFB is much smoother as it's belt driven versus the gear driven FFB of the G27 plus it's a lot stronger (or at least the T500 I tried was).

To answer your question I'd say yes buy the T300 if you're really into driving with a wheel and pedals simply because the FFB is smoother and stronger. Downside is no clutch pedal..
 
T

TheBear

Member
JimmyRickard said:
Are G27's still a good purchase for a sim setup?
In aus they retail for about $299, compared to the $500 T300.
Is the technology getting any better or is still a trustworthy accessory?
My current steering wheel is a Driving force Pro so anything would be an upgrade but the g27 seems like great value considering it comes with the shifter and clutch in the box, whereas I'd be spending upwards of $700 for the Thrustmaster equivalent.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. The other thing I'm interested in is pedal feel. do any of these setups, or games for that matter, attempt to simulate clutch or brake pressure? coming from driving race cars with no ABS, modulating the pressure and getting feedback from the pedal is a big part of driving.
Also, is it possible to get shifters that simlulate straight cut sequential gearboxes with shift cut?
 
B

Big Takeover

Member
JimmyRickard said:
Thanks for the response. The other thing I'm interested in is pedal feel. do any of these setups, or games for that matter, attempt to simulate clutch or brake pressure? coming from driving race cars with no ABS, modulating the pressure and getting feedback from the pedal is a big part of driving.
Also, is it possible to get shifters that simlulate straight cut sequential gearboxes with shift cut?
Click to expand...

Like real racing, you can have whatever you want... as long as you're willing to pay for it. :)

You're not going get what you're looking for from the low/mid end, but higher end pedals are out there with loadcell brakes, and multi-stage clutch stage mechanicals. Fanatec is the entry into those. You can mix and match this stuff on PC, so perhaps it's something you might want to spend money on down the road. A good set of pedals is the most important part the setup.

Yep, they make sequential and H-pattern shifters. Unlike what you're asking for with the pedals, tranny simulation is software, so it depends on the sim and car.

Betta Lines said:
You may want to wait... a few more days. ;)
Click to expand...

Definitely wait until E3. There's the new Logitech G29, and new Fanatec stuff coming too.
 
T

TheBear

Member
Big Takeover said:
Like real racing, you can have whatever you want... as long as you're willing to pay for it. :)

You're not going get what you're looking for from the low/mid end, but higher end pedals are out there with loadcell brakes, and multi-stage clutch stage mechanicals. Fanatec is the entry into those.

You can mix and match this stuff on PC, so perhaps it's something you might want to spend money on down the road. A good set of pedals is the most important part the setup.

Yep, they make sequential and H-pattern shifters. Tranny simulation is obviously software, so it depends on the sim and car.



Definitely wait until E3. There's the new Logitech G29, and new Fanatec stuff coming too.
Click to expand...

Hopefully the G29 will drive down the price of the current wheels on the market. I'm going to use my current PC and simple race stand/wheel and see if I even enjoy sim racing, but it's good to know that stuff is out there.

As for the pedals, which is better? T300 or G27? Are the pedals for the t500 significantly better again?

Also, is anyone familiar with this motion setup? obivously I'm dreaming a bit, but under $3k for a motion simulator still seems bloody cheap:

http://www.pagnianimports.com.au/motion-simulators/next-level-racing-motion-platform.html
 
B

Big Takeover

Member
JimmyRickard said:
Hopefully the G29 will drive down the price of the current wheels on the market. I'm going to use my current PC and simple race stand/wheel and see if I even enjoy sim racing, but it's good to know that stuff is out there.

As for the pedals, which is better? T300 or G27? Are the pedals for the t500 significantly better again?

Also, is anyone familiar with this motion setup? obivously I'm dreaming a bit, but under $3k for a motion simulator still seems bloody cheap:

http://www.pagnianimports.com.au/motion-simulators/next-level-racing-motion-platform.html
Click to expand...

Don't be afraid of second hand too.

The G27 pedals are certainly better than the T300's, but not so much that I'd buy the G27 for that reason. Price is still the primary reason to buy Logitech. The Thrustmaster bases and FFB are much nicer.

Another option is the Thrustmaster TX wheel which is lower cost wheel for the Xbox. Same base and pedals as the T300, different (worse) rim.

You could couple that with the Thrustmaster T3PA pedals (very similar to the T500 pedals) for roughly the same price as a T300.

The T500 basically combines it all.
 
Z

Zeth

Member
Ordered the TM 28 Leather wheel this morning and got it 6 hours later. Fucking Amazon, how does it work. It's noticeably lighter - kinda throwing me off at first - and a bit less grippy, but that just might be the fresh finish + dry hands. Will have to put more time in.

Taking suggestions on Raceroom packs to buy if anyone has suggestions. Played it for the first time today and it blew me away. The Zakspeed Capri specifically. So I guess I could start with the Group B stuff.
 
M

marvelharvey

Member
Zeth said:
Taking suggestions on Raceroom packs to buy if anyone has suggestions. Played it for the first time today and it blew me away. The Zakspeed Capri specifically. So I guess I could start with the Group B stuff.
Click to expand...
Yeah, Group 5, DRM 1992 and GTR2 are all incredible. I have blisters on my hands from how much time I spent racing the Capri around Suzuka last night.
 
M

Makikou

Member
Ark said:
Initial Aston impressions:

Seems really fun to drive, it's nice driving a car that doesn't have ABS again, but once again the baseline setup is awful and the rear is spin-city. Hopefully the community will share some setups. The car looks gorgeous though, I can't wait to start working on GAF paint for it next week.

Oh, and the timer on black flags is fantastic.
Click to expand...

Stuff that is wrong with the Aston setup:

- Drivetrain settings are completely wonked
- Too long gears even for Spa
- Maximum wing
- Everything in suspension.

So yeah, i don't understand people who judge the car on iRacing forums with the baseline setup when it's absolutely god awful.
 
A

Ark

Member
Betta Lines said:
Feels fine to me.

¯_(ツ)_/¯
Click to expand...

I must be too used to maxing everything in the GT3 cars. On my first outing in the Aston I slammed it into the wall at the end of the Kemmel because I forgot it didn't have ABS and I floored the brake :lol

I'm going to be splitting my practise this week between the Aston @ the Glen and the RUF at Montreal for Road Warrior. Thankfully I'm off next week so I'll have plenty of time to get accustomed to it.
 
M

Mascot

Member
JimmyRickard said:
Also, is anyone familiar with this motion setup? obivously I'm dreaming a bit, but under $3k for a motion simulator still seems bloody cheap:

http://www.pagnianimports.com.au/motion-simulators/next-level-racing-motion-platform.html
Click to expand...

It makes sense that the screen doesn't move with the rig (just like the world doesn't shake with your car), but I wonder why the pedals aren't mounted on outriggers so that they move along with the seat as part of the 'car'..?

Either way, it looks pretty cool for the money. Very affordable.
 
B

Betta Lines

Member
Mascot said:
It makes sense that the screen doesn't move with the rig (just like the world doesn't shake with your car), but I wonder why the pedals aren't mounted on outriggers so that they move along with the seat as part of the 'car'..?
Click to expand...
It would enhance the movement sensation by only moving your upper body. If everything moved, you'd need greater forces to deliver the same sensation, and even then you'd not achieve a true seat-of-pants feel - you need lateral movement for that.
 
M

Mascot

Member
Betta Lines said:
It would enhance the movement sensation by only moving your upper body. If everything moved, you'd need greater forces to deliver the same sensation, and even then you'd not achieve a true seat-of-pants feel - you need lateral movement for that.
Click to expand...

Maybe. I can imagine pedal control being affected every time the seat moved though, even if your heels are pretty well anchored to the foot plate.

I'd definitely like to test one of these rigs sometime. AU$3,000 converts to £1,500 at the moment (before taxes, import duty, more tax, shipping, other tax etc).
 
B

Betta Lines

Member
Mascot said:
Maybe. I can imagine pedal control being affected every time the seat moved though, even if your heels are pretty well anchored to the foot plate.
Click to expand...
That's quite realistic for cars without very tight buckets/harnesses - your upper body gets thrown around a lot more than your lower in a fast road car for instance (or even in a go kart).
 
Z

Zeth

Member
How does wheel rotation work in R3E? Does it adjust anything automatically? Should I leave my T300 at 900-1080 or set it to 340-460?
 
S

Spookie

Member
marvelharvey said:
Have there been any murmurings of when the single seater (F3 I think?) will be released?
Click to expand...

I think that's months off. When they shown it, it didn't even have a texture and the frame had only been done. I think they are getting the WTCC stuff out of the way first, tracks and all. I wouldn't be suprised if we saw open wheel after that.

Zeth said:
How does wheel rotation work in R3E? Does it adjust anything automatically? Should I leave my T300 at 900-1080 or set it to 340-460?
Click to expand...

You can tell it your wheel rotation and just set the steering lock. It'll save it between cars I think. My Fanatec is set to 900 degrees and 28 wheel lock.
 
M

Mascot

Member
Mascot said:
Maybe. I can imagine pedal control being affected every time the seat moved though, even if your heels are pretty well anchored to the foot plate.

I'd definitely like to test one of these rigs sometime. AU$3,000 converts to £1,500 at the moment (before taxes, import duty, more tax, shipping, other tax etc).
Click to expand...

Mmm... £1,700 delivered.

Can't say I'm not tempted..!
 
M

marvelharvey

Member
I think it's a friend of PRC Steve. His been teasing it on Facebook for weeks. Seem to be some shadow errors and I don't think the correct latitude/longitude is bring used, but other than that, a well made circuit.

wXpCjzC.jpg
 
S

Spookie

Member
Wow that looks fairly good.

Also nice seeing the best track in the UK being represented more.
Absolutely nothing to do with me living 40 minutes away ;)
 
TJP

TJP

Member
Zeth said:
How does wheel rotation work in R3E? Does it adjust anything automatically? Should I leave my T300 at 900-1080 or set it to 340-460?
Click to expand...
Set to 900 and the game adjusts for each type of vehicle. The actual thread for FFB and wheel settings here: https://forum.sector3studios.com/index.php?threads/controller-profiles.883/page-2

The F3 will be released in a while; You'll be blown away by the amount of cars to be completed. Sector 3 have some tasty vehicles to be added to the sim ;)
 
M

Mascot

Member
Betta Lines said:
I thought you didn't have a PC yet? Waiting for VR I thought... and it's fairly unproven with that. I wouldn't be surprised if it made you sick unless running at very low forces, as more of a vibration system (at which point you might be better off with vibration motors).
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to buy one..! Motion rigs have always interested me though, so it's good to see affordable entry-level systems starting to appear. £1,700 is not a lot of money to invest in a hobby, but it's not quite at impulse-buy levels yet. It's definitely in the justifiable range though. You are correct that I'm waiting for consumer VR before building a gaming rig, and it's quite right that VR and motion rigs remain a relatively untested combination. I'll be keeping an eye on the Pagnian though. Hopefully it'll help pave the way for similar affordable tech.

Big Takeover said:
That's an Accuforce wheel, some ProtoSimTech pedals, and a 980Ti.

You must be mad, man.
Click to expand...

Why not have both..? :p
 
P

Prototype

Member
Recently got a nice PC. My personal Sim experience is really only on console GT2 to GT6 and a little Forza.

Opinions on best Sim for me? Major bonus points if I can drive a Mclaren F1.
 
M

Mascot

Member
Prototype said:
Recently got a nice PC. My personal Sim experience is really only on console GT2 to GT6 and a little Forza.

Opinions on best Sim for me? Major bonus points if I can drive a Mclaren F1.
Click to expand...

Sounds like pCARS might be a good introduction. Not too hardcore coming from console and a couple of McLaren F1s for you to play with.
 
P

Prototype

Member
Mascot said:
Sounds like pCARS might be a good introduction. Not too hardcore coming from console and a couple of McLaren F1s for you to play with.
Click to expand...
Well, here's hoping it goes on sale.

It's slightly mad studios tho, isn't it? I believe they did the NFShift series. I wasn't a huge fan of how those games played. Is Pcars similar to that?
 
M

Mascot

Member
Prototype said:
Well, here's hoping it goes on sale.

It's slightly mad studios tho, isn't it? I believe they did the NFShift series. I wasn't a huge fan of how those games played. Is Pcars similar to that?
Click to expand...

It shares a lot of the overall DNA and race-day atmosphere but with cars that actually control well. Personally I love it.

A cheaper first dip would be GTR2. It's old, but pure gold.
 
TJP

TJP

Member
Makikou said:
What about R3E ?

Even Empty Box is saying nice things about it.
Click to expand...
Indeed! Try R3E, especially the newer car packs (DTM 2014, DTM 1992, ADAC); the older cars will be updated at some point - I hope the 'pretend' cars get the arse.
 
TJP

TJP

Member
I heard this story before about GTR 2 and how people complained that SimBin/Blimey! Games had made the game 'easier':

Ian Bell of SMS said:
For you, and that's totally fine, some people prefer iRacing, which is even 'slippier', that's fine also.

But if you're questioning our real life experience then you're off there. Henrik Roos 14 years ago banged on at me how all sim games slipped around too much. To underline his point he brought me to a car park and tried to do donuts in his Viper. He couldn't, even with dropping the clutch dangerously. It just would not kick the back end out. Race, or track day tyres are insanely grippy and the cars are easy to drive to about 95% of their limit.

EVERY single race driver with real experience has told us the same thing over and over.

Hence, we went from scratch attempting to mimic reality, not to feel like another sim on the market.
Click to expand...

Reference: http://forum.projectcarsgame.com/sh...ND-PHYSICS-!!!&p=976675&viewfull=1#post976675

Edit: Ian says 'They were road legal 'track day' tyres. And no matter what he did, it just understeered. Honest, I was there, I'll never forget the paradigm shift it created for me' so it must have been a road going Viper. The original I read was the race car!
 
S

Spookie

Member
Prototype said:
Opinions on best Sim for me? Major bonus points if I can drive a Mclaren F1.
Click to expand...

From my list of SP sims:

Stock Car Extreme - Doesn't take any time to setup, runs on anything. Most unique tracks/cars you'll ever see. Runs on an engine older than time itself, but looks OK. AI is generally considered as the best in the biz. Rock solid game to start with.
RaceRoom Racing Experence - Recently update to improve the AI, constantly getting new content and the developers are constantly improving the game and speaking to the community. Possibly a lot of dicking about with FFB to get it to feel how you like. Uses the same engine as above but considerably more polished. Sells content peace meal so it's like getting a free game and buying DLC, odd pricing on a few items.
Assetto Corsa - Basically a hotlapping sim at the moment but wildly regarded as having the best handling on the PC. No dicking about, mostly good to go out the box. Looks great with it being a new engine. Good mod support, though updates are slow from the devs. AI is absolute dog shit.
Project CARS - If you're ok with doing day/night racing with the AI and hotlapping. FFB is a mess, fixed via the community to some degree. Hasn't had a proper patch since release though and has lots of issues with the AI, such as it not following basic track rules (and the laws of physics such as using slicks in the wet) and generally being slow and erratic. Looks really nice though your mileage may vary on certain cards.
rFactor 2 - Great AI, feels great via FFB. But there is a lack of content with most of it being provided via mods with huge degrees of quality between them. No set database to download them either so it's like going back to the 90's trying to find websites hosting content. Game looks ok, but still doesn't run fantastically well. Updates are getting faster from the devs but not filling the gaps in series but they are creating tracks. It didn't help with the devs of Raceroom basically pinching all their free mod track creators by giving them a job!

I'd suggest picking up: Game Stock Car, Raceroom with one of the content packs bound to go on sale this week and finally AC or ProjectCARS if they go on a steam sale.

I can't honestly recommend the last two right now as single player experiences till they get some more love.
 
M

Mascot

Member
Spookie said:
.
Project CARS - If you're ok with doing day/night racing with the AI and hotlapping. FFB is a mess, fixed via the community to some degree. Hasn't had a proper patch since release though and has lots of issues with the AI, such as it not following basic track rules (and the laws of physics such as using slicks in the wet) and generally being slow and erratic. Looks really nice though your mileage may vary on certain cards.
Click to expand...

And, as you well know, those (and many other) issues are being addressed in patch 1.4 which will be out any day now.
 
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