rec.autos.simulators

George Sandman
Zone Name The_Sandman1
Stealth Racing #1
1997 WIERS Constructors Team Championship
1997 CICC PPG Champion
1996 CICC PPG Champion
1996 NWSICT PPG Champion
1996 FRL PPG Champion

The non-linear steering mode doesn't introduce a "dead zone" at all.  It
just makes small steering inputs easier to do.

One thing to consider is the total rotational angle of the input
device you use.  I use the TM GP1 right now, and it only turns about
180 degrees lock-to-lock.  Nascar Pro wheels have a 280 degree
lock-to-lock movement.  That extra 100 degrees of rotation will make
linear steering a lot less sensitive.

--
Pat Dotson
IMPACT Motorsports

<snip>
% The non-linear steering mode doesn't introduce a "dead zone" at all.  It
% just makes small steering inputs easier to do.

% One thing to consider is the total rotational angle of the input
% device you use.  I use the TM GP1 right now, and it only turns about
% 180 degrees lock-to-lock.  Nascar Pro wheels have a 280 degree
% lock-to-lock movement.  That extra 100 degrees of rotation will make
% linear steering a lot less sensitive.

Good point.  It's probably too late for Papy to allow us to fine tune
the steering box on the cars, but it might be doable with some sorta
slider adjustment that reduces the sensitivity but still provides a
linear reaction to a linear movement.  I also think that once you get
the chance to modify the carsetup (camber, steering lock, and anti-sway
bars), you will find that you can use your GP1 with some degree of
linear setting in your steering.

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

%      Hi Trevor. My email isn't working so I'm using this! Per your post
% above, I am also using the SB port and its worked fine with my TSW untill
% I started driving 3D games. I sent F1RS back for a refund, I sent my TSW
% back to be repaired, and now with the gpl demo the same problem
% over again: the car just veer's off the road as if the pots were bad.
% I've tried every latest driver etc. and it still happens!! please try to
% to help if you can. This is driving me crazy! The games that work fine
% are TOCA, and GP2. The games that don't are F1RS, Ultimate Race Pro, and
% the GPL demo...in these games the symptom is always the same- the car
% just steers right off the track in one or two places (usually the same
% spots) every lap. By the way I have a whole bag full of RadioShack linear
% taper pots, but I don't think the pots are the answer. Any suggestions?
% Anyone...anyone...anyone...anyone...anyone...anyone...anyone...anyone...

Two things I would try:

1)  Go to Control Panel -> Game Controllers -> Advanced and try playing
with the Poll with interrupts enabled box.  If it's checked trying
unchecking it, or visa versa.

2)  Try using Thrustmaster's ProPanel applet to setup your wheel in
Win95.  It will provide a better and smoother calibration.
ftp://208.129.210.78/pub/library/calibration/propanelv11.exe

Oh, and one more thing....
3)  You might want to try out Thrustmaster's ACM game card.  Honest, it
might help out alot.  Try to pick one up where you will be allowed to
return it if you don't think that it improves your control.

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Somebody with a clue would see, that this is helpfull, because it
removes
some error sources (wheel, game)... now you COULD check how you
calibrate
your wheel, but I better leave you alone fixing your shit.

l8er
ronny

--
Toys'R'Us '99: "So, would you like a hand gun with that action figure,
kiddo?"

          |\      _,,,---,,_        I want to die like my Grandfather,
   ZZZzz /,`.-'`'    -.  ;-;;,_              in his sleep.
        |,4-  ) )-,_. ,\ (  `'-'     Not like the people in his car,
       '---''(_/--'  `-'\_)            screaming their heads off!

[snip]

Mark, I'm assuming you have a 3dfx card.

You might like to try adding these commands to the end of your autoexec.bat

SET SST_FASTMEM=0
SET SST_FASTPCIRD=0
SET SST_PCIRD=0
SET SST_SLOWPCIWR=1

I have a suspicion that PCI bursting is upsetting the ISA bus and affecting the
joystick port timings. What caught my attention was that it looked like the
problem was with Glide games.. Toca is D3D. The place on the track might be PCI
transaction intensive.

Thats all my Bug-o-Matic (tm) crystal ball could come up with. Its usually
pretty good so I hope it helps.

Regards,
David

You know, this discussion, and the GPL demo remind me of something
that Niki Lauda said years ago. Basically that one's success as a
racing driver was based on the sensitivity of one's backside. In other
words, you needed to have a FEEL for the car with the *whole* of your
body in order to be able to drive it fast, set it up properly in
testing and practice, so on and so forth .

Now GPL is the most technically advanced and impressive sim out there.
No doubt about that. My point would be that at present it is TOO
advanced and ahead of it's time because the input/feedback devices
that we use  are far too primitive to do justice to the extremely
realistic physics model that Papy have produced.

I drive a rear-engined road car, and of course with that, oversteer is
always a possibility. One soon learns however to note the warning
signs, not just from the wheel, although of course that is vital, but
from the overall aspect and angle of the car and take action
accordingly. With GPL clearly the power/weight ratio is totally
different and of course it is mid-engined but even with my GP1 wheel
it is not possible to have the same feedback as on a road car.    

I have been following motor sport for 20 years and  have driven racing
sims since Indy 500 on the Amiga 500 and with this one I am still WAY
off of the pace (although i am never terribly fast). I think the
solution is for Papy to ship the final version with a full range of
configuration options for handling, and difficulty. Otherwise I can
see the sim unfairly and unjustly being hammered by magazine game
reviewers who are not specialist sim racers (as indeed are the
majority of the game-buying public). This would be a tragedy.  

Having said all of this I still love it and will be the first to buy
the full version come July - and if no-one produces a force feedback
cushion to put under my backside, i may just have to invent one !!!<g>

Ian

Michael,

I never use "reduce with speed" settings in games that have them.  I
find it more predictable that way, especially on variable radius turns.

I have a TSW into a TM ACM card and set GPL at about 80% linear.  100%
linear makes straight line driving very difficult, resulting in spins on
braking.  66% makes my steering input *exactly* match the on-screen
arms.

This is on a P133/3Dfx.  I'll be running a PII-333 within a week I hope,
and I'll be able to tell you if any of my settings have to change.  I
guess I'll have to recalibrate the ACM.

--

Neil Yeatman          
Ajax, Ontario, CANADA

I would be interested in hearing the opinions of those who have done real
racing through.

Except for me it also has the feel <g> Seriously, with the non-linear
setting I just can't gauge the correct amount to turn the wheel and when
I need to make a small correction my hands are simply not fast enough to
turn the wheel the required amount.

Cheers,
Richard

You do get used to it, but it takes a pretty subtle driving style <g>

The main advantage I've found in GPL is that it seems to be a lot easier
to turn consistently into the corners - especially the last one which is
where I was having the most trouble. I even seem to be able to brake into
the corners a little whilst making the minutest of corrections. I don't
know if this is as a result of increasing the linearity or simply
coincidental though.

Technically, yes. But to me it feels like a dead zone as I'm not getting
the responsiveness I want.

Very true. My GP500 has 270 degrees of lock, although I never like
crossing my hands so I rarely use more than 180 of it in normal driving.
A fully linear setting with a lower lock-to-lock movement is
automatically more sensitive.

Cheers,
Richard