rec.autos.simulators

I need some help with F1RS.  I just picked up this game Friday, and I am having
trouble with getting the controls to work like analog instead of just on or
off.  I have a custom made steering wheel with CH pedals for gas and brake.  I
made these controls for GP2 as I just love this game.  Anyway my controls work
great in ICR2, GP2, Nascar 2, SODA, MTM, and any game for that matter.  I use
directX5 and set the controller up as a Thrustmaster T1/T2 with adapter.   In
F1RS all I seem to get is either full throttle or idle with just the slightest
range of motion.  I'm not happy with the steering either as there is too much
dead zone.  I downloaded the 1.09 patch but this didn't help.  I have played
with the sensativity settings but can't seem to get any happy medium.  I also
have a problem that when I click on the bottom interface buttons like the OK I
get sent back to windows 95 and the 3DFX full screen F1RS game goes to the
taskbar.  This gets real annoying especially with the slow menu speeds even
with a full installation
.
My machine is:

K6-233, intel TX chipset motherboard
64MB
3DFX voodoo 1 (Diamond M3D) Glide ver. 2.43
Win95 OSR/2.0
ET6000 PCI video 2.25 MB  (STB Lightspeed 128)
Logitech scroll mouse

I can't see the reason why this game got such high reviews when I can't keep
from  spinning my wheels even in 2nd gear.  If the game reviewers kept ABS and
traciton control options on during their review then they should have been
shot.  And I kind of like PC Games and BOOT magazine.  It's no GP2 killer but
the graphics are pretty.  I  run SODA off road and GP2 at 320 x 200 to get 25
fps, but I feel like I am driving these games.  Pretty graphics are useless
when you have a POD driving model.  All you F1RS guys help me change my mind on
this game.

Thanks
Jerry

You're right, and several hundred thousand others are wrong - F1RS is crap!
Send it back.
Oh well, back to my ***sim now!

You can fix your deadzone problems by going to www.f1racingsim.com and getting
a deadzone editor.  That is a problem with your DINPUT.DLL, not the sim.
Apparently the deadzone default is set to 5%, try lowering it to 1% and see how
that works out.  I myself have it all the way down to 0% but I guess it depends
on your driving style and controller.

Can't help you there.  My machine is similar to yours but an Intel 200 oc to
225, and 32MB.

My gamer mag of choice is CGW.  The just-released issue gave it 5 of 5 stars
from Gordon Goble, who also reviewed ICR2, GP2 (but not CPR).  Me, I think it
*is* a GP2 killer just by virtue of the graphics and framerate combo, with
simulation aspects that I consider similar (and I can't judge as to which is
of higher fidelity as I've only driven low-performance machines in auto-x).

In

IMHO you are better off creating a CUSTOM device in the W95 applett.
I have never gotten those canned device choices to work with my T2.

slightest

1st gear can wind out quickly.But this certainly doesn't happen at speed.
It may be realistic.

also

I guess I would try the deadzone editor others have mentioned. But this
is strange as I don't see this at all. I just have a bacis P5-200MMX with
TM-ACM game card and a TM Formula T2. What game port are you
using?

What screen resolution are you running? Again I have never seen this
and I have had the game since January (and raced at all the tracks).

What version of Direct X? I just have V5.0. Some have reported
oddities with 5.2.

and

You think a real F1 car could smoke them in 2nd? I do.

I have never used any of those cheats. The only cheat was to race against
AMRT opponants until I got the hang of the game.

I won't go out of my way to try to change your mind. But I will try
to correct some of your points :-)

--
Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes.

Dave
(DmndDave)

Wait a minute, lets not start another war here.  Both games have their
pluses and minuses, but I agree, the throttle and brake are just on/off
switches, it doesn't seem as analog as it should be.  Does this make the
game junk?  Hardly.  It is still very playable, and graphically is one of
the best there is, and it drives pretty good except in the wet.  If they
could tweek the controls alittle better, this would be a top notch game.

On my controllers the throttle and brakes are not on/off type with
F1RS. I think this is more related to your controllers.

   While I understand, and don't discount, the arguments from
the anti-F1RS camp that the slip angles in F1RS are too generous,
I believe the throttle and brake response of F1RS is far better
than GP2.  

   As I'm quick to admit, my experience is with road cars.  So
I have no argument against the "If it feels like a road car, it
has to be wrong" argument.  

   Anyway, I wonder if the ON/OFF brake/throttle is the result
of a processor pushed too hard.  What processor are you folks
who are having this problem running?  I'm running a two year
old PPRO with a quarter gig of memory, and a Pure 3D card.  

   Another thing.  I've changed from Ferrari to Williams.  The
Williams is much more twitchy than the Ferrari.  I'd like to
know if the anti-F1RS folks think that's more realistic.  

                                                       Larry

maybe I mispoke.  They are not on off switches like a digital gamepad, so to
speak, but what I meant was it is almost impossible to feather the throttle
without it seeming like it is either on or off.  The controller is a nascar
pro from thrustmaster, and it works very analogish with every game I have
other that f1rs, so I kinda doubt it is the controller.  It is more a
software issue, and if someone can help me solve it, I am all ears.

personally, ive been running on a p2-266, and using a williams, although I
have to admit I haven't tried it long enough to run different cars.  I have
run one complete season at 25% race length.  And I'm not anti f1rs:  I think
it is a great game, I just don't think it is a level above gp2, they both
have their own pluses.

Hi George, Have you been into the Controller Sensitivity screen?  I'm guessing, but I think it's Configure\Controls. At this screen you will see three bar like graphics with buttons on either side of each of them. 1 is steering. 2 is brake and throttle. 3 is gear changing.  Make sure you brake and throttle say 'steering wheel'. (I can't see how they wouldn't. But just in case.) At the bottom of this screen is a little circle with a crosshair. Like a gun sight. Click this and you are at the sensitivity screen. Here you can adjust the switch/analog ratio for steering, acceleration, and brakes. 0% is a dead switch. On/off. 100% is very analog. Seems linear to me.
Oh yeah. Last month I tried to shorten my brake pedal throw by limiting it's total movement with a block. My brake traveled about 2 inches total while my throttle traveled 3 inches total. I assumed this would be OK because, while calibrating, it always asks for the center setting three times. I figured it measured how far to either side of that center. It doesn't. It takes the absolute center. So my throttle was very switch like. Flat out was about half way through the pedal travel. I suffered all the way through my Barcelona race with this undrivable  monster before I figured out what it was. I've since returned both my pedals to the same throw (2 inches each) and all is back to wonderful normal.

I hope this is some help because we are getting really nice throttle and brake feeling out here and I want you to have it too.
--

mark
"A lot of people think racing is about going fast. But it's not. It's about going just slow enough to stay on the track."

F1RS - http://www.nmia.com/~chaser/car/results.htm
Remove us here and there to mail me.

    maybe I mispoke.  They are not on off switches like a digital gamepad, so to
    speak, but what I meant was it is almost impossible to feather the throttle
    without it seeming like it is either on or off.  

--
Ren van Lobberegt, The Netherlands.
Personal Web Site : http://www.racesimcentral.net/
Webmaster of AMCA Web Site : http://www.racesimcentral.net/~amcarcnl/