rec.autos.simulators

I love the new Watkins Glen track vs N1.  I am much faster than before, but
I can only handle 92-93% realism in N2, which is much higher than in N1.  

My question is why are my brakes less grippy than the AI car?  They can out
brake me in any turn.  

Is there anything I can do to help brake better?  

FYI, I run a Thrustmaster T2.  I also calibrated at about 90% throw so I
know I have full throw on brakes and on the gas (a little trick I learned
here on this group...thanks)

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: I love the new Watkins Glen track vs N1.  I am much faster than before, but
: I can only handle 92-93% realism in N2, which is much higher than in N1.  
:
: My question is why are my brakes less grippy than the AI car?  They can out
: brake me in any turn.  
:
: Is there anything I can do to help brake better?  
:
: FYI, I run a Thrustmaster T2.  I also calibrated at about 90% throw so I
: know I have full throw on brakes and on the gas (a little trick I learned
: here on this group...thanks)
:

Calibrate your brakes full throw.  It's okay to short the gas
calibration.  Papy likes to "lock" the brakes when they are full on.
Re-calibrate your brakes and then only apply 90-96.5%.  You will find
you have better braking power and better steering control.

Now some other thoughts on the Glen:

1)  What gives with the 35 mph parade lap and yellow lap speed around
the course?  Sure the pit speed limit is 35, but I highly doubt the real
boys crawl around the course at 35.  Did a race with the yellow on.  The
AI caused a yellow, 12+ minutes for 3 laps under yellow.  The green flag
drops and before the first lap is done the AI cause another yellow.
Another 12+ minutes of crawling around the course at 35 mph.  Almost a
1/2 hour lost and no racing.  Can we get these speeds set to something
more realistic?

2)  What gives with the erractic lines the AI drivers take?  Especially
after turns 9 & 10.  After turn 9 sometimes the AI will stay to the left
of the road.  The next time I try to pass on the right they decide to
close the door as soon as I am up beside them.  If they can stay on the
left without my trying to make a pass, why can't they stay there when
I'm passing 'em?  Similar actions after turn 10.

3)  Don't the AI race ahead of them?  When approaching the inter-loop if
the traffic is all balled up, some AI driver is making a bonzai run
into turn 5.  Scares the shit out of me everytime everytime I see 'em
barreling down in the mirror and then see them fly by.  God, the crew is
getting tired of cleaning out my car every pit stop...

Anyone got any tips for setups on this course?  I wear out the LR way too
soon.  I've tried shifting weight to the right.  I don't dare shift any
more weight to the front as this tends to lessen my braking power.  More
than likely I need to change my driving style.

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

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

As far as the AI goes, now you know how the actual drivers feel- some
guys take consistent paths around the course, others seem to make it up
as they go along.  Just when you think you know somebody's driving
habits pretty well, they show you what a real bonehead they are by
blindly cutting you off.

I'm pretty tough at the Glen on 100% opponent strength.  Basically, the
ACE setup is o.k., though I like to throw more right side weight into
the car, since the important corners are right-handers.  In general, hit
the brakes as soon as you pull even with the farthest marker- when the
car seems to settle down, ride or add as much gas as possible out of the
corner, but be smooth.  The long right hander that follows the inner
loop is probably the one that requires the most patience.

: Michael,
: The pace speeds in NASCAR 2 are in fact, accurate as of the 1996 season.
: This goes for all of the tracks.  That's why you'll pace at 75mph at
: Talladega, and 35-45 at short tracks and road courses.

Damn, I guess as long as I am not racing on NRO I'll just change the
"pace"  lap speed to 60 for the Glen.  Just don't tell the NASCAR rule
guys. ;-)

: As far as the AI goes, now you know how the actual drivers feel- some
: guys take consistent paths around the course, others seem to make it up
: as they go along.  Just when you think you know somebody's driving
: habits pretty well, they show you what a real bonehead they are by
: blindly cutting you off.

Yeh, I know.  But there are still a few really bad AI moves.  But
overall, the AI in NASCAR2 is better than any I've seen in any of
Papyrus's past efforts.  In some ways they are better than GP2's AI.  
However, they seem to lack the agressiveness GP2's AI have at trying
to pass the human driver.

: I'm pretty tough at the Glen on 100% opponent strength.  Basically, the
: ACE setup is o.k., though I like to throw more right side weight into
: the car, since the important corners are right-handers.  In general, hit
: the brakes as soon as you pull even with the farthest marker- when the
: car seems to settle down, ride or add as much gas as possible out of the
: corner, but be smooth.  The long right hander that follows the inner
: loop is probably the one that requires the most patience.

I'm getting there.  Practice/Practice/Practice and few car setup tweaks
have helped.  I finally broke the 1:14 road block.  Just once or twice
so far (1:13:642 is my best in racing trim during practice).  I've taken
the default AI setup and put 0.3 more degrees of negative camber in the
LF and 0.2 more in the RF.  Set the shocks to LF 80 / RF 81 / LR 50 / RR
56.  Set 4th gear to 4.00 and the left-side bias to 49.2.  Now I can
race in the top 10.

I generally handle the approach & turn 9 pretty well.  I am not sure that
my approach is what one would consider "standard", but it works well for
me.  My biggest challenge to date is braking just right for turn 1.  I
just can't seem to get consistant on this one.  It doesn't take much to
brake too late or too early.  I am still trying to find the Goldilocks
approach to this one.

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

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

You are carrying a lot of spped into Turn 1. I wait to brake until after
the pavement change, rotate the car with the weight transfer to the front,
get it tight inside, and let the car drift out over the FIA curbing which
is angled and gives additional camber......oops, that's in my real
racecar...not a clue how to do it in the sim...

: I generally handle the approach & turn 9 pretty well.  I am not sure that
: my approach is what one would consider "standard", but it works well for
: me.  My biggest challenge to date is braking just right for turn 1.  I
: just can't seem to get consistant on this one.  It doesn't take much to
: brake too late or too early.  I am still trying to find the Goldilocks
: approach to this one.

Although I have yet to see the Glen for NCAR2, Mike, in NCAR1 I brake at
the pitwall/armco seam on the inside of the track. Don't know how much
this'll help, don't know the extent of changes made to the track - except
heard about the new cerbs!!
    __o
  _-\<,_  Cosmo Potapoff

     <<I generally handle the approach & turn 9 pretty well. I am not
sure that my approach is what one would consider "standard", but it
works well for me. My biggest challenge to date is braking just right
for turn 1. I just can't seem to get consistant on this one. It doesn't
take much to brake too late or too early. I am still trying to find the
goldilocks approach to this one.>>

     That's understandable. Even in reality that is one of the most
difficult turns on the track. Not only do you have to hit it properly,
but it is a prime spot for someone to overtake you or for you to dish a
little. It's very easy to brake too soon, but it's almost worst to brake
too late.
     Personally, I brake about a hair past the first braking marker on
the left. Stay wide to the left (unless someone is trying to pass on the
inside) and you should be able to take turn one about 75-76mph using the
unmodified ACE setting. I really don't change it too much since it gives
me competetive race speed. You can do laps about 116-117 with no
tweaking.
     Nick
______________________________________________________________

#6 & #94 in the quest for the Cup!
My home away from home... http://www.mindspring.com/~ntotoro/
______________________________________________________________

On Thu, 26 Dec 1996 01:07:07 -0500, "Aw C'mon!"

You can change this by changing the TTYPE line in the watglen.txt file.
Change:
TTYPE 0
to:
TTYPE 3

this will increase the pacing speed to 75MPH.

- jeff

: (Michael E. Carver) writes:

: >1)  What gives with the 35 mph parade lap and yellow lap speed around
: >the course?  Sure the pit speed limit is 35, but I highly doubt the real
: >boys crawl around the course at 35.  Did a race with the yellow on.  The
: >AI caused a yellow, 12+ minutes for 3 laps under yellow.  The green flag
: >drops and before the first lap is done the AI cause another yellow.
: >Another 12+ minutes of crawling around the course at 35 mph.  Almost a
: >1/2 hour lost and no racing.  Can we get these speeds set to something
: >more realistic?
: >
: >

: You can change this by changing the TTYPE line in the watglen.txt file.
: Change:
: TTYPE 0
: to:
: TTYPE 3

: this will increase the pacing speed to 75MPH.

I changed this in the last figure in the PACEA line.  I went for 60.
This works pretty good.  However, the cars do seem to let off just a
hair to allow the pace car to leave the track.

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

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

<snip>

Hell. i can't even drive 75 at the Glen while under green..:-]
Jim G.

You can change this by changing the TTYPE line in the watglen.txt file.
Change:
TTYPE 0
to:
TTYPE 3

this will increase the pacing speed to 75MPH.

- jeff

: (Michael E. Carver) writes:

: >1)  What gives with the 35 mph parade lap and yellow lap speed around
: >the course?  Sure the pit speed limit is 35, but I highly doubt the real
: >boys crawl around the course at 35.  Did a race with the yellow on.  The
: >AI caused a yellow, 12+ minutes for 3 laps under yellow.  The green flag
: >drops and before the first lap is done the AI cause another yellow.
: >Another 12+ minutes of crawling around the course at 35 mph.  Almost a
: >1/2 hour lost and no racing.  Can we get these speeds set to something
: >more realistic?
: >
: >

: You can change this by changing the TTYPE line in the watglen.txt file.
: Change:
: TTYPE 0
: to:
: TTYPE 3

: this will increase the pacing speed to 75MPH.

I changed this in the last figure in the PACEA line.  I went for 60.
This works pretty good.  However, the cars do seem to let off just a
hair to allow the pace car to leave the track.

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

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

Dave (davids) Sparks
Late Night League
http://www.sequoia-dev.com/Hawaii/latenite.html