rec.autos.simulators

What gives with this track?
Granted, I'm a relatively new race simmer but this track is driving me
nuts.
I worked at it for a few weeks, got so frustrated with it, I hadn't
even played F1C for a while. Picked it back up again recently and
remember why I had lost interest.
To me, this track is almost impossible to keep up with the AI cars (I
don't have broadband, so stuck with playing solo). I tweak my setup to
where I can at least post a decent time but invariably end up in a
spin just trying to catch up.
Anyone else get frustrated with this track or is it just me?

As is the case with every track, patience is a virtue :)

www.jorosar.com/f1 - If you struggle, then you should join our F1C League
*end shameless plug*. No, seriously.

I would just set the AI to slightly faster than me and keep working at it.
I'll be sure to get faster then. :P

J.R.

Actually, I live out in the country in the North Georgia(USA)
mountains in a town called Dahlonega, GA. I've just been told that DSL
will be coming to us by the end of this month.
Once I get it, I do plan to join an online racing league.
Can't wait...
Thanks for the advice.

It's neither just you nor is it limited to this track ;-) I just spent
a good hour shaving off half a second of my previous PB at Melbourne
(now a 1m30.2xxx), simply by adjusting the wheel lock and X axis
sensitivity.

While this seems enjoyable when you actually manage to lower your
times by tweaking, it's in no decent relation to the amount of time
required.

I agree with Eldred that finding the limit in F1C is very hard,
indeed. Before you know it, you've lost it.

I'm still several seconds off the pace compared to the really fast
guys, and I have no idea how they accomplish those times.

uwe

--
mail replies to Uwe at schuerkamp dot de ( yahoo address is spambox)
Uwe Schuerkamp //////////////////////////// http://www.schuerkamp.de/
Herford, Germany \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ (52.0N/8.5E)
GPG Fingerprint:  2E 13 20 22 9A 3F 63 7F  67 6F E9 B1 A8 36 A4 61

I think it's the Martian DNA.   Any day now I expect to be seeing pictures
of their relatives on the Mars Rover.  ;o)

That's exactly the advice I gave John DiFool in another thread. Those two
settings are critical IMO.

My best at this track is a high 127, but that was months ago. It's been a
struggle to get back close to that time. I'm still a second off after a few
practice sessions this week. You just have to keep going back to it and get
in a rythm, while constantly looking for a better way to attack each corner.

I can't practice for more than 25 laps at a time (in any sim it seems)
before I start to regress. I quit and come back a day or two later and I'm
ready to make improvements.

David G Fisher

And how do you know what the settings should be?  Just start changing numbers,
and see what you can keep on the track?

Eldred
--
http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
Screamers League
IICC League
GPLRank -6.0    MoGPL rank +267.80
Ch.Rank +52.58   MoC +741.71
Hist. +82.34  MoH:na
N2k3 rank:in progress
Slayer Spektera lvl 72 assassin
Slayer Spectral_K lvl 38 Necro
US East

I feel your pain!  I have been agonizing at that ***y track, and the
best I have managed is a 1:29.866*.  The sad thing is, I was ecstatic to
even get into the 29's after being in the 30's for so long.  But it's no
big accomplishment, because the quick drivers run in the 1:25-26 range.

I spin way too much, too.  So if I had to run clean laps, my average
times would be even slower.

Something that frustrates me is that I can brake in what I feel is the
same spot, but on one lap I make it fine, and on another I loop it.  I
posted a replay for some guys to look at and they said to brake later.  
LOL  If I brake any later I'll be locking up, spinning, or flying off
track.

Kerbs/Curbs are super touchy as well.  I like to use a bit of kerb, but
it's a risky proposition.

* Using TC-Low, Auto-Up/Man-Down, Ferrari (only reason I'm driving this
now is I was sick of being slower in the Williams, which is what I'd
prefer to use)

--
Ped Xing
GPLRank -31.657

"A good racing driver doesn't really look like he's going that fast; but
in fact it's a clean, smooth, progressive performance that supplies the
real speed."
-Sir Jackie Stewart

First pick a setup that you feel good with, and then start adjusting these
two settings, x axis being the first. People generally recommend to set the
x axis at 50%. I use 30 to 35%, and the car just feels more stable at that
setting with my wheel.

The steering lock is a setting I like to put as high as possible. As I
practice a track (and hopefully keep getting faster), I gradually raise it
up a notch. Eventually it will get too twitchy, so you have to bring it back
to where it last felt comfortable.

At Melbourne, I am at 33% x axis, and a 19.0 wheel lock setting. The x axis
setting stays the same for just about every track, but the wheel lock
setting you use will depend on your setup of course. If you 'd like a setup,
let me know.

David G Fisher

I drive the williams car, too.
I found that I spin less if I move the weight distribution all the way
to the front (less weight in the rear of the car means less tendency
for the rear to whip around, I figure).
I haven't had that much trouble with the other tracks. Matter of fact,
after tweaking with setups, I have been able to consisently beat AI
cars in lap times.
Unfortunately, when it comes to racing them, I get a little
overzealous and always end up breaking my front wing off on somebody.

I can't remember my exact time but I want to say that I did manage
1:29.* on this track *once*. usually I'm about 1:32-1:35, but, as you
say, the AI cars can somehow manage 1:25 easily and consistently, it
seems.

I usually brake in a little past the marker (not sure what it's called
- the white line across the track that I guess marks where you're
supposed to start braking).
Maybe my exit speed needs working on but this track is so curvy I
often end up spinning out again when I accelerate on the exit.

Oh well, guess I'll just keep on practicing and try some of the other
suggestions in this thread.

Wow, THAT sounds familiar...

Eldred
--
http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
Screamers League
IICC League
GPLRank -6.0    MoGPL rank +267.80
Ch.Rank +52.58   MoC +741.71
Hist. +82.34  MoH:na
N2k3 rank:in progress
Slayer Spektera lvl 72 assassin
Slayer Spectral_K lvl 38 Necro
US East

Ok, I forgot just that quickly.  What kind of wheel do you have again?

This sounds like the reverse of other games.  In most games, a 14:1 would be
more twitchy than a 18:1.  It sounds like you're saying the opposite in F1c...

Yes, I would.  Do you happen to have any settings for the Williams or McLaren?
I may jump out of the Williams this year, but I'm not so sure I could handle
the Ferrari.
Thanks.

Eldred

--
http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
Screamers League
IICC League
GPLRank -6.0    MoGPL rank +267.80
Ch.Rank +52.58   MoC +741.71
Hist. +82.34  MoH:na
N2k3 rank:in progress
Slayer Spektera lvl 72 assassin
Slayer Spectral_K lvl 38 Necro
US East

Papyrus sims use steering ratios.  F1C uses degrees of lock.

A higher steering ratio gives you fewer degrees of lock.  Hence the
figures seeming to be opposite.

Jason

Thrustmaster Ferrari FF.

F1c...

Yes, it's the opposite.

No, I only have setups for the Ferrari. I don't know how well they transfer
to other cars.

David G Fisher

I'm doing 1:26's w/ Low TC being the only aid.. :25's wont be that far off.