rec.autos.simulators

Greetings. Long time no post but I am back for a while. Lucky you... ;)
The point of this post is to ask if anyone can match their keyboard
laptimes on F1GP if they swap to Joystick?
I have recently done so for a greater challenge and whilst driving with
no steering help I can only lap at between 2 and 5secs slower.
And if I push harder I spin more.

Anyone else try this and does it get better with time or not?
I'm getting bored with being a backmarker now.

Have fun
George

Im surprised! I tried F1GP before I had a joystick but thought it was completely
impossible to drive.  I just HAD to buy a joystick in order to be able to play. Though, I
cant match the HOF times. I am jsut about as muc h slower as you say you are when
switching from keyboard to joystick. I am really confused! Maybe I should try the
keyboard again!
                Ronny

No. There is no way I can match it. Keyboard has always been the best for
me. From what I have heard of other people, I think a joystick is reasonable
with steering help on, and not steering and throttle on the same stick.
If you turn steering help off, you really should buy a wheel and pedals to
match the keyboard performances, or even go faster.

Well, you spin because there's no steering help to pull your car in a
straight line. You should have a much less oversteering set up car, so you
can push much harder, but this means your car is either slower in the
corners (if you lower the front wing), or slower on the straights (if you
take more rear wing), compared to a car set up for steering help. The
advantage is that you can drive better lines though. So, if you are a
master in controlling oversteer, you can probably come close to your
keyboard times.

Just my 0.02. If more experienced joystick/wheel drivers disagree, I'd
like a reply on this.
--
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Rene Smit AKA The SDI, Technical University Delft Faculty of Computer Science

      <A HREF="http://dutian.twi.tudelft.nl/~smit/sdihome.html">WWW</A>

I played using the keys for months and then switched to a joystick. At
first my times were slower, but when you master the ability to use the
joystick progressively for the throttle and the steering (help on!)
it's much more realistic and enjoyable. Stick with it - your times
will improve!

Regards -

The Far Side  ;-)

The PC F1GP Hall of Fame shows another picture: the fastest times are
*almost ALL of them* produced by driving with the keyboard.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
A friend is one to whom you can pour out all the contents of your heart;
chaff and grain together.  Knowing that the gentlest of hands will take
it and sift it. Keep what's worth keeping and with the breath of kindness
blow the rest away.
                                YLM
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

Hm... I'd say you'll improve your times anyway.
By switching from the keys to a joystick you'll probably
just increase the time it'll take you to reduce your
laptimes. I've also tried a joystick and discovered that
one simply can't flick from left to right or from full throttle
to brakes as fast as on the keyboard (depends on your joystick, ok).
But if you think driving a car with a joystick is more realistic,
you should do so.
Bye,            Torsten (who'll stick with the keyboard)

: Greetings. Long time no post but I am back for a while. Lucky you... ;)
: The point of this post is to ask if anyone can match their keyboard
: laptimes on F1GP if they swap to Joystick?

Well, I only tried keyboard briefly, then turned to a joystick simply
because it was more natural to me, and my fingers are large and clumsy.
I'm not the fastest driver, and never will be because using a stick just
isn't the quickest control method.  But if you use a stick, get a good
one (I swear by the CH Flightstick).  One trick I use to get faster
response is to hand-hold the base in my left hand while working the
stick with my right.  This makes for much faster transitions because
both hands are in use.

Regards,

--Brian Ferguson      |  "When I'm racing, I'm alive.   |   LFRS '95-96
--Newmarket, ON, CAN  |    Everything else is just      |  Uranus-Nissan

** Uranus-Nissan '95-96 LFRS Challenge Division Constructors Champion **

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