You really can't play this sim (or any driving sim for that matter) without
a wheel. Some guys seem to get by with a joystick, but you can forget about
being comptetitive wihtout some kind of wheel.
You need more variable input than keyboards can give you because keys are
either off (up) or on (depressed) and there is no middle ground, whereas a
wheel has "pots" (potentiometers (wheels and pedals)) with around 270 or
more discreet steps between off and on.
You most definetly want to use gas and brake at same time when drafting.
Keep the acclerator planted and ride the brakes to keep from rear ending the
people in front of you in the draft line. The idea being that keeping the
gas planted will keep all the motor's rotating parts rotating at a higher
rate intstead of lifting then braking, which would really bog you down
between slowing with the brake and THEN working the motor back up to max
RPMs. Whoever told you this was incorrect. Also, trail braking into corners
at Rockingham and Lowes etc keeps the motor RPMS up while slowing enough to
setup up the pitching of the car's momentum correctly into the corner.
Matter of fact, my gas foot has pressure on it most all the time during
green flag conditions even at Bristol, Richmond, Myrtle Beach etc.
At Daytona with a wheel and pedals, you generally only lift off the gas to
pit, for yellows (pacing also), and for wrecks. Other than that you can get
around the track flat out, with the proper setup of course (until your tires
are worn...)
My best advice if you're really going to try to enjoy this game is to get a
wheel even if it is a cheapo plastic one like the V3s that are out there
(<$50) or else you'll never be able to really compete, even against the
computer.
Best of luck,
edb
> Well, I went and bought N4 yesterday--just in time to hear of The
Crash--and
> have discovered that I'm simply the world's most incompetent sim driver. I
> drive with my keyboard because I cannot afford a driving wheel, and I
can't
> get around any track at a decent speed (15 mph below the record) without
> hitting the wall.
> Just at Daytona, I had the eerie experience of slamming my car nose first
> into the wall at turn 4... Along with all the other turns. And sometimes,
> coming off one, I'd graze the wall and NO MATTER WHAT I TRIED TO DO, I'd
end
> up going diagonally across the straight and sliding into the grass. I've
> tried using the Easy setup and that has helped, but only somewhat. I tried
> racing the computer cars at 70% skill, I started (where else?) at the very
> back of the field, and I couldn't keep up. If I didn't smack the wall
trying
> to turn, then I'd smack the car in front of me.
> So I have a few questions about Daytona:
> 1) Do I want to keep the gas on all the way through the turns, and just
tap
> the left key? When I've tried that, if I didn't hit the wall, I'd come out
> of the turn facing toward the grass and plow into the infield... So I must
> be doing it wrong.
> 2) In a real car, it is a Very Bad Thing, from what I've heard, to EVER
use
> the brake and the gas at the same time. I would surmise that in N4, it
also
> is a very bad thing. Is my reasoning correct?
> 3) Any general driving tips ya'll could give me? Any helpful websites with
> tutorials regarding N4?
> Thanks,
> --
> Michael Adams, Editor, The SF Commentary Site--
> http://www.mindspring.com/~sfcommentator/index.html
