rec.autos.simulators

I recently bought Need For Speed Porsche Unlimited, which is the first
realistic NFS in a while, closer to Grand Prix Legends.
Curious, if anyone with real life racing experience could give me some
pointers with racing techniques and car setup.
There are four sliders:
1) Ride Height (0 - 100) only one for both front and rear
2) Steering Toe In (-100 to  +100)  only one for both front and rear
3) Suspension Travel ( 0 - 100 ) only one for both front and rear
4) Suspension Firmness (0 - 100 ) only one for both front and rear
5) Tire Pressure (Front and Back) ( 25-45)
6) Downforce (Front and Back)

I am trying to get snap oversteering cars like the old 911 Turbo or 356B
Carrera 2 under control with the settings (I know the steer straight if you
do anything with the pedals drill and countersteering techniques, I owned 87
5.0 GT and drive RWD cars only since=).  So far the defaults work best (50%
on all sliders, slight negative on Tow IN, 30/30 pressure, 40/40 Downforce)
As soon as I start messing with it the car is undrivable.  I thought that
reducing the tire pressure on the back tires and increasing the firmness of
susenspension will produce a gently understeering car but just the opposite
happened.  Perhaps, this is because the game does not allow to adjust the
rear and front suspension independently.  The other guess that I had was
that I would increase the limits of oversteer so it  snapped abruptly
instead of giving gently.

How do the setup sliders above affect handling at various speeds and
different terrain in both normal and rally type races?

If anyone who plays GPL could give me similar pointers for GPL setup, I
would appreciate it.

Also, I have never driven a four-wheel drive car.  What is the best
technique to get it through the corners?  4 wheel drive 911 turbo
understeers too much for my taste and the only way I could coax it into a
nice turn is braking into the turn.  What is the best way to initiate a slow
corner slide and  four wheel drifts in 4WD car?  I tried braking while the
gas is on, emergency brake tapping and getting on and off the gas sharply.

You're 5.0 didn't have the engine*** out behind rear swing axle
suspension!

If you can get a stock 356 to not exhibit snap oversteer you'll be the
first. I know, I owned one. Treat it gently or it'll bite your behind.

Someone once made the disparaging remark about Porsche's that you can't make
a thourobred out of a pig. I believe it was Bob Akin who responded, "Yeah,
but you can make one hell of a fast pig!"

I'm afraid the 356 is a pig. The 930 is the SAME pig going fast. You'll need
to get up to the moderns before you can find a fast pig with manners.

As for you setups, I'm not familiar with NFS5, but as GENERAL rule stiffer
springs REDUCE traction. To get understeer you did it backwards, as your
results demonstrate.

Tires are complicated little ***s. There's nothing simple about them at
all, but as a GENERAL rule traction actually goes UP with increased tire
pressure, and then falls off dramatically past a certain point.

Under certain  adverse conditions a lower tire pressure MAY give increased
traction due to factors such as increased compliance of the tread surface. I
think this may be the reason people seem to feel that lowering pressures
gives better traction. Under ideal conditions it isn't true within the
pressure window of the tire.

If NFS5 gives you a tire temp monitor that is the way to properly set your
pressures. Run the fronts a little cold and they'll have less grip.

Go too far toward understeer in an old Porsche in an attempt to improve
drivability will ultimately just ruin overall performance though. Brake
straight, accelerate easy, watch the ass end like a hawk. I'm afraid that's
the only way to get these old monsters around the track or down the road
quickly.

<LIBERAL SNIP>

Damn!  I've been playing around with sims like ICR2, GPL, Viper Racing,
DTR, et al, for years now, and I've developed some decent setups of my
own, but I tend to go towards stiffer springs and softer tires.  I
tried going the opposite direction on the setup for my 550 Spyder in
NFSPU (handles a LOT like a GP2/GP3 car in GPL) based on your post, and
what I discovered was a more grippy and pleasant 550 Spyder setup with
higher tire pressure and softer springs -- it now handles much like one
of Allison's Ferrari setups for GPL.  MANY thanks!

No tire temps in NFSPU, unfortunately.  :-(

Thanks for making me think a bit -- great tips, even for long-time sim
racers like me!

-- JB

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Before you buy.