>I'm looking to buy a thrustmaster formula T1 steering wheel. I would be
>interested in comments from players using this device.
>How much better is the control with the wheel compared with a standard
>joystick?
Like night and day. And I have a pretty good joystick (Wingman Extreme).
Yes. (Both.)
By the time you use the controls on the T1, there's not much else left
to remap.
I don't have F1GP/WC, but I race IndyCar IICC and ICRS95, and it works
VERY well. The feel of the wheel is good, and the pedals are adequate.
I personally don't care for the shift lever, though.
I bought mine from Chips & Bits in Vermont. 1-800-753-GAME, I think.
I have no association with Thrustmaster. I have used most of the avaialble
wheels and other control devices with IndyCar and NASCAR, including the T1
and what seems to be its primary competitor, the Simulation Systems ACP.
I have found the T1 to be the most useful of all these devices. It has
a good, accurate wheel, and the control is very good. It permits left-
or right-foot braking. The drawbacks are that the shift lever isn't for
everyone, and - in particular - the pedal springs are prone to breakage
under heavy use. Thrustmaster is very good about replacing them, but this
is a pain nonetheless. The T1 wheel unit drapes over the edge of your
comptuer table/desk, and needs something to secure it. This also is a pain,
but at least it's not hard to do.
The ACP is a rather different beast. It is a free-standing unit that has
a wheel and pedals below. There is NO option: you must use left-foot braking.
(Why not? Because the brake pedal is 28" from the accelerator.) The ACP
has gear shift buttons actually on the back of the wheel, which is AWESOME
for road courses where manual shift and great control is mandatory.
Unfortunately, the ACP has its drawbacks too. The first one for me is the
left-foot braking, which I just don't grok for some reason. Second, I'm
kind of weird-shaped; I have VERY short legs for my height (or, alterntaively
you could say that I have a very tall torso and arms for my legs...), and
the fixed relationship between the pedals and wheel does not suit me very
well. (Others have used my unit and it is obvious that it fits them much
better than it fits me.) My wife reminds me incessantly that the ACP takes
up a LOT of floor space, too.
My preference is for the T1. My ICR teammate tells me very good things about
a wheel called the Thomas wheel, but I haven't seen one yet. I can also say
that for me both the T1 and the ACP blew away the various other options I
tried, including a couple of yokes, my joystick, and of course the keybaord.
If anyone's interested, my ACP is for sale. It's nearly new - it just
doesn't suit my shape and right-footed braking. I'm asking $115 + postage
for it ($155 at Chips and Bits).
I do wish Thrustmaster would come up with a solution for the springs. I've
done qhite a lot of work on mine and still no solution. (Yes, I've limited
the travel - in fact, I've limited it more than the new design pedals do,
and I have still broken springs.)
--
Brian Wong Product Marketing Engineering
