Toca2 Steering sensitivity

Maybe I've missed this answer/tip... I downloaded the demo. Yes, it seems nice, but the steering is WAY too sensitive. You *twitch* and the thing spins out. There doesn't seem to be a way to adjust that... The actual game might be great, but based on the demo...no comment. HELP! <g> Eldred __ Put your message in a modem, and throw it in the ***-sea... remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

The retail version is not much better, although there is a sensitivity adjustment (but not enough). I don't understand the rave reviews for this essentially arcade game. It cannot be described as a racing sim, since it's quite possible to fling the cars all over the place without so much as drift let alone spinning. They will spin if you throw them into a sharp corner at an insane speed, otherwise they behave like trains on a track - or maybe I've missed something in the setup in which case I'll be happily corrected. Robert

Hi Robert, From what I've seen of BTCC cars on TV, they dont have any tendency to oversteer (understatement). And from your GPL experience, you are soo steeped in oversteer that its understandable TOCA2 seems the way it does to you. To each his own, but if you are curious as to how your understanding of driving TOCA2 compares to other people (who *do* like the game) you should check out our Fast Laps Page. Setups are available there as well (along with Fast Laps to download). Check out the times there, and then ask yourself how much you really understand about driving TOCA2.. it may be that you are several seconds off the pace, and that your impressions of TOCA2 are similarly limited. I guess for me, opinions would ideally be backed up by results. Saying the cars 'are on rails' for example, is true enough ..if you are driving off the pace. Hell, who knows, maybe you just need oversteer to be happy! :) http://blitzsports.com/racing/TOCA2/ MR Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

You're saying you DON'T spin out normally? Wow, I'm impressed! I can't make a lap WITHOUT spinning. That doesn't improve my opinion of the demo, and does NOTHING for my confidence in the real game(which I've never actually SEEN in the stores...) What kind of steering device are you using? Maybe the game just doesn't read my T2 correctly. All my OTHER games do... Eldred __ Put your message in a modem, and throw it in the ***-sea... remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

I bow to your experience of TOCA. After joystick frustrations, it's now going better but I'm just not happy with it as a sim. There's something ..... sorry... so tacky about it.....it just feels so arcadish - perhaps it's meant to. Some tracks are a lot more convincing than others. Brands Hatch (which I know very well from actually driving round it) is not laid out correctly and I see tons of spare polygons and ripped seams everywhere. For me this sim just doesn't have the polish of the competition. I think you're right though, after GPL it feels very strange not oversteering. As you say though, each to his own! Robert

Correction - now I've got my joystick set up properly, I'm getting speeds which do indeed tend to spin the cars if not checked. There's not much notice of a slide coming though - maybe real TOCA cars grip like glue and then suddenly "let go". I'm used to getting a lot of advanced warning of a slide from GPL, but even Monaco gives you a "feel" for what's about to happen. Regards, Robert

You have - it's in the advanced options. Set it to "Non-linear".

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>I bow to your experience of TOCA. After joystick frustrations, it's now >going better but I'm just not happy with it as a sim. There's something >...... sorry... so tacky about it.....it just feels so arcadish - perhaps >it's meant to. Some tracks are a lot more convincing than others. Brands >Hatch (which I know very well from actually driving round it) is not laid >out correctly and I see tons of spare polygons and ripped seams everywhere. >For me this sim just doesn't have the polish of the competition. I think >you're right though, after GPL it feels very strange not oversteering. As >you say though, each to his own!

Curious to say the least as to what you find unrealistic about the brands layout. Z. Please remove NOSPAM from my email address when replying.

Robert, If you look at the performance characteristics of modern low profile racing tires, you'll find that they do trade the characteristic of a progressive grip roll-off with increasing slip-angle (once maximum grip is achieved) for a higher absolute grip level. So, TOCA cars quite possibly do grip 'like glue' until a threshold is achieved and then lose it as tire grip rolls off. As far as 'feeling' an impending slide, I find with my MS FF wheel, I can drift the car pretty well and correcting oversteer with a bit of opposite lock is both predictable and repeatable. The first corner at Oulton Park is a prime example since if you don't hit the corner just right, you'll end up spinning if taking it flat out. Here, you can feel the rear try to step out but some opposite lock can correct it. If you miss it real bad, you might be forced to drift it out halfway onto the grass, but its' controllable. Try a FF wheel and see if you don't agree. I'm thoroughly enjoying TOCA2 and find it to be a much more realistic successor to TOCA. Now all I need is that patch to make the AI faster. I'm getting tired of winning all the time. Regards, Brian

You've got two problems, one you're driving with a joystick, that will always hamper your ability to guage the quality of a racing sim, the other, you're forgetttng that these are front wheel drive cars with much less horse power than the cars in a lot of other racing sims. I've never driven a real BTCC car, so I can't say how accurate TOCA2 is, but it is the most enjoyable, most drivable sim I've driven, and that's saying a lot. The only areas that I think TOCA2 is seriously lacking in are AI shortcomings, and car setup physics (way too few options, and adjustments have too little impact). Once you start to try hot lapping, you will see the great degree of skill this sim takes to set good laps, and you will see that there is some correctable oversteer. Understeer is basicly non-existant, but that's the nature of these cars. -David Thomas Jr. Thomas Enterprises

other, It does? I had no problems at all being able to gauge the quality of either ICR2 or N2 when I used to race with a joystick (ugh, even with the 1st and 2nd button as throttle/brake) a long time ago. Not to mention some of the fastest GPL drivers use a joystick/pedal combo and I would hazard that they can accurately gauge the quality of the GPL sim. Granted, I feel that a wheel/pedal combo helps me get more immersed in the sim and my joystick gets left to Falcon4.0 and MW3.

You can gauge the graphics with a joystick! :) But its not a black-and-white situation. Bless those GPL guys who are fast with a joystick, GP2 drivers who use a keyboard, and Grand Turismo gamepad players.. the fact is, using a wheel+pedals is part of 'buying into' the experience (like you mentioned yourself). Dave used the word 'hamper' refering to using a joystick, and thats a fair description. Its not impossible for keyboard GP2 drivers to get a feel for the game (?!) but the best simulation in a controller is a wheel+pedals. Thats all it boils down to: the best simulation in a controller is a wheel, and a joystick IS a far cry from *that* simulation! :) MR Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

(David Haigh) writes:

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>>Maybe I've missed this answer/tip... >You have - it's in the advanced options. Set it to "Non-linear". >>I downloaded the demo. Yes, it seems nice, but the steering is WAY too >>sensitive. You *twitch* and the thing spins out. There doesn't seem to be >a >>way to adjust that... The actual game might be great, but based on the >>demo...no comment. >>HELP! <g> >>Eldred >>__ >>Put your message in a modem, and throw it in the ***-sea... >>remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

Ok, thanks. I *didn't* overlook it. I had a feeling that would be it. However, that option(advanced options) is grayed out in the demo...so I *still* can't get a feeling for how it SHOULD drive. That sounds like a stupid decision... :( It makes me NOT want to buy the game... Also, wouldn't setting it to 'non-linear' make it MORE twitchy? I'm already using a wheel(T2). Eldred __ Put your message in a modem, and throw it in the ***-sea... remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

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>(David Haigh) writes: >>>Maybe I've missed this answer/tip... >>You have - it's in the advanced options. Set it to "Non-linear".

[snip] As I recall sometimes the advanced option only becomes visible immediately after you've selected the controller type..... Nope - it primarily allows you to make those fine course corrections you *expect* to be able to make while racing at speed! Dave

That makes even LESS sense... You wouldn't realize you NEEDED to adjust it until AFTER you race. By then it's grayed out... I assume I'll have to re-select, huh? <sigh> Ok, I'll try that - thanks. Eldred __ Put your message in a modem, and throw it in the ***-sea... remove SPAM-OFF to reply.