Sim Racing is good for the soul

[Skybird]

Somehow this movie linked up to me, and it is more the narration than the - as usual - high quality editing I have learned to expect from Chris. His videos are top class. While not doing league racing myself or even much of online, I know these moments as well, though more in Raceroom since its AI is more human-like and less pacifistic than that of AC Competizione. Racing against one and the same car in te field for several laps, that does try tricks ony you, fights back, and attacks you from unexpected opportunities while you had just overtaken it and thought you were safe form it, having a stubborn opponent glued to your sidedoor or bumper like a Darth Vader homing in on Rebel cross wing fighters, and then realising you did this for laps and there was no accident, and no contact, just duelling and fighting but with fair means - that can create a strange, almost trance-like state of mind when you indeed are focussed and relaxed at the same time, and then tak emuch more enjoyment from what you just do, then during 95% of the sim racing time you spend. And while it is just playing, a game, not real, in the end you nevertheless feel great satisfaction if the event ends and you know you had not messed it up and have not caused unfair harm on other cars and made it through until the end in one - virtual - piece.

Chris is right. It can be therapeutical - on one of those rare, neither usual nor always to be expected opportunities. But if it is one those rare precious times, it really lights your candle. Not because it matters for the world, or the rest of Your life - but because you realise that you just have spend time truly enjoying yourself and enjoying what you were doing. This experience can be had in many different ways. Handcrafting. Cooking a perfect meal so delicious the taste of it brings back a precious memory you considered lost since long. You resting in silence and forgetting yourself while watching the face of a sleeping cat. Magic can lie in so many occasions that might appear profane to others. But that is okay, because it must only matter to you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpW7DmdU0Ho


The shown title is Assetto Corsa Competizione which happens to be one of my two race sims of choice (beside Raceroom). And in rain, maybe even at night, and in VR, its hell to drive, a real fright ride. Simming does not get more intense than this.

[mapuc]

There's a 85 % discount on Project Cars 2 on STEAM(today is last day)

Wonder if I should buy it.

Have also been looking at F1 2017. 2021 Cost to much for me.

I'll drive using my keyboard(w-a-s-d) and other keys.

Markus

[Skybird]

Get a ffb wheel and pedals. Or save for one. Serious.

[mapuc]

Get a ffb wheel and pedals. Or save for one. Serious.

Have been looking at it, but can't decide what I want..since I have never used it before.

Markus

[Catfish]

I would also be interested in which ffb wheel and pedals you use, or which you can advise. :salute:


Edit: just looked around - god there's a lot! I wonder, when there's so much pedals and wheels and whatnot, why can't they design a new joystick with believable FFB??? The last good one is MS's Sidewinder ffb, and this was decades ago.

[Skybird]

I would also be interested in which ffb wheel and pedals you use, or which you can advise. :salute:

Personally, I have worked up the ranks in the price hierarchy. I started with a Microsoft Sidewinder FFB Wheel, 20 years or so ago.
https://6images.cgames.de/images/gamestar/226/sidewinder-ff-wheel_1024365.jpg

Next then came a Thrustmaster Ferrari 430.
https://8images.cgames.de/images/gamestar/227/thrustmaster-ferrari-f430_1996197.jpg

Number three then was the classic Logitech G27, which imo offered very good buck for the bang. I money is a factor to consider, I still would recommend this combo. I do not know the newer model G29, some say its not as good, some say it is okay and en par. Shifter must be bought separately, with the G27 it came as an included item.
https://media.nbb-cdn.de/images/products/60000/61112/logitech_g27_01.jpg?size=2800
The G27 had the best quick mounting system I have ever seen in any wheel. Reference design imo.

And then I finally reached the upper league of quality with gear by Fanatech. Its obviously more expensive, but it indeed offers superior quality and massive, solid hardware (and good, quick service), while wheel and wheelbase are not even the top pricing category, I made compromises there (that I do not regret, the quality nevertheless is extremely good). The pedals and shifter however are top class, the pedals for a reason (see below).
The CSL Elite wheelbase and original (first generation) PS4-PC-compatabile wheel rim (two sorts of leathers used).
https://www.gtplanet.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/fanatec-csl-elite-review-01-800x450.jpg
These two in combination form a good combo, because the wheelbase offers surprisingly strong and quick-reacting FFB and reaction time, and the rim is very light: very quick rotation is the result. As a VR driver exclusively, looks do not concern me, and Fanatech has some unbelievably sexy wheel rims on offer (but the prices...). Heavier wheels however better are used on the stronger wheelbases of theirs, I assume. this is not to say the CSL Elite base is weak, it isn't! I have dramatically reduced FFB, else it would move my table!
The CSL Elite wheelbase is out of production now.

However, and here I come to the asked-for recommendations, pedals I finally went with the best I could find for under 500. This is because a wheelrim and base and FFB may add to your sense of immersion, you may enjoy it by the looks and feels, but it will not make you a better, faster, technically more competent driver. But good quality pedals will do that! If the springs are too soft, you tend to notoriously over- or underdose the input, especially on the brake, result is you miss braking points and their according distances, and this makes itself felt, obviously. So my advise would always be: if you want to not just add immersion, but also want to become a techncially better driver, then first get better pedals, and the brake with not springs, but a loading cell, before you go after wheelrims and bases.

Fanatec Clubsport Pedals version 3:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/f0R60d_NGL6zZdg0D5H43wgcLnWdyCagm9sNbwTKhPAo4Q2qcO wz6lh4ajIXaqsZGs6yvTvh-fC4exyTwy3KX6BrFUIbIdhZG7eQBe4Ab9lllJKx7YDf9y6Zr6J 57i5pWUaj4lqVkVTR5nkB5uEKp_rGOusCve9HaQDOpRA8gIGsa pNL_sUicqXGMqpz73awkvsL

Springs can be replaced with other versions (stiffer, softer), the load cell on the brake can be adjjusted as well. Additonal dampers can be attached. Gas and brake have spinners (vibrating motors).

I find it difficult to do extremely close infighting with cars dorr to door and bumper to bumper, or tightly crowded pack racing, without good pedals, especialyl the brake. The brake pedal is the most important single item in your combo! I just cannot get as precise and enduring with that precision, as is needed in such situations. Too much is left to luck with the brake dosing.



A manual shifter is an immerison thing completely. The one by Fanatec allows easy switching between H-pattern and sequential shifting modes, and comes with two different knobs, a steel (!) ball and a rally-car style steel knob. Heavy, and serious business, the weight is almost 3.5 kg. Very good feeling when kicking in the gears. Spring resistance can be adjusted. Height-adjustable.
https://simracereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Fanatec-Shifter-Table-Mount.jpg


More expensive I am not willing to go. This combo serves all my needs and desires, I love it.

DD drives, I have never had the opportunity to test one, but I assume they come to their real meaning only when hardmounted in dedicated sim racing platforms/cages, they are said to use so heavy forces that a simple table quick mount may not do the trick. Also, they are very expensive. To me and for my needs, they are not worth to worry about. I'm happy.

So, I can recommend my gear, but I invested almost around 1000 bucks into this. For quite some people I assume its not worth it, while others even spend factors more on it. If money is a concern, I would tell you to check the Logitech G29, but I have no experience with it. I would recommend as a budget wheel however the G27, if you still find it available.

[Catfish]

Thanks,
budget IS of course a thing (real car(s) intervening), so i guess i will try the G27 for now. Can imagine how better hardware feels but ..
Is there a "handbrake" simulated, in Assetto Corsa?
Sry, i never tried this out in digital style ..

Much appreciated :up:

[Skybird]

Handbrake in AC, separate axis, or button-press( digital, on or off, not recommended). I do not mess with it.

G27 is out of production, you need to be lucky to find one left in stock, or a well-maintained second hand. G29 took over years ago already.


Assetto corsa ( I assume you mean Classic, not Competizione), is still a good choice due to its in principle good quality, and its many, many, many, many mods and high quality mod tracks. If you go into it, tell me, I direct you you at the must-have mods and tracks. Primary source is Race Department.


Also, while AC already wanted a beefy platform, Competizione is even more demanding. All AC and DLCs can be had at smile prices at Steam during sales.



I also recommend Raceroom. Forgiving hardware demands for AC's standards, and a once-in-a-lifetime offer: for 100 bucks you can get ALL content avialable at that point of time: all tracks, allc ars, all skins. The sim has the best AI in business (imo), and since the arrival of Alex Hodgkinson also superb physics, plus very well doen FFB and the best sound sbesiode Competizione.

Check the trakc list and then consider this option: no other sim has such an excellent track list, and they all are of very high quality. 52 tracks/locations, 131 track layout variations. But: no night racing, no weather/rain. Time can be set from morning to sunset (and accelerated). Raceroom can be tried free.



Track physics-wise, Competizione rules the pack, has dynamic racing lines in the drying and wetting conditions, models track surface temperatures going up and down, and so forth.



Public server racing: know what you are going into. :D

[Catfish]

The G29 costs as much as th G27 used, if you can get the latter at all :hmmm:
Example (https://www.amazon.de/Logitech-G29-Driving-Force-Rennlenkrad-geeignet-f%C3%BCr/dp/B00YUIM2J0/ref=sxin_6?asc_contentid=amzn1.osa.9bca31d6-9562-47a7-83ec-436aa044ca2c.A1PA6795UKMFR9.de_DE&asc_contenttype=article&ascsubtag=amzn1.osa.9bca31d6-9562-47a7-83ec-436aa044ca2c.A1PA6795UKMFR9.de_DE&creativeASIN=B00YUIM2J0&cv_ct_cx=logitech+g27&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osa.9bca31d6-9562-47a7-83ec-436aa044ca2c.A1PA6795UKMFR9.de_DE&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_we=asin&cv_ct_wn=osp-single-source-pecos-desktop&dchild=1&keywords=logitech+g27&linkCode=oas&pd_rd_i=B00YUIM2J0&pd_rd_r=a0a1b72c-f61d-409d-afc7-dd7fc2b9dd02&pd_rd_w=IaTuI&pd_rd_wg=cH9jD&pf_rd_p=b9c06715-41c6-4520-bd50-a5bec713d900&pf_rd_r=EW1QG1AGSSXCS9B7XXFA&qid=1620303312&sr=1-1-c84eb971-91f2-4a4d-acce-811265c24254&tag=smarthome0ee-21)

[Skybird]

The G29 exclusive the shifter.

Just saw there is a new combo by Logitech, G 923, it includes shifter again. I dont know anything about this.

Please understand, when I recommended the G27 and my Fanatech gear, I do so because I know them. It does not mean that there are no other options on market worth to be considered. :03: For example, there is still Thrustmaster. But I do not know the others.


Also the customer support is worth to be considered. And Logitech scores unterirdisch in this regard, many people seem to say.

[Threadfin]

Have also been looking at F1 2017. 2021 Cost to much for me.



F1 2017 is good, it has the voice commands, which is a fantastic feature. It allows you to talk to your engineer and change strategies on the fly, or get info about all sorts of things. With dynamic weather this is crucial, because fiddling with menus while lapping at speed is beyond me. Being able to switch tyre type for the next stop without taking eyes off the road is awesome.

Personally, I'd recommend F1 2020 for the My Team feature, which allows you to start an eleventh team on the grid. Some won't care for this I reckon, but I like it even if progression is too fast, especially with regulation changes that the AI does not handle as well as the player.

I'm a long time sim racer, going back to the original Indy Car by Papyrus. I ran in online GPL leagues for years. I have many, if not most, of the racing sims, and my current favorite is F1 2020.

The dynamic weather system is the best I have seen. It's difficult to overstate how well it is implemented and the massive effect it has on the racing. The AI is well done too, and probably the best I have seen in terms of clean racing against the player. The main issue I have is there is little to no chaos. Formula One is often chaotic, but the AI cars in this sim run like AI cars, rarely making any mistakes, running wide, spinning. It would be a far better sim with some AI variability. But there isn't much more I could fault about this sim. I really enjoy what it has to offer.

I wrote a fairly long thread about it at SimHQ last year when I gave it a go. It's sort of a first look/review/AAR thread with pics!


F1 2020 thread @ SimHQ (https://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4543857/1)

[Skybird]

A must-have app for Assetto and Raceroom and quite some other sims, is CrewChief. I use it mostly, or esclsuoively for getting a spotter'S warning son cars nearby, but I think it also can add voice commands to any sim it is available for. And recently some tool came out for Raceroom doing something like that, too.



However, I stick to it, if you already have a sim and still drive with keyboard, get a wheel and pedals prior to another sim title. At least a decent gamepad. The motion control pad with Playstations also works fine (in Gran Turismo) - you can use the pad and turn it like a mini wheel, right in the air, but it is a playstation thing only, AFAIK.

EVERYTHING seems to be better than "driving" with keyboard, wouldn't you agree?

[Skybird]

It seems Fanatec only sells DD wheelbase anymore...? Two of them, costing 1200 and 1500 coins..??? Without wheels (additional 300-600 coins)? Plus pedals (300 coins). Plus shifter (short of 300, I think)



This will cost them customers, I think. Too exclusive in price. The Wheel and base I bought, costed 500 alltogether. It seems customers like me are not good enough for them anymore. If my gear breaks down one day, I will not consider them anymore. Too expensive.

[Eichhörnchen]

Returning to the underlying theme of the OP, more and more we appreciate the importance of being in the moment. I get it from painting and listening to music, but also for sure in the virtual worlds of flight simming... especially within a good photo-real environment... and of course in the sheer escapism of shooters

[Skybird]

and of course in the sheer escapism of shooters
:haha:Dat haddu fein gesacht! :yeah:

[mapuc]

Returning to the underlying theme of the OP, more and more we appreciate the importance of being in the moment. I get it from painting and listening to music, but also for sure in the virtual worlds of flight simming... especially within a good photo-real environment... and of course in the sheer escapism of shooters

I get it from building models and play simulation games, such as ets2.

Back to steering wheels and pedals.

Even though I don't know which I should pic I know so much it has to be a set I can use in several driving games and not only for one.

A set of steering wheels, pedals and gearshift who can be used in 4-5 different driving games.

This gear shifter shall be as used in real life trucks.

Markus

[Skybird]

If you play on PC only, compatability should not be a problem.

Modern trucks have automatic gearboxes, because they have 12, 14, 16 gears. I have switched in ETS2 to automatic as well.

I use the shifter for old classic sports cars that H-pattern shifters as well. There is something satisfying in keeping that stick kicking up and down. Also, if gears, clutch and gas are not well timed, some cars tend to bog down, or you ruin the gear box. Yes, that can happen in a good sim. You hear that grinding, gargling sound one time too often, and - well, no fun anymore... :D Or you gear up and and down too early, and bog down or have your gears exploding while overreving. My favourite speciality. I do so because I am yet to find a car with a a self-destruct button. But gearing down too early and so ending up in too high refs and blowing it, is a nice workaround.

[mapuc]

I guess you're right about the gearbox, so I will concentrate only on steering wheel and pedals. 2 is enough since I skip the gearbox.

Markus

[Skybird]

Assetto Corsa Competizione is a geocaching simulator. :D


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOv45hJ1KfY


Classic Assetto Corsa, especially the modded tracks, and some of Raceroom's tracks, have formidable sightseeing tours availabe, too.

[Skybird]

Since hardware was asked for: new, for 80 bucks. Load cell optional. As I said, a load cell on brakes, at least a quality stiff spring, to me is a high priority item, rating igher than the other pedals, shifter, wheel rim. Its top of the list, imo.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZALrZymwm4&t=54s

[HunterICX]

Sorry to change the genre a bit, I've always been more into flightsims but it hasn't become therapeutic since last year not just because of the lockdowns but also that I've finally managed to obtain some hardware like the VKB Gunfighter MK.III with the MCG Pro grip, T-Rudder Pedals and Monstertech deskmounts for my stick & throttle (Thrustmaster TWCS throttle untill VKB comes with theirs) and it made flying DCS especially birds like the F-14 Tomcat so much more soothing and relaxing being able to sit a lot more comfortable and having full control without needing to lean forward to the keyboard as my old stick didn't had enough buttons to bind to controls.



Costed a pretty penny but every one was worth it.



Sorry for the little derail, carry on :D

[Skybird]

This statistic seems to show that at least amongst dedicated siom racers, VR has taken the relative lead over triple, wide and single screens.



https://www.racedepartment.com/news/discussion-vr-triple-monitors-or-ultrawides.59/


Myself, I cannot imagine to go back to non-VR racing. Its a difference between night and day.

[Skybird]

Fanatec has released a new wheel base, direct drive (DD), the CSL DD. Its affordable with 350 Euros, the other ones cost 1200+ Euros. It has a smaller size, and a separate table clamp for non-constant cockpits is available.

Its a a relief in so far as I was a little bit shocked to see that they had only the ultra-expensive stuff on offer anymore, the belt-driven wheelbases are no longer offered. Still, you must add costs for a wheel rim and, if desired, shifter, and of course pedals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUEJUdssUk0

Also, new pedals from them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm7aZo_fsAI

[mapuc]

A couples of weeks ago I found this game.

Looks very funny to play

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIBFVBObsRI

Markus

[Skybird]

Ah, Neal in his red truck at it again...:D