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- GTP_Synwraith
Hey guys,
I realise there are already a number of threads regarding the difference between using a wheel and a Sixaxis controller for GT5P, but I thought I'd actually post a day by day journal of sorts to document my personal transition between the two very different types of controller. It might be of use to some of you who are undecided whether the wheel is worth the purchase, whether it will make you faster and achieve the laptimes you just can't with a Sixaxis.
Just before I go into the details, here's a little backstory. I've been using the pad for Gran Turismo since the days of Gran Turismo 1 on Playstation 1. I have had every incarnation of the game and up to GT5P have used the directional D-pad buttons for steering, and X and square for throttle and brake. When I finally came online in GT5P and realised how much faster some of the wheel users are compared to my Sixaxis ability, I decided I needed better tools and started using the analog shoulder buttons for modulated brakes and gas. It helped a lot, but I could still see big deficits on certain combos. I qualified for the GTP registry in Division 2 Bronze and have since improved to Division 2 silver, winning the Event 02 Division 2 bronze class championship and also came second in the GTP Sixaxis championship. I had gotten to the stage where I was very very into my Sixaxis and it was pretty much second nature, however difficult the combo.
Having achieved everything I believed was possible with my Sixaxis use (maybe more would have been possible had I been comfortable using the analog sticks for steering - which I'm not), I was not satisfied enough to just leave it there and be happy with my position. I take the game very seriously, it's my main hobby and I feel my dedication and level of ability I believe I have (hah!) deserved better equipment. Basically, I wanted to know how good I really was. How I stack up against the really talented guys, and not to use the Sixaxis as an excuse any more. So as soon as it was financially viable (i.e. last Sunday) having achieved what i set out to do, I bought a Logitech G25 steering wheel.
Today was my first day with the G25, here are the main things that have come out of day 1.
Day 1 - 08/04/09
FURTHER UPDATES:
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Days 8 + 9
Day 10
Days 11 + 12
Day 13
Days 14 to 16
Day 25
1 Month
3 Months
4 Months
6 Months
1 Year
Wow, they don't call me Anne for nuthin..
All the best
Maz
I realise there are already a number of threads regarding the difference between using a wheel and a Sixaxis controller for GT5P, but I thought I'd actually post a day by day journal of sorts to document my personal transition between the two very different types of controller. It might be of use to some of you who are undecided whether the wheel is worth the purchase, whether it will make you faster and achieve the laptimes you just can't with a Sixaxis.
Just before I go into the details, here's a little backstory. I've been using the pad for Gran Turismo since the days of Gran Turismo 1 on Playstation 1. I have had every incarnation of the game and up to GT5P have used the directional D-pad buttons for steering, and X and square for throttle and brake. When I finally came online in GT5P and realised how much faster some of the wheel users are compared to my Sixaxis ability, I decided I needed better tools and started using the analog shoulder buttons for modulated brakes and gas. It helped a lot, but I could still see big deficits on certain combos. I qualified for the GTP registry in Division 2 Bronze and have since improved to Division 2 silver, winning the Event 02 Division 2 bronze class championship and also came second in the GTP Sixaxis championship. I had gotten to the stage where I was very very into my Sixaxis and it was pretty much second nature, however difficult the combo.
Having achieved everything I believed was possible with my Sixaxis use (maybe more would have been possible had I been comfortable using the analog sticks for steering - which I'm not), I was not satisfied enough to just leave it there and be happy with my position. I take the game very seriously, it's my main hobby and I feel my dedication and level of ability I believe I have (hah!) deserved better equipment. Basically, I wanted to know how good I really was. How I stack up against the really talented guys, and not to use the Sixaxis as an excuse any more. So as soon as it was financially viable (i.e. last Sunday) having achieved what i set out to do, I bought a Logitech G25 steering wheel.
Today was my first day with the G25, here are the main things that have come out of day 1.
Day 1 - 08/04/09
- The G25 is a marvellous and beautifully-made piece of kit. I know the cliched statement of "Oh it doesn't matter how fast it makes you, it's the experience" that we've all heard, but seriously, 5 minutes of use and I felt like a kid at Christmas (to quote EDK
). This is the only way to play Gran Turismo, it's breathtakingly good fun. I sucked tremendously, lost all my 'talent' but it was wild.
- The first combo I tried was WRX at High Speed Ring and everything felt pretty good but I realised just how incredibly difficult it is to catch a slide, or correct a big moment or tankslapper. I found I didn't even know where exactly the wheel was (upside down? right way up?) and I was shifting up instead of down while twirling the wheel madly to correct the spin.
- The second combo, somewhat stupidly, wa s atime trial I had spent hours on the day before on Sixaxis. 512 BB at Eiger reverse on S2s. While this was a great laugh, it didn't go too well. I was having trouble applying the correct and appropriate amount of steering, throttle, brake, everything was out of whack. This probably wasn't a great combo to get accustomed to the wheel with. I was probably 5 or 6 seconds off my best lap time here on the one lap I did manage to complete! Oversteer correction was the main main issue here, when I applied enough opposite lock to correct it, I realised why the wheel has 900 degrees of rotation. Expect to use them when correcting.
- Third combo was Mazda RX7 at Fuji F time trial on S2s. Things went a lot better here and STRAIGHT away I realised how all those super slick D1 gold guys manage such beautiful turn 1s at Fuji. The amount of control you have over throttle and steering angle just make turn 1 a wonderful pleasure. I never managed such sweet turn 1s at Fuji with Sixaxis on this combo. Another immediate change was the chicane. On Sixaxis you have to be really lucky or alien-skilled to always get the most out of the chicane without getting too much wheelspin in 2nd or oversteer in the RX7. With the G25, it's so easy to maintain a constant appropriate level of acceleration. This was basically where I spent the second hour of my first day on G25, and while I only completed about 1 out of 5 laps cleanly, my best lap was about 1.5 seconds off my best previous lap. Also T3 at Fuji is something of a dream with a wheel compared to Sixaxis, especially for someone who used a d-pad to steer!
- At this point I was advised to maybe start the game again and do all the C, B. A and S events again, still on pro and without aids, which is how I had been driving so far. This helped a lot and while the cars behave so much differently and I have had to adopt a completely new approach to braking and turning, especially how to apply lift-off oversteer, something amazing has happened. I have fallen in love with Eiger Nordwand. Eiger with a G25 is immense. After something like 3 hours of driving Cappucinos at High Speed Ring, Integras at Daytona oval and HSR, maxed out Lotus Evoras at Fuji, Suzuka East etc...Eiger is beautiful. That could just be that the Integra and R3-shod Evora make light work of a technical circuit but still, fantastic.
- I found turn 1 at Suzuka/Suzuka East very very tricky to get the hang of the first 5 or so times. The transition between coming off the brakes at the first apex and re-applying them for the second apex etc was causing me to spin everywhere, but I have mostly gotten the hang of it. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
- By the end of my first day with the G25, despite the shouts of joy and massive grin, I am about 25% of the way there to being able to catch a big slide or serious oversteer moment. I just apply masses of opposite lock and then do my best to get the wheel back to straight position asap. Sometimes it works, sometimes it's just tragic, but always fun. And the satisfaction you get from rescuing a slide with the wheel is far beyond any sensation I ever had with the standard Sixaxis.
- I had been using Force feedback of 5 all day. A massive thank you to EDK and Timppaq for the advice on button mapping and combo selection.
- I haven't used the six speed shifter or the clutch, basically because of OLR rules on GTP I figured I might as well get used to the normal way of driving with the wheel, and that is to not use the clutch. I was using the paddles on the wheel for shifting, and it has been superb.
- I'm not using any sort of playseat or stand yet, just attached the thing to a plank of wood suspended on 2 chairs while I sit on 4 cushions leaning against a backwards-facing chair, propped up against the sofa
- To conclude Day 1, this is the best gaming purchase I have ever made. I cannot stress that enough, today has been a wonderful experience. It is very hard to drive as consistently and as fast as I used to, I'm probably 2 or 3 seconds off my pace at most tracks but I can see the potential for improvement. Fuji's turn 1, chicane and T3 have shown me that. Time will bring the rest. I don't feel that the best thing would be to lock myself away and hotlap, I cannot wait to throw this thing into a race and have some fun
FURTHER UPDATES:
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Days 8 + 9
Day 10
Days 11 + 12
Day 13
Days 14 to 16
Day 25
1 Month
3 Months
4 Months
6 Months
1 Year
Wow, they don't call me Anne for nuthin..
All the best
Maz
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haha! I'll probably do like you and start off slowly with a easy track like HSR and work my way up, possibly re-doing the A,B,C events as well. I'm looking forward to seeing how things go for you in the next few days.
