Am I the only one who LIKES Understeer Vibration?

[AfraidRacer]

Bit of background, I've never driven in real life, except for a bit of go-karts, and the only game I play on a wheel is GTS.
I use a T300 Alcantara with Sensitivity 7, Torque 1, and FFB at 8.
Is it weird that I like the understeer vibration? I definitely feel that we should have the option to turn it off, but I feel like it directly helps me to find the limit of grip.
I know its a bit artificial, but it's kinda like the flashing brake indicator in terms of realism and usefulness. It also might be because I've played on controller for a long time, and gotten used to it vibrating on the limit of grip, which GTS replicates on wheel.
I've seen a lot of people complaining about understeer vibes, but I think we should treat it as a 'forced assist'(like having to keep brake indicator on) rather than a 'weird quirk' like nonlinear throttle(which is quite annoying).

 

[VBR]

Is it weird that I like the understeer vibration?

I don't think it's weird at all, no. It's simply a matter of preference. I prefer realism, so the effect is not for me. I want to feel what the car is actually doing when understeering rather than having that information drowned out by a canned effect.

I definitely feel that we should have the option to turn it off, but I feel like it directly helps me to find the limit of grip.

I find it's the comlpete opposite for me, when the wheel is vibrating I can't find the limit of grip as it masks what the FFB should be doing. Would definitely love an option to turn it off.

 

[breeminator]

I find it's the comlpete opposite for me, when the wheel is vibrating I can't find the limit of grip as it masks what the FFB should be doing.

My interpretation of the game's physics is that if you get the vibrate effect, you've turned the wheel too far. I've never found it to produce faster lap times if I hit that effect, only slower. The sound of the tyres is the best guide to finding the limit of grip IMO, as it's a progressive indication of where you are relative to peak grip, whereas the vibrate effect only tells you you've gone too far, it doesn't let you know when you're about to go too far.

 

[Winnie847]

I like it. Some people say it's not realistic, and I partially disagree. Sure, the actual feeling of it is not exactly what it feels like in real life when you induce understeer, but it's a feeling that is indicating something real that is happening, and accurately. To say that somebody can't find the limit of grip because of this effect doesn't really add up to me, because this effect is literally indicating where the limit of grip is. If you reach that limit, you've turned the wheel too far and are scrubbing speed. Not sure why anyone wouldn't want to know when that's happening.

edit: also, I seem to remember from other threads that you can turn it off on Thrustmaster wheels by switching to "blue mode." I don't want to turn it off myself, but others might.

 

[KosmoKazi]

Maybe!

What I would rather have is a little less FFB at the limit, to indicate the tires are slipping more, and easier to turn the steering wheel, which may (or may not) be more accurate... but I suspect that the wheel and motor/drives are not capable of that 'fine' of a control'...

Or, if they were going to use that pulsing effect... maybe a faster frequency to 'simulate' tire chatter of the front wheels as the slip angle broke over the threshold of grip vs side-slip.

It works where you need to get onto the apex and ride it out on the throttle, it works nicely, but it isn't realistic. Once you learn to work with it in those turns where it does help, makes a huge difference in your speed. I remember the first time I really noticed it at Monza in the Parabolica, and I was immediately able to lower my lap times a bunch... but there are only so many corners in GTS that you are at this limit for an extended time, the pulsing effect is not as useful in shorter turns where you need to get to the limit and then transition to another dynamic. For some turns at Willow, Parabolica, Rivage, Pouhon and Campus at Spa, etc it is useful enough but I wish there was a better option.

 

[Groundfish]

. If you reach that limit, you've turned the wheel too far and are scrubbing speed

I agree, like you and also Lewis Hamilton said, inducing a ton of understeer is caused by several mistakes with the inputs.
It’s some combination of little off a good line too much steering angle not smooth enough trail braking too violent steering input on turn in also throttle before apex has been reached mitigating understeer means transferring weight a bit forward, releasing steering angle, turning the wheel more progressively...
Jmo but on my better runs yes the cars sliding a little but when I’m hitting it well it’s balanced into a neutral state.
The 86 really showed all about this at Autopolis. It does what you do to it more than it doing something...
Cheers man, always a pleasure to read posts from someone so skilled and clean!

 

[KosmoKazi]

My interpretation of the game's physics is that if you get the vibrate effect, you've turned the wheel too far. I've never found it to produce faster lap times if I hit that effect, only slower. The sound of the tyres is the best guide to finding the limit of grip IMO, as it's a progressive indication of where you are relative to peak grip, whereas the vibrate effect only tells you you've gone too far, it doesn't let you know when you're about to go too far.

Good note about the sound of the tires... I have noticed that the game is pretty good about that. It's even better in cockpit view, as the sounds are accurate from side to side and F/R... you can actually hear which tire is losing grip and it's really useful info when driving at the limit. It's one reason I wish you could select the audio and video settings independently: I prefer the 'bumper' cam view (with as much screen devoted to the track as possible) but the cockpit sound is both better and provides more feedback to the driver. Along with the 'learned' signals for oversteer/understeer etc. it makes for better driving.

 

[Groundfish]

If you use a screen big enough cockpit also visually has WAY more information about how the car is responding to the inputs you give it.
It can make it easier to realize what is happening in game when you are making mistakes like inducing wheel hop from ridiculous amounts of understeer.
Also if you have ever driven a rental kart on crummy front tires or a poorly setup kart that gets understeer in a fast sweeper you know the wheel feels like crap when it does that.