Controller vs wheel

  • Thread starter NBH
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General Force
My car in real life has power steering, so maybe that's it, because it likes to be in the middle.:)
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No, wheel (road wheels) caster angle is what causes your wheels (road wheels) to want to centre themselves which in-turn makes the steering centre itself, pretty much every car is different but similar in that respect.


My wheel (GT steering) self centres just fine.
 
Have always played on Controller. Have been tempted at times to try a wheel, but never got around to it. However, as per the very first post, I have looked at some of the "insane" times people are achieving on GT5P and one wonders...

Mine are around 1 second (which on a short course is a lifetime) and 6 seconds slower, and I think I am driving OK-ish.
 
Mine never did, it just sat there. So I sold it to a kid.

Also, no one seems to have metioned the effects that pedals have on the wheel itself. It isn't that your steering imputs that are slowing you down any, it's that your hands and feet aren't co-operating together. On the DFP, I applied brakes entering a corner to about 10% and fully loaded up just before I reached the apex. When I hit the apex I just smoothly put my foot back down (after holding 15-20% throttle through the corner) to reduce understeer and oversteer out of the corner. If it was a corner with say, a double Apex, I would simply do a modified (sort of goofy) heel-and-toe manouvere to redirect myself towards the second apex. I saw huge reductions in lap times and the driving was much more enjoyable to watch in a replay.
 
Cheshyrkat
No doubt a proper set up and wheel will yield better times
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I agree!

Someone posted here a while back that a German company (mercedes?) tested some cars with set joystick/gamepad-like steering control. Turns out that it was not easy to control due to being too easy to overcompensate any movement. Wheel is still the best solution!
 
I still use the DFP and it centers just fine. @ Micdog49, are you sure it was plugged in to a working outlet? The reason I ask is that I blew a circuit one time and the PS was plugged into a different Circuit, the lights were on but the FFB and centering feature didn't work. I thought my wheel had quit working and it took about half a day to find the problem.
 
I have no problem driving cars in LFS, and NetKar pro with my trusty Logitech Dual stick PS clone controller - after dialing down the sensitivity and reducing the brake force

Even iRacing is not a problem, except maybe locking up the brakes too much :)

left stick for steering, right stick for throttle bake - push forward to acclerate, pull back to brake. But off course no left foot braking to keep the car balanced, so you always have too much engine braking in the lower gears which can cause too much weight shift and snap over steer, so I have to brake in a straight line and drop down to low gears into the corner

it's much less tiring driving with a controller that's for sure, and that's why I prefer it
Now the Logitech controller feels better than a PS Dual shock, better stick springing, feel and smoother range, so I might have to get the Logitech DS3 clone for the PS3 when the time comes.
 
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I don't get the people saying that the Logitech wheel does not "self center". Why would you want a wheel that self centers? Force feedback will take it to the center when moving forward in a straight line, but if you are stopped it will stay in a position just as all wheels in real cars do. Also when you are spinning out the wheel will never go automatically to the center, it goes to where the tires are being forced to. Yes it makes it hard to drive, and I love it. Perhaps I missunderstood your point, if so please explain.
 
Yes, thats right, when I say my wheels self centre I mean when driving as it should. At a standstill it stays in position, also as it should.
 
cletus 669
I still use the DFP and it centers just fine. @ Micdog49, are you sure it was plugged in to a working outlet? The reason I ask is that I blew a circuit one time and the PS was plugged into a different Circuit, the lights were on but the FFB and centering feature didn't work. I thought my wheel had quit working and it took about half a day to find the problem.
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Maybe that was the problem, the lights were always on yes, but there was never any feedback. Also sometimes it would go very, very loose on the steering mid-corner and you could spin it from side to side with no feedback whatsoever.

EDIT: There was never feedback, but during the 'loose' sessions there would be no friction when turning the wheel. (If you catch my drift)
 
Micdog49
during the 'loose' sessions there would be no friction when turning the wheel.
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Micdog49 hit the nail on the head. I didn't want the wheel to stay in the middle, I wanted it to resist my steering inputs, to give it a more solid feel.

Progressive resistance was NOT that wheel's strong suit. The force feedback was more akin to a kitten batting a ball of string than anything I would call precise.

I'd rather just go drive my car.

-General
 
Hey. I have allways played GT with the dual shock and have been pretty happy with that. I`d like to drive with a wheel though, but i don´t have the option of strabbing the wheel to a table or so.
So my question is.

Is there any wheel out there (logitech) that you can use just on your lab or so? And would be better than the dual shock? I know the better wheel is the G25 but that is more than I will spend.

THX
 
I've tried the DFP on my lap (my only option). I instantly felt more control over the brakes and turn in, but it is very uncomfortable, and with feedback on, the wheel jumps all over. Not to mention that's it's very hard to use the wheel beyond ~180 degrees, or to make quick correnctions (like catching a spin) because you need the other hand to hold it down.

You might get a small lap time gain with the DFP without a stand, but you're not going to be getting all you can out of it.
 
Fisterolfert
Hey. I have allways played GT with the dual shock and have been pretty happy with that. I`d like to drive with a wheel though, but i don´t have the option of strabbing the wheel to a table or so.
So my question is.

Is there any wheel out there (logitech) that you can use just on your lab or so? And would be better than the dual shock? I know the better wheel is the G25 but that is more than I will spend.

THX
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Nothing beats a wheel...unless it stands on your laps :lol: Seriously though, I'm a hardcore wheel user but if I'd have to choose between a dualshock and a cheap wheel on my lap I'd take the dualshock (and I hate racing using a pad with a passion). But that's just me.
 
Fisterolfert
Hey. I have allways played GT with the dual shock and have been pretty happy with that. I`d like to drive with a wheel though, but i don´t have the option of strabbing the wheel to a table or so.
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I had the same problem so I bought me a wheelstandpro. Now I can play from my couch/seat without a problem. It's very sturdy and works very well.
 
Fisterolfert
Hey. I have allways played GT with the dual shock and have been pretty happy with that. I`d like to drive with a wheel though, but i don´t have the option of strabbing the wheel to a table or so.
So my question is.

Is there any wheel out there (logitech) that you can use just on your lab or so? And would be better than the dual shock? I know the better wheel is the G25 but that is more than I will spend.

THX
Click to expand...
I'm not sure about using a wheel with a laboratory, but on the lap - I'm not sure it would be stable enough.

I have always been a pad user with the GT series, but with GT4 I also got a Logitech DFP. It was fun, sure, but ultimately I was not as good with the wheel on tighter circuits. I'm sure lots of practice would have helped, but because of my consistecy with the pad, and the fact that dragging a wheel out each time was a pain, I sold the wheel.

It's interesting to hear how people hate racing via a pad with a passion. Do those same people fasten their DS3s to replica guns and then run around their room as they play FPS games? ;)
 
Gejost
I had the same problem so I bought me a wheelstandpro. Now I can play from my couch/seat without a problem. It's very sturdy and works very well.
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If your looking for a quick fix, it may sound stupid but... Use an ironing board. MIne cost £5 have been using it for over a year , still works perfectly. I have my pc monitor on top of it as well as the g25 and it is fully height adjustable. If your looking for a cheap fix look no further.
 
TokyoDrift
I'm not sure about using a wheel with a laboratory, but on the lap - I'm not sure it would be stable enough.

I have always been a pad user with the GT series, but with GT4 I also got a Logitech DFP. It was fun, sure, but ultimately I was not as good with the wheel on tighter circuits. I'm sure lots of practice would have helped, but because of my consistecy with the pad, and the fact that dragging a wheel out each time was a pain, I sold the wheel.

It's interesting to hear how people hate racing via a pad with a passion. Do those same people fasten their DS3s to replica guns and then run around their room as they play FPS games? ;)
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Haha...no. For me, using a wheel is an option, so why not use it?
 
TokyoDrift
It's interesting to hear how people hate racing via a pad with a passion. Do those same people fasten their DS3s to replica guns and then run around their room as they play FPS games? ;)
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If FPS's were my passion, of course I'd complain about them. But I like GT more, so I'm much more vocal about the parts of GT that bother me compared to FPS's. I only have so much money and time to devote to things, so where do you think my focus will be? What I like more of less?

And quite honestly, do you need a special controller for games specifically designed to work on the normal controller (unlike GT)?
 
I've never tried earlier GT games, but I will say that GT5P FFB is quite light compared to PC sims.

I normally use iRacing between 8/100 and 12/100 FFB setting with my G25. If I were to use say 20/100 it would be quite capable of ripping out of my hands - the motors are fully capable. Fighting the FFB over 10 laps with 12/100 FFB is good for the arm muscles. :)

The DFP was always known for rather sluggish motor speed, whereas the G25's dual motors are capable of spinning the wheel very fast with power.
 
Exorcet
And quite honestly, do you need a special controller for games specifically designed to work on the normal controller (unlike GT)?
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I think you'll find that GT is specifically designed to be played with the pad. Wheel support is secondary.
 
There is something wrong with GT:P FFB engine as some telemetric data is missing as fanatec said some time ago. (they said GT4 had it and every pc sim has it) Also FFB seems more refined with fanatec wheel if you put GT5:P ingame setting to 2/10.
 
Once I got my first G25 I could never touch a controller in a racing sim ever again. If a game doesn't support the G25 I'm not buying it.
 
TokyoDrift
I think you'll find that GT is specifically designed to be played with the pad. Wheel support is secondary.
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Um, no. Definitely not. But after reading your other comments in the other threads I'll leave it at that. I don't feel like starting an argument with you.
 

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