DiRT Rally Thread

[LeGeNd-1]

Just for the record: The PC v1.1 patch doesn't feel noticeably different from before in driving (FFB/physics seem unchanged) and the graphics at Ultra settings looks the same as before with frame rates not noticeably changed (I'm running a GTX970 at 1080p and I can have every setting on absolute maximum and still get minimum 90fps).

What I do notice is:
- Track load times are a lot faster (my install was already on SSD but despite that load times are clearly shorter)
- Menus are more polished than before
- Full dirt Pikes Peak is glorious. So much nicer than the mixed one we had before, especially since DR doesn't actually have any of the authentic cars from the mixed layout era. The 3 dirt-era Pikes Peak cars in game fit the full dirt layout perfectly, and much fun is to be had.
<if only they would let us use other cars up Pikes Peak... sadly Codies stance is "it doesn't make sense to run unrealistic combinations so we won't offer it", although I suspect it's because the in-game physics hacks to get their EGO engine doing hillclimb are too different from rally>


Looking forward to testing the S1600 rallycross cars when I next have a chance.

I've been out of the loop for a while regarding DR's patches. Have they improved the tarmac physics at all? IIRC that's what makes the mixed surface Pikes Peak (and Monaco stages) not that good to drive. The dirt parts are ok, but when you hit the tarmac parts the underlying deficiencies of the physics engine (in typical Codemasters EGO fashion) starts to show up.

You guys should definitely watch the newly added tutorial videos. They're very informative. There's even a video for the pace notes.

Are these added to PC version as well or just for consoles?

 

[ProjectWHaT]

Are these added to PC version as well or just for consoles?

They were added to the PC which was why the update was so large.

 

[LeGeNd-1]

They were added to the PC which was why the update was so large.

Thanks. I was quite disappointed that I won't be able to get the steelcase with the guide book, but it seems like these videos will cover the same thing 👍

 

[sems4arsenal]

Just ordered it, should arrive in a day or two. Will be short on cash this month with savings for pre-ordering UC4 as well but it shall be worth it.

 

[The Stig Farmer]

Mr. Co-driver is going to be on national morning news on the BBC

 

[BionicDerp]

I've been out of the loop for a while regarding DR's patches. Have they improved the tarmac physics at all? IIRC that's what makes the mixed surface Pikes Peak (and Monaco stages) not that good to drive. The dirt parts are ok, but when you hit the tarmac parts the underlying deficiencies of the physics engine (in typical Codemasters EGO fashion) starts to show up.



Are these added to PC version as well or just for consoles?

A long time ago there was a "2.0" handling model released for all the cars. That may have solved your problem.

Besides that, I think there may have been some bumpmap updates... Wales feels a bit less smooth than a week ago.

 

[LeGeNd-1]

A long time ago there was a "2.0" handling model released for all the cars. That may have solved your problem.

Besides that, I think there may have been some bumpmap updates... Wales feels a bit less smooth than a week ago.

I see, thanks. I guess there's no way of knowing unless I actually try it out myself. Still debating whether to get this on console or PC

 

[ELmarcotuff]

I'm liking the game, I just have one question, now I know the AI get harder the better you do in a championship, my question is, do they have fully upgraded cars, and we get the garbage un-upgraded cars? I'm doing a rallycross championship and I am absolutely being burned in the straights.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

As I understand it - and I have done all of nine stages - the car will naturally be improved the more you drive it.

 

[BionicDerp]

I'm liking the game, I just have one question, now I know the AI get harder the better you do in a championship, my question is, do they have fully upgraded cars, and we get the garbage un-upgraded cars? I'm doing a rallycross championship and I am absolutely being burned in the straights.

Yeppers, simulated tuning and research improvements. Also as the championship difficulty progresses, you'll get rainy stages, ones at night, some with both, and the longer double-length ones as well. It's a frustratingly good time.

 

[TiZzla]

The upgrade system is the only thing I hate about this game, it's so unrealistic and out of place in a "simulator". Competing in cars that have 100-200 hp less than the competition is ridiculous, and it affects both the single player stuff and the online leagues. Originally even the custom events mode had cars without the upgrades but they changed that after we complained.

 

[Miths]

... Originally even the custom events mode had cars without the upgrades but they changed that after we complained.

I had actually been meaning to ask if custom events use unupgraded cars (haven't noticed it yet since I've only driven the Alpine in the career mode), but I guess that's not the case then?

I actually have mixed opinions about career modes in racing games. If everything is already unlocked from the beginning (as tends to be the case with sim racers) then a career mode seems slightly pointless to me - and this is the first time in years that I've started a career in a game with everything unlocked.

 

[TiZzla]

I had actually been meaning to ask if custom events use unupgraded cars (haven't noticed it yet since I've only driven the Alpine in the career mode), but I guess that's not the case then?

I actually have mixed opinions about career modes in racing games. If everything is already unlocked from the beginning (as tends to be the case with sim racers) then a career mode seems slightly pointless to me - and this is the first time in years that I've started a career in a game with everything unlocked.

I would prefer that we had to unlock cars rather than unlocking "upgrades" which technically aren't even upgrades when we are just restoring the cars to their original specs. We buy the cars in a broken half ass state and then have to slowly grind out the career mode to restore them to full power.

But yeah the custom events cars definitely have the upgrades even though they might not say it on the selection screen where it says upgrades 1/4 etc. I remember when I first got the game and tried to figure out why the Impreza was so slow, then realised it didn't have upgrades and was only making 200hp plus it was heavier than usual. One of the first patches fixed this so we can enjoy the cars properly without needing to grind career mode.

The upgrade system just seems like a bad design choice in a game like this, it should be about raw competition and skill, not about who has a fully upgraded car. I don't even touch anything other than Custom Events now, as I have no interest in grinding the career mode.

 

[skazz]

I think their idea is that you start off a rally "season" with a new car which is slightly down on power, then get used to it and see it upgraded over the first ~3 rallies. Then for the rest of the season (and other seasons in the same car, and custom championships, an weekly/monthly online events) it's at full power.

I agree it's a strange choice, but in reality the unlocking just means you are unlikely to podium the first few rallies in a new car and encourages you to stick with cars longer to really get the best out of them.

And of course you can run any car you like at full power in the custom events.

 

[MeanElf]

Joining the big group of people happy at what this game has become. It reminds me of the first time I played the DiRT 2 demo and going through the water splash - such a big improvement over DiRT.

 

[TiZzla]

I think their idea is that you start off a rally "season" with a new car which is slightly down on power, then get used to it and see it upgraded over the first ~3 rallies. Then for the rest of the season (and other seasons in the same car, and custom championships, an weekly/monthly online events) it's at full power.

I agree it's a strange choice, but in reality the unlocking just means you are unlikely to podium the first few rallies in a new car and encourages you to stick with cars longer to really get the best out of them.

And of course you can run any car you like at full power in the custom events.

Which would be fine if it was "slightly" down on power, but we are talking about 100hp+ in some cases. Anyway they chose this path instead of unlocking cars so it's good and bad. It doesn't really matter so much when competing against AI and I remember winning even without upgrades but it's when you compete against real people in Rally X or leagues when you notice you have no chance without upgrades.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Question: how do I go back and redo championships? I just finished the 1960s Open and got promoted to Clubman, but I didn't win the Open championship and would like to go back to do it. It also appears that noe that I am in Clubman, I am in the Clubman championship for all categories, not just the 1960s.

 

[dopedog]

Why do assume that Americans don't like simulators?

Huh??? OMG. Reading is a great gift. Use it.

 

[The Stig Farmer]

Question: how do I go back and redo championships? I just finished the 1960s Open and got promoted to Clubman, but I didn't win the Open championship and would like to go back to do it. It also appears that noe that I am in Clubman, I am in the Clubman championship for all categories, not just the 1960s.

You can bounce between car classes however you like during career.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

You can bounce between car classes however you like during career.

I know that I can bounce between car classes, but I want to know if I can change the difficulty level manually. I want to buy the Escort Cortina, but I know that it's a twitchy handful at the best of times and I have only just come to grips with the Fulvia - and now suddenly the difficulty has been ramped up.

 

[Losco]

My best placement is a 3rd place. The first and the second are impossible. 1st championship open '60. I didn't finish Montecarlo because i fell from a bridge

 

[The Stig Farmer]

Are the AI just exceedingly slow on Sweden? I managed to finish 5 whole minutes ahead of the 2nd placed car in the Mk II, not without a few snowbank-assisted spins...

 

[PzR Slim]

Anyone know of any decent Fanatec CSWV2 settings for PS4?

 

[Brend]

Are the AI just exceedingly slow on Sweden? I managed to finish 5 whole minutes ahead of the 2nd placed car in the Mk II, not without a few snowbank-assisted spins...

What difficulty? I have found it common that in Open/Clubman that the AI do seem to have crashes and such based on their times. Which is pretty interesting.

Except P.Olsen - that man is a beast.

 

[MarcoM]

I know that I can bounce between car classes, but I want to know if I can change the difficulty level manually. I want to buy the Escort Cortina, but I know that it's a twitchy handful at the best of times and I have only just come to grips with the Fulvia - and now suddenly the difficulty has been ramped up.

If you finish top 3, you're promoted to a higher championship. Car class is free to choose.

You can only go back in championship by finishing at the bottom 3 I think. I did this by accident yesterday (I wanted to restart a championship and made some incorrect choices in Retire or quit).

edit: so no you cannot just change the difficulty with a switch

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I'm really loving Monte Carlo. I seem to do pretty well on slippery tarmac; it's very Gilles Panizzi or Piero Liatti. Which makes me think that I need an Italian racing name.

Surprised by Sweden. I usually hate it, because the margin for error is miniscule, and while I did get frustrated with frequent spins to begin with, it felt rewarding later on.

Not a big fan of Wales. I tend to spear off every third corner.

 

[PzR Slim]

I'm really loving Monte Carlo. I seem to do pretty well on slippery tarmac; it's very Gilles Panizzi or Piero Liatti. Which makes me think that I need an Italian racing name.

Surprised by Sweden. I usually hate it, because the margin for error is miniscule, and while I did get frustrated with frequent spins to begin with, it felt rewarding later on.

Not a big fan of Wales. I tend to spear off every third corner.

Talking of Panizzi and tarmac, this is one of my favourite rally memories ever.

 

[MarcoM]

Every country has it's thinks. I love Germany. Tarmac is suitable for big power. But again, I can love each country. Codies have made it hard to dislike. It looks gorgeous and plays really well.

 

[The Stig Farmer]

What difficulty? I have found it common that in Open/Clubman that the AI do seem to have crashes and such based on their times. Which is pretty interesting.

Except P.Olsen - that man is a beast.

Clubman.

I may also have gone into a perfect trance... I woke up at one point, ahaha

 

[PzR Slim]

Pikes Peak full dirt is epic. That is all!