DiRT Rally Thread

[Spitfire77]

OK so I got my copy and gave it a go. Great Game - I just suck right now and need to play more.

I do not understand the complaints on the T300 FFB on PS4 it works wonderful for me.

Here is what I did to configure.

Left T300 wheel in default configuration on the hardware - I did not set it to 540.

In game:
-Updated the game to latest version
-Loaded the Thrustmaster profile
-Calibrated the wheel to the proper 1080 (followed instructions on screen)
-Calibrated pedals (followed instructions on screen)
-I had to turn soft lock- ON it was OFF by default
-Did not change any of the saturation or deadzone settings - noticed that steering saturation was at 95% did not change.
- Entered the Trustmaster recommended settings for forces.
SELF ALIGNING TORQUE = 125%
WHEEL FRICTION = 15%
TYRE FRICTION = 150%
SUSPENSION = 150%
TYRE SLIP = 150%
ENGINE = 150%
COLLISION = 150%
SOFT LOCK = 150%
STEERING CENTER FORCE = 100%

Other settings...
-All Hud stuff is off except dial
-Use Dash Camera (turned all external views off - Turned off wheel and hands )
- Set all assists off - set shifting to Manual Sequential (no clutch) - shifting via paddles for now.
-Camera shake = 80%
-Set my TH8A into sequential mode Connected USB - assigned pulling back to the handbrake.
-Audio - Music = 0% everything else 100% Set for headphones and High range. - I have Sony Gold Wireless Headset


I like how different it feels to drive the classic mini (which I am awful at) vs the modern AWD cars. Having to turn it far and pull the car through the corner.

 

[dopedog]

If anyone sees my Rally stage times online please ignore for a few weeks until I get up to speed, I thought I was getting faster, no damage through the stages but I have fallen off a fair few cliffs and flipped the car more than a few times. I am also having trouble catching those little minis in RallyX-they do rocket off from the line and on the tarmac I am not quite getting the grip they get- and that is on easy I have more practice and must stop watching replays and taking photos!..Loving it still, a lot to master in this, It is deeper than I first thought.👍

Interesting stuff in the tutorials, talking about how rally drivers will drive at 95% at times so as not to over push etc etc, last time i heard stuff like that was Guy Martin talking about the TT, he rides to 95% and Micheal Dunlop goes everywhere at 110%!!
Its almost the elephant in the room with 'gaming' or 'simracing' as people don't really want to talk about having to drive not at full balls out. This game and to a lesser extent PCars, is teaching me that just driving a bit more like i would if i was really doing it is key.
First thing anyone really wants to do in a game is just floor it everywhere and sometimes people can mistake not being able to do that with a criticism of the game... it really isn't...
Best bit is knowing that the reason i crashed isn't because of some duff moment in the physics or a frame drop or bad FFB.. if i crash its just me...

 

[PJTierney]

Can anyone recommend a good setup for the RWD cars?

The back end feels very "floaty" on all of them (Xbox, Controller) and is killing any confidence I have when I drive them.

The lack of effective controller feedback is crippling me at the moment and I'm considering avoiding RWD altogether purely because of this Hopefully something setup-wise will give me a bit of control.

 

[JBF77]

Managed to get FFB to a decent level (PS4/T300), although very annoyed how they've made the TX FFB on the XBone sublime but very weak on the PS4... I'm sure they'll patch it pretty quickly, there've been a lot of forums about this issue. I've had to max out most of the settings (including self aligning torque) just to get a sensible weight to the cars. Fingers crossed they get it sorted!!
Although despite this, the game is still very much enjoyable, here's hoping Codies can fix it soon.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Can anyone recommend a good setup for the RWD cars?

Shorten the gears, stiffen the front suspension, and move the brake bias forward. Exactly where you set each parameter is a matter of personal preference and the individual demands of the surface. And, as @Scaff recommended to me, use a semi-automatic gearbox (if you aren't already doing so) so that you can short-shift your way out of first and second gear. It should make the front end more responsive, settle the rear and help neutralise the excess traction. You'll still need to really feather the throttle, but in this game, the old adage that "slow is smooth and smooth is fast" rings true - you really need to build and maintain a rhythm rather than jam the throttle all the way down.

 

[LeGeNd-1]

Yes and I may even just be totally off, I'm willing with this game to err on the side of "its me", there's A LOT to take in in Dirt, so going from say Greece to Monte Carlo literally straight away may just be creating a that heightened sense. I'm only few hours of play into this game so maybe if i just concentrate on tarmac rally for a bit, i'll do that tonight.

Its like when you drive Oulton Park on PCars then switch to Silverstone and its like the FFB died... but its because Silverstone is so smooth and flat... so maybe its that feeling but times by 10.

Finland is the gold in this game though, I'll happily just play finland with the E30 and i'll get my 40 quids worth back in a few hours... let alone the rest..

Codemasters' EGO engine has always been weak on tarmac. The GRID games always have floaty vague feeling and FFB, and in past DIRT games tarmac stages are also like that (don't even mention gymkhana). I thought they would have fixed this by console release but apparently not.

Then again, I have yet to find a single game which successfully managed to have good physics for both tarmac and loose surfaces:
- GT is ok for road racing, but rallying sucks.
- RBR is the gold standard for rally, but the France road rallies are a bit off (would be interesting to compare with DR).
- LFS is great on road, but rallycross is passable (not great, but not bad either - it's only a small part of the game mind).
- Automobilista (rFactor mod) has rallycross but I haven't tried it yet.
- AC has a few rally track mods but I haven't tried any yet.
- PCARS 2 is supposed to have rallying so we'll see how it goes.

 

[catamount39]

The tarmac stuff in this game isn't so bad. Monaco in a Subie is great. (not a single bit of bias there......maybe)

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I have found that Germany is VERY easy, but maybe that's because it's mostly long straight with technical sections breaking it up. Although I have only seen Flugzeugring and Kruezeugring, which I do find a little disappointing because Rally Germany isn't just the Panzerplatte military proving grounds. That's only one day; the rest are narrow, technical roads run around the vineyards above Trier.

 

[PJTierney]

Germany's great in the right car; one of the recent Dailies was in the 2000s Mitsubishi and it felt like a Time Attack.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

IMO, Germany and Monaco are the easiest as they're both mainly asphalt/concrete stages. All you need to do to is listen to your co-driver's notes. Unlike Wales, Finland, and Sweden, not only do you need to listen to your co-drive's notes, you'll also need to place the car in the correct position and actually control the car in the terrain. Its even more difficult in Sweden, because the stages are so narrow with snow banks on either side.

 

[sems4arsenal]

I feel the pace notes very rarely but sometimes get it a bit wrong? or is it just me?

My favorite thing is when you nail a few corners and you get so overconfident you mess up straight away

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I feel the pace notes very rarely but sometimes get it a bit wrong? or is it just me?

You're probably missing parts of complex notes.

 

[ELmarcotuff]

I feel the pace notes very rarely but sometimes get it a bit wrong? or is it just me?

My favorite thing is when you nail a few corners and you get so overconfident you mess up straight away

I find they call them too late some times. I was not prepared for a third gear corner right after a flat out jump on Greece. Went off the cliff in 5th gear.

 

[sems4arsenal]

You're probably missing parts of complex notes.

Well that but sometimes I go through a corner and think "no way was that a 5".

I find they call them too late some times. I was not prepared for a third gear corner right after a flat out jump on Greece. Went off the cliff in 5th gear.

This too, I'll try tomorrow making the pace notes be given to me earlier.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Well that but sometimes I go through a corner and think "no way was that a 5".

The number only indicates the severity of the corner. I have often noticed that the number is not simply based on the angle of the corner alone - road width, visibility, approach speed and camber all seem to play a part. Even the preceding corners have and influence. Not all five rights are created equal - it might be a five right because it follows on from a two left; if it was a preceded by a six right and an eighty-metre straight, the corner might be downgraded to a three or a four.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

My rule for pacenotes are: 6 and 5 - flat out or a slight lift, 4 - light brake or lift depending on conditions, 3 - light or medium brake, 2 and 1 - medium or hard brake and downshift.

 

[BionicDerp]

I find they call them too late some times. I was not prepared for a third gear corner right after a flat out jump on Greece. Went off the cliff in 5th gear.

The numbers provide a guideline for the angle and danger of a corner, not at all related to gears.

 

[MeanElf]

There are quite a few pace notes systems out there and it seems that each game, like certain co-drivers favours a different one. It was well explained in SLRE and from that the system in use in DR is similar but different enough to warrant learning the fine details.

I have another problem however, I need to start playing the game at a higher volume (not always possible) as some of the instructions come out sounding suspiciously hilarious or insulting alternatives - I swear on one of the Greek stages he says "Achilles right".

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I have another problem however, I need to start playing the game at a higher volume (not always possible) as some of the instructions come out sounding suspiciously hilarious or insulting alternatives

You should be able to tweak the individual volume settings in the menus - you can usually turn the co-driver volume up and/or the engine volume down.

It was well explained in SLRE and from that the system in use in DR is similar but different enough to warrant learning the fine details.

The in-game tutorials explain that the game uses the "six to one" system because it was favoured and developed by Colin McRae.

 

[dopedog]

I think some of the confusion of my senses with tarmac was going from Greece to Monte Carlo so quick in championship... Few stages of Monte and it felt a bit more normal, added to that the fact the older rally cars have a definite built in roll to them for weight transfer so can give the effect of floaty perhaps. Played PCars last night for a bit and for example a car like the BMW GT4 M3 feels similar to how the cars handle in Dirt on tarmac.
Once you sort of drive a bit like how your meant to drive a rally car it all come together, then its all just about getting quicker and quicker.
Going from DIRT to PCars feels incredibly normal (style,palette, grass roots club racing focused, driving feel), the games are very very similar and they really compliment each other, with the added bonus that PCars has less pressure now on being the only game i really play a lot of, its also why i don't think a game should ever try to do everything like PCars2 is, i'm happy to have my rally game separate.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Should take my own advice more - I've been struggling over the ice in Monte Carlo in my Mk. II Escort. Need to open the rear differential up more. Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner.

 

[dopedog]

Should take my own advice more - I've been struggling over the ice in Monte Carlo in my Mk. II Escort. Need to open the rear differential up more. Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner.

Noticed the Mini is mega front brake bias, once i took that more towards rear brake it suited my much more, instantly noticed the difference.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Opened the differential on the Escort (almost) all the way. Suddenly, I was taking parts of Monte Carlo at 135km/h when I had previously been unable to get the car up past 85km/h without losing stability. It felt like I was cheating.

 

[MeanElf]

You should be able to tweak the individual volume settings in the menus - you can usually turn the co-driver volume up and/or the engine volume down.


The in-game tutorials explain that the game uses the "six to one" system because it was favoured and developed by Colin McRae.

It's more that I'm going deaf Old-age and too many loud concerts in my past - but thanks for the tip.

I should really have qualified that most rally co-drivers prefer versions of the six to one method, it's just the embellishments such as using '+ and -' after the number or 'hard/soft' etc.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I decided that I would do the monthly challenge, asking myself "how bad can it be?"

Completely terrifying.

 

[imported_rik19]

I love this game, I havent changed settings on anything its just great as it is, only thing i mess with is suspension, make it softer, cars look better to me on the move with soft suspension..

love it..

saw someone say "upgraded car" is there upgrades for each car or something?, im just hooning about really...

 

[prisonermonkeys]

saw someone say "upgraded car" is there upgrades for each car or something?

As you drive a car more, you will eventually unlock performance upgrades that boost your power output and reduce weight. It's not a particularly comprehensive system; think of it as more of a loyalty bonus for using one particular car than anything else. What's more interesting is the advanced setup option, which allows a much more detailed setup.

 

[Scaff]

I decided that I would do the monthly challenge, asking myself "how bad can it be?"

Completely terrifying.

Yep. Managed to get through the first rally, then killed my car on the second Monte stage.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Yep. Managed to get through the first rally, then killed my car on the second Monte stage.

It doesn't help that I had no experience with the kit cars before I jumped in.

 

[MXH]

I'm currently doing the Professional Championship and the AI at Sweden (I got it as my first event) was 4+ minutes behind me after the 8th stage. Even with my erratic driving style, spinning out two times and flipping my car 3-4 times in total, I still managed to win or ending up a few seconds behind on those stages. Or maybe the Beemer is just OP, but everyone else seemed to struggle. I dunno'. Driving it is great fun though.

Next up is Wales. Let's see if they'll do better there.