How much time is everyone spending on GT-A every day?

[CodeRedR51]

I'm only dragging myself back there if I have to I think my current time will be more than enough to get me to Round 2...so why bother with that bloddy hell hole and needlessly trying to get my name moved up the board.

I just hope we get more traditional race tracks for Round 2, where ridiculous curb straddling (Rome) and lawn mowing (Cape) won't be required.

So true, so true. 👍

 

[chuyler1]

Right now, I'd say I'm overshooting a bit because I'm a little over two seconds behind the top guys nationally and finding that extra time is getting much harder. If I'm well rested, I try to run some smooth laps just to get a good rhythm going.

I will say that in your case, it may be a good idea to save one of the fast ghosts and pull it up on the replay theater. Then, note any differences from what you are doing and what the replay is showing you. Finally, hit the track again and use that knowledge to your advantage. Don't try to match the fast guys at the get go; try to push yourself a little harder each lap and see how it goes. That's what I did and it worked out pretty well.

Oh, and if you keeping crashing and getting worked up, it's best to take a break and try again later. Sometimes, I have to remind myself to do that.

Thanks for the tips. I'm finding time here and there after watching replays, researching online, and then just running laps. I did the bungie-cord DFGT pedal mod and that was good for about a second. Still 2 seconds off the pace on Tsukuba though. Now I'm wondering if I'm just not turning the wheel enough to keep a tight radius. The DFGT is 900 degrees while other wheels run in 200 degree mode. Watching some YouTube videos of you guys shows how much less steering input is needed compared to what I am doing.

 

[TRC_Hunk]

Almost everyone runs 900 degrees. Your problem may be that you are carrying too much speed into the turn. On Tsukuba, you really shouldnt have to turn the wheel any more than about 90 degrees to get through the hairpins. If you are going too fast and you are turning your wheels too much then your car will plow/push/understeer.

 

[OutlawQuadrnt]

Thanks for the tips. I'm finding time here and there after watching replays, researching online, and then just running laps. I did the bungie-cord DFGT pedal mod and that was good for about a second. Still 2 seconds off the pace on Tsukuba though. Now I'm wondering if I'm just not turning the wheel enough to keep a tight radius. The DFGT is 900 degrees while other wheels run in 200 degree mode. Watching some YouTube videos of you guys shows how much less steering input is needed compared to what I am doing.

You might be going too fast into corners or you're applying too much brake at corner entry and you're locking up the fronts. Another idea that helped me is to adjust your force feedback and see if it makes a difference. I was personally surprised how going from 8 to 6 last month helped me.

 

[TRC_Hunk]

You might be going too fast into corners or you're applying too much brake at corner entry and you're locking up the fronts.

Yah this too.

 

[chuyler1]

Thanks again. I shaved 3 seconds off my Cape Ring time by adjusting my braking last night. I was waiting a little too long and compensating by holding the brake on full for too long. I hit the apex like this but coming out of the turn my tires were garbage. Slowing things down a bit allowed me to use more tire on the exit without spinning out. Practice practice practice. I've got about 7 seconds of time to shave off if I'm going to advance to the next level. If I don't make it, it won't be because I didn't try.

 

[OutlawQuadrnt]

Thanks again. I shaved 3 seconds off my Cape Ring time by adjusting my braking last night. I was waiting a little too long and compensating by holding the brake on full for too long. I hit the apex like this but coming out of the turn my tires were garbage. Slowing things down a bit allowed me to use more tire on the exit without spinning out. Practice practice practice. I've got about 7 seconds of time to shave off if I'm going to advance to the next level. If I don't make it, it won't be because I didn't try.

You got a few more days so keep it up. 👍

Sounds like you also did the bungie cord thing as well. I really should do that for myself since I'm accustomed to trailbraking (a good technique to read about if you like braking into corners) and getting the car to rotate when I want it to is tricky.

 

[chuyler1]

Thanks Yes I did the bungie mod and it helped immensely. I used one cord and wrapped it around both pedals. I didn't have one short enough to just do the brake pedal but I kinda like the extra resistence on the gas too so it's all good.

I took off another 2 seconds on the Cape Ring last night. I'm down to a 2:52.xxx. Nothing to brag about but considering that I started around 3:05 and was stuck at 2:58 for a while it's good progress. I left about 1-1.5 seconds on the track that I couldn't capitalize on. I have been running much quicker in sector 1 but I can't nail the rest of the sectors to stay ahead by the end. I've got turn one of the cape ring down pretty tight with the trail braking and I'm starting to get consistent with the other tough turns. I need to be around 2:50 to qualify in the Northeast so if I keep it up the next few nights and nail a solid lap start to finish I might just pull it off. Of course I still need to take 1 second off Tsukuba and 2 seconds off Rome.

The tough thing for me is tires. I understand the line, I get the trail braking, but sometimes I use too much brake on the entry and that doesn't leave enough tire to slingshot out on exit...even if I have the right line. Slow in fast out, I know I know. The bungie is a huge help because It stops me from going full-brake when i don't need it.

 

[Dr_Watson]

Eating a bowl of boiling Bridgestone on entrance isn't really that terrible and can actually be helpful when taken to the fast-in:fast-out extreme that really only works in video games. But that's not what this is about.
If you're overcooking the tires trail braking on entrance you've really only lost a tenth or two at most since you can't jump on full throttle as early. But you can use some throttle while the tires are red. So start easing into the throttle while watching the tire indicators on the left. As they progress from red to blue ease in more and more power, once they're back to light blue you can go full out again.
It's distracting at first but after a few laps of Tsukuba it becomes second nature to keep one eye on the tire temps. The best additions to the UI in GT5 by a long shot.

 

[robgroove]

Thanks to B-spec I guess I'm on it 24/7. My poor PS3 hasen't had a reast in the last 3 weeks. When i go to bed my B-spec is sent on a 9 hour endurance race. When i go to work - 9 hour endurance race. When i get home i race A-spec and soon when I get to play GT Anywhere I will be racing while at work.

 

[kidloco]

Ive spent 30 mins in the past 2 weeks. Feels good man. Just awaiting round2

 

[Forcednduckshn]

Eating a bowl of boiling Bridgestone on entrance isn't really that terrible and can actually be helpful when taken to the fast-in:fast-out extreme that really only works in video games. But that's not what this is about.
If you're overcooking the tires trail braking on entrance you've really only lost a tenth or two at most since you can't jump on full throttle as early. But you can use some throttle while the tires are red. So start easing into the throttle while watching the tire indicators on the left. As they progress from red to blue ease in more and more power, once they're back to light blue you can go full out again.
It's distracting at first but after a few laps of Tsukuba it becomes second nature to keep one eye on the tire temps. The best additions to the UI in GT5 by a long shot.

^^^ Great advice. It's all about managing the tire "model" of GT5. It's less than perfect, no doubt, but it's a respectable attempt at managing a very diffucult task: Modeling how a tire heats up, cools, and deflects and how the grip level changes accordingly. It's almost like having a jar of grip, when it's fully red you have nothing left!

 

[Dr_Watson]

I suppose the next lesson would be trailing throttle.
I was playing around with Godzilla in stock trim on the default SH tires (aside: that trophy for the ring run is easy proof that GT5 is still waaaay faster than the real world) and it seems that magical things happen in the differentials if you use a small amount of trailing throttle. Car seems to go fast in spite of physics rather than in concert with physics.

 

[tezster]

There were a couple of days when I had a week off work where I played for about 8 hours, but that's been the exception. Lately, I'll play at most an hour on a weeknight. When the game first came out, 2-4 hours.

 

[blindsidefive0]

I suppose the next lesson would be trailing throttle.
I was playing around with Godzilla in stock trim on the default SH tires (aside: that trophy for the ring run is easy proof that GT5 is still waaaay faster than the real world) and it seems that magical things happen in the differentials if you use a small amount of trailing throttle. Car seems to go fast in spite of physics rather than in concert with physics.

Great technique - that's basically how I got my dad's 964 to turn through high speed stuff without killing myself. People forget that letting off the gas is also an important input to a car, and can alter handling so it must be handled with care - or it can spin you in a tail-heavy 911...

 

[Forcednduckshn]

i suppose the next lesson would be trailing throttle.
I was playing around with godzilla in stock trim on the default sh tires (aside: That trophy for the ring run is easy proof that gt5 is still waaaay faster than the real world) and it seems that magical things happen in the differentials if you use a small amount of trailing throttle. Car seems to go fast in spite of physics rather than in concert with physics.

+ 1

 

[Forcednduckshn]

or it can spin you in a tail-heavy 911...

Or a bumpsteer happy AP1 S2000

 

[blindsidefive0]

Or a bumpsteer happy AP1 S2000

Too much toe-out in your alignment? Or...not too much, just a lot for the cones...

 

[Dr_Watson]

Great technique - that's basically how I got my dad's 964 to turn through high speed stuff without killing myself. People forget that letting off the gas is also an important input to a car, and can alter handling so it must be handled with care - or it can spin you in a tail-heavy 911...

no kidding... drop-throttle oversteer is a great way to die in a 911 made before the 993. In high school I worked roofing for a guy that was a Porsche nut and he had a 930 Turbo which was always actively trying to kill him.

 

[blindsidefive0]

no kidding... drop-throttle oversteer is a great way to die in a 911 made before the 993. In high school I worked roofing for a guy that was a Porsche nut and he had a 930 Turbo which was always actively trying to kill him.

You got it. Cue d-bag HPDE instructor who thinks he knows LRP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejqep2zrFiY

The 930's are actually a bit rougher than the 964s. The newer, the easier. I got to drive a 997 4s, and it was a joke - the oversteer has gone "missing"...the new ones are idiot-proof (probably for good reason).

Before I get that awesome "you are off topic" image...I'm getting in some time most nights before the wife gets back from the hospital... I'll probably give another 1 or 2 sessions dedicated to dropping into the 1:21.1's or .2s at Rome, and then exclusively drive the GT-R at course I'm unfamiliar with.

 

[Forcednduckshn]

Too much toe-out in your alignment? Or...not too much, just a lot for the cones...

More like "Not Enough Toe-In"

The AP1's are notorious for their "agressive" camber and toe curves from the rear suspension geometry. This is different from AP2's which are far less nervous with revised geometry. Stock alignment specs call for 1/4" Total Toe-In in the rear. Some AutoX guys run as much as 3/8" or 1/2" Total. I love oversteer, so 1/4" is what I ran for the 2nd half of past season after testing other specs. AutoX is all about managing transition, which places a premium on shock/damper tuning, as well alignment, particularly with respect to toe. In both cases, they are considerably different in terms of "tuning goals" for track vs AutoX, track being more "steady state stability with modest rotation" where as AutoX is "transitional stability with even MORE rotation," but with a priority set on putting the power down in tight corners and managing weight transfter in the slaloms. Typically, shock tuning in autoX tends to be overdamped or critically damped, especially in stock class cars like my s2000 where you can't play with spring rates. A track setup is typically the standard "65% critically damped" target (much softer to ensure maximum steady state grip with less focus on transitional stability.) Conversely, track cars tend to run a lot less toe than Autox because of the added drag and tire wear it produces, and in the cases of toe out in the front or rear, less stability. In autoX, you want the car turned in yesterday.👍

(Speaking in generalities with respect to track tuning, as I have very little driving experience with it, but have alot of exposure to close friends, and even helped out with their setups based on the feedback they gave me. AutoX has been a tremendous learning tool for suspension tuning for me, especially when testing and logging feedback from the change in balance.)

Oh and P.S., once again I have went off topic. That said, I plan on putting in another 5-6 hours in to this round, hitting the goals in my sig and taking home a DFGT. After that it's R35 practice and having some fun doing online racing!