Newbie Question

[kisertn]

I recently acquired a PS3 and then stumbled across GT5P only because I was looking for games/sims that I could run split screen and play with my child.

I have been utterly captivated by GT5P and find myself wanting to understand racing and cars better. However, beyond a few basic notions, I really don't know what I am doing.

I did download the tuning guides I found here on this site, and they were great. I'll need to reread them many times and push myself to fully understand what I am reading, but I understood the main concepts.

What I am missing, and one thing for which GT5P has disappointed me, is the complete lack of educational materials on "how" to race. I believe I have some basic concepts down but, I suspect there is a lot more to know.

Now, I am not looking for answers to these questions here in this post, but these will give you an idea of where I am coming from is. What is the best type of car for a curving course? (say Eiger, or Suzuki) and why? And what is the best type of car for a curving course with one or more long straightaways? (Fuji) and why? I can guess of course, and muck about. However, it would be really nice to have the benefit of what I believe are general understandings of motor racing, not things necessarily specific to GT5P. Other questions include which is preferred, automatic or manual transmission? and why? I understand that "real" drivers drive stick - but why is this so and to what degree does it make a difference? etc etc etc I could come up with a zillion questions. What is Formula 1 versus other racing types? What makes NASCAR different? These things I believe I can locate answers to, in fact I know I can. But, the skill of racing itself, the basic understandings, this is what I am seeking most. I have looked online, mainly in the GTP space. I was afraid initially to look outside of the game-space as I am unclear how much of reality can be applied to game physics.

My core question is whether there are recommended sources for this sort of material? Sources where I could, as a general interest fan, get introduced to basic racing concepts and maybe even get pointers to more advanced material?

I know I could ask my questions here on the forum but, my question base is so large that, I really think it would be best if I could just find a source that would allow me to at least get to a moderate level of understanding.

I sure wish they had instructional material delivered via GT TV, if not actually in the game itself. What would be VERY cool is post race analysis performed by the game, with suggestions on what I should have done - could be anything from driving tips to possibly selecting a more appropriate car for my driving style, to tuning tips.

It was all I could do to find references to ABS, Driving Physics, and the steering assist features - I had no idea what was realistic and what was a crutch! I still am not perfectly straight on it. Mainly because I used to be a very big flight sim fanatic and we acknowledged the use of some assists in order to compensate for lost sensory inputs that we would have received if we were a pilot in a real jet. So, while some things may not be true-to-life, they may be perhaps fair compensation for the loss of g-force sensations or other inputs you would receive in a real racing car.

Thanks for reading, and I appreciate any suggestions. I do wish to learn more and, while I have no problems pestering the forums, I'd like to do it after I have a basic understanding of racing concepts.

Thanks,
-Neil

 

[RussRobit]

Hi kisertn and welcome to the addictive world of Gran Turismo.
Go to the Racing School thread. All the links to resources are gathered up in the first post.
Have fun!!
Russ

 

[SteveO1965]

This may help also.

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=104034

 

[Duke]

Well hello, welcome to GTP, and welcome to Gran Turismo. This certainly is not a typical introductory post. We're glad you found us.

There are gaming guide books for GT3 and GT4 (previous versions of Gran Turismo). Although these would not apply directly, they should answer some of your general questions for someone new to auto racing and performance driving. They should be available, probably used, at your local videogame store.

If you are looking for speed driving tips and methods for approaching different types of race courses, I would suggest you start with Sports Car and Competition Driving by Paul Frere. Although it was written 30 years ago, the fundamentals it teaches are excellent and will improve your real driving as well. It is technical but not overly so. It is still in print and should be readily available.

Real racing is organized in many many categories by many different sanctioning bodies. People race cars from stock econoboxes all the way up to meg-millions race machines with as much technology as a fighter jet. You can start learning about the different types by examining some of the sanctioning bodies' websites:

www.fia.com
www.nascar.com
www.scca.com
www.nasaproracing.com

All of these will give you information concerning both amateur and professional racing series.

 

[MightyMan]

hey kisertn,
welcome to GTP.
i actually started my GT story with GT4 and their license tests really helped me learn to play the game properly.

i also recommend the book "Going Faster" by Skip Barber.
it covers a lot and goes very in depth (sometimes a bit too in-depth...)

best of luck!

 

[mu22stang]

Welcome to GTP. Here are some quick tips for the settings made available at each race. The race settings menu will pop onto the screen before you enter an event or an arcade race. The dynamics of your car for that particular race are established here. In other words, the amount of "crutch" or lack thereof. Think of each setting as a "committee" that takes your inputs, analyzes them, and decide the best course of action.

AT/MT = MT is preferred on a race track because your control gear choice can really improve the way a car goes around a track. Try a quick test: With the car in manual, try to a tight turn with the car in its top gear (5th, 6th, etc.). Notice, if your car starts to drift wide, you must brake to return to your racing line. Now, take the same tight turn the next lap in a lower gear, say 2nd or 3rd. Notice, if you start to drift wide, simply letting off the gas will tighten your turning radius. Essentially, the engine will brake for you as the gear winds down. This is known as engine brake.

Active Steering = The stronger the setting, the more the game tries to "coax" you into making a turn. Not exactly turning for you, but it doesn't directly translate your controller inputs to the car. The OFF setting is the most realistic, but the most difficult to control.

Physics = Standard makes the car's dynamics act more "arcadey", as in, less susceptable to spinning out and losing traction, and overall easier to manipulate. Professional makes the car behave more like it does in reality - Sensitive to minute inputs, but dramatically more difficult and less forgiving.

ABS = ABS ON prevents wheel lock-up from happening under heavy braking. However, some find it beneficial to leave ABS OFF because a higher braking force is available, yet the management of tire "lock-up" is more demanding.

TCS = Traction control, which controls the amount of traction the "driving" wheels have under acceleration. Most notably, from a stop or coming out of a turn, a car's tires want to spin. The higher the setting, the more the power is "cut" in an effort to keep drive-wheel traction. However, the better you become at controlling a car, in the game or in reality, the more wheel spin can help you.

ASM = This prevents the car from spinning out. Just like TCS, once you become better at controllling a car, the less you will want this setting impeding on your driving inputs.

Tire Choice = You can independently choose your front and back tires, but ALWAYS choose the same for both. They work on an alphanumeric scale: N=lowest traction, S=good traction, R=racecar traction and 1=lowest traction/3=highest traction.

My recommendation for you:
AT/MT = Your choice
Active Steer = OFF
Physics = Standard
TCS = OFF
ASM = OFF
ABS = ON
F/R Tires = S2

Go to Suzuka EAST course and be patient - it will come

 

[Mad Matt]

I'm not sure the previous poster has understood a couple of points.

In the real world there are a number of different types of automatic gearboxes, in the game AT just means the computer changing gear for you. Again, in the game MT just means you have to decide when to change gear, you don't use a clutch in any meaningful sense.

ABS. Unless you've done something strange with brake balance, the rear wheels won't lock up first. On a road car the bias will be to the front. ABS has been discussed at length in other threads (I think Scaff wrote quite a good summary and explains a lot about brake bias).

Anyway, Scaff did a document (I think for GT4) on tuning which is worth a read.

 

[mu22stang]

AT/MT = fixed
Braking = fixed

 

[santiagomo87]

There are many many things that you will not find in books and websites, but you will learn them by feel. For example your questions about the best car for a specific course; as a general rule, lightest cars will be the best overall but not a rule. My recomendation is to find the car you can have most fun with and practice with it and find its strenghts and weaknesses. Try a FF car like the honda integra and do lots of Time Trials in one course so you learn how to handle understeer. Then try a four wheel-drive like the Mitsubishi lancer evolution and you will see how much more control you have over the car. These kind of cars are very good for tight corners and specially when you find slippery road surface like in rallies. The downside of 4 wheel-drive cars is that they can turn out to be quite heavy. Then try a low powered rear wheel-drive car like the nissan 350z or the BMW 135i. I find these cars more challenging to drive but also more rewarding. There are also cars with rear wheel-drive but the ingine lies behind the driver so it has better weight distribution, like the Lotus Elise. This is the same layout used in the fastest racecars like Formula1.
The thing is that you must feel each car, and remember to be as smooth as you can

 

[kisertn]

Thank you all very much for your replies. I will definitely visit the sites mentioned and follow the advice I have read here - and of course read the forums and gleam what I can. Spent this morning's train ride reading about Formula One on Wikipedia :-)

Thanks again for all of the advice.
-Neil

 

[kisertn]

One other thing I realized I do not know, and for which I have not seen anything, is basic driving courtesy. For example, I have seen posts here that have commented sourly on drivers online that just play bumper cars. I can well imagine. However, as someone not familiar with racing, this and other issues of courtesy - umm there is another word - oh 'etiquette' - what are they? As a newbie I am constantly ramming into cars in front of me (and this I know to be wrong - but just have not yet mastered my controls). But I also run other cars off the road (offline) and I think nothing of it (because they are computer drivers) - but what are the rules of etiquette? is there a guide to such things? As I write this I imagine taking a corner in which I am ahead of another vehicle, but it is on the inside track. I pull into the track and basically the other car is forced to either crash with me or pull up - who's in the wrong? Me, if I pull into the track, even though I am in the lead - or the other car, if they do not give and we crash? It's not like street driving - no nice lines to tell me where to be LOL

Thanks again! (and I am still going through the resources you listed above, so this may be in those references but, if so, I have not reached it yet.

 

[Timppaq]

Here

 

[peter_vod69]

The best choice of car for anything is the F40.