The Logitech Driving Force Pro Thread.

[Lapdog]

Can Anyone owning the DFP and has GT4Prologue as well as GT4, give us a comparison of the two titles dynamics through the DFP?
Is there much difference and if so, is it better or worse?

Basically, there is more going on in GT4 than Prologue. There are more details in the tracks and because the car physics are more detailed there is more tugging on the wheel as your weight transfers and as you go over the new bumps and dips. The higher rumble strips in the tight courses also really yank the wheel - bound to cause some injuries.

 

[Parabolica]

With the shifter being a sequential shifter...all you have are two options...up or down..and that's it! :-)

Still a damn good wheel though in my book!

I was thinking of the wrong game I was thinking about downshifts in the F1 games, and not GT. whooopps

 

[Gabkicks]

they've even got lil paddles on the wheel whichare pretty easy to use. I havent used em much though cus i spen all of my time using eithe 540,720, or full 900 mode I havent played any F1 games recently. Havent even gotten around to gtr

 

[jv38]

I just get my DFP wheel. It's incredible how it works with NFSU2, but I tried with Toca 2 and the weird think is that the Brake Pedal is working on the opposite direction. When I press pedal, the brake is released...

I need to do the unplug and plug back thing, but in the mean time if anybody knows what may be causing this, please let me know.

 

[skiter]

i bought my dfp a few days ago...
It´s definitely the best wheel around...
i´ve tried on prologue and it´s amazing. 👍

 

[1twojay]

i bought my dfp a few days ago...
It´s definitely the best wheel around...
i´ve tried on prologue and it´s amazing. 👍

lucky!

 

[Gabkicks]

I just get my DFP wheel. It's incredible how it works with NFSU2, but I tried with Toca 2 and the weird think is that the Brake Pedal is working on the opposite direction. When I press pedal, the brake is released...

I need to do the unplug and plug back thing, but in the mean time if anybody knows what may be causing this, please let me know.

Try running callibration. It thinks your pedal is inverted. A lot of times this happened to me also. see if theres an option to invert that pedal ingame. or maybe just running callibration over will fix it.

COme drift/ race with me in LFS!!!! www.liveforspeed.net

 

[Gabkicks]

Does anyone know how the Driving Force Pro feels in GT4? Does it feel realistic? Is it harder than it is in Live for Speed? What is racing and drifting with it like?

 

[FastAndy]

I have an odd question, does the dfp actually resist your steering motion like a real steering wheel?

 

[Gabkicks]

i dont know about in GT4. but in other racing games it gives you the almost the same resistance and assistance as in real life. You can tell from the force feedback when its time to countersteer, and sometimes the wheel fights you. Other times it says "drift me baby!!"

 

[stirlf1]

Hi.

Sorry if this has already been covered but how durable is the DFP? I'm considering purchasing one but I'm worried about how quickly it may wear out as I certainly wont be able to replace it if this occurs.

 

[SimRaceDriver]

Hi.

Sorry if this has already been covered but how durable is the DFP? I'm considering purchasing one but I'm worried about how quickly it may wear out as I certainly wont be able to replace it if this occurs.

Not sure about any one else on here but I purchased my DFP back when it first came out here in the states, which I think was like about this time last year IIRC and it's in the same good shape now as when I bought it...

From what I've heard and read on other forums as well as this one, the main issue with the DFP is not the wheel itself but the pedals themselves and how fast the pots tend to wear out/decalibrate after a unknown amount of time...However, from what I can find out, this is only on a limited number of wheels as I've not experienced this behavior as of yet.

Bottom line is that everyone that has purchased one, loves it. Thinks it adds to the 'realism' in their driving games & think the price is worth it.

 

[Gabkicks]

yeah, the pedals are not high quality. But the wheel is great.

 

[GTXLR]

The main problem i heard off and encountered myself, is not with the pedals pots, its more to do with the lack off cable slack within the pedal unit, which pulls the cables off the pots after repeated depression.

It is a simple repair, which requires opening up of the base unit, making more slack in the cable resecuring and reconnecting the connectors to the pots.

The trickiest part is re-assembly.

 

[Arwin]

The main problem i heard off and encountered myself, is not with the pedals pots, its more to do with the lack off cable slack within the pedal unit, which pulls the cables off the pots after repeated depression.

It is a simple repair, which requires opening up of the base unit, making more slack in the cable resecuring and reconnecting the connectors to the pots.

The trickiest part is re-assembly.

This is 100% correct. The re-assembly is a bit tricky because the pedals tend to fall out with the springs too. I do it by holding the base up-side-down just over my knees so the pedals rest a tiny bit on my knees (not completely because then they stick inside too much and come loose again). Then fix the bottom back on and put the screws in.

I bought my DF Pro more than a year ago (15 december 2003), fixed it as above in April, and have not had any problem since. And the wheel is still performing at decent FF strength, which is a lot more than I can say of any other wheel I've ever tried. 👍

 

[Gabkicks]

does it still shake your desk and computer at 100% force feedback when you drive over those blue and white strips on the edge of the road? i think thats awsome. Theres such detail to the force feedback 👍

 

[Buggy Boy]

Hi,

I'm thinking of getting one of these, but I still haven't got over being ripped off over the official GT3 wheel, there was a gear shift bug with it where you couldn't change gear during sharp turns.

Are there any such bugs with this new one?

The DFP has a very large neutral zone without FF. Can't believe nobody here has a problem with that!

The Momo Force has no such neutral zone.

 

[GTXLR]

does it still shake your desk and computer at 100% force feedback when you drive over those blue and white strips on the edge of the road? i think thats awsome. Theres such detail to the force feedback 👍

I built a quick makeshift unit out of 1/2 inch Chip board, and put one stabilising bar across the back off it.
It shook it apart in less than a day.

Its been much more rigorously rebuilt, it now has a brace front and rear at the top, a central brace across the back, and a secured angled pedal box which also acts as a brace, and is secured front and rear. its still shakes a little a times, but has been holding together nicely.

Get out of shape over the rumble strips and you really feel it, as the wheel wrenches back with gutso.

 

[yesterdaylight]

The DFP has a very large neutral zone without FF. Can't believe nobody here has a problem with that!

The Momo Force has no such neutral zone.

that has to do with software. ont he prologue there is a big neutral zone, but in the japan demo the neutral zone is drastically decreased. besides.. have you ever driven a real car ? there is a pretty decent neutral zone where not much feedback is given between straight and about 15 degrees each way. although i suppose it depends on the car and how it's steering is geared. later-

 

[Buggy Boy]

that has to do with software. ont he prologue there is a big neutral zone, but in the japan demo the neutral zone is drastically decreased. besides.. have you ever driven a real car ? there is a pretty decent neutral zone where not much feedback is given between straight and about 15 degrees each way. although i suppose it depends on the car and how it's steering is geared. later-

I have experienced today again, during an i-link race with k2racer, that the neutral zone is hardware related. We had 2 simulators with GT3C, one with a Momo Force, the other with a DFP. Changing from 1 simulator to the other, the difference was quite astonishing. No neutral zone on the Momo, while the DFP showed the same behaviour as with GT4P.

I doubt that this can be solved by improving the software only.

btw : I became so old recently that I now have 21 years of driving experience, there was a time that I raced a RHD Mini and an ex-rally Nissan 240 RS, and took my Porsche 914 and later my Matra Murena to clubraces. All this happened when I was 15 years younger ... but that is not too long ago yet to forget how a steering wheel feels (and that 15° you talk about seems me way too much)

But thx for replying, it is good to find out that some people are open for criticism towards this wheel.

 

[Gabkicks]

i know this is a little offtopic... but shouldnt you be buggy man>?

 

[skiter]

The DFP has a very large neutral zone without FF. Can't believe nobody here has a problem with that!

The Momo Force has no such neutral zone.

I´ve already tried a logitech momo force,and it sucks,after you experienced the 900º mode of dfp...
But that´s only my opinion...

 

[Revenent]

Finally read all 32 pages of this thread.

Buggy Boy: According to this thread, there is no hardware deadzone on the wheel itself.

Maybe there's a game setting? (I don't have a PS2, nor GT3, let alone a DFP, so I might be off my rockers.)

 

[k2racer]

Good to see that we can continue the discussion even with information from outside ' the planet' . I hope it will give us more information on this matter.

As Buggy Boy mentioned , experiencing the Momo was great for GT3/Concept, however, the DFP should prove itself on GT4/Prologue.

I am in the middle of the arguments, I experience a deadzone in real life driving (but excuse me all, i drive a Yaris/Vitz), I experience a dead zone in the DFP also....

Is it faulty, or intended? I don.t know, for sure the Momo did not have it.

(oh and I-link races are great, more people interested in the north of Belgium, south Netherlands???)

 

[SimRaceDriver]

Good to see that we can continue the discussion even with information from outside ' the planet' . I hope it will give us more information on this matter.

As Buggy Boy mentioned , experiencing the Momo was great for GT3/Concept, however, the DFP should prove itself on GT4/Prologue.

I am in the middle of the arguments, I experience a deadzone in real life driving (but excuse me all, i drive a Yaris/Vitz), I experience a dead zone in the DFP also....

Is it faulty, or intended? I don.t know, for sure the Momo did not have it.

(oh and I-link races are great, more people interested in the north of Belgium, south Netherlands???)

This may be a dumb question and you may have even already tried this but...
have you attempted to configure the wheel inside GT3? I think this 'dead-zone' is a one-hit wonder, in the fact that not many users experience or encounter it and therefore could be a simple matter of just not configuring the wheel or not doing it correctly..not that you fall into that group by the way...

 

[k2racer]

Yes I did and I am sure Buggy Boy did the same.

As I only own GT force that came with GT3 and the DFP, I am not having the experience of others that may switch form time to time to the Momo.

I feel the dead zone, or better stated a zone with lesser force applied, and it is not bothering me a lot to be honest. Actually I was not aware of it before Buggy Boy came to my house to compare the wheels.

We all now that the perfect wheel is not out there yet, at least with all these games out, the market for the developers is growing. This is a chance for smaller companies like Frex or actlabs and ecci to further develop great hardware.

It is afterall a commercial world we live in: we are the customers, if there is enough need, they will start making wheels and money out of it (read us)

 

[Buggy Boy]

i know this is a little offtopic... but shouldnt you be buggy man>?

According to my age ... probably, but I hope to remain young of mind

Finally read all 32 pages of this thread.

Buggy Boy: According to this thread, there is no hardware deadzone on the wheel itself.

Maybe there's a game setting? (I don't have a PS2, nor GT3, let alone a DFP, so I might be off my rockers.)

Congratulations to wrestle through all of this! I read in your link that it seems possible in PC games to adjust the neutral zone :

..., the only one that really bugs me is the deadzone in the centre which you cant adjust out on PS2, why does this have this and the Momo doesn't?

The question is not replied however. It should be logical that GT4 allows this setting, as the wheel has been developped for GT4 AFAIK.


... and btw, i-linking was indeed a great experience. I also hope we can gather up to 8 people to play GT4 in LAN within a few months. That's in N-E Belgium.

 

[Lapdog]

GT3 doesn't support the DFP's 900 mode but Concept does.

You will find that altering the steering assistance level will alter the curvature of the steering ratio. For example, in Amateur mode the wheel will not respond as much to subtle steering alterations. This may be perceived as a dead zone, though it is not.

If you calibrate the DFP or GT Force in GT3 at 180/220 mode, you can turn the wheel less than full lock for greater sensitivity.

In Concept, calibrate the wheel to 180 degrees while in 900 mode and the game will be able to save this setting, unlike GT3. This offers the same steering ratio as Prologue does for most cars.

 

[GTXLR]

Yes I did and I am sure Buggy Boy did the same.

I feel the dead zone, or better stated a zone with lesser force applied, and it is not bothering me a lot to be honest. Actually I was not aware of it before Buggy Boy came to my house to compare the wheels.

This is the element that i was unsure about what buggy boy was talking about, when he first got his wheel.

If he was suffering no resistance or feedback in the central zone, I believe his wheel was knackered.
But if it was merely a zone of less resistance, as you say then I believe, this is a consiquence of PD using the feedback and resistance, to simulate many different aspects.

1/ Turning resistance, which is slight initially and perhaps is not as stiff as it should be, also there will be some fractional dead zone so that every slight wobble of the wheel doesnt affect steering, much as is in real life The .
There is only slight resistance agreed but it is not free spinning in the dead zone.

2/ Weight transfer, as you turn the wheel further, the weight transfer affects the resistance in steering, and the wheel simulates the feel of weight to indicate the cars Grip level. When you go beyond grip you will feel the resistance slacken off.

3/ The wheel simulates rumble, If you driving straight over the curbs or gravel/grass or in a fast car down the the straight of fuji in Prologue, the wheel will vibrate when in the central zone, proving that the central zone is not dead.

4/ The wheel simulates Oversteer by puttin feedback through the wheel which forces the wheel to turn, to give the impression of Real life, If you get it really wrong you will feel the resistance right through the movement range of the wheel.

I come to the conclusion that the Actual simulated resistance to turning the wheel is quite weak, As the game Starts to use the FF engine to simulate other aspects it gets heavier and this is the variation you and Buggy Boy are experiencing, not truly a defect of the wheel, just a compromise in the games engine, and perhaps slightly unrealistic, however it is by far the best simulation of a racing wheel on a console yet and is something that youll have to live with, and in time youll grow to accept it and hardly notice it at all.

 

[Buggy Boy]

Well ... you can get used to anything. I once read about a kidnapped man who was forced every morning to have his own excrements as breakfast, and when he got released after a very long time, he actually was missing his usual breakfast