What should I expect from the DFP?

[Dracwolley]

Whoot, I'm getting the driving force pro in about a week. What should I expect from this beast after using the DS2 for two years? How long do you think it'll take me to get used to it?

Also, which do you use to shift, paddles or standard one?
I think i'll be using the standard one most of the time, for the cars like the Cobra and stuff, which I drive most often. And the paddles for like the Aston Vanquish and race cars.

 

[Greycap]

First you'll be frustrated. Then you'll be frustrated to no end. You know what to do, but you can't do it. It took me around two months to be able to match my DS2 times but this depends on your level before doing the switch, I had used the DS/DS2 for seven years. Now I've been using the wheel for a year and a half, upgrading the DFP to a G25 this summer.

I always used the shifter in the DFP, the paddles are hard to hit during tight cornering.

 

[Dracwolley]

I can assume from the fact that you're so frustrated that it isn't very realistic compared to real driving, because I bet you aren't that frustrated while driving... Correcto?

 

[FoolKiller]

Whoot, I'm getting the driving force pro in about a week. What should I expect from this beast after using the DS2 for two years? How long do you think it'll take me to get used to it?

Also, which do you use to shift, paddles or standard one?
I think i'll be using the standard one most of the time, for the cars like the Cobra and stuff, which I drive most often. And the paddles for like the Aston Vanquish and race cars.

You will find you have greater sex appeal and women will come to you all the time. Women you never knew will show up at your door.

I can assume from the fact that you're so frustrated that it isn't very realistic compared to real driving, because I bet you aren't that frustrated while driving... Correcto?

Seriously now. It takes time to adapat after you have grown used to using the DS. It isn't frustrating because it doesn't work like normal, but that it doesn't react as fast as teh controller, because when you push a button you are basically yanking the wheel over immediately. You have to get used to the feel and what all the responses mean. I never drove a real car at over 100 mph around a race track. I am not used to having to make minute steering adjustments immediately. My biggest issue was the speed at which I have to steer when I used to just twitch my thumbs.

The other thing is that the input from the pedals take adjusting to as each car behaves differently so you must adapt how hard you accelerate at take off and out of curves. Some cars will spin out earlier while others can be floored.


Once you get used to all the individual inputs for each car you will find you actually find yourself maneuvering through turns smoothly. You will slow down without locking the wheels and you will take off without spinning. You will go through your racing lines without having to make the minute adjustments back and forth to get it just right the way you do on the DS.

It's something you don't realize you do because you are used to it, but if you go back and watch pre DFP replays with DFP replays you will see that on teh DS your car twitched backa nd forth just a bit but with the DFP you smoothly line up and go, at most making a small correction.

Once you have it completely down you will notice that your times are better and you do it more naturally. I struggled with a few of my license tests but with the DFP now I am working on all golds. Silvers are almost easy now.

Oh, and the game is just much more fun. I find myself in a white knuckle grip and even working up a sweat when I am in a close race (like 100+ points).

 

[Tornado]

You will find you have greater sex appeal and women will come to you all the time. Women you never knew will show up at your door.

 

[Dracwolley]

You will find you have greater sex appeal and women will come to you all the time. Women you never knew will show up at your door.

I'm certainly looking forward to that one... Hehe...

Oh, and the game is just much more fun. I find myself in a white knuckle grip and even working up a sweat when I am in a close race (like 100+ points).

Good! I was always looking for a way to exercise while having fun, and now I've found it!

 

[Kurei]

The main points you'll have to worry about is getting over the frustration of the difference between instant-steer with the DS2, and delayed, but more precise steering with the DFP, then after that its adjusting your body movements to the right amounts for every action you need to do that you used to be able to do with a push of a button.

It took me about 2 weeks until i matched a DS2 time with my DFP, and a couple of days after that i beat it, and kept beating it over and over, to the point that it became second-nature.

So i'd say expect a schedule like this,

1st Week: Complete frustration, consideration of a switch-back to the DSC, maybe a little disapointment in yourself for a day or two
2nd Week: You'll start to notice that your getting the hang of it, your steering input is a little more precise and your following a line thats a little different than the old one, couple days after you should match a old DS2 time thats respectable, then another, and so on

By the third week you should have it down no problem, if you don't then your not trying hard enough

Anyways good luck

 

[Dracwolley]

Thanks guys.

Would it help if I just fooled around and drove pretty slowly for a few days, on maybe the city courses with the sharp curves? Just to get used to it?

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Nah, just run slower cars.

 

[Mt. Lynx]

Thanks guys.

Would it help if I just fooled around and drove pretty slowly for a few days, on maybe the city courses with the sharp curves? Just to get used to it?

Do the licensetests with the racingline switched on! That really helps alot.

 

[Smallhorses]

I'd say don't compare directly to DS2 times it'll only lead to initial frustration, and the temptation to quit.

Go to the licence hall. Aim to get gold times

in every licence! 👍
Do not race at all until you've done this!!!!
That's how I taught myself to drive with the wheel, having been an avid button masher for the previous 3 GT incarnations.
If you've got the patience to do this, and you can gold every test, you've a) taught yourself the wheel control, and b) learnt a fair bit about racing lines, braking distances, and throttle control.
You're now ready to take on pretty much anything the game can throw at you, without getting out of your depth

.

The pedals allow you the finesse in throttle/brake balance that is difficult to achieve with DS2, and the fine steering control is nice once you're used to it, however, I still struggle to recover from spins as quickly as I could with DS2, but it's taught me smoother driving, and therefore I spin a lot less anyway!

(I also completed all 34 missions before I attempted a single GT4 race. Sounds extreme, but it certainly helped me progress through the game with maximum racing enjoyment, high A-spec points, tight challenges, and not to be dependant on heavily modified cars to win races.
I thoroughly understand that this isn't everyone's cup-of-tea though!

)

 

[FoolKiller]

Nah, just run slower cars.

This is actually a huge help. I spent a lot of time using a Prius and other low end cars and then worked my way up in power. This was easy for me to do because I enjoy taking an underpowered car and trying to win 100+ point races with them. Some people don't have that kind of patience.

 

[Greycap]

1st Week: Complete frustration, consideration of a switch-back to the DSC, maybe a little disapointment in yourself for a day or two
2nd Week: You'll start to notice that your getting the hang of it, your steering input is a little more precise and your following a line thats a little different than the old one, couple days after you should match a old DS2 time thats respectable, then another, and so on

By the third week you should have it down no problem, if you don't then your not trying hard enough

Anyways good luck

I don't think it goes quite that fast, or then your DS2 skills weren't just good enough to begin with.

When one has played with the DS2 for the seven years I had (and pretty much perfected their own techniques using it), it takes more than two weeks to master the DFP well enough to match the old times. While the DFP times after that two weeks may be good, the old DS2 times were still so much better that there will be a lot more time spent trying to reach them. But it's definitely worth it. 👍

 

[Leonidae]

^ what he said. and one more hint: start with a '04 MX-5/Miata 1600.. and do NOT start with mid-engined car.

 

[BobK]

It only took me a day or two to get up to speed with a DFP. Although I'd spent a fair amount of time playing GT1 and GT2 I was still new to GT4, I'd had it only a month or so. I was getting terminally frustrated with a few of the license tests, IB-9 in particular (the twisty section from T1 to T2 on Citta di Aria) and was seriously considering abandoning the game. Instead I bought a DFP. So I really wasn't all that good with GT4 yet at the time (not that I'm all that good now ).

I'd echo the advice about redoing some of the license tests, but I wouldn't insist on 80 golds before actually racing!

In any case, good luck to you with your new wheel; I'm sure that within a short time, whether it be a day or a month, you'll be doing better than you did with the DS2. Particularly if you have RL driving experience.

 

[Penarin]

Dracwolley- expect to love it! GT4 + DFP = tons of racing goodness.

Looking back, it took me about a week to get used to the wheel. Once I did, I liked it so much that I reset my joypad game (somewhere around 20% complete) and started fresh with the wheel. It was so much more fun, and so much more real.

I'm at about 55% with the wheel, all A Spec, and I can't even imagine going back to the dual shock controller.

In fact, the wheel rocks so much that I went racing crazy and picked up Flat Out, TOCA Race Driver 3, and Enthusia Pro Racing...

 

[Dracwolley]

^I can just imagine swooping around that first light curve at Fuji in my cobra.... YOu make it sound great.

 

[Biggles]

Get EPR & try running the Ring in a AC Cobra without any black flags. After that, GT4 with the DFP won't seem frustrating at all...

 

[Dracwolley]

Ok, I got it last week!

And I'm better than I've ever been with DS2 times... ever.

I was that way ON THE THIRD DAY with it DDD

Last night I pulled off a speedy 1'35 around seattle in a stock Cobra.

 

[AOS-]

here's anoher one but its a bit late..

"Expect the Unexpected"

what do i mean? well there are possibly at least 25 meanings to this related to the DFP. I'll let you figure them out even know you know some