# Racing simulators, esp. Assetto Corsa



## mauvais (Mar 17, 2015)

In this probably unsuccessful thread, we will talk about racing simulators, especially those for PC; this being stuff like GTR2 and Assetto Corsa, rather than say the much more arcadey Need For Speed or whatever.

So, to start with, I bought this:







(no I don't leave the monitor there when using it)

That's a nice bit of kit with appropriately sprung pedals, force feedback, and 900 degree steering. The ergonomics of my setup aren't brilliant and could do with a bit of work, as it tends to hurt if used for a long time.

And then what to do with it? This:











Assetto Corsa is a beautiful thing, and to me, part of a renaissance for PC gaming. It's still early days for it yet, but they've been out and laser scanned tracks like the Nurburgring. This means not only is it visually accurate, but you get every bump in the road. The cars all handle significantly differently and I've no reason to think they're not spot on too.

I have a love/hate relationship with AC; love because it's brilliant, but hard because it's fucking difficult and ultimately physically exhausting. If I'm careful, I can get around the Ring about two minutes slower than anyone else, but once I push it, I inevitably crash about five minutes in, and it's a long process to try and perfect the technique.

Someone has put together a timing website that lets you compare your time against all other users; looking at my own profile, I'd say it's easy enough to get within about 107% of the record, and then it becomes very very hard to improve. But deeply addictive.

Anyone else have at least a passing interest in this stuff?


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## beesonthewhatnow (Mar 17, 2015)

I would absolutely love to set a decent car/racing sim setup.

But a) I'd neve then leave the house and b) aqua would kill me


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## beesonthewhatnow (Mar 17, 2015)

As for you crashing at the 'ring - maybe start on a somewhat less challenging track first?


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## mauvais (Mar 17, 2015)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> As for you crashing at the 'ring - maybe start on a somewhat less challenging track first?


Well, there is that 

I do alright at Spa in a GT2 car, but the Ring is a different kettle of fish, especially in a different car, so it probably is a case of working up to it. But new and shiny things!


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## Supine (Mar 17, 2015)

I'd love something like this


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## Supine (Mar 17, 2015)

Are they any good on ps4?


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## aqua (Mar 17, 2015)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> I would absolutely love to set a decent car/racing sim setup.
> 
> But a) I'd neve then leave the house and b) aqua would kill me


Yes, yes I would.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Mar 17, 2015)

mauvais said:


> Well, there is that
> 
> I do alright at Spa in a GT2 car, but the Ring is a different kettle of fish, especially in a different car, so it probably is a case of working up to it. But new and shiny things!


The silverstone GP circuit would be a good starter. It's got lots of interesting corners and is fast, but isn't too complicated to learn.


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## Citizen66 (Mar 17, 2015)

Forza 3 is my favourite racing game. And yeah, I had the Xbox steering wheel.


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## mauvais (Mar 17, 2015)

Supine said:


> Are they any good on ps4?


You can get the Logitech wheel for a PS3, and with some tinkering it may now work on a PS4 (didn't at first), but I don't have one so can't help.

FWIW the wheel cost me about £170 in Currys a while back, which in gaming terms ain't that bad.

In terms of serious sims, there's been very little talk about getting Assetto Corsa on PS4, so that might be a long shot, but Project CARS is coming along in May (I think) and that might be a good rival.


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## mauvais (Apr 3, 2015)

Slowly getting somewhere with this, not least by watching this fabulously 1980s film, Skip Barber's Going Faster. In the slowest car on the slowest track, I got within 3% of the record.

Still can't get around the Ring in one piece though, at least not without being a minute slower than literally everyone else.


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## Dandred (Apr 3, 2015)

How realistic does it feel with your set up?


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## alsoknownas (Apr 3, 2015)

Do you think VR will assist your pursuit when it arrives. Any of the above citing compatibility?


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## mauvais (Apr 3, 2015)

Dandred said:


> How realistic does it feel with your set up?


Bear in mind that in real life, I only have road experience, no time on track. I reckon it's pretty good.

I believe the simulation to be pretty realistic. The cars all handle very differently based on their characteristics, and present different challenges. The record lap times appear to reflect real world realities for that track & car, which tells you something.

In terms of the physical set up, you get very good steering feedback through the wheel, actually better than some modern cars with electric steering, which I initially expected to be much more of a novelty. The pedals are a little bit lacking - a real car isn't linear, especially the brake pedal - and there's no feedback there like you get with ABS. Then of course you lack a lot of real life cues like accelerative forces and e.g. the nose dipping under braking, but you get used to it.


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## mauvais (Apr 3, 2015)

alsoknownas said:


> Do you think VR will assist your pursuit when it arrives. Any of the above citing compatibility?


I believe it works with Oculus Rift. I can't say I'm hugely enthusiastic about VR, probably because I wear glasses and generally everything along those lines that I've experienced to date - including 3D cinema specs - feels compromised, but I don't really know. I think some people are getting on OK with it, but they also report it can be a bit fatiguing. The game is already quite tiring as I describe above.


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## Citizen66 (Apr 3, 2015)

In some of my wilder simming fantasies I wanted to get this force feedback seat:

http://www.ivibe.com


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## mauvais (Apr 4, 2015)

Actually Dandred, on  reflection, a better way of putting it is that it gives you more than enough cues to identify that fleeting 'waaagh' moment where you ask too much of the braking/steering/throttle or whatever all at once, and are about to slide, potentially letting you catch it or remove whatever it was that caused it. I'm not entirely sure this isn't the case to some extent with lesser input methods, but this works very well and is natural too.


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## Jackobi (Apr 4, 2015)

mauvais said:


> It's still early days for it yet, but they've been out and laser scanned tracks like the Nurburgring.



To be fair, that is nothing new. Image Space Incorporated used laser scanned tracks for rFactor which was released in 2005. Unfortunately, the rFactor community died off a bit when ISI introduced an annual fee for rFactor2. I used to regularly race online with 30+ other people just in one race.

What set-up options does Asseto Corsa have? In rFactor everything could be tweaked, suspension, camber, tire pressure, steering lock. This is just the suspension screen:






Also, what is the online community like, are the servers full, do people race seriously or just mess around?


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## mauvais (Apr 4, 2015)

Jackobi said:


> To be fair, that is nothing new. Image Space Incorporated used laser scanned tracks for rFactor which was released in 2005. Unfortunately, the rFactor community died off a bit when ISI introduced an annual fee for rFactor2. I used to regularly race online with 30+ other people just in one race.
> 
> What set-up options does Asseto Corsa have? In rFactor everything could be tweaked, suspension, camber, tire pressure, steering lock. This is just the suspension screen:
> 
> ...


Regarding setup, the stuff you actually list is there, but certainly nothing like the image you show. But then I'm not a vehicle dynamicist or race engineer so I couldn't give two hoots.

As for online, people race seriously but it's mostly private servers so it's whatever you make of it.


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## Dandred (Apr 4, 2015)

Does the wheel move the same and the car turns if you know what I mean? 

How much did it set you back, I wouldn't mind having a go at something like Grand Turismo again!


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## mauvais (Apr 4, 2015)

Dandred said:


> Does the wheel move the same and the car turns if you know what I mean?
> 
> How much did it set you back, I wouldn't mind having a go at something like Grand Turismo again!


You can set it up so the in-car view matches your steering input, if that's what you're asking? If you're asking whether the feedback changes as you turn, then yes. Typically as you ask more of it, it gets firmer, until you induce oversteer/understeer and then it goes light.

The wheel was & is £170: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/gaming...s/logitech-g27-racing-wheel-21406542-pdt.html

I suspect it'll hold its value quite well.

The game is £40 on Steam now (with the DLC).


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