R factor and steering wheels. Talk to me.
Discussion
Hi Forum,
I'm after a realistic simulation type game where driving is at least partially real, i.e nowt like the big name console stuff where you drive everywhere on full throttle or full brake, and "headers" give you 4 seconds a lap.
I _think_ that R factor is meant to be such a beast, and as a bonus, it appears you can get Uk tracks as add ons - maybe even more cars too (ideally, I'd have a Caterham available in there, if the physics are right). What I can't seem to find is - will it play well on my system (which is old hat):
Athlon 64 3800+ / 2.41 ghz
1 gig ram (Cl2)
GeForce 6600T (I have another similar era card somewhere, if this one is lame)
7200 rpm UDMA133 hard drive
All on a marginally pony Nforce 3 motherboard, with onboard sound (MSI K8N Neo2)
IF I can get R Factor running well, the next question is re. steering wheels. I have no idea whats good these days, I'm after decent feedback though the wheels, and can take / leave pedals to suit, if need be. Obviously, pedals are a good thing, but not if they're like the flimsy ones that have no resistance to your foot.
Thanks in advice
Gump
I'm after a realistic simulation type game where driving is at least partially real, i.e nowt like the big name console stuff where you drive everywhere on full throttle or full brake, and "headers" give you 4 seconds a lap.
I _think_ that R factor is meant to be such a beast, and as a bonus, it appears you can get Uk tracks as add ons - maybe even more cars too (ideally, I'd have a Caterham available in there, if the physics are right). What I can't seem to find is - will it play well on my system (which is old hat):
Athlon 64 3800+ / 2.41 ghz
1 gig ram (Cl2)
GeForce 6600T (I have another similar era card somewhere, if this one is lame)
7200 rpm UDMA133 hard drive
All on a marginally pony Nforce 3 motherboard, with onboard sound (MSI K8N Neo2)
IF I can get R Factor running well, the next question is re. steering wheels. I have no idea whats good these days, I'm after decent feedback though the wheels, and can take / leave pedals to suit, if need be. Obviously, pedals are a good thing, but not if they're like the flimsy ones that have no resistance to your foot.
Thanks in advice
Gump
Should run OK, but not at a huge resolution.
It's a bit old now, and rfactor 2 comes out early next year, so it might be a bit outdated soon.
As for wheels, get a G25/G27, or something like that and you'll be laughing. If you're on a tight budget, the Fanatec Carrera wheel should do you well.
-a
It's a bit old now, and rfactor 2 comes out early next year, so it might be a bit outdated soon.
As for wheels, get a G25/G27, or something like that and you'll be laughing. If you're on a tight budget, the Fanatec Carrera wheel should do you well.
-a
You can download a time and function limited demo of rFactor from their website.
http://www.rfactor.net/buyonline/
System requirements are at the bottom of this page.
http://www.rfactor.net/features/#sysreqs
rFactor does have a Caterham mod, just search Youtube for 'rFactor Caterham'. They also have a lot of UK tracks
Race07, another sim, has Caterham CSRs in it, but they are not in the demo.
http://www.race-game.org/race07/download/demo.htm
Regarding wheels, my vote would be for a Logitech G27.
Other sims you might want to look into from a high realism POV, although they don't yet have Caterhams would be netKar Pro and iRacing.
netKar Pro limited demo is here.
http://www.netkar-pro.com/about.htm
iRacing is subscription based but they have a good deal for first time subscribers at the moment. 3 months racing for $12.
http://www.iracing.com/buy-1-get-2/
HTH
http://www.rfactor.net/buyonline/
System requirements are at the bottom of this page.
http://www.rfactor.net/features/#sysreqs
rFactor does have a Caterham mod, just search Youtube for 'rFactor Caterham'. They also have a lot of UK tracks
Race07, another sim, has Caterham CSRs in it, but they are not in the demo.
http://www.race-game.org/race07/download/demo.htm
Regarding wheels, my vote would be for a Logitech G27.
Other sims you might want to look into from a high realism POV, although they don't yet have Caterhams would be netKar Pro and iRacing.
netKar Pro limited demo is here.
http://www.netkar-pro.com/about.htm
iRacing is subscription based but they have a good deal for first time subscribers at the moment. 3 months racing for $12.
http://www.iracing.com/buy-1-get-2/
HTH
Thanks gents. Currently waiting to snipe a G25 near me tonight on fleabay.
SS, you seem to have tried a few - which is closer to "real" - iracer, or rFactor? At the risk of being all "me too", I'd like to stick with things other PHers use for the inevitable moment that I can't get it working properly, at which point somehow someone in The lounge will know how to fix it (PH collectively can fix anything, it seems =) )
SS, you seem to have tried a few - which is closer to "real" - iracer, or rFactor? At the risk of being all "me too", I'd like to stick with things other PHers use for the inevitable moment that I can't get it working properly, at which point somehow someone in The lounge will know how to fix it (PH collectively can fix anything, it seems =) )
Some Gump said:
Thanks gents. Currently waiting to snipe a G25 near me tonight on fleabay.
SS, you seem to have tried a few - which is closer to "real" - iracer, or rFactor? At the risk of being all "me too", I'd like to stick with things other PHers use for the inevitable moment that I can't get it working properly, at which point somehow someone in The lounge will know how to fix it (PH collectively can fix anything, it seems =) )
It's a very difficult question to answer, while rFactor has many mods, probably only a few could be considered realistic. SS, you seem to have tried a few - which is closer to "real" - iracer, or rFactor? At the risk of being all "me too", I'd like to stick with things other PHers use for the inevitable moment that I can't get it working properly, at which point somehow someone in The lounge will know how to fix it (PH collectively can fix anything, it seems =) )
The Supra mod feels quite real to me, although I've never driven a real one, I imagine this is pretty close.
http://www.virtualr.net/toyota-supra-mkiv-10-relea...
The Epsilon Euskadi mod was created using input from the manufacturers so that is also likely to be good.
http://www.enduracers.com/readme/README_EPSILON_EU...
iRacing cars and tracks are created by the company and therefore the realism should be very high, IMO it does feel very real.
The tracks will be the most realistic of any commercial sim because they are laser scanned, recreating the correct cambers, pitches and bumps of the real circuits.
iRacing are working on a new tyre model as well so it's only going to improve with time.
I think it may be more of a personal opinion on which feels the most real, your best bet would be to try them for yourself.
I like rFactor, loads of mods/cars/tracks etc... But I'd have to say that LFS feels more like real driving. More feeling of weight and inertia to the cars. Or something like that. Both work well with the G25.
And Simbin's racers are good for a laugh too, similar feel to rFactor in my opinion. GTL GTR1/2/Evo, all good.
And Simbin's racers are good for a laugh too, similar feel to rFactor in my opinion. GTL GTR1/2/Evo, all good.
I've tried most of the current choice of driving sims and here are my thoughts. It's a little hard for me to judge the realism as I've not been in a real racing car this year due to lack of funds, but nevertheless here we go:
RFactor: Very good, but the only problem is that beyond the four or five cars and tracks you get with the game, everything is an amateur mod. The problem with amateur mods in sims is that you're never sure of the realism, which sort of defeats the object of a sim! Having said that, the Caterham mod that the OP mentioned does feel broadly realistic (I've owned two in real life, and raced one), and Silverstone looks good to me (as is the downloadable Cadwell Park). It's certainly worth £20, if only for driving Caterham R500s at Mid Ohio!
NetKar: Feels quite different to RFactor, but if you get into it then it feels quite realistic. Single seaters only, which suits me
iRacing: I'm unsure about some aspects of the physics, but that's only noticeable in some cars. Currently I'm driving the MX5 Roadster, Skip Barber car and Star Mazda and they feel extremely good. The tracks are the real highlight for me. I've downloaded (sorry, bought - more about that later) Brands Hatch, which is a track I know extremely well in real life, and it is absolutely bang on. Every sim I've ever tried with Brands on it gets it wrong, but this is 100% accurate. The downside with iRacing is its profit making agenda - everything costs money. You have to pay per month to use the sim (about a tenner IIRC), you have to pay for the cars (again, about a tenner), and the tracks (tenner again). Not only that, but they suck you into racing in championships and you have to buy the cars and the tracks to do that (more money!). The other frustrating thing is the license system, but I understand why they've done it and it's very effective. Basically, you have to start in a really slow Mazda MX5 and do quite a number of races to build your experience up. Everytime you put a wheel off the grass, spin or touch another car these experience points get reduced. True, it works well, but I had a frustrating time initially storming round 3 seconds a lap quicker than the other "rookie" cars and having plenty of comings together when they braked about a hundred yards early, or lost control in front of me. Eventually, I disciplined myself to qualify for each race properly and then lead from start to finish, thus avoiding the other cars and building up my safety rating. The system works well though, I shouldn't criticise it. I just wish it wasn't so damm expensive! All I will ever use iRacing for is practise between races on a few select tracks. I simply don't think it's worth the money to compete in regularly. That said, the online scene on most sims is fairly poor, with plenty of idiots ruining it for you, whereas iRacing is reasonable once you get beyond those first rookie levels. The other thing worth mentioning is it's a very American game. Yes, you can drive lightweight single seaters at Brands, but the majority of the championships are big heavy cars driving round in circles, or whatever shenannigans they get up to in America in the name of motorsport
GTR2: feels great - it's a sim of GT racers and predates all of the above. The online racing is great now it's an older game too and just seems to attract hardcore simmers rather than 16 year olds on a crash mission.
GPL: Still great fun after all these years. The grandaddy of all of the above. Simulates '67 GP cars with 400bhp and skinny tyres - fantastic!
LFS: I haven't tried this for years, but it used to be reasonable, but with an odd tyre model. it's moved on a lot lately and I really must get round to trying it again.
RFactor: Very good, but the only problem is that beyond the four or five cars and tracks you get with the game, everything is an amateur mod. The problem with amateur mods in sims is that you're never sure of the realism, which sort of defeats the object of a sim! Having said that, the Caterham mod that the OP mentioned does feel broadly realistic (I've owned two in real life, and raced one), and Silverstone looks good to me (as is the downloadable Cadwell Park). It's certainly worth £20, if only for driving Caterham R500s at Mid Ohio!
NetKar: Feels quite different to RFactor, but if you get into it then it feels quite realistic. Single seaters only, which suits me
iRacing: I'm unsure about some aspects of the physics, but that's only noticeable in some cars. Currently I'm driving the MX5 Roadster, Skip Barber car and Star Mazda and they feel extremely good. The tracks are the real highlight for me. I've downloaded (sorry, bought - more about that later) Brands Hatch, which is a track I know extremely well in real life, and it is absolutely bang on. Every sim I've ever tried with Brands on it gets it wrong, but this is 100% accurate. The downside with iRacing is its profit making agenda - everything costs money. You have to pay per month to use the sim (about a tenner IIRC), you have to pay for the cars (again, about a tenner), and the tracks (tenner again). Not only that, but they suck you into racing in championships and you have to buy the cars and the tracks to do that (more money!). The other frustrating thing is the license system, but I understand why they've done it and it's very effective. Basically, you have to start in a really slow Mazda MX5 and do quite a number of races to build your experience up. Everytime you put a wheel off the grass, spin or touch another car these experience points get reduced. True, it works well, but I had a frustrating time initially storming round 3 seconds a lap quicker than the other "rookie" cars and having plenty of comings together when they braked about a hundred yards early, or lost control in front of me. Eventually, I disciplined myself to qualify for each race properly and then lead from start to finish, thus avoiding the other cars and building up my safety rating. The system works well though, I shouldn't criticise it. I just wish it wasn't so damm expensive! All I will ever use iRacing for is practise between races on a few select tracks. I simply don't think it's worth the money to compete in regularly. That said, the online scene on most sims is fairly poor, with plenty of idiots ruining it for you, whereas iRacing is reasonable once you get beyond those first rookie levels. The other thing worth mentioning is it's a very American game. Yes, you can drive lightweight single seaters at Brands, but the majority of the championships are big heavy cars driving round in circles, or whatever shenannigans they get up to in America in the name of motorsport
GTR2: feels great - it's a sim of GT racers and predates all of the above. The online racing is great now it's an older game too and just seems to attract hardcore simmers rather than 16 year olds on a crash mission.
GPL: Still great fun after all these years. The grandaddy of all of the above. Simulates '67 GP cars with 400bhp and skinny tyres - fantastic!
LFS: I haven't tried this for years, but it used to be reasonable, but with an odd tyre model. it's moved on a lot lately and I really must get round to trying it again.
I've been simming for years (now that I think about it - since F1GP on the Amiga in 1992! ).
I think Rob's summed the current crop up well with one small error - Live For Speed certainly hasn't moved on a lot - it's not been updated for around 18 months now and updates don't look likely any time soon.
iRacing and netKar Pro are the best recreations of the driving experience, but the rFactor engine is capable of producing some comparable handling. rFactor 2 is due soon anyway so it might be worth holding on for.
iRacing is the daddy overall but I've not renewed my subscription as it's just too much of an obligation when you're paying so much money. It's great if you have a lot of spare time though
netKar has recently been updated and I think offers the best alternative to iRacing at a much better price
The developer has worked with various motorsport teams (including F1) and created their simulations, so its accuracy is hard to question. It's always felt great to me, and doesn't suffer from the Americo-centric content of iRacing.
One huge feature that netkar and rFactor2 are due to introduce is weather. I know the yanks don't like racing in the rain but I think this is a huge omission in iRacing, and will put it on the back foot.
Oh, err and as for original question... ... the G25 and G27 are superb. A cheaper alternative is the Driving Force Pro.
I think Rob's summed the current crop up well with one small error - Live For Speed certainly hasn't moved on a lot - it's not been updated for around 18 months now and updates don't look likely any time soon.
iRacing and netKar Pro are the best recreations of the driving experience, but the rFactor engine is capable of producing some comparable handling. rFactor 2 is due soon anyway so it might be worth holding on for.
iRacing is the daddy overall but I've not renewed my subscription as it's just too much of an obligation when you're paying so much money. It's great if you have a lot of spare time though
netKar has recently been updated and I think offers the best alternative to iRacing at a much better price
The developer has worked with various motorsport teams (including F1) and created their simulations, so its accuracy is hard to question. It's always felt great to me, and doesn't suffer from the Americo-centric content of iRacing.
One huge feature that netkar and rFactor2 are due to introduce is weather. I know the yanks don't like racing in the rain but I think this is a huge omission in iRacing, and will put it on the back foot.
Oh, err and as for original question...
... the G25 and G27 are superb. A cheaper alternative is the Driving Force Pro.Edited by durbster on Wednesday 22 December 10:19
Altrezia said:
Live for Speed is a good bet too - well said Olli. It's not as realistic as iRacing, but that's mainly down to the lack of decent tracks more than physics. The tyre model is better than iRacings, and the game is much much cheaper.
Had a rather official looking email from Fanatec saying my GT3 has shipped finally Alex! any word on yours???ETA: on further inspeaction of the UPS details, it says 3 packages with a weight of 3kg. so christ knows....
Sheduled delivery on 24th.Edited by S3_Graham on Wednesday 22 December 11:25
I agree entirely with all of the above. I've also been simming since F1GP1, if you can call that a sim! I remember spending the entire Easter holidays doing a season on 100% race distance The excitement of getting "The Ultimate Accolade" at the end was immense! A jerky graphic of an Alain Prost lookalike lifting a trophy if I remember rightly! Right, I've now got a G25, installed rfactor demo, and it's bloody uncontrolable - no steering, then loads.
Does anyone have a setup that works, so I can tweak all those slidy bars on the config screen?
I've also shelled out the heady sum of 4 quid for Race 07 + caterham pack on steam - looks like the D/L will take until tomorrow tho
Cheers
Gump
Does anyone have a setup that works, so I can tweak all those slidy bars on the config screen?
I've also shelled out the heady sum of 4 quid for Race 07 + caterham pack on steam - looks like the D/L will take until tomorrow tho
Cheers
Gump
In the Logitech profiler, the G25 software, set the following options...
Overall FX - 100%
Spring FX - 0%
Damper FX - 0%
Disable centering spring
Disable report combined pedals (This allows simultaneous brake and throttle usage)
Set degrees of rotation to your preference, I use about 360 most of the time.
In rFactor.
Go to Settings / Rates
Speed sensitivity = 0
Go to Settings / Force Feedback
Force Feedback Type = Wheel
FX = Full
Strength = -100% (Some mods reverse the FF, so change it to positive if this is the case)
Go to Settings / Controller
Sensitivity = 50% for all axes and all controllers
Deadzone = 0% for all axes and all controllers
Overall FX - 100%
Spring FX - 0%
Damper FX - 0%
Disable centering spring
Disable report combined pedals (This allows simultaneous brake and throttle usage)
Set degrees of rotation to your preference, I use about 360 most of the time.
In rFactor.
Go to Settings / Rates
Speed sensitivity = 0
Go to Settings / Force Feedback
Force Feedback Type = Wheel
FX = Full
Strength = -100% (Some mods reverse the FF, so change it to positive if this is the case)
Go to Settings / Controller
Sensitivity = 50% for all axes and all controllers
Deadzone = 0% for all axes and all controllers
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