Hi, everyone - I'm a new LFS driver. I've been playing GT4 for the last few months and read about this game on the GTPlanet forums, so I installed Windows (shudder) on my HTPC to give it a shot. I liked the demo enough to buy a license.

So, my question is as in the topic: when would it be sensible to start driving online without being in danger of stuffing up anyone else's game or drawing cries of 'noob'? I've read all the 'etiquette' guides I can find, and I've passed the first 20 or so practice tests at 'quick' or 'pro' level: is this enough, or should I do more practicing before taking it out to the real world? Thanks for any thoughts.

Lots of people will probably recommend that you practice some more but I am not one of them.

If, as you say, you have read guides and understand racing rules then get amongst it online. I would recommend that you don't try to equal Fangio's acheivements right away. Just get used to multi-car action until you have more confidence.

Bah, Fangio was a hack!

Thanks for the input. Maybe I'll run through a few more tests tomorrow then give it a shot.

edit: btw, I recognise that sig from GTPlanet - are you over there too?

this is an online game so the only way to learn is to race online!

Quote from AdamW :

Bah, Fangio was a hack!

Thanks for the input. Maybe I'll run through a few more tests tomorrow then give it a shot.

edit: btw, I recognise that sig from GTPlanet - are you over there too?

My sig? No I never have visited GTPlanet.

It's always a good idea to learn car control offline a bit, or the track when you're new to it. Racing you can only learn online - offline you only learn evading the (slow) AI drivers.

It's very nice to see someone who actually cares about that and even asks first on the forums Another thing you should do (atleast I do it when I'm new to a car/track combo) is to start from the pits. So as soon as you are on the grid and see the red light go on, hit Shift+S to go back to the pits, then wait ~5 seconds to join back starting from the pits. It's not necessary to do this when you start last, though. The main point is to stay out of T1 carnage - you need very much experience and situational awareness to make it through there without incident. Usually when starting from the back, you can already pass a bunch of racers on T1 because they're still recovering from the kitty litter

Also, as dumb and simple as it sounds, remember: for each car in the corner infront of you, you have to brake one car length earlier than the normal brakepoint. Hitting the brakes when you see the brake lights of the car infront light up is in 99% of all cases too late.

Quote :

When to start driving online?

When you can complete a 5 lap race without crashing you're ready to play online and start the real learning. It should just be a few hours of practice - if that. Just enough to get some general competency.

Practicing online is fine, however there are some combinations that are perhaps best avoided at first - the short tracks with big fields where accidents are aplenty with experienced drivers.

When you first log on watch a few races from people at the front, if your speed is too slow then practice a little more, speed differential can be quite dangerous - like going through a chicane at half the speed of everyone else.

However in most cases you will find that driving around 5 or more seconds off the pace is still actually quite safe.

There are some things you can only learn online by experience.

What I always do on an unfamiliar track/car combo is join a server and spectate for a few laps. Find the leader (because he's probably driving the best lines) and watch how he drives until you get a clue on brakepoints and cornerspeeds for that car on that layout.

Once you think you have the overview, get in the car and get going and start having fun. Just make sure others realize you are quite new and make sure you got a bind for "Sorry"

It seems to work for me although a few drivers will probably not think I have this right until I practice that specific combo first off line.
I cannot be bothered about that really and just try to stay out of trouble and keep CTRL+S (going to pits) always close by

It's up to you... maybe try a noob server? I believe you should get online ASAP so that you can get a feel for it!

if you are aware of your own capablilies you can go online right away!

start from the end of the grid and try to stay out of trouble. begin with the slower cars first.

if you are really slow, watch the minimap. you don't want to ruin the race of the main field which may overtake you.

the earlier you try to race online, the better for you.

youve read the ettiquette guides, which means youve done more than most!

after racing looooong time only offline, I started recently to join online races... I try to pick servers which are not full and have a reasonable number of drivers...
Is there a actually a way to be on the last position of the starting grid?

For the time being I'm not to happy to be in the first third of the grid, 'cos I don't (really) want to give space away, as I know the others are faster, but I don't want to block the faster ones either and possibly cause a carnage.... or something.

well, I guess I need to do more races online and get faster anyway... ;o))

Quote from The Dide :

Is there a actually a way to be on the last position of the starting grid

When the message saying, that the race restarts in 3 seconds comes up, spectate the race. When the other cars are on the grid, join again and you get placed on the last position.

oops, thanks!!

Driving offline is only ever gonna teach you where the quickest lines and the braking points are, even slow racers like me can beat the AI frieght train.

I'd say you need to get online where you've got to be taking account and sometimes advantage of other people's mistakes. As often as not your perfect lap goes out of the window because you can't drive through somebody else.

I've no doubt you'll cause a few accidents however much you practice before you play online, and I've no doubt you'll continue to do so from time to time for as long as you play the game. So does everyone else, so don't worry about it, get out there and meet some people and make some friends, I suspect you'll have a whole lot more fun that way

Dive in there and have a bash!!
What can they do but shunt you into the hoardings/sand/grass and leave you a shuddering traumatized emotional wreck?
You can always retreat back into Windows and play Freecell!!

I woulds agree with a lot of the above. If you took the bother to ask you are just what the game needs good clean racers.
Dont be bothered how fast you are just be clean and fair no one can ask for more
See ya on the track

peejay: but I'm starting *out* as a shuddering traumatized emotional wreck...:P

Thanks everyone for the advice, since the consensus seems to be to give it a bash, I guess I will. Android, thanks for the advice on starting from the pits, I will use it. Becky, I can certainly manage five laps of a track I know without getting off the black stuff. Well, until they get the 'Ring into this game, anyway!

Thanks again, everyone.

Well, I took everyone's advice and found a nice simple starter - was playing the first track with the GTI in a three car race. I kept second place for five laps, lapping between 1:36 and 1:39, then got a bit too far over the rumble strip in the last corner and ended up on my roof! Was fun, though. Time for lunch then I'll give it another shot. I didn't smash anyone else to bits or get called a noob, though, so must have been a success.

Quote from AdamW :

Well, I took everyone's advice and found a nice simple starter - was playing the first track with the GTI in a three car race. I kept second place for five laps, lapping between 1:36 and 1:39, then got a bit too far over the rumble strip in the last corner and ended up on my roof! Was fun, though. Time for lunch then I'll give it another shot. I didn't smash anyone else to bits or get called a noob, though, so must have been a success.

Trust me, it was. My first races on the demo... everyone wanted me dead. Still some do.

took me a while to realize that Multiplayer ment online. Practice a little.

The FOX is a really fun car. I really like it, it's my favorite! I just put my DFP into 200 degree mode, as I do for all the formula cars. I'm not sure how to get 740degree mode. Or 540.

Usually I start out by logging onto a server and observing (spectating) the race in general; 2 laps will tell you if you want to join or not. Then I try my best to start dead last so I can feel out the other players. After about 5 races on the server, I go for competition.

Go online right now just like I did after I bought license.

Actually, the roof thing leads to another question - is there any way to recover if you end up upside down, or should you just do what I did and shift-s back to the pits quick before someone runs into you?