Hi!

I´ve had LFS for quite some time and during this time I´ve been using kb steering until just recently - where I got so fed up with "On/Off" throttle control and similar steering, which murders your tires and switches you from devastating understeer, to catastrophic oversteer in 0,31 seconds - That I invested in a Logitech G25.

Prior to aquiring the G25, I always used the chase camera feature in LFS, so I could actually see how the car reacted to inputs, due to having no feeling what so ever through the keyboard buttons. With the wheel, it´s a totally different ballgame. I tried a variety of camera postions inside the car, and found that the "Dashcam" view was my thing. I started driving a lot, and after a while I got fairly good to say it myself. I then decided that now the time had come for me to get my ass on a racing server. I went online and joined the starting grid of an XFG/XRG race. I was psyched, this was it. The time had come for my awesomeness to be shown to the world. I went for T1 like there was no tomorrow and was going to out brake all of my competitors, but what happened? I sideswiped a car on my right, then one on my left, and then went flying in to the sand trap.

At that point I realized what I moron I was. You have to be able to see around the car, and this is where my problem lies. I have no idea how I´m suppose to drive with a comfortable camera view, and still being able to see what´s going on around me.

So the question is simply: What camera angles do you guys use, and how do you get an overview of what´s going on around you?

You don't necessarily have to see the other cars at all times to know where they are. As you gain experience and improve your race craft you'll learn to anticipate the movements of your opponents and over time get a much better situational awareness and feel for your surroundings.

Keeping the other cars in mind and extrapolating their paths without having them in your vision is a major factor in good race craft IMO - you actually start thinking about what your opponent is most likely going to do or what he can do, instead of just reacting to what happens on the screen.

That said of course you don't drive completely blind; regularly checking the mirrors and using the look features is a must if you don't want to be a hazard on track. Having your opponents more "mind mapped" will help you reduce the amount of mirror checking and looking you have to do, though, which is good since these actions can be rather irritating and compromise your consistency/concentration.


As for the camera view, I use the bog standard cockpit view with an 78° fov angle.

Hi!

I drive with a FOV of around 105 degrees in the Tin-Topped cars. As for looking around me, I tend to use the rear-view mirror most. I'll use look left and look right when there's a car actually physically next to me. When you drive a bit more you'll actually get a feel of what the drivers are going to do next, so you don't actually have to physically see them, you'll just "know" that they're there

As a starter, the easiest solution would be to use the wheel camera as it doesn't have the blind spots of what the cockpit view has.

Or you can set your custom camera to the roof, and use the look buttons to look around.

Indeed, I started racing with chase view but that isnt good because some people dont get rid of this, so I would recommend wheel view or cockpit to you.

im using this view, with look left, right and back, assigned to my wheel buttons

I want to say that most people use cockpit view and have look left/right buttons easily accessable. Like others have said, situational awareness is more than just seeing the other cars, but knowing where they were, are, and probably will end up going.

I use Cockpit view with 90° FOV (never bothered to change from default) and use mirrors often, and look left-right when mirrors aren't enough.

you can also listen. many people don't.

I use cockpit view and just get used to where people are (by using look left / right) by the time I start braking. If there's anyone I know to be aggressive or I don't know at all, I'll check where they are (with look left/right) before I make any change in position.

I did a bit of commentary for a league once and found (while taking screenshots from replays for the articles) that most of the top drivers routinely check their other views during threshold braking and before they turn in. That might sound difficult to pull off, but the top drivers seem to get away with it without too much effort.

This might be part of what makes them better than us, or it might be something you slowly learn through practice. LFS requires a lot of practice, but fortunately doing the practice is a fun exercise in itself.

"their other views"
Do you mean like just lookin to the sides or actually switching to helicopter view for a split second? Because that seems hard to pull off..

Quote from Gutholz :

"their other views"
Do you mean like just lookin to the sides or actually switching to helicopter view for a split second? Because that seems hard to pull off..

Just looking to the sides or using the rear view, but mostly checking their inside view (left or right) before turning in. It's a good habit to get into, because someone might out-brake you during the braking zone, or someone might get it totally wrong and overshoot the corner on your inside. At least that way you'll see them coming and maybe be able to avoid a collision.

It takes some skills to be able to do all that on the approach to a corner and not lose a few tenths though. It's part of the high skill ceiling of LFS.

Lets say in oval races I use follow view,even tho many people don't recommend it. I use it because with cockpit view I can't race(it shakes too much) and with custom view I hit other people. I hear a driver passing by the engine noise. But,when I am cruising,I use inside view,gives that sorta "realistic" feeling.

Quote from hp999 :

Lets say in oval races I use follow view,even tho many people don't recommend it. I use it because with cockpit view I can't race(it shakes too much) and with custom view I hit other people. I hear a driver passing by the engine noise. But,when I am cruising,I use inside view,gives that sorta "realistic" feeling.

you can get rid of the "shaking" by setting the "1g lateral/vertical/forward shifts" and "head tilt" to lower values/zeros
..in the options/view menu, of course

Quote from Ayreon :

im using this view, with look left, right and back, assigned to my wheel buttons

How i get that vieuw, try a lot things, but i can;t

These are the settings i use
Hope you are on a dutch version

Quote from Ayreon :

These are the settings i use
Hope you are on a dutch version

English version.

dankje, heb het nu en het rijd een stuk beter dan in cockpitview

Nu nog een perfecte setup met die ik nu heb rij ik 1.17.23

Quote from durrri :

you can get rid of the "shaking" by setting the "1g lateral/vertical/forward shifts" and "head tilt" to lower values/zeros
..in the options/view menu, of course

I see.Cheers!

Quote from LeonRL :

So the question is simply: What camera angles do you guys use, and how do you get an overview of what´s going on around you?

Hi LeonRL,

You should try the AONIO app created by EQ Worry, as a fan of sim game I always try to get the most realistic way to play so I play with internal view, but just as you I have a hard time to know when others are in a curve when they decide a pin corner can be taken 3 at a time.

I link wheel buttons for left and right turns, but while in the curve, its a bad time to check elsewhere than where you want to go... so I installed AONIO application and positioned the RADAR view just under my wheel position in the screen.


In a blink I can get an overview of me in yellow and others in white on a 2'x2' semi-transparent view. It might not be the most realistic situation (RADAR) but as it compensate the real awarness feeling you should have from other cars with peripheral vision and 3D sound... I tell myself it's a fix to what is missing. AND it allow me to drive safely with inside view, much more realistic than bumper (feel like a moose on a hood) or overview.

No one will blame you for using it as you will be a more safer driver WITH the tool.

It dont give you any speed, dont make your setup better... it just aware youof where others are when in a close proximity range so you must be carefull to not crash into them. Also have sounds to let you know when you PASSED them or they passed you, so you can turn safely to get your driving line back.

It give you lot of information like your speed, the guy in fron and behind you with how many seconds gap between you and them... lots of usefull infos. Even your remaining gaz in laps !!! It's like having a team shooting you information about the race in real time. hehehe

I really suggest this add on to everyone who cares about clean and fun races.

Here is the forum for AONIO , a link under EQ Worry signature point to the files.

Have fun and happy 2010 Races !

Quote from z-ro 8 :

you can also listen. many people don't.

I find wearing a pair of headphones helps a lot to hear where other cars are. It's surprising how easy it is to hear exactly where they are when close.
It also gives you a good idea of how your car is moving around through tyre noise etc.

Speakers just don't cut it - you can get them loud, but you tend to loose the subtleties of the sound. I imagine it'll be a whole different story once LFS gets surround sound.

All the stuff i use is already said, but repeating is never bad.

The most important thing, bind left/right view buttons to wheel, bind them to the two buttons which are the easiest to reach during the race, coz those are the two buttons you are (or should be at least) using most.

Watch your mirrors, and when it's possible someone is at your side with overlap, use side views. Make it a habit, your second nature, to check your sides before corners. You should always know if there are another cars nears by, and where they are. If you are not sure, use side views.

Second important thing, is to listen. Use headphones or properly positioned surround speakers so you can hear where the sound is coming from.

Combine mirrors, properly binded side view buttons and listening, and you pretty much know what's happening around you.

And i use cockpit view.

I have configured left/right views so they instantly rotates 90degress, not the 45deg steps which is the default. I noticed that's what i want most of the times.

Thankyou for all your answers. They shall be carried on into my trials of gameplay. One point though. Numerous replies have stressed the fact to use the mirrors all the time, but when I use the "Dashcam" view - which as I mentioned earlier, I found most comfortable - I can´t see the side mirrors on the car. Is there a way to move these to the side of the screen or something, or will I have to get used to the drivers point of view in order to use this?

You can use a virtual mirror. In the Esc -> Driver menu, select either "virtual" or "all" where it says "Mirror mode". What do you mean dashcam though? Can you take a screenshot of what it looks like in one of the cars? (not open wheeler).

Quote from pik_d :

You can use a virtual mirror. In the Esc -> Driver menu, select either "virtual" or "all" where it says "Mirror mode". What do you mean dashcam though? Can you take a screenshot of what it looks like in one of the cars? (not open wheeler).

There ya go:

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/345/dashcam.jpg

Quality of the image isn´t anything you´d write home about, but you can see it.

Side mirrors show the same image as the center mirror anyways, so don't worry about it. Unless I use a ridiculously unrealistic FOV, I can't see the side mirrors either and have never used them in the 5 years I've raced on LFS.

Then again, I'm so slow, I have no reason to use any mirrors, because if I want to see other cars, they are all up ahead of me, not behind