I always get the error " Could not load track for "Aston"! " all the time, I have the SMX files downloaded from the LFS site and in my LFS directory(if thats where they need to go) and I have all the same files by the looks of it in my AFS folder....what am i missing?
Anyhow, back on topic, I just tend to start of slowish, find a setup that I feel comfortable with even if its not for that track lol....then slowly get faster, until I slide off, or sometimes I watch the WR replay to see what speeds etc they take the corners....and most of all, practise
Of course learning and mastering the perfect racing line is of the most importance, but something that i didnt realize for a looong time is how many very, very easy tenths are gained by braking extremely late and making sure your braking to the very limit. For me that usually involves getting a wr setup and tranny braking very very aggressively.
Well I also broke my first WR 2 weeks ago,
but I definatly have no idea how I've done it. I just did a hotlap and when I finished it and saw the time, I just thought: Oh my god how did I do that? Well I think it lies all in the practice (in driving and setups) and a little bit of luck can't hurt.
Kurt, this makes sense, but I was wondering if you could provide some more info about how you achieved this.
I think braking in LFS is a real weakness of mine: my brake pedal is kind of crappy and I find it very difficult to modulate it at partial braking levels, so I generally just set up the braking force/balance of the car so that maximum braking will be just short of locking up the wheels. That way I can just jump on the brakes as hard as possible at my desired braking marker and do OK, but I am sure this clumsy procedure is losing me some time.
When you've achieved this very late, very aggressive braking, what's the action of your left (or right, I don't know) foot like? Do you brake hard and then modulate, or what? Do you tend to put up with a bit of lockup knowing that it's only a hotlap so who cares if the tyres get flat-spotted? Does a sensitive brake pedal allow you to lower the braking force and trail-brake nicely into the corner?
Forgive all the questions, but: you already mentioned that downshifting is involved as well, so do you downshift simultaneously with the braking action or beforehand? What do you tend to do with the coast lock settings on your diff to avoid the car coming around on you when you downshift aggressively like this?
Jtr99, I can't be bothered answering all the questions and I should leave them for the intended person anyway but I will answer the one on downshifting.
If you look at a XFG or something like that it shows very clearly how the driver uses the cars engine to slow down, along with the brakes.
This does damage your engine (Some cars worse than others, for instance FXR loses alot) Generaly if i'm doing a fast speed up to a corner in XFG I will go down to 3rd just before I brake, then into second but changing down gears while braking makes locking up a whole lot easier, so I gve a little tap of the throttle when going into second. Hope I have cleared that point up for you.
First off, I havnt played LFS for like 4 months cause ive been unable to use my own computer, so I havnt played the latest version with the new physics. If its the same in the new version, my brakes would be set up so that I fully depress them instantaneously while downshifting at the same time. This may also depend on whether or not youll lock your tires if you downshift immediately. In which case youll downshift a split second after you brake. Obviously you dont want to downshift too quickly that you lock your tires, but the point is that many people would be amazed at how much early down shifting you can get away with and how much braking distance it saves you.
I dont know about the coast lock thing as I never bother spending hours making setups. I just ask someone fast for theirs or get one from a website.
Again, things might have changed in the new version where you'll damage your engine enough that it slows you down or whatever if you downshift early, so this may all be moot.
As for if sliding your tires a tiny bit while braking makes you faster, id like to know that myself. Locking your tires significantly will of course slow you down alot.
Hope that helps.
many braking zones will lockup one or two wheels before the others - in cases like this it's generally 'faster' (assuming you keep it under control) to put up with a locked wheel or two and get max braking from the other wheels. There are other times where you may go through a bumpy section which temporarily locks wheels - better to temporarily lock them and get maximum braking force the rest of the time, imho.
