I only got to try this for the first time this morning with my coffee and it was really interrestnig to play with someone elses HOTLAP. Sadly, I had to leave for work with my head full fo questions!!

I watched a HOTLAP replay I downloaded from my LFS Desktop. The driver got a 1 minute kind of time with the FOX @ AS Club. I wanted to watch it because I cannot get below 1:02 no matter what.

Anyway, I learned alot from his lines in a coupla corners. But now here are my questions...

#1. Why do I hear that quick little red line rev before each gear change? I noticed this in other replays too. I see it in their tach as well. It's like RPM is building in current gear, they go to change to the next gear and it's like a "whup whup" sound in the rev and the needle jumps briefly to redline and then they are in the next gear. What is that and why are they setup to do that? Also, is there a reason why NOT to do it?

#2. I have the option to take over their car via TEST DRIVE. So that's THEIR car and THEIR setup I am using? What if I want to keep that set? Can I?

Thanks.

C.

Quote from cvearl :

#1. Why do I hear that quick little red line rev before each gear change? I noticed this in other replays too. I see it in their tach as well. It's like RPM is building in current gear, they go to change to the next gear and it's like a "whup whup" sound in the rev and the needle jumps briefly to redline and then they are in the next gear. What is that and why are they setup to do that? Also, is there a reason why NOT to do it?

Sounds like the throttle being blipped when shifting, but I can't say I've noticed tbh. If it is that, one reason not to would be that over a (much) longer period it could damage the engine.

Quote from cvearl :

#2. I have the option to take over their car via TEST DRIVE. So that's THEIR car and THEIR setup I am using? What if I want to keep that set? Can I?

No, its "encrypted" in the replay, although there are ways to get the data out, but its considered bad form to try. You will find, however, that most WR and hotlap sets are uploaded to inferno.

Quote from the_angry_angel :

Sounds like the throttle being blipped when shifting, but I can't say I've noticed tbh. If it is that, one reason not to would be that over a (much) longer period it could damage the engine.

I think he's talking about 'speed-shifting'.... Basically, the player doesn't bother to lift his foot off the accelerator when changing gear, so between every gear change, while the car goes briefly into neutral, the engine hits the limiter until the next gear is engaged.

It probably saves tenths of a second every lap, but I've noticed that practically everyone does it even on long races. You can get away with it because LFS doesn't seem to model engine damage in any meaningful sense. You've got to really cane the engine in first gear before it starts popping and losing horsepower.

Its a godawful noise that pains me each time I hear it, but even I've started speed-shifting.....

EDIT: BTW, you need to have throttle cut set to off....

Quote from cvearl :

#1. Why do I hear that quick little red line rev before each gear change? I noticed this in other replays too. I see it in their tach as well. It's like RPM is building in current gear, they go to change to the next gear and it's like a "whup whup" sound in the rev and the needle jumps briefly to redline and then they are in the next gear. What is that and why are they setup to do that? Also, is there a reason why NOT to do it?

#2. I have the option to take over their car via TEST DRIVE. So that's THEIR car and THEIR setup I am using? What if I want to keep that set? Can I?

Thanks.

C.

#1. It's called 'flatshifting'... Shifting up without ever lifting off the throttle. It used to seriously damage the engine, but since every car now has a revlimiter everybody who wants to hotlap just does that. The fastest way to shift up in LFS would be:
1. set LFS to use a button clutch and manual clutch.
2. Floor the throttle
3. Shift up to the next gear (it should stay in the original gear)
4. Hit the clutch button.
5. Watch and listen to the car automagically shifting up and take off in the next gear without loss of speed at all.

I think the rev limiter should be turned off for all cars when declutched (as in, clutch pressed).

2. uhmmm.. I'll just say 'No'. Like TAA said. Go to the setupfield to get most WR sets. Beware though. Some of them are undrivable for earthlings like most of us, and require aliens to be driven fast. Most of them will make you faster with practice though.

EDIT:
@nihil: Speed shifting is shifting without the clutch as I understand it (annoyingly impossible in LFS because all cars with a decent gearbox would allow it). Flatshifting is shifting without lifting, like in F1 or A1GP. Or I could have it backwards

Quote from TagForce :

The fastest way to shift up in LFS would be:
1. set LFS to use a button clutch and manual clutch.
2. Floor the throttle
3. Shift up to the next gear (it should stay in the original gear)
4. Hit the clutch button.
5. Watch and listen to the car automagically shifting up and take off in the next gear without loss of speed at all.

Interesting trick.... haven't tried that. But what do you mean by "use a button clutch and manual clutch"?

Yeah, speed-shifting, flat-shifting have always meant the same thing to me.... Shifting without the clutch is just "clutchless shifting"

Manual clutch is faster than auto-clutch... And set the clutch type to 'button' which is faster because it's almost instantaneous. Unlike your foot moving 4 inches back and forth, which takes time.

Quote from TagForce :

Manual clutch is faster than auto-clutch... And set the clutch type to 'button' which is faster because it's almost instantaneous. Unlike your foot moving 4 inches back and forth, which takes time.

Oh, ok I get you now.... Auto-clutch is the only aid I ever keep on in any sim - just seemed pointless to turn it off without a third pedal. But the trick you describe makes more sense of doing so. Cheers.

Lastly..

Can a person watch replays at work without the game installed?

Or would I need to install the game. Tee hee..

C.

You need the game to actually watch the cars go around on the track.
You could export a replay lap and load it into a replay analyzer without the game installed though. Those analyzers need some additional files which can be downloaded from liveforspeed.net.

Well thank you everyone.

Great help as usual!

And no. If I am not meant to decipher the SETUPS from the test drive, I will not.

The first thing that makes me drop an online game is cheating.

Cheating is 100% why I gave up Diablo II, CS, DOD and Dark Age of Camelot. They were all great online games with great communities and people but when it becomes a matter of "the best l33t haxor winzors or pwns joo" I leave for good.

So no need to worry there.

C.

Driving with manual clutch in LFS is pretty realistic. I've tried it with my car (gearbox wasn't happy).
Drive at full throttle and press 'gear up'. Nothing. In real life it is also hard too get of the gear when accelerating hardly. When you move your feet from the gas, gearbox goes to neutral (in LFS gear up/down commend is still waiting after single hit of button). When rpm reaches available value for the next gear, click, there you have gear up. All without using clutch!

It's all about forces in gearbox and matching rpm of....elements in gearbox to get into gear.