I am a new driver, I have had the full version of the game for a couple of weeks.

I am actually a member of a fsae team and it is awesome that you can drive fsae cars on this game.


I stepped up a few levels and started racing the BMW Sauber car a few days ago and have since memorized the Blackwood GP course.

I had set a personal best at 1:04.92 but last night I beat it with a 1:03.33 and then again with a 1:03.27. (default tuning settings)

Are these decently quick or do I have lots of work to do? I am getting pretty smooth so usually my laps seem cold and calculated, going to the outside of the lane before I even get up hills to see the turn. I average around a 1:06 or so (not counting warm up laps and mess ups) and the lap times are usually consistent within a couple of seconds.

I would love to break a 1 second lap. I need to improve my average speed from 120mph to just over 126mph though to do it.

My setup is the Logitech Momo Wheel.

This is a great game.


Thanks

When the BMW Sauber was added (last June?) it was loosely promoted as being able to do Blackwood in under a minute. I think most of us went out and did our sub-1m lap of Blackwood on the release day and then never drove it again...

But yeah for a beginner that's a good time.

You've got a long way to go to get a fast time, but that's normal if you're just starting out. I think those times are pretty decent for a first experience. In the beginning try to focus on consistency though, then the speed will come to you automatically sooner or later

edit: oh, welcome to LFS btw

Stopped driving the Sauber?

Which cars do you prefer and is it for SCCA realism reasons or something like that?

FYI the world record is 52.XX

Quote from jphantom :

Stopped driving the Sauber?

Which cars do you prefer and is it for SCCA realism reasons or something like that?

I prefer the RWD road-tyred cars - XRG, XRT, LX4, LX6, FZR, etc. and the MRT. I just don't find the cars with downforce as interesting because you don't have as much to do, they seem more about precision than finesse if you know what I mean.

I think the FO8 is the most interesting of the formula cars, but I haven't driven that in a while either to be honest.

Glad to see you're enjoying the game, but on the whole the cars with downforce just aren't challenging enough. All the Formula vehicles can be driven with a lead foot (except at low speeds) - they still pose a challenge to be quick in, but not to just drive. I like to think I'm driving a beast. They're all far too friendly.

With Bob on this one. The open wheelers just don't cut for me. I was an FZR man up to the STCC Licence thing and now I'm hooked on the XRT, which is an absolute son of a bitch to get right. But when you get it right it don't half feel good.

I like the XRT, I feel like I have much more control over it than say the Raceabout, I still havent done a lap in atleast half of the cars though =/

There are only certain cars you can get licenses in right?

edit: had a wrong car name

Yea. There are rules around somewhere. But god knows where, I'm a learn from being told off kinda guy. Plus I can't read.

But starts with the XFG, copper licence. Then the XRG with the Silver licence then on to the FXO with Gold . . .no, thats wrong. Cocked that up.

Ah, Copper XFG. Bronze, XRG. Silver, FXO. Gold XRT and RB4 then platinum get you into the league.

Or something like that. I'm sure someone around here can tell you proper like.

I was really struggling with the XRT untill I learnt that you have to sloooowwww iiitttttt dooooowwwwwnnnnn. Which came as a bit of a surprise after racing FZR's for years. But once I relearned my braking points I'm really getting the hang of it . . .

You're not drunk by any chance, Funnybear, are you?

Well, when you start out you can collect points in the UF1 on "STCC 1b New & Bronze" or in the XFG on "STCC 1a New & Bronze" (which runs in S1 mode). With a bronze license you get access to the XRG which is currently only available on STCC1a along with the XFG. Once you're silver licensed, you get access to the XRT and the RB4 on "STCC2 Public Silver & Gold". With a gold license you're allowed to drive the FXO on STCC2. More info can be obtained here: klick.

He's certainly a bit feisty tonight, maybe too much nutmeg in the ovaltine?

Quote from thisnameistaken :

they seem more about precision than finesse if you know what I mean.

It's "funny" you put it that way, i "agree".
I really like the open wheelers.
The FOX and FO8 (the later i like a lot more).

Here in Brazil people are really into the TBOs and those "road" cars.
Which is fine.

But they seem to think that driving with a open wheeler is "easy".
Well, that's not the case AT ALL.

If you're looking to drive FAST (over .3, .2 from the WR, on racing set and in a race) a open wheeler you gotta be goddamn PRECISE.

A lot of people don't see that, i find that really weird.


edit: and Bob, do you think the FO8 is "friendly"? holy crap man..
i'm really bad at this game then hehehe
that car is a beast, really fun to push it to the limit
but, to each it's own =)

To be quick in the FOX you just need to be convinced that it's the most boring thing you ever did in your life. If your heart is beating like you're playing solitaire or sleeping you're in the perfect mood to nail WR times each lap.
I recently tried the FOX with R4s and 0° wings - no matter the track, it has way too much grip (yep, tried fern bay black and south city long). We need a formula historic.

The FO8 is a nice "joy-ride". I don't like close racing with it, because it's more twitchy than 4 packets a second. The cars jitter around a bit too much and it's quite hazardeous. Otherwise a nice car. Hint: Kyoto GP Long Reversed in the FO8.

Vain

I can agree with most people here when referring to the open wheelers, to me they're just not that fun to drive.

If you want close racing and fun racing stick to the TBO (FXO - XRT - RB4) class until you've clocked a few miles, I can promise you now within an hour of driving this class you'll have twice the amount of fun then in a BF1.

I also suggest you go and download some setups and get comfortable with one then focus on your lines and race craft.

http://setupfield.teaminferno.hu/ -- Popular setup field.

Quote from Rooble :

If you want close racing and fun racing stick to the TBO (FXO - XRT - RB4) class until you've clocked a few miles, I can promise you now within an hour of driving this class you'll have twice the amount of fun then in a BF1.

You'll be either driving a FWD or finishing at the back of the pack though.

The XRT is a bloody nice car, once you get used to operating the throttle, but it's very rarely run on servers where the FXO isn't competing against it, which is a shame.

I haven't seen an LX4 server in ages now either.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

You'll be either driving a FWD or finishing at the back of the pack though.

Not on STCC silver&gold, though. Quite a few people do choose the XRT or the RB4 there, because they haven't reached gold-status yet, or they want faster progress, or they just enjoy those over the FXO.

Unfortunately, I suck big time in th RB4 and the XRT, and packed in after my first laps to get to actually know the car offline a little .

Quote from Linsen :

Not on STCC silver&gold, though.

I'm not particularly welcome there.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I'm not particularly welcome there.

Oops, didn't know that. Not a very valuable suggestion then, I guess .

Quote from Meanie :

edit: and Bob, do you think the FO8 is "friendly"? holy crap man..
i'm really bad at this game then hehehe
that car is a beast, really fun to push it to the limit
but, to each it's own =)

The FO8 is much friendlier on the current physics, can powerslide a little out of a corner without running too much risk of a heart attack. The BF1 I don't like, you either use the nannying TC to save your ass and turn it off to find it snaps like a motherf..... There's just no progression when at the limit. Perhaps with more hours I could get use to riding that knife edge but my calves soon start complaining having to use that sort of throttle control.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I'm not particularly welcome there.

That's news to me. Unless you mean you haven't got your Silver or Gold licence, in which case it's true. You need 300 points to get out of the XFG into the XRG, and then it's a breeze to get to Silver.

I guess most people don't like BF1, because it's too fast for them and they can't keep up.

Quote from SamH :

Unless you mean you haven't got your Silver or Gold licence

I got the "silver" one I think, ages ago. Only joined the server once though I think.

The Old Men Racing server has been running XRT-only lately, but at AS3. Still nice to race those guys but, I mean, AS3?