Anyone have any suggestions on how to improve starts? I currently keep going into the first corner quite far back in the pack even though I might start in the front. Although this might be good cos I don't get involved in the mess at the 1st corner, I tend to have to catch up with the rest through most of the race.

Any recommendations?

I personally like to stick to the inside of T1. Be sure to hold your line, no matter how much you have to brake. Hug the curb if you have to.

Mind you, I do this on packed servers. Reason being, it seems easier to recover from being slammed in the arse from behind while on the inside of a corner, than the outside. The outside of most turns are where the gravel pits are, and no one likes the gravel

The biggest problem you'll encounter though is people not seeing you, since it seems that about .01% of the general public actually assigns 'look' buttons to their wheel, but at least you wont be in the gravel...

Quote from r8devil :

Anyone have any suggestions on how to improve starts? I currently keep going into the first corner quite far back in the pack even though I might start in the front. Although this might be good cos I don't get involved in the mess at the 1st corner, I tend to have to catch up with the rest through most of the race.

Any recommendations?

Ok,

Let's look at the start proceedure.

Do you rev your cars engine prior to Green?

Are you in Gear prior to Green?

Basically my approach is.

Rev the engine to the redline (particulalry needed for the TBO car to wind the turbo up)

Engage the clutch and put the car in first gear.

hold the clutch in until the red disappears, release the clutch and floor the rest of the gas pedal..

I make quite quick starts now that there is the ability to jump..

hopefully you can try the same and it'll work for you

Best Regards,

Dru.

Thanks guys for the help. I am getting much better starts now and getting into T1 not so much a the back. Also Slopi hints on going into T1 on the inside really helps but as he mentioned people dont look when going into corners.

Probably will need some more work to get better starts but your 2 comments really helped improve my horrible start.

Anyway looking to purchase the full license once I have saved enough.

Using 2 pedals and paddle shifters, I find the best way (for me, so far) is to keep the car in neutral and rev it up to about 3/4 as the lights change red, then as they go green hit first gear and you're off.

Is there any way to start yourself at the back of the grid each race without leaving and rejoining the server?

This would be quite useful for me while im learning and until i can get a wheel which will allow a quicker start. At the moment T1 is a nightmare as there always seems to be cars passing on both sides and taking it easy on the way in seems to get me rear ended a lot of the time. Until i can get more used to the hurlyburly of the start just taking a back position and concentrating on the race would be great for me.

THe only way I can think of is just finish last I'm sure thats not what you want.

Quote from jimmytwohand :

Is there any way to start yourself at the back of the grid each race without leaving and rejoining the server?

This would be quite useful for me while im learning and until i can get a wheel which will allow a quicker start. At the moment T1 is a nightmare as there always seems to be cars passing on both sides and taking it easy on the way in seems to get me rear ended a lot of the time. Until i can get more used to the hurlyburly of the start just taking a back position and concentrating on the race would be great for me.

Spectate until the start grid is set, then join. You will be placed in the final starting position, or close depending on how many others join from spectate at this time. Slight problems with this are....

Lag, where you may not make the race and have to wait 10 seconds after the green to join.

Too full server, where you might not get in because that final racer joined from spec just a split second before you do (possibly because of lag as well.)

If you can do this on a full server, 9 times out of 10, you can be in the top 5 after T1 as it seems folks can't even make it to T1 without crashing out 4 or 5 cars on a full server. Start last, don't be in a hurry to T1, take note of all the crashing, thread your way through the carnage, exit T1 in 5th from a 30th start position

Quote from jimmytwohand :

Is there any way to start yourself at the back of the grid each race without leaving and rejoining the server?

This would be quite useful for me while im learning and until i can get a wheel which will allow a quicker start. At the moment T1 is a nightmare as there always seems to be cars passing on both sides and taking it easy on the way in seems to get me rear ended a lot of the time. Until i can get more used to the hurlyburly of the start just taking a back position and concentrating on the race would be great for me.

Yes. After a race you have a minute or so before people start voting again. Before the race is actually restarted. Go into spectate - Shift-S. Then after the grid fills up (about 2 seconds), hit Shift-J (join), your car will have entered the race very late so you loose any position you had set up for the grid and you end up last or at least in the last row. Other players might try this to have a good battle race, so sometimes you dont always end up last.

Be sure to JOIN before the race starts or you must wait 12 seconds bofore you are allowed to join.

Join can also be Shift-J, Esc>>Join, T chat command: /join

EDIT: MIKE type slower please !!! so I can beat you

Thanks for the swift answers chaps.

Quote from Frost_More :

The only way I can think of is just finish last I'm sure thats not what you want.

This "technique" fitted in very well with my early driving skill but unfortunately i seem to have outgrown it...

Mr Rodgers, JasonJ, thanks, that is exactly what i was looking for. I had tried going to pits and then back to the race but it always dumped me back in my original grid spot. It seems that on servers where there are 12 people + just running a clean race without incident (even though im by no means a fast driver) can normally bag you a top 6 finish, often even better. I then have the nightmare of starting at the front of the grid and trying to avoid the madness of t1. This way i can concentrate on my driving a bit more until my experience and confidence is increased. Im not too worried about missing a spot as i normally try to avoid too full servers anyway as all those cars, crashes, blue flags etc still freaks me out.

Quote from JasonJ :

T chat command: /join

Wonder if that would work with an F key bind....

Thanks guys.

Quote from jimmytwohand :

Wonder if that would work with an F key bind....

Yes it does. But since Patch ~W the Shift-J (join) was implemented so my "/join" bind became obselete. Unless you want it as a controller-input button?

[useless]
You should try using /join inside the pit screen, hehe. If you click join after typing /join in pits everyone sees, XXX already has a car. And you can feel very special. And I am very off topic. :/
[/useless]

Quote from jimmytwohand :

Mr Rodgers, JasonJ, thanks...........

Nah, don't thank him, just thank me. He only copied and pasted my post and changed words to make it look like he can think on his own (JasonJ :haha: )

But he adds such value:

Quote :

You should try using /join inside the pit screen, hehe. If you click join after typing /join in pits everyone sees, XXX already has a car. And you can feel very special. And I am very off topic.

Actually im not fond of the shift + combos and was thinking of setting up a nice wheel hotkey for it. Although, now that most of my F key binds consist of sorry, im so sorry, im really really sorry, oh god im really really so sorry.... im running out of room and may have to use them afterall....

I think we're going a little off topic there

Anyway, I'm trying to improve my start too with the rear wheel drive's cars. So here is my question: Are you trying to avoid wheel spin at start? Are you going full throtle just waiting for the wheels to get grip again? Or are you just using a certain among of throtle?
For the no turbo cars (the xrg) there is no need to wind up the turbo so I was thinking that using 3/4 of the throtle at start can gave me a little more grip but it seems slower and since there is not much power some time the rpm just drop to near 0rpm.

In comparaison to other skilled drivers my starts are realy slow I can see the same car as mine going well ahead of me just 10-20 meters after the start position. It drive me a little crazy because I just can't figure how to get a good start

I realy need help

Note: I'm using a mouse and pedals but I don't have a cluch so I think there is maybe nothing else to do than just flat the throtle?

Whew, another Singaporean. They become pretty hard to find these days.
No need to slam the throttle at the start, the wheelspin will slow you down massively. Partial throttle is all u need. =)

Quote from Alkanphel :

Whew, another Singaporean. They become pretty hard to find these days.
No need to slam the throttle at the start, the wheelspin will slow you down massively. Partial throttle is all u need. =)

I've been practicing during 1 hour and I must admit that you are right. I'm currently instaling lfs lapper to see if my 0-100km is imporving. Partial throttle is the good way !! Thanks

I hold the throttle just below the gear change indicator at the start while on the grid, then as the lights go green I change into first and gently squeeze the throttle to full gas. This generally gives me a good getaway, depending on the setup.

After this I hold the line as much as possible, it's a good idea not to cross lanes a lot at the start, although I might make some corrections depending on what's happening around me. If I'm on the inside at T1 I'll take the inside line, if I'm on the outside I'll go round the outside. I don't try and muscle my way to specific position, as it just causes accidents 75% of the time.

When coming into T1, if I'm at the front of the grid I'll go aggressive and brake hard and late, try to put some moves on the guys in front. If I'm in the middle of the grid then I am very cautious, I brake gently and often just let the car idle into the first bend. I watch my mirrors carefully and if I see anyone too hot behind me then I'll take avoiding action. If I'm at the back of the pack, then I just take my time, I hold back and let the carnage in front just play out by itself, which will net you four or five places usually, on a packed grid.

if you know your pretty quick around the track i'll let most of the pack go by first. theres a 75% chance a good 5 drivers will wreck and you can pick off the rest and at least get a podium. I noticed this when while racing FOX's last night on Kyoto Nat

Quote from jimmytwohand :

Although, now that most of my F key binds consist of sorry, im so sorry, im really really sorry, oh god im really really so sorry.... im running out of room and may have to use them afterall....

LOL, I just thought you might like to know someone, somewhere laughed at this!! HAHAHA

For me if I hold the throttle up to 'bout 6k, and than shift in first, it seems like the car loses its throttle input for a moment , so that i lose my rev (and the turbo cars their boost pressure). Thats why I asigned a button on my wheel to the clutch.
At the grid, I hold the button, shift in first, rev up and when the lights go green i release it.