Hello LFS Community, been playing this game for like 3 days now (under the name ///MPower) some may have come across me Starting to really enjoy the game, but as with all multiplayer driving games, there are always idiots who ruin it for others. Who do nothing but crash into you or refuse to brake, so just wondering if there's like a private server around for the 'more friendly/serious' driver? I only have the demo at the moment, and im not highly skilled (yet mouse is beautiful though) but id like a few decent races with people who actually know what a racing line is and dont mind braking at the next corner? illepall

Cheers!

Agree with Kev there (thisnameistaken). If you like the demo, then you will just like S2 even more with the content and "wreckerless" racing. No question if it is worth it if you like the demo.

That said, you are from the UK, so, you would probably come across admins watching the CRC demo server quite alot and it is kept generally clean. If you want good racing, just watch for the most full servers and you will probably find them wreckerless due to admins or just the general conduct of the majority on the server. Be warned though, the popular servers are also probably the fastest, so take care until you are up to speed and competetive with the majority.

There's always the Fusion Team server (XFG only), there's quite often an admin around and the racers fast.

The CCUK demo servers are moderated a fair amount of the time. There are a few admins who call in periodically to ensure that wreckers don't cause havoc.

We also maintain a policy of banning wreckers for 28 days as standard when banned by admins, provided the admins witness the offence and are satisfied that the behaviour is definitely malice rather than novice. We're zero-tolerance with wreckers, and I hope the demo community will come to recognise this over time.

Quote from NotAnIllusion :

There's always the Fusion Team server (XFG only), there's quite often an admin around and the racers fast.

Ah ha, so you're Pringles that I've seen popping on the CRC demo server now and then?

Yea, Fusion and CCUK are two of the other servers I was thinking of with good racers.

Rooble, for the last few days, I think the demo servers have been infiltrated by us S2 licensed users, so you are sure to see good clean racing when you visit the servers mentioned. Last night, 10 of 11 were licensed on CRC, then I popped over to another and there were 6-8? licensed guys there too. If you see anyone from R4R (on CRC) or (\/) or [400] teams, they are all licensed users and have been here mostly forever.

*edit: only changing Mercury Racing to the proper insignia. I can never remember how it is.

Ah ha, so you're NightHawk|CRC, I was wondering about that Yeah that's me

Upgrade Mate. If you like the game that much and wanna so some racing, get yourself S2. It's only 24 quid or whatever . . .

Give me a nod as and when you do. I prefer teh big GT rear wheelers and am a fellow mouser, so if you need some pointers don't hesitate to ask . . . Help pointers, not mouse pointers. 'Cause that would be silly.

I've been a demo racer myself and in two weeks of lfs racing i've experienced these silly crashers and racers still reaching under 1:40 too. But since i reached the low 33s( 1:33) i can be quite competitive on the fusion demo server, even get a win here and there...
Fusion is indeed the fastest server and most of the time free of silly crashers, just pure racing and mostly nice guys...
I'm a keyboarder, but yesterday i tried the mouse steering. Tricky thing...
Gotta be gentle...Only managed 33.9. I was suggested to use the mouse to reach the 32s, but still need a bit of practice to master the mouse steering...
Lfs has kept me enjoying the game more than any other...Great racing experience.

With the mouse there aare a few things you can do to help a bit (If you havn't already). Reduce your dead zone in the control settings (Steer centre reduction) get it as low as you feel comfortable. I use 0.45.

Also, reduce your Windows mouse speed settings and take off any mouse Acceleration you have. LFS uses those settings within the Gameworld.

Reduce your steering lock. I generally run around 16-20 degrees in Rear wheel drive cars (Does depend on the car and the track) and slighty higher for Front wheel drive cars. This should reduce any over compensation effect that you put into the mouse.

Little things like Toe in on the front wheels can effect the way you control your car too. If you find you don't have enough control to get the car pointed into a corner then reduce toe in to calm the car down. If you are in the habit of using other people set ups then bare in mind that they are predominatly for wheel users. These setups are often highly unstable and just unusable for a mouser. Increasing rear wheel toe in (Espeacially in Rear wheel drive cars) will compensate for the fact that you can't graduate the throttle like pedal users can, allowing you to get the power down without the rear stepping out like a slippery slidy snake hipped pole dancer.

Lot's of little things my friend make quite a difference. I don't really do front wheelers, kinda in the school of one axle, one job. So if you are rear wheeling too, I can help you as much as I can . . .

Quote from Funnybear :

If you are in the habit of using other people set ups then bare in mind that they are predominatly for wheel users. These setups are often highly unstable and just unusable for a mouser. Increasing rear wheel toe in (Espeacially in Rear wheel drive cars) will compensate for the fact that you can't graduate the throttle like pedal users can, allowing you to get the power down without the rear stepping out like a slippery slidy snake hipped pole dancer.

I was assuming that's what's happening in my case...I realise i can't drive through turns at a constant speed by using keys to accelerate and that's the main ''problem'' i'm facing. Gotta be very couscious with the throttle...Brake earlier...That's where i'm loosing time in comparison with wheelers. Every kmh counts, i know. I managed to go a couple of kmh faster through the last turn with the mouse last night (about 114kmh), almost as fast as the fastest racers...There are still issues about the gear ratio...I'm constantly a couple of kmh behind coming into the straight and over the finish line. Gotta change that a bit also..

Thanks, Funnybear for helping me out. You guys are really generous in helping newcomers like me. Didn't expect to get that much help... .

Mate, mousing isn't easy. Espiaclly as the LFS is geared for Wheel users (Quite rightly so).

If you are using the K/B to acc and brake can I assume you are using an auto box? if so, don't. Lol. Use the mouse for your steering, acc. and brake. And get used to manual shifting. It's will knock seconds of your times. Engine braking is a major factor in corner entry, you need to learn how to exploit it . . .

If you tell what server your on, I'll come find you and discuss setups. Can I still get on Demo servers?

Ah nice, good to see an active community!

Yeah i was racing at the fusion server last night, i just managed to break the 1.33 mark it wasnt much for the other drivers as they were all running low 32's, but i pushed hard for it, and given it was only my 3rd day racing, im pretty chuffed

Thanks for the extra tips Funnybear, all of which make sense. Im still trying to get used to this mouse business, but it seems ok, i can keep up with most wheel drivers so i guess for now it isnt an issue just a little twitchy at times with the XR Turbo If i still require pointers, you'll be the first to know!

As to janm's post, i have the same problem, back straight i seem to lose them, but im told its all exit speed, so im working hard as hell to get round the first bend at a good pace, and yeah a good gear ratio is needed.

My aim now is to hit every corner at atleast 71MPH!illepall

I would try backing off a bit, into the corners and the bendy stuff. Work on getting a line through the corner with the setup you have, then you can develop the entry speed and corner speed.

Late braking isn't always the fastest way through a corner. Try and get comfortable lapping at a good pace (you might never get to the Alien speeds, I just don't bother trying) and you will find that all sorts of things will come together and before you know, possible without even trying, your PB's will just tumble.

Quote from Funnybear :

Mate, mousing isn't easy. Espiaclly as the LFS is geared for Wheel users (Quite rightly so).

If you are using the K/B to acc and brake can I assume you are using an auto box? if so, don't. Lol. Use the mouse for your steering, acc. and brake. And get used to manual shifting. It's will knock seconds of your times. Engine braking is a major factor in corner entry, you need to learn how to exploit it . . .

If you tell what server your on, I'll come find you and discuss setups. Can I still get on Demo servers?

Auto-shift not a ''yes, please'' option for me anymore...
Like i said, i've been racing lfs with a keyboard for two weeks, but just can't brake 1:33 and just miss the fastest drivers. I tried the mouse thing yesterday and used the mouse for steering and shifting. Also tried to use it for acc/brake but clicking the mouse just seemed a bit funny to me...
I'm usually online during the weekends due to not having internet at home yet... Mostly fusion...I tried the rallycross yesterday, but encountered only fools crashing...I was talking to a licensed guy yesterday and he said he was joining demo servers now and then, so this should mean you can join a demo server...I assume you were only kidding...

''Rooble''-3rd day, under 33 . This is some achievement...Congrats..

My 33 time isnt all that impressive, its actually 1.33.95 So its not really a super 33 time, but i got into the 33's ! Ill be happy with a 1.33.3X but untill then, im pushing hard!

This game makes GT4/Forza/PGR2/GT Legends look easy, i do the nurburging in 5.10 on GT4, but this is really a fight.

Clownpaint, thanks for that, ill give it a go.

I worked out how to do the demo thing. I knew it all along, just wasn't thinking proper like.

Well, I'll have a sniff around fusion. Maybe see you there.

But mate, if you are really into this LFS thing, upgrade yourself to the S2. It is worth it . . .

best £24 quids entertainment I have bought for a long time and it's still kicking deriere. . . .

Quote from Funnybear :

I worked out how to do the demo thing. I knew it all along, just wasn't thinking proper like.

Well, I'll have a sniff around fusion. Maybe see you there.

But mate, if you are really into this LFS thing, upgrade yourself to the S2. It is worth it . . .

best £24 quids entertainment I have bought for a long time and it's still kicking deriere. . . .

Gonna do that (buy a license)surely. But i'll have to do it via moneybooker, since i don't have a credit card yet... Is this 100% safe ? Many young guys who don't have a credit card have surely done it this way...Well, just wanna make sure... Don't earn ''bling,bling'' cash so, i guess nothing to be worried about. Maybe opening a new account only for this matter...Just not too confident with this internet money transfers...

Ok Funnybear, very likely to find me there late friday,saturday and sunday...

Been running my set on the demo server for the Turbo. Got down to a 1.36 i think. With a mouse and not having played B/wood for ages.

If you post me your setup maybe I can give you some idea what you might need to look at.

Quote from Rooble :

Ah nice, good to see an active community!

Yeah i was racing at the fusion server last night, i just managed to break the 1.33 mark it wasnt much for the other drivers as they were all running low 32's, but i pushed hard for it, and given it was only my 3rd day racing, im pretty chuffed

Thanks for the extra tips Funnybear, all of which make sense. Im still trying to get used to this mouse business, but it seems ok, i can keep up with most wheel drivers so i guess for now it isnt an issue just a little twitchy at times with the XR Turbo If i still require pointers, you'll be the first to know!

As to janm's post, i have the same problem, back straight i seem to lose them, but im told its all exit speed, so im working hard as hell to get round the first bend at a good pace, and yeah a good gear ratio is needed.

My aim now is to hit every corner at atleast 71MPH!illepall

You rached the 1:33.XX mark in three days? Heheh when I was demo user it took me like three months.

Quote from Kajojek(PL) :

You rached the 1:33.XX mark in three days? Heheh when I was demo user it took me like three months.

Demo user here from Feb 2005 through S2 release in June with an occasional drop to demo from S2 now and then. Best time is 1:34.04 . I'm a slow driver and a slow learner I guess.

Quote from Clownpaint :

You've probably already been told this, but under options > player turn off "throttle cut on upshift". That might be causing you to lose speed on the straight.

PS. S2 Full and a Wheel, you won't look back.

Thanks, Clownpaint . That was indeed causing the loss of peak speed...
After turning it off yesterday i managed to get a pb rightaway.
My pb now at 1:32.68 and i'm quite glad about it. It's almost 0.5 seconds off my old pb. It really made the difference... . Need some training though to constantly hit the 32s. I had a bad day yesterday, but this result put me in a better mood...

Put some toe in on your rears as well. start at +4 and reduce when you get confident. This reduces the oversteer on corner entry and power down becuase as the loaded rear wheel is effectively pointing into the the corner the tyre is trying to steer the rear of the car to straight ahead. It really calms the rear of the car down.

Also, soften the rear suspension slightly lower than the front and reduce the rear anti roll bit by bit and see how that develops the handling . .

Oh and set your clutch pack at about a 35-40/80 split. It helps control the power to the rear wheels. You might not get the power down as well as pedal users but as you can't have their control it really helps . . .

Yes, i've been playing a bit with the settings yeterday as advised. Changing the toe in, steering lock and tried the mouse again, but just don't get the best feeling using the mouse...Maybe it's because i've been playing racing games using a keyboard since i can remember...Oh, yes, i used a joystick about ten and more years ago, when my father had an Atari 1024 computer and at some friends' commodores playing winter olympics hitting those buttons and abusing the stick.. Those were some special times.... Had some really great games for that time... I can remember a formula racing game i enjoyed, it was called vroom, i think.

Well, i guess i can still get about 3-4 tenths off of my pb on a perfect lap, although i'm very sattisfied with the current pb, but need to practice a bit more and if i can do it with a keyboard which suits me really well, then i'll stick to that for a while...

Really appreciate your help though...Thanks again

Sorry, only just noticed this thread..

///MPower - Ive seen you race in demo servers, The CRC Run Private Servers when events are running, but mostly we try to keep them public, Ive seen you in the last few days and only advice I can give is to carry on like you are, you look to be learning fast, and its great to see new drivers again and again.

www.cleanracersclub.org - may be helpful to you in some way Hope to see you again!

Ive decided to change my name ///M Rooble i think ///MPower was a little too common, anyway, ive knocked my PB down to 1.33.38 on my 4th day. Im starting to pick up where exactly im losing time, and all the little tips people have left here have helped alot, every second counts!

Ive gone through alot of setups, from other people, mostly wheel users and some mousers, they all oversteer alot, so ive just stuck with mine, which i believe is a perfect setup, i just cant use it too its full potential yet. I also said id be happy with a time of 1.33.3X - but that isnt the case, i still want faster, so ill go faster Watching other people's demo's help on some points, but it really doesnt show you much, i saw the WR that csimpok set, he had clean lines, thats about it really. So i need to focus on that and start getting a little more confident in my abilities and not chicken out at each friggin corner

Im not sure if there are any other servers out there that are as fast as the Fusion server, I now know of the CRC (Cyclical redundancy check?) server and yeah, ive read about the private events in the other part of the forum and ill be looking to join up as soon as im happy and confident with my driving.


See you on the track