Several layouts on a real circuit is more than what any other sim offers; it'd be a unique feature as far as I'm aware (though I could be wrong). Surely LFS, with it's reputation, could get a deal with at least one famous/international circuit?
God please leave pad knockback out of this game... I spent thousands of dollars to make my personal car more resistant to it by upgrading to stronger, more durable wheel bearings off a newer model year car. The last thing I want is to log on to a video game and have to deal with it.
This might sound harsh, but IMO this game will always be more of a game and less of a simulator until I can actually practice driving on tracks that I may one day set rubber to. They'll never be able to perfectly simulate what it's like to drive a real car through a cheap wheel/pedal set on a home PC, but it's not so difficult to model a real race track and give me some time to get a feel for it before I actually go and drive it. Just my opinion.
What road car have you got that suffers from pad knock back so extreme that better wheel bearings will help? What happens over bumps etc that the new wheel bearings will transmit more efficiently to the calipers and makes knockback even more prominent...
I was expecting you to say you spent thousands of dollars on new calipers, or pad backing springs or something. Wheel bearings shouldn't have that much bearing (no pun intended) on it, especially at road speeds. I can't think of any car I've driven (and I've driven plenty on both roads and tracks) that suffered knockback to a level that would mean I'd spend thousands of dollars fixing it.
2004 STi, now equipped with 2005 STi hardware. I can assure you the problem was with the wheel bearings. The heat created by 12.7" rotors with Brembo calipers running high temp pads on a 3300 lb. car would quickly cook the car's weak wheel bearings, causing them to flex, causing pad knockback. The problem was that the wheel bearings were designed for a low powered, light weight early '90's car and weren't suitable for a 3300 lb. 300+ hp car with big brakes.
The problem was so bad that after only four hours of track time I would get pad knockback driving around in a parking lot at low speed.
Several thousand dollars was required for OEM 2005 STi wheel bearings/hubs, knuckes, compatible front suspension, wheels (different bolt pattern), and ABS gear adapters. I spent a little extra and got a quality suspension setup.
Pad knockback is gone. It's a pretty well documented issue among 2004 STi owners. At least on the boards I visit.
No it doesn't sound harsh, just a bit silly. A simulation by definition is focused on physical representation, rather than content. If XPLANE has ficticious content, it is still a great simulator.
STi's are nice cars, but if I had one I would really hate being outperformed in the 1320 and on the track by a FWD car that costs 1/2 the price :hihi:
But in this case physical representation can easily be applied to the setting. I view a race track as more than mere content. In my mind an accurately modeled race track is as important as accurate car control physics. I find no real value in LFS when it comes to realistic car control, although that aspect does help considerably when it comes to what I'd like to use it for. What I'd like to use it for is to familiarize myself with real race tracks. I get my car control practice in the form of frequent autocross competitions or the occasional track event.
So in my mind a simulator is something that I use to progress my skills for the real deal. In that aspect, the value of LFS as a simulator for my needs is quite low. But one aspect of the game that I find extremely valuable is what you can learn from it about driving around a race track in heavy traffic.
There are no FWD cars that cost half as much (USDM, I know Canadian STis cost more) as my STi that can outrun me in the 1/4 mile or around the track. Unless you're talking about highly modified used cars. In which case I don't feel bad, because if I really cared I could either make my STi faster or sell it and build something for half the cost of the FWD car and go faster in the process.
But I bought my car because I enjoy it... I'm not trying to set any land speed records. I'm building experience so I can go road racing in a few years.
I hadn't actually considered that. But in the end I chose the more cost effective solution. I was going to buy coilovers anyway, and I sold my old wheels to recover some of the price of the new wheels. Down the road I'm going to save money because I won't be replacing the bearings as often, and when I do it'll only take 20 minutes per side instead of several hours with a press. Fortunately the 2005+ parts are designed in a way that makes quick changes possible and easy.
lol... quick car, yes. Great car for the money. But we'll have to disagree about it being faster. In stock trim, of course. I won't push this point because it's a little OT in relationship to this thread.
I'm a little confused as to why new cars and tracks have an effect on physic stuff development and vis versa? Does not one dev (Scawen) work one the physics while another does all the car and track models (Eric)? Can they not be worked on at the same time?
I would love to see a "real oval" like Atlanta and one like Bristol or Martinsville. Or a rally course, or Baja type thing! And with Nascar's new "Car of Tomorrow" it wouldn't take much to change one of the GTR (FXO) cars into a 800hp V8 for those types of tracks. Of course I would also like to see some prototype LMP1 and LMP2 cars or cars like from the early 1970's Can-Am series.
I'm generally not a fan of roundy round type racing, at least to watch... but that would be a really cool addition that could potentially be loads of fun to play.
:hihi: 