hello!

I was just wondering if joypads acted just the same as keyboards in lfs? If so would the setups made for keyboard's be better than using setups made for steering wheels? so would keyboard setup threads such as http://www.lfsforum.net/showth ... mp;highlight=xrt+keyboard be any help to a joypad user? If not are there any joypad setup dedicated threads like this one?
Im asking these questions because i have seem to have hit a hotlapping brick wall which is driving me insane. I seem to be having trouble with the first split on Blackwood using the XF Gti. If i really push i can manage 31.55's but to my horror see other drivers calmly driver 31.20's and below.
No matter how much i practice this first split i cannot improve my time, it also seems this split was also a problem pre patch where i could only obtain a 31.25 on a good run. I have tried comparing other racer's replays but only find i cannot break and maintain the same control as them on this part of the track.
I am also using Team Inferno's setups and replays for the setups. I am wondering that if the setups were created for wheels would they affect joypad users?

Ps sorry for the long winded post but im sick of that first split! I left a replay of my best attempts, best lap is the last one about 6th(complete with crash on lap 7), any help is appreciated.
MyHotLaps.spr

I'm a joypad player too, I hear that there are a few people out there with alien times on joypads, but I find the lack of subtlety of a joypad compared to something like a DFP, and the fact that I can't pull stunts like left foot braking, mean that I'm just destined to be slow until I finally bite the bullet and buy a wheel.

I've found that tweaking the controller settings, especially stuff like game>options>misc>analogue smooth steer, the wheel turn compensation figure and the amount of wheel turn in degrees has slowly enabled me to close in to within a couple of seconds of the average alien on a combo that I know well, using setups from the forum or the setup field. [or tweaked versions of them]

I dunno if I've really answered your question, cos I'm only speaking from my own perspective, I guess the only concrete thing I can tell you is that I tend to run a slightly more stable setup than the average alien, stuff like more wing, a higher coast value in the LSD and more toe in, I accept that all of these things slow me down, but they also enable me to keep the car on the track.

I run lfs with a xbox gamepad. The bennefit is that you can play with separete analog gas and throttle axis , letting you to control the "left foot brakin" more easy.

Thats the difference i guess from other pads that are only digital i guess.

Perhaps someone should make downloadable setups designed for us people with gamepads? The setups you can download are made for/by guys that have steeringwheels i guess

I use the logitech rumblepad-2 and i've been getting times of 1:35,,, on blackwood in the fx-gti, i'm supper happy with the joypad!

I have a saitek p2500 RUMBLE and my best on BL1 was a 1:26 in the XRT (when i was still a demo racer so its not on LFSWORLD) *crys* never used the XFG in demo really because it seems to initiate kick / ban votes as soon as the race starts, probs because people think your a crasher.

I have steer smooth up to the top and compensation about half way or less. That way it doesn't go shoot from one position to another and allows me to take corners more smoothly.

Glad to see some replys, I must admit though im not complaining about using a joypad since i shaved off about 2 seconds off my time when i upgraded from the keyboard. Im using a Logitech Dual Action pad with an un-tweaked partyboy setup of team inferno. I will have a mess around tweakinthe set and see if i can improve.

Ps, is there any joypad users here who can driver below a 31.40 on the first split with Xf gti on blackwood? If so did you have to edit any setups or just general technique aroudn that first corner?

I too use a Logitech Wingman Rumblepad - 'cos a wheel is out of my budget at the mo - and can pull mid 1.35's on Blackwood with the GTi no problem.

I run auto clutch, but manual downshift on the left trigger button and upshift on the right. I use the left analogue stick for throttle and brake, and the right stick for steering - but this is because I race 1/10th scale RC as well and this is what i'm used to.

In fact I find if I miss playing LFS for a while my RC driving starts to suffer too!! Must be a case of keeping my thumbs in trim I guess??

I've been using a PSX dual-shock gamepad since the beginning (what is
that, like 3-4 years now ?!). The only advantage over a wheel i can think
of is the ability to counter steer much faster. The biggest problem is the
lack of precision because of the relatively small travel of the joysticks so
steering and throttle can be a bit jerky if you are not extremely smooth.
Also, unless you setup the throttle in an unusual manner (for example,
throttle on right and brakes on left) you can't use brakes and throttle at
the same time.

Apart from that, i love my PSX gamepad and i find it's one of the best
controller imo (Sony didn't feel the need to change the shape once in 10
years...ergonomically, it's close to perfect), it's very confortable and
intuitive.

As for setup, i find most wheel setups work well for me.
My controller settings are:

Wheel turn: 180°
Wheel turn compensation: 1.00
Throttle/brake center reduction: 0.4-0.5

In the Misc tab there's also an option called 'Analog Steer Smooth'
which can be usefull. I used to set it at 0.5 but for some reason i
have it down to 0 now.

I used a gamepad RC car style like Hog700 before I got the DFP, and the most important setting for me was the analog steer smoothing. I had it maxed out; otherwise the steering was way to jerky and I couldn't hit corners exactly where I wanted. That of course might just be attributed to the El Cheapo (TM) gamepad I had. In the end I just couldn't deal with such a small range of motion though =-(