PS3/GT5 Time Trial Challenge

[AlanB]

Any of our console people running this?

http://us.gran-turismo.com/us/news/d5147.html

I've been playing around with it for a week or so. Finally broke onto the leaderboard today, but nowhere near competitive. It's appealing to me with the non-adjustable setup and limited controller cfg options. Still can't compete with kids sitting on the PS all day everyday- but fun anyway. Oh, and it's free.

[engled]

It's funny you should bring this up, I have been looking at sims all afternoon. If I would come off of the cash for a halfway decent video card I could play games on my new PC.

[Cholewa]

Yet to dl... Might do that tonight

[Jedi1]

I ran it and if that is any indication of GT5's supposed "new physics engine" they can bloody well keep it! Those cars were HORRIFIC! I messed with it for an hour or so and got both cars in the top 5 or 600. Couldn't be bothered to try and figure out how to control something that felt like a hover craft on crack.

[AlanB]

Yeah, the physics dont feel great to me either but none of the consoles ever do for me anyway. I think the cars need too much lock to get the desired amount of turn. It doesn't reward proper setup for a corner, requires that you accelerate through the push and keep adding lock until the car turns enough. At the limit it seems to require a series of memorized turn-in and throttle amounts, rather having to 'drive' the car and balance being proactive and reactive to what the car is doing. Seems like this is where the 'consoleness' comes through, or at least to me it does.

Still, it is entertaining and I find the simplicity of the contest appealing. One thing that really cooled me off on sim racing a few years ago was having to develop and/or test setups. That was great back in college, playing IndyCar 2 and dialing back the wings to gain 2+ sec a lap. This is as good of a PAX challenge as it gets.

[Jedi1]

It's only good that everyone is on equal footing. The goodness ends when people like us that actually race find out how terrible the car is. If it doesn't at least lend itself to feeling something like an actual car, I'm out.

There are plenty of places to race on the PC that run with locked setups. I prefer that to spending 12 weeks working on a setup.

[aufoxy]

I got a ps3 and the prologue to gt5 for Christmas. I havent tried that time trial thing yet because I got the actual game, but from what I've read on the forum the time trial is god awful compared to the actual game in terms of physics. I actually thought the physics on the game were pretty decent. (BTW in the game you have the option to turn off all the steering and brake assists, turn on "professional physics", turn off "active stability mgmt" that keeps you from spinning, etc - all of those made the game really fake, but when you turn them off it gets a LOT better) Also I wish I had a wheel and pedals. The time trial thing has all that crap left "on" and its incredibly fake, from what I've heard.

[LeonL]

Yeah, the physics dont feel great to me either but none of the consoles ever do for me anyway. I think the cars need too much lock to get the desired amount of turn. It doesn't reward proper setup for a corner, requires that you accelerate through the push and keep adding lock until the car turns enough. At the limit it seems to require a series of memorized turn-in and throttle amounts, rather having to 'drive' the car and balance being proactive and reactive to what the car is doing. Seems like this is where the 'consoleness' comes through, or at least to me it does.

Still, it is entertaining and I find the simplicity of the contest appealing. One thing that really cooled me off on sim racing a few years ago was having to develop and/or test setups. That was great back in college, playing IndyCar 2 and dialing back the wings to gain 2+ sec a lap. This is as good of a PAX challenge as it gets.

Alan. Are you using steering wheel and pedals setup? I think if I have a chance, I would setup with steering wheel, pedals and "big" screen. Maybe next Christmas

[AlanB]

I've got the GT5 Prologue too- but can't tell any big difference except the new demo (TT) physics do seem a little bit less brick-like. I like the Z06 in the GT5p, alot. Always played that with all driver assists turned off and it definitely makes a huge difference in the experience. The Time Trial/Demo car setups are static, but you can change a few things in the 'Driving Options' for both the stock and tuned cars. After reviewing both replays of the leader, I set my options to match. I give both games higher marks than Sean, but not as good as some of the PC stuff.

Getting the G27 for Christmas inspired me. My old Momo 'red' had at least 100k miles on it, but it still works good. It is definitely junk compared to the G27. For an off-the-shelf garden variety solution the G27 is an impressive piece. I never made it around to the G25, but I'm sure it's the same leap from the old stuff. Since I'm playing more console, there is no desk to attach the G27 to. I used a small table after I first hooked it up...had a good time playing on the TV so last Monday I built this thing. I used the G27 pedals, but flipped them and used the Miata for the distances forshifter height, wheel to pedal distance, pedal centerlines, floor to pedal height, and of course the seat. The throw of the shifter is too light but actually pretty close to a Miata's. Minus the wheel diameter, it sits and feels like a Miata. Oddly enough the unit on casters is just as fast as a Miata in a straight line.

[TouringBubble]

Nice rig Alan.

[Jedi1]

very nice indeed!

[Welacey]

I noticed you went European.(righty) Good build, would love to duplicate some day.

[LeonL]

Very nice Alan, that 's what I am talking about. Does your steering wheel has force feedback?? When can I come play??

[Cholewa]

Considering its a 200mb demo i'd say its pretty good. Not nearly as good as prologue, but driving on N tires tends to do that.

[jimkana]

Awesome setup Alan, its l33t!

And I must say, Sean, if you were interested in something that lends itself to feeling something like an actual car ... You'd be playing Grand Prix Legends.
(For those of you who have no memory of our beloved long-lost forum, this is an old, OLD running joke.)