No, Mick was actually a really, really good driver…
That’s the only way you are going to win
But, after a bit over a year in the ‘passenger’ seat we had a bit of a falling out over what was our (non) entry in the Victorian Alpine rally of 1987. We were doing very well at the club level, already had sponsors ‘chasing’ us and that particular rally would have been our 1st round in (a support category) of the Australian Rally Championship, with the attendant ‘exposure’ and even international interest… It never happened and is a much longer story best shared over a beer or two.
Some great advice given already. I’ll add my 2c worth.
‘What kind of equipment is best for a beginner?’ - I think the Logitech G29 is a good starter. I used one and passed it on to a family member who still uses it.
‘I see several packages available through Amazon…Would you suggest Logitech or Thrustmaster?’ - No experience of TM wheels, sorry.
‘Can I substitute rudder pedals for sim pedals?’ - I would think not. The single biggest improvement in tech for me was the addition of a load cell brake. It makes an incredible difference. I wish I had upgraded to one earlier.
‘Any recommendations/help would be greatly appreciated’
We got a decent stand for the G29 and it works well but is still bulky and a bit of an eye sore. I’ll upset a few people with this comment but I don’t believe you need a rig to enjoy sim racing. I have a desk mounted Fanatec Clubsport 2.5 that takes only a few minutes to set up and put away. I have a sturdy desk. If you have the room then a rig of some sort would be fine of course but I don’t think they are essential is the point I’m trying to convey.
If cost is an issue, second hand might be worth considering.
I have had no troubles with Fanatec other than a broken connector pin on the entry level steering wheel I got initially and Fanatec support got straight onto it. I ended up getting a credit so I could get a better wheel instead of a replacement.
To date I have tried Dirt Rally, Dirt Rally 2, Project Cars, EA Sports WRC, Asetto Corsa and Automobilsta 2 (AMS2). I can’t use EA Sports WRC due to an unresolved technical issue. I’d avoid that title until EA pull their finger out and sort it’s various issues, like no VR. Asetto Corsa is good but really requires some mods to bring it up to date. Dirt Rally and Dirt Rally 2 are enjoyable. AMS2 is currently my go to title due to the quality of the graphics, especially in VR, the AI and the amount of work Reiza are putting into it.
That’s probably good advice if you don’t know if the racing genre is your thing.
If you have tried a racing game on a friends playstation or xbox, then you know how that feels with a gamepad…
For the record, I suck using a gamepad (too)!
I got an analogue stick for my Amiga 500, butchered it and built a steeringwheel and pedals out of it. I actually made an entire cockpit out of plywood. I wish we had digital cameras back then.
The steeringwheel was made from a bent steel pipe and welded to a flat hub. I had help from a friend and his dads workshop. We stuffed sand into the pipe, welded it shut, heated it and bent it to a circle. I glued foam insulation to it and my mom stitched faux suede to cover it.
The gas/brake pedal was an interesting solution as it was on the same axis, back then. I put a potmeter on each pedal, one reversing the other. This meant that braking cancelled the throttle, so for it to work you could not gas and brake at the same time. Oh the memories!
Anyway, I learned early on that once you have tried a wheel, you can’t go back to a joystick no more than you could go back to flying using a keyboard once you tried flying with a stick.
So, @Phantom88, I restarted my racing knowing I wouldn’t be happy without a good steeringwheel and pedals. Your experience may indeed be different. If you are starting absolutely from scratch, doing some racing on cheaper hardware may indeed be the right way.
I would only be throwing the suggested gampad out of the window during my first race. But that’s me! I’m sure there are plenty gamepad racers out there who will leave me eating dust no matter how much fancy hardware I’ve got…
You’re forgetting that everything is upside-down in Australia… Maybe they did release it there?
Or maybe he meant the Commodore Amiga. I know I spent many happy hours with MicroProse Formula 1 Grand Prix and it was the reason for building the wheel and pedals, mentioned above.
@Phantom88 I’m in the camp of using that $50 not for the gamepad, but on an entry level wheel. The G29 (PlayStation compatible) or its Xbox equivalent, also gets my vote. That is if you don’t already own a gamepad. The G29 is extremely robust and compatible with most sims. If you decide that racing sims are not your bag, then you will have no trouble finding a buyer.
Edit: you can clamp it to a desk while you are dipping your toes in the water. No need for a cockpit until you go full Senna on us
I also recommend a minimal amount of reading, just so you understand the concepts of getting around a race course quickly. Slow in - fast out, hitting your apexes, etc. will help you drive quicker and better understand motorsport as a whole.
I can comment on the Thrustmaster T128. The very entry level, I paid $200 for the wheel/pedel set, and added a Next Level Racing wheel stand for $100 for easy setup/storage.
Wheel has been great for me. Magnetic inputs on the shift paddles and pedals, so no worries about pot spikes down the road. The wheel has 900 degree rotation, but I’m limiting it to 360 degrees (this better matches the action on-screen in the cars I drive).
There is no clutch pedal at this price. I’m fine with using paddles shifters (even 10 to 15 years ago, I preferred this) and I don’t even have the skills to use a clutch and stick at race pace, anyway. Thrustmaster does make entry-level addon clutch pedals set and H pattern shifter, if I ever want to try it.
The wheel stand is excellent. Robust build, the wheel is clamped on (it has no bolt holes) and the pedals are bolted down and never move around while racing. Takes up very little room when folded for storage. And setup is very fast. I’ve got velcro wire wraps securing the interconnect cables to the wheel stand, and also holding the power and USB cables neatly when stored.
Thanks @Troll that is it… It was definitely F1GP. It was my roommates and I remember distinctly with multiplayer that each player took turns controlling their car while the ‘AI’ drove the other players car.
@Phantom88 here is a link to a free utility (donation based) that I find invaluable for adding extra immersion and information during races. It works in various sims such as AMS2.
I didn’t realize until recently, that there is a content manager for AMS2. It’s not anywhere developed like the one for Assetto Corsa, but it gets the job done. Previously, some mods required manually editing files after every update or mod addition. This handles that nicely for you. The usual disclaimers apply.
OK…got my Xbox controller…logged into steam and see a few options
-base game is $39.99
-ultimate expansion pack bundle is $157.99
I really see myself only Running Daytona/LeMans 24 hr cars…not very interested in Formula1/Dirt or NASCAR…mildly interested in Historical Trks/Cars…any advice on what packs I should get?..or go ahead and get “The Ultimate Bundle”??
Thank You for any help/advice
I’m going to download the Demo and give it a whirl.
Nice choice. AMS2 is currently my favorite racing sim.
The bundle is the best deal, but since you don’t own a wheel, I’d say just buy what you are interested in. The Endurance pack is fantastic and there is a custom skin pack with the IMSA versions of LMDH and GT3 G2 cars.
You will want to use the Content Manager for AMS2 (see above) to install mods. Otherwise you end up editing config files whenever you add mods or there is an update.
And lastly, if you enjoy IndyCar at all, this mod is payware grade. One of the best that I’ve seen for any sim.
I have a question about weather. I just did a 10 min race with time progression set to 20x. I had 4 weather slots all set to random and 20X Also had a mandatory 4 tyre pit stop set up.
AI pitted about 4 mins into the race. I pitted right at 5 mins. As soon as i came out of the pits a down pour hit. I went from leading by 3 seconds to dead last.
The AI seemed well prepared for the rain, However I had no clue it was coming.
Is there a forecast or something? Would have been nice to know it was coming.
It’s been my experience that having multiple weather slots with time acceleration can create some funky results. Others say that if you want a wet race, to start with rain, and the AI behaves much more realistically. So, it’s kind of a black art right now. I do think that the AI has too much grip on wet surfaces. But as the track dries, you eventually get back up to speed with them.
I like how AMS2 varies the grip level around a circuit. It can be pretty dry on one half and still treacherous in another.
Another consideration is that if you create pit stop strategies, the tire pressure does not transfer between cars. Let’s say you know that you usually have enough fuel for the races that you like to drive, so you create a pit strategy for wets only. Then a week later you switch to a different class car. The strategy will be there, but so will the tire pressure from the car you were driving when you created it. So make sure to update the strategy for the new car. Cold tires will seriously degrade wet tire performance.
