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PC Racing Sims Thread

DD

Member
If anyone in this thread is interested in reviewing or writing articles about racing games and live in the British Isles (or PAL territory), please PM me. A well known & respected independent YT gaming channel is looking for articulate people interested in the racing genre to write about & review games.

It'll be a love job but you will get game access and inside info on all manner of games, most of which will be racing titles.

I used to do this and loved it but time is short nowadays and good reliable people are rare however I urge people to PM me if they are interested.

Cheers!

I'd love to, but I don't live in the islands. :(
 

TJP

Member
Bsimracing has it all: http://www.bsimracing.com/project-cars-2-release-version-car-list-revealed/

35660971496_44c1bbaa89_o.jpg
 

Berto

Member
Bought Assetto Corsa in the steam sales and I'm loving it, redescovering the days I played Grand Prix Legends and rFactor back in the day.

I just love the historic cars in AC, the 60's and 70's Lotus, Ferraris and Mclarens (the Mclaren is a mod though). Are there any full scale historic F1 mods for Assetto Corsa? Like that memorable 79 F1 mod for rFactor?
 

Mascot

Member
Bought Assetto Corsa in the steam sales and I'm loving it, redescovering the days I played Grand Prix Legends and rFactor back in the day.

I just love the historic cars in AC, the 60's and 70's Lotus, Ferraris and Mclarens (the Mclaren is a mod though). Are there any full scale historic F1 mods for Assetto Corsa? Like that memorable 79 F1 mod for rFactor?

AC is my go-to sim at the moment. OK, it's a bit bare-bones in vanilla form but when I have a chunk of time I'm going to start installing some mods. It just feels the nicest to play for me, and looks nice enough to not be distracting. OK, I'd love the options, visuals, features and track roster of Project CARS with the FFB of Assetto Corsa but I'm prepared to forego all of that just because AC drives so well on the track.

I daren't even try Automobilista (or any others) right now because I don't want to spread myself too thinly between sims. Hopping between RaceRoom, AC and pCARS at the moment is taxing enough.

*slowly raises flame shield*
 

Effect

Member
I'm really close to picking up Dirt 4 if I can find a good price for it. Not apart of the steam sale. Been playing Dirt 3 and been enjoying rally racing quite a bit. Just me and the car and how well I can control it. It also has a gameplay structure I want with the different championships, unlocking access to different cars, and modes. Dirt 4 seems like it has that but with car customization. Having two styles of play with gamer and simulation is a nice idea. The whole experience reminds me the most of how I felt playing GT6 and this has come close to being an alternative on PC for me.

I was thinking of picking up Dirt Rally as well since it is on sale but not sure. Might still get it before it ends and then decide if I'll keep it.

Will be playing with a controller though. Wondering if it is time to upgrade from the 360 controller to the Xbox One controller.
 

DD

Member
I'm really close to picking up Dirt 4 if I can find a good price for it. Not apart of the steam sale. Been playing Dirt 3 and been enjoying rally racing quite a bit. Just me and the car and how well I can control it. It also has a gameplay structure I want with the different championships, unlocking access to different cars, and modes. Dirt 4 seems like it has that but with car customization. Having two styles of play with gamer and simulation is a nice idea. The whole experience reminds me the most of how I felt playing GT6 and this has come close to being an alternative on PC for me.

I was thinking of picking up Dirt Rally as well since it is on sale but not sure. Might still get it before it ends and then decide if I'll keep it.

Will be playing with a controller though. Wondering if it is time to upgrade from the 360 controller to the Xbox One controller.

Both are great games, but keep in mind that while Dirt 4 offers the gamer handling, Dirt Rally doesn't. Both are perfectly doable with a pad, but with the sim handling the learning curve ends on a different universe compared to Dirt 3.
 

Effect

Member
Both are great games, but keep in mind that while Dirt 4 offers the gamer handling, Dirt Rally doesn't. Both are perfectly doable with a pad, but with the sim handling the learning curve ends on a different universe compared to Dirt 3.

Thanks. Been playing a little of Dirt Rally tonight and yeah I don't think it's for me. I think I finally started getting the hang of things and could continue in that direction given time. At this point though it's to far in the simulation direction for me to the point it's not fun compared to straight sim racing which can be hard but isn't frustrating. I think that might be the key word there. I'm thinking Dirt 4 would be the best of both worlds at this point and makes no sense to keep Rally if I can get something similar to in on the sim side of Dirt 4 when I pick it up and if the desire for something even harder is there. So going to try and refund it before my time is up.

Feature wise I really like what I saw in it though. I can see why people like it so much.
 

DD

Member
Thanks. Been playing a little of Dirt Rally tonight and yeah I don't think it's for me. I think I finally started getting the hang of things and could continue in that direction given time. At this point though it's to far in the simulation direction for me to the point it's not fun compared to straight sim racing which can be hard but isn't frustrating. I think that might be the key word there. I'm thinking Dirt 4 would be the best of both worlds at this point and makes no sense to keep Rally if I can get something similar to in on the sim side of Dirt 4 when I pick it up and if the desire for something even harder is there. So going to try and refund it before my time is up.

Feature wise I really like what I saw in it though. I can see why people like it so much.

I recommend you to pay attention to the co-driver calls, and don't follow Colin McRae's advice ("if in doubt, flat out") at any cost. Actually, you should do the opposite of that; if in doubt, release the throttle/brake a little. Try keeping the car on the track instead of trying to be fast. Once you start to understand the dynamics of each car and track, it will click and you'll fall in love with it.

But, yeah, there's Dirt 4 with the gamer handling too, and it is a better game overall (IMO).
 

Watevaman

Member
Didn't realize Knutstorp was released for Raceroom already. Can't wait to find some tine to play it. My T500 hasn't seen use in about 4 months so I'm itching to get back on it.
 

Effect

Member
So picked up Dirt 4 from GMG today. Still messing around with settings to see what I want to play around with long term. Right now going back and forth between Gamer and Sim modes. I noticed something weird. The AI seems to be more difficult in the Freeplay sections it seems. I loaded up the very first race. On the Gamer side with difficulty on Pro (challenging) I came in at number 1 comfortably in the career mode. In the Freeplay, same settings and stage (not a custom one), I'm coming in 5th or 6th. I don't think I'm doing anything different driving wise. My time was shorter to. However where I could slow down in the career race to take a section, it seems doing so in Freeplay seems like a negative where the AI very likely isn't bothering but they are in career. Tried the same thing on Demanding (kept the other settings the same). In Career I came in 2nd, would have been first but I screwed up two sections. Hit the low teens in Freeplay.

Haven't seen if it's the same in simulation mode yet. Is this suppose to be a thing? Is it a bug that is being looked into? Is it because I was loading up premade stage and not generating one? Or is the Your Stage suppose to be "end game" content so by the time you use you're suppose to be better after finishing the career mode?

I have also noticed though that I'm finding the Gamer side pretty challenging when it comes to controlling the car on the Pro settings. This is not Dirt 3. That's what I'd hit with the arcade label by comparison if it had to be done. This is a better and more challenging. This feels closer to when I play Project Cars starting on Amateur (choices being Novice, Amateur, Pro) and then customizing things further. I just don't feel I can slam on the gas and not have care. I've seen some trying to say that and I don't see it or experience it. I dabbled a little with the Simulation mode, same settings, and it was pretty interesting. I felt more comfortable with it then the little of Dirt Rally I experienced. Now this is all with a controller so maybe things might be different with a wheel. These are my initial impressions anyway.

I still don't know which side to stick with it. I guess it's good I can switch at will.
 

Mascot

Member
Think I'm finally gonna jump in, especially since I built my new rig a couple weeks ago (7700K + 1080ti).

It's very tempting at that price, and could probably be flipped for not much of a loss when the sale ends if you don't get on with it.

How are people's experiences with the Rift and sim racing in this thread? I love the idea of added immersion and proper depth perception but going to what would effectively be sub-720p (according to the cheap Rift thread) from 4k might be too much of a comedown. There's also a lot of buyer's remorse in that thread when the novelty wears off.

Who here races with a rift (or Vive), and who stuck with it? I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially VR vs triples, which seems to be some people's preference.
 

terrible

Banned
It's very tempting at that price, and could probably be flipped for not much of a loss when the sale ends if you don't get on with it.

How are people's experiences with the Rift and sim racing in this thread? I love the idea of added immersion and proper depth perception but going to what would effectively be sub-720p (according to the cheap Rift thread) from 4k might be too much of a comedown. There's also a lot of buyer's remorse in that thread when the novelty wears off.

Who here races with a rift (or Vive), and who stuck with it? I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially VR vs triples, which seems to be some people's preference.

Inside Sim Racing did a pretty good video on it. Seems they really liked how immersive it was but found it difficult to pick up details from a distance making it hard to judge braking distances and such (can't see the markers well). Hitting apexes is supposedly way easier with it but overall they still prefer their 3 monitor setups. They have beastly curved monitor setups though, not sure how they'd feel if they had my pathetic 1080p single monitor setup lol. I still enjoy it as I have it now but it's nothing compared to what most sim racers use.

I'm damn close to ordering one myself. Really, really close. Help.
 

Mascot

Member
Inside Sim Racing did a pretty good video on it. Seems they really liked how immersive it was but found it difficult to pick up details from a distance making it hard to judge braking distances and such (can't see the markers well). Hitting apexes is supposedly way easier with it but overall they still prefer their 3 monitor setups. They have beastly curved monitor setups though, not sure how they'd feel if they had my pathetic 1080p single monitor setup lol. I still enjoy it as I have it now but it's nothing compared to what most sim racers use.

I'm damn close to ordering one myself. Really, really close. Help.
Do it, and quickly post your impressions before the sale ends.

:p
 
Yeah, Ferrari LM 250 won! Woohoo

/alternate universe

Edit: regarding VR, after owning and selling my Rift, I'm waiting for the 2nd generation. I need more pixels!
 
VR singlehandedly rekindled my sim racing interest and is by far what I've spent the most time playing in VR. I've probably spent more time sim racing this year (and thus in VR) than just about anything else.

The resolution is still not there, even with MSAA and supersampling, but it's not an issue for me. I don't use small markers for braking or turn-in, so visibility at a distance isn't problematic in that regard.
 

Mascot

Member
Are there any recommended videos that give a good representation of what you actually see when sim racing through the Rift, ie the proper resolution and FoV?

Most of the videos are of a widescreen mirror in high resolutions.
 
"Are there any recommended videos that give a good representation of what you actually see when sim racing through the Rift, ie the proper resolution and FoV?

Most of the videos are of a widescreen mirror in high resolutions."


Not really. If you cup your hands around your face like binoculars that might give you something of an idea of the FOV.
 

Mascot

Member
"Are there any recommended videos that give a good representation of what you actually see when sim racing through the Rift, ie the proper resolution and FoV?

Most of the videos are of a widescreen mirror in high resolutions."


Not really. If you cup your hands around your face like binoculars that might give you something of an idea of the FOV.

How about this one, viewed in Google Cardboard?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvrvxGrk7Qw&t

Anywhere close?
 
Are there any recommended videos that give a good representation of what you actually see when sim racing through the Rift, ie the proper resolution and FoV?

Most of the videos are of a widescreen mirror in high resolutions.

The mirrored output is a cropped version of one eye, so it's wider, and most noticeably taller than what you'd see in a video. As far as the perceived resolution, I think this guy's iRacing videos give a fairly accurate representation of the compromise.

All of that said, a YouTube video doesn't give any sense at all of what it's actually like to use.
 

VVV Mars VG

Member
Are there any recommended videos that give a good representation of what you actually see when sim racing through the Rift, ie the proper resolution and FoV?

Most of the videos are of a widescreen mirror in high resolutions.

Nothing can give you the true experience of VR. But iRacing is probably the best VR experience I've encountered in terms of performance and clarity. The way the mirrors work authentically, or hitting those apex's perfectly in a way you just can't manage with a screen/s.
 
"Nothing can give you the true experience of VR. But iRacing is probably the best VR experience I've encountered in terms of performance and clarity. The way the mirrors work authentically, or hitting those apex's perfectly in a way you just can't manage with a screen/s."


As far as mirrors are concerned, Live For Speed actually has everyone topped. They're truly stereoscopic.
 

Patrick S.

Banned
Just get a TrackIR. Even a webcam and FaceTrackNoIR gives good results, which is what I'm using. I'll get one of those DIY head tracking clips in a few days, which is a bit more comfortable because it doesn't lose tracking so fast when you look away from the screen.
 

Mascot

Member
Not really. If you cup your hands around your face like binoculars that might give you something of an idea of the FOV.

I don't have a google cardboard to test. The image quality will most definitely not be equivalent, just due to youtube's video encoding.

The mirrored output is a cropped version of one eye, so it's wider, and most noticeably taller than what you'd see in a video. As far as the perceived resolution, I think this guy's iRacing videos give a fairly accurate representation of the compromise.

All of that said, a YouTube video doesn't give any sense at all of what it's actually like to use.

Nothing can give you the true experience of VR. But iRacing is probably the best VR experience I've encountered in terms of performance and clarity. The way the mirrors work authentically, or hitting those apex's perfectly in a way you just can't manage with a screen/s.

Thanks for the comments folks. My only experience with VR thus far has been a Red Bull Air Race on-rails experience at Goodwood FoS a couple of years ago, and a walk a round a virtual chemical plant at a trade show. Both on DK1, I believe. Oh, and Google Cardboard using my Galaxy S6E.

Like everyone says, I really need to experience it for myself in an actual sim, but that's probably not going to be possible before this sale ends in just under six weeks.

The deal still seems a bit of a no-brainer because I can't imagine that a nearly-new CV1 wouldn't command less than £300 after the sale ends, so it would only be a £100 risk, the price of a good night out.

Please keep the comments coming - I value your opinions and am willing to be persuaded.

Just get a TrackIR. Even a webcam and FaceTrackNoIR gives good results, which is what I'm using. I'll get one of those DIY head tracking clips in a few days, which is a bit more comfortable because it doesn't lose tracking so fast when you look away from the screen.

I'd never considered this - thanks. It'd be madness to go for 'proper' TrackIR as it's coming in at half the cost of the Rift, but I've got a webcam so FaceTrackNoIR is worth investigating. Are there any good guides anywhere? I'm brand new to this.

Cheers all.
 

*Guaraná

Banned
I live in Brazil and here the Rift is the price of a lung: over 1.000,00 dollars (3600,00 reais), as you guys can see here: http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/...cv1-2017-garantia-de-1-ano-pronta-entrega-_JM

Thnks to a friend of mine who lives in NY. I could get one for the fair price of 399,00 + tax witch, converted to my local currency, will cost me less than 1400,00 Reais.

The sad part is that he'll only come back to Brazil in September. So i'll have to wait over a month to put my hands on it.

Still very happy thou. :D
 

Patrick S.

Banned
I'd never considered this - thanks. It'd be madness to go for 'proper' TrackIR as it's coming in at half the cost of the Rift, but I've got a webcam so FaceTrackNoIR is worth investigating. Are there any good guides anywhere? I'm brand new to this.

What I did was buy a PS3 webcam, which is one of the more popular options because it has high framerate and resolution. You have to google for drivers for it, they are called something like "cl driver", IIRC. The Nintendo Wiimote can be used as camera, too.

Then just install FaceTrackNoIR and all the plugin stuff on its website, and you're basically good to go. The games will automatically detect and work with it.
 

Darkdeus

Member
What graphics card do you have? Keep in mind that super sampling helps tremendously with image quality. Playing at 1.5 or 2.0 pixel density in Assetto Corsa and iRacing makes all the difference in the world.

Also Pcars 1 does not look good in the rift. Pcars 2 is a huge improvement in regards to image quality in VT.
 

Mascot

Member
What graphics card do you have? Keep in mind that super sampling helps tremendously with image quality. Playing at 1.5 or 2.0 pixel density in Assetto Corsa and iRacing makes all the difference in the world.

Also Pcars 1 does not look good in the rift. Pcars 2 is a huge improvement in regards to image quality in VT.
I5-6600k and 980Ti. Hoping this is OK for medium settings.
 

Darkdeus

Member
Yea should be as long as you keep in mind the clarity at medium settings is not a limitation of the screen but your graphics settings. Going from no supersamping to high super sampling in Assetto Corsa and iRacing in the rift was like getting a new screen. All of a sudden I could pick out brake markers easily and see into the distance.
 
On first rift use, if you find your framerate sub 60fps, it's most likely not your videocard but something in an ini file. Sadly I'm on away from my computer and can't for the life of me remember what the setting is, but there's help on the iRacing forums.
 
"On first rift use, if you find your framerate sub 60fps, it's most likely not your videocard but something in an ini file. Sadly I'm on away from my computer and can't for the life of me remember what the setting is, but there's help on the iRacing forums."


You can change it in-game in the graphics settings, you just need to disable frame limiting (which is on by default).
 

subwilde

Member
"On first rift use, if you find your framerate sub 60fps, it's most likely not your videocard but something in an ini file. Sadly I'm on away from my computer and can't for the life of me remember what the setting is, but there's help on the iRacing forums."


You can change it in-game in the graphics settings, you just need to disable frame limiting (which is on by default).

Does changing the resolution in-game with Oculus selected as display device allow you super sample? I haven't tried it yet but I do have DSR on multiple sizes.

Btw, your tag needs a comma ;)
 
"Does changing the resolution in-game with Oculus selected as display device allow you super sample? I haven't tried it yet but I do have DSR on multiple sizes."


I don't believe so, but don't quote me on that. Super sampling should still be done in the ini with PixelsPerDisplayPixel.
 
"On first rift use, if you find your framerate sub 60fps, it's most likely not your videocard but something in an ini file. Sadly I'm on away from my computer and can't for the life of me remember what the setting is, but there's help on the iRacing forums."


You can change it in-game in the graphics settings, you just need to disable frame limiting (which is on by default).
After some investigation, I've read that the problem I was suffering from was due to Asynchronous Space Warp and everything was being rendered at 45fps. Apparently you don't need to do anything in the ini like I did and Crtl-Numpad1 while in game will switch it off.

Oh, and could you be so kind as to remove my ol' Bill tag? Or alternatively, here he is again...
Ft95w4V.png

Yeah, Photobucket are on a worldwide cash-grab right now. They've suddenly decided to shift image linking behind a pay wall.
$5.99 a month? APRIL FOOOOooo... oh, they really want that? Ahahahaha. Good luck Photobucket.
 

kiyomi

Member
I'm thinking of buying my first wheel. I can get a Driving Force GT for ~£50, a G25 for £90, a G920 for £140 or a G27 for £155.

I think the last two are probably too much for me to spend but would it be worth it to go all-out, or would I get a satisfactory experience on the budget DFGT?

I'd be playing Assetto Corsa, iRacing, RRE, maybe some rFactor-type stuff, and maybe the upcoming F1 2017.

Off topic, but is my tag showing up with a hosting error for everyone else?

You could say that.

 

Dave_6

Member
Got my Rift working with AC and iRacing last night. Unfortunately, I came home from work with a pretty bad headache which isn't good news for a first attempt at sim racing VR. Jumped into a Miata first in AC and got queasy just a couple corners in so I stopped. It didn't take me long to get over it but I'm blaming most of it on the headache; the sense of immersion is unlike anything else though. I'm anxious to try it out again today and see if it really was the headache or it's really going to take me a long time to get adjusted to it.

I tried out Eve Valkyrie late last night for ~20 mins and it didn't bother me at all.

EDIT: First go at it this morning; fired up rFactor 2 (had to set up Steam VR first). Tried the USF2000 at NOLA, VERY impressive! Much less of a queasy feeling today too. Will say I did 5 or so laps there then switched to the Formula Renault at Silverstone for a couple laps. Started to get a little queasy after that one so I've taken an hour or so break. Going to have to ease myself in as excited as I am about it.
 
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