Track Simulators

Author
Discussion

PetrolheadRacing

Original Poster:

12 posts

185 months

Wednesday 10th December 2008
quotequote all
Hi,
We are looking into doing one or two races of the VLN series at the Nordschleife in Germany. I want to learn the track on a simulator but I am not a video game person. Can anyone help me with which game and platform I can get a good Norschleife simulator? (Paystation, X-box, gran Turismo....?)
Thanks

LD1Racing

6,508 posts

217 months

Wednesday 10th December 2008
quotequote all
You can probably pick up a second hand PS2 on fleabay for a few quid, and a copy of Gran Turismo 4. Probably the best 'ring interpretation available until GT5 is out for PS3. However there are some major differences between the track and the game - track width in places, distance between corners and certainly gradients. Always worth repeating - your first lap is always your first lap - no matter how well you think you know it from a video game.

Having said that, I had lapped it many times on the PS2 before my first visit and definately think it is worth doing. At least you know whether it is left/right/flat over crest etc. Just take it easy for the first few.

dpbird90

5,535 posts

189 months

Wednesday 10th December 2008
quotequote all
Having played on the X360 at my friends house, I can say that the Nordschleife on Forza is not as well detailed as the one on GT4 (PS2). However, in both games the start line isn't in the right place, on the real Nordschleife the line is on the long straight where you get onto the track, but on the games it begins a bit further down the road, where there is the exit to the Grand Prix circuit.
The only problem with both games is getting the right car can be tricky. Unfortunately, I can't do a realistic practice for me proposed 2009 trip there because GT4 doesn't have Seicento's on it, although the old shape Fiat Panda with a bit of fettling can go round in 8:30 on the game!
Lately I try to get the fastest time round there, not going for cars I hve a realistic chance of attacking the ring in. My best is 5:44 in the Sauber Mercedes C9, next best is 6:12 in the Formula Gran Turismo (F1 car)

steveysmith

1,043 posts

186 months

Wednesday 10th December 2008
quotequote all
If you have a decent PC id recommend GTR2 or Rfactor. Both excellent simulators with a lot more depth than console games. The Nordscleife that can be downloaded is highly detailed and comes with all the different layouts (VLN, Tourist etc)

Edited by steveysmith on Wednesday 10th December 12:16

Simon Mason

579 posts

268 months

Wednesday 10th December 2008
quotequote all
steveysmith said:
If you have a decent PC id recommend GTR2 or Rfactor. Both excellent simulators with a lot more depth than console games. The Nordscleife that can be downloaded is highly detailed and comes with all the different layouts (VLN, Tourist etc)

Edited by steveysmith on Wednesday 10th December 12:16
Seconded, rFactor on a PC is the way forward. It also has all the various VLN (with various GP circuit) layouts.

jcas

262 posts

243 months

Wednesday 10th December 2008
quotequote all
Simon Mason said:
steveysmith said:
If you have a decent PC id recommend GTR2 or Rfactor. Both excellent simulators with a lot more depth than console games. The Nordscleife that can be downloaded is highly detailed and comes with all the different layouts (VLN, Tourist etc)

Edited by steveysmith on Wednesday 10th December 12:16
Seconded, rFactor on a PC is the way forward. It also has all the various VLN (with various GP circuit) layouts.
Thirded. Good for a lot of UK tracks too.

Edited by jcas on Wednesday 10th December 13:32

MrKipling43

5,788 posts

215 months

Wednesday 10th December 2008
quotequote all
The GT4 track is accurate to within a couple of mm - track widths, corner positions (relative to one and other) and corner angles, gradients and cambering are all basically spot on.

Having said that, your perception and interpretation of those distances will be completely different when you're there in real life.

Gradients will be a particular shock.

EDIT: Just remember that all a computer game will tell you is what direction the track goes in. Ignore corner speeds, gears - that kind of thing.

Edited by MrKipling43 on Wednesday 10th December 13:37

Marc W

3,782 posts

210 months

Wednesday 10th December 2008
quotequote all
jcas said:
Simon Mason said:
steveysmith said:
If you have a decent PC id recommend GTR2 or Rfactor. Both excellent simulators with a lot more depth than console games. The Nordscleife that can be downloaded is highly detailed and comes with all the different layouts (VLN, Tourist etc)

Edited by steveysmith on Wednesday 10th December 12:16
Seconded, rFactor on a PC is the way forward. It also has all the various VLN (with various GP circuit) layouts.
Thirded. Good for a lot of UK tracks too.

Edited by jcas on Wednesday 10th December 13:32
Fourthed!biggrin You might even be able to find the same type of car you will be racing if you hunt around. www.rfactorcentral.com has the best selection.

mchammer89

3,127 posts

212 months

Wednesday 10th December 2008
quotequote all
Marc W said:
jcas said:
Simon Mason said:
steveysmith said:
If you have a decent PC id recommend GTR2 or Rfactor. Both excellent simulators with a lot more depth than console games. The Nordscleife that can be downloaded is highly detailed and comes with all the different layouts (VLN, Tourist etc)

Edited by steveysmith on Wednesday 10th December 12:16
Seconded, rFactor on a PC is the way forward. It also has all the various VLN (with various GP circuit) layouts.
Thirded. Good for a lot of UK tracks too.

Edited by jcas on Wednesday 10th December 13:32
Fourthed!biggrin You might even be able to find the same type of car you will be racing if you hunt around. www.rfactorcentral.com has the best selection.
Um...fifth-ded? biggrin

mike360

938 posts

227 months

Thursday 11th December 2008
quotequote all
iracing.com

Marc W

3,782 posts

210 months

Thursday 11th December 2008
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I don't think Iracing features the Nordscheiffe yet.

james_gt3rs

4,816 posts

190 months

Thursday 11th December 2008
quotequote all
Buy rFactor for PC, then download this biggrin
http://rfactorcentral.com/detail.cfm?ID=Nordschlei...

This is the best mod IMO - Caterham (there's even a PH branded R500!!!!)
http://rfactorcentral.com/detail.cfm?ID=Caterham

RobM77

35,349 posts

233 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Another vote for RFactor. The tracks are pretty realistic (other than, as usual in sims, Brands Hatch), and the physics of how the cars handle is pretty realistic too. I find that practise in the real world helps me in the sim and practise in the sim also helps in the real world. So with RFactor you won't just be learning the track, you'll be brushing up on your technique too. It's not perfect (there remain several things about the car dynamics I'm not convinced about), but it's pretty good.

If anyone fancies an online session one evening, just start a thread up and I'll host a server. smile Meanwhile, see if you can get into the 1:30s at Mid Ohio in the R500 smile

Simon Mason

579 posts

268 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
RobM77 said:
Another vote for RFactor. The tracks are pretty realistic (other than, as usual in sims, Brands Hatch), and the physics of how the cars handle is pretty realistic too. I find that practise in the real world helps me in the sim and practise in the sim also helps in the real world. So with RFactor you won't just be learning the track, you'll be brushing up on your technique too. It's not perfect (there remain several things about the car dynamics I'm not convinced about), but it's pretty good.

If anyone fancies an online session one evening, just start a thread up and I'll host a server. smile Meanwhile, see if you can get into the 1:30s at Mid Ohio in the R500 smile
Rob most of us racing the rFactor game online are using the TYKA server... TYKA.net. Theres a winter series for the Porsche Supercup 2008 at present so your out with regulars who naturally make us all up our game again. But more importantly the room is open for practice pretty much 24/7 wink

RobM77

35,349 posts

233 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Simon Mason said:
RobM77 said:
Another vote for RFactor. The tracks are pretty realistic (other than, as usual in sims, Brands Hatch), and the physics of how the cars handle is pretty realistic too. I find that practise in the real world helps me in the sim and practise in the sim also helps in the real world. So with RFactor you won't just be learning the track, you'll be brushing up on your technique too. It's not perfect (there remain several things about the car dynamics I'm not convinced about), but it's pretty good.

If anyone fancies an online session one evening, just start a thread up and I'll host a server. smile Meanwhile, see if you can get into the 1:30s at Mid Ohio in the R500 smile
Rob most of us racing the rFactor game online are using the TYKA server... TYKA.net. Theres a winter series for the Porsche Supercup 2008 at present so your out with regulars who naturally make us all up our game again. But more importantly the room is open for practice pretty much 24/7 wink
Thanks very much yes I love the Porsches. Is that a passworded server? I'll look out for it next time I'm online. I frequently race against another PHer (Slipstream77) on RFactor, but we didn't know about TYKA.

Marc W

3,782 posts

210 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
There's another whole group of us online. We are about to start a new series of Formula BMW on the 11th. Contact MJ04UK for server details.

The thread for the new season is here;

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...


RobM77

35,349 posts

233 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Marc W said:
There's another whole group of us online. We are about to start a new series of Formula BMW on the 11th. Contact MJ04UK for server details.

The thread for the new season is here;

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...
Thanks. I've e-mailed MJ04UK and am awaiting a reply smile Hopefully see you on track! The FBMW is similar in performance to the car I'm racing in '09, so it'll be good practise for me smile My wheel's breaking mind you... hope it holds up!

Marc W

3,782 posts

210 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
RobM77 said:
Marc W said:
There's another whole group of us online. We are about to start a new series of Formula BMW on the 11th. Contact MJ04UK for server details.

The thread for the new season is here;

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...
Thanks. I've e-mailed MJ04UK and am awaiting a reply smile Hopefully see you on track! The FBMW is similar in performance to the car I'm racing in '09, so it'll be good practise for me smile My wheel's breaking mind you... hope it holds up!
I have the same problems with my pedals, the accelerator won't work properly and to compensate I've had to turn the sensitivity right up. Makes driving anything high powered very erm, "interesting"!

shalmaneser

5,930 posts

194 months

Sunday 4th January 2009
quotequote all
All you guys recommending Rfactor is all very well but the OP specified that he is not a computer gamer, or indeed much of a computer person.

I do enjoy computer games and I found Rfactor overcomplicated and not that much fun; Rfactor is not a good introduction to racing games, it's for the dedicated enthusiast, of which the OP is clearly not!

To the OP: Second hand Playstation 2 and copy of GT4 will suffice and certainly not break the bank.

Marc W

3,782 posts

210 months

Sunday 4th January 2009
quotequote all
He did say he wanted a simulator though and for all the hype, I've not found GT4 to be very realistic. Granted rfactor isn't perfect either but it feels a lot more like reality than GT4!