GTL - lack of braking power?

[Jungles]

For all GTL players... does anyone think that braking power is unrealistically low in GTL? Or is it just the type of cars featured?

My controllers are all properly calibrated, and my garage settings in GTL always have braking power set to 100%. But even for GTC-76 cars, I cannot lock the brakes at speeds greater than say, 120kph (wild generalisation).

Having never driven a pre-80s car, I don't know if this is realistic or a fault in the GTL's computation methods.

[AJLintern]

Are you sure ABS isn't turned on? I usually have my brakes set to about 96% to avoid locking up

[Jungles]

I have all aids off. If I ever use aids, it's just auto-clutch.

[UncleDave]

Hmm... Some cars I rarely ever lock up even on 100% with ABS off...
Try the Pantera, round Zolder

It could just be you are braking smoothly and early.. you can get used to driving without locking up at all (much) after a bit of practice. (not me )

If you try the Pantera and slam the brake on - and it still doesn't lock up, then ABS must be on.

[UK952]

The balance has an effect but I usually only adjust it to stop one end or the other locking up early. Brakes and suspension have moved on since these cars were new as have tyres but then less grippy tyres should lock sooner.
Tony

[Jungles]

UncleDave said:

Hmm... Some cars I rarely ever lock up even on 100% with ABS off...
Try the Pantera, round Zolder

It could just be you are braking smoothly and early.. you can get used to driving without locking up at all (much) after a bit of practice. (not me )

If you try the Pantera and slam the brake on - and it still doesn't lock up, then ABS must be on.

Just tried your suggestion on Monza and Dijon (I don't like Zolder) using the Pantera, GT40, and Escort RS.

One thing I realised was that GTL seems to take into account how warmed-up the brakes are. In all three cars, the brakes seem to bite more after they have been used for a little while.

Pantera: Barely got it to lock up on my first lap, even at low speeds, but I managed to get mild lock-up on subsequent laps.

GT40: Mild lock-up on the first lap. Subsequent laps also produced firmer lock-up at high speed, and definite clamping of wheels at low to medium speeds.

Escort RS: Firm lock-up even with cool brakes at low to medium speed, and mild lock-up at high speed. Brakes became scarily strong after it had been warmed up a bit, with wheels clamping at low to medium speeds, and getting some unsettling scrubs at high speeds.

I'm pretty satisfied that there is nothing wrong with my controller or setup. Perhaps it's just the vintage engineering of the cars in GTL that makes their brakes seem weak. The tyres are probably another factor. I found the Pantera hard to lock up, but they sit on radial slicks, so have excellent grip; on the other hand the GT40 sits on bias-ply tyres, so even with brakes of older design, it locks up readily. The Escort was quite touchy on the brakes, and I found myself smoking it up with reckless abandon.

Edited by Jungles on Thursday 13th July 15:45

[UncleDave]

That's the stuff

Try GTR after GTL with ABS off.. Ouch.

[Jungles]

I played the GTR demo with the keyboard, and it was hard even with TC and ABS.

My other driving game is rFactor, which I play if I want some open-wheel racing. Locking up brakes is disturbingly easy, especially in F3 cars. In F1 cars, you'll switch ends pretty quick if you trail-brake even just a whisker too heavily into corners.