Gran Turismo: impossible without a wheel?

[Strolls]

Hi there,

I'm hoping to solicit the opinions of those who have steering wheels for playing racing games.

Recent screenshots of GT5:Prologue have got me rather excited about the idea of racing insanely around London streets really appeals.

I am not a hardcore gamer by any means, but I am quite a decent driver, I think. Perhaps this is why, trying the download version of GT:HD, I find the controls really difficult?

Playing with the joypad I find myself slamming the stick one way or the other & oversteering horrifically into the barriers, grass & spectators. This notwithstanding the fact that I tend to brake too late & enter corners waaaay too fast. Trying to compensate for this, I do manage a bit of subtlety with the stick, but it take a lot of concentration, and the game's no fun any more.

There's nothing I like more than a twisty road with lots of hairy corners that gets my adrenaline going, so the big question is whether a ?150 Logitech wheel will revolutionise the game for me. I guess what I want is a driving simulator, rather than a racing game. Will I develop better judgement of speed, once normal "proper" steering can be taken for granted, and learn to brake in good time?

Any thoughts?

Stroller.

[hudson]

Definately possible using the pad. I use a pad, but my mate uses both. He's pretty damn good at it too. He uses the wheel mainly, but when he needs to beat a difficult time and cannot do it on the wheel, he will plug the pad in and usually finds that he can conquer times that way.

Steering using the analog stick will also require slight feathering touches/tweaks. You just need to practice.

I love using the wheel, mind. Turning slowly around a hairpin and then letting the wheel straighten up a again through my hands has a nice authentic feel to it. However, I also find myself turning back to the pad for them hard time trial jobbies.

I'm talking from a GT5P view point here. It can definately be enjoyed without any probs (in my opinion) using both sets of controls.

[Profit]

Gran Turismo is very difficult, especially if you go into it having played other more arcade racers. Even at mild-moderate speeds, you find out just how big the turning circles really are.

You really need to fully master the driving practice lessions (don't think they're in prologue) to drive anything like what you see in the trailers.

Having a wheel won't really improve performance.

Personally, I use a combination of the analog sticks and the d-pad; the latter for directional adjustments on the straights.

[fallenangle]

I've never used a wheel for GT and I've completed the last two games to '100%' using, obviously, just the Dualshock joypad. I'd imagine GT5 will be no different and that's how it should be.

Although not unique GT is the nearest thing to a universal racing sim on a console. It's actually a rather weird mix of sim and arcade. No damage, questionable braking characteristics, exaggerated tyre wear, predictable AI and often unbalanced racing ie. when you have the choice of what car you're in it can veer from being ridiculously easy to completely impossible win.

I spend a lot of time trying to tweak back my chosen car not just to win but to give me that magical thing, when you get it right: a demanding but winnable race. That can be surprisingly difficut to do.

Because of these elements, particularly for beginners, GT can be horrendously slow to get into too at the start. The handling is often deliberately unforgiving, even when you know what you're doing with the mechanical set up. The game uses this as one of it's main methods of increasing the difficulty.

With online play things might change but I'd say at this stage save your money and learn to use the joypad. The subtly of thumb control once learned on GT is never forgotten.

[BeyondJumpFish]

I have always used the dualshock with all of the GT games and like Fallenangel said, its all about subtlty. You have to basiclly tweak the car round the turns and learn when to begin turning. If you can get an early turn into a corner all the better and manage your throttle thoughout the turn. If the car begins to slide then be careful not to over compensate, sometimes its best if you let go of the wheel alltogether. I tend to jab the throttle if it begins to slide, on, off, on, off etc.
I'd like to try a driving wheel with GT5p tho coz the incar view a would be real sweet to use with one.

[Rick]

Hi there,

I'm hoping to solicit the opinions of those who have steering wheels for playing racing games.

Recent screenshots of GT5:Prologue have got me rather excited about the idea of racing insanely around London streets really appeals.

I am not a hardcore gamer by any means, but I am quite a decent driver, I think. Perhaps this is why, trying the download version of GT:HD, I find the controls really difficult?

Playing with the joypad I find myself slamming the stick one way or the other & oversteering horrifically into the barriers, grass & spectators. This notwithstanding the fact that I tend to brake too late & enter corners waaaay too fast. Trying to compensate for this, I do manage a bit of subtlety with the stick, but it take a lot of concentration, and the game's no fun any more.

There's nothing I like more than a twisty road with lots of hairy corners that gets my adrenaline going, so the big question is whether a ?150 Logitech wheel will revolutionise the game for me. I guess what I want is a driving simulator, rather than a racing game. Will I develop better judgement of speed, once normal "proper" steering can be taken for granted, and learn to brake in good time?

Any thoughts?

Stroller.

Sounds like your just crap to be honest and need more practice. I actually find it easier with the pad than the wheel

[J0e Musashi]

You will always get betterer times on a pad. Prolly always beat a wheel user in a 2-up race too.