Newbie to video game racing. Where to start?

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with video games. But that was a while ago...when Pacman was all the rage. Can't remember the last time I had a system of my own. We've got a Wii at home, but it's for my 6 year old, and I think I've used it twice.

I know this question is like asking what your favorite car is...there are many opinions. But if you were starting out from scratch, what would you do? I need to buy everything used, the budget is tight. Also, does it feel awkward setting up a steering wheel and pedals at a computer desk? Doesn't seem like a natural driving position. I'd love to get one of those simualtor set ups, but they're big bucks. I see a lot of guys here seem to play Forza. What would I need to get started in it? Or iRacing?

Playstation 2 and Gran Turismo 4 + a decent PS2 wheel and pedal kit. Probably all in all with some good deal hunting, could be had for $200. Good graphics, little hassle to install, decent physics, and it will take you a LOOOONG time to get bored with it.

That said, you cant play online, and theyre not really making new games for that platform (PS2), so youre stuck with whats out there (theres more than GT4 as well, but that was my favorite).

There is an XBOX thread for Forza here in the forums - look for the triple awesome racing league thread - its a good multi player game and there are a lot of people here who play it together online (unfortunately, without an XBOX, I am not one of them ). Entry costs will be higher than PS2, but its current and new games are coming out for it as well.

I would also recommend PC games for their versatility, but its been ages since I played a good one, so I have no recommendations on whats the new hip stuff.

You can pick up a 360 for $249, and a used copy of Forza 3 for around $30. An ARCADE version of the 360 goes for $199, but you'll need a couple of (up to) 16GB thumbdrives to get the most out of it.

Most people just use the joystick for FM3. I use the joystick, and have several times in the top 1,000 across all the classes (out of some 700,000 times set). A wheel is not needed.

live for speed, it is free (you can buy an upgrade) it has good physics

Forza is not bad, especially since you don't have either console yet, but I would also vote the PS2/GT4/wheel route, though you may want to wait until late November and go the PS3/GT5/wheel route, which will have a higher buy-in but much more capability.

If you are interested in other gaming, then check out the other titles each platform (XB360 vs. PS2/PS3) offers and go with the one that looks most interesting. I will say that the PS3 makes a dandy DVD/Blu-ray player as well.

GT5 is officially announced for November 2nd, but if you don't have the system yet then I would wait until the game hits the streets and see the reaction first. Physics should be pretty damn good, based on GT5Prologue's "Pro" physics. However, GT5P's online is not restricted, which makes online racing a crapshoot of many good people who want to race cleanly having to put up with idiots who think they're the second coming of The Intimidator (or who are actively just out to disrupt).

GT5 is expected to have private lobbies where you and friends can meet to race head to head without allowing the riffraff in, but that remains to be seen.

Although I don't have it, in the PC world Live For Speed supposedly offers good driving experience and online racing for minimal buy in and no subscription fees. Or is that R-factor?

Whichever route you go I strongly urge buying a wheel and pedals setup.

If you've already got a decent spec PC, you might want to look into a PC-based simulator like rFactor or iRacing (the latter requires a monthly subscription, though). You'll still need a wheel + pedals, though.

[edited]

Wups, double post.

I've got a Logitech DFP wheel and pedal set for sale (just been sitting for almost a year now). Let me find the link. I'll sell it with all my sim software (GTR, GTL, and 1 or 2 other older titles) for cheap.

EDIT - Here's the original thread: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/200x-classifieds/logitech-dfp-wheel-for-sale/13555/page1/

It's always been adult owned/used (no kids yanking on the wheel, slamming the pedals, etc.) and from a non-smoker house. PM me if you have any questions.

I am not well versed in racing games, but don't you usually start at the starting line?

(I am so witty)

Duke wrote: GT5 is officially announced for November 2nd,

I'll believe it when I'm driving home with the game in a bag,and even then I'll be skeptical.

Honestly, there's lots of good choices. Forza offers a lot of the cars and tracks we know and love, and a pretty decent online experience—especially when you're on with folks you know.

GT has always had a bit more realism in the physics (to me, anyway), but I think with Forza 3 they've moved past the GT series overall. GT5 may change that, though (but first it has to exist).

Then there's the more realistic sims, like iRacing. Pluses are hyper-realism and awesome online play. Minuses are a steep learning curve and monthly expense.

If I was starting from scratch, I'd go XB360, Forza 3 and wheel (if you have a decent mounting solution).

jg

I'll just say this about Forza vs. Gran Turismo physics.

Take a high HP, RWD car like a Mustang, Camaro, or even a Speed 12 in either game. While the car is not moving, turn the wheel one way or the other, punch the gas, and see what happens with the car. In GT, the car will have a terrible push. In Forza, the car will do donuts.

racerfink wrote: I'll just say this about Forza vs. Gran Turismo physics. Take a high HP, RWD car like a Mustang, Camaro, or even a Speed 12 in either game. While the car is not moving, turn the wheel one way or the other, punch the gas, and see what happens with the car. In GT, the car will have a terrible push. In Forza, the car will do donuts.

I'd be really worried if a FWD did donuts in that situation... I'm old enough to remember being in my early teens playing Pole Position in the arcade at the mall. To turn right...spin the wheel right as hard as you can. Reverse the spin to go left... So physics in games have come a long way.

I guess the Xbox would be a lower cost of entry, since it's not a Bluray player too. What wheel would you recommend for the Xbox? I do have a relatively new laptop (6 months old), so I can probably do an online set up too.

So for those who use the pedal set up, do you all have the racing simulator set up? Anyone use a desk or other configuration?

JG Pasterjak wrote:

Duke wrote: GT5 is officially announced for November 2nd,

I'll believe it when I'm driving home with the game in a bag,and even then I'll be skeptical.

While I agree wholeheartedly with your skepticism, this date at least has been officially announced by SCEA and PD. That's a far cry more credible than any of the "we hope to have it done by 3rd quarter of 2007" interview answers, vendor pre-order dates, or gaming press stories.

Also, the donut physics were utterly wrong in GT4, but improved in GT5P.

I have my wheel and pedals on a modified Rigid workstand that I bought at one of the home stores and built a sloped pedal base for. I sit in one of those IKEA bentwood sling chairs. The setup folds up fairly small and is comfortable for longish stints.

For a single-player game, my favorite race game so far has been Toca Race Driver 3, for the PC. That has walked the line between sim racing and arcade fun the best for me. Graphics are a bit older and not as polished as some games, and the sound effects are moderate. But the events feel like real spec or formula races. All the cars are competitive, and usually identical. Good variety of styles too, from caterhams, to formula cars, to stage rally, to monster trucks, to British GT. You also didn't need to acquire credits to advance, just finish reasonably well. So there wasn't the compunction of feeling like I had to finish first, like in Forza or GT. You also get to qualify for starting position, rather than just being dumped at the back of the pack to fight your way up against suicidal AI.

I have enjoyed Forza2 more than the GT games thusfar. Only things I liked better about GT were the rally stages and having Infineon on the game (which is a home track for me). However, I like how Forza has more American tracks.

If you get a PS3, go for the smallest drive you can (games do not use that much space and the drive can be upgraded easily for less than 100 for a TB or more)

Also, if you can, get an extended warranty of at least 3 years. The blue ray laser (if not fixed yet) has issues. Only a percentage go out, but if you are one of the unlucky ones, it will cost 150 from sony to fix with a 30 day taillight warranty. Less if you go and do it yourself.

I am waiting for GT5. I have GT5P, GT4, GT3... and also GT for the PSP.

Good Luck

Klayfish wrote:

racerfink wrote: I'll just say this about Forza vs. Gran Turismo physics. Take a high HP, RWD car like a Mustang, Camaro, or even a Speed 12 in either game. While the car is not moving, turn the wheel one way or the other, punch the gas, and see what happens with the car. In GT, the car will have a terrible push. In Forza, the car will do donuts.

I'd be really worried if a FWD did donuts in that situation... I'm old enough to remember being in my early teens playing Pole Position in the arcade at the mall. To turn right...spin the wheel right as hard as you can. Reverse the spin to go left... So physics in games have come a long way. I guess the Xbox would be a lower cost of entry, since it's not a Bluray player too. What wheel would you recommend for the Xbox? I do have a relatively new laptop (6 months old), so I can probably do an online set up too. So for those who use the pedal set up, do you all have the racing simulator set up? Anyone use a desk or other configuration?

The huge problem with the xbox is that they don't use standard controller types, and they don't let other companies make wheels and what not.

So most wheels will be PS3/PC or Xbox. From everything I have read no one makes a wheel for the xbox that comes anywhere near the good PC/PS3 wheels... and a wheel with good feedback makes all the difference.

The nice part about computer games is you can do the controller easier. instead of dishing out the money for a clutch and all that, a cheap second wheel can be used for extra pedals.

I strongly urge you to check out the PC based games, they tend to do a better job as sims. I prefer LFS

But you can also check out rFactor, GTR, Netkar Pro or iRacing. Most will have free demos for you to try out.

How realistic do you want?

I just noticed that Ferrari F355 Challenge was released for the PS2. This is the most realistic racing game that I have ever played, sometimes making me think "this-has-to-be-harder-than-real-life." Basically, there is only one car you can drive, and it is quite difficult.

Don't cheap out on the wheel. The good ones add a whole lot to the experience, and the bad ones take away a whole lot.

If your tv is an old unit, with poor resolution, you may well be better off racing a PC game using the monitor. There are some darn nice ones on the web to be had for free.

I likely will give one of the PC based games a try, since I already have a computer, and many of the games are free. I did see that iRacing has an inexpensive trial offer period. My laptop screen is about average size, I guess that'll work OK. I wonder if it could be hooked up to a larger TV?? I'd just need to find a good wheel, and I guess that will get me started. If I want, down the road, I can get a PS3 and all the other goodies.

Can you recreate a decent driving position using a desk and chair?

if your tv has the correct inputs (typically the case with flat panel TVs) you can use a monitor cable from the laptop to the back of the TV, and voila, instant big ol monitor. you may have to set the new screen dimensions in the laptop for the new TV size though.

One buddy of mine created a decent driving position with a good desk chair that had a lot of adjustability. He built a wheel stand and a pedal mount out of 2x4s and plywood that he clamped to the base of the chair so the chair and the controls didnt push apart. He also made the stand because he count find a desk at Ikea that worked

This thread here http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/grm-forza-3-triple-awesome-racing-league/19327/page1/ is 30 pages long right now. There isn't a 30 page thread about Gran Turismo or and PC racing game.

racerfink wrote: This thread here http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/grm-forza-3-triple-awesome-racing-league/19327/page1/ is 30 pages long right now. There isn't a 30 page thread about Gran Turismo or and PC racing game.

There was for GT4. There was a regular series, too. Hell, I even recreated the 20XX Challenge in GT4 here. It's just that GT4 is old, GT5P is small, and GT5 isn't out yet.

I do iRacing, and it's very low-buck. I have an old Playstation based wheel/pedal setup and use a creaky old office chair with no arm rests. The wheel clamps between my legs on my lap; it's not attached to a desk. My monitor is a flat screen but not especially big. My laptop runs the game. I have a lot of fun with this neanderthal setup. Do I wish for better equipment? Sure. But this does ok for now.

Playstation GT games are okay if you want to play video games. The difference between that and a SIM are huge. Also, after racing against other actual people and not some computer drones I'll never go back to my PS. iRacing is not expensive if you get a year subscription; the per month rate then is very affordable and they usually give you extra credits as a new member to buy extra tracks or cars. The downside is there are limited car choices, and most of them require 'setting up' to make them work well. I tend to only race the spec class cars (Solstice, TDI Jetta) so I don't have to dink around with the car all the time. The tracks are all REAL tracks too, which I think is fantastic.

I've not played any of the other SIMs mentioned so can't compare.

I'm another one who came to console games through Sony's GT series. Started with GT2 (which someone actually gave me for free, along with the PS1!!), and was surprised that the thing actually modeled oversteer & understeer. Skipped GT3, but went through GT4 like a hurricane. Even bought the Logitech wheel for the thing.

I did PC games years ago with Sierra's "Indycar Racing 2", and tried it again when SHMBO bought me a combo pack of SimBin's "GTR 2" and "Race 07", but my PC is so burdened with other stuff right now that I can't get it to work very well.

I'm also a "recreational" guy when it comes to racing games. I'm an ex-SCCA club racer, and don't want to spend the time & cash on "virtual" racing that I spent on doing it for real. At the moment, I'm running Forza Motorsport 3" (and I'm an original member of the Triple Awsome League, AFAICT), and having great fun.

I guess "the answer" depends on what you're looking for. If you want the best virtual simulation of our sport (and would rather burn money on computers and plasma screens), I'd seriously recommend iRacing.

Personally, I enjoy a game that rewards "basic" racing techniques without requiring the same kind of concentration I needed back when I was doing this IRL. I just wanna have a few beers, talk to some friends, and pretend I'm actually racing again. The online part of doing this stuff is pretty important to me. And honestly..when the online is good, I still get a taste of the same kind of thrill I used to get when I raced IRL (DOH! That's the internet acronym, "in real life", and not Phony George's "Indy Racing League". )

I'll probably buy GT5 and a PS3 on the same day, when the thing comes out, just because I'm a sentimental old fool. But for the moment, FM3 does the trick for me.

I do find that a good wheel & pedals set makes things better (I did much better in GT4 with it than I'm doing in FM3 without it), even if you're just a "casual gamer".

It does depend on what you are looking for. If you just want to play a driving game, there are lot of options for PS3 and XBOX. If you are looking at simulation level physics that could hone your real world skills, the PC is the only place to find those.

I'm honestly not too familiar with all the games on the consoles, but every one that I have driven at all were far from real. Not that it's a bad thing, it's just not the "Real driving" they advertise it as.

The good racing sims out there that can be had for a decent price are as follows. All of these have user based download content that can be add various ways for free.

rFactor (comes with a few cars from various forms of racing, has real tracks) GTR1 (2000-2002ish? FIA GT, NGT, G3, G2, G1 cars, all real racks) GTL (60s-70s FIA Touring cars, all real tracks) GTR2 (2003-2004ish? FIA GT, NGT, G3, G2, G1 cars, all real tracks) The following 4 games can be owned and played in-dependently, or you can purchase them all through a Steam account (total cost as cheap as $70 with the right pack discounts), and they all are expansion packs for GTR Evolution. In the end you get a LOT of real cas with real physics, and a lot of tracks.

GTRe Race 07 Race On WTCC the Game

Now for the ultimate in Racing SIM there is only iRacing. Monthly fee is required to play, there are no computers to race against, you either drive on an empty track, or drive with other real drivers online. It's very serious, all meticulously modeled cars and tracks. Limited content through, all additional content has a one time cost per track and per car. Rather pricey To get everything they have you'd spend well over $300-$400.