how do you guys race

[panza]

what i mean by this is what do you use to play

i use my zboard which is a gaming keyboard

only reason i ask is due to a race last night i seemed to get the bends right and be flat out then was overtaken by three jet powered cars and they made the next corner and i couldnt at that speed

i suppose its all about pratice and racing lines n stuff but was just wondering what you guys use

[Moldo]

Regular keyboard, works fine for me

[Pepper]

For fast cornering, you should try the sliding techniques.
Not easy to explain, but it's like brake while accelerate and turn in the same time.



I'm playing with a good old dirty keyboard.

[Middenrat]

I play Dir keys, left hand cos it feels natural after years of FPS games.
I think gamepads give a steering advantage, both turn-in and ease-of-centering. At least that's how I explain other dudes' moves my rig won't pull.
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Skin by Baino

[Tred]

I use the keyboard.

If you're wondering about sliding techniques etc, there are some guides out there, and some of the tracks on tmx ain't bad for practicing it. Even better, find a replay of a world record on a sliding track, then race against it (watch it first, so that you can see how they're doing it ).

[Middenrat]

brake a bit early with the power on and start steering to get your rear end swinging. Modulate the brake/throttle to control the slide. Steering is very progressive under these control inputs and you can still position the racecar to your radical new corner entry then power through to a late apex and prime exit for the shortest route to the next entry.
To be honest this technique is only marginally faster on a limited number of corner types, such as medium-radius 180s, and for exit positioning it also has its uses. It soon, however, becomes quite addictive and you find yourself swooping and sliding everywhere just for the fun of it, to no particular advantage
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Skin by Baino

[CRJ 127]

I use a " PCLine Tournament Pro " analog gamepad, oooooh ! sounds posh dunnit , just a cheapo ( £12 ) pad from PC World about 3 years ago, Right Analog Up and Down for accelerate n brake, and Left Analog for left and right, it's what i'm comfortable with, similar to playing PS2 stylee !! for example.

It's just about holding together, but occasionally the steering pulls to the left which ain't much fun when your trying to line up on a technical jump etc. It suits my driving style and I don't think i'd ever feel comfortable using a keyboard, I do feel sometimes that using the analog takes the edge off my acceleration, not sure though, I guess on the keyboard you could accelerate and just dab the brake at the same time, if I was that bothered I could set up a brake button on the controller, but never got round to it.
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[Moldo]

[Tred]

[bunsenjetson]

I use the keyboard too. I don't like those gamepads as there doesn't seem to be enough action on them for accuracy, but it would probably come with practice.

You could test how "full on" a gamepad is on max by trying it on one of those stunty "press forward" tracks. Then tell me what happens, cos I've always wondered

If people are going faster on the straights, they have probably just got on the accelerator a fraction earlier on the previous bend. Sliding is sometimes faster but other times it's best to keep your grip, even if it looks like people are overtaking you. It depends on entrance sepeed, exit speed, road surface and sharpness. When I say exit speed, I mean ... If it's a long straight, you'll want absolute max on the exit, but if the next corner comes up soon after, it's less important to have speed - position on the road will get you more seconds in the long run.

[Steve]

Keyboard for me.

Sliding on Sweeping GP = Death

But sometimes sliding is faster, i have tried it a couple of times, and as you can tell from my current method of cornering - brake, lift around the corner, then accelerate, it didnt go all that well.

[Dantski]

Personally I use the basic direction keys on the keyboard, however I use both hands (which I think is unusual) so I can control throttle/brake better around corners. Basically I use my left to control steering and right for braking/accelerating.

I've heard quite a few pad enthusiasts say that pad is faster, but there's plenty of top TMN drivers that use keys too so just do what you're comfortable with.

On a personal note I never thought I'd learn how to learn how to slide effectively (and I'm still a heck of a lot slower than some [z]'s), but it's as much about learning what corners you should be sliding and what type of slide to use than simply knowing how to make it happen.

A good example of sliding was on the 3rd corner 180 left hander on Honduras and also the 1st. I think on the 1st lap of the race I was about 8th going into the 3rd corner and 1st when we got to the checkpoint after it purely because I could take more speed in, keep the car tight to the barrier and then accelerate earlier. Without being able to do that, there's no way I'd have been competitive.

A bad example was probably on the 2nd to last corner of Honduras. It's a tricky medium speed corner than tightens, however even though you have to slow down to take it, it's not a good corner to slide because it messes up your line to do so and has no real benefit.

I also wallbang around most hairpins. With such a sharp corner and not enough room for an effective slide (when I talk of effective slides I mean faster than without sliding), hitting the wall when holding neither throttle or brake and turning is quicker. It's not advisable to try it if the track is sloped though because the car tends to be less stable and sometimes will climb the barrier instead.

So.... the really basic thing is don't slide the quick corners.
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It's not the winning, its the taking apart

[Steve]

[Dantski]

Well on the plus side, it means I have no inclination to distract myself with a free hand!
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It's not the winning, its the taking apart

[bunsenjetson]

[Steve]

ROFL

[Dale Earnhardt]

I use a normal keyboard to race with, and as for sliding guides. I found this one helpful in learning to drift.

http://www.team-dignitas.org/articles.php?id=67

Explains all the different styles and has a video to go along with each explanation. Enjoy.

[Moldo]

dignitas, who else.. they rule man.

Look at this vid btw, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H73Owj2bjsw

[Dale Earnhardt]

Nah, if you want a team that rules you need nwo. Sandder is unstoppable

Look at this vid of him at reRun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oABaMsj3eSU (and that's not even his best run )
(The vid is a couple of replays of the fastest reRun times all put together into one video)

[Moldo]

ReRun freak

Oh well, we shall see who wins STC, but nWo is strong too indeed