judging ability

[PistoPete555 9]

Hey all, new member and first time poster.

Just wondering how you all judge ones ability at this game. AI level, assists used, or both?

I've returned to the F1 games for the first time since F1 World tour on the N64 (twenty years ago maybe?) and have been consumed by F1 2019 for the last 6 months.

 

When I began, I was using full assists (apart from braking assist) and quickly worked up to around 85 AI.

 

Now i've slowly turned off all assists except dynamic racing line (corners only) and feel my ability has improved drastically, i'm faster on TT but have had to turn the AI down to around 50 (track depending).

 

So yeah, what do you all think marks someone better. 85 AI with assists, or 50 AI no assists?

[AdamFreeman 224]

50 AI with no assist then you can naturally work up the AI

[CarloLewis 418]

Firstly, this is a game and people are free to enjoy it how they wish. I wouldn't say one is better than the other.

With that being said, I think there are two parts to being considered good at this game. Being a good driver and being a good racer.

If someone can beat the AI at 110 while using assists, then they're clearly a good racer.

If another person can drive without any assists but on a lower AI then they are a good driver.

The aim for me was to conquer no assists first and then slowly increase the AI level. That is now at 90 but I struggle with the racing element, knowing when/where to attempt an overtake and how to defend. 

[PistoPete555 9]

 

12 minutes ago, CarloLewis said:

Firstly, this is a game and people are free to enjoy it how they wish. I wouldn't say one is better than the other.

With that being said, I think there are two parts to being considered good at this game. Being a good driver and being a good racer.

If someone can beat the AI at 110 while using assists, then they're clearly a good racer.

If another person can drive without any assists but on a lower AI then they are a good driver.

The aim for me was to conquer no assists first and then slowly increase the AI level. That is now at 90 but I struggle with the racing element, knowing when/where to attempt an overtake and how to defend. 

Yeah I know what you mean. I became so obsessed with improving my lap times and getting rid of assists that I totally forgot about improving my race craft. That's something else I'm working on now and split my time between TT and Grand Prix modes.

[sloppysmusic 1,650]

As @CarloLewissaid above each to their own for enjoyment and improving their skills. Like others I'm a realism nut though so for me I'm not even driving realistically at all until I'm in cockpit view with all assists off especially racing line (I mean it's telling you where to turn the wheel and when to brake like you were an ai car not human).

If this means I have to race at ai 50 or 25 or even ZERO then I have no problem with that as I would rather be a realistic summer/beginner /noob as opposed to an unrealistic gamer/arcade 'expert'. 

Damage on of course too! There's a lot of fun to be had racing full distance with damage and no assists at all. It's pretty nail-biting. Don't matter if ai are set slow as they are still robotic and flawless making no mistakes. Actually if someone who had always used assists won their first full length race with no assists, damage on and used 0 (zero) ai I would go e them a round of applause and a healthy dose of respect. You are driving the way the real life drivers do. You might be ranked 1 millionth in the world but that's a REAL ranking. Exciting eh ? 

🌍😁😎

PS There are assists for fuel mapping and ERS in the game. I don't consider them assists as IRL the teams make most of the decisions for the driver anyway, they Dont need to constantly tweak dials 20 times every lap! So if that's set to auto it's still accurate to real life for me. 

It's your game though so YOUR dream too. Glad you have been enjoying it and making progress! 

[PistoPete555 9]

14 minutes ago, sloppysmusic said:

As @CarloLewissaid above each to their own for enjoyment and improving their skills. Like others I'm a realism nut though so for me I'm not even driving realistically at all until I'm in cockpit view with all assists off especially racing line (I mean it's telling you where to turn the wheel and when to brake like you were an ai car not human).

If this means I have to race at ai 50 or 25 or even ZERO then I have no problem with that as I would rather be a realistic summer/beginner /noob as opposed to an unrealistic gamer/arcade 'expert'. 

Damage on of course too! There's a lot of fun to be had racing full distance with damage and no assists at all. It's pretty nail-biting. Don't matter if ai are set slow as they are still robotic and flawless making no mistakes. Actually if someone who had always used assists won their first full length race with no assists, damage on and used 0 (zero) ai I would go e them a round of applause and a healthy dose of respect. You are driving the way the real life drivers do. You might be ranked 1 millionth in the world but that's a REAL ranking. Exciting eh ? 

🌍😁😎

PS There are assists for fuel mapping and ERS in the game. I don't consider them assists as IRL the teams make most of the decisions for the driver anyway, they Dont need to constantly tweak dials 20 times every lap! So if that's set to auto it's still accurate to real life for me. 

It's your game though so YOUR dream too. Glad you have been enjoying it and making progress! 

Thanks for the encouragement. I hadn't considered the ERS and Fuel modes to be driving assists either, just performance assists but I don't feel I can go manual on those until I get a wheel. Just too many button presses to make it feasible on a controller.

I think once I have got my speed up with no assists I will finally drop the racing line as yes i agree, it's a bit like cheating but not ready to fly solo just yet.

[sloppysmusic 1,650]

2 minutes ago, PistoPete555 said:

Thanks for the encouragement. I hadn't considered the ERS and Fuel modes to be driving assists either, just performance assists but I don't feel I can go manual on those until I get a wheel. Just too many button presses to make it feasible on a controller.

I think once I have got my speed up with no assists I will finally drop the racing line as yes i agree, it's a bit like cheating but not ready to fly solo just yet.

Your driving skills will jump hugely when you dump the racing line. Immediately you will start then scrutinizing the actual track and working out different ways to go round the corners and get past your opponents. You will also be able to watch the opponents more closely as your muscle memory will be doing more of the driving so you can concentrate on passing. Best to start with a track you know well or an easy on like Monza. The racing line is literally the exact same route the game tells the ai to take, so you can never actually beat the ai by copying them. They are robots so they can copy it better anyway! The line gives you blinkers as you have to stare at it the whole race, once it's gone it's like being free lol. You can point the car in any direction you want! Plus brake earlier or later without thinking you got it 'wrong'. It's actually the very first assist I turn off, mainly because it tells me the whole time I'm in a game as opposed to my imagination foiling me into believing I'm the new LeClerc taking on Hammy, Vettel and Max in the real thing! 

[Mike Dee 1,248]

I can't agree more with removing the racing line. I used to use it way back in the day, but somewhere around Forza 1/2 I made the switch and dropped it. I was terrible for the first weekend, but after that I got so much better so much faster it was incredible. You realize that while you aren't relying on the line, you focus on it too much. It narrows your vision of what is "viable" in every corner - if you aren't following it or close to it you feel like you're taking the corner wrong. Without it on though, I started analyzing my attacks, watching the car in front of me and finding their line. Then I'd find the line that undercuts them perfectly setting up the next corner. My entire line would be so far from the suggested racing line, old me would never have attempted it, but it seemed obvious once I didn't have some robotic suggestion on the screen.

You'll be slower initially, but holy hell does it make you a better driver by miles. IMO nothing else is a bigger crutch or screams "arcade/gamer" more than a racing line. I get irrationally upset when I scroll through youtube looking for an F1 video at night and all I see are "sim racers" or "pros" who use T-cam and the racing line... You may be fast but I have more respect for the driver running no line, 3rd person cam, and all assists than I do for someone racing cockpit without assists but still has the racing line on.

[1512marcel 457]

I’m all with you on this. Improving and getting rid of the assists was my first goal. I’m now used to driving without any assists and it has been very satisfying. Like Carlo said, it’s just how you enjoy the game. I will not put a number to this because it’s all about your personal taste.

[BarryBL 4,319]

Couldn't agree more with everyone here!

I tweak my settings depending on my mood and how much I'm willing to concentrate at home. I have different settings from wheel to pad. In terms of the first assists to turn down/off, I'd go with racing line, manual gears and traction control. You'll find much more speed and enjoyment, especially on manual (even if it's with 'suggested gear' on). Then ABS for me; I personally have always found this one the last to shift, just through lack of concentration or getting distracted.

 

[sloppysmusic 1,650]

1 hour ago, BarryBL said:

Couldn't agree more with everyone here!

I tweak my settings depending on my mood and how much I'm willing to concentrate at home. I have different settings from wheel to pad. In terms of the first assists to turn down/off, I'd go with racing line, manual gears and traction control. You'll find much more speed and enjoyment, especially on manual (even if it's with 'suggested gear' on). Then ABS for me; I personally have always found this one the last to shift, just through lack of concentration or getting distracted.

 

ABS is probably the hardest to drop if you use a controller. Wheel and pedal users have a huge advantage with no brake assist. I actually assign my G29 clutch as the brake as it has the full travel to use I just add a piece of foam to give resistance. Doing that I managed on several tracks to actually use 100 brake power in setup with no abs of course. Great feeling at somewhere like Mexicos first straight to be able to stomp on that pedal and outbreak all the ai. Sweeeeeet! 

🏎️😎

[Mike Dee 1,248]

1 hour ago, sloppysmusic said:

ABS is probably the hardest to drop if you use a controller. Wheel and pedal users have a huge advantage with no brake assist. I actually assign my G29 clutch as the brake as it has the full travel to use I just add a piece of foam to give resistance. Doing that I managed on several tracks to actually use 100 brake power in setup with no abs of course. Great feeling at somewhere like Mexicos first straight to be able to stomp on that pedal and outbreak all the ai. Sweeeeeet! 

🏎️😎

This is why I'm so excited to place my Heusinkveld Sprint order. Using these old G27 pedals that have done me well for years has been ok, but in the last month or so (literally a few days after buying F1) the pedals started getting "noise" in them. I've had to add a deadzone to the first 10% of brake & throttle and remove the final 10% on throttle because it wouldn't always stay at 100% even when floored. Racing with 80-90% of pedal travel and not even being able to use the min/max at either end for mental reference has taken a lot to get used to =/

[1512marcel 457]

Yep, Heusinkfeld is the way to go, but not for me racing mainly on the Xbox. Fanatec however gets the job done for me, and fine on the PC too when I use that.

[PistoPete555 9]

I see what everybody is saying, but i’m just not ready to turn it off. I’ve just half-mastered it without the other assists so want to enjoy that for a bit before making it harder again, know what I mean? 

[Mike Dee 1,248]

1 hour ago, PistoPete555 said:

I’ve just half-mastered it without the other assists so want to enjoy that for a bit before making it harder again, know what I mean

Oh I think we all fully get where you are coming from, I have the same hesitation every single race right now when i finish 10th or better - I told my self from the start I'd add 3-5% difficulty to the next weekend when it happened. I'm already failing to get purple on half of my practice programs now at 93% 😭 But dammit if I don't want even fiercer competition every race. I'm already sweating bullets but I love every second of it. To me finding the next, bigger hurdle to clear is half the fun but then again I also play Xcom on Ironman Legendary with the Long War mods so some might say I'm a masochist 

[BarryBL 4,319]

15 hours ago, sloppysmusic said:

ABS is probably the hardest to drop if you use a controller. Wheel and pedal users have a huge advantage with no brake assist. I actually assign my G29 clutch as the brake as it has the full travel to use I just add a piece of foam to give resistance. Doing that I managed on several tracks to actually use 100 brake power in setup with no abs of course. Great feeling at somewhere like Mexicos first straight to be able to stomp on that pedal and outbreak all the ai. Sweeeeeet! 

🏎️😎

I didn't think of changing the mapping of the clutch, I might give that a go on my home career mode.

 

12 hours ago, PistoPete555 said:

I see what everybody is saying, but i’m just not ready to turn it off. I’ve just half-mastered it without the other assists so want to enjoy that for a bit before making it harder again, know what I mean? 

Don't worry @PistoPete555, up until about 6 months ago, I was exactly the same. I found a nice career difficulty (around 89-93 depending on track), with some of the assists on, and enjoying going through career restoring McLaren. Then I turned down TCS to medium, manual gears and found another level of enjoyment when I got my 'dream move' to Ferrari. As long as you find it fun and the right sort of challenging to you, that's all that matters really. 

 

[sloppysmusic 1,650]

 @BarryBL

Using the clutch as brake is a game changer! Your legs are straighter, no chance of your two feet hitting each other and that extra travel is amazing. It's like the brake becomes a whole new input, it's no longer full, hard, medium, low and zero... It's 1-100 in selectable brake inputs. The recognized way to brake best is to brake hard when you are going fastest first. If you are going 200mph the wheels will not lock as you have maximum downforce at that point and huge stopping power. Then all the way from initial braking to the corner (where you release the pedal to shift the weight forward to gain the necessary oversteer for a good turn) you gradually release the pedal from full to minimal as smooth as possible. It's like the reverse of throttle input when not using TC out of a corner. You add a little throttle then increase it smoothly and quickly as you gain more traction and straighten the car out. Soon it becomes second nature to use the 2 pedals like pistons with lots of travel. Hard brake gradually down to minimal, release and soft throttle gradual all the way to full. Then repeat the next corners.

At first it's hard to get your brake foot moving so far as it's impossible using a short travel brake pedal. With the pedals switched so you're using the clutch though, welcome to some serious power driving! 

🚘💪😎

[sloppysmusic 1,650]

15 hours ago, Mike Dee said:

Oh I think we all fully get where you are coming from, I have the same hesitation every single race right now when i finish 10th or better - I told my self from the start I'd add 3-5% difficulty to the next weekend when it happened. I'm already failing to get purple on half of my practice programs now at 93% 😭 But dammit if I don't want even fiercer competition every race. I'm already sweating bullets but I love every second of it. To me finding the next, bigger hurdle to clear is half the fun but then again I also play Xcom on Ironman Legendary with the Long War mods so some might say I'm a masochist 

Wait ONLY legendary not impossible?! Cmon man.... 

🙅🤣😂

Jk jk lol. I've beaten both vanilla games on Ironman impossible but my first (and only so far!) game on normal with long war I got DESTROYED. Wasn't ready for the ramp up in alien pods and higher level aliens (dang heavy mutons and floaters!) after the first few easy missions! 

🤣🤣

[BarryBL 4,319]

@sloppysmusic

I reckon that might take me about 6 months to get right, but sounds decent! I've only got a TMX at home, but it might be a good idea should I get some decent time on something a bit bigger in the office 

 

 

[sloppysmusic 1,650]

2 hours ago, BarryBL said:

@sloppysmusic

I reckon that might take me about 6 months to get right, but sounds decent! I've only got a TMX at home, but it might be a good idea should I get some decent time on something a bit bigger in the office 

 

 

Sorry quick question... I was just assuming you use left foot braking? If not switching pedals around could be disastrous! For the record as an oldie in my fifties I used my right foot for brake and throttle exclusively all my life except after getting 2018. I reversed the pedals, which immediately stopped the locking up (yes immediately lol) and I would say it took me 1 week to convert to left foot braking after being scared of it for so long. It was like I'd been doing it wrong all my life and now it was so much easier! Just saying... You might be in for a cool shock once you switch the pedals. Left foot braking too for the win! 

[AdamFreeman 224]

I do the exact same thing @sloppysmusic on my G920 on pretty much all racing games now map the clutch as a brake. Its a million times better with left foor braking and feels more natural when driving open wheelers.

The brakes naturally take too much for me to push I have to stand up to get 100% on them out the box. Used it in PC2 for a few of the road cars but doesnt feel authentic as they were going for when you use socks and your pedals are on floor under a desk.