After watching a lot of fast guys race, I’m learning that braking just right, choosing a good line, and getting on the throttle just right are all really important. But I’ve notice a lot of drivers who do all of these really badly, and still out-drive me. So I’m still looking for clues to how they do it.
One big thing I notice: shrieking tires. I’ve watched a lot of the top racers in the rivals section; if they’re not going in a straight line, their tires are absolutely howling. I figure that’s got to have something to do with it. My tires just don’t make that noise, unless I’m sliding off the road. I’ve asked a couple of the really fast guys how they do it. Both of them said they never even listen to their tires. But their tires scream too. One guy said he just watches the way the car moves, and the other guy said he just knows how fast he can take the turn.
And the thing that really kills me: they drive with a controller. I got this expensive force-feedback wheel because I suck with a controller. That’s not to say that I don’t suck, but at least the wheel tells me when I’m about to slide off the road.
I’ve also noticed when watching the fast guys that sometimes the tires will leave a little scratch on the road. I’m guessing that means they’re pushing just a little too hard? And maybe that slows them down a bit? I don’t know. But I’d bet they don’t watch for scratches either.
So I’m wondering. How do you get through a turn at top speed – not the braking part, or choosing the line, or the throttle part, but how do you know how hard you can push the car without going into the ditch?
I start by figuring out what the fastest exit looks like. That’s the bit that matters most. Then work back from there: to get set up for that exit, what does your mid-corner have to look like? And to hit that mid-corner as you want, what’s the latest you can brake? From there it’s just constant refinement. Every time I take it subsequently I’ll be asking myself whether I could have got on the gas just a fraction earlier if… or I could have carried a bit more speed through the apex if… or I could get on the brakes a bit later (or off them earlier) if… and I watch anyone faster than me to see what they do differently. And of course it’ll be slightly or completely different in a, R-class GT car than in a B-class muscle car.
Not than I’m the fastest driver, but that’s how I approach it.
Worth bearing in mind that replays aren’t 100% accurate. Either there are small bugs in the way the inputs are recorded or they are sampled at a lower rate than the graphics, or something else, but small lock-ups, rev-banging, twitchy changes of direction, and other subtleties like that aren’t necessarily accurate.
replays in forza are really messed up , the squealing tires and marks you see on track in the replay might have not occurred in the actual lap that it shows . take this for instance when you hear a car change gears it sounds like they missed it all together by the way the engine sounds are.
i suggest looking at the corner entry speeds and exit speeds along with looking for landmarks to line up on to make your laps faster .
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But it’s not only in the replays. It’s everywhere. Even when I’m racing, I hear everyone else’s tires making all that noise, but mine don’t. And like I say, they beat me even though their lines are terrible.
I wouldn’t worry too much about noises from other cars as a lot in this game can be deceiving connection wise I’ve found as well as there being different sounds depending on the type of slide, atleast I have convinced myself of this. However you are correct that your tires should be ‘screeching’ on most corners, as the fastest drivers are in essence beyond the point of friction.
For yourself you should have vibration during your turn, which again I believe there is different types. You can test this by aggressively turning even beyond actually making a turn - sometimes you have to go past your limit to know where it is. Also use the telemetry friction section. Personally i find my front outside tire atleast is red through the corner and often rears on entry, however you want them to have maximum traction by corner exit.
Again this is all my personal experience and I do only tend to drive race cars. hope it helps.
The telemetry, that’s an excellent idea, hadn’t ever thought of it, thanks.
Report back your findings
The only time I’ve heard a lot of tire noise was when using headphones and streaming to my laptop. I figured it was just the hardware interpreting the sound stream differently and emphasising a sound that’s always there but usually too subtle to notice over the engine note. I actually quite liked it but I couldn’t reproduce it on my TV even messing around with all the sound settings.
No surprises on the telemetry: around the turns, the outside front is in the red, outside rear wiggling between green & red, both inside tires barely on the ground.
Turns out my tires do indeed screech all the way through turns, it’s just that I can only hear it over the engine if I’m completely off the gas and coasting, which is almost never.
If your not riding the edge of control, you’re not going fast. The best make it look incredibly smooth and easy, but make no mistake. They are one slight mistake away from disaster.