Your progression is really impressive Lou.
Great read Lou, absolutely great. I remember a long time a go when I first started playing Forza I was probably one of the worst players in the world. What you’ve said in your OP is the true definition of persistence and perseverance. Keep the good work up it only gets harder from here! The first top ten is great. Your first number 1 in the world is mind blowing.
Crav
Agree with Dsquared. I concentrated on Maple Valley, then Sedona, then Tsukuba, then Mugello, past that I cannot remember but I made sure it was one at a time. After that getting a top 25 came pretty easy on tracks and I could do top 10’s in lobbies now and again. That was in FM3 when everyone ran LB cars all the time so I’d jump in them now and again.
I can’t do that anymore though…lol.
I find validity in both methods being discussed, but I think it ultimately depends on the driver though. I was focusing on one track only for a while there. I only wanted to get a top 25, but couldn’t get over the hump. I was 3 tenths off the pace and kept pushing so hard that dirty laps were a huge issue. I got away from the track and just ran a lot of others for a while. When I went back to it, I got a top 15. I’ve done that on 4 tracks now and have put a couple others into the top 25. I’m real close on a lot of others and I will take the same approach and hopefully get them in the top 25 soon too. I know with me, frustration can be a real problem (I can be a hot head). Rather than let it brew, its best for me to walk away for a while. Maybe the other method works best for others, but I think each of us has to find what works for us. I agree with Swerve’s method without saying the other is wrong. How’s that for being politically correct? 
All my talk about getting a #1 is just that, talk. Right now, I just want a top ten. Once I’m there, then I’ll worry about getting higher up. Who knows, I may never even get the top ten. Don’t want to count my chickens before the eggs have hatched…
You’ll get it lou and don’t be surprised if its on a track you didn’t expect.
My first was at New York circuit in fm3. Its a track I struggled on braking. Followed it up with another at road atlanta full, a track I’ve always had a good feel for. Never did great in fm4 because I couldn’t stand the lb cars.
I’ll agree to disagree dsquared. I do see your point and personally I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work with me. I stall out.
I was trying to make my initial point short and sweet but yea I see what you mean about also implying to accept less than the best. That wasn’t what I was trying to say. I was implying a round approach, such as round 1: get top 25s and note where I have the better probability of getting much higher. Round 2: analyze where I’m currently at and focus on the tracks where I’m still close. Round 3: focus in the harder tracks and try to get what you can. Round 4: retake top 10s lost and note where top 5s and higher can be achieved. Repeat.
Its slow, gets boring, but has worked for me. Im not a good gamer and learn slowly and get frustrated easily. This approach is the only way I’ve found that keeps my head in the game.
I’d love to be able to hit top 5s regularly and have a #1 that lasts more than a day. Its my ultimate goal, but it’ll take a long time for me.
Lou, you have improved a ton…congrats
I think that Worms prodding, pushed you to the “oh yeah!??, I’ll show you!!!” mode. And it worked. You had a goal/mission.
Once you were rolling along, top 100 was not good enough. Again, congrats
As a few have noted above (Swerve, Worm…), run times on a favorite track, knock your times down. Gain confidence, the other tracks
and times will follow.
Good luck with the top 10’s and the tough #1
have fun
That #1 is going to be really tough. I recently came across a number 1 build and tune and was all excited to try and get a number 1 time. After about 3 laps i decided that maybe my skill level will only allow me to get some top 10s which arent to shabby. With that said i will be giving it another go and hopefully i can keep improving like you are.
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Oops, wrong forum, let me rephrase the question… Which came first, the #1 build or the #1 driver? Just because its a #1 build with someone else driving it, does not mean it will be with you, me, Swerve, Worm, or anyone else driving it. The car only does so much, we have to take it as far as its capable of going. Good luck with it…
Nice going matey and I might use some of your advice as I am yet to crack the top 100 on most tracks.
I added TG Tyrant and have started racing his ghost to try and better my lines etc.
Good deal… One other thing that helps is to try and race against others that are driving the same car. Even better if its the same tune.
I noticed you’ve beat me on a bunch of tracks as well… I may or may not have gone back to get ahead of you again haha.
I’ve found following ghosts and hotlapping has been the best way to learn tracks and get a feel for the car. Yes to set the best time possible you might run a questionable line, but your also running your car on edge. Cutting a corner might be an mistake that shows up clean and beats your old time. Right or wrong and personal bias aside your clean time is all that matters.
To entertain D4NINHO, I consider hotlapping practice and I use it to get better learn the track and find out how hard I can push the car. It’s also a good way to find out which cars are best suited for each track, and to see how good a tune is. You can get better running multiplayer, but you will improve faster and have a lot less loading/waiting/greifing in Rivals.
To say having your name on the LB is useless, it’s actually the only way of showing how you compare skill wise to every other person in the game. Winning an online race has no lasting affect once you’re back in the lobby. The lobby vs multiplayer skill argument has been beaten to death and I’m not going there. I’m only saying to the Forza world your only as fast as your LB time, it’s not the perfect indicator but it’s about as close as you can get. Whether or not you care about it is up to you.
hmmmm, not sure what to make of this post, is this a guy bragging about how he has improved or a guy who thinks hot lapping means anything.
to me hot lapping is mad and boring, why drive hundreds of laps on the same track over and over on your own, i can think of nothing more boring.
hot lappers learn the tracks and most cut lots of corners on there laps, they learn all the spots you can cut without getting a dirty lap some are even well outside of the track ( silverstone )
don’t get me wrong though, if you are into getting your name in a meaningless leaderboard then go for it, for me actual races is where we see the real talent, if you can run with a full lobby all looking to go past you or waiting for your gap to take the guy in front and still run clean and fair then your a good driver.
have fun hot lapping but i suggest you get yourself into a racing league to really test your abilities, trust me though, if you think your good you will soon see your not as some of the racers are like machines, they somehow manage super fast times in races driving yards from another driver.
Me, well i suck bt i dont mind as i race and thats the fun for me, building rivalries and seeing if you can beat your rival in a race is so much better than just topping his time in a series of boring laps.
keep up the ho lapping if you like dreaming or race and see what the real world is like.
Here I was thinking VM was the only place you spouted off like this.
You aren’t even running in the top 25 in a series on VM that has barely anyone fast running in it. Pretty poor you coming here with a post such as this and you aren’t even competitive on the racing leagues you come to promote.
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All the top 10 on every lb will beat you easily in a race daniho. Some of these times are set in race. It takes alot of skill to set these fast times. Some do it in 10 laps some take more. End of the day, once you set your pb in any enviroment, you can always beat it. The top 10-50 are really quick and with luck on their side very rarely lose.
Lou, is not a bragger and a decent guy. All he is doing is sharing his experiences. Which will help alot of new players on course to take to improve.
If you doubt his ability, challenge him to a race. Ill witness if you want.
Gee, those words sort of sound familiar. Where might I have read something like that before??? I can’t recall
Hey guys, there was another thread along these lines (a better one IMO), that was put on the forums with the intention of helping new players out too. That thread was completely sidetracked with bickering and was ultimately moved to the abyss (commonly known as the racer’s lounge). Can we leave arguing out of this so this one has a chance to stick around long enough that someone might actually get something from it?
I explained what this was all about in the first paragraph of the OP. If anyone wants to have a differing opinion, they are more than entitled to it…
Obviously, I wasn’t around for any of the old forums. However, I don’t necessarily agree with the rare part. I could name a very long list of people who have been great to me here. I was annoying three to four months with constant questions and there were always people that were more willing to offer advice. I won’t do that list because I know I will leave someone out and offend them. There are an awful lot of them though. I’ve been around a lot of internet forums in the past 20 years. Maybe this place is not as good as it used to be, but I still think its pretty darn good.
Now if the mods would stop moving all my posts down to the Racer’s lounge, this place would be the best
I’m trying to follow in your footsteps at this point. Scouring this forum for any bit of info that I can use. I like the idea of having someone drive the same tune as you and run laps against that ghost. There’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to match something in the exact same car, right?? Anyhow, I hope to share the same success as you soon! Thanks!!
To dan4
I have yet to see u post anything constructive. Why would you write something so negative about somebody who is trying (and succeeding) to become better. This is the difference between where u are (not competitive) and where he is (very competitive).
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Good on you Lou!!! I’ve read this whole thread.
I fit SatNite’s sentiments. A bit jealous. But it’s ok to watch perserverance, and practice in motion. I watched the whole thing start to finish in real time. Just rarely post much anymore as the threads get so convoluted at times.
It’s taken me a lot longer to improve then you but you have worked at it a LOT harder then I, so right on.
I definately have become more competitive for the time I can put in (not an excuse) and I keep on getting better. It was a great read.
I too found a mini recently and started having some fun in it. But have racing series that I practice for and getting the time in a car for a long period of time and practicing for and running 30 lap races has really helped my driving abilities tons more so than anything else. Teaming up with a good group if good drivers and tuners is immensely helpful as well.
I agree with reaper. It’s good to see threads like these. It’s what the community should be.
Also agree with Swerve. The leaderboards are missing a lot of top drivers from previous versions. But it’s still a nice feeling regardless. Cracking into top 25. (My best 11)
Good post Lou. Might want to make a cliff notes version.
Assist lose them
Practice.
Chase preferable some one faster than you in same tune.
Get friends to race with compare notes
Learn how to build and tune.
Practice. And have fun.
I’m like swerve I get frustrated and hit a wall. Move on to a couple other places then come back
*** how do you relax? ***
This is where I blow up. I always bugger it up. Hence the bounce method that swerve described. I know I’m screwing it up with my own head and can’t fixit. That might be a good thing to touch on for n00b too. But I think like most of what ends up making it good is just something that kind of works its self out on its own and comes in breakthrough.
I’m good for 12+ laps or so well, slump for 5+ and then come back to what I’m cabable of.