I’ve played with enough cars to realize that the numerical statistics are often quite misleading. I knew they were relative, but even within the same class they seem relative, to I-don’t-know-what. In a way, I like it like this: you have to measure cars by driving them, but it’s also frustrating if you’re trying to learn how to tune.
Is there something else I should be looking at other than lap times?
Well comparative lap times are the ultimate measure for any given race really. Problem is they are a one time numerical measure and don’t take consistency or quality into consideration.
So compare your lap times with lap times of others but also factor in how consistently you are able to achieve that lap time to get an idea of how good the car is for you on that traxk. If you can set a great time once in every 10 laps and all the others are way off because you fight the car, then something needs to change.
On the other hand if you can pull off great times even as you’re driving a bit sloppy for whatever reason, then you’ve got something with potential right there.
How often can you run a consistent lap time that is close to your PB?
Everything Raindancer said is correct, I just want to add.
How to judge a car if not by the stats? IS IT FUN TO DRIVE! If it’s not fun to drive, why are you doing it?
— Is it a huge challenge or a struggle to race this car? Will you enjoy taming it and getting really good at the car, or is it simply a struggle that you don’t want to do?
— Do you enjoy using this car? Whether it wins or not, if you don’t enjoy it why would you use it?
I am very competitive and I like to win; however, this is only a game and I play it to have fun, to relax, and to escape from all the things I have to do in the real world. It’s my little addiction when I have free time. For this reason, I will set aside my desire to win and to be the very best if I am able to have a great time playing.
This is why you may see me running the 2001 Audi RS4 Avant in every possible class and every possible track - it’s fun, and I can’t do it with my real car.
I’m actually not a competitive player and the fun of the forza games for me has always been comparing the little differences between cars and finding my eccentric personal preferences, preferences which change from week to week and are influenced by aesthetic, performance, and emotional concerns and are rarely about doing well.
But my question is more about what use the stat bars serve since they don’t seem to accurately reflect the speed, handling, braking, acceleration experience. And when tuning, I’ve been trying to squeeze what I can out of the car - that’s what you do, right? - only to find that another car with inferior stats outperforms it in every way. THAT’s what’s frustrating for me - that the numbers are no guide.
I’d have to disagree with you there. Stats bars definitely reflex the cars performance. Perhaps it’s just the way youre driving the car.
For example the value for acceleration says 8.6, it’s your work to find out when it has this value. Some cars only accelerate from 0-100 very good, beyond 100 comes nothing, others dont accelerate that good at the beginning, but they keep accelerating until reaching its topspeed. Those values have always been a “missleading” for beginners.
A good advice for you, try the car stock to see what it needs for you and then start to upgrade it with only a few things. As example, if you have a car with PI 544 and you want it got more power, just add a few parts, like exhaust, ignition or piston and give it another go so see what effect it has. Does it need then more handling or is it still nice to drive…and so on, until you reach the end of the PI of a class. And yes, it is all about consitently driving. This wont help if you have lap times where the difference between one and the next lap is more than 0,2 - 0,4 seconds. Only if you can get nearly as close the same lap time over and over again you will be able to say what the car needs.
During a league look at the leaderboards and choose the fastest car? (not confirmed)
The game should tell you the fastest car for a series, the recommended cars are not the best, in fact F5 got every one wrong.
MaxteoMax does spreadsheets, they can be helpfull… http://www.manteomax.com/ if you sort them with an equation (acceleration+top speed+handling) sort of thing.
Its mostly about power to weight ratio my good sir. Hit your Y button to see better numbers that tell a better story
Fantastic idea, those figures are in manteomax’s database and I’m in the process of sorting them by class, league and power to weight.
EDIT:
Done 3 lists in pdf format… Dropbox - F6 PWR-WGT.zip - Simplify your life
F6 Car - lists the cars fastest to slowest by their power to weight number. (lower power to weight number is faster)
F6 Class - list the cars by class and then their power to weight. (lower power to weight number is faster)
F6 League - lists the cars by league and then their power to weight. (lower power to weight number is faster)
Interesting, Formula 1 Lotus has a ratio of 1.896 and Indycar 2.2558, F1 would trounce Indycar on a non oval track. 