My ego hates posting this, but I don’t care, I need help badly…
Ok, so many of you know that I’ve been able to climb the leaderboards a fair amount and have improved a good bit over the past few months. I have done it in Minis, Kias, CRX’s, Celicas, and so forth. Other than Lemans, I don’t have a single leaderboard time with a RWD car. I started playing this game with RWD and was never good, but I felt like I got to a point where I was somewhat decent with it. A couple of my teammates convinced me to try the Alfa (Swerve’s tune, which is currently ranked #1 with DJChris driving it on at least one of the tracks) around the Alps tracks yesterday. I gave it a go and realized something very quickly. I’m positively awful in anything RWD. As good as I may have become driving FWD, I’ve actually gone backwards with RWD. No matter what I do, or what I drive, the rear end of the car keeps sliding all over the place. It doesn’t matter if I’m gentle with the throttle or maxing it out. Everyone here has been telling me to be patient and it will come. It isn’t, and I’m actually getting worse, much worse… I own almost every RWD car in the game, the only one I can drive a little bit is the F50 in A class (its not a front engine though) and I’m still pretty horrible in that too.
Can someone point me in the right direction to try and figure out what I’m doing wrong? Maybe a Youtube tutorial video, or something, anything? I have no idea, but its driving me crazy that I can not drive a single RWD car in this game, but can get top 25s all over the place in FWD. I’m not looking to get top tens with RWD overnight, but I can’t stand that everyone I know is really really good in RWD and I’m a total joke.
Don’t use simulation steering, and be ultra smooth with your steering and throttle control, and try not upset the weight balance too much while braking.
RWD is far less forgiving on throttle application. You have to be super smooth with the application of gas. Don’t be scared of using TCS, A class and above is normally quicker with it (there are some notable exceptions - the leaderboards can tell that story). That said, even some B class cars are better with TCS (BRZ for example).
Even with TCS on, you still got to be smooth and controlled though - it’s not a 100% fix.
A good way to learn throttle control - get a fairly powerful car, TCS on and run some laps around somewhere with some slow corners (Seca works well). Try to run laps without making that TCS light flash - you’ll probably never do a whole lap without it, but in the effort to stop it you will improve your control a heck of a lot.
Seriously? This was moved? This has become a joke. Every post I make gets immediately moved down here. I was hoping for some answers to a GENERAL driving question, not a racing situation. Very few read this forum and moving this post here is just a joke. I really don’t get you mods. As soon as a post leaves my finger tips, it gets moved down here. There are posts in the Discussion forum that are far more about tuning than general discussion, yet they stay. Just unbelievable…
I think afro’s comments are spot on … you just need to do everything you’re doing now much more carefully - easier on the brakes, easier on the throttle and smoother turns when you’re in RWD
You mentioned swerve’s tunes - I’d point you to his C class Olds. He has 3 of them and the power tune one gave me a much greater appreciation for throtte control. I would suggest starting with TCS off (so long as you’re not in a lobby) as you can get immediate feedback on whether or not you are pressing too hard on the throttle and you can shift your focus more on how your car is handling and your inputs without having to glance down and see if you’ve triggered TCS…
I actually have his Olds tune. I loved it a few months ago. I tried driving it again yesterday and I was dreadful in it. I know the car is flat out awesome, so its all on me. I really think all the time I have spent in FWD has made me develop some terrible habits that are killing me with RWD. I have become super aggressive with FWD and have learned how to really mash the gas (where most would not) and not lose control while driving them. My times have increased tremendously because of that, but now I’m like a total newb again with RWD.
To be honest i think your transition from fwd to rwd is going to make it much harder. You are correct in that in a fwd tune you must really push the car much harder (and it allows you) then you can in rwd. Many times where you are on full throttle in a fwd car you are still letting the car settle or finish turning in a rwd car or are somewhere around 1/4 throttle. Just need to relax and be much less agressive. Noone really suggested it yet but i would hop in the xbow somewhere like silverstone, the car grips well enough that it can be driven, but it will surely teach you throttle control on corner exit. Also i know you are used to driving using the 1.6 rally so that will also hold true and you will need to focus less on ur shift points. Could also go with something like a miata in c class or something similar that has real good grip just to get used to the weight balance. Thats another one of your issues im sure. Before the power went on relatively easy because thats where the weight of the car was, now its going to be much harder to get that same power down unless the tune is unbelievable or the car has too much rear grip…
The less you drive a style of rwd car the easier it is to forget how to drive it. I drove the olds a few days ago and was about a half second off what I normally run. Its literally been months since I’ve raced muscle cars like I used to and I lost my touch. Driving the R class race cars really messed me up.
This is why RWD is hard to master. There is simply too many types and skills you need to know in order to execute. While fwd is hard to learn to execute at a high level, once you got it down you can apply it to most fwd cars. With rwd things such as wheelbase, engine placement, weight, and body type require different skill sets. For example I’m terrible in mid-engine rwd cars.
The alps Alfa tune requires precise line usage in certain sections or you’ll drift. Its an example of a somewhat heavy rwd that requires you to use the body roll to your advantage which can be difficult. You’d drive a lightweight lower center of gravity car like the 190E or s2000 a lot more aggressively and would only need to learn where to tone the aggressiveness to prevent drifting. With the Alfa, you can’t fight the car to get it on the proper line. You pretty much have to let the car do what it wants and really focus on setting the corners up right. Let the Alfa coast thru the corners until you learn where you can mash the gas sooner. That’s what I had to do to learn it.
Just one other thought Lou, have you adjusted your controller dead zones? 0-100 steering, accel and decel - it can make a huge difference to your gas and brake control, I noticed half a second on some car/track combos.
Yes it got moved because talking about rwd car control is “Off-topic” in relation to the game especially since specific tunes within FM5, techniques, general knowledge, and specific cars within FM5 are not related to the game whatsoever. Makes perfect sense!
So then I guess the thread in General Discussion about the wheel or tricks and tips on getting better should be moved here too right?
This is actually annoying me a bit on how Lou keeps getting shut-down yet similar topics are untouched.
The FM5 General Discussion isn’t for bragging about what you do every 24 hours within the game. No one else does it, no one else ever has. Making a daily thread to brag about yourself will continue to get moved by one of the moderators. That is final, you have a question or something of that nature on it use the email provided in the terms of service. Anything further on the forum will result in a suspension from it.
Bragging? No offense, but I clearly said I’m terrible at driving RWD and was looking for help… How in the world is that bragging? Do what you want, you move all my threads regardless of what they are about. Its been going on for months now… I try to be part of this forum but people like you would rather force me out. Whatever, have it your way…
Thanks for all the replies everyone. As always, I will take all of your advice and do the best I can to apply it…
I’m pretty much done with the Forums now though, I won’t be back…