um... any tips on how to actually drive a truck?

[carllyngholm]

ok... obviously practice makes perfect, but beyond that, any general tips on how to do basic things like making turns without crashing into everything in sight. I imagine having an actual steering wheel makes driving easier than a mouse and keyboard set up, but still, I can't seem to drive 100 feet on anything less than a straight road without looking like a had about 20 beers before getting in the truck. I know its hard to give any advice beyond "you just need to get a basic feel for how to drive", but regardless, any guidence would be appreciated.

[Flopsy Fluftail]

I might've tagged the wrong person but hey Whatever

[Hylton Trucking]

Unfortunately, practice makes perfect is about it. The best thing you can do is turn off traffic offenses so you're not fined constantly for accidents and learn by trial and error. Getting set up right for turns & making wide swings without hitting anything takes practice. I literaly grew up in trucks (4th generation truck driver) and it still took me a while to get the hang of it on ATS. Using the keyboard does make for "twitchy" steering, so investing in a steering wheel does make it smoother. A good friend has one and it is awesome, I just can't justify that expense right now. So just keep practicing (it is a simulator after all) and have fun!

[Flopsy Fluftail]

Another thing, if your really into this game save up a little money and once you've saved... maybe C$150 yuo could buy a Entry level driving wheel, For example The
Hori Racing wheel Apex is only C$100 but its not a fancy force feedback...
If your interested i linked to the amazon page
Im canadian so i wrote C$100 but its actually 121-USD

https://www.amazon.com/HORI-Racing-Wheel-Apex-PlayStation-PC/dp/B01LZ3AEFP/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482082317&sr=8-1&keywords=Hori+Racing+wheel+Apex

[Thogmar]

If you're actually interesting in learning about the manuvering, backing, shifting and other parts, look up real truck driver training stuff on YouTube. There's loads of it, and some of it is very useful in giving you aim points and other guidelines.

[TheDantee]

Originally posted by Wichmann:

One piece of advice. Don't try to use a mouse/keyboard to drive. Your just asking for trouble !!

I drive fine like his.... How is it trouble

[Flopsy Fluftail]

Originally posted by TheDantee:

Originally posted by Wichmann:

One piece of advice. Don't try to use a mouse/keyboard to drive. Your just asking for trouble !!

I drive fine like his.... How is it trouble

yeah i actually prefer to just use the kyb, because i like the forcefeedback aspect and i will continue driving like this till my racing wheel ships in

[Eddie Yantz]

I found a used Logitech MOMO Force wheel (UG8) on eBay a few years ago for $60 USD. It work sgreat on Win10Homex64 with current LGS software.

[Flopsy Fluftail]

Originally posted by cmagdanz:

I found a used Logitech MOMO Force wheel (UG8) on eBay a few years ago for $60 USD. It work great on Win10Homex64 with current LGS software.

Yeah the momo is good too, i heard good about it being a Entry level wheel
im starting off strong though and buying a Thrustmaster TMX

[Eddie Yantz]

I'm budget minded . . . I know I'm getting a Logitech Attack 3 joystick soon (it's under the tree). Logitech reports that it, too, will work with my system. I'm excited to drive with wheel and stick.

[Flopsy Fluftail]

Originally posted by cmagdanz:

I'm budget minded . . . I know I'm getting a Logitech Attack 3 joystick soon (it's under the tree). Logitech reports that it, too, will work with my system. I'm excited to drive with wheel and stick.

wait what would you be using the joystick for?

[t4chy]

Keyboard + mouse steering works really fine for me. Mouse sensitivity was turned down quite a bit though.

Wheel does work fine too, now that I got one. It helps with the immersion, but I don't feel it is a necessary gadget for me.

Much more important for me is a head tracker. Can't stand the games without one.
(I am using the DIY EdTracker with magnetometer and accelerator. Fairly affordable, and has to be plugged in each time after starting the PC and before launching the game, but I can easily live with that. Other, more expensive headtrackers just work, and usually come with their own issues, like high initial cost, breaking easily, delay, being succeptible to stray light or warm surfaces in the background, ...)

[Duck from State Farm]

Originally posted by carllyngholm:

ok... obviously practice makes perfect, but beyond that, any general tips on how to do basic things like making turns without crashing into everything in sight. I imagine having an actual steering wheel makes driving easier than a mouse and keyboard set up, but still, I can't seem to drive 100 feet on anything less than a straight road without looking like a had about 20 beers before getting in the truck. I know its hard to give any advice beyond "you just need to get a basic feel for how to drive", but regardless, any guidence would be appreciated.

Well I'm used to a Keyboard and mouse but you have to keep pressing the left and right keys to keep driving straight because in real life the wheel doesn't drive straight you have to constantely make corrections to make sure it stays straight.

On driving tips, you make wide turns when doing right hand turns, in this case start to turn when you are half way through the intersection or until you are about be center to the road your turning on. Left hand turns are little different, again half way through the intersection before turning but becareful because the AI sometimes stops in the middle of the road because they are stupid as ♥♥♥♥. Also some turns are so sharp you are going to need to brake before turning because some roads are not made for trucks to go full speed around the turn, along with that keep your trailer way from the oncoming coming traffic too, I do struggle with this but becareful, because you can whack a car or a truck with it.

I may get a steering whell and pedals at some point but i'll get it when I have the right desk to have steering wheel and pedals to connect it the only problem though is I may not have the plugs on my alienware Alpha to do it but I'm absolutely used to the Keyboard and mouse and I use the mouse to look around, and yet its not causing me any trouble at all.

P.S. you can turn on red, just make sure your turn signal is on and make sure you have an opening to do the turn.

[Eddie Yantz]

Originally posted by SGN|MWT |MattJJR:

Originally posted by cmagdanz:

I'm budget minded . . . I know I'm getting a Logitech Attack 3 joystick soon (it's under the tree). Logitech reports that it, too, will work with my system. I'm excited to drive with wheel and stick.

wait what would you be using the joystick for?

I want buttons that are easy to reach with the hand that's off the wheel, and self centering Look Right/center/Left with that hand; mouse doesn't self center. I have intention tremors in my hands, which makes free movement jerky - terrible for looking around for traffic.

[Eddie Yantz]

OP, truck driving tips . . . IMHO some things I do . . .

1) for staying in your own lane, know where the sides of your cab are indirectly by positioning yourself in seat <F4> so you can see your truck's hood, then (when drivng slowly) use your mirrors to observe the relative position of a spot on the hood (I use left front tip of engine cowling) to the lane you're in. When you steer to keep the hood-spot positioned in the lane correcrly, your cab and trailer will be there, too, on straight aways. When taking a curve with trailer, you'll have to position your hood-spot a bit further toward the outside of the curve - how far depends on the length of the trailer.

2) making 90Deg turns: keep your cab straight ahead until its nose reaches the imaginary line extending from the far side of the lane into which you wish to turn, then crank the wheel hard until your cab has turned 90Deg (I often 'cheat' by switching camera to top down view), then straighten out quickly. Watch your inside-curve side mirror after straightening to be sure the trailer is clearing. Be prepared to stop quickly if trailer isn't clearing.

3) preparation: when the street onto which you're turning has multiple lanes, check your GPS map to see which lane you should be in to make your next turn. Either turn into that lane or move into it late in your turn. City traffic will block you from changing lanes after the turn.

Are these the kinds of tips you want? I can generate more if you like them.