Newbies 'r me

[SimpleGreen]

By reading the title you can probably tell that I am new to the sim racing world. I am primarily doing the career mode before moving onto anything online. I am trying to perfect my driving and get comfortable enough to join an online game. Here is my only issue, after reading through the discussions and seeing all the comments, it makes me hesitant to even attempt to play in an online match. Any tips on what to do to get skilled enough to be online? That is the end goal but I am not entirely sure how to get to that point.

[EF_Neo1st]

"Any" tips is shortening the problem.
The tips would be "lots and lots" of tips but in short, 2 tips (one of them requiring aa long explanation from my expeerience point of view - if others dont agree please feel free to post):
- if you know you are slow dont fight for your life for the position (outbraking, moving at braking point, blocking at the last moment of a braking point or turn exit, leaning toward other driver or pushing other driver offtrack, etc) and dont try to outbrake your currrent skill braking points to fight back for a position, it all 95% to 99% of the time lead to collisions and damage to both cars that affect the driiving.
You haver the right to fight for position but if you see someone closed the gap by 2s in 1 lap or less (sometimes in 1 sector or less) it is pointless to try and hold that position, the same as if you see someone slower than you, dont try to outbrake your braking points to force an overtaking everywhere on the track, brake only where you know you can brake and do the turn "while sharing the turn side by side if necessary" without pushing the other driver offtrack neither leaning toward the driver on your side.
- be predictable, dont be "moving wobbling all around trying to look a menace" neither "brake check people behind you"

[Surgical]

Start by racing with aggressive AI, keep increasing the difficulty little by little. Focus on your pace rather than overtaking as many cars as possible, find a consistent form, try not to crash and give space away if necessary to stay in the race. Focus on getting better with one car, find some setups for it if you'd like, I think using the aggressive setups are just fine for now.

Also don't use the racing lines, instead begin by finding reference points on the track, you will notice in no time that you don't need a racing line.

[DC2Dixon]

First off, welcome to sim racing! Career is lacking in ACC but the championships are a far better option IMO. Can choose tracks, session length, time acceleration, weather and change difficulty between tracks. Career doesn't even give points at the end of races or have dynamic weather from what I remember.

You can learn a lot from racing AI if you treat them like a online lobby. If you treat them like AI, you might struggle online against players. Try to avoid dive bombs and defending aggressively and leave space for the other cars. ACC AI are push overs so can easily get into the habit of thinking others online will behave the same.

They wont really race you, they simply drive in formation in ACC, you will never see a overtake or mistake really.

If you can get the hang of racing close to AI without contact, you will be fine online. Car control in traffic is what you should focus on (easy to forget basics when racing hard) I spend 95% of my time racing AI and do just fine online, its only because I treat AI like I would if I was online. Pace and race craft is up there (no alien but decent at most sims) and all from racing AI most of my life.

The problem with online is most treat players like AI. They expect others to just move aside if they brake 50M to late and miss the apex by a mile. Just have fun and don't worry about racing online no matter what skill level you are. Some of the fastest guys in the game cant race wheel to wheel.

As long as you race respectfully and watch out for others, you will do just fine online. I avoid online for the most part as most simply cant race clean or fair. Hard racing is great but most online lobby's are terrible IMO. The reason I find AI far better to race against most of the time.

[Karmaterrorᵁᴷ]

Once you can lap cleanly just join online races, theres usually a good variation of skill in a lot of servers, and there are noob friendly servers. I just joined those ones in the hopes people would understand mistakes happen.

On one lap of Monza i braked way too early for the last chicane, causing the people behind to run into me. Totally my fault but nobody moaned at me or anything.

Dont put MP on too much of a pedestal, just get in there, in servers that advertise as for new players and get experience :)

[nono782]

Just respect blue flags, pits exit line, don’t stay in the middle of the track if you crash, brake early when you are just behind someone, don’t block fast drivers… and it’s ok.

[USSR Prokkk]

dat threads helped me so much, good luck
https://steamcommunity.com/app/805550/discussions/0/3499887039230877245/
https://steamcommunity.com/app/805550/discussions/0/3800527029417914721/

To understand racing at all and how to race:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAZL0MKQigFNSY0BTdt_GsDwxdHoeJ302

[MonkeyGamesVR]

These all all good tips and ive learned from it too thanks. My tip is never give up and keep trying to finish the race and keep your confidence and respect other racers and try to keep calm in all situations. Good luckout there on the tracks bud! 👍

[EF_Neo1st]

Originally posted by MonkeyGamesVR:

These all all good tips and ive learned from it too thanks. My tip is never give up and keep trying to finish the race and keep your confidence and respect other racers and try to keep calm in all situations. Good luckout there on the tracks bud! 👍

Actuaally if your car and tyres are not damaged so much the drivability of the car becomes jerky with wheel angled (what mean sway bar twisted) then keep driving, if you managee to get near your previous times with a slightly damaged car and/or worn tyres you will get far more confidence on next race or session when the car is pristine new.

[rob_every05]

My best bit if advice is to start races form the back, it doesn't always work, but will avoid the hooray Henrys who think they can win in the first corner, this applies everywhere.

Then look at player colours, if they are red they are rookies, now they might be very fast but they are still rookies, silver is just that and white is platinum, they will possibly be faster than you but also more experienced in traffic and the like. If you are trying to outbreak a platinum chances are you will hit them, they are usually on the right lines and braking points, this happens routinely

Also look out for high ping players, try and limit your ping in servers, if you see a red ping be very careful around them they can warp into you

[EF_Neo1st]

Originally posted by rob_every05:

My best bit if advice is to start races form the back, it doesn't always work, but will avoid the hooray Henrys who think they can win in the first corner, this applies everywhere.

Then look at player colours, if they are red they are rookies, now they might be very fast but they are still rookies, silver is just that and white is platinum, they will possibly be faster than you but also more experienced in traffic and the like. If you are trying to outbreak a platinum chances are you will hit them, they are usually on the right lines and braking points, this happens routinely

Also look out for high ping players, try and limit your ping in servers, if you see a red ping be very careful around them they can warp into you

.. Would not it be LEEEROY JENKINSSS!!!

[CENTRE MASS!]

pick a circuit you like and develop muscle memory on that with offline driving - driving with AI or not doesn't matter. you wanna gain confidence on that circuit by looking at what a competitive time is / youtube hotlap time is and setting a realistic target. e.g. Monza youtube hotlaps are 1.45/1.46, competitive online times are around 1.47/1.48, so initially set a 1.49/1.50 target and learn the throttle, brake points, race lines by repetition. there is no easy shortcut here, it's just rinse and repeat corner after corner, lap after lap. after a while you'll get down to those intended times, fiddle around with setups but don't get too hung up on them at the start, perhaps baseline with a few free setups available on youtube and build from those.

maybe then when you jump online join the smaller lobbies with 10 players max and those that perhaps say "beginner server" initially. there are very few aliens online so you won't find yourself completely overwhelmed as long as you've become semi competent on any given circuit.