The Technicalities of Absolute Drifting, aka. How to Stop Hitting Walls

This guide aims to explain the physical processes involved in the authentically simulated driving of Absolute Drift, aided by illustrations and gameplay tips.

Foreword

• Rome was not built in a day: while this guide aims to be as helpful as possible, the game encourages practice and self-improvement. Simply reading this guide provides no guarantee that you will turn into an instant drifting expert.
  
• Feedback and constructive criticism is most appreciated; make sure to rate my guide appropriately and to let me know if it helped or could use more help, itself!

What is Drifting?

To keep this section as short as possible: drifting is the state in which a car's rear tyres are in a state of minimal traction, causing oversteer. Drifting is also an acknowledged motorsport, where the driver is tasked with maintaining a controlled state of heavy oversteer, at high speeds and aggressive angles.

Control Options, and what they do

Absolute Drift provides a number of control settings that you can modify to your preferences. Full input rebinds are not yet available, though the Zen Edition upgrade will hopefully provide this option too.

Difficulty

This controls the overall grip and ease with which you drive all the cars in Absolute Drift. On the Medium setting, the cars have noticeably more grip less power than on Hard, while on Easy it becomes a challenge to maintain a slide, or to drift wide!

Recommended is to start with Easy if you are completely unfamiliar with driving games, or Medium if you're not familiar with AD but have previous driving game experience. Hard is, obviously, the most challenging but also most rewarding setting.

Transmission

Toggles between the game changing gears without further input, or providing the player with full control.

Automatic is significantly less challenging to play with than Manual. However, because there's no optional Manual Override function in the game (allowing the player to manually force into a gear despite using the Automatic setting), there is little control over the gears other than speed and engine work, which becomes an issue when aiming for the highest scores more advanced handling is required.

Steer Assist

Enabling this causes the cars to correct their heading on their own, through small counter-steer input, during a drift.

While it certainly can help maintain some control over your car, I find it actively detrimental because it can prematurely stop a drift, and it cancels out some of the steering when trying to tighten a drift.

Steering Sensitivity

Changing this value influences how quickly the cars respond to steering input: higher means faster steering lock.

This is personal preference, but I find a default or slightly above default value (50-60%) to be optimal on the keyboard. Needs further testing with gamepad.

Vibration Strength

Increasing this makes the haptic feedback on gamepads stronger. Does not affect keyboard input, and does not otherwise affect the handling. Pure personal preference.

View Controls

Self explanatory: lets you review the input commands for the keyboard, Xbox gamepads or PS4 gamepad. You can't manually rebind the controls, but the game allows you to choose between several button layouts on gamepads.

Initiating, Maintaining and Exiting a drift

In technical terms, a drift is initiated when the traction of the rear tyres is overtaken by the combined forces of motion and, particularily, torque passed through the rear wheels. Once this happens, given constant throttle input, the rear wheels will attempt to overtake the front wheels and cause a spin.

In Absolute Drift, a drift is most easily initiated by, in order:

1. Holding the steering at full lock (maximum steering input in one direction),
   
2. Applying full throttle.

If done correctly, and particularily while in motion, the rear tyres will break traction from the combined lateral forces and applied torque. Once you get the back end to slide, congratulations: you are now drifting!

The next challenge is maintaining a drift, which is the single trickiest aspect of AD.

The first half of maintaining a drift consists of countersteering, or corrective steering applied in the opposite direction of the turn, to prevent spinning out, firstly, and secondly, to widen or tighten the drift. The second half is throttle control, or careful application of throttle, and hence torque, to the rear wheels. Releasing the throttle will reduce the torque being sent through the rear wheels, therefore reducing the tendency to spin or oversteer.

Changing the direction mid drift is achieved via releasing the throttle completely, and steering into the direction you wish to go. Once the car straightens, begin countersteering in the opposite direction - given sufficient momentum and adequate timing, you will resume drifting. It is possible to do so even while at full throttle, though much more difficult since it carries the risk of spinning out.

Once you've held a drift for long enough, knowing how to exit it is quite straightforward. Apply small countersteering input, and release the throttle - done correctly, the car will regain rear tyre grip, and hold the line.

Objects you can Interact with

Usually coloured in red, these objects stand out from the gray, white and sky blue backdrop as things you can hit or drift close to or into.

• Bonus Blocks
  These red blocks litter the Free Roam world, Driftkhana arenas and some Mountain Drift tracks. While they serve little purpose in Free Roam besides being a thing to smash, in Driftkhanas and Mountain Drift, they add 100 points * your current multiplier, making them useful for prolonging a drift.
  
  Note that sometimes, debris from smashed blocks can cause others to fall apart. Hitting the debris may still add score, as the fallen pieces count as an untouched block.
  
  
• Clipping Points
  Red and white poles that appear on the apexes of corners, on Drift Tracks, Mountain Drifts, as well as in Driftkhana arenas. Drifting close to them will increase your score - the amount with which depends on your drift speed, angle and proximity to the pole, but usually between 200 and 500 points * your current multiplier. They also advance you faster to the next multiplier.
  
  The criteria for scoring the pole bonus is, generally, less strict than the criteria for scoring from a drift. Generally, as long as your rear wheels are sliding, you are eligible for the bonus.
  
  
• Spin Zones
  Exclusive to Driftkhanas, Spin Zones are red squares in which you are tasked with spinning your car until it fills up completely. The score bonus varies, but is usually 2000 * your current multiplier, and they also advance you to the next multiplier immediately.
  
  Note that you are still making progress towards the Spin Zone bonus, even if you're edging outside of the marked area.
  
  
• Donut Zones
  Exclusive to Driftkhanas, Donut Zones are large, red objects which task you with drifting in a circle around them until they fill up completely. The score bonus varies, but is usually 5000 * your current multiplier, and they also advance you the next 1.5 multipliers immediately.
  
  Note that you are still making progress towards the Donut Circle bonus, even if you're beginning to straighten out of the slide or edge away from them. However, making contact with the objects themselves will reset your progress and, in heavier bumps, may end your combo prematurely.
  
  CAUTION: Progressing towards the Spin/Donut Zone bonuses doesn't necessarily mean you're also drifting! Keep an eye out on the current Score counter in the top left: if it's shaking too much, you risk LOSING your combo!
  
  
• Spinning Crosses
  Exclusive to Free Roam, these objects compose an exploration-type mission: in every Free Roam world, you must touch 5 of these objects scattered around the map, per world. They otherwise have no special appearances or properties, and will disappear once collected.
  
  
• Mission Objects
  These objects are highlighted in red, and featured exclusively in the Free Roam worlds. In order to advance to the next areas, you are tasked with drifting, spinning, donuting or jumping in, on or around these objects. Once said mission is complete, the item stops being red.
  
  When all the missions in a world are complete, the gate to the next world is opened in a short cutscene.
  
  
• Drift Lines
  Newly added in the Zen Edition upgrade are Drift Lines. These are featured on certain tracks, such as Hamamatsu. Being in a drifting state while on top of the red dots will activate them and turn them gray. If no other dots are activated within a 1 second grace period, the Drift Line bonus is ended and points are added. Drifting through all the dots will add a large score bonus and increase the current multiplier by 2.

Event Types & Challenges

Absolute Drift features a number of events to play, either from the Main Menu or by driving into the respective building in the Free Roam world, as well as five Event Challenges for each track, added in the Zen Edition upgrade.

There are three types of events:

• Drift Track: A straightforward circuit, where the goal is to achieve the highest score in 3 laps. Certain tracks are more technical, with frequent 90 degree turns or hairpins, while others are faster and more fluid. Recurring objects of interest are Clipping Points.
  
• Driftkhana: A stunting arena, later composed of several platforms you can jump between, and littered with Driftkhana-exclusive objects, to help in your goal to reach the highest score within 2 minutes. Recurring objects of interest are: Bonus Blocks, Clipping Points, Spin Zones and Donut Zones.
  
• Mountain Drift: A point to point, downhill track, where the goal is to, once again, reach the highest score on a single run. Recurring objects of interest are: Bonus Blocks and Clipping Points.
  
• Midnight Drift: Similarily to Mountain Drift, you're tasked with drifting and reaching the highest score on a point to point, downhill track. It is unique in that it's the only event type that needs to be unlocked through more than merely progressing in the Free Roam world; you must complete a number of Event Challenges before being able to tackle a Midnight Drift. Recurring objects of interest are: Bonus Blocks, Drift Lines and Clipping Points.
  
  Midnight Drift tracks are the most difficult and technical tracks. The darkness is less of a concern than hairpins and serpentines leading into long, fast corners, that further end in spirals. The last two Midnight Drift tracks also have no barriers, and falling off the track ends your run.

Event Challenges are smaller tasks that can be completed in any given run of an event. Each event has five such challenges. Completed challenges are marked by filled squares on the event buildings in Free Roam and from the Event selection menu.

There are several types of challenges:

• Reach x multiplier
  
• Reach x score
  
• Drift for a total of x seconds
  
• Drift continuously for x seconds - as long as you keep scoring, you are drifting
  
• Drift x times - also counts switching directions as separate drifts
  
• Hit x number of Bonus Blocks
  
• Complete x number of Clipping Points
  
• Complete x number of Drift Lines
  
• Complete x number of Donut Zones (Driftkhana exclusive)
  
• Complete x number of Spin Zones (Driftkhana exclusive)
  
• Finish in x time, no crashes - you're said to crash if an impact ends your current combo, a small tap at low speeds may still leave you eligible for the challenge (Mountain Drift and Midnight Drift exclusive)

(Advanced) Engine Power and Torque in Drifting

In reality, conventional combustion-based car engines produce power (the pushing/pulling work force propelling the car to high speeds) and torque (the immediate rotational force powering the drive wheels) not instantaneously, but over time, through that's known as a power and torque curve, as seen below.


This means that, depending on engine revolutions per minute, a car is outputting different amounts of torque and power, usually hitting a peak output that differs between engine configurations and tunes.

In Absolute Drift, this plays an important role in car handling, as low revs generally corelate to low power and torque, making it difficult to maintain a drift, but this also applies at the redline: because power production "peaks", initiating a drift while at the rev limiter is difficult barring handbrake intervention.

Most cars in Absolute Drift follow very similar curves and "peaks", with subtle differences in maximum power or torque output between them.

(Advanced) Gearing

In the simplest of given definitions, the gearbox is the housing of multiple mechanical gears, serving the purpose of slowing and controlling the engine's rotation and sending the resulting power to the drive wheels. They allow for high torque applications (tugging and towing) in low/short gears, high power applications (speed) in high/long gears, and even driving in reverse without changing the engine's orientation.

Most conventional car designs employ either an automatic transmission (which is not the subject of this category), or a manual 5-speed transmission, which the cars in Absolute Drift utilize.

Gearing is important because it affects power distribution, and therefore your drifting. The following graph should give an example of effective power per gear:


Low gears, like 1st, transfer the most power and torque, but peak very quickly, and are generally used to launch the car. In Absolute Drift, 1st gear drifting is difficult if already at the redline, because no additional rotation is driving the rear wheels, but is possible if below it.


Gearing additionally has an indirect effect on the width of the drift: the higher the gear, the wider the drift. Ingame, you will most commonly be in either 2nd or 3rd gear, and frequently switching between them, whether in automatic or manual transmission mode. 1st is used for launching the car from a standstill and for tight drifts, while 4th and very rarely 5th are for the fastest of turns, only seen on courses such as the oval Drift Track "Hamamatsu" or on the Mountain Drift course "Mt. Haruna", as the gear resistance puts the engine at a disadvantage and essentially restricts the car to wider and wider drifts as the gear is higher.

The addition of manual clutch control, however, helps circumvent the engine disadvantage that comes with drifting at high gears (4th and 5th cannot effectively maintain most drifts, especially when engine revs fall below near redline). Small taps of the clutch button will momentarily disengage the engine from the drive, letting it rev higher, and when the clutch button is released, the higher engine power is transmitted to the drive wheels, allowing for practical, if dangerous, 4th and 5th gear drifting.

Lastly, an advanced drifting technique involves the use of the gears, rather than brakes, to control one's speed through a corner. Downshifting will give the car the tendency to drift tighter, while upshifting, wider. Timing is crucial. If you're aiming for this method, keep in mind that shifting too soon may still lead you into the outside wall, or even inside wall.

(Advanced) Drifting Angles

The angle at which your car is pointing, relative to the direction it is attempting to move towards, is the current drift angle. In addition to countersteer, throttle and gearing, your drift angle also influences the width and speed of your slide, as well as how many points you're gaining and how quickly you're gaining multipliers.

In Absolute Drift, the game fully acknowledges the player's car as in a state of drift when, relative to the turn, the front outside tyre mark overlaps with the rear inside tyre mark:


Gearing and speed of travel still plays an effect into this, as a low speed drift requires a more extreme angle to start scoring points.

The maximum angle at which the game still acknowledges the player's car as drifting is when the outside tyre and inside tyre skidmarks are overlapping, as shown below:


At this angle, carrying sufficient speed, typically maximum revs in 3rd gear, your score multiplier increases at a faster rate: from 1 every 2 seconds, to 1 every second, and gets faster with more speed.


However, too high an angle will prevent scoring of any kind (except for Clipping Points, Bonus Blocks, and progress towards Donut Zones and Spin Zones) and, most importantly, carries the risk of you spinning out. Prevent any of this from happening by correctly adjusting the throttle and steering throughout the drift.

General Advice and Tips

• If you're a beginner, start off with little throttle and steering. All cars in Absolute Drift are purpose-tuned for drifting, so even a small amount of throttle can be enough to break rear wheel traction and cause a drift. Get familiar with the grip limit and drift initiation before tackling the events.
  
• Don't be afraid to try out new cars. You unlock new cars to drive by completing all the missions in a given area, and can change between them either by driving into their respective garage in the Free Roam world, or by going to the Main Menu, Garage. Each car handles differently, so experiment and see which suits your style the best!
  
• When in doubt, feather your throttle. If you fear you've taken a turn too wide, release the throttle and tighten your drift through steering. When disaster has been averted, hammer it back down.
  
• You can control the car in mid-air. After you launch off a ramp, use the directional keys (keyboard) or the left stick (gamepads) to angle the car in mid-air. Ideally, you should pitch the car so that it lands on all 4 wheels. However, in certain Driftkhana events, landing a jump will scrape the bottom of your car and end your current combo, thus making it advisable to jump quickly, when you don't have an active combo multiplier.
  
• Stop, handbrake, throttle, release handbrake. This is a launching method that uses the immediately available torque and power to make the drive wheels spin instantaneously, rather than slowly bring themselves up to speed by plain acceleration from a standstill. Equally effective is changing into Neutral if using the Manual/holding down the Clutch, revving, then switching to 1st/releasing the clutch.
  
• Know when to use the handbrake. Tapping the handbrake right after beginning to steer is a good way to quickly send a car into a drift. Holding down the handbrake will lock up the rear wheels entirely, making you drive and even drift in a straight line.
  
• Brake! Braking shifts the center of mass towards the front, lightening the load and traction on the rear wheels and allowing for easier drift entry. As a last resort, brake when you know a collision is inevitable, to stand a chance at continuing your multiplier, rather than ending it prematurely in a crash.
  
• Avoid walls and tyre walls. After drifting for more than a few seconds, even the slightest scrape against a wall can break your combo prematurely, if drifting at higher speeds. It is wise at first to try and maintain drifts farther from the walls. Tyrewalls are physics objects seen on some maps, and, while they won't end your current drift, will still likely upset the car balance and send you into a spin if you hit them wrong.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading this guide. Absolute Drift is a fantastically well presented drifting game, but the difficulty is not uncommonly offputting to many people.

Hopefully, this guide will have been helpful on your quest to become the Master Drifter. Feedback, from rookies and experts alike, is more than welcome, so don't hesitate to leave a comment with constructive criticism and suggestions!

[Doc]

Great guide, very detailed, I have a suggestion:

Advanced tip: if using the manual gearbox there is a technique you can use to extend a drift call a "clutch kick".

If you are about to regain traction or need to spend longer sideways tap the clutch button to momentarily raise the rpm of the engine and thus reduce traction. This is mostly useful in longer, higher gear, high speed drifts.

[ItsSmoussse420]

a great guide too bad i dont like reading

[BC_Hayden]

This is a great guide! Thanks! :D I love how reminiscent of sim drifting this game is!

[DODGE26]

i have the Zen Edition and there is no way to change the buttons used to user Preference just a bunch of presets - i just want Clutch on a and Shifting on b and x

[sudokillallusers]

Thanks for the tips about settings - I was finding this game impossible to play until I turned steering assist off, changed to manual transmission and set the difficulty to hard.

[not_again.exe]

I don't know if I've seen such a detailed and well-written guide, well done mate.

[Mayhem]

Particularly not "particularily".

[Inny74]

I got this game from the Epic Games Store while it was free. I somehow got ripped off.

[TheGreenBean]

Excellent and very detailed guide....Well done!!

[Bibzuda]

This game is ABSOLUTE GARBAGE