Player 2 has entered the game

Grid was great, grid was the racing game that GT6 wasn't for me. GT6 was about modding, Grid was great racing.

And it's back...

I hope this add is hype though, too much arcade and not so much racer. Though as per my previous post on Dirt4, a relaxed setup isn't the end of the world. Cars that don't behave as they do in real life is though. Codemasters, please don't mess this up, slicks grip OK?!

Looking at the last iteration it was also fairly hyped, but a bit more 'autosport' going on.

And here's a blast from the past, me, VE holden racing at Bathurst, I'd say until this generation the best racing on the hill on a console by far (for the love of all holey, don't do Shift Unleashed's version)...

Apologies for cataract filter - not only is it on a PS3 but the record and replay process was akin to passing prison hooch through a sock to make it taste better... which it doesn't (doesn't for red at home either, for science).

So what to think. I think to topple the crown of PCars2 on PS4 is a good call, if they do that then Codemasters will have a good run into a sequel on PS5 (or whatever it's called). And of Assetto? Dead to consoles I think which is a shame, but not surprised, maybe next gen. GT Sport? LOL it's just an arcade game, which I think this will sit above somewhat (as a racer if nothing else). And GTR3 from Simbin? That's not going to happen, their site is not updated since early in the year when they posted up an advert for new developers. To be this late in the current console generation lifecycle you'd wait, test and do a launch title for the next - that's smart thinking, though no doubt they could use the coin from the PS4/XB1 brigade no doubt.

One thing is for sure, we didn't see this coming, and that can't be bad - always time for another player in the game.

Why I like Dirt4

So many people hate Dirt4. Coming in after Dirt Rally at a time when realism is becoming expected in rally games, and for arcade, there was Gravel (in or around then) it really didn't have a home.

And then there was the track 'builder' which made tracks on a whim, dial in length and complexity and it makes a new stage. Sounds great but in the hour or so I've played it I've started to see repetition, in fact on the same stage. Think of Scalextric and you're not far away from reality.

But... and it's a reasonably big but, I am actually digging it quite a bit at the moment, here's the reasons...

1. It was cheap. Really cheap. It's currently on sale in the PSN store for <$20 which means that if it's little more than a night's entertainment then it's worth it. 

2. Cars. It has many cars. Old and new, and all are available from the outset in freerun mode. So I can run GroupB 2wd or 4WD, WRC and more on rally stages.

3. Stadium trucks. Actually quite a laugh, not that I'll play them much but certainly a nice addition to the game.

4. The tracks. Hated by so many, but actually the reason I bought the game. Why? Well I like tarmac rally, and I'm loving another discount game, WRC7, at the moment but it's limited in it's car selection. To the point that it's a playthrough game and then really that'll be it. But, I want to take cars on roads and enjoy ragging them about. And Dirt4 will do that. I can create a long open track to race on a night stage or, as I have done already a super short stage that's complex, ala hill climb. And this is ace. 

So, as a package, it isn't half bad. If you want to recreate a genuine WRC rally I can see the problem. But if you hanker for a quick rally, or to have a go in a few cars then this is not half bad. What's more you can save stages (so don't lose them) and try them with different cars.

And what about the physics? Not bad. There's sim and arcade (or something like that) and I chose sim and was pleasantly surprised. Then I tried arcade and went back to sim. Arcade is bad mmmkay.

I can't say they're realistic - I didn't crash anywhere near enough. But I think, like how you want to drive is about right. Not too much oversteer and not too much grip. The replays don't do it justice actually, making it look like the cars are crabbing. 

And here is a reply, a short track in one of my favourite rally cars of all time in fact;

What am I comparing this too? I'll see if I can get the list out in order of preference:

1. WRC7 - I'm really liking the career mode in this. Just a great game.
2. Seb Loeb Rally - Dated graphics but a good solid rally game for sure.
3. Dirt4 - It's around about here, possibly above Seb, I'd chose this for an easy night's gaming!
4. Dirt Rally - An excellent game for sure, but damn hard to master.
5. WRC6 - So very slightly less polished version of WRC7, hence being lower, I'd have that first.
6. Dakar 18 - Only got this as it's on major sale. Ingredients are great, meal terrible. Undercooked by far.

I think that's the collection, I do have WRC5, it was part of a pack of three on discount, but all reviews say steer clear and as you can see from the collection I have plenty of tier one racers before I scrape really poor review games!

Would I buy Dirt4 at full retail? Absolutely not. I'd buy a current gen game or something else - it's just not a rally solution. But for less than the amount I've paid for a maccas (I was hungry OK!) I'd say it was well worth it, if only for the relative cholesterol benefit...

MX5 Life

Because I like the look of it...

Still enjoying my little silver car. Still not named it - it's a tool to give me and my passengers adventure. Which it does, this last weekend was a road trip to the Gold Coast and back.

Everyone must own an Alfa

This needs sound, it really really needs sound. About as much as I need to buy an Alfa about now.

Amazing. Pro tip, the engine is the 3.2 V6 that's in the pricey 147 GTA, the pricer and more exclusive 156 GTA and rather handily the much-maligned Alfa GT. Car sales online hunting begins (for a couple of years I might add).

Credit to David Ceroni who may put up a copyright notice, but it'll need to be in English cos I don't know what cease and desist is in Italian (always got a slap first)... 

A must listen

An interview with the legend that is Murry Walker. Commentator and all-round icon of F1 for many years.

I grew up listening to Murry nearly every second Sunday as the race schedule had it. He talked through all the iconic winners in F1's arguably greatest years.

eRacing

Tips from most certainly not the master...

I thought I'd share my early life as a 'sim' racer. I say 'sim' as I race on a PS4 - which puts me in the Luddite category as far as the master race is concerned. That's fine, it's taken about 30seconds to read this far - time for you PC folks to do an upgrade, no need to read on.

Anyway, I thought I'd share my wisdom with a small "w". Some of it may be useful, some of it may be useful if you do the exact opposite...

Assumptions

• You've got a PS4
• You've got a wheel, pedals and a shifter
• You've got a few games, namely:
• Project Cars 2 - Plus the DLC
• Assetto Corsa - Plus the DLC
• Something Rally (WRC7, Dirt Rally, Seb Loeb, they're all dated and good)
• (Shudder) GT Sport
• You've got a ready supply of beer

Hero to Zero

It's highly unlikely you're Sir Stirling Moss - and if you are well you're unlikely to be an expert at sim racing.

You see the challenge is that what you do with the wheel relates to what's going on on the screen - and for some that takes an age to get right. Judging distances on a 2D television can be tricky to start with - and getting braking distances right is even harder.

If you're 'da'man then grab a 935, run it at 100% turbo and try any track with a few corners... go on, report back... 

But seriously, the feeling of speed is as artificial as the game, but it is there. And read on for tips on how to get up and running...

Initial setup

Assuming it's all new you'll have a few new gadgets to get sorted on. As such, when you start racing you'll have to adjust a load of things:

• In-game force feedback settings - default is OK. Games like PCars2 really benefit from some tailoring. Note this is per-game too!
• Potentially pedal/H pattern setup - you might have adjustable pedals. Certainly, all should be set up where you can reach them easily and if you can; at the right pressure.
• Steering wheel - I've found closer than I would normally have in a real car. Arms get tired racing all the time, and a bit more leverage is no bad thing.

Really it's worth putting in the effort. Not everyone likes the same thing. Personally, I like a lighter wheel that's more fidgety so basically like power steering. Others like a heavy wheel, probably reflecting the use of a more stable setup than me.

First drive
Pick a relatively slow car class, but a race car class. Also, pick a track you know that's not too long as a reference track.
The car - having something that handles well without too much power is a good thing, as you'll experience:

• PIO - Pilot Induced Oscillation (it's a thing). Basically, you'll overcorrect like mad at first.
• Outbraking yourself. Getting the corners right is the biggest pain!

My suggestion would be Assetto Corsa, MkII Escorts on Brands Hatch Short. Not only is this a reasonably challenging track for it's four or so corners. Also, the car revs like nothing else and has great traction (whilst being rear wheel drive!). There's a reason club racing is in slower stuff! 

Setup of cars in Assetto is finicky, I'd leave well alone for now.

In both Assetto & PCars2 I'd be setting the difficulty of the AI to low/easy. In PCars2 you can also set the aggressiveness to low too, not a bad idea, but be prepared for them to virtually stop on the corners.

Having a reference track is a good thing - different setups and cars can be tested here and you'll generally know it's the car not the track when testing. Brands is good as it has a longer version of the track for faster cars. And for sure, on a race night when you casually pick a GT3 car, it's for certain that the other racers have tested every car for handling and performance - probably on the track we're about to race... 

Race time

I'd be moving to PCars2 for this in fact. It's a better immersive race game, and a bit easier too (Go back to Assetto in time, the racing at Spa, for example, is amazing).  I'd say anything racing is good in PCars2, just needs practice.

Setup in PCars2 is worth a note, we set radiator openings smaller and generally shrink the brake cooling ducts to try and get some straight line benefit (I race with visual damage only normally). The other option to mess with is engine braking, setting that correctly is a huge benefit in PCars2.

There's also a lot of wheel settings to be had, as well as default button assignments etc. I think I have the right setup (for me!) and am always happy to share.

Be the driver!

I'd recommend using H pattern for all cars that have it, and paddles for sequential and of course paddle cars. Asseto will force that in any case if your H pattern is connected. 

In terms of driving ability, heel & toe is king in both games if you don't want to loop it on every bend. Trail braking is something I'm not good at yet and it probably would help. If you're using paddles then left foot braking will help a great deal into bends.

A mistake I made was always going from accelerator to brake, in fact the engine braking on some of these cars is far better than hatchback outright braking. 

Overall it's true you get out what you put in. If you race with traction & stability control on along with automatic gearbox it'll feel just like a Prius...

Having said this, leave ABS on, with no feedback in the pedal you'll be faster with it on initally. As you get into racing then look to turn off for a better racing experience.

Online

Get a good crew to take you through all of the above. My details are on the blog (PSN: andyc709292) and I'm happy to entertain new drivers to the group for sure. Beyond that, find a mate online who can help with the nuances of sim racing...

Do stay away from public lobbies for now. We tend to avoid, but on race nights of late we've taken to raiding a few rooms, with 3-4 of us in a race we can avoid total carnage. Basically... every lobby online is populated by kids or people acting like kids...

What was my last race?

Worth noting what I raced with a mate in the last race night as it sums up sim racing well.

The first race was 25 minutes of 24Hrs of Daytona. In a GroupC XJR-9. Evan fared better than me. But the whole overnight racing thing was exceptional.

The second race was Formula Ford at Cadwell Park Woodland. A super short race that couldn't have been more different to our previous 'enduro'. 

The last race of the night was the same Formula Fords at Long Beach for 10 laps with a mandatory stop. 

All most excellent races!

Time to enjoy

Short post of words this one, I used up my monthly quota of communication in the last one.
No, this post is because I'm putting some pics up of my car as it's largely done for now. Certainly for a few months at least...

And it's true what a learned friend said when I embarked on MX5 ownership - "It's easy to overdo the car, just get in an enjoy it".

I look at it, and like a plastic surgery addict I'm wondering about lowering it a few centimetres, I'm considering a larger throttle body, and of course some mad brakes and wheels... but really, and I just proved this as I went for a ten minute cruise, this car is good as it is.

It goes and stops well, very well really. Plenty for the tight road restrictions around here. And with the induction noise coupled to a tiny bit more exhaust, it sounds great too. The cabin is fine now too, I've made a few adjustments there, and it's all good.

I'm thinking that to do much more to this car is going to give it focus, and I'm not sure for a car that my eldest likes coming out for a drive in that's a good thing. You see, I decided with this car more than any other that it would be a car to have adventures in, a tool to achieve something as it were. And yet it's close to becoming "the car" and the focus of what we (well, I) do - and I don't want that.

I want it to be something that we're happy to go down a dirt track on (tick! done that) or just put the top up and head home as we're both over the sun (Many ticks!). It needs to be growly for sure, but off throttle not too bad, it has to be able to sit in traffic.

And so, it's there, I think. It certainly is a car I love to look at, is great to drive and one that I'm planning on being part of many adventures to come!

.... just with bigger brakes, throttle body and tyres. And maybe some adjustable coilovers. Imagine the adventures with that lot bolted on!

SimSpec Console Edition

So many articles are out there for folks who have money to burn, a technology deathwish with PCs and enough space to build what can only be described as a racing sex cage. Not so many for gentlefolk who a. have a car to go out in when they want and b. aren't ruled by technology...

And in that land is consoles. Recently a good friend asked me for advice (ha!) so here it is...

I'll start with the easier bits (scroll to the bottom for a shortcut):

Console
Get a PS4 Pro. I like them, they're pretty well priced and some of the racing games really benefit from the beefier processor. Also, can do HDR and 4K TV unlike it's older cousin.

Games
Somewhat personal preference but if you're going to race with "my crew" (of two) then:

• Project Cars 2 - and all the DLC via PSN is easiest. This is our go-to racing game, the one we play most when it comes to competitive racing.
• Assetto Corsa - and all the DLC via PSN. We do play this, and if we have enough mates online (4+) then we'll fire this up as it's actually, in our opinion, the better game. For pure driving experience I think it can't be beaten on the PS4.
• WRC7 - if you're wanting a rally game this is a very accessible start point. Dirt Rally (not Dirt 4) is a Rally Sim, but unless your name starts with Petter, Stig or Sebastian then edge into rallying slowly (or sideways I suppose!).

Steering wheel

We use G29's with a pedal spring upgrade. This is fine but given a little more budget and I'd plump for the T300RS or similar from Thrustmaster.

T300RS

Nicer wheel...

Alcantara Ferrari Wheel (change the badge!)

I'd upgrade the pedals right off too (and keep the spare set)

Fancy Pedals

Must have a gear selector

H Pattern

Whilst your budget is blown out of the water...

Shift lights

Racing Seat

Check JB HiFi and friends, but this isn't a bad price for a folding seat...

Racing seat

TV

Most of us have a TV. I will say that a 4k HDR TV and a decent HDMI cable is a good thing for the PS4 Pro. But you know, anything will do! Bigger is better.

Sound

Surround sound is not a bad call.

If you're using a stereo (no headphones) then you'll need this

Single-ear headset and mic

Single ear and this one as other ones get a sweaty ear. This set is designed for glasses, so there's a gap, lets airflow which is a bonus.

If you've not got surround sound, others use this sort of solution

7.1 Surround headset

Don't underestimate the value of hearing a car's mid-engine growling behind you...

Virtual Reality

For the PS4 there's not much in gaming land at the moment. Get the kit wherever, and the racing games that are available are:

• GT Sport - well executed. Only 1:1 races though. But probably best on the PS4 at the moment. I don't like the game, but that's mostly practice. 
• Dirt Rally - apparently good for VR. Full on experience.
• Driveclub - I like the game, but many complain that this is vomit inducing due to clipping etc on scenery (your brain can't process the mess!) It's an old game now though too.

So lost....

Give https://www.pagnianimports.com.au/ a call and tell them what you want. A premium, but cheaper than a garage full of bits that don't work together!

They do kits too: PS4 Kit This is super simple and probably 90% of the above if not more.

Final word...

My mates and I aren't the fastest out there (well one of us is, dammit) and for someone entering the genre, we'd just pick slower cars. A bit of practice and sim racing is a rewarding sport that can bring much joy, albeit without the burnt oil smell!

But was it worth it?

Hopefully final purchase for a while. Certainly the last one before the Bathurst trip...

And this one? A muffler (Backbox for the Brits out there, and it sounds better anyway) and some gear selector boots'n'stuff.

So the exhaust...

I bought this

PS4 Controller for scale, much bigger tip it seems

Removal of the old one was a ten-minute job once I realised a touch of oil on the rubbers made them slippery. Will save this for spares if there's a problem with the other one.

New one, by comparison, much smaller box playing host to a much larger tip. Vicar...

Fitted. Looks lovely.

So the sound? Well I think I can hear a bit more bass. More throaty at normal speeds. At license testing speeds? Dunno, the mad induction noise is far louder. I think it's all a bit more intense. Certainly giving it beans is great.

Was it worth it?

That's the $500 question. I think probably. It's made the car sound a bit more grown up, and I'm sure as the baffles lose a bit of their brand new magic it'll get a bit more growly. But, if I'd known it would sound as it does alongside the induction kit I think I'd maybe have waited. LOL. No, no I wouldn't, I wanted it so I got it!