How do you keep an eye on close race cars?

[yeager]

Following on from the "How many monitors do you use?" poll. I'm curious how people are able to see how close they are to other cars when racing.

I've been using TrackIR (www.trackir.com (http://www.trackir.com)) for ages and find it very useful to quickly check the sides of the car when racing. Most useful it is in turn one when people tend to dive on my inside I can try and move to keep it clean.

So from a previous poll, 90%+ of people use one monitor, so I was wondering what the popular method of driving is?

[tristancliffe]

Mostly mirrors. Only when they are alongside me would I resort, albeit rarely, to a sideways glance with look left/right. I find I know exactly where people are just from the mirrors.

[NotAnIllusion]

When I do look around I the buttons on my wheel, but most of the time I don't bother with it. :tilt:

[Christopher Raemisch]

Like Tristan I use mainly my mirrors and only in tight situations would I have to look left/right.

If you look at your mirrors enough you can tell how fast a car is approaching and know when they will catch you so looking left/right really is only needed rarely =)

[-NightFly-]

mostly i use my ears, headphones gives almost excact location of car, ofcourse first i need to use mirror to see if enyone is close to me...but when side-to-side mostly i keep distance by listening car besides me...also i use names on top of the car when he's beside me he's name appear in my screen, then i know i'm too close...:P

[Dark Elite]

I tend to use my left/right look 'wheel binds fairly often, mostly when checking how much space to leave for a close-running car as I plan my line into a corner, etc.

For most cars I use the left/right paddles on my DFP, seeing as they're by far the most convenient to reach without thinking about, and because I'm more often in an FZR or Bunp & Jump car using the gearstick rather than the paddles. Speakers, of course, help, and mirrors are more useful than turning a lot of the time too.

Sam

[AndroidXP]

Mostly mirrors, with the occasional look left/right. The latter however does a great job at confusing me where the car is in relation to the track and at kicking me out of the zone, so I use it as sparingly as possible. There's really no reason or excuse for someone being besides you without you noticing. If I saw someone in my mirror when approaching the corner and don't see him anymore when starting to turn in, then I'm in most cases assuming he's besides me, hence me leaving a car width's space for him.

[hotmail]

Another method (Please describe)

i have my view on 130 degree
so i can see whats in my death point/zones,

and of course look left look right

[AndroidXP]

^ That's... awful :really:

[Biohazard]

i smellz 'em.

[evilpimp]

i hearz 'em.

[khoianh94]

Only the sound and the left/right views, beacuse I can't see the mirrors from my view.

[Shotglass]

mirrors and the great power of logic... and relying heavily on the drivers around me not to drive like tits

[jbirdaspec]

I use the Left/Right binds on my wheel and I have had Freetrack. I managed to tweak free track pretty well to where it is very responsive and smooth, but I had a mis-hap when gluing some pieces together a few months back and haven't bothered to replace them yet. When I did use Free Track I would use to for slight turns of the head to track a apex or a car if it was very close so I could adjust according to its changes on the line and braking. i use this in conjunction with the wheel binds for quick glances out the side windows. I use the mirrors a lot as well, but I wish that they were more adjustable by being able to change their view angle.

Oh and headphones really help me a good bit too.

[dawesdust_12]

I close my eyes and feel the road.

[dan12s]

lol i use buttons on my wheel
:tilt:

[niels1]

Look left and right by use of button on wheel. Well at least i did if the wheel didnt give up on me. :razz:

[PAracer]

braille

[The Moose]

If i feel something brushing against my antlers then i know not to move across.
(Only works in single seaters. I don't like to wind down the windows in the GT's as it gets a bit nippy, and the heaters broken.)

[Storm_Cloud]

If i feel something brushing against my antlers then i know not to move across.
(Only works in single seaters. I don't like to wind down the windows in the GT's as it gets a bit nippy, and the heaters broken.)

:D

[Shotglass]

If i feel something brushing against my antlers then i know not to move across.
(Only works in single seaters. I don't like to wind down the windows in the GT's as it gets a bit nippy, and the heaters broken.)

its pitch black... you feel something touchting your antlers... it might be hungry
(and i though role playing was silly in rpgs... never occured to me that people might do it elsewhere)

[hariel-HUN-]

"May the force be with me..." :jedi:

[hariel-HUN-]

I always win, so i don't have to concentrate on approaching cars :D

[yeager]

I'm really surprised at the responses to both this poll and the following thread.

http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=43739

88% ish people use one monitor and 70%+ people use the keys to check left and right when racing.

Anyone else find this surprising? In the past few months i've had some amazing races on SS1 where the entire field of 20 cars can do the first lap with few crashes. Although in general there are still a lot of T1 crashes, i'm still very surprised at the quality of driving with people using just one monitor and quick looks left and right on the keys.

I wonder if there are people who drive from the external view behind the car, surely not. Or am I just over reacting and its not such a big deal to drive cleanly with just the one view and checking left and right and the mirrors.

[MijnWraak]

I wonder if there are people who drive from the external view behind the car, surely not. Or am I just over reacting and its not such a big deal to drive cleanly with just the one view and checking left and right and the mirrors.

Press F12 and hit tab a lot. It'll tell you the view. Suprisingly, about 2 people use chase view per race, averaged - in my findings.

[hotmail]

^ That's... awful :really:
its not on a 40 inch screen :thumb:

[LFSn00b]

If it is on a straight, on a non-cockpit forced server, i use to go to chase view to see what is happening around me. In turns, i use my hearing to locate the cars and on the corners, i use the left+right look buttons.

[baSh0r]

I mostly use my ears and the "look-around" keys on my wheel, usually helps me very good not to fail :D

[ATC Quicksilver]

Sound, usually I will know what cars are near and around me by using my mirrors before entering a turn, and while exiting a turn. But I tell how close, and where they are, by the sound of their engine. Thats why I don't like to use Teamspeak while racing, because then I can't hear whats going on around me.

[DevilDare]

Taken from the pool:

I don't bother - 6.45%

Pretty much explains the crashing on CTRA :D

[ATC Quicksilver]

It always makes me laugh when the same people crash at the start, and moan about it, you might get caught in other peoples accidents now and then, but if you keep on crashing then its usually you doing something wrong. The most common thing I see is people who take a wide entry into a turn, then turn in to the apex without even looking to see if there are cars alongside them.

[dawesdust_12]

Taken from the pool:

I don't bother - 6.45%

Pretty much explains the crashing on CTRA :D

That also though needs for people to be honest... :p

[SamH]

It always makes me laugh when the same people crash at the start, and moan about it
AKA "accident pre-disposition". We see it a lot. There are drivers we've seen, who will do absolutely nothing to avoid accidents at all. They're not wreckers.. they're just completely oblivious to the cars around them! Bizarre, but absolutely true! :)

[R.Kolz]

My own engine sound is close to zero. I just listen to the sounds arround me add. I use the left/right view buttons at 90 degrees.

[Glenn67]

AKA "accident pre-disposition". We see it a lot. There are drivers we've seen, who will do absolutely nothing to avoid accidents at all. They're not wreckers.. they're just completely oblivious to the cars around them! Bizarre, but absolutely true! :)

Maybe they are used to playing certain other games where car to car contact is turned off :x

[Demon68]

mirrors and the great power of logic...
Yep, that's enough for me.
I don't use the look buttons, only a 95% FOV and the (real) mirrors on the car.
And I think I'm doing a good job with a yellow flag ratio of 7% :)

[Demon68]

AKA "accident pre-disposition". We see it a lot. There are drivers we've seen, who will do absolutely nothing to avoid accidents at all. They're not wreckers.. they're just completely oblivious to the cars around them! Bizarre, but absolutely true! :)
:thumb: Good said :thumb:
I believe that someone who could avoid an accident but failed to do so, is almost as guilty as the one who started the crash.

[Dru]

Yep, that's enough for me.
I don't use the look buttons, only a 95% FOV and the (real) mirrors on the car.
And I think I'm doing a good job with a yellow flag ratio of 7% :)


your not trying hard enough - i wanna see it down below 5% :razz:

[Demon68]

your not trying hard enough - i wanna see it down below 5% :razz:
Hmmm, I will try but what's yours by the way? :smileypul

[Dru]

Hmmm, I will try but what's yours by the way? :smileypul

Thats completely off-topic :x :razz:

You said your doing a 'good' job with 7%.... why not make a 'great' job and go for 5% :nod:

:D

[The Moose]

My yellows has been on 10% forever. I think it's broken:smileypul

[dawesdust_12]

My yellows has been on 10% forever. I think it's broken:smileypul

Nah, I can go raise it if you'd like.

[The Moose]

Nah, I can go raise it if you'd like.

You can raise it by 2% if you lower it by 4% first :razz:

[dawesdust_12]

What? Raise by 20 and then lower by 4... Ok :p

[Dru]

What? Raise by 20 and then lower by 4... Ok :p



Dustin never really was the goos at numeracy at school.. oh wait - he's still there :razz:

[dawesdust_12]

Yeah, I only just finished my Physics exam no longer than 4 hours ago.