Noob Questions

[-ale-]

Hi!

I just bought the S2 license after playing a few hours of the demo, the game is awesome and I was always searching for a more realistic racing simulator, so I couldn't resist. I'm a racing fan and I'm very familiar with racing etiquette, although since I'm quite new to the game and I'm having some issues with my wheel, I'm rather slow.

Ok, now the questions:

Is there a server that welcomes slower but fair drivers wishing to learn or just wanting some fun playing fair? I just want to enjoy driving a car as fast as I can... But I'm afraid to join a random server coz I'm too slow yet.

The other question is about my steering wheel, it's an USB Driving Force for PS2 which I used in my PC and it worked somewhat fine (LOL), although the force feedback isn't working in the game. But well, the question is that if it's possible to make the pedals less sensible? when I press like 10% of the gas pedal it reaches a really high rpm, almost the maximum...same for brake pedal, I just barely touch it and the car is locking the tires. That's a pain when dealing with more powerful cars.

Sorry for the long post and thanks for reading
See you
Ale

[th84]

Is there a server that welcomes slower but fair drivers wishing to learn or just wanting some fun playing fair? I just want to enjoy driving a car as fast as I can... But I'm afraid to join a random server coz I'm too slow yet

I think you will find that most server's will welcome you no matter your speed, as long as you can keep it clean( ie. respect the blue flags). Jump into any server and your sure to get some advice/set ups to help you out.

As for your wheel , i have a momo, but ive read that you should download the latest wingman drivers. Do a search and im sure you will find some helpful info :)

Welcome to lfs, enjoy your stay!! :)

[richy]

when in the game go to controller options and click calibrate. then press brake, accelerator, and turn the wheel left to right, hope that helps. :thumb:

[wE1l]

Hi!

I just bought the S2 license after playing a few hours of the demo, the game is awesome and I was always searching for a more realistic racing simulator, so I couldn't resist. I'm a racing fan and I'm very familiar with racing etiquette, although since I'm quite new to the game and I'm having some issues with my wheel, I'm rather slow.

Ok, now the questions:

Is there a server that welcomes slower but fair drivers wishing to learn or just wanting some fun playing fair? I just want to enjoy driving a car as fast as I can... But I'm afraid to join a random server coz I'm too slow yet.

The other question is about my steering wheel, it's an USB Driving Force for PS2 which I used in my PC and it worked somewhat fine (LOL), although the force feedback isn't working in the game. But well, the question is that if it's possible to make the pedals less sensible? when I press like 10% of the gas pedal it reaches a really high rpm, almost the maximum...same for brake pedal, I just barely touch it and the car is locking the tires. That's a pain when dealing with more powerful cars.

Sorry for the long post and thanks for reading
See you
Ale

Hi Ale,

Welcome to the LFS community! You do not sound like a n00b at all, and I think a serious sim racing driver is welcomed in any server.

For a hint, maybe you should try to drive some laps to familiarize yourself with the cars and tracks, and trainning mode of the game isn't a crappy one.

Hope you enjoy!:)

[SatCP]

Be sure to read I need to find a Host who welcomes the SLOWEST drivers (http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=6278). There's some good advice in there to get you started.

As for the wheel, get the Wingman Team (http://www.wingmanteam.com/) drivers.

[deggis]

http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=6345

Check that thread for how to setup your wheel correctly in LFS.

[Becky Rose]

I think you will find that most server's will welcome you no matter your speed, as long as you can keep it clean
This isn't entirely true, sadly. A car which is very slow can actually be a menace and interfere with the race result - take the ever popular Fox/SO Classic combination, a good lap there is in the 42 second realm with us megre mortals doing 43-44. A driver doing 55+'s would be extremely dangerous to stumble across in the chicane.

I've seen how some drivers treat "liabilities", I recall a race recently on said combo where one driver was going through the chicane in 2nd gear (4th for more experienced racers) - everyone was having a go at him, I felt quite sorry for the lad but my best advise to help out was taken along with the furor his presence caused :/.

Even today at Fe Gold I was trying out some setups I had just been given in the hope of competing better in the 'next' race, having scored a 2nd previously so not actually being 'that' slow. I found myself getting a blue flag as I went into a bend so afterwards I eased off, I saw the leader in my mirrors pushing the limit hard and so I actually moved off the track for him to let him by... After the race I got a load of sexist abuse because I had "ignored" the blue flag for "ages"... I checked the replay, he'd been spamming "Blue flag" messages since I was a dot on the horizon!

Regrettably some people do have an extremely low tolerance of people they see as being inferior to them.

[Hyperactive]

Well, the FOX@SO Classic is always a massacre :).

[filur]

Someone using a key to scream "<<<BLUE FLAG! BLUE FLAG!>>>" clearly has no idea how the rule actually works.

[th84]

Indeed the so1/fox can be a mess, which is why i said most :) If you are polite and have the slightest bit of racing etiquette, most people(in my experience anyway) will be helpful and not flame the noob! Feel free to join us on our servers anytime, we suck really bad, so your safe there :P

[filur]

we suck really bad
lies.

your safe there
lies.

[SamH]

Someone using a key to scream "<<<BLUE FLAG! BLUE FLAG!>>>" clearly has no idea how the rule actually works.
Really very very true!

I dunno why but I've been seeing this an awful lot recently. People who are hellishly fast on-track have apparently absolutely no concept of widely accepted rules.

However, to get back on topic, if you're not fairly well experienced in LFS, and someone starts screaming "Blue flag" at you, get out of the way as best you can. If you don't, there's likely to be an accident, and you're gonna catch it in the neck because you're the slower driver. Worst case scenario, you'll be accused of doing it deliberately.

On tight tracks, be prepared to hit Shift+S, which will pit you immediately, devastating your chances of winning most races, but also saving you from harsh accusations and a lot of ear-ache.

[Becky Rose]

and someone starts screaming "Blue flag" at you
I couldn't disagree more. These blue flag hotkeys are generic, and there is NO WAY to determine who is being shouted at. It's also considerably more dangerous to read the little text in the corner than it is the big text in the middle of the screen, and they start pressin these hotkeys so early that if you do ease off for them the speed differential as they pass will be too great to be safe.

I advise everyone to totally ignore blue flag hotkeys and worry instead about the big blue flag letters across the middle of the screen. And your mirrors of course...

[avih]

The issue with blue flag beeing "shouted" in what seems to be too early for some is that it usually happens when there's much stakes (relatively speaking, in context).

If the leader has no one on his tail, he'll usually just get closer for safe pass, hoping the lapped car to be considerate and respect blue flag, only if blue flag isn't respected and safe pass is hard he'll start "shouting".

On the other hand, if there's an extremely tight race at the front, and the leaders are about to enter a long complex section of the track, where every 1/10 matters and there's a lapped car ahead, the leaders may wish to warn the lapped car by shouting in advance.

I've seen too many cases where lapped cars thought they could "push it" for few more secs, without realizing how slower they are on certain sections of the track from the leaders. this could easily ruin the race for the leaders.

Lapped cars are _usually_ much slower and hence, lapped. respecting blue flag is very important because it let the leaders concentrate on their opponents rather than on slower cars ahead.

same goes for me too btw. eventhough i'm usually driving at a reasonable pace, if i enter the race late and have a blue flag with slow car nehind me, i'll let them pass eventhough i'd probably be able to run away. just let someone who's racing others go cleanly. very simple.

[Vain]

I'm all for respecting blue flags, but people who shout "blue flag!!1" and honk all the while just create a bad image of themselves. The car that is being lapped already has "blue flag" written on it's windshield, so the driver already knows that there is a blue flag. Why tell him again? And why tell everyone on the circuit that there is currently a car being lapped?

I don't like people who spam during a race, and thus I don't like people who shout "blue flag".

Vain

[avih]

I'm all for respecting blue flags, but people who shout "blue flag!!1" and honk all the while just create a bad image of themselves. The car that is being lapped already has "blue flag" written on it's windshield, so the driver already knows that there is a blue flag. Why tell him again? And why tell everyone on the circuit that there is currently a car being lapped?

I don't like people who spam during a race, and thus I don't like people who shout "blue flag".

Vain

it should be balanced. if every racer would have respected blue flags then no one would have been shouting. however, that's not the case, and with too many ppl not respecting blue flags, comes the shouting ppl.

[filur]

I've seen too many cases where lapped cars thought they could "push it" for few more secs, without realizing how slower they are on certain sections of the track from the leaders. this could easily ruin the race for the leaders.

I've seen alot more cases where leaders thought they could "push it" no matter what, south city chicane under yellow flag at 150km/h, great idea.

[avih]

I've seen alot more cases where leaders thought they could "push it" no matter what, south city chicane under yellow flag at 150km/h, great idea.


true indeed.

[Becky Rose]

I think some people dont realise when the Blue Flag warning comes up onscreen. It's a few seconds ahead of the leader, not 5 seconds or more.

Often, as was the case in my Fe Gold story from earlier, the leader beleived I was under blue flag a lot sooner than I was.

To be perfectly frank in the many races i've done since joining LFS a few months ago i've only seen the blue flag ignored by a couple of drivers, both of whome ignored it out of general incompetency and where actually 'trying' to honour it - but didnt understand how and got it wrong.

I've never yet seen a driver completely ignore it. What I have seen is a lot of race leaders scream and shout that it's being ignored - when frankly it wasn't.

I've done my share of real racing at which i'm fairly competetive and often near the front, so i've had blue flags given to the car infront of me in real racing situations - and blue flag behaviour in LFS is without question substantially better as often no time is lost at all. In real racing you almost always have to wait until after "that series of bends".

[dave4002000]

I think the main problem is that a lot of people don't understand the actual definition of a "blue flag". I've been playing LFS since S1 and i've seen this happen hundreds of times.

The person being lapped doesn't know what they should do and/or the faster car gets too anxious and tries to pass in a manner that is not safe (because they think the slower car should pull to the side and stop:pillepall )

In most racing leagues(aside from Champ Car in certain conditions),a blue flag is used only to "inform" the slower car that they are about to be lapped. It is not a requirement to let the faster car pass...it is only a courtesy

If you really are fast enough to be lapping a car, then you will have plenty of opportunites to pass in a safe manner, without the other car completely driving off the racing line, or slowing down to the point where it isn't safe.

[Becky Rose]

In my own racing experience in MSA racing (UK) the blue flag was regulation not a courtesy, it's definately a regulation in FIA (F1's) and I think testosterone has made it a regulation in LFS.

[dave4002000]

and I think testosterone has made it a regulation in LFS.

lol...i agree

are you saying that you would get black-flagged for not obeying a blue-flag? must be a UK thing :razz:

[avih]

...
Even today at Fe Gold I was trying out some setups I had just been given in the hope of competing better in the 'next' race, having scored a 2nd previously so not actually being 'that' slow. I found myself getting a blue flag as I went into a bend so afterwards I eased off, I saw the leader in my mirrors pushing the limit hard and so I actually moved off the track for him to let him by... After the race I got a load of sexist abuse because I had "ignored" the blue flag for "ages"... I checked the replay, he'd been spamming "Blue flag" messages since I was a dot on the horizon!

Regrettably some people do have an extremely low tolerance of people they see as being inferior to them.

becky, i presume you're talking about the issue with me yesterday? if that's what you're talking about then 3 things:

1. you were "a dot on the horizon" but that's more than enough after i saw the gap between us shortenning fast enough that i knew i'd get you right where i didn't want to.

2. iirc, i was beeing chased hard and you caused me to get off the racing line, nearly hitting you, while you had plenty of room to slow down at the end of the bridge and let me pass quietly, and then continue to test your new set.

3. you can call me many things, but chauvinist isn't one of them. "load of sexist abuse"? come on, you're welcome to post the replay to let everyone have his on oppinion about it, so don't use the fact that you're a female to get more sympathy. you'll get sympathy for what you are, not for your gender.

however, if you didn't talk about me on your post, then i take back everything that i've said here and appologise ;)

cheers,
avih

[Becky Rose]

are you saying that you would get black-flagged for not obeying a blue-flag?

I remember doing an club level endurance kart race where I unlapped myself against 3rd place and then got a blue flag, I ignored the blue because I had just overtaken him but I was then given a black and white diagonal (caution flag) along with the blue, so I let him back past.

I then made sure I re-overtook the guy right infront of the clerk of the courses box so he couldnt miss it. I was then given the black flag for a stop & go penalty, which courtesy of a pit/car radio never actually took place because I was able to notify the team and they protested it - but without a radio we would have had our race screwed over...

Yep, it's blag flaggable.

[Becky Rose]

Avih, your incident was the one I elluded too although I had no intention of naming and shaming.

I got the blue flag message onscreen for the first time after the bridge and that was the first I knew there was a leader closing. I eased off after the following corner, even departed the track because I could see you wheren't going to move offline and if i'd done it that would have been a sudden move, so I went the other way and took to the grass instead... Gladly throwing my 'race' because I wasn't really racing.

The "sexism" in question referred to your complaint after the race where you differentiated my actions from others based upon my sex. I dont have the full chat log in the replay for recollection because I saved it the moment you complained, but one quote, "you want to be treated like a man?"...

The fact is you where hollering "blue flag" long before I had any way of even identifying you where hollering at me. You where the one who was all out agression on track, not me.

The fact that you caught me after the strait and not before is not my problem. Once I had the blue flag notice I gave you ample consideration - and you actually had the audicity to name and shame me as ignoring the blue flag - when I hadn't!

Your actions where irreprihensible.

I wouldn't have said that, it'd just have been an anonymous example story - but you couldn't let it rest could you...

[avih]

no i couldn't because i don't think i'm beeing shamed here. you might, i don't. but the thing that most annoyed me was actually your comment about loads of sexist abuse. dig that replay and let other have a look, by all means. and regarding your actual blue flag situation, in a race it might be courtesy to respect blue flag, but you were testing a new set and was considerably slower, even if you've managed 2nd place the previous race. i wonder what would have been your reaction if during one of your "real world" races there was slower car ahead of you testing a new set? enough said.

I'm willing to put this behind if you do.

[STROBE]

On the other hand, if there's an extremely tight race at the front, and the leaders are about to enter a long complex section of the track, where every 1/10 matters and there's a lapped car ahead, the leaders may wish to warn the lapped car by shouting in advance.

I've seen too many cases where lapped cars thought they could "push it" for few more secs, without realizing how slower they are on certain sections of the track from the leaders. this could easily ruin the race for the leaders.
But if that happens to a race leader, then it's tough shit imo. That's part of racing. The car being lapped (assuming it's not a mid-race join or someone spinning everywhere that shouldn't be trying out multiplayer yet) is under no obligation to dive out the way - it's up the leaders to make the pass maneouvre and the lapped car to not defend against them.

I've been in both situations and yes, it's hugely frustrating to be held up by a slower car when you've got the leading pack right on your tail, but that's part of racing and imo doesn't justify spamming "BLUE FLAG!" with an F-key until it becomes obvious the lapped car is deliberately defending against you. And it's nowhere near as frustrating as being the lapped car when a leader comes round that just about expects you to slam it into the armco to leave the track clear for him and his ego. Anyone that laps me while spamming blue flag messages can expect the least co-operation I can get away with providing. ;) :thumb:

[tristancliffe]

When I'm being lapped, for whatever reason, I make sure that the more persistant someone is (spamming BLUE FLAG from a mile away or hooting constantly) the harder it is for them to lap me. If you're polite, let the LFS Blue flag message to it's thing, keep quiet, be patient then you'll fly by without losing a tenth. Simple. Of course it's not like real life racing, because no one slows down for anything in LFS, so applying real life rules doesn't always make sense.

From what I've read (and I've no idea how much of it is true) I'd have made life quite hard for you Avih, bordering on being a son of a female canine.

[Becky Rose]

@avih, you named and shamed me after the race for ignoring the blue flag.
I did not ignore the blue flag at all.

You continue to imply that you where held up deliberately.
You where not. You may have lost a fraction, but you received an excessively courteous maneouvre when I drove onto the grass to make extra room for you.

I actually tried to log back online after watching the replay but the server was full, I actually expected i'd get an appology. Instead I get a box full of blame and accusation here ASWELL!

I've already had this once with you, and you where totally in the wrong then. Now you're at it again?

Are you taking hormone supplements or something?

[avih]

becky, i wasn't even insinuating you did that deliberately, as i believe that's absolutely not the case. i do appreciate the "last minute" manouver that you took, however, had u slowed down 2s earlier, it wouldn't have been neccessary for u to hit the grass. i could have passed u at the bridge and u could have continued to test your set driving 1-2s behind me. it WAS immenant that i'd catch you due to our speed differences, so why did you have to let it happen in the last second? we both lost more time than we could have if u would have let me pass few secs earlier. and my repetative "shouts" (don't remember more than one but i'll take your word on it), were probably due to the fact that i saw u weren't slowing down and decided to get into that (long and tight) section ahead of me.

with your experience, i honestly expected you to let me pass on the bridge, rather than in that long left where we'll both have to slow down considerably, even if only out of courtesy from someone who knows she's slower, testing a set, not actually racing and know that the leading cars are right behind her.

but you don't force courtesy, either you have it or you don't. perhaps i overestimated your experience.

[BigDave2967]

becky, i wasn't even insinuating you did that deliberately, as i believe that's absolutely not the case. i do appreciate the "last minute" manouver that you took, however, had u slowed down 2s earlier, it wouldn't have been neccessary for u to hit the grass. i could have passed u at the bridge and u could have continued to test your set driving 1-2s behind me. it WAS immenant that i'd catch you due to our speed differences, so why did you have to let it happen in the last second? we both lost more time than we could have if u would have let me pass few secs earlier. and my repetative "shouts" (don't remember more than one but i'll take your word on it), were probably due to the fact that i saw u weren't slowing down and decided to get into that (long and tight) section ahead of me.

with your experience, i honestly expected you to let me pass on the bridge, rather than in that long left where we'll both have to slow down considerably, even if only out of courtesy from someone who knows she's slower, testing a set, not actually racing and know that the leading cars are right behind her.

but you don't force courtesy, either you have it or you don't. perhaps i overestimated your experience.

I will admit on this part, that she did have a knack of letting a leader pass on the worst possible places. Such as Blackwood on the GT, she was taking deep inside straight, that literally blocked my view of where the corner was, and forced onto the gravel. She does have a bit to learn on where to slow down when being lapped.

But on the other hand, this is a question for a newbie, not you two debate who touched ones buttock in the race. I would suggest you both do this via PM, because both of you do have attitude problems, with a touch of paranoia, when things go wrong with you involved.

[Smax]

I was in the same session as both Avih and Becky Rose last night and do recall that avih although quick was not as quick as a coupla other drivers 1 or 2 of whom were well inside 1:16 at FE Gold in a Fox. However he was the only one I noticed who had a blue flag keybind.

I am one of those slower racers, I don't have the time or to be quite honest the inclination to spend hours and hours tweaking setups worrying about 0.1 percentage fuel loads and whether or not my line into a corner is 1m left or right of where it should have been for the perfect lap. However on occasion I like to have a game online, and why not? I've paid for my license just like everyone else. I can appreciate it's frustrating for you to be much faster than me, I do watch my mirrors [except for one occasion when I rejoined right in front of Becky and got tagged which I apologise for] I will get out of another's way if they're obviously much quicker than me. That said the racers who have a "get out my way noob" attitude with their horns and blue flag messages [note I'm not getting at anyone in particular here but just bashing that mentality] annoy and frustrate me, and tbh there are some servers and some combos I won't race on because I know I'm gonna spend all my time watching my mirrors and worrying about people coming up behind me. That makes me more likely to crash and even if I don't then it stops me having the fun that I clicked "multiplayer" to have.

My point is everyone online has a license :- it's cost them money to be there and they have just as much right to play as anyone else. If they're slower than you deal with it or start paying for a server yourself and only let fast people on it.

[avih]

...But on the other hand, this is a question for a newbie, not you two debate who touched ones buttock in the race. I would suggest you both do this via PM, because both of you do have attitude problems, with a touch of paranoia, when things go wrong with you involved.

agreed.
"attitude problem with a touch of paranoia"? hehe, that's not for me to judge probably, but it still sounds bad enough ;)

anyway becky, i actually forgot about this issue without holding anything against you, untill i saw your remark about the sexism which kinda pissed my off badly. regardless, i'm still not holding anything against you, as i considered it to be an intelligent discussion. you're more than welcome to PM/IM me if you wanna talk it over.

peace,
avih

[Becky Rose]

You just couldn't resist that last slap could you ?

I repeat, the Blue Flag message came up prior to the bend at the end of the back strait, not the start of it, and certainly not midway down the start strait when you sent your first warning message.

I would have thought a driver of your experience knows that us megre mortals are not psychic :).

[Becky Rose]

I will admit on this part, that she did have a knack of letting a leader pass on the worst possible places. Such as Blackwood on the GT, she was taking deep inside straight, that literally blocked my view of where the corner was, and forced onto the gravel. She does have a bit to learn on where to slow down when being lapped.
I remember that accident, and that's exactly what it was. It goes back a while now to when I was still fairly new and I hadn't driven the GT cars online before. I'd crashed it and was limping back to the pits, at the end of the strait I was caught out by just how quickly you caught me up and I made a mistake by drifting out too much after the bend instead of staying in tight as I had planned, I was caught out so badly I didn't even realise what had happened as you went by until I watched it later. I appologised several times after the race, but you seemed to preffer venting over accepting it and I was duly kicked off the server as a result.

[avih]

...I would have thought a driver of your experience knows that us megre mortals are not psychic :).

and that would be the exact reason for the warning before you got the blue flag message.

My experience isn't that huge though, with even less real world track experience. i'm sure i'd be very happy with your milage on real tracks ;)

anyway, can we put this behind us? peace from now on? :) here's an official apology: sorry.

[Becky Rose]

Yes lets, we've both vented. I'm sorry also, I didn't actually fancy having a debate here on the forums but i've this annoying habbit of scratching anything that bugs me - so I scratched, and I really shouldn't have. Sorry too.

[avih]

Yes lets, we've both vented. I'm sorry also, I didn't actually fancy having a debate here on the forums but i've this annoying habbit of scratching anything that bugs me - so I scratched, and I really shouldn't have. Sorry too.

Next time just scratch my back insted ;). I always feel bad with such escelating debates. glad we could put that behind us.

[BigDave2967]

Now get a room you two :P.

Oh and becky, you apologised once as I recall, and we both vented each other :D.

[Becky Rose]

I recall being admin kicked whilst still typing, so its a bit of a mute point.

[-ale-]

Thanks for all the advices! :thumb: They helped me a lot, now with my wheel working just fine, and trying new setups I was able to do some decent laptimes.

About the server, yeah, I checked some but I didn't know you enter as a spectactor! It was cool to watch other players racing, it's a nice way to know if you reach their standards or not and also learn. Although I still didn't really race online :P Since it's like my 4th day playing the game it's better get some experience before coz just do a "fast" lap in practice mode doesn't mean I can finish an entire race... I still do so many silly mistakes, it's a shame U_U , but I'll keep trying.

Thx
Ale

[BigDave2967]

I recall being admin kicked whilst still typing, so its a bit of a mute point.

Not my problem then. :)

[Becky Rose]

It wasn't my loss either... :)

[tinvek]

all this fuss about backmarkers holding up leaders :)

hey this is supposed to be a sim, people make mistakes, if you want perfect backmarkers use an inadequate game

everyone goes on about mansell passing senna in hungary as a great manuver and great racing, remember the backmarker in front who held senna up? according to what somepeople want he should have slowed to let them pass before the twisty bits.

i've lost count of the times ive heard it said on tv race coverage that the skill in passing backmarkers is judging your speed so you catch them at the right point on the circuit, i.e. it may be quicker overall to slow a bit before you catch them so you can pass easily, rather than hammering up behind them and having to back right off.

i can understand people getting upset in an organised race / series but in a casual race?

come on everybody there are far more important things to get p*ss*d about and we are all in this game 'cos we love driving and racing :thumb:

[avih]

@tinvek: it wasn't the leader who brought up the subject, it was the backmarker.

[Becky Rose]

I refuse to get drawn back into a debate. If anyone has issue with my driving they can take it up with the clerk of the course from now on, as there isn't one in LFS - your just **** out of luck.

[SamH]

The more you drive, the more people are going to have historical examples of you screwing up in their opinion.

IN THEIR opinion.

I totally concede Becky's original point contradicting mine, and original absolutely anonymous example.

I agree with STROBE too. If you're lapping someone in-race, and they're in the way, then tough. Make your move on-track, not by spamming. You can't spam in real life, so don't spam on LFS.

[avih]

I refuse to get drawn back into a debate. If anyone has issue with my driving they can take it up with the clerk of the course from now on, as there isn't one in LFS - your just **** out of luck.

becky, you're one of a kind ;)