So Dirt 2 officially ROCKS!

[AstroManLuca]

Just a word of warning, Dirt 2 (as well as Grid; haven't tried any of the other games I got in the Codemasters pack) is not a racing sim the way Forza 3 is. It's nowhere close. The physics are arcade-like, there is vehicle damage but it takes a lot of abuse to total your car, and there is no ability to modify, tune, or paint your car.

That's all fine with me. I actually prefer arcade racing physics and I hate worrying about tuning setups, but just know what you're getting into.

Also, you might want to wait for another sale or price drop... they've gone back to their old prices of $25 for Grid and $40 for Dirt 2.

 

[simonizor]

Just a word of warning, Dirt 2 (as well as Grid; haven't tried any of the other games I got in the Codemasters pack) is not a racing sim the way Forza 3 is. It's nowhere close. The physics are arcade-like, there is vehicle damage but it takes a lot of abuse to total your car, and there is no ability to modify, tune, or paint your car.

That's all fine with me. I actually prefer arcade racing physics and I hate worrying about tuning setups, but just know what you're getting into.

Also, you might want to wait for another sale or price drop... they've gone back to their old prices of $25 for Grid and $40 for Dirt 2.

It's not arcade to the extent that Burnout is, though. You can't just go balls to the wall the whole time. Turning requires a bit of skill and the right amount of throttle instead of just going like hell and then drifting around the corner.

Sure, it might not be the most realistic game ever, but I don't know if I'd call it an arcade racer...

 

[AstroManLuca]

Yeah, you're right. It's halfway in between. I actually really like that kind of racer. Doesn't punish you too hard for being careless, but it still forces you to use your brakes once in a while.

 

[simonizor]

I really like the flashback feature. I'm getting to the point where I don't use it very much, but it's really nice to go back a few seconds instead of having to do the whole race over again just because you fucked up once.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

Yeah, you're right. It's halfway in between. I actually really like that kind of racer. Doesn't punish you too hard for being careless, but it still forces you to use your brakes once in a while.

Absolutely. Reasons like this are why I could never get into indy racing sims or even most newer nascar games. They can become too complicated for a novices such as myself.

Also, arcade racers bug the shit out of me. Take FUEL for instance. You can turn MID AIR. I mean, really? I'd rather turn on my old N64 and play the original San Francisco Rush. At least they had an excuse to be unrealistic.

(oh and I hate Nascar and Indy racing, but they games were a lot of fun on my SNES/PS1)

 

[destrekor]

Are clutches programmable for racing games? Maybe GT5 would..but it'd be awesome to shift and accidentally not press the clutch and hear the gears grinding...

Some games use them, some games don't.
It appears any game that wants to bill itself as a true sim will almost always include clutch support and support for all the high-end racing wheels.

My experiences with using my G25 (with a clutch pedal) and using the H-shifter on a few games:

GT5P on PS3 requires clutch.
Need for Speed: Shift on PC requires clutch
The Race series requires clutch (PC), like Race 07 and Race On
GTR2 and GTR: Evolution require clutch.

NFS: Shift took a few tweaks from the sim racing community, either posting the values for configurable settings, or modded variables to edit within configuration files. But after that, it feels like a damn good simulation. A little different from other sims, but the visual quality of Shift and the feeling of speed, helps make it feel like more of a sim than any other game. The core car physics platform is definitely hardcore simulation, but the hard-coded variables that shipped with the game change the experience ever so slightly. A lot of the tweaks from the community are based around changing those variables to let the underlying simulation shine a little more.

My experience with Dirt 2 and the G25?
Not a simulation, but definitely not a ridiculous arcade racer either. I like the balance that is present in the game, it's like a good mix between the two. Could it have a little more of the sim aspect? Maybe.
Clutch support would be nice, but it doesn't really bother me.

 

[minmaster]

ok so i'm trying to play this game again and it's pretty hard once you get to pro levels...
i got a question about braking though... in what situations should one use the emergency brake? i never use it and i use my regular pedal brake but i feel like i need some edge in braking as i am having a harder time winning at higher level races.

 

[mooncancook]

I've installed this game for a while but haven't played it yet coz I've been busy with M&B Warband, and too lazy to setup my G25. Gotta give give it a try.

@Minmaster, I remember when playing Colin McRae on some turns I had to use the hand break to initiate a drift. Not sure about this game though, I'll have to try it.

 

[minmaster]

yeah that's what i figured, so emergency brakes on turns where drifting comes in handy... drifting always scares me though because i often can't recover from it and i'm too stubborn to let go of the gas.

 

[busydude]

The only place I apply emergency brakes is when I have to make a sharp hair pin turn. I just tap it for a fraction of a second to make the car drift. It looks awesome when you watch the replays.

 

[minmaster]

do any of you guys use racing wheels? how much better is it vs using a xbox 360 controller?

 

[hellotyler]

How are the controls ? Is the game a 'fast' racing game ? Dirt was kind of weak because the controls were so poor, felt like you were driving in GTAIV. Colin McRae Rally 2005 is the best racing games I've come across so far. Nothing feels better then pulling the perfect drift, dropping down a gear or two then blasting out onto a straightaway.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Is the game a 'fast' racing game ?

Are there any racing games that aren't 'fast'? It's kind of the definition of a racing game.

 

[Firsttime]

I dunno what fast to you is, but ripping through Utah at 155mph scares the shit out of me every time.

 

[spinejam]

definitely a fun game!

 

[minmaster]

i can't win the X-Games America because i can't get past the 2nd stage in utah and i always finish 7th.... i easily won the other 2 X-Games prior to this one but i can never even get close to qualifying for round 3 in America.... any tips?

 

[busydude]

i can't win the X-Games America because i can't get past the 2nd stage in utah and i always finish 7th.... i easily won the other 2 X-Games prior to this one but i can never even get close to qualifying for round 3 in America.... any tips?

Watch online video of that track. Concentrate on the line he is following, the braking spots.. attack turns, be aggressive.. don't worry if you get off the track/crash you will do it better next time. Also, watch the replays of your runs.. know the track you are driving.

 

[minmaster]

i know the track well now because i tried so many times to qualify... but i just can't go fast and make turns and keep my time good. i am pushing the car to max and even on straightaways i don't make up any time because the AI just has ridiculous times...

 

[busydude]

What is the delta between you and the 4th fastest time?

 

[minmaster]

i don't know it exactly, but i am pretty consistently finishing 7th. i've been playing on serious (2 flashbacks), maybe i should step it down for more flashbacks. does putting it on easy actually change the AI of the drivers or does it just give me more flashbacks? i always thought all difficulty levels are the same and only the # of flashbacks are different.

 

[busydude]

i don't know it exactly, but i am pretty consistently finishing 7th. i've been playing on serious (2 flashbacks), maybe i should step it down for more flashbacks. does putting it on easy actually change the AI of the drivers or does it just give me more flashbacks? i always thought all difficulty levels are the same and only the # of flashbacks are different.

No, if you decrease the difficulty AI will be slower.

 

[minmaster]

ah okay then. i'm going to try go down a step. thanks for the advice.