Setup or Bad Driving? Keep spinning out

I don't get it. No matter what the setup is. I can't stop spinning out. No matter how much I slow down or how lightly I steer. Yet the AI can take a turn in 1st gear at 134 km/h. Makes it hard to qualify and race against such stability. Any help would be very nice.

Are you using a joypad or a steering wheel?

If you are using a steering wheel, remember to set the steering device to analogue. A digital controller is either on or off, which makes it very hard to control, while a analogue control senses gradual motion. Also, remember to set the low sensitivity zone to 100%, since once the input goes beyond the low sensitivity zone then the controller acts like a digital device, i.e. on or off.

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It's only after we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything.

traction control helps too

Oh, I forgot! Shame on me...

A warm welcome to the forums, Gambit. I hope your stay will be long and that it will serve you as well, as it has served me.

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It's only after we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything.

I like realism, and the wheel helps with that. But this much oversteer is quite disturbing. I'm also abit of a dummy with set-ups. I read them over and over again and have trouble finding the right combinations.

i'm assuming you're putting your foot right down when you accelerate..........right?

No. The main problem is when I exit a turn. When I start re-accelerating. That's when the rear just lets go and spin. It's like there is nothing I can do to nail down the rear of the car.

Either try F7 (throttle control) or try to accelerate with more care. Imagine what would happen in real life if you slam your foot on the gas and 850+ bhp make your rear wheels try to pay a visit to the nosecon. In a real F1 car you need a surgeon's precision to get it right, it is dfinitely more to it than just full throttle and brake, full throttle and brake ...

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REHAB IS FOR QUITTERS

If you don't feel secure with the proces of tampering with setups, I can recommend that you stick with the default setups. While they are certainly far from perfect, they are pretty good when you are learning the layout of the tracks, and getting a feel for the competition. I really like quickraces set to 10% length, with the default setups. They have a fair amounts of understeer, so spinning out shouldn't be that much of a problem. But beware, there are still lots of things that can send you spiralling off the track.

You need to get a good feel for when you can floor it, and when you can't. Throttle control is very important and so is brake control. Generally, I floor it once I pass 120 kph, but sometimes you can do it immediately at much lower speeds and at other times you just can't. Flooring it right after the the chicane at Suzuka will send you spinning every time, while flooring it right after the chicanes at Hockenheim probably won't. Learn to brake all the way to the apex of the corner and then gradually apply more and more throttle. That way you won't make the most common mistake (powered oversteer), which is to floor the throttle too early and too hard (somewhere between turn in and apex) because you braked too much. You will only make one of your rears spin up too fast and lose grip, and hence control.

Practicing smooth and flowing doughnuts is a great way to learn throttle control, since you constantly have to change the level of throttle applied and the steering angle to keep it going. The more even the flow, the better the throttle control. And as an advanced lesson, you can try to set the wheel straight after you induced the spin, and only keep the doughnut going with your right foot. That should tell you, that it is actually possible, not only to avoid spins with good throttle control, but also to make small adjustments throughout the entire duration of the corner, just by making minute adjustments to the level of throttle.

Curbs is another hazard. You can send car spiraling down the track at over 300 kph if you hit the wrong curbs. Learn which to use, and which to stay well clear of.

In any case, its very important to know the track by heart and not only the curbs. Some corners are constant speed corners, while others demand that you keep slowing down right until you exit, and some can be powered through right from the turn in. Identify what characteristics each corner has, and remember fixed points that mark when you do what. It goes something like this: "there is the Fedex ad, so I floor the brake and gradually release it while I downshift, and by the beginning of the curb I turn in at the top of 1st gear and slow until I have one green led lit (which is easier to check than somewhere in the range of 100 kph). I keep this speed until I clip the inside of the corner, and then gradually start to apply more throttle. When I get to the middle of the track, just before the shadow cast by the big tree, I reduce steering and I have a little throttle left. As I exit the shadow its safe to can floor it, and I reach the top of 2nd gear, shift to 3rd and steer straight." Practicing this can seem artificial, and of course you don't actually say all these things in your head. You just keep exploring the corner until you get it right, and then remember what to do when. The replay function is a good tool to use here. Before you know it, it will feel totally natural to do this at every corner on every track.

I hope this helps and sends you in the right direction. Practice is important, which cannot be stressed enough, but remember the most important thing is to have fun. If you find it too frustrating and can't get to terms with your setup, then forget the setup, engage Traction control, and blast through a few races. You can always come back and try again without it.

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It's only after we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything.

Don't you just h8 it when you post, and find that the convo has changed while you type?

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It's only after we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything.

try puting steering help on 100% and on

Thanks for the wonderful tips. I'll give them a try and tell you if I make any progress =). I appreciate it alot. I've nailed down the problem it's the solution that I have trouble with. It's accelerating while in a turn. On a straight acceleration is not a problem, but going in or coming out of turns, the throttle is a tad sensitive and the rear end feels real loose. And very true. Mentality, I was getting very frustrated, when I'm stuck in practice and can't even complete a lap without spinning out =(. And on a low grip track like Melbourne (the 1st race) It only amplifies the problem.

Your are welcome. Feel free at any time.

Regarding the spinning issue, I promise you, we have all been there. Just keep at it, and remember to monitor your frustration level. If it gets to high, you will just shelve the game.

There is no shame in using driving aids. The GP series has a quite steep learning curve, and they are supposed to make it easier and more fun.

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It's only after we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything.

Also, remember to set the low sensitivity zone to 100%, since once the input goes beyond the low sensitivity zone then the controller acts like a digital device, i.e. on or off.?????
Not really. It may be more sensitive out of the low sensitivity zone but it's not on/off. Since you reduce the sensitivity in that zone, then the sensitivity out of the zone has to be higher to complete the total steering lock. If you set it at 0% as I do, it becomes totally linear from left to right. I do set the reduce with speed to 50% though if I remember correctly so that it is more manageable at higher speeds.

Morbida advice is very good. Practice for hours and little by little you will find you get a feel for how the car behaves. With set-ups I tend to download a good st drom the sites like this. Then I play around with them making small changes at first till I get it right. GP4 is quite responsive to changes, although things like wheel toe, camber and tyre pressure are missing. Having driven EA's efforts F12001-F12002 for a couple of years, I can tell you that GP4 is somewhat easier. Most on this forum would say closer to reality.



Larry
AMD 3000+,Epox EP-8RDA,Ram 1536mb 333 DDr, Rad 9800 pro omega 2.4.96, dx9b, Audigy, MOMO FF,winxp

I agree with Morbid that the setups coming with the game are fairly easy to drive when you're starting getting the hang of it .... but if you want more stability in the back you should try increasing the rear wing setting and lowering the front wing setting. If it leads to bumping the ground in the back at high speeds simply increase the height in the rear. This way you can get a car easy to drive, but probably pretty slow in lap times. Anyway, as soon as you start feeling more comfortable with it, gradually move back to the standard gp settings and try again!!

Remember that this is the kick behind the game! Disapointments beyond believe, but then in the end succeeding!! So stick to it ... you'll make it for sure ...