Good morning all, I am finally getting into AMS2 and in particular I really like racing in the Ginetta GT4, the one bit of advice I am looking for is........ I use a thrustmaster ts-xw wheel with t3pa pedals and I calibrate at every start up but I can’t stop locking up in a race. I brake earlier to avoid this but I then get mugged by either the AI or other people who it would seem can brake later. Any advice appreciated thanks in advance Baz
In the settings for your brake pedal, set the brake sensitivity to zero. Also, when you calibrate your brake don’t go to 100% with it. Push it to 60 or so
Hi Baz, You don't say whether you're new to sim-racing per se or just AMS2 so in case it's the former... Braking is difficult. A load cell is the best way to duplicate real world braking but that may be an expensive option for you right now. I use Logitech G25 pedals at home and CH Products rudder pedals at work. My method is to learn to brake by ear, as it were. (I play classical piano and moving from an acoustic to a digital piano I could no longer use feel on the damper pedal so I had to listen much more carefully and I use the same senses when braking. It actually improved my pedalling on an acoustic piano.) It will take a while to develop your response but it will become subconscious with time. On my rudder pedals the braking is done by the foot angle (there's not enough spring resistance to feel anything) but I can use heavy leather walking shoes. With the Logitech pedals I have to wear light canvas shoes, Bruce Lee style. Choose Test Day from the race menu and turn up the tyre volume. Start slow and learn to brake gently and with increasing firmness until you hear the tyres locking under braking. In time you get to respond faster and more automatically at which point you can brake quicker, harder and smoother without undue locking. Dial back the tyre volume as you get used to listening for it. You need it raised to help you hear it but you can lower it again once you start to listen to it. You'll barely hear it in a race with other engines around you so you need to be able to brake without relying on it. I recommend you use the default setup with twenty minutes' worth of fuel once or twice a day three to six days a week until you're consistently lapping at the same times as the AI at 100% or better. Stick with easier circuits, for your training, like Goiania External, Interlagos Outer, Brasilia Outer, Oulton Foster's, etc. until you're up to 100% before going on to circuits that demand more technical skills. Racing on circuits is about programming the motor memory from visual, aural and tactile cues then racing on the motor memory and reflexes. In much the same way as learning to play the piano, the speed at which the programming is done matters not - once the programming is done you'll play or drive at the speed of your neural response. Going slower builds better programming. You learn where your braking points and lines are and make fine adjustments in a race based on tyre temps, track rubbering, fuel loads and so on, but you don't rely on feel as much in a race, it's much more motor memory. You know where your braking points are and you make slight adjustments earlier or later based on the circumstances. On the plus side you learn to brake more smoothly so the car is more settled and can go faster through the turns under throttle, at least enough to counter tyre scrub, and reduce lap times that way. You'll also be able to move the brake balance further rearward and use more of the rear tyres in the braking effort.
A quick fix is to lower the brake pressure. Also look at the telemetry HUD: the Ginetta GT4's brake temps benefit from adjusting the brake ducts.
Thanks for your replies. I’m not new to sim racing and I race a lot on ACC because I love the GT3 GT4 CARS but it has a distinct lack of track content. I’m really getting into AMS2 now and simply love the Ginetta (really struggle with the more powerful stock v8’s though). I’ll take on board above suggestions and give them a shot Baz
Something that's really helped me is the conical mod for my T3PA GT Edition pedals. I've screwed it out as far as possible to limit travel, and quite a lot of pressure is required to achieve 100% braking
I faced the same when I played AMS2 for the first time. Setting brake sensitivity to 15% made things better to me. I still lock the tires sometimes - and that's why I'm thinking about buying a load cell -, but much less frequently than before.