I've been searching the web for a definitive answer on this but it seems as if some sims handle differential settings differently. So, I have a few questions as to how AMS handles the three diff settings... Diff Power: In short, the literature says that a higher percentage of diff power will lead to more on-throttle oversteer as the differential is locked more quickly during throttle application, however, I've often felt that in AMS, the higher you set the power percentage, the more diff slip there is, purely from the feedback that the car gives me. Does AMS actually simulate it this way? Or is this just all in my head, and it's actually the case that lower you set the Diff power percentage, the car will exhibit more on-throttle understeer? Diff Preload I'm still not entirely sure what this setting does? I've read up on it but I'm a total noob with technical things like this. Something to do with the smoothness of the transition between off-throttle and on-throttle car behaviour? As for diff coast, well I already know that one pretty easily so no issues there. If anyone with more technical knowledge than myself could please explain how AMS handles these settings it would be massively appreciated. *cough* Niels *cough* Cheers!
Diff Coast Lower the number, less stable the rear is on throttle off Diff Power In ISI physics engine sims (going back to the 1990s) I always felt the higher the number the earlier the rear-slip will start but at a more progressive rate while the lower the number, the later the rear will slip (ie. more grip) but when it finally does start to slip, it will suddenly snap. ISI physics engine is generally way over-snappy and violent at the limit anyways (often even hitting a point where the spin feels canned from that point on) but having this number too low can make it even worse. Preload I have to personally experiment with this more but, from what I've read, it basically adjusts how much time it takes to go from the diff power setting to diff-coast setting (or vice-versa) but I'm not 100% sure. So, like when you're going from throttle-on to throttle-off - how much time it takes to switch from that power diff "mode" to the coast diff "mode" (or vice-versa). The only other thing I can guess that it may be is during neutral, steady-state throttle conditions??? I think it's either one or the other though. P.S. This is one physics area (of multiple) I really hope Reiza tries to improve on from a core-engine point of view. These simplistic differential physics modelling date mostly back to the 1990s or early 2000s. Check out Live For Speed from the mid-2000s and it's diff physics options.
Here's how i understand it (i hope i'm right ): More percentage = more "locking" (linked rear tyres) = less oversteer (never say more understeer, it's wrong). Preload affects the delay for the differential to move from the power setting to coast setting and vice versa, it's a nice way to adjust oversteer while cornering. I usually want a bit of oversteer as soon as i release the throttle, just enough to get that corner initial turn in (suspension set up for that), but i don't want the oversteer to be there mid corner and i also want some OS on the exit. So, i set a higher value on the coast setting with an "average" value for preload. But keep in mind that the differential settings depends on the car behaviour that you achieved through suspension/aero (some people set the car with 0% everywhere on the differential which i find hard to do )
