Sim Racing: A Sports Experience at Home
2020 is a very difficult year for us. Due to the global epidemic, most people have to spend the Spring Festival and winter vacation at home. Sports events around the world have been stopped, and the 2020 F1 Grand Prix may not be held before July. But at the same time, another world of racing is exuding more and more vitality, which is simulated racing.
Is this racing simulation you’re talking about fun?
Racing is a sport that challenges the limits of human beings, and so is simulated racing. It is different from the cycle of “race-earn money-buy better cars” in racing games. Simulated racing is more of a cycle of constantly improving and challenging yourself.
In the simulation racing software, all the content will be directly available to players. The data of each car is close to reality, and their differences can be clearly felt by the players through the steering wheel. In the pursuit of faster speeds, the vehicle’s limit will be approached more and more. In this state, the vehicle is like a beast, and only strong concentration and precise control can tame it. When constantly refreshing their own records, players will feel a strong sense of accomplishment. When you feel you are ready, you can also participate in online competitions against real players. However, the AI of the current simulation racing software is basically very retarded, so you can only try it briefly.
Why is a steering wheel necessary?
Perhaps the biggest obstacle preventing everyone from getting started with simulation racing is the steering wheel.
A top-level gaming steering wheel can easily cost tens of thousands of yuan, and the lowest-level entry-level device starts at a thousand yuan (the same price as an XBOX Elite controller). Corresponding to the price, it can bring a completely different experience from driving with a keyboard and controller.
The first obvious difference is the control range. The steering wheel of a normal family car is about 120cm in one circle, while the simulator’s steering wheel is of racing specifications, which is smaller, so it is rounded to 100cm. Most game steering wheels support at least 900° rotation, so if you calculate, the operating range of the steering wheel is about 900/360*100=250cm. Of course, this degree will also change according to the vehicle in the game. The steering wheel of a rally car is 540°, and the steering wheel of a kart is only 180°. Even for the Xbox Elite controller, with the joystick raised, the travel will probably not exceed 5cm.
This overwhelming advantage in operating range means that the steering wheel can provide better operating accuracy than other controllers, and the mouse’s advantage over the handle in shooting games is once again reflected. Many people who do not have the conditions to use a steering wheel can still achieve amazing results in simulated racing with a mouse. Although the mouse driving cannot simulate the size of the accelerator and brake, it can be compensated by using gadgets such as Vjoy. Many experts also use the mouse to practice driving and familiarize themselves with the track when they are not at home. In comparison, experts who drive with a handle are very rare.
Next, let’s talk about the second feature of the steering wheel, the force feedback system . It can simulate the resistance provided by a real car steering wheel, so that you can feel the road conditions and the grip of the front wheels.
Anyone who has driven a car knows that when the car is moving forward, the steering wheel will automatically return to the center, because when the car is moving forward, the resistance is the smallest when the wheels are pointing forward. When the vehicle is turning at high speed, the stronger the grip and the larger the turning angle, the greater the resistance the steering wheel gives you. However, if you continue to turn and exceed the limit of the tire, causing the front wheel to push, the front wheel will lose some grip and the resistance the steering wheel gives you will suddenly decrease. Using these characteristics, you will feel that different vehicles have such different control feelings.
Some people may wonder why real cars do not have obvious force feedback, because in real life no one will go through a U-turn at 60km/h, and in order to have better cornering performance, the suspension of racing cars is very stiff, so the road feel will be very obvious. After all, racing cars do not need to consider comfort.
The existence of force feedback can also help players to drift realistically. Whether moving forward or sideways, the front wheels will always point in the direction of the vehicle’s movement. If you want to become a drift master, you can’t do it with a mouse or a handle. After practicing on the simulator, you can get started immediately in real life if you have a properly adjusted drift car.
Let’s talk about racing games
Simulation racing is becoming more and more popular nowadays. There are quite a lot of games available on the market. Let me introduce a few mainstream ones. First of all, let me explain why some simulation racing games can be played with keyboard and controller, but some cannot?
I call this kind of game semi-simulation, recent examples include GT Sport, Forza Motorsport 7, Forza Horizon 4, GT Racing: Autosport, etc. The simulation of this kind of game is just to achieve that it will not go against common sense under normal operation. If you want to go fast, you still need to use real racing knowledge and exhaust the route.