Send help, I developed a simracing addiction

[Curratum]

I was, until recently, a well-adjusted, adult individual but I have been getting so damn bored with all games, past and present, that I decided to reinstall the Assetto Corsa complete pack that I bought nearly two years ago, for some reason, and now I've fallen into a hole I can't get out of.

A month after it all began, I currently have WRC 10, Assetto Corsa with over 50 gigs of mods installed, as well as Automobilista and rFactor 2 with over 25 gigs of mods installed between the two. I am still playing on an x360 controller but I've spent the last month doing ridiculously in-depth research into wheel and pedal sets, because the prices aren't exactly low and there's a ton of granularity, variables and details you don't see at first glance.

Is anyone already neck-deep in the same hole in here? Got any insights, anecdotes or useful information to share with someone who is still new to all of this?

 

[Outlander]

I think Sukhāvatī really likes racing games.

 

[Ezekiel]

I think Sukhāvatī really likes racing games.

I guess I don't go to the right threads, but I didn't know he posts. I thought he just left friendlies everywhere.

 

[fork]

I personally love sim racing, but decided to stay away from that rabbit hole, because I don't want to pour tens of thousands of bucks into it, which is where following this path would ultimately lead. Once you have a wheel and pedals you also want a clutch, next you realise your screen is kinda small, so a triple screen setup it is, then you need a new cpu and gpu to run that, then it would be nice to have more feedback...

Nononono.

 

[Curratum]

The thing is, I neither have the money nor the space for triple monitors, simrig or VR.

I'm getting a G290 wheel and pedals set, that already has a clutch, and a shifter stick for a total of ~300 EUR and that's the end of that.

Edit: huh, the post I was replying to disappeared..

 

[spectre]

Before you go all in, be sure to try the mouse + tongs + barstool combo for steering.

 

[Riskbreaker]

Develop its real life equivalent, it's bound to sort itself out by itself. One way or another.

 

[JamesDixon]

Before you go all in, be sure to try the mouse + tongs + barstool combo for steering.

Here's the video of it.

 

[Falksi]

I hate racists.

 

[Dedicated_Dark]

The thing is, I neither have the money nor the space for triple monitors, simrig or VR.

I'm getting a G290 wheel and pedals set, that already has a clutch, and a shifter stick for a total of ~300 EUR and that's the end of that.

Edit: huh, the post I was replying to disappeared..

I suggest a Thrustmaster wheel if you can find it cheap. Much better feel and there is no center deadzone, the g29 has a deadzone at the center very annoying.
Thrustmaster crap is also very easy to upgrade part by part.

Well.. I think there was an lut fix for the deadzone. Anyway price seems fair. Reasonable wheel G29.
I had to dump half the price of the wheel for the expensive ass shifter of thrustmaster.

 

[Curratum]

The thing is, I neither have the money nor the space for triple monitors, simrig or VR.

I'm getting a G290 wheel and pedals set, that already has a clutch, and a shifter stick for a total of ~300 EUR and that's the end of that.

Edit: huh, the post I was replying to disappeared..

I suggest a Thrustmaster wheel if you can find it cheap. Much better feel and there is no center deadzone, the g29 has a deadzone at the center very annoying.
Thrustmaster crap is also very easy to upgrade part by part.

Well.. I think there was an lut fix for the deadzone. Anyway price seems fair. Reasonable wheel G29.
I had to dump half the price of the wheel for the expensive ass shifter of thrustmaster.

Thrustmaster's T150 is the only option they have within my budget. You can't hard-mount the T150, only the T300 and up, and the T300 RS GT is very expensive. Additionally, Logitech's shifter, while not as great as TM's, is just 50 EUR, while TM's shifter is a whopping ~150 EUR, which makes the full setup incredibly expensive. I'm drilling my desk under my mousepad to hard-mount the G290.

I know that the TMs are generally a better pick, with the hybrid / belt thing and all, but I just can't afford the whole thing, as it goes to something like 500 EUR, which is waaay too much for my poor ass. Logi's G290 + the shifter is just around 300 EUR, and even that is stretching what I'm willing / able to pay to the limit.

 

[Dedicated_Dark]

Thrustmaster's T150 is the only option they have within my budget. You can't hard-mount the T150, only the T300 and up, and the T300 RS GT is very expensive. Additionally, Logitech's shifter, while not as great as TM's, is just 50 EUR, while TM's shifter is a whopping ~150 EUR, which makes the full setup incredibly expensive. I'm drilling my desk under my mousepad to hard-mount the G290.

I know that the TMs are generally a better pick, with the hybrid / belt thing and all, but I just can't afford the whole thing, as it goes to something like 500 EUR, which is waaay too much for my poor ass. Logi's G290 + the shifter is just around 300 EUR, and even that is stretching what I'm willing / able to pay to the limit.

The Thrustmaster shifter justifies it's price. But fair enough! I had to wait several months and had to play with the paddles cause of the price of the shifter.
It's a better experience when you have the whole thing anyway.

As for games, do try Automobilista 2, Reiza patched it up quite a bit and the driving's quite good now. Slight tweaks to default set-ups maybe needed but very slight.
The game has many tracks, decent AI and good weather system. Also GRAPHIX.

Other than that absolutely play GTR2, it has an unbelievable amount of mods and is an absolute classic. Absolutely play it.

 

[downwardspiral]

Buy 2nd hand logitech wheel if you are not sure how long this addiction will last.
If you are serious about simracing or not tight on budget, get the best wheel you can afford.
Also set up your racing rig, you can choose from triple monitor or an ultrawide.

If you are also planning to play flight sim in the future, then triple monitor is better than an ultrawide.

 

[Curratum]

Thrustmaster's T150 is the only option they have within my budget. You can't hard-mount the T150, only the T300 and up, and the T300 RS GT is very expensive. Additionally, Logitech's shifter, while not as great as TM's, is just 50 EUR, while TM's shifter is a whopping ~150 EUR, which makes the full setup incredibly expensive. I'm drilling my desk under my mousepad to hard-mount the G290.

I know that the TMs are generally a better pick, with the hybrid / belt thing and all, but I just can't afford the whole thing, as it goes to something like 500 EUR, which is waaay too much for my poor ass. Logi's G290 + the shifter is just around 300 EUR, and even that is stretching what I'm willing / able to pay to the limit.

The Thrustmaster shifter justifies it's price. But fair enough! I had to wait several months and had to play with the paddles cause of the price of the shifter.
It's a better experience when you have the whole thing anyway.

As for games, do try Automobilista 2, Reiza patched it up quite a bit and the driving's quite good now. Slight tweaks to default set-ups maybe needed but very slight.
The game has many tracks, decent AI and good weather system. Also GRAPHIX.

Other than that absolutely play GTR2, it has an unbelievable amount of mods and is an absolute classic. Absolutely play it.

The issue for me is, I tried AMS2 on a pirated copy, pretty current version, and didn't like it at all. I know they made physics tweaks to the PCars2 engine but it still feels the same to me. The car turning and physics just don't feel right, especially not after rf2, ac and ams1.

Plus I modded in a bunch of free tracks in rf2, ac and ams1 but with ams2 you have zero car or track mods and have to pay (honestly an awful lot of money) for official dlc.

 

[Puukko]

I got very close to taking the plunge into sim racing last year but backed out at the last second. I've actually got a wheel (just a DF GT) gathering A LOT of dust so I think I should give it another go. Assetto Corsa interested me in particular.

 

[Haba]

[--]and now I've fallen into a hole I can't get out of.

[...]I am still playing on an x360 controller but I've spent the last month doing ridiculously in-depth research into wheel and pedal sets, because the prices aren't exactly low and there's a ton of granularity, variables and details you don't see at first glance.

Bro... you haven't even gotten close to the EDGE yet.

 

[Curratum]

I got very close to taking the plunge into sim racing last year but backed out at the last second. I've actually got a wheel (just a DF GT) gathering A LOT of dust so I think I should give it another go. Assetto Corsa interested me in particular.

Even on controller, AC, RF2 and AMS1 all have excellent physics, in terms of realism. I can only imagine how much better they would all be on a wheel. The G290+shifter for 280 EUR combo is really tempting, I will probably buy it next week.

 

[Haba]

Dude. I paid 200€ for a single seat thumper. For a proper setup you need four (one for each wheel).

Spoiler

Run while you still can

 

[Curratum]

Dude. I paid 200€ for a single seat thumper. For a proper setup you need four (one for each wheel).

Spoiler

Run while you still can

Look, I know where the rabbit hole leads, but even if I wanted to, I could not afford this. I don't have the space in my home to set this up, and I can't afford any of it on my salary, while having a family and a real-life car, and with electricity bills and food getting more expensive at hilarious rates.

I mean, I'm still torn about whether I should spend the money on the G290, but I think I can afford that, at least...

 

[Gahbreeil]

As help, I recommend buying a few Hot Wheels.

 

[Retardo]

I was, until recently, a well-adjusted, adult individual but I have been getting so damn bored with all games, past and present, that I decided to reinstall the Assetto Corsa complete pack that I bought nearly two years ago, for some reason, and now I've fallen into a hole I can't get out of.

A month after it all began, I currently have WRC 10, Assetto Corsa with over 50 gigs of mods installed, as well as Automobilista and rFactor 2 with over 25 gigs of mods installed between the two. I am still playing on an x360 controller but I've spent the last month doing ridiculously in-depth research into wheel and pedal sets, because the prices aren't exactly low and there's a ton of granularity, variables and details you don't see at first glance.

Is anyone already neck-deep in the same hole in here? Got any insights, anecdotes or useful information to share with someone who is still new to all of this?

Me too, bruh, it all started innocently enough with dirt rally and AC bundles from winter sale and forza horizon 4. But then, something happened this november, and now I'm a proud owner of AMS2, ACC, ETS2, ATS, Snowrunner, WRC10, PCars2.
Also, got some motosims, RiMS racing and Ride 4, and looking at motogp/mxgp franchise, and also F1 2020/2021, whichever has less game-as-a-service shit, for that delicious Bahrain circuit.



Considering buying Logitech G923 now, but its toy-ishness, compared to real car driving wheels, is disturbing.

 

[Curratum]

I was, until recently, a well-adjusted, adult individual but I have been getting so damn bored with all games, past and present, that I decided to reinstall the Assetto Corsa complete pack that I bought nearly two years ago, for some reason, and now I've fallen into a hole I can't get out of.

A month after it all began, I currently have WRC 10, Assetto Corsa with over 50 gigs of mods installed, as well as Automobilista and rFactor 2 with over 25 gigs of mods installed between the two. I am still playing on an x360 controller but I've spent the last month doing ridiculously in-depth research into wheel and pedal sets, because the prices aren't exactly low and there's a ton of granularity, variables and details you don't see at first glance.

Is anyone already neck-deep in the same hole in here? Got any insights, anecdotes or useful information to share with someone who is still new to all of this?

Me too, bruh, it all started innocently enough with dirt rally and AC bundles from winter sale and forza horizon 4. But then, something happened this november, and now I'm a proud owner of AMS2, ACC, ETS2, ATS, Snowrunner, WRC10, PCars2.
Also, got some motosims, RiMS racing and Ride 4, and looking at motogp/mxgp franchise, and also F1 2020/2021, whichever has less game-as-a-service shit, for that delicious Bahrain circuit.



Conisidering buying Logitech G923 now, but its toy-ishness, compared to real car driving wheels, is disturbing.

Spoiler

I have a few more than I won't ever consider reinstalling so I've hidden them.

Just get a G920, the 923 has nothing meaningfully better about it and it costs more.

 

[racofer]

now I've fallen into a hole I can't get out of.

I know the feeling. I have been there before and I can guide you out.

I am still playing on an x360 controller but I've spent the last month doing ridiculously in-depth research into wheel and pedal sets

This is how it progresses, but it's also the road to salvation.

Is anyone already neck-deep in the same hole in here? Got any insights, anecdotes or useful information to share with someone who is still new to all of this?

The answer is to buy that wheel set, like I did. You will finally experience racing sims (especially Assetto Corsa) in a way you couldn't imagine possible. It will be bliss for a good while, but here is how you get out of it.

After buying the wheel set, you will be faced with two choices:

1. Keep it desk mounted (sub-optimal, as you will realize after a few hours of gaming);
2. Buy a wheel stand to mount your wheel, pedals, and shifter (best feeling ever).

The desk mount is the quickest way out of it, but the temptation to acquire the stand is too strong and you will most likely end up buying it (I have). After that you will be hooked for a good while, and it will never get boring. However, after some time, it will get really tiresome to setup the wheel set at your computer, because you have other things to do that require you to move the wheel set away. The dedicated mount will make this whole process less tiresome, so it will take a little longer for the burnout to set in.

Now is the moment you will have the best idea of them all, which will decide your fate:

1. Keep mounting/unmounting the wheel each time you want to race. You will eventually get tired and move on;
2. Why don't I simply assemble a secondary computer just for sim racing? (this means you're fucked).

Avoid the temptation of buying a secondary computer and you will be set free. Think about how expensive this whole ordeal is getting to demotivate you from doing it. Believe me when I say that's the only way out.

 

[Retardo]

Oh, I've actually forgot wreckfest and carmageddon, how could I.

Just get a G920, the 923 has nothing meaningfully better about it and it costs more.

Where I dwell, new g920 and g923 cost essentially the same, with $400 being actually a good deal
I joke not, I've seen them for $350 in one shop, and several hours later they were fucking sold out.

 

[adddeed]

Love some sims as well, though i usually play older titles.
Favorite is Race07, GTR2 and GT Legends all from SimBin.
Old but still great. GTR2 is probably the most complete sim, its like a whole package to me. With car/.track packs (and there are a lot ), its like i dont need anything else. (it is lacking some modern features and simulations, but not a big deal to me).

Also have Grand Prix 4 installed, that game is a gem.