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 The game Dirt Rally is a very realistic driving game that just so happens to be about a motor sport that’s very fun. There’s a varied selection of cars and tracks to race on, and since so much of the online play is asynchronous you can have an active competition without having to suffer the people who play games online. Where this thread comes in Even though it’s a fun action game, I feel the one big thing keeping people from playing it is that it’s difficult from the get-go, and they’re right. There’s very little in the way of tutorials, you just start out in a relatively easy, slow-moving car and get told to go out and race. There’s a lot of difficult concepts it could be teaching you, and the car progression would be the perfect grounds to do so, but there's little to nothing in the way of conveying these concepts to the player outside of loading screen hints. The console release and its accompanying PC update will apparently include videos that are supposed to help, but I'm not sure if that’s going to be adequate. Format Each update will take on a certain car and a few aspects of it that I feel are relevant to it. There will be a video explaining some generalised terms, as well as a detailed write-up on one or two subjects mentioned in the video. Viewer participation league Dirt Rally lets you form a “league” where whoever owns it puts together a list of tracks. Whoever joins the league can then race through those tracks to set a total time. Each player’s total times are then compared and put on a leader board of sorts. I've made one as a sort of accompaniment to this series. Each update will have an accompanying season for the league, that should somehow fit with the mechanics I've laid out in the update. I’ll also be setting my own times and I’d love to see people beat them. Oh, and there’s no prize except bragging rights. You can join by clicking this link ...I’m not laying out any schedule on this because I can't imagine a schedule I could abide by. Let’s just say the updates will come often enough and the delay between updates will be at least a week. The Dirt Telemetry tool - Cortextual's version Originally developed by Zeb, this fork of their telemetry tool shows information for what forces are enacted on the car, whether it's from the engine or the environment. You can find it here  From left-to-right: G-ball Shows which direction the car is accelerating and how hard. Average speed, gear Self-explanatory. Gear number changes colour depending on whether it's shifting up or down. Pedals Clutch, brake, accelerator. Wheel You can configure how far this thing goes. Since I'm using an analog stick to steer I picked the narrowest range, that being 200°. It's clearer that way. Revs Shows how many times the crank spins per minute. Weight distribution Measures how hard each wheel is pushing up against the shock absorbers, goes red when the springs bottom out. Parts list: Part 1: Best Practices and FF (video) Part 2: The Lancia STratos (video) Part 3: Rallycross 1600s (video) Part 4: The '80s (video) Part 5: Tuning (video) Part 6: Hillclimbing (video) Part 7: Group A (video) Part 8: F2 Kit Cars (video) Part 9: R4 (video) Part 10: 2000s (video) Part 11: 2010s (video) Part 12: Mop-up (video) Great Joe fucked around with this message at 23:50 on Oct 27, 2016 |
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Mar 26, 2016 01:35
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Part 1: Best Practices and FF https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpXvxYFgm9c It’s good to start slow, and in the case of the Mini Cooper, it can be fun to go back to being slow once in a while. Today's text is on a subject that might seem confusing but is pretty important when starting out: Pacenotes Before every race, rally drivers and co-drivers go on several reconnaissance drives through stages, or “recces”. During these recces, the crew take note of each feature of each stage and write them down, then see how well driving according to these notes goes. The basic formula is to find a good general speed for turns, finding the distance between turns and also noting any special obstacles or features that might change how the driver should act around the turn. If you take a look to the right in most of the cars while in first-person, you’ll see your co-driver reading those pacenotes on a notepad. Let’s take a look at Dirt Rally’s more common pacenotes: Turn numbers For example: “Left 4”, “right 6”, “left 2”. The general principle is that the lower the number the tighter the angle. In the Mini Cooper and Lancia Fulvia you generally don’t have to worry about turns until they’re numbered 4 or lower, but in other cars it’s important to note the differences. Even tighter turns In order they’re Square, Hairpin and Acute. Squares and hairpins generally require you to be in second or first gear, acutes generally should only be taken in first gear. Turn notes Don’t cut: Cutting is short for “taking a shortcut” and it can help you take a second or two off your time if you can do it without slowing down. “Don’t cut” is a very specific warning against this behaviour and every time the co-driver says this, it’s not for no reason. Bad camber: the edge of the turn is not conducive to taking this turn fast and you’ll probably lose a lot of grip after the turn. Slow down or risk driving into a wall. Tightens/Opens: The width of the road and/or the angle of the turn changes as it goes on, and this can either help or harm your run. Angle changes Any change in angle to the road you drive on can affect your grip dramatically, and it can help to take note of that and react accordingly. These are jumps, bumps, crests and dips. “Jump maybe” means that you’re at risk of jumping. Maybe. Straights If there’s a 40-meter straight or longer, there’s a note for that fact. Keep note of it as you might be tempted to accelerate and will have to slow down if there’s a sharp turn at the end of the straight.
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Mar 26, 2016 01:35
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Oh right, I guess I should post my rig: It's got live reactive force feedback. By which I mean it shakes some when the game tells it to. Some of the top players use this or something like it. edit: The reason they work is because Rally doesn't require fine control over the wheel, all the fine motions you need to do is on the pedals, and the triggers are good enough for that. edit2: I also wrecked a lot when I started this game. One thing that does help is that you're not really expected to finish first or even above tenth place when you start out. The game reinforces this by having whatever car you buy start out at less than max power. This helps you get accustomed to the car and also serves as a little "hey, it's okay to take it easy" for the player. 
Great Joe fucked around with this message at 02:11 on Mar 26, 2016 |
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Mar 26, 2016 01:56
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Oh right, I almost forgot. The first season of the league starts tomorrow, Sunday the 27th of March and ends a week after, 11:59 PM on Sunday the 3rd of April. You'll have plenty of opportunities to restart if you feel like you could do better, and if you're starting out I suggest you use them. Also, watch out for seasoned goons Cart Captor Karen and Triple A. They're liable to get top positions. That is, if they don't obey best practices and end up crashing somewhere.  edit: I do have some pointers on how to handle the Stratos. It's a steep cliff to climb after getting acquainted with the Mini and I think that's kind of a mean decision considering how easy the Group A cars are to handle in comparison. Great Joe fucked around with this message at 00:54 on Mar 27, 2016 |
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Mar 26, 2016 16:24
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I'm using Semi-Auto. That means I can override the automatic transmission's decisions on gears whenever I want and I can release the clutch when I want. That last one is only available if you activate Clutch Override. When to deploy the clutch is material for a later episode. Unfortunately the overlay I'm using now doesn't show handbrake information since it draws from the game's "UDP information", which doesn't include handbraking information for some reason. I can tell you I was employing the handbrake heavily on those last two hairpins, the very last one I let go and redeployed it several times as the back end was going back in line too soon. For details, here's a link. I've also put info on what this thing shows in the OP. edit: I've done some research on another method (which included learning some rudamentary CSS to edit this control overlay by a guy called "mrmcpowned") to display user input on-screen. It works with OBS and OBS Multiplatform, but neither of those are good at recording this game. Here's the best result I could get by recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Rn86EFLkTY As you can see, the framerate is pretty bad and the recording quality is muddy, even for Wales. This overlay is great for streaming though. If you want to use it, the link's here Great Joe fucked around with this message at 17:15 on Mar 26, 2016 |
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Mar 26, 2016 16:45
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What's really weird is just how relaxed the 037 can be in some environments, which will throw you way off when it really starts acting up. Update: I've added subtitles to the video, in case you don't want- or can't hear my voice.
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Mar 26, 2016 19:50
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The Lancia Stratos isn't lacking in the fun department, but it's placed way too early in the car progression. You can buy this incredibly difficult machine right after what's supposed to be a tutorial on how to go reasonably fast in an FF car and it's a wall for anyone who plays this as their first serious sim. In a reasonable design, the GUI and car pricing would be pointing you at the F2 kit cars, Group As or R4s. Still, since it IS so early, I think the next update should be about it. But let me make this clear to anyone who hasn't already: Please don't buy the Lancia Stratos until you've mastered some 4WD cars. Great Joe fucked around with this message at 22:39 on Mar 26, 2016 |
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Mar 26, 2016 22:36
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The setup of car upgrades in leagues kinda makes sense if you remember that upgrades are essentially a way to ease you into the behaviour of that particular car. You start out with an engine that's slightly slower, turbos work on lower pressures, and a setup kit that's much simpler. These are all things that make the car easier to handle while you get to grips with it. edit: So far this thread is only really about Dirt Rally, but I might do something with other car games in the future if they strike my fancy. If you wanna do your own thing with Rally Trophy or Richard Burns Rally, be my guest. Great Joe fucked around with this message at 22:36 on Mar 27, 2016 |
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Mar 27, 2016 22:33
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Yeah, I'm not doing left-foot braking until we hit the 4WDs, unless you can make a case for it vs. handbraking in the FFs or just putting your right foot down in the rear-wheel drives.
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Mar 27, 2016 23:56
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Shine posted:If you prefer arcadey rally then Dirt 3 can be had for cheap. Fun fact: Some time after releasing Dirt 3, Codemasters acquired the team behind Sega Rally Revo and set them on making Grid 2. Not sure how many of them are still at Codemasters, but I do know that Grid 2 is good arcadey fun as well. Also, this LP is all about self-improvement. When I set the league up I made sure to give you both the ability to restart each stage and -the event itself if you feel like you could do better. If only it'd let you restart after completing the whole series... Anyway, even if you're just a bit rusty and getting back into the hang of it, feel free to abuse the heck out of that.
Great Joe fucked around with this message at 15:34 on Mar 28, 2016 |
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Mar 28, 2016 13:56
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Well I did a run-through and, oh- Huh. Well, I guess I can go on to figure out how this Stratos thing works. So far I've mostly been doing this http://webm.host/cfe2f/vid.webm Great Joe fucked around with this message at 19:04 on Mar 28, 2016 |
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Mar 28, 2016 19:01
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No worries. My test post for this thing was on the Stratos. What's really getting me is Sweden and just how harsh the Masters AI is on that particular stage (whatever you call Lysvik in reverse). Somehow the Masters AI tends to swing between being in the double digits or somewhere in the 1200s when you look at the global leaderboards. There was one stage in Greece, I forget which, where the top Masters driver would be placed ~65th in the world. Somehow I felt compelled to beat that. Anyway, it's weird. edit: Might as well complete this humblebrag with a couple screenshots. Great Joe fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Mar 29, 2016 |
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Mar 29, 2016 00:46
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Oh, definitely floor it. Your tires and suspension are made to keep traction up when you spin out, and it keeps you in the higher revs where you get the most power.
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Mar 29, 2016 12:32
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Pick it up, then.
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Mar 29, 2016 21:16
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C'mon guys, at least link the thing for those who wanna try it.
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Mar 30, 2016 16:05
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As much as I want to recommend this game to EVERYONE, I wouldn't recommend Dirt Rally as your first-ever racing game. Give Burnout Paradise a try, it's got the smoothest learning curve I've seen in any game ever and it's a whole lot of fun.
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Mar 30, 2016 17:11
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You can also hunt down a copy of Richard Burns Rally, since that at least has a proper Rally School. You'll need all the skills it teaches you to play the game, though.
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Apr 1, 2016 23:36
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By the way guys. Clock's ticking. If anyone would still like to get their times entered in the league, they gotta finish today. edit: Remember that if you haven't finished all four stages and want to improve a stage you already finished, you can reset your event progress, BUT that means you have to repeat all of the stages you've already done. Great Joe fucked around with this message at 03:50 on Apr 3, 2016 |
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Apr 3, 2016 03:30
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Part 2: The Lancia Stratos (I must apologise, I came down with the flu so my nose got backed up and now my voice is all weird) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIVEbgjYH1o The Lancia Stratos is a lot of things: It's pretty, it's deadly, it's a lot of fun. From a game design stand-point it shouldn't even be here, it's like if they put the fight against Metal Gear ZEKE right after Blade Wolf. Sure, it's a lot of fun, but it might be a bit premature. In the video I try to explain how to account for its weight transfer, but you also need to know about the traction circle.  (shamelessly taken from this article on autospies.com) (again) The traction circle is a nice graphical representation of how forces can be enacted on one tire or many. In the best conditions, you can either push the accelerator or brake completely down, or you can turn the steering wheel as far as it goes in either direction. The force vectors for doing that stay within the circle. Combine two of those force vectors and you'll go outside that circle, that particular wheel stops moving as fast as the ground below, it loses traction. If you want to keep grip you have to use gentler steering or get off the pedal. Of course, you might WANT to get the back end further out in the turn, and for that it can help to get the back wheels outside the traction circle, but we're talking about the Stratos. Don't try to force oversteer in the Stratos, that's usually a bad idea.
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Apr 4, 2016 02:01
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Yeah, next update's gonna be on RallyX, since with the new patch your starting money can get you an old RallyX-able Mini, and there's another tier right between that and the RallyX Supercars. I know it's back in the 1960s, but would you be interested in hearing about the Alpine A110?
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Apr 5, 2016 14:08
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Early RallyX trip report: https://zippy.gfycat.com/TartNiceDormouse.webm At least with the RallyX Supercars you could shift early into second to catch up. I think this might just be a case of everyone having fully upgraded cars except me. edit: oh, pardon the high res Great Joe fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Apr 6, 2016 |
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Apr 6, 2016 22:25
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I'm really glad that my tips are helping you out, Edmond! As I've said, this LP is all about self improvement, and I hope that you'll soon get that first place in your Impreza.  Oh, and there's definitely no shame in using cars that aren't the Stratos. The only reason I chose to make the video about it is because it's such a huge beginner's trap.
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Apr 7, 2016 12:29
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5-6k. Got it. https://zippy.gfycat.com/AnchoredDeficientJanenschia.webm  This is one of those places where it'd be good to have a set of pedals and a shifter. Great Joe fucked around with this message at 22:11 on Apr 7, 2016 |
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Apr 7, 2016 21:58
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Rigged Death Trap posted:Well poo poo. I thought the game would be a bit more sane with matchmaking.  Honestly, I think the first thing I'd buy for this game would be a TrackIR or even some sort of HMD to use in first person. First person is counter-productive both in terms of player performance as well as immersion if you can't look into the turn in a Rally, or check to see the other cars around you in RallyX. As soon as you get head-tracking though, you'd be having a much better time in first person than outside view. Great Joe fucked around with this message at 10:10 on Apr 8, 2016 |
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Apr 8, 2016 09:29
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Just get the Driving Force GT. Great Joe fucked around with this message at 13:55 on Apr 8, 2016 |
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Apr 8, 2016 13:53
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I'd like to apologize for how I've handled the league so far. I wasn't aware that results would just get wiped out when the season's done. 
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Apr 8, 2016 14:56
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Always nice to see more people getting interested in this game, because it really is a good'un. Oh, would you look at the time? It's about time for Part 3: Rallycross 1600s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM3716opVZE I'm not ruling out revisiting Rallycross because the Supercars are very different from the 1600s. Rallycross is so far the only part of this game where there are opponent cars on the same road as you.  I touched on the PIT maneuver in the video, which was apparently invented by american cops somewhere in Virginia. It's still applicable to Rallycross because you force the other car to face the opposite way, losing them several places in the race. At no point are you penalised for touching other cars in Rallycross, and doing so is often very much in your favour. Experiment with throwing your own car's weight around, find ways to put that weight on other cars - it'll help you go faster and make others go slower. The other cars WILL crash into you (if you don't believe me: I recorded over 2 hours of footage and most of that is me getting hosed over by opponents coming out of nowhere to ram into me) so there's really no reason to feel bad for having a crash or ten if it gets you to first. Great Joe fucked around with this message at 10:26 on Apr 11, 2016 |
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Apr 11, 2016 00:53
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I prefer to call them "rowdy". As soon as you get an upgrade or two, you're fully equipped to deal with most of the crashes coming your way. I honestly kinda like this rowdy play style as a contrast to full rallying.
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Apr 11, 2016 20:39
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There's lots of things I could be touching on in this 6-minute video, but not a lot of it would help you drive better. Feel free to come in with any more info on the inner workings of cars later on, though.
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Apr 12, 2016 23:13
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The Dirt Rally thread in Games is giving more recommends to the ERC, because the participants are generally less experienced, so you're likely to see people rising to the top due to some mistake or other.
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Apr 13, 2016 15:22
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This is a game in which best practises ARE drift everywhere, but you better drift right.
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Apr 13, 2016 19:02
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There's only 11 hours left of the current league event, so be sure to get your entries in soon!
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Apr 17, 2016 13:24
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Part 4: The '80s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orCS15L3jY8 The clutch pedal and clutch override become more important as we go up the brackets. There's a whole list of cases for learning how to use the clutch, like pulling yourself out of a ditch after you've crashed to a dead stop, getting yourself up to the powerband if you've had to go low in first gear through a turn, deploying the clutch while in a jump so your driven wheels' speed is only affected by the ground when you land, etc. etc. It might be easy to forget that it's there if you're not used to it, but the clutch pedal is a powerful tool if you know how to use it. (Apologies for the icon in the bottom-right, I only noticed it after recording, and I don't think I can beat the time I set)
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Apr 18, 2016 04:02
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The Casualty posted:I meant to ask before but it slipped my mind. Would you be willing to leave in your post-stage replays, or include them in separate videos? Oh, and Keeper, if you have any doubts about controllers in this game, I can probably beat Triple Alfa's time with a controller for you.
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Apr 22, 2016 13:53
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Yeah, I'll admit I did the last update really late in the night (writing and recording commentary at 2 AM jfc) so I didn't really explain it properly, but part of turbo lag is that your throttle input actually lags. As in: whatever force you put on the gas pedal isn't reflected until some hundreds of milliseconds later. Also, also, I make a point of enabling the "restart event" option in this league. I rarely get a stage right the first time, or even the first 5 times unless it's in a really easy car, so I want you to feel free to retry until you get a stage as close to right as you can. I'll try not to restart myself.
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Apr 22, 2016 15:09
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I've no idea what's up with the split times, but I'm guessing there's something up server-side what with the console release happening, and the growing pains that come with that. I'm putting this LP on hold, since I need to put more and more time into my end-of-semester project, and I don't think I can focus on doing this until I finish the project. Sorry.
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Apr 25, 2016 01:31
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Don't mind me, just keeping this thread out of the archives. Current plan is to start up again come June. Expect an update on the 5th or 6th, the subject of the day will be what's apparently the shittiest Group B car and Group B in general.
Great Joe fucked around with this message at 11:36 on May 12, 2016 |
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May 12, 2016 11:23
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Part 5: Tuning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jeDKmPnszE So hey, sorry about the wait. This newest episode is a bit weird, since I'm still learning how to use this new toy I got called Sony Vegas. I'm also getting a new microphone soon, so look forward to that. Anyway, the MG Metro 6R4 is a bit of an underdog in Group B. It's less powerful than the other cars and heavier than most. It's supposed to make up for the lack of power with its relatively nice handling, but the Delta has it beat there. It's supposed to be a jack of all trades, though I guess the Ford RS200 does that better. Its only saving grace is that it's cheap in its class, and welcomes beginners. Definitely get it first, if you can't afford the Lancia Delta, and then move on to the Peugeot if you want something more.
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Jun 21, 2016 01:03
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By the way, new video means new season of the league is up. I put up some sloppy times you can try to beat. Don't forget that after every stage you can restart if you're unhappy with the time you set. How sloppy are the times I set, you ask? pictured: sloppy
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Jun 22, 2016 20:29
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Yeah, Dirt Rally's on sale. I'd also recommend Grid 2 - stay away from the first one, it's bland as gently caress - also Toybox Turbos is good, and I hear FUEL is decent if you just want to wander around aimlessly around a gigantic map. [link]
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Jun 25, 2016 22:10
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