Games
Eight ways you can improve your lap times in the new console racing sim.
Into a console racing simulator scene already housing Project CARS, Forza Motorsport 6 and F1 2016 comes Assetto Corsa, out this weekend on PS4 and Xbox One, and arguably the most punishing and realistic racer on the pit lane. This is a game which makes few concessions to newcomers and doesn't hold back when it comes to prioritising the provision of real-world physics over accessible gameplay. To help you get started in your career we've come up with some essential tips to get you started, from how you might want to approach your long-term goals to whether or not you should be relying on the available assists.
Race a lot of Time Trials
It's not advisable to enter a race before you've put in plenty of laps around the upcoming track. Taking part in Time Trials is the best way to do this as you get the track to yourself, that freedom allowing you to concentrate on both your total lap speed and to drill down into any specific corners giving you trouble.
You're going to see even better results should you take the time to run Time Trials in advance of a race each time you change car. Handling characteristics between Assetto Corsa's available garage can be drastically different from one another, so simply knowing the layout of a track isn't enough to guarantee a good time. Practise, practise, practise.
Use all of the track
Making best use of the entire track might seem like an obvious tip, but so few players actually do it. In a racing game, as in real racing, you want to make sure you're positioning your car on the track in such a way as to allow you to accelerate as often and as quickly as possible. The best way to do this is to use the whole width of the track so that when you turn into a corner you're doing so using the shallowest possible angle.
The less dramatic you have to turn the wheel, the more speed you can carry. Starting on the outside of the track as a corner approaches is the best way to do this as it allows you to take the straightest possible line through it.
Experiment with traction control
It might be tempting to get into your car with the traction control (TC) set to maximum in order to prevent the tyres slipping on the tarmac, but in many cases this technology actually slows you down by limiting the amount of power the car will drive into the wheels.
Turning off TC completely will, theoretically, allow you to push the car to its limits and help you achieve faster lap times. However, if you're used to racing with it on maximum then it might be a good idea to race alternate laps with it on and off in order to fully understand the difference it makes and where you can save time by abandoning it. Think of the long term goal
Assetto Corsa is not an easy game. Even if you're an experienced player of other console racing simulators, the difficulty level assigned to the handling model and the speed of AI competitors here is going to surprise you initially. As such, it's easy to become frustrated and disenchanted over the course of your opening races.
The trick is to view the game as a long term proposition as opposed to one of short term gain. In each race it pays to concentrate on simply doing one thing better than you did in the last. That might be hitting the accelerator earlier through a corner you're struggling on, moving up and down through the gears more smoothly or getting better at using the whole width of the track.
If you can focus on these small gains then you'll always be aware that you're making progress, even if winning races remains difficult for now. These consistent, visible gains will provide the encouragement needed to improve your long term performance. Don't push too hard early in a race
Until your tyres are up to prime temperature you're going to struggle through corners if you attack them too aggressively. Through the first couple of laps you should be concentrating on maintaining your position in the pack and setting yourself up to pounce as soon as your tyres are up to temperature. Only when you're confident that your car can handle being thrown into the upcoming corner in a bid to execute a risky overtaking manoeuvre should you attempt to do so.
Slow, then fast
One of the best ways to learn the relationship between your speed approaching a corner and that when you're racing through a corner is to drive slower. When you're learning a track it pays to never put your pedal to the metal and instead limit yourself to 60 or 70 percent throttle at all times until you're comfortable that you wholly understand how much you need to slow down for a corner in relation to your approach speed.
Once you've mastered a track at 70 percent throttle you can then move up in 10 percent increments until you're ready to go flat out. This approach takes times, but success in Assetto Corsa is about calm, steady progress. Avoid contact as much as possible
Using cars as barriers might help you gain time in other racing games, but it simply doesn't pay off in Assetto Corsa. Yes, if you get lucky you can use a competitor as a brake and make it round a corner, but you're not learning anything about your car or your driving by doing this and the tactic can't be relied upon to win every race you enter thereafter.
In particular, if you have ambitions to race online against real humans then you certainly should be making every effort to not knock into others. Not only does it bring with a high possibility that both participants in the collision are going to finish way down the pack, but your standing in the community is going to plummet and future races are going to be difficult to come by.
Consider buying a racing wheel
If you're really serious about setting the fastest lap times possible and mastering every car then you're going to have to invest in a racing wheel. A control pad is only going to take you so far, the tiny corrections required to keep your car in perfect track position and at peak acceleration simply not possible when confined to an analogue stick and shoulder buttons.
Plus, a racing wheel has the added benefit of making you feel more like a real racing driver. In turn, that helps with your motivation to be the best.
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