Racing wheels

[Orphiuchus]

Ok, so after weeks of bullshit I've finally just requested a refund on my order for a Fanatec Carrera (http://www.fanatec.de/webshop/new_usa/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=57&osCsid=8cad4d0d24e80ab1ad93d318f2b9bb14) wheel. Based on them shipping me a broken wheel and clearly not knowing what the fuck they are doing, I'm not sure when I'll actually get my money back, but in the mean time I'll see if anyone has advice on buying a competing wheel.


I'm looking for something of decent quality with a clutch and a stick, ideally I would get a Logitech G27 but they've been sold out for months and Logitech doesn't seem bothered by this, so fuck knows when those will be available again. Anyone have a recommendation?


And BTW, avoid Fanatec like the plague. They don't produce reliable products and they cant handle repairs or returns thanks to being so small.

[nailerr]

It seems like the only other kind people mention is the g2x range. Can't say I have seen any other with clutch that is not an absurd price.

I take it this is not on Xbox 360 or you would not even be looking for another make right?

[bowie]

Play-Asia has G27s in stock. Comments suggest it might be a bit overpriced though.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-7qwr-71-zl-49-en-84-j-70-3kn0.html

I have a Logitech Driving Force GT and I've been happy with it. It is missing the clutch and has a sequential shifter so it isn't really what you are looking for but the price is much more reasonable than the G2x range. All the best finding a good wheel it makes such a difference for driving games.

[Orphiuchus]

It seems like the only other kind people mention is the g2x range. Can't say I have seen any other with clutch that is not an absurd price.

I take it this is not on Xbox 360 or you would not even be looking for another make right?

Yea, I'm shopping for PC.

Play-Asia has G27s in stock. Comments suggest it might be a bit overpriced though.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-7qwr-71-zl-49-en-84-j-70-3kn0.html

I have a Logitech Driving Force GT and I've been happy with it. It is missing the clutch and has a sequential shifter so it isn't really what you are looking for but the price is much more reasonable than the G2x range. All the best finding a good wheel it makes such a difference for driving games.


Hmm... $370 is a little much for a G-27, they're usually $300 flat, and that was at the extreme north end of what I would pay in the first place.


Its really looking like there isn't another wheel that fits what I want without going into the $500-1000 price range, which is really absurd. Logitech seriously needs to get a new product out there for like $200.

It looks like I'm giving fanatec 1 more chance anyway, they just responded to my refund request by saying they had my new wheel boxed and ready to ship, so because there are no other wheels out there I'm going to let them send me a new one. I'm very worried about it not working again, or breaking within a few weeks, but when there's no competition there's no choice. I'll post again when it shows up without pedals or something.

[Franjo]

Give Fanatec one more shot Orphiuchus, I'm sure they can make it right. Let me know how it goes, I'm still look at a May delivery date at some point.

I was in the same boat as you, I have this money to spend but not a lot of products out there. Fanatec was the only option as I wanted 360 and pc support.

On a side note, since we're both new into the world of wheels we should do some online racing, practice sessions while over teamspeak. It'd be a blast.

I don't know what games your playing but I can do gtr2, GT Legends, Race on + any expansions, rfactor + any mods. You name it.

Also back to Fanatec, one thing that I've read is that they're now expanding their support by a lot and better service is on the way.

[Franjo]

370 for a g27 is totally crazy. I'd rather buy a Fanatec 911 GT3 Wheel ($179.95), with Clubsport pedals ($199) which destroy all other pedals on the market. Total in,

That would total $378.95.

I realize you don't get a shifter, but for $50 you get the six speed and the sequential from Fanatec, or order without a shifter and pickup the clubsport shifter and handbrake when they come out later this year.

[Orphiuchus]

370 for a g27 is totally crazy. I'd rather buy a Fanatec 911 GT3 Wheel ($179.95), with Clubsport pedals ($199) which destroy all other pedals on the market. Total in,

That would total $378.95.

I realize you don't get a shifter, but for $50 you get the six speed and the sequential from Fanatec, or order without a shifter and pickup the clubsport shifter and handbrake when they come out later this year.

Except that I already know for a fact that Fanatec will ship you broken shit and then take forever to fix it.

...Fingers crossed on this replacement ever arriving/working if it does.

[Orphiuchus]

...
On a side note, since we're both new into the world of wheels we should do some online racing, practice sessions while over teamspeak. It'd be a blast.

I don't know what games your playing but I can do gtr2, GT Legends, Race on + any expansions, rfactor + any mods. You name it.

...

Totally, at the moment I'm primarily trying to master shift 2 and F1 2010, but I'll eventually grab one of the more pure sims like rfactor once I'm up and runnin.

[Hagetaka]

Totally, at the moment I'm primarily trying to master shift 2 and F1 2010, but I'll eventually grab one of the more pure sims like rfactor once I'm up and runnin.

How's Shift 2 going? Still frustrated by the dirty racing?

[Orphiuchus]

Heh, its on break until my new wheel gets here. I will figure that game out though.

[Orphiuchus]

I just tried some more Shift 2 with my MOMO(because when I procrastinate there's no limit to the shit I'll try), and I am starting to figure a few things out.

One thing I noticed is that you aren't going to win races in this game with whichever car you want, you have to pick up situation appropriate cars based on stats and tune/upgrade them specifically for some/most races. You make plenty of money as you go, so its not really an issue, you just have to be aware of it.

Another thing is that although the AI is over-aggressive, you can avoid it by always tuning your car for quick first few gear acceleration. Once you're out in front as long as you don't blow a corner(which is still a huge issue for me, but made better by careful tuning) its a free win. Drive a car that can get out in front early and its much easier.

Another note on tuning; although there are few tracks with fairly long straightaways, every single track contains tight cornering. Tuning your car for corners and accelerating out of them over straights is the way to go on every single track I've tried, 95% of your losses will come from blowing a corner(which is an instant loss since you usually wind up backwards on the wall) or getting spun out on one.

There are clearly some parts of the game that either don't work as intended or are just bullshit, such as trying to drift with a wheel(I googled it, apparently it really is impossible. I hate drifting anyway). All steering wheels apparently lose force feedback occasionally in game due to some persistent bug, which is pretty much an instant loss if you're on a corner(fanatec reset buttons turn it back on, so just be ready to pause and fix it once a race or so).

So the game isn't perfect, but its not only the best looking racing game out there, it also has the most responsive clutch+H-shifter controls of any of the games I've tried. I cant wait for my replacement carerra to get here(tomorrow! They came through on shipping!) so I can play with it some more. There's a nice enough mix of depth, difficulty, and borderline survival horror(night races on tight tracks... ugh) to keep me coming back, even if parts of the game are still broken.

[Orphiuchus]

Ok, got the new wheel and it works great! I kept chipping away at shift 2 until I saw a reference to "race07" somewhere and grabbed the demo.

I'm done with shift 2. When an actual full blown sim has easier driving physics than a game its not a realism and difficulty issue, its just bad.

Anyway, I've added Race07 to by racing library and I'll probably grab a expansion or two over the next week. F1 2010, although it doesn't use the clutch and shifter, is also a blast with this working wheel.

[Franjo]

Orph,

Great decision. You should try GTR2 as well. All the Race 07 games and the expansions are fun as hell. Driving in the rain with the wipers on and all assists off are fantastic. As soon as I get my wheel, lets do it up. I will send you a message when I get it so we can dive into some of these games together. Glad the wheel is working great for you.

[Orphiuchus]

Any word on your wheel? I've been having a great time in shift 2 since they patched it, and I would love someone who's not cheating or ramming to race against.

[canzeber]

Atlanta driving adventure (http://www.racingadventure.com/)
Posted by ladywatch

what are your thoughts on trying Dale Jarrett Racing School

This is was their site says

There you have it, the places where you can have a NASCAR racing experience. Always remember that you don’t have to become a professional racer just to drive NASCAR. As a matter of fact, you don’t even have to learn how to drive a city car just to have a NASCAR driving experience. With a little research using the Internet, you will soon be able to experience the thrill of riding at 180 mph.