Question How do you beat A I, Ghost, & other People?

Give me a education on can you or how to beat A I and ghost cars. Here I am beating my brains out trying to beat people and computers on Stowe ( short ). A 8/10 mile track with 8 corners and one
chicane? I believe " Get real" means Nash, other people beating your time in leaderboards know how to beat the computers. I don't believe we are trying to beat drivers. Other people know how to beat the computers and you don't know the computers (A I, ghost cars, other people) yet. A 31.980 against my 39.284 at Stowe with a Judd. We are all driving the same car in the leaderboard. 7 secs + difference, wow! I mean I know I have only been in this game for a couple of weeks, but 7 sec's on the smallest track? A I bumping me out of the way. Ghost cars going though me like nothing. Other drivers 7 sec's faster. Can you beat A I and ghost cars? Other drivers knowing the system. Give me your point of view and educate me. What do I not understand yet?
Nash

 

use the leaderboards in a way that trains you , pick a time that is maximum 1 second faster , turn on the race line and the ghost ; and do the laps ;, as you get faster challenge another ghost , once again , no more than a second faster , rince and repeat

Andi

 

That 's what I have been doing. Following ghosts, lines, spin the Judd out, crash etc. I feel sometimes Some people know now to work the computers and cut though the grass etc. I can see maybe a sec on Stowe, but over 7 sec's?

 

You've just gone through what everybody goes through at some point or another in this hobby.

I thought I was pretty good too until I had my first multi-player race. Then I discovered that I was two seconds slower than the SLOWEST of the regulars. Don't even ask how far behind the leaders I was.
Now that's a cold, hard reality-check.
We've all been there. And yes, they really are that fast.

Granted, with time-trials you can gain valuable time by doing them over and over again, eking out every last ounce of track you can find. But the principle remains the same. There are people out there who are just stupid fast.

So take Andis advice. Pick a ghost that are just a little faster than you until you can beat that.
Then pick another just out of reach.
Repeat ad nauseum.
While practice may not make perfect, it's almost guaranteed to make you faster.

 

Andi, I push keyboard 3 and is said's "ghost car off". I push keyboard 3 again and it said's "own or challenged". What does that mean? How much control do drivers have over ghost cars? You state "challenge another ghost". Please explain? Can I put 2 or 3 ghost cars on the track with me if I want at one time? If so. how? Can I change the ghost cars speed? How? Can I change the skill level of the ghost car (novice, amateur, get real)? If so, how? Can you stay ahead of the ghost car? Or are the computers designed to be better than the driver always? Cheerfullyinsane, "pick another out of reach". I have only seen one ghost car on the track with me at a time. I do not know much about them or RR's Artificial intelligence. Common sense states, do has they do, only if you can keep up with them. Al i know about ghost cars is keyboard 3. But, I do not know what it means, "own or challenged".

Nash

 

Hi,
"own or challenged" means that either your own (previous best run's) ghost or someone else ghost will be displayed, depending on how you launched the leaderboard's run: Use the green button for challenging yourself, and one of the black one to challenge someone else ghost.

 

Jetsun, I have been running leaderboards for about a week now. It is a good way to learn. I always push the green button. Are you saying the ghost car that's running with me is a pervious run of mine? And the black button by the driver's name is the ghost car of that driver's time? I did not know I was running against myself or that driver's time. I thought it was just something RR's Artificial intelligence was putting up. So, I have been chasing my own dam tail like a dog if I understand you right. Anything else you can tell me about leaderboards that could help me?

Thanks Nash

 

Yup, that was your tail. But I generally chase my own tail until I can see no improvement and then choose a ghost 1 second faster, or rather now that I'm a bit more consistent and confident in cars I first work my way up the leaderboard by myself, without my distracting own tail waving around, until I reach a wall and only then I pick up someone else tail.

I'm in my first year of sim racing, with no particular talent. I've come to realize that consistency is a key skill to acquire first, I mean i've heard that advice many times, but to really abide by this advice I had first to realise it's truth by myself.
Having consistency means that you have first developed the skills to be in control of that car, you don't overdrive it like we do first when we try to gain speed, you're in control, focus but kinda relax. Then from there you can build up speed knowing what you're doing, without crashing every lap.
So the last 6 or 9 months I've not done any leaderboard at all, finding fun in building consistency. For that I picked up a gt4 car, could have been the Audi TT cup or the BMW235i, and I've done practice/quali/race session against the Adaptive AI, (Quali 10'/Race 10') I was surprised to realise that I wasn't able to finish a single race without going off track... Adaptive AI placed me in the mid/back field, so helped me to not chase for the win and learn to drive with other around and to have for main goal to stay in track and finish. When I was able to race 10' I increased to 15' then 20' race. First time I did complete a 20' without incident that was quite an achievement to me, I remember the feeling hehe.
I've practiced this way taking all tracks in alphabetical order, main layout, why not lol, diversity helps the learning process, (only now do I pratice other cars to add even more diversities in this process), track we don't like are generally those for which we have not yet discovered all the secret it seems, same for cars I guess, sure we'll have preference, but playing around out of our confort zone is always very beneficial as far as improving is concerned, universal law.
Oh sorry didn't mean to be so long, but thought might help to share what helps me.
Now I mix leaderboard and AI races, I'm still far from top leaderboards and race around 100-105 AI level, but the fun have increased a lot by becoming kinda consistent, the driving fun, longer race I've done up to now is one hour, just finishing is real great, as exhausted as after a pro 24h race though lol. As soon as my internet allows me I'll add ranked severs racing into the mix.
Oh and as I'm theory type guy I've read some books and watched some vids (driver61 on YT)
Cheers

Oh and btw that was @OtterNas3 That advised me to race against Adaptative AI, I was asking what AI level should I aim for before going online, and that was his advice, now I can only thank him very much as it was a wise one indeed .

 

Jetsun, I learn a lot from you. So many people take for granted I know what they are talking about and I do not. I have only been in this sport for 2 weeks and am limited on some computer terms. I got into sim racing from seeing some on TV. Got a T-150 two pedal basic set and using the free stuff to see if I like it. Starters stiff. My X said I was always chasing my tail. I see what she means now. What do you mean by "Adaptive AI" & "AI level". I enter one race at RR raceway. I was practicing and drivers kept running in the back of me, so I got out of there. People told me about Muitplayer. Before I was doing just single player and was getting tried of it. Muitplayer cars were running all over me on the track. I was looking around the site an run across leaderboard. Started to push buttons and found something I liked. I didn't know too much about it, only I was trying to beat someone time. Didn't know who, how when, etc. Just can I get on the leaderboard. There was no ghost car. My system went down and I could not get RR back so I had to reinstall RR. I went back to pushing the green button in leaderboard. Then I see this car blowing by me. I said now what is that? I figured out it was a ghost car, but I know nothing about these ghost cars and what RR's AI was doing to me etc. What's a ghost car doing on my track in leaderboard. How to control it etc. I said these people know more about AI and how to beat it, because 7 sec faster on a small track like Stowe. I said that's just RR's AI and it's not a real driver. The "get real" drivers can be over 7 sec less than me on a small track like Stowe? Maybe a large track, but not a small track. Keep feeding me more terms with definitions. I love people's stories, keep telling me some of them.
NASH

 

It's a big hobby, and trying to take all of it in in one go is a bit like trying to get a drink from a firehose.
So first understand that you won't learn it all in a week.
Hell, I've been at this for more than 20 years (off and on), and I'm still a mid-level racer.

As Jetsun said, consistency is far more important than outright pace. It's no good having a monstrously fast lap if you spin out on the next three laps.
So concentrate on simply keeping it on track, and doing consistent laps (time-wise). Once you can do that, then you can start thinking about going faster.
And I wouldn't start with the Judd. Those hill-climb monsters are outright bastards to control.
Try the Silhouettes or the Aquila (also in the free pack). They're much more docile, and easier to get consistent with.
There was another thread on a similar topic which might interest you:
https://forum.sector3studios.com/index.php?threads/driving-school.14702/

Oh, and don't do multi-player with the free content.
Don't get me wrong, multi-player is great fun when it works. The problem with the free content servers is that it's full of people who have just downloaded the free content, and they have zero experience, and even less racecraft. So getting rammed is pretty much standard.

 

Have little actual advice to add as the most important bits have already been brought up. Start slowly, learn to stay in control of the car and try to get consistent lap times in. Then start pushing bit by bit. But always keep in mind if you dream of fighting with the very best (who btw would surely shave another second or two off of that 31.9) then youre gonna have to practice a whole lot and even then itll take quite a while.
Now just in case youre interested in what a fast lap could look like i went and drove that combo for half an hour. The first thing i had to realise is that this car is a proper beast that enjoys getting you in trouble almost every corner when pushed to its (or my ) limit so as @CheerfullyInsane said youre probably better off using a different car for the first phase of your learning.
It was my first time driving this car myself and only the second time driving on stowe short so probably dont take my lap as how it has to be done but i ended up with a 32.1 so i guess its at least a way you can get around the track fairly fast.

Recorded the replay from cockpit view and chase cam, on the left side you can see my brake/throttle/steering inputs to give you a better idea of what exactly i did. Maybe it can help a little (either now or at some point in the future when youve already gotten more consistent and quicker already) or maybe there was no point in me writing all this
Either way enjoy your driving

 

Nico, Thanks for your i point of view. Here's is a little about me. I join about the 5th of April. I was born with Cerebral palsy on my right side. Limited use of my right fingers and right foot. It's hard for me to work the right paddle on the wheel and gas pedals. So I use automatic and left foot for gas. I can use a "H" pattern shifter because I can grab the ball of the stick shifter with my right hand and work it. I started out with a Black Cougar C-14-1 at Stowe (short). I love short track and time trial stuff. I believe in starting out with the easy stuff. Short tracks are easier than the big ones. Loved that car and track. I have gone to RR Raceway and practice but keep going back to Stowe. I wanted to beat everybody"s time at Stowe before I move up to a bigger tracks so I moved to a Judd at Stowe. I upgraded to Judd thinking again about beating everybody's time at Stowe.
I don't know all of the RR's and computer terms people use, so I go to Google or lower my pride and ask what are you talking about. Just like I didn't know that black button in leaderboards was that driver's ghost car time going by. As I understand it. So, what those other guys said in this thread is starting to make since now. I only worked with the green button in leaderboards. I have worked in single player. If you know of good learn how to videos on Youtube, pass them on. I would like to hear from other people point of view. Should I work in multiplayer?

Nash

 

I too love hearing about people story. Btw pride is ignorance speaking, mostly, ego inflation, always good to keep this one in control by stepping on it here n there to shut it down, well done.

In Single player mode you can set up in the menu before the race the AI level to a number, the bigger the number the quicker they will go. Or you can set the AI level to 'Adaptative', in which case the pace of the AI, the number, will be internally chosen and adapted to your pace in race, at first the AI will be way too slow (or too quick can't remember) but after a few short races, the Adaptative system will have well learned your pace so that it choose the right level number and you'll be in middle position of the race, with some AI going a bit faster and others going a bit slower. So it's like having ghost around you adapted to your current level, so a good training for the leaderboard.
Gonna do a bit of cougar at short Stowe leaderboard tomorrow, sounds fun.
Have you tried sepang, the short ones? And the CR1?

As for the videos I personally like those
https://driver61.com/uni/
https://driver61.com/sim-racing/
You'll find some others in the thread linked by Cheerfullyinsane up there.

Oh n do you have a H Pattern?

 

Jetsun, You are going to have to what I call "spoon feed me". I go into Single player. And I see AI difficulty, number of opponents, type of day,... you know were I am. Under AI difficulty, I got numbers 80 thru 120. I set it on 80. Next down the list I go to "number of opponents ", I put "2", Race grid is "1". I skip over to "Qualifying" and I put "2". I go to start mode and put "rolling start". I think that all I change. And then I push " Go Race". I qualifying. After I qualify and get my lap time. I back out of the game. I tired to do one race but the cars were all over me. So I have not been back since that. I figured I was not fast enough even at 80 AI difficulty to race. So I kept practicing with the Canhard R51. I would only use single player to get a lap time to log in my book. I have not been in single player in about 10 days. I switch to Judd after I got over to Leaderboards. I do not have a "H" pattern. I never seen "AI Level". I do not know were you are at. Never tried sepang or the CR-1. My time in a judd is 56.706 at Stowe. A 43.192 at Stowe in the Canhard. I mis spoke about the cougar. I was in a Canhard R51 before the Judd at Stowe, practicing. I don't beleive I never been in the cougar. I did a 2:15:227 time at RR Raceway (G.Pix) in the Canhard. Thanks for the video leads.

Nash

 

@Nash Bobo
Just a couple of tips

1. Have you turned on the "ideal racing line"?
   It shows up as a green line on the track which indicates the best place to drive and it also shows red when you need to brake.
   
   
2. Don't even try to race multiplayer or even with the AI until you can drive consistent lap times.
   Having other cars on the track just complicates everything and forces you to drive in places on the track that make it more complicated to navigate around a turn
   
   
3. Don't race your own or anybody else's ghost car until you can drive consistent lap times
   Again it just complicates the experience whilst you are learning a track; the "Ideal Race Line" is the best way to learn to drive.
   
   
4. Short tracks can be more complicated to drive!
   On a short track the corners come up very fast and the roads are generally narrower & the turns are usually much sharper
   The free RR raceway circuit is actually quite tricky with it's undulations!
   What circuits (tacks) do you own?
5. Don't worry about your speed!
   I know that sounds silly but you are best to just turn on the "ideal race line" and drive around the track slowly; once you can do a couple of laps without spinning of driving off the track then go a little faster
   
   With every lap you do you will start to remember where you made mistakes and the next time you come to the corner again hopefully you won't make the same mistake again
   
   A freind once asked me how did I remember all the corners in Dirt Rally (and there are 1000's of them)?
   I said I didn't remember ALL the corners; only the ones that I crashed on so that I don't make the same mistake again!

So don't try to drive fast; just try to be consistent and did I mention to turn on the ideal Race Line" guide!

 

learn zandvoort
it has nearly every type of corner you will encounter in racing

Andi

 

Ok Nash,

Matt and Andi just gave you nice tips it seems, far more experienced than I am, but as you own only free content i would suggest then to learn Sepang, north, south then the full circuit, with the raceline 'on' at first, you can put in on from the in car pause menu, press 'p' or 'esc', can't remember the default biding, when in car then

By AI level I meant AI difficulty sorry, but looks like you need to practice alone first, you can do that on the leaderboard ghost off, or by setting 0 opponent.


I can't see your time on the canhard leaderboard stowe short, found you on the judd one though.

I've learned the racing line and breaking points (see first videos of driver61) with the FRJ, might seems more difficult at first, but teach you right habits right from the beginning imo, my second choice could be CR1, then silhouette.

Once you 'know' the track I would put the raceline off and then also try to find a solution to go for manual shifting, like binding two buttons at the reach of your left thumb, as I never saw a quick guy using manual shifting, but you already have plenty lo learn.

 

Thanks Jetsun

 

Hey Jetsun, I am # 5 in novice with a time of 43.192. # 57 in all with the canhard.

 

Hey Jetsun, I seen your little bad ass in # 8 in "all" with your 36.881 time on the boards. Maybe some day I'll catch you.

Answer that new thread I put up.

https://forum.sector3studios.com/index.php?threads/opinion-what-the-best-car-to-learn-in.14908/

Nash