GT4 and Wheels / Pedals

Eric

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Hi,

I just picked up GT4 a few days ago. Had the previous GT's going back to
GT2 on the PS1. Never really got deeply into the "accurately simulated
racing" until now. Preference had been arcadey racing, the last game being
"Burnout 3" on the XBox. Having a great time with GT4 now though. Decided
early that I would actually play GT through this time around and not simply
just Gameshark it completely ten minutes after bringing it home. I even
started completetly from scratch with GT4, electing to not even transfer my
old GT3 licenses and 100,000 credits.

Completed the A and B licenses (PITA!), but not the IA and IB's yet. Won
enough "Beginner" and "American" races to be able to put together a Dodge
Viper with all the trimmings. First 250+ MPH-capable car that I actually
ever "earned". Going back and reading the "physics sections" of the manuals
in GT2 and GT3 helped tremendously to start actually learning the "art of
cornering". Actually staying on the road now while cornering, well 90
percent of the time anyway. :^)

Still only about 15 percent of the way through, regardless of the many hours
put into GT4. This game is freaking enormous! Anticipating it taking
months to actually open everything up!

Now that the races are getting much harder, thinking its time to go with a
wheel and pedals; Logitech's Driving Force Pro, naturally. Had a
wheel/pedals in the past, but it was just some cheap BS that never got much
use. Roadstar something-or-other. I ended up just giving the thing to my
sister's little brother. The Logitech Driving Force Pro looks like a sure
bet though. Anyway, this leads to the following question:

On what type of objects/surfaces are you mounting your wheel to? One of the
main problems (other than it being a piece of garbage) with the old wheel
was that I never could find an optimum way to place/mount the thing. I'm
pretty heavily into flight simulation and have desktop space setup for such
(keyboard to the side, CH Yoke mounted directly in front, flight stick and
throttle quadrant off to other side for fighters, two monitors, TrackIR2,
PDA being used a a "MFD" to give GPS/WX display, looking next to pick up a
small LCD for piping an FMC through it, ect).

For flight simming, sitting upright in a chair feels natural -- but for
racing, I think I would prefer to be somewhat reclined. I could never find
a way to do such with the old wheel. Tried just about everything. Sitting
in a recliner with a "TV Tray" going across your lap was about the best
could come up with. It was too flimsy though. Mounting the wheel to the
edge of a coffee table kept it stable, but it felt unatural sitting on a
coach (or even floor). I saw that Logitech makes a "lap mount" for the
Driving Force Pro wheel, but majority of reviewers say its practically
worthless.

Anyway, just looking for open suggestions on what others may be doing to be
able to use these wheels/pedals, but from a semi-reclined position. I know
there are a half of dozen "special recliners" made specifically for race
simulators, but they also require a bank robbery to purchase. Plus, I don't
think my GF would be too keen with something like that sitting in the living
room. :^)

I'm using the PS2 with an HDTV and DD/DTS receiver -- so would love to put
enough "realism" element into it. BTW: The intro the GT4 completetly kicks
ass! Its obviously pre-rendered, but can't help wondering if thats what
real-time gameplay will look like (or even better than) on the PS3!

Cheers,
-Eric
 

Jon

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"Eric" <nospam@nospam.not> wrote:

>On what type of objects/surfaces are you mounting your wheel to? One of the
>main problems (other than it being a piece of garbage) with the old wheel
>was that I never could find an optimum way to place/mount the thing.

I'm going through the same issue. I already have a video rocker, so
I'm planning to knock together a small stand for the wheel that's
about the right size -- hopefully I can make it fold up so it fits
behind the sofa, too.

http://gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=55048 has a lot of
interesting ideas, along with some indications that some GT4 fans
either have understanding wives, or are in no danger of finding a wife
to piss off.

-jon-
 
G

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Archived from groups: alt.games.video.sony-playstation2 (More info?)

On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 22:44:49 GMT, "Eric" <nospam@nospam.not> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I just picked up GT4 a few days ago. Had the previous GT's going back to
>GT2 on the PS1. Never really got deeply into the "accurately simulated
>racing" until now. Preference had been arcadey racing, the last game being
>"Burnout 3" on the XBox. Having a great time with GT4 now though. Decided
>early that I would actually play GT through this time around and not simply
>just Gameshark it completely ten minutes after bringing it home. I even
>started completetly from scratch with GT4, electing to not even transfer my
>old GT3 licenses and 100,000 credits.
>
>Completed the A and B licenses (PITA!), but not the IA and IB's yet. Won
>enough "Beginner" and "American" races to be able to put together a Dodge
>Viper with all the trimmings. First 250+ MPH-capable car that I actually
>ever "earned". Going back and reading the "physics sections" of the manuals
>in GT2 and GT3 helped tremendously to start actually learning the "art of
>cornering". Actually staying on the road now while cornering, well 90
>percent of the time anyway. :^)
>
>Still only about 15 percent of the way through, regardless of the many hours
>put into GT4. This game is freaking enormous! Anticipating it taking
>months to actually open everything up!
>
>Now that the races are getting much harder, thinking its time to go with a
>wheel and pedals; Logitech's Driving Force Pro, naturally. Had a
>wheel/pedals in the past, but it was just some cheap BS that never got much
>use. Roadstar something-or-other. I ended up just giving the thing to my
>sister's little brother. The Logitech Driving Force Pro looks like a sure
>bet though. Anyway, this leads to the following question:
>
>On what type of objects/surfaces are you mounting your wheel to? One of the
>main problems (other than it being a piece of garbage) with the old wheel
>was that I never could find an optimum way to place/mount the thing. I'm
>pretty heavily into flight simulation and have desktop space setup for such
>(keyboard to the side, CH Yoke mounted directly in front, flight stick and
>throttle quadrant off to other side for fighters, two monitors, TrackIR2,
>PDA being used a a "MFD" to give GPS/WX display, looking next to pick up a
>small LCD for piping an FMC through it, ect).
>
>For flight simming, sitting upright in a chair feels natural -- but for
>racing, I think I would prefer to be somewhat reclined. I could never find
>a way to do such with the old wheel. Tried just about everything. Sitting
>in a recliner with a "TV Tray" going across your lap was about the best
>could come up with. It was too flimsy though. Mounting the wheel to the
>edge of a coffee table kept it stable, but it felt unatural sitting on a
>coach (or even floor). I saw that Logitech makes a "lap mount" for the
>Driving Force Pro wheel, but majority of reviewers say its practically
>worthless.
>
>Anyway, just looking for open suggestions on what others may be doing to be
>able to use these wheels/pedals, but from a semi-reclined position. I know
>there are a half of dozen "special recliners" made specifically for race
>simulators, but they also require a bank robbery to purchase. Plus, I don't
>think my GF would be too keen with something like that sitting in the living
>room. :^)
>
>I'm using the PS2 with an HDTV and DD/DTS receiver -- so would love to put
>enough "realism" element into it. BTW: The intro the GT4 completetly kicks
>ass! Its obviously pre-rendered, but can't help wondering if thats what
>real-time gameplay will look like (or even better than) on the PS3!
>
>Cheers,
>-Eric
>

It was awhile back, but Yoshi on G4 Tech Tv The Screensavers program
built a custom driver's seat type of deal. I don't recall much of the
details, but it might be worth searching the www.g4tv.com website.
 

Eric

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"Jon" <pnwradar@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> I'm going through the same issue. I already have a video rocker, so
> I'm planning to knock together a small stand for the wheel that's
> about the right size -- hopefully I can make it fold up so it fits
> behind the sofa, too.
>
> http://gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=55048 has a lot of
> interesting ideas, along with some indications that some GT4 fans
> either have understanding wives, or are in no danger of finding a wife
> to piss off.
>
> -jon-

Hi,

Thanks for the link to that thread! That "computer cart" looks workable.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=2221834

Yep, same deal, wanting something that can easily be "brought out" into the
living room and later "put away".

Cheers!
(Thanks again! Going to look at that cart at Walmart, hopefully they have
them in stock.)

-Eric
 

Eric

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Dec 31, 2007
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"Capman" <cphillips581@comcast.net> wrote in message
> It was awhile back, but Yoshi on G4 Tech Tv The Screensavers program
> built a custom driver's seat type of deal. I don't recall much of the
> details, but it might be worth searching the www.g4tv.com website.

Thanks! I'll take a look there as well!

Cheers,
-Eric
 

Eric

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"Eric" <nospam@nospam.not> wrote in message
news:ls%8e.10927$Qu2.5652@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com...
> "Jon" <pnwradar@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > I'm going through the same issue. I already have a video rocker, so
> > I'm planning to knock together a small stand for the wheel that's
> > about the right size -- hopefully I can make it fold up so it fits
> > behind the sofa, too.
> >
> > http://gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=55048 has a lot of
> > interesting ideas, along with some indications that some GT4 fans
> > either have understanding wives, or are in no danger of finding a wife
> > to piss off.
> >
> > -jon-
>
> Hi,
>
> Thanks for the link to that thread! That "computer cart" looks workable.
> http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=2221834
>
> Yep, same deal, wanting something that can easily be "brought out" into
the
> living room and later "put away".
>
> Cheers!
> (Thanks again! Going to look at that cart at Walmart, hopefully they have
> them in stock.)

Had the day off today so stopped in a local Walmart and sure enough they had
that particular cart. Picked it up. I think its going to work very well.
Haven't picked up a "Driving Force Pro" yet, probably will just order it
online somewhere. Until then, keeping eyes open for a chair that would work
well with it. One of those "video rockers", of the right size, would be
great.

Cheers,
-Eric
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.games.video.sony-playstation2 (More info?)

In <BLW8e.5766$0V2.311@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com> "Eric" <nospam@nospam.not> writes:

> Now that the races are getting much harder, thinking its time to go with a
> wheel and pedals; Logitech's Driving Force Pro, naturally.

Good choice, although I'm more pleased with the wheel compared to the
pedals: my braking pedal has a little slack when pressing it. It appears
to have some sideways movement, so I think the pedal and the housing
aren't perfectly lined up - it's all plastic...

> On what type of objects/surfaces are you mounting your wheel to?

I assembled a little table out of some wood and a 18mm thick MDF panel;
50 cm high, 60 cm wide. The wheel clamps onto the table.
Next, I bought a second-hand car seat (a Scheel brand chair with good
support for your back) and frame, and fitted that on simple a wooden
contruction and MDF panel. The seat slides forwards/backwards and, like
any car chair, is adjustable.

There is a picture in the GT4 section on my Nurburgring page:

http://www.xinu.nl/~edwin/autosport/nordschleife.html


Cheers,

Edwin

--
Edwin Kremer <edwin+usenet@xinu.nl> http://www.xinu.nl/edwin/
pgp: BB70 549B C32B DFF9 03C5 7327 61FE AADC 17BF 2201 (KeyID: 0x17BF2201)
( plain text =non-HTML= PGP/GnuPG encrypted/signed email much appreciated )
"Remember, UNIX spelled backwards is XINU." -- Mt.
 
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On 23 Apr 2005 20:06:05 GMT, Edwin Kremer <edwin+usenet@xinu.nl> spewed forth
these words of wisdom:

You can buy a small computer cart for about $30 at Wal-Mart which works great
for the Logitech wheel.


--
"I'm not a cool person in real life, but I play one on the Internet"
Galley