Driving with no braking line

So, I said that I'd start FM4 playing with no assists - ie no braking line.
Damn it's hard! Especially with the tracks that are hard to see and I don't know well.
ie the Top Gear track where I'll be flying along and suddenly realise I was meant to turn right 200m behind me, and Infineon where there's a right hander that I always hit way too fast.
How's everyone else finding it? I am almst tempted to go back to braking lines to get to know the tracks and then switch.

Chris (OD)

Yep, the no braking line lasted about half a race at Infineon. So now I run with Expert, then turn BL on. End up with +155.

I think the AIs need it on too... stupid idiots brake in some wierd places.

Yeah, I've had a few rear-enders with the AIs thanks to their.... interesting braking ideas.
Yelling "get outta the way you stupid idiots!" doens't seem to help. Maybe I need Kinect so I can flick the the bird as I go past?

Chris

I've always had it on, don't have the time/patience to learn the track for so many different cars with their different quirks and abilities. Basically i leave it on and then modify my line if i find that i can indeed go faster another way, and use the line as a speed reference.

I have tried without it and the fun element of the game seems to disappear...
At 94cm I can't call my tv small but the braking markers are not too easy to see until it is too late and with multiplayer it is the difference between a clean turn or bumping another off the track.
I will leave it on for the time being.
>>>>>>>>>>

I've managed to kick the braking line habit with Forza 4. There are so many reference points it's not really necessary. Things like signs, light posts, trees, fences, service roads on the side of the track and shadows, tyre marks, patches of oil on the racing surface...

Obviously it's harder figuring out a track with an unfamiliar car but it's only a problem when doing 2 lap random races in the spastic public lobbies. Which I don't do. Because spastic public lobbies suck.

haha amen to that last comment!

Yeah, I'm going to stick with not using it for a bit. I prefer not to, but some of the tracks throw me completely. I've found that different cars aren't all that different in terms of braking positions. ie a higher rated car generally has better tyres and brakes, so tends to pull up faster than a lower car. But it's also going a lot faster by the corner, so it kinda cancels out.

Chris

Since the Pagnian Comp, I just can't go back to using the BL. I just find it distracting to have a big coloured line down the middle of the track - it destroys the games illusion.

Mind you, I sucked with the BL on, so taking it off has made no notcieable difference!!

Demo Derby FTW!!!

I've always preferred having it off, much to the detriment of my lap times though! I've recently started using it a bit more to get a better feel for the tracks however.

You know me, no assists.

I only ever turned BL on for a test run in FM3 to see if it can make a difference. From that experience I believe it can definitely help a driver achieve better lap times especially in races.

Certainly for those who want to, it could help when learning a new track.
Maybe turn it on to learn your braking points then turn it off again.

As you get used to driving without BL you develop a skill for finding trackside braking markers, and as many found in the Pagnian TT, you connect better with the race experience when you race without BL.

I agree with most of what you said Wolfy...

However I'm not certain that turning the line on to learn braking points actually helps.. Well at least in my case - I tend to rely far too much on the braking line when it is on and end up using it AS my braking markers.

I think for me at least, cold turkey is the only real way to learn the track... But then again I have an addictive personality

As mentioned, I dont have enough time to dedicate myself to learn tracks that much, so the braking line helps out alot to train you when to brake - which ultimately helps to keep you on the track and not under steering off to the paddocks!

I find the variety of cars and tracks in forza makes it hard to avoid using the breaking line, not impossible. It certainly makes the game more accessible - I don't have time to be dedicated to learn it, but occasionally I would like to have it off to really learn a track and get more out of it.

I think dropping the assist can be a good way of getting a bit more of an intense experience.

In the F1 2010 I would run a reasonable length weekend over a few days, in P1 I would use the breaking line to help get familiar with the track - especially on tracks I hadn't raced before such as singapore and korea. In practice session 2 I would turn off the racing line so I could focus on the specific breaking marker reference on the sides of the track. That game is so fast I find that if you get into some fuzzy 'orange' section of racing line it is then easy to actually make a mistake and be too fast or slow. Where I feel that when looking for 'real' reference points I can be a bit more consistent on hitting a mark.

In many cases I think this type of assist can become difficult to read - the whole line is red indicating heavy breaking when you are only just over speed and need only a slight braking application. Then the games have different amount of bias(?) applied to how accurate it is - in forza you can often run on the red section then slow up, I think nfs shift you need to be slowing down already. different style games.

Suggested gear indicator anyone? There is that other game that has a little RED indicator for approximate gear of next corner. It sometimes doesn't work the best, but other times I think that is a sensational gameplay assist that just gives you a clue so you can remember the part of the track - surprised more games don't have that option.



When FM3 came out I was furious at the tacho being moved to the corner when using bumper cam - I still am, Forza's stacked tacho was probably the best, even better than those other games that center a pair of gauges that are offset equally. The combination with more stylised HUD text on the top of the screen which I found more difficult to read. So I decided to turn off the rest of the HUD and just focus on the track and the tacho/speedo...

That's right, no timing, no lap info, no stupid dirty lap ! flashing away. Just focus on driving the car and look at the lap times later, it is an intense way to play the game. I think interior view with no HUD has potential to be the most immersive, but the interior becomes a distraction to me, some of the tachos are too hard to read or just broken - especially in FM3 when you do cams to get more revs.

I would be interested if anyone else has tried tacho/speedo only and what they think.

i run no BL, tried it once and nearly went epileptic due to funny coloured lines in middle of the tracks whilst i tried to look round it for hiting apexes etc, cant stand it.
When i have put it on for mates to race (to assist them) then raced with it i found that my brake markers (ie real things like wuitches hats or trees, or markers etc) were always later than the BL red came up. i also found sometimes the BL was red when i only needed to lift the accel not brake.
For this reason i believe the BL will make you slower in the long run, also when you turn it off you will learn the track (eventually) and make you faster in any car class coz you know the track and can/will know what to do when your off the racing line....with our series racing the BL (imo) causes a lot of grief coz you cant fit 2 people on the line, you must know the track to understand where/how to go round 2 wide or run diff lines.

There are more than 1 good line round most corners and its your car that should determine your line not some AI generated technicolour yawn

FrankTank wrote:I agree with most of what you said Wolfy...

However I'm not certain that turning the line on to learn braking points actually helps.. Well at least in my case - I tend to rely far too much on the braking line when it is on and end up using it AS my braking markers.

I think for me at least, cold turkey is the only real way to learn the track... But then again I have an addictive personality

Read again Frank, I didn't say BL would help, I said it might help, some.
I've always used the old suck it and see method that you said you use.

Theres a very nice method for learning lines and braking points on forum somewhere. Good luck finding it though, written by "fetal icecream", way back.

Funny how this topic always gets us going, isn't it. I suspect it always will.

I've always tried to drive with as few assists as possible. I did use ABS with Forza 3 for a while before getting rid of it, and have never liked the driving or brake lines. I can definately see the benefit of having them on, but when i'm driving a track i don't want to see a big red line in the middle of my screen, i want to see the track in all its glory. Having brake line assist OFF does make you work harder to establish brake markers, but once you know a track its all there in your head. When driving unknown or unfamiliar tracks it would definately benefit those with brake line assist ON, but i'd rather take my time and learn the track gradually getting deeper and deeper into corners and establishing better brake markers as i do more and more laps. It adds to the challenge and is more akin to what you would have to do in real life motosport.

I dont use BL.

Im a n00b racer.

Watch your right. Its the first corner. I can see your drivers side front pillar. BANG. Soz. Should have moved over. Its the first corner :shruggery:

I use no assists.

I love pirouettes. My GTR-SpecV loves them more. Lets dance.

Had a bit of a lash at racing on the ring with no braking line.. What a blast.. takes a little ot get used to if u dont know the track to well as there was a few corners i didnt slow down enough.. but found i was finding better racing lines rather then following the braking lines as it seems some of the braking lines arent the best racing lines to follow..

Since the FM4 release ihave given up the controler and just used the wheel and try to use as little assists s possible.. usually just have braking line and abs on and the rest off.. usually my world tour difficalty win amount is 145% ...

So me and a mate have been testing and compeating to see who can put up the quicked lap around fuji in R2..

Sometime i think i should put more assists on as i thought i put up a great time around fuji.. to then 2 days later see my mate beat me aroun dthere by 4 seconds.. then looking at his time i noticed he pretty much had very assist enabled.. and was quicker.. think i got some more practicing to do..

Never used BL or any assists!!
I thought the BL was for little kids and girls!
Tee Hee!!

I didn't know there were quite a few folks using BL. I don't use it but I can understand those who do if it helps with enjoying the game. I can't see it making you any faster than those who don't use it... it's pretty much just a virtual braking marker right? Those who don't use it use other visual cues like signs, marks on the road, roadside landmarks etc. Could be handy for learning the track initially though!

I can do Le Mans With it off for most classes above A which is nice. Don't have the time to learn any other track though.