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Driveclub Pro Tips Summary Thread for newcomers

Mabufu

Banned
Just started playing Driveclub or going to give it a try?
This is all you need to know to enjoy and feel The True Driveclub Experience (lol)

-First of all, and needs to be said again, it's not even close to be a sim, it isnt a pure arcade either. Said a million times, DC have a (good) mix. Dont be afraid if you are a pure sim/arcade fan. The handling model serves perfectly to Driveclub's gameplay purposes.
That is, speed, reflexes, learning to take total control over your car, and skill to shave miliseconds on each turn. I dont think we need anything more to have fun with racing.

The most important thing is to get people in a certain mind-set to enjoy Driveclub. Even though it has a lot of racing-sim aspects like high-cockpit detail and the basics the g-cornering/slip-angle physics, you must never expect it to be a complete sim-racer. The braking is very unrealistic for example, but don't directly go "this is so terribly wrong, what a joke", try to play along for a while and you will find the fun in the game's very own driving-physics rule-set. Then, after the acceptance of that, you'll be able to enjoy the challenges and sense of "mastery" this game can give you better than practically any other racing game of this gen.

-DC's graphics tries to be accurate to reality. And sometimes, reality is not meant to be beautiful. So that's why DC may look the worst on full sun hours with no illumination effects.
When you experience all the sunsets, sunrises, weather effects, and multicolor clouds, you will acknowledge how any game comes close to what DC can offer.
-Some enviroments looks better than others. I'm on the opinion that India is the worst. (But with rain is insane!)
Try to not be letdown on your first race there. The jawdropping enviroments are coming later.
-The slowest cars can seem boring at first, but the thing changes radically as you start with the fastest ones. So go for them. They are a big part of DC's ability to hook players.
-DC is also about immersion. Try copckit view disabling the HUD (right on d-pad). And profit. Also, if you do it with rain or snow, just... be prepared.
-DC have indeed a difficulty curve. Once you start with the fastest cars, you will notice how you'll need to concentrate a lot more in order to make good turns.
-There's no rubberbanding even if it seems so. AI accomodates to your skill to a certain point. If you suck, the AI will try to suck. If you are a god, AI will try to be a god.
That doesnt mean you cant be godder than it. If you do right, nothing stops you from winining the race.
Anyways, if you are worried about sudden overtakings, you have a rear mirror. Look at it. It has a purpose.
-If you wanna know how it feels to in virtual danger, try first person view in point to point tracks with fast cars. (you may need new pants).
-And about multiplayer... it's annoying sometimes when playing with rammers. Multiplayer is full of them. But eventually you will learn to deal with them.
The firsts turns in every race are CRITICAL:

If you are first, expect everyone to hit you. My advice is to slow down until having one or two cars to hit and lean on in the turn. Or else you will have almost 100% probability of losing positions.

In head-to-head duels on straigh segments, avoid at all costs being rammed to the sides.
If you notice the other is slightly faster and will try to smack you, is better to slow down a bit than hitting the track sides and do some flips. But you can try to smack him also if you want.

Another strategy for taking turns, is trying to take advantage of the ramming intentions. I mean. You are going into a turn. You KNOW the cars behind will use you as a wall. Then, remove the wall: Before entering the turn, steer a bit to the outside of it and slow down, the agressive burnout maniacs will enter with too much speed and will make a shitty turn, then, take the turn as you would normally do and pass over them.

And that's all I can remember now.
Other DC players, feel free to contribute to this list, I'm waiting for it.

Here in #DRIVECULT are happy for new people coming to the game, as we hope they will have a great time with the game and share with us our love to it.

EDIT 1: CORNERING TIPS

For cornering.

Green flags = Take the turn flat out.
Yellow flags = Sharp turn. Brake before taking the turn.
Red flags = Sharpest turn, sometimes hairpins. Brake a lot before taking the turn.

Want to add that
Green = in hatchbacks or any car that has more than 50% of handling attribute, you can full throttle it through unless you are going really fast, like 250kph fast.
Yellow = in good handling cars you can just gently brake and blast through, in tougher cars you want to add more to the brake or down a gear if you are driving manual.
Red = full brake in every car, big shift down gear if you are driving super/hypers.

The flags are also a bit conservative, you can always brake a little later and usually you won't have any problem.

ylknx.jpg


Break before the turn in-point, kick the throttle short after the apex.

Edit:
For wider corners just let go of the gas a bit and don't break.

Oh, and with faster cars accelerate gradually out of corner. If you slam on the gas when you're turning you'll just spin every time. The accelerator is analogue for a reason.
If you find yourself spinning too much in turns, you are entering it too fast. Just use the brakes.
If your car "spins by itself", even if you ended a turn, release the throttle and wait a bit till the engine rpm are low enough.

You need to get used to how inertia and speed affects the car behaviour. It's nothing complex.
 

bombshell

Member
For cornering.

Green flags = Take the turn flat out.
Yellow flags = Sharp turn. Brake before taking the turn.
Red flags = Sharpest turn, sometimes hairpins. Brake a lot before taking the turn.
 
There is no rubber banding per say, but I remember Rushy saying AI adapts to your speed (in a realistic manner).

Don't be afraid to use the handbrake, I play automatic since you can still manually change gears too (recommend that).

visit your profile to know how far the accolades are, the livery editor is in my garage.

I am a sim racer and have the T300 but I much prefer the pad.

for drifting, I use the handbrake on entry and counter steer to hold the drift (needs practice).
 
For cornering.

Green flags = Take the turn flat out.
Yellow flags = Sharp turn. Brake before taking the turn.
Red flags = Sharpest turn, sometimes hairpins. Brake a lot before taking the turn.

Want to add that
Green = in hatchbacks or any car that has more than 50% of handling attribute, you can full throttle it through unless you are going really fast, like 250kph fast.
Yellow = in good handling cars you can just gently brake and blast through, in tougher cars you want to add more to the brake or down a gear if you are driving manual.
Red = full brake in every car, big shift down gear if you are driving super/hypers.

The flags are also a bit conservative, you can always brake a little later and usually you won't have any problem.
 
Git gud,
attack the apex
Have some fun and get the ass out around corners
Also, dash cam
Also, also, memorize the tracks/circuits.
Also, also, also, India is the least good location. If you are having fun with the +, upgrade.
 
I can't make turns in this game. Regardless the car I'm driving I feel as the road is soaked in soap and the car always gets off track or slips out of control... Any tips to make turns in Driveclub!?
 

deoee

Member
I can't make turns in this game. Regardless the car I'm driving I feel as the road is soaked in soap and the car always gets off track or slips out of control... Any tips to make turns in Driveclub!?

Don't pull the trigger all the way down.

Also try stutter-braking (repeaditly press the brake button and release it)
 
-There's no rubberbanding even if it seems so. AI accomodates to your skill to a certain point. If you suck, the AI will try to suck. If you are a god, AI will try to be a god.

Maybe it's not "rubberbanding" per se, but in other words, if at some point of a lap you will suck, better not be a god in the first 2/3 of a lap and start to suck in the last 1/3, because the AI-drivers will adapt slower to your sucking and sling-shot-overtake you... So better do it the other way around, suck first, then be a god.

The most important thing is to get people in a certain mind-set to enjoy Driveclub. Even though it has a lot of racing-sim aspects like high-cockpit detail and the basics the g-cornering/slip-angle physics, you must never expect it to be a complete sim-racer. The braking is very unrealistic for example, but don't directly go "this is so terribly wrong, what a joke", try to play along for a while and you will find the fun in the game's very own driving-physics rule-set. Then, after the acceptance of that, you'll be able to enjoy the challenges and sense of "mastery" this game can give you better than practically any other racing game of this gen.
 
I can't make turns in this game. Regardless the car I'm driving I feel as the road is soaked in soap and the car always gets off track or slips out of control... Any tips to make turns in Driveclub!?

I've only been paying for a few hours myself so maybe a veteran can confirm, but you're probably going too fast for the turn if you find yourself spinning out or sliding wide. I find Driveclub is actually quite accommodating of late braking, so if you find yourself losing the turn, try some light braking. But generally, try taking your turns slower and concentrating on taking the right line to stay fast.
 

Sir TapTap

Member
I can't make turns in this game. Regardless the car I'm driving I feel as the road is soaked in soap and the car always gets off track or slips out of control... Any tips to make turns in Driveclub!?

Also, if you aren't, make sure you're starting off in a plain, dry course with a low performance car. If you start off in a curvy track with a supercar in the rain it is going to be 100x harder to control. But it sounds like you might just not be breaking enough. It's not Mario Kart, if the signs on a turn are yellow or red you're going to need to break. Exactly how much depends on the track and car, but you do start to get an instinct for it.
 
Don't pull the trigger all the way down.

Also try stutter-braking (repeaditly press the brake button and release it)

I've only been paying for a few hours myself so maybe a veteran can confirm, but you're probably going too fast for the turn if you find yourself spinning out or sliding wide. I find Driveclub is actually quite accommodating of late braking, so if you find yourself losing the turn, try some light braking. But generally, try taking your turns slower and concentrating on taking the right line to stay fast.

Also, if you aren't, make sure you're starting off in a plain, dry course with a low performance car. If you start off in a curvy track with a supercar in the rain it is going to be 100x harder to control. But it sounds like you might just not be breaking enough. It's not Mario Kart, if the signs on a turn are yellow or red you're going to need to break. Exactly how much depends on the track and car, but you do start to get an instinct for it.
Thanks for the tips! I've tried slowing down before curves but it seems I was never able to catch up and pass the front runners
 

Fonds

Member
I can't make turns in this game. Regardless the car I'm driving I feel as the road is soaked in soap and the car always gets off track or slips out of control... Any tips to make turns in Driveclub!?

Don't steer and brake at the same time. Don't overdo it on the throttle in corners. You can ease the car into acceleration coming out of the corner (those bumpers are analog for a reason).
 

ps3ud0

Member
Best advice I can give is learn the track - everything else will improve once you know the track well and so can anticipate upcoming corners and how to approach them.

ps3ud0 8)
 

Ainsz

Member
I'd just like to say Driveclub handling isn't that complicated or even deep. It's just the most involving arcade racer we've had after years of kneejerk driving that came with NFS and the like.

For a newcomer, the handling will seem extremely full on, but once you get used to the sense of weight and the immense sense of speed, the rest should simply click. Once you're not alienated by the way it feels, staying on track and being competitive in a race should come quite easy.

That's not to say the game doesn't require a good bit of player input. I just wanted to get out to any new players that the driving seems like more work than what it really is and you shouldn't let it throw you off.

Despite it's simplicity, it's still one of the most satisfying driving models in an arcade racer and you'll find theirs always room for you to improve, if even if only by a little bit - once you get into the swing of things.

Best advice I can give is learn the track - everything else will improve once you know the track well and so can anticipate upcoming corners and how to approach them.

ps3ud0 8)

Spot on. Learning the tracks in the game come in to it a lot more than learning the driving mechanics themselves.
 
Oh, and with faster cars accelerate gradually out of corner. If you slam on the gas when you're turning you'll just spin every time. The accelerator is analogue for a reason.
 
I find it pointless when people try to reach others how to drive in games. There's nothing you can do before you see how the person is driving. People should just post videos of their driving so actual feedback could be given.
 

Mabufu

Banned
There's nothing wrong in giving some information = )
We are not talking about anything subjective, we are saying how things are in order to help people understand what they are playing.

PD Updated OP.
 

drotahorror

Member
The one thing in Driveclub that has always been difficult for me (have had since launch, have season pass etc), is driving in low light conditions (no headlights) or driving towards the sun. I can't see a freaking thing. Makes taking corners insanely hard, very difficult for me to judge.

I feel like this is just a problem for me though as I don't have great eyesight.
 
The following is for newcomers or people who only play one type of racing games or very few, if you play lots of different types then it is most likely stating the obvious.

A few people have made posts about the corner flags. While they are correct they are more like rally signals, the type of car you have and if the track is normal or reverse play a big factor in how you take them but for total beginners by using the first flag as your breakpoint will usually work. But once you start pushing then you need to start using your brain more and be more observant. For example: On Holmastad normal there is a green flag corner directly after a red that then leads onto a high speed section, on Holmastad reverse you are coming from a high speed section onto a green into a red. On the reverse track unless you know the corners and if the car is capable of doing it flatout considering you will be at top speed if you only go by the flags you will end up in the ditch so you still need to be observant of the track layout.

My advice for beginners which is for all racing games and racing in real life as well isn't to look at the corners but look through the corners, if you can't see a line for the car or the trajectory of the speed looks like you will hit a wall then you need to adjust your speed accordingly. Once you have got to grips with it start taking note of trackside details and experiment with breaking points.

Driveclubs handling model is very forgiving yet apes a sim approach rather than an arcade approach, you get things like lock up, traction loss, throttle control, affected by undulations and camber in the road, weight momentum, and gravel and curbs can totally fuck you up. However you don't need to be anywhere near as involved as sims and only moderately so in comparison to the sim-lites such as GT and Forza and to be honest unless you are pushing your car you might not even notice them but you do still need to use a basic racing line approach.

If you are coming from preferring sim games you can just gun it and will most likely approach the game being far too conservative, your breakpoints are much later and your grip almost feels infinite so just push from the get go. Early cars in the game won't satisfy you, the Bacs was the first car I realised how much I could push the handling model and then just got better from there, the hypers (and the Renault alpine - that is in the startline tour) are going to be more up your street as they require a lot more involvement. You will already know all the basics so no point harping on.

If you are coming from preferring newer arcade games you need to use the break and take traditional racing lines, drifting slows you down, clipping gravel and grass will slow you down as will hitting walls, if there is a bump in the road and going fast enough you will leave the road and the game wont stabilise you on landing that is up to you, the supers are probably more your sort of thing. It is probably best to get a grip of the game from the single events rather than the tour as you can adjust things to break you in and can compete against ghosts to see how others play the game at a similar level to you.
 
I played online and, in my first race, a dude rammed me so strongly that we were never able to reach the rest of the pack anymore. What a douche. I managed to overcome him in the last lap and get my revenge though =]

Now I just need in in a GAF Club!
Anyone, please?
 

Fezan

Member
Need tips regarding drifting.
Also tracks on india are beautiful I am from kashmir and am fascinated how much evolution has captured the feeling of the place
 

Mabufu

Banned
I played online and, in my first race, a dude rammed me so strongly that we were never able to reach the rest of the pack anymore. What a douche. I managed to overcome him in the last lap and get my revenge though =]

Now I just need in in a GAF Club!
Anyone, please?
Stop by the OT = )
Need tips regarding drifting.
Also tracks on india are beautiful am from kashmir amd am fascinated how much evolution has captured the feeling of the place
I dont think my english is good enough to explain drifting. Let's see if someone else offers.
What is throttle? Acceleration?

There are like three brakes in this game. Which should I use? Circle?
Yep, throttle = acceleration pedal.
Circle (handbrake) for drifting, L2 (normal brake) for slowing down.
 

BumRush

Member
It's a tough game, but that's what makes it so enjoyable.

I was coming in 1st regularly - with ease - in the hot hatch races. I moved up ONE level and came in last twice. Got used to the faster speeds and when to break and started coming in 1st again. Felt accomplished!
 

RS4-

Member
Hardest aspect for me to get used to is the drift challenges. It just feels so different to me compared to other games.
 

LakeEarth

Member
Thanks for the tips, I played it a bit yesterday and spun out a bunch of times. My attempts to Ridge Racer-style drift was met with hilarious results. Trying to mimic the AI's paths helped out, but I didn't even notice the flags until this thread. Excited to give it another shot with this in mind.
 
The one thing in Driveclub that has always been difficult for me (have had since launch, have season pass etc), is driving in low light conditions (no headlights) or driving towards the sun. I can't see a freaking thing. Makes taking corners insanely hard, very difficult for me to judge.

I feel like this is just a problem for me though as I don't have great eyesight.

No it's not just you, it's terrible (but great looking) for everyone. Real life GT-cars have sun-shade tapes at the top of the windscreen. DC would do good having a button for "pull down sun-visor" or for this
 

graffix13

Member
Need tips regarding drifting.

I am no means an expert, but I sucked at drifting at first and then I practiced (and practiced) and this is what works for me on Drift Challenges:

First, I wouldn't hold down R2/accelerator fully...just about midway or so and maintain that through the drift (i.e. don't slow down or sped up). When you are ready to begin the drift, tap O (E Brake) and release....at first I was holding down O (E Brake) and I was spinning out. Some drifts may require you to hold down the E Brake longer but most of the time you won't be holding it long. During the drift push your stick/turn the wheel opposite of the drift, this allows you to remain sideways/in the drift longer.

You'll have to play around with it to get a feel for it. Again, I am no means an expert but this is what helped me improve my drift scores in events.
 
Hardest aspect for me to get used to is the drift challenges. It just feels so different to me compared to other games.

You'll get used to it pretty quickly. Here are some tips:

1. Start on the outside* of the turn with good speed but not too fast.
2. Turn into the corner and immediately let go of the gas and press the handbrake.
3. Keep pressing the handbrake for about a second (i.e., don't tap it but don't hold it too long). This is key. The game will sometimes not activate the drift scoring, and it happens more often when you don't press the handbrake for longer than a tap (you can still drift and get points without using the handbrake, but it doesn't always work).
4. Immediately hit the gas and hold it through the rest of the turn.
5. As soon as your car starts to go sideways, lock your steering in the opposite direction and then lightly steer back in if the car starts to straighten up too fast.
6. Once the car is drifting sideways and starting to slow down, transition the steering back the other way to straighten the car and be ready for the next speed zone.

*Some expert players like to approach the corner from the middle or even the inside, aim toward the initial outer edge of the corner (like you're going to drive around a corner going the opposite way) and then flicking the car back into the corner to get a big sweeping drift around it. I haven't mastered that.

Keep in mind that the drift points take into account your speed through the drift. So I usually concentrate on having a big fast sideways drift on the exit of the corner and down the subsequent straightaway. If you do this, you'll be able to three-star pretty much all of the drift events. However, if you want to beat other people's highest drift scores, you'll probably need to execute the big sweeping drifts I mentioned earlier so you can transition faster to the speed zones.
 
Thanks for this. Coming from Burnout, this game is punishing. So hopefully after a few races, or 100s, I'll get the hang of the cornering.

Here's my question... how do you pass? In the 2 games I played, the computer AI drive in a single file line with little room for me in between.
 

Audioboxer

Member
Another wise bit of advice I hold on to as a pretty crappy racing gamer, you dont always have to be first. Just enjoy yourself without adding more stress to yourself early on.
 
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