LFS really does help your driving?

[[TC-R] Luke]

Just seen this on car throttle: http://www.carthrottle.com/discuss/8D1NID/



He rented out a car for the day, and got straight into drifting. The reason why he could do it? He claims to have gained experience by drifting on LFS, I presume to get a basic understanding of the car mechanics when it comes to drifting

I am only 16 so I am not an experienced driver at all But I know the difference between simulators due to tasters etc. Pretty impressive imo. Personally I think he set the car up on LFS so it would handle relatively realistically, instead of maxing it out to provide the best setup possible. Gives me hope for when I go for my provisional licence!

[◄Chuck►]

Well, the text says "My first time drifting ever", not "my first driving ever". So he had some actual driving experience after all. I can follow so far that LFS nicely shows "what happens if I do that". So it can indeed help understanding driving physics. However, it also allows intense driving manoeuvres that harm the mechanics of the car, manoeuvres you wouldn't do if you have to pay for it. And it can't simulate G forces to the player. You sit in your comfy desk chair pressing the brake not feeling a thing, but try that with an actual car. You will suddenly become aware of what G forces actually are.

[[TC]►BP◄]

LFS has really helped me with my real life driving, but now for some reason I've gotten worse on LFS, worse than I've been in a while. (But that's also because I'm using mouse/wheel depending on where I am, which doesn't help).

But yeah, LFS has been very useful.

[SO•Marty]

Well, it really helps me to understand (even when I'm using a Kb and not a wheel) why a car does what it does.

[[TC-R] Luke]

(2014-09-19 18:24)Chuck Wrote:  Well, the text says "My first time drifting ever", not "my first driving ever". So he had some actual driving experience after all. And it can't simulate G forces to the player. You sit in your comfy desk chair pressing the brake not feeling a thing, but try that with an actual car. You will suddenly become aware of what G forces actually are.

I wasn't quite relating it to his first time driving, but the control to sustain a drift I would imagine requires a large amount of car control. Thus helping his driving and understanding on how cars behave thus gaining experience

I am fully aware of the G forces that you can experience, simply Go-karting can tell you that one but in a car it's a hole new world, just sitting in a passengers seat of a decently performance car can make you aware of the factors or it had for me anyways, smelling the breaks, feel of the suspension on the corners etc.

(2014-09-19 18:31)BoyPower Wrote:  LFS has really helped me with my real life driving, but now for some reason I've gotten worse on LFS, worse than I've been in a while. (But that's also because I'm using mouse/wheel depending on where I am, which doesn't help).

I recall Paul telling me all about this when he began his driving lessons last year. He had to completely stop playing LFS to be able to pass his test due to the habbits. And then coming back to be driving almost "too sensibly" for a racing game aha.

[Ant]

well shit, if i can drift like i do on LFS and i go to real life and do that... oh nelly, ill be burning alot of tyres

[[TC]►Leon◄]

I don't believe it. Yes, LFS can, quite well, simulate how a car behaves and reacts to driver input, but driving or drifting a real car is never going to be the same as LFS or any other game for that matter. The physical forces involved when you push a car beyond it's limits are immense. If you don't have bucket seats and proper harnesses, you're really struggling just to stay in your driving position, let alone controlling the car that's already tiptoeing on the edge of it's capabilities. Alot of people, including myself - have had the questionable pleasure of slamming their head into the side window from a car breaking and suddenly regaining traction. During a high speed chicane maneouvre - I don't know the proper drift terminology, but when the car breaks from a left to a right drift - the lateral momentum makes an inexperienced driver have a hard time figuring out the gear changes due to the g-forces pulling on the drivers arm and affecting the "feel" of the gears.

Also, it's a lot more frightening to throw a car sideways with the accelerator buried in the floor in real life, than it is in a game. In real life, it actually has consequences when you crash or flip.

[[TC-R] Luke]

I found it hard to believe at first, I read somewhere though related to that topic that other people find it helpful to practice on simulators. I know you can clearly see in the video how much force is going through the car during the drifts. It's definitely not his first lap, I'm sure. But it maybe his first day Drifting. Overcome your fears and you tend to get into things and because he rented the car out purposely on a drift even't, I'm guessing that the car has reasonable safety features including bucket seats etc. Surely, simulators like LFS will help people become more familiar much more quickly than people who do not play simulators.

[Maverick]

Thank god he didn't try out the BF1

[Matt]

Drifting in real life and LFS drifting are two very different things.

While the tire physics are the same LFS, or other sims, will never really be able to nail the feeling of the tires letting go with the front end still being in tact and combine it with the correct g forces...

DRIVING however, is a different story.

Thanks to my G27 I've only ever stalled once in about 2000 miles, and that was a dogleg clutch...I've driven 5 manuals and enjoyed all 5.

>Impreza GX
>Mercedes B180CDI (decent car tbh)
>K10 Micra
>K11 Micra
>K12 Micra

[Makee]

You enjoyed driving a Micra? lol

[Malibu]

(2014-09-19 22:10)Leon Wrote:  I don't believe it. Yes, LFS can, quite well, simulate how a car behaves and reacts to driver input, but driving or drifting a real car is never going to be the same as LFS or any other game for that matter. The physical forces involved when you push a car beyond it's limits are immense. If you don't have bucket seats and proper harnesses, you're really struggling just to stay in your driving position, let alone controlling the car that's already tiptoeing on the edge of it's capabilities. Alot of people, including myself - have had the questionable pleasure of slamming their head into the side window from a car breaking and suddenly regaining traction. During a high speed chicane maneouvre - I don't know the proper drift terminology, but when the car breaks from a left to a right drift - the lateral momentum makes an inexperienced driver have a hard time figuring out the gear changes due to the g-forces pulling on the drivers arm and affecting the "feel" of the gears.

Also, it's a lot more frightening to throw a car sideways with the accelerator buried in the floor in real life, than it is in a game. In real life, it actually has consequences when you crash or flip.

Nobody claimed it to be the exact same thing. LFS definitely helps you to understand the basic principles, the rest is just born skills.

[Johan.]

(2014-09-19 18:41)LuckyLuke Wrote:  [quote='Chuck' pid='138037' dateline='1411151074']
I recall Paul telling me all about this when he began his driving lessons last year. He had to completely stop playing LFS to be able to pass his test due to the habbits. And then coming back to be driving almost "too sensibly" for a racing game aha.

I did the same thing. Infact, the first driving lesson I got told to stop cutting corners and slow down for corners aswell (well, slow down as in, actually going slow around a corner, lol)

[Paul]

It all depens on the car eventually, driving my dads car, (Citroen C5).. When turning, it feels like a ship. While in my car turns like a kart.

Driving so much on a steering wheel and simulation did help me personally with getting used to three pedals, a shifter and driving and shifting at the same time. I remember Johan driving a car for the verry first times, everytime he had to shift, he also steered to the right.

For a serious note, you dont want to drive lfs style in your real car!

At my school they use advanced simulators for car and truck licence.. Intresting yes, but if you played enough Euro truck simulator, its as easy as duck .

[[TC]►Ras◄]

Friday i was on my first driving lesson and when i started driving it felt like i had been driving for years already, the only thing i had to get used to was the steering wheel being bigger and the pedals being very sensitive compared to the G27.
It was easy peasy finding the biting point, and after 10 minutes i automatically pressed the clutch to the biting point without thinking about it. Selecting gears were just as easy. The car was probably one of the easier ones to drive (New shape Toyota Yaris) but still, if i hadn't been driving on LFS, it would've been different.

So, having driven a simulator for years certainly helped to some extent.

[Matt]

(2014-09-20 10:53)Makee Wrote:  You enjoyed driving a Micra? lol

[McGherkin]

I drive like a complete and utter nub in LFS but not IRL. Dunno why.

[Matt]

Controllers, maybe?

[[TC-R] Luke]

(2014-10-03 16:15)McGherkin Wrote:  I drive like a complete and utter nub in LFS but not IRL. Dunno why.

Maybe you think that about yourself in reality we all know you are a nub driver full stop!

[McGherkin]

(2014-10-04 08:38)LuckyLuke Wrote:  

(2014-10-03 16:15)McGherkin Wrote:  I drive like a complete and utter nub in LFS but not IRL. Dunno why.

Maybe you think that about yourself in reality we all know you are a nub driver full stop!

Nice try