FORZA 3 MOTORSPORT NEWS INFORMATION XBOX HINTS TIPS AND TRICKS

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Dont get me wrong: I LOVE FORZA 3.

Frankly, it is the best race simulator there is out there. There are so many articles talking about how good Forza is compared to others etc. but there is certainly room for improvement.

May it be for marketing purposes or lack of creativity but unfortunately there are a number of issues which should be improved for Forza 4 in order to make it the best game in history.

If you dont have internet, the game simply lacks life and dynamics. You have the feeling to be playing on your own in a PC world. What I mean by that is that Forza should defenitely improve the interaction in the game.

Mechanics Team

Examples: Once you have money, you can purchase a mechanics team.

With a mechanics team you can now officially take part in professional races etc etc. The mechanics team bears a cost on each race.

Also the mechanics team allows interaction in the sense that whilst racing you are constantly updated with information from the box. Such as what your competitors are doing, etc etc.

In addition before any race, the chief mechanic gives you advice on the track, upgrades and tune direction. So, although you dont know the perfect tune setup, at least you know the direction you have to go!!

THE RACE

The races are exciting but can get pretty dull.

The first major major major problem is the starting grid! How crap is that!

Forza should introduce the possibility of driving a qualifier lap. This could be in the sense of a ‘hot lap’ so whatever time you do in this lap will be taken as qualifier. So if you crash, in the hot lap you start last. But at least it actually gives you a real chance to start in a better position if you want to race with a much more handicaped car. Also it is a reflection on reality.

Another issue with races is the number of competitors. 8 is defenitlely far too little. If games such as Need for Speed have 20 plus opponents, how can forza only have 8!

CASH and MONEY PRIZES

I very much like the idea that the car prices are realistic. But unfortunately, there is a problem with that: some of them you will never be able to buy because 20,000,000 credits is just impossible to achieve (if you dont have the internet).

This leads to another issues which is really irritating- microsoft tries to force you to have internet and a gold membership- so in order to have fun with the game i have to keep paying! That’s simply OUTRAGEOUS.

Forza 4 should have more income possibilities other than just the race money. One way to increase race money for instance, would be the option to increase the number of laps on any race we would like to take part. So just a simple race could have 50 laps instead of 3, this would make the race more exciting with pit stops etc. In the menu when you increase the number of laps, autmoatically the price money increases in a more exponential manner.

This would allow more cash prize (and fun) for each race.

Also, another profit centre could be the implementation of sponsors:

SPONSORS

I really dislike the fact that you can stick any manufacturer logo on your car withour any real purpose. Why would I want to advertise for someone for nothing?????

It is great there are so many manufacturer logos, but let’s try and find an interesting way to actually make them useful.

Sponor money should be linked to driver and car reputation. Car reputation should be increased to something like 20 points. The idea is that the more reputation you have, the more offers you get from manufacturers to stick vinyls of their logos on your car. Depending on position and size, every race you receive extra cash just from sponsor stickers.

These ideas would really make the game more lively.

Before we get intimate with the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, let’s take a short jaunt down memory lane – back to when the console war was between the Xbox and the PS2, not the 360 and PS3…

Sony’s track record with the PSOne and first-to-market strategy with the PS2 placed the mega-electronics company in a good spot for the “next” gen. No one really gave the freshman effort from Microsoft a chance in light of its PS competition, but even with the cards stacked against it, this new-fangled Xbox would catch on, and dominate the PS2 in a number of categories.

In a side-by-side comparison of Sony’s and Microsoft’s offerings, the Xbox would win unanimously as a complete console. Sony had publishing power, so the PS2 had an advantage in terms of software SKU’s, but besides this, the Xbox was solidified as the hardcore gamer’s system, with power to spare, an integrated hard drive, and a glorious online network.

But there was one missing piece of Microsoft’s puzzle – miniscule in many gamer’s eyes – that still made multi-console owners pull out their PS2 in favor of the Xbox: Force Feedback. As trivial as it may sound, those that live and die for racing games know its importance to the motorsports experience. Couple the Xbox’s lack of force feedback support with Sony having its killer-app Grand Turismo in-house, and Microsoft was shown up big-time, even with the solid Project Gotham Racing floating about. The release of Forza Motorsport late in the Xbox’s cycle gave Microsoft its own racing killer application, but the cries of “no force feedback?” still prevailed.

The big black box is past its prime, as all eyes are diverted to the Xbox 360. And yes, force feedback has eluded even MS’ next-gen console. That is, until now. Finally, the sensation of true force feedback will be realized in the first-party peripheral known as the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel.

We learned from a secret source some years ago that MS’ lack of force feedback was based on a lack of licensing, and not the inability to program such code into the software, or the console’s lacking in some manner. This makes sense, as this technology was readily available years ago.

But all of that is in the past, as Xbox 360 gamers now have the chance to purchase a first party racing wheel with Microsoft’s first attempt at force-feedback encoding on the included special edition of PGR 3.

Can Microsoft’s wheel compete with Fanatec’s stellar peripheral (sans true feedback)? Is force feedback worth the five-plus year wait? Is Forza 2 ever coming out? I doubt if I can answer that last question, but let’s get to those first two parts…

Features

• Real force feedback
• Integrated lap mount
• Detachable table mount
• Slip-resistant foot pedals
• Powered by the same wireless technology as the Xbox 360 wireless controller
• Dual rumble motors that perform in full wireless mode
• Play up to 20 hours wirelessly on a single battery pack charge
• Professional racecar cockpit-inspired design

Pre-race

It’s not often that I get into packaging design when discussing a piece of hardware, but setting up the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel brought something interesting to my attention. The packaging of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel is elegant. Confusing for sure, but just as well thought out as this hunk of plastic. You’ll need at least a small amount of spatial awareness to uncork the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel. Tetris skills can’t hurt either. But it really is a wonderfully (the green vertigo Xbox 360 logo shroud itself should hypnotize people into purchasing it) efficient design that deserves merit.

You’ll probably stumble upon the table mount unit and power supply once the actual wheel is broken free of its corrugated confines. And you won’t even have to study the wheel to know that the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel is of the highest quality. You know… that quality that only comes with first party pieces. Yep, I’m talking about the separate table clamp piece.

The table clamp isn’t the normal piece of crap thrown in with most wheels. This sturdy piece of ABS is actually formed from two halves that are – get this – screwed together. The mount even uses high-quality star-type fasteners that you will find on the Xbox 360 controllers. The table clamp uses a unique fastening system that features a large plastic screw stopper (like a C-clamp) and a quick-release handle. Once the mount is cranked down with the screw, the quick release handle flips up and grabs the table or suitable mounting surface with a bear-trap-like grip. Rubber pips on the underside of the table clamp help to keep the piece from sliding around when force is being fed to the unit. Of course, if you decide to use the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel with the integrated lap pad, then all of the engineering that has gone into the table clamp is a non-factor. But you’ll really want to use the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel with the table clamp if at all possible, as the security of the wheel dramatizes the feedback and rumble effect.

Now is a good time to check out the other components of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, besides the wheel and pedal set, as I’m all about saving the best for last (thanks for the inspiration V. Williams). The power supply is of top-notch quality. It includes a separate power cable (easily replaceable if need be), and the boxed transformer is designed to sit on the floor, which means no big chunk taking up your precious power strip real estate. You’ll also find what looks to be a regular phone cable (the cool kids call it an RJ-11) which connects the wheel and foot pedal unit together, and two AA batteries. Energizer – not the barely-alkaline pieces of dung that come with most electronics.

So, some of you may be wondering what all of these cables are about if the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel has the word “wireless” in its title. The “force” of force feedback needs the juice of a 110 outlet; not the power contained in two AA or a small ni-mh pack. If you could care less about feedback, then you can disconnect the power supply and game where you please, but the foot pedals will still be tethered to the wheel no matter what. The good news in all of this is that there are options for just about everybody. If you always game with force feedback, the unit will run off of AC power and there’s no need for batteries or a rechargeable pack. If you go wireless and choose to use a 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack, simply plugging in the AC adapter will charge the pack (and charging doesn’t interfere with force feedback). And if you just want to use the batteries, well, they’re Energizers, and they keep going, and going, and going ad infinitum.

Now let’s jump into the wheel and foot pedals. The wheel unit, not surprisingly, is as thoroughly engineered and constructed as the additional, aforementioned bits of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel. The wheel itself is a mixture of soft rubber in the business areas and hard plastic in the squared-off bottom portion. The squared bottom is reminiscent of F1 cars, and is done primarily to afford more thigh clearance in a tight cockpit. In the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel’s case, the squarish bottom allows fat-femured gamers to use the wheel with the integrated lap mount. Typical paddle shifters have a nice throw and good feel, but are not micro-switched. You’ll also find the important controller functions at your fingertips, including the navigation button, a D-pad, the four face buttons, and start/back. Each of these buttons can be assigned to a different function if need be. The battery pack is so seamlessly integrated into the side of the wheel unit, that you’ll miss it if not looking for it. And the communicator slot is around where the ignition would be in a normal car, which is another reason to pick up the wireless headset.

The lap pad is curved to accept the contour of the thighs. A rubber pattern that looks like it was fashioned after a tire tread helps to keep movement to a minimum. If you forgo the lap dance and go straight to the happy ending also known as the table clamp, then you’ll need to angle the wheel toward you and line up the two studs on both pieces. Once you rock the wheel back it will lock into place with a positive click. To quickly release the wheel, just press the bottom on the front of the clamp that was designed to look like a hood release switch (another nifty design touch).

The foot pedal unit is another highly stylized piece of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, featuring a large white plastic loop/foot rest surrounding a gray mounting ledge. Erupting from the gray base is an accelerator and brake that have surface pips to aid in traction, while at the same time mimicking the race car look. The accelerator has harder plastic pips and a brushed aluminum look, although I’m convinced that the piece is all plastic. The brake is outfitted with a slightly easier-to-grip material, and is finished in matte black. Both pedals feel like they require the exact same force to throw (I would have preferred a stiffer brake pedal), but the accelerator features a greater range of motion (as it should). The bottom of the pedal unit has larger rubber discs to help keep it planted. You’ll also find the receptacle for the RJ-11 wire and a means of routing it inconspicuously out of the tail end.

On the grid

Setting up the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel is fairly simple, and the existence of drivers built right into the PGR 3 disc makes it about as quick as any other peripheral installation. After the RJ-11 cable is connected, you can either connect the power supply to the back of the wheel or load it up with the AA batteries for wireless play. You can also throw in a rechargeable battery pack (not included) and charge it with the AC cable, or use a charged unit for wireless play.

A tap of the guide button powers up the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, as evidenced by a glowing green Ring of Light and a left/right twitch of the wheel. Wirelessly connecting the wheel is the same process as a controller; just tap the connect button on the Xbox 360, and then on the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel (located next to the Communicator receptacle). A free quadrant will light up and is indicated on the 360 as well as on the hub of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel. Up to four Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel’s can be connected wirelessly to an Xbox 360 at once, which equals local, multiplayer mayhem for those titles which support it.

Seat time

Since there’s no Forza 2 to be had at the moment (sniffle), my logical test disc was the force feedback-enabled PGR 3 that comes with the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel. Those that have played PGR 3 with the Madcatz wheel know that it is no easy task. Without any in-game setup, the wheel is all but useless in the behind-the-car views, making “over” steer an “under” statement. The Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel does about the exact same thing when the power supply is not connected. The somewhat loose-feeling wheel and lack of dead zone in PGR 3 will cause nearly any car in the game to get loose in a hurry. The pedals bank is good, and stays well planted, but again, I think the software is the limitation to the overall feel. The brake pedal is just way too sensitive, and with no way to adjust it, you’ll have to be quite dainty with your left foot.

The good news here is that if you aren’t playing with force feedback, you’ll have the ability to play up to thirty feet from your Xbox 360. The wireless technology in the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel is flawless and lightning quick, and there’s a good chance that you’ll forget within minutes that you are transmitting FCC-approved waves with every input.

Plug the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel in and things change, and in some ways drastically. You’ll immediately notice that the wheel is now under a slight but constant tension. Now crank the wheel in one direction, and it will snap back rather quickly to center. In fact, you can turn the wheel through its entire left/right range of motion and the force feedback will right the ship. Jump into the same event in PGR 3 and suddenly you feel like Mario Andretti in the Lola heydays. The force feedback is solidly programmed, and really changes one’s ability to control the car. The more natural feeling of the wheel fighting your every move makes car control, or in the name of Kudos, controlled chaos nearly intuitive if you possess a valid driver’s license. Yeah, the brake pedal is still way too touchy, but I’m sure set-up options for brake pressure and the like will be installed in the code by the time PGR 4 arrives. With the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel’s force feedback on and PGR 3 in the tray, driving is now like riding a bike, but not for the first time.

Need for Speed Carbon, the only other game that fully supports force feedback right now, is a different animal than PGR 3. Surprisingly, the cars control quite well with force feedback deactivated, and poorly with it enabled. Again, this all comes down to the programming. The force feedback programming in Carbon is nearly nonexistent, but the rumble is put to good use (which is the opposite of PGR 3, which has little rumble). Personally, I’d play Carbon with the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel unplugged, which doesn’t help me justify the unit’s $150 price tag much. Hopefully the soon-to-be-released Test Drive Unlimited and Forza 2 will have setup options or a better grasp of how cars are supposed to feel when the wheel is turned and the brake is applied.

The Bottom Line

With features like first-party quality, wireless connectivity, and true force feedback, the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel is tough to beat, with a catch. The catch is that any wheel peripheral without adjustable settings (a la Fanatec Speedster) is only as good as the software being used with it. PGR 3 is quite impressive when powered up, but unplug the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel for wireless functionality and you might as well play it with a controller. Strangely, the opposite holds true for Need for Speed Carbon.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for Forza 2, as this seems to be the main application for which the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel was designed. I’m also curious what Codemasters will bring to market, and what Bizarre has up their sleeves. But as it stands, I consider the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel like an undervalued stock with the chance to blossom if the conditions are right. Investing in the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel now can’t hurt

In these two new videos, F1 driver Stephane Sarrazin and Takata time attack driver James Elterman discuss the level of realism Turn 10 has packed into Forza Motorsports 3.

The story of James Elterman finding a cheap livery designer via the Forza community forums is inspiring, but I’m much more interested in watching Peugeot 908 Le Mans driver Stephane Sarrazin take a drive through courses he’s raced on in cars he’s familiar with. The fact that he can hop onto the game and clock a time one millisecond over his actual race time is simply mind-boggling.

Practical advice on creating your motorsport masterpiece…

Racing and painting are a disparate pair of disciplines and rather like it’s counterpart, painting is all about practice. Here, though, we offer you a significant legup with a whole bunch of sound advice.

Odds are you’ve already got a gazillion livery ideas in your head; stop right there and go check out the editor. Look at the vinyl shapes you have access to and imagine creating something with them. If this is your first Forza car design we’d recommend opting for one of your simpler ideas. Something that’s going to be challenging, but not to the point of frustration. You should also start to think about which car the design is going to end up on, go and have a look at the car now… will the design work with the body shape? It’s essential to have a rough idea of the end product in your head before you begin. It’s worth making a sketch of your design before you begin. If only for reference purposes it’ll make the whole process much easier. If you’re feeling particularly creative you can even try knocking up a rough version in some visual software. It doesn’t really matter if you do this in something high-end like Illustrator or something as basic as MS Paint; either way it’ll give you a good idea of the complexity of the image and it’ll force you to start thinking about the kind of shapes needed to make up the image.

THE BEGINNING

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BASIC SHAPES
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Start off by laying down the basic shape for your design. At this point don’t worry about the details, just concentrate on making the basic shape perfect using square blocks, triangles and circles to start to form an outline. All of the controls are shown at the bottom of the screen, but don’t forget that you can use the D-pad as well as the analogue stick to position, rotate and resize shapes. This is often a lot easier than using the stick and allows precise measurements; you can also check the X and Y values of each shape by glancing at the bottom of the screen. We’re making our base shape here solid black so that we can keep a thin black outline for the final version… this will not only help the design to stand out when it’s on the car, but it will also allow us to use the design on any colour bodywork we choose.

BUILDING BLOCKS
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 With your basic shape in place it’s time to start adding some colours and details. Concentrate on one area at a time and, whatever you do, be patient. Sort the easier areas first, take your time, stay aware of the overall composition, line up the shapes, be careful about what colours you choose and take a break if your eyes are starting to fade, making sure you remember to SAVE after every few shapes. It’s this middle section of any design that really hurts… it can take hours to get even the smallest section right and even then all you’re looking at is a wall of shapes. Sadly there are no short cuts to be taken, but you can speed up the process a little by using your recent colours palette and using the ‘stamp’ button instead of insert when you know you’ve got a row of similar shapes coming up.

COMPLEX SHAPES
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We’re guessing that, whatever your design, the more complex areas all involve curvaceous shapes right? It doesn’t matter how many vinyl options the developer puts in, these are always going to require a little TLC to work. With each design you’d normally be looking to save layers (just in case that 1,000-per-limit is reached), but when it comes to curves don’t be afraid to throw more shapes than seem necessary. If you’re having problems we can suggest playing around with different vinyl shapes (the brackets on the fonts actually work really well) and experiment with the ‘skew’ option. This has been a lifesaver on numerous occasions.

GROUPS AND LAYERS
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Always remember that everything you create is on its own layer and that the higher numbered layers always sit on top of the lower numbers covering them up. There are transparency options for each layer, with which you can create some awesome effects, but if you ignore that for now you can use layers to save lots of time. Once we were happy with the position we grouped the lighter layers together (by clicking in the left stick), cut them to the clipboard and then pasted them before the black outline on the layer list. It’s a cheap trick, but it cuts down on the hassle.

FINAL TWEAKS
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When you’re nearing the end of your design take the time to go back through all of the shapes you’ve put down and make sure you’re happy with the way everything looks, you don’t want to get to the end and regret not changing something earlier. Change colours if necessary (as we did here with the armour joints), reposition layers, maybe delete a few of the unnecessary shapes and tighten everything up. It’s a better idea to do this now, when you have only got one design on the roof of a car, rather than trying to dig through hundreds upon hundreds of layers later on just to find one shape that’s slightly off.  If you are struggling to pick out one shape on your image, try changing its colour to something that stands out while you re-position, then just swap the colour back when you are done.

VINYL GROUPS
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 With any layer selected press the Start button and scroll down the options until you see ‘Highlight All Layers’. With that done either click on the group or hit the Start button again and look for the option ‘Save Vinyl Group’. This allows you to lift your design off the car, give it a name, and save it to the hard drive. Now we’re finished, sort of. For this design we’re also going to go back into the layers and, group together the same colours and re-colour that group.

PICK A CAR
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Hours worth of effort and we still haven’t even got a car to show for all our work… well, it’s now time to change all that. By now you’ve hopefully got a good idea of which car you want to garnish. There’s so many to choose from, so you want to pick one that will compliment your design. A great design can be ruined by a poor choice in car.  If you are planning on adding external aftermarket parts like a bodykit make sure you buy them and install BEFORE you begin work on the car. The last thing you want is for your hard graft to be ruined by a bumper that’s a slightly different shape. As we mentioned before it’s also wise to ditch the stock colour (in this case metallic red) and give the entire car a lick of temporary white/black paint to help line up the layers.

CHOOSING VINYL
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Features like this are incredibly easy to slap on thanks to a decent range of vinyl built into the game. Have a scroll through and you’ll find multiple tabbed sections running from basic shapes to intricate patterns. However, a word of warning, every other person on the planet has access to these. So, if you are planning on using them, try and make them a little different. If it’s lightning add another branch to the bolt or maybe try extending the lick of some flames. In this case we widened the two outer stripes with some additional layers and continued the star pattern. Tweaks like this are simple enough to carry out, but there’s a lot more satisfaction in knowing you’ve made the shape ‘yours’.

GRADIENTS
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 Gradients can be your best friend… and your worst enemy. They’re nice and easy to use and can produce striking effects, but can also look incredibly tacky, especially if they’re simply slapped across the full width of a car. It might be tempting to make that lime green/bright pink split, but in the end you’ll just look like a noob on the track. Gradients should be used for subtle effects, like the stripe here. If you’re planning on producing photo-quality vinyl (like the Pennywise car at the top corner of this page) you’ll need to become a master of the gradients and transparency levels. The main problem to watch out for (in regards to both gradients and transparency levels) is overlapping layers, it can take a long time to get everything lined up and looking good but it will definitely be worth it in the end.

IMPORTING VINYL GROUPS
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 When you’re ready to apply your own custom vinyl, highlight a blank layer and either hit the Start button or press A. You’ll see an option for importing a vinyl group which brings up a list of every piece of art you’ve saved. When you do import a vinyl group it’ll initially appear with the layers locked so you can re-position and resize (as you can with any layers you’ve grouped together), but be careful. Because, once imported, this behaves in the same way as other layers. When you need to select another group of layers you’ll lose the lock. Make sure the group is separate from the rest of the layers on the list if you can, it can make your life a lot easier later on when you’re making final tweaks.

WORKING WITH SIDES
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Now that we’re finally happy with the roof composition we’re going to continue our arrows around to the sides. If your design covers multiple sides this is where things can start to get a little tricky. Lining up shapes can be awkward depending on the car, and you’ll also find that with some cars you’ll be able to mark sides even when they’re not selected. The main areas to watch out for are the bumpers; these can often be affected by layers on the roof. Remember, if elements of your design are symmetrical you only need to work on one side to begin with, as you can switch over and mirror all of the layers simply using the menus.

BODY PAINT
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 As you near the end of your design it’s a good idea to start thinking about body paint. Hopefully you’ll have a colour in mind already, but, as we found out with this car, you need to be prepared to accept that the colour might not look as impressive as you’d hoped. We originally planned for a sky blue finish, but it didn’t gel with the rest of the design. In the end we opted for a bright orange to complement the cartoon-look and lightened the arrow colours to fit. Remember that when you’ve got the colour wheel up you can also tap the triggers to see metallic and manufacturer stock options. Also, if you’ve used vinyl with cut-out shapes, make sure the car paint hasn’t created new problems… 

LETTERING
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 The game’s range of fonts are perfect for adding bumper stickers, website addresses, number plates and so on. When you’re placing letters keep a close eye on the X and Y values at the bottom of the screen, all it takes is for one letter to be slightly bigger or the spacing to be off and you’re left with an amateur livery. Of course if you’re not happy with what’s on offer within the vinyl menus you can create your own letters, but we found that we’ve only needed to do this when it came to recreating logos. If you are planning on making a logo treat it the same as any piece of art, build a big version of it on your canvas car and shrink it down for use as a vinyl group.

DETAILS
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All that’s left to do now is add a few small extras to finish off the design. One of the most important things you can learn with the livery editor is when to stop. There’s no shame in having sections of the car un-painted, if it works for your design. We’ve seen lots of good ideas that have been ruined by over-the-top clutter.  If you are going to go down the manufacturer logo route make sure you stay true to your car and only add the logos specific to your engine upgrades. There’s nothing worse than seeing these logos slapped on for the sake of it. Sorted? Good, it’s time introduce your baby to the world…

All of Forza 3’s ten different classes explained and listed with the number of races and points you can gain per race.

• 1 Testing:

Designed mainly as an introduction to the various cars and style. You start out of course with the wonderfully responsive Audi R8 Quartro to get your skill level worked out, which the AI helps determine. You can still change this difficulty level, but the AI simply wants to see your skill levels, it then seems to work out the opponent difficulty for you, which helps a great deal. Your first main Test is then back into th “F Class” cars so you can work your way through the pack.

Testing:

1. Asian Open – 3 Races – 6000 points
2. European Open – 3 races – 6,600 points
3. All American Open – 3 races – 6,600 points
4. FWD Open – 3 races – 6,600 points
5. RWD Open – 3 races – 6,600 points
6. AWD Open – 3 races – 6,600 points
7. 2 Door Challenge – 3 races – 6,800 points
8. 3 Door Open – 3 races – 6,800 points
9. 4 Door Open – 3 races – 6,800 points
10. 5 Door Open – 3 races – 6,800 points

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• 2 Amateur:

An area where you will build your experience with the different cars, working up the ladder towards the higher end cars. Do not be discouraged with these, or think that they are beneath you as a driver. A great deal of fun and most importantly, experience can be gained through constant playing of these classes.

Amateur 1:

1. FWD Elite Open – 3 races – 12,900 points
2. Asian Elite Open – 3 races – 12,400 points
3. French Elite Open – 3 races – 12,000 points
4. RWD Elite Invitational – 3 races – 12,700
5. Mid-Engine Elite Open – 3 races – 11,600 points
6. Nth American Elite Open – 3 races – 13,100 points
7. German Elite Invitational – 3 races – 14,600 points
8. British Elite Invitational – 3 races – 15,100
9. AWD Elite Open – 3 races – 14,100 points
10. Italian Elite Open – 3 races – 15,800 points

Amateur 2:

1. Super Mini Road Test – 3 races – 11,500 points
2. Coupe Road Test 1 – 3 races – 13,300 points
3. Saloon Road Test 1 – 3 races – 11,700 points
4. Hot Hatch Road Test – 3 races – 13,100 points
5. SUV Road Test – 3 races – 12,200 points
6. Coupe Road Test 2 – 3 races – 13,800 points
7. Saloon Road Test 2 – 3 races – 14,600 points
8. Coupe Road Test 2 – 3 races 13,200 points
9. Supercar Road Test 3 races – 15,400 points
10. Prototype Road Test – 3 races 16,100 points

Amateur 3:

1. American Muscle Showdown – 3 races – 11,100 points
2. Inline 4 Showcase – 3 races – 11,400 points
3. Normal Aspiration Runoff – 3 races – 12,500 points
4. Boosted Proving Grounds – 3 races – 13,500 points
5. Six-Cyl Fast & Furious – 3 races – 12,700 points
6. Ultralight Showdown – 3 races – 13,100 points
7. Executive Car Open – 3 races – 14,300 points
8. Eight-Cyl Supreme GT – 3 races – 13,600 points
9. Ten-Cyl Salute – 3 races – 15,000 points
10. Twelve-Cyl Flagship Trophy – 3 races – 14,300 points

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• 3 Manufacturer:

Manufacturer 1:

1. Integra Owners Meeting – 4 races – 22,900 points
2. Hyundi Owners Meeting – 4 races – 21,100 points
3. Mitshubishi Owners Meeting – 4 races – 22,700 points
4. Skyline Owners Meeting – 4 races – 23,400 points
5. Subaru Owners Meeting – 4 races – 21,500 points
6. Honda Acura Owners Meeting – 4 races – 24,100 points
7. Mazda Owners Meeting – 4 races – 23,800 points
8. Fairlady 2 Cup – 4 races – 23,300 points
9. Nissan Infiniti Owners Meeting – 4 races – 24,200 points
10. Toyota Lexus Owners Meeting – 4 races – 23,700 points

Manufacturer 2:

1. Peugeot Racing Club – 4 races – 20,600 points
2. Sweden Racing Club – 4 races – 22,200 points
3. V.Dub Racing Club – 4 races – 22,300 points
4. Vahxall Racing CLub – 4 races – 24,200 points
5. Lotus Racing Club – 4 races- 23,400 points
6. SEAT Racing Club – 4 races – 23,300 points
7. BMW Owners Club – 4 races – 22,900 points
8. Audi Racing Club – 4 races – 25,800 points
9. Mercedes- Benz Racing Club – 4 races – 25,800 points
10. Porsche Racing Club – 4 races – 26,600 points

Manufacturer 3:

1. Firebird T.A. Track Days – 4 races – 22,400 points
2. Focus Track Days – 4 races – 22,000 points
3. Chrysler Track Days – 4 races – 23,300 points
4. Pontiac Track Days – 4 races – 23,500
5. Mustang Track Days – 4 races – 24,100 points
6. Ford Track Days – 4 races – 23,800 points
7. Chevrolet Track Days – 4 races – 26,400 points
8. Corvette Track Days – 4 races – 26,00o points
9. Dodge Track Days – 4 races – 25,900 points
10. Viper Track Days – 4 races – 26,400 points

Manufacturer 4:

1. World Sub-Compact Shoot Out – 4 races – 20,500 points
2. American Muscle Shoot Out – 4 races – 20,100 points
3. Euro Hatch Shoot Out – 4 races – 21,400 points
4. Lightweight Shoot Out – 4 races – 22,500 points
5. German SUV Shoot Out – 4 races – 22,400 points
6. JDM Imports – 990’s Shoot Out – 4 races – 21,800
7. Speedstar Shoot Out – 4 races – 23,500 points
8. Premium Sedan Shoot Out – 4 races – 25,100 points
9. Prestigious Shoot Out – 4 races – 23,800 points
10. Ultimate Speed Shoot Out – 4 races – 26,200 points

Manufacturer 5:

1. Civic V’s Golf – 4 races – 22,100 points
2. Celica V’s Silvia – 4 races – 22,300 points
3. Tarmac Rally – 4 races – 22,300 points
4. Mustang V’s Camaro – 4 races – 22,800 points
5. Supra V’s Fairlady 2 – 4 races – 22,600 points
6. German Sports Line Challenge – 4 races – 25,800 points
7. NSX V’s Skyline – 4 races – 24,900 points
8. Fastest Fleet Shoot Out – 4 races – 27,100 points
9. Ferrari V’s Porsche – 4 races – 25,800 points
10. Lamborginhi V’s Ferrai – 4 races – 26,500 points

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• 4 Semi Professional:

Semi Pro 1:

1. Puma 150 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 42,700 points
2. Recaro 200 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 44,800 points
3. Bilstein 250 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 46,500 points
4. Toyo 300 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 49,300 points
5. Sparco 350 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 48,900 points
6. BBS 400 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 54,500 points
7. Stoptech 450 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 54,900 points
8. Bridgestone 500 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 50,700 points
9. Motul 600 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 55,800 points
10. K&N 700 BHP Run-Off – 5 races – 55,800 points

Semi Pro 2:

1. Class F Pre-’00 Asian Tour – 5 races – 41,600 points
2. Class F Post ‘00 Asian Tour – 5 races – 43,400 points
3. Class E Pre ‘03 Asian Tour – 5 races – 45,200 points
4. Class E Post ‘03 Asian Tour – 5 races – 45,800 points
5. Class D Pre ‘00 Asian Tour – 5 races – 46,500 points
6. Class D Post ‘00 Asian Tour – 5 races – 47,400 points
7. Class C Asian Tour – 5 races – 49,400 points
8. Class B Asian Tour – 5 races – 52,000 points
9. C;ass S Asian Tour – 5 races – 58,000 points
10. Class R2 Asian Tour – 5 races – 61,000 points

Semi Pro 3:

1. Class F European Tour – 5 races – 41,000 points
2. Class E European Tour – 5 races – 43,400 points
3. Class D European Tour – 5 races – 45,000 points
4. Class C European Tour – 5 races – 49,200 points
5. Class B European Tour – 5 races – 47,900 points
6. Class A European Tour – 5 races – 53,800 points
7. Class S European Tour – 5 races – 53,700 points
8. Class R3 European Tour – 5 races – 54,800 points
9. Class R2 European Tour – 5 races – 59,000 points
10. Class R1 European Tour – 5 races – 63,000 points

Semi Pro 4:

1. Class F Nth American Your – 5 races – 44,700 points
2. Class E Nth American Your – 5 races – 44,000 points
3. Class D Nth American Your – 5 races – 46,900 points
4. Calss C Nth American Your – 5 races – 47,200 points
5. Class B Nth American Your – 5 races – 53,000 points
6. Class A Nth American Your – 5 races – 56,000 points
7. Class S Nth American Your – 5 races – 58,000 points
8. Class R3 Nth American Your – 5 races – 63,000 points
9. Class R2 Nth American Your – 5 races – 64,000 points
10. Class R1 Nth American Your – 5 races – 66,000 points

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• 5 Professional:

Professional 1:

1. Yaris S Trophy – 6 races – 68,800 points
2. MX5 Miata Trophy – 6 races – 72,000 points
3. ABARTH 500 ESSEESES Trophy – 6 races – 79,000 points
4. Mini John Cooper Works Cup – 6 races – 82,000 points
5. Hyundi Geniesis Coupe Tour Trophy – 6 races – 83,000 points
6. F355 Challenge Trophy Trophy – 6 races – 91,000 points
7. Murcielago LP640 Trophy Trophy – 6 races – 65,000 points
8. Porsche 911 GT3 Trophy Trophy – 6 races – 85,000 points
9. Ferrari F430 Trophy Trophy – 6 races – 90,000 points
10. FXX Trophy Trophy – 6 races – 101,000 points

Professional 2:

1. Aussie Touring Car Championship – 6 race – 111,000 points
2. Porsche 911 GT3 Showdown – 6 races – 111,000 points
3. German Racing Car Showdown – 6 races – 110,000 points
4. American GT3 Invitational – 6 races – 109,000 points
5. GT3 Invitational – 6 races – 109,000 points
6. GT2 Invitational – 6 races – 116,000 points
7. Japanese Invitational – 6 races – 119,000 points
8. Dream Machine – 6 races – 117,000 points
9. GT1 Invitational – 6 races – 119,000 points
10. LMP Invitational – 6 races – 116,000 points

Professional 3:

1. Class F World Tour – 6 races – 84,000 points
2. Class E World Tour – 6 races – 88,000 points
3. Class D World Tour – 6 races – 99,000 points
4. Class C World Tour – 6 races – 100,000 points
5. Class B World Tour – 6 races – 110,000 points
6. Class A World Tour – 6 races – 115,000 points
7. Class S World Tour – 6 races – 114,000 points
8. Class R3 World Tour – 6 races – 116,000 points
9. Class R2 World Tour – 6 races – 126,000 points
10. Class R1 World Tour – 6 races – 133,000 points

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• 6 Speedway:

Speedway:

1. Class F Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 18,800 points
2. Class E Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 19,400 points
3. Class D Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 20,600 points
4. Class C Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 21,400 points
5. Class B Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 22,500 points
6. Class A Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 23,500 points
7. Class S Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 23,700 points
8. Class R3 Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 25,700 points
9. Class R2 Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 25,900 points
10. Class R1 Speedway Challenge – 6 races – 27,400 points

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• 7 Drag Racing Heats:

Drag Races:

1. 250 bhp FWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 1,890 points
2. 300 bhp FWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 1,890 points
3. 350 bhp RWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 1,890 points
4. 400 bhp AWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points
5. 450 bhp RWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points
6. 500 bhp AWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points
7. 550 bhp AWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points
8. 600 bhp AWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points
9. 650 bhp RWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points
10. 700 bhp RWD Shoot Out – 3 races – 2,700 points

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• 8 Closed circuit laps & races:

Closed circuit:

1. Fujimi Kaido Class F Series – 4 races – 38,400 points
2. Amalfi Coast Class E Series – 4 races – 29,000 points
3. Nurburgring Class D Series – 4 races – 38,400 points
4. Fujimi Kaido Class C Series – 4 races – 39,300 points
5. Amalfi Coast Class B Series – 4 races – 29,100 points
6. Nurnurgring Class A Series – 4 races – 38,400 points
7. Fujimi Kaido Class S Series – 4 races – 39,000 points
8. Amalfi Coast Class R3 Series – 4 races – 27,900 points
9. Nurburgring Class R2 Series – 4 races – 38,400 points
10. Fujimi Kaido Class R1 Series – 4 races – 38,700 points

Closed circuit – Lap Days:

1. Class F Lap Days – 3 races – 34,400 points
2. Class E Lap Days – 3 races – 34,500 points
3. Class D Lap Days – 3 races – 34,500 points
4. Class C Lap Days – 3 races – 34,400 points
5. Class B Lap Days – 3 races – 34,500 points
6. Class A Lap Days – 3 races – 34,500 points
7. Class S Lap Days – 3 races – 34,400 points
8. Class R3 Lap Days – 3 races – 34,400 points
9. Class R2 Lap Days – 3 races – 34,500 points
10. Class R1 Lap Days – 3 races – 34,400 points

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• 9 Full-on Endurance Races:

Endurance:

1. 34 Lap Road Atlanta – 1 race – 72,000 points
2. 130 klm Circuit de Catalunya – 1 race – 74,000 points
3. 134 klm Twin RIng Mojetgi – 1 race – 83,000 points
4. 160 klm Silverstone Gran Prix – 1 race – 88,000 points
5. 32 Lap Mugello – 1 race – 92,000 points
6. 169 klm Suzuka Circuit – 1 race – 92,000 points
7. 31 Lap Sebring International Raceway – 1 race – 99,000 points
8. 128 mil Road America – 1 race – 110,000 points
9. 17 Laps Circuit de la Sarthe – 1 race – 110,000 points
10. 187 klm Nurburgring Nordschleife – 1 race – 110,000 points

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• 10 Top of the Ladder Championships:

Championships:

1. Class F World Championships – 3 races – 18,200 points
2. Class E World Championships – 3 races – 23,900 points
3. Class D World Championships – 4 races – 36,600 points
4. Class C World Championships – 5 races – 53,000 points
5. Class B World Championships – 6 races – 82,000 points
6. Class A World Championships – 7 races – 106,000 points
7. Class S World Championships – 8 races – 157,000 points
8. Class R3 World Championships – 9 races – 216,000 points
9. Class R2 World Championships – 11 races – 314,000 points
10. Class R1 World Championships – 13 races – 428,000 points

Make sure you come back for an even more detailed breakdown soon, we will have a downloadable and printable PDF for each set of races or class, so you can find out, the tracks, number of laps and points gained for each race.

Our next set of Forza 3 details will be dealing with various racing tips for each track, as well as some driving tips for the Novice, Intermediate and Expert drivers. Dealing with such things as Assists, Gears, slight changes to the Optimised Auto-Upgrades and several other great Forza 3 tips-n-tricks.

The main thing is to have fun, but also to hone your skills so that you get the best you can from not only Forza 3, but any decent racing game. Our aim is that you will walk away from the experience much more informed, and also with a greater respect for the game, and the work Turn 10 have put into the game.

Personally I’m looking forward to the next lot of Downloadable Content, and seeing the creations that come from the Forza 3 community. The game has its bugs, all games do. There’s no such thing as the “perfect” game or a game without flaws. They all have them. Forza 3 has its share, but they do not distract from the overall experience of the gameplay or the game in general

Forza 3 would have to have the biggest selection of races available in any known racing game to date.

With 730 races, (no, I have yet to work out exactly how many laps that is, but I’m working on it…that will be in Tips #2), which are spread over a massive 220 events from 10 different categories or series ranging from 50 different real life race circuits as well as fictional tracks based on real life locations in places such as Italy, Germany, France, Nth America, England, Japan and Spain. I think you’ll need a Tourist Visa!

 What we will be doing here is hopefully help you go through and use the Events Listing which you can use to help build your Experience Level (XP) and thus gain more credits (CR), as well as win some more neat cars (Veyron). We will also discuss the various cars to use in the different classes that will give you not only a great chance at working your way through Forza 3, but help you enjoy the experience along the way.

We will also look at which cars to start off learning how to us “Assists Off” function, as well as the advanced Manual & Clutch gear changes which help gain you more credits.

By having most of the assists off, as some cars actually need them on to be tractable (drivable), you can gain an increase of your points of as much as 75% which certainly helps build those Experience Points (XP) up and also get those credits piling up in your account to start upgrading.

But like all things, you have to start – well – at the beginning, funny that, so let’s start with the different races and progress from there shall we. Naturally we’ll try and get as much stuff as possible in, but this will need to be spread across several postings and pages with updates, tips (OZ’s Forza 3 Tips), guides and general knowledge on the gameplay mechanics, some tuning tips and much more.

As you can see from the image above at the start of the page, (click to see full size) there are a great deal of events, and of course races.

I have found the Events List section very useful in getting races done and moving forward. I’m currently on Driver Experience Level 35/50 and my next is 40/50, yet only completed 15% of the career mode.

OZ’z first Forza 3 main tip – FPV

 

First Person Viewpoint. I’ve always played the game, or any real racing game or semi-sim through the in-car view, or, if not available, the closest to the screen view as possible. – Why? – realism!

Many find it difficult, citing inability to see ahead properly (well dahh, have you driven a car), sun-glare (yep, that gives it more real-life effects), poor vision on corners (no, really?!), other cars location to you (you don’t say), and more often than not, the inability to see YOU racing in your nice shinny car (poor didums).

Racing isn’t about seeing what “you look like” – It’s about driving at your best without knocking everyone out of the way to get ahead, or seeing how much damage you can deliver to your car, and others.

Anyone want to race me, and it has to be with in-car view locked, manual gears and most assists off, depending on car being used. while I’m not up at the top of the ladder, and probably never will be. But I am still in the top 1% of the leaderboard in Circuit in Class A, top 2% in Class S with varying % in other classes so far.

This is due mainly due to the fact I feel more in this viewpoint than I do in any other, I “focus” on what lays ahead, which is what a driver should be doing, and I can scope the road and track out behind and ahead of me, and have a better feel for the race in general, especially in longer races and Enduros.

In Drivers view (Cockpit or In-Car-View), the cars actually sound more realistic, the road sounds are more realistic, even down to the gravel crushing under tyres, track poles being clipped, rumble strips picking you up on corners, gauging ‘braking markers’, the sound of witches hats popping as you run over them (by mistake of course), and most importantly, the ability to use the engine and gear sound to determine the moment to change gears and the sense of speed needed in such a game.

Try it, especially at the beginning with the slower cars so that you get used to it, and you’ll find it becomes much more natural, and much more responsive than in the 3rd person lolly-pop view, which always has a much more artificial feel and responsiveness to it.

Try it in both views, and see and feel the differences, you’ll be surprised.

Plus, think about this for a second – have you EVER driven a car flying on a magic carpet about the car – no – didn’t think so

Your First Car

The good news: You don’t have to spend a dime on your first car. The bad news: Your selection is pretty weak. None of the cars offered at first could be considered fast, and some are among the most loathsome cars on the market. But two cars stand out above other others. Both the Ford Fiesta and the Honda Fit have some semblance of performance legitimacy, sporting eager handling characteristics and light weight. No, they’re not fast in a straight line, but neither is your competition. Pick one of those two cars to start and you’ll be headin’ the right direction.

Dont Waste Money on Upgrades

As you start winning races, you may get eager to spend money on upgrades. Fight this urge. Your first car will become very useless very quickly, so it’s not worth putting money into it. Early in the game, you earn so many free cars and move between such a variety of race events that money spent on upgrades is essentialy wasted. Save your cash, because eventually you will need to buy something.

Use Free Cars

Continuing the theme of fiscal conservatism, we advise you not spend money on new cars unless necessary. Through at least the first two race seasons, you can use the cars you earn from leveling up your driver to compete in more and more events. Do your best to pretend that you don’t have any money to spend on new cars—the longer you ignore your bankroll, the bigger it’ll get. You’ll need the money eventually when events require new and better cars that you can’t simply earn.

Pick Events Wisely

In order to get by in the game’s career mode without spending money frivolously, you’ll need to be careful about the events you choose to fill out your calendar. When you’re tasked with filling out your calendar, view the specifics of each potential event. Note which events earn you the most money per race, and which require vehicles you don’t already own. Even if you’ve got a car that’s eligible, it may not be fit for competition. For example, we weren’t paying attention and entered a high speed circuit event—while our car was competitive on tight courses with lots of turns, it maxed out at a low top speed and had no chance of winning.

Assists & Difficulties

When you first start the game, you’re asked a vague question about how serious you want your racing experience. Your answer to the question dictates the various racing assists that are enabled for you by default, but you can make adjustments to these settings once you’re on the main career mode menu (choose “Set Difficulty”). By disabling assists, you can boost the amount of money you earn from every race, which helps not only your bank account but also your driver level. Some of the assists are very helpful, but some are very expendable. Here’s a quick breakdown of the lot.

autobrake Uhh, turn it off. It’s an easy +10% to your take home after a race and we find its use fairly dubious unless you are painfully new to the game.

anti-lock brakes ABS, or anti-lock braking system, is pretty useful in Forza. It’s easy to lock up your tires when braking hard into a turn, and that’ll significantly increase your braking distances (a bad thing) and reduce your steering control of the car (a terrible thing). Turning off anti-lock brakes gives you +15% to your pay, but we think it’s worth keeping on.

stability control Stability control isn’t terribly useful, which is why you only get +5% to your payouts by disabling it. Unless you’re having a lot of trouble keeping your car under control, we suggest leaving stability control disabled.

traction control You’ll find traction control very useful as you power out of corners with high-horsepower cars. But early in the game, as you’re using low-powered vehicles, traction control isn’t terribly necessary. As well, traction control on an AWD car is sort-of-kind-of redundant. We think the +10% to your pay is worth disabling traction control, though consider reenabling the assist when you get into a race that requires an unruly vehicle like a Corvette or other powerful, rear-drive ride.

shifting This is a matter of preference. If you can manage a manual shift, it’s certainly worth the +10% to your take home pay. But if you’re not used to shifting your racing games, trying to learn manual shift during a career run will likely cost you way more money than it’ll earn.

suggested line The most important part of the suggested line is the braking bit, so we suggest instantly flipping the assist to “braking only” for a free +5% to your pay. When you’re new to the game and don’t know the tracks very well, the braking line will help prepare you for corners. But as you learn the tracks and commit them to memory, you can disable the braking line for the full +15% to your pay.

opponent difficulty This setting depends completely on your skill. Experiment with higher difficulty settings to see how you stack up. If you’re having trouble with a particular event, you can drop the difficulty to get through the challenge and then bump it back up so that future events earn you more pay.

damage, fuel, tire wear Set to “limited,” you won’t feel much affect from damage, fuel and tire wear in any of the game’s early events. Only once you get to long endurance events will you really start to feel the pains of accumulated damage and forced pit stops. As long as you’ve got a decent grasp of the game’s physics, you can bump up the damage setting to “simulation” and benefit from the +15% pay while paying a bit more for repairs, but when it comes to longer events you should consider dropping the setting and taking a cut in cash.

The below chart gives an overview of how each purchased upgrade will affect your class rating.

Key

	-	+	++	+++	++++	Effect
.	-001 ~ -005	+001 ~ +015	+016 ~ +040	+041 ~ +090	+091 ~ +200

Engine and Power

Air Filter - + ++ +++ ++++ +5 hp ~ 14 hp

Intake Man. / Throttle B. - + ++ +++ ++++ +12 hp ~ +19 hp

Fuel System - + ++ +++ ++++ +6 hp ~ +21 hp

Ignition - + ++ +++ ++++ +5 hp ~ +17 hp

Exhaust - + ++ +++ ++++ +7 hp ~ +23 hp

Camshaft - + ++ +++ ++++ +13 hp ~ +50 hp

Valves - + ++ +++ ++++ +5 hp ~ +16 hp

Displacement - + ++ +++ ++++ +9 hp ~ +30 hp

Pistons and Compress. - + ++ +++ ++++ +6 hp ~ +2 0hp

Oil and Cooling - + ++ +++ ++++ +3 hp ~ +10 hp

Flywheel - + ++ +++ ++++ -2 lbs ~ -8 lbs

Platform and Handling

Brakes - + ++ +++ ++++ +1% eff ~ +5% eff

Springs and Dampers - + ++ +++ ++++ -0.27 in ~ -1.33 in

Front Anti-roll Bars - + ++ +++ ++++ — ~ —

Rear Anti-roll Bars - + ++ +++ ++++ — ~ —

Chassis Rein. / Roll Cage - + ++ +++ ++++ +37 lbs

Weight Reduction - + ++ +++ ++++ -47 lbs ~ -356 lbs

Drivetrain

Clutch - + ++ +++ ++++ -0.05 s shift ~ -0.11 s shift

Transmission - + ++ +++ ++++ -0.04 s shift ~ -0.15 s shift

Driveline - + ++ +++ ++++ -2.1 lbs ~ -13.9 lbs

Differential - + ++ +++ ++++ — ~ —

Tires and Rims

Tire Compound - + ++ +++ ++++ +0.07 grip ~ +0.13 grip

Front Tire Width - + ++ +++ ++++ — ~ —

Rear Tire Width - + ++ +++ ++++ — ~ —

Aero and Appearance

Front Bumper - + ++ +++ ++++ — ~ —

Rear Wing - + ++ +++ ++++ — ~ —

Rear Bumper - + ++ +++ ++++ — ~ —

Side Skirts - + ++ +++ ++++ -1% drag

Conversion

Engine Swap - + ++ +++ ++++ +122 hp ~ +142 hp

Aspiration Conversion - + ++ +++ ++++ +34 hp ~ +21hp

Real racing is a very complicated affair, but it boils down to three basic essentials: braking, accelerating, and cornering

BREAKING:

If you think braking is as simple as mashing the brake button (or brake pedal), it’s time to snap to reality. Braking is as important, if not more so, than accelerating when it comes to realistic, technical racing. Poor braking can dramatically affect your lap times. Proper braking technique, conversely, will set you up to swing through corners drama-free and ready to peg the accelerator at the soonest moment possible.

As a general rule, combining braking inputs with steering inputs will result in oversteer, often to catastrophic effect. In simpler terms, don’t brake while turning. Braking is much more effective when done in a straight line, scrubbing off speed much faster than braking while turning. If you try braking during a hard corner, you’ll effectively divide the potential grip of your tires between turning and braking. This division of grip results in both poor turning and poor braking. If you’re braking during a turn, you’ve waited far too long before using the brakes.

Since you undoubtedly need to drive through turns slower than the straights that precede turns, treat braking as a necessary preparation for turning. As you approach a turn—well before entering the actual corner—apply the brakes while making as few steering wheel corrections as necessary. If you time your braking properly, you’ll have slowed down enough that you can ease through the corner without further need of the brakes.

ACCELERATION

Much like braking, acceleration doesn’t often mix well with cornering. The effect of acceleration on cornering is highly dependent on your vehicle’s drivetrain (see our TUNING section for more details), but the general rule is the same. By accelerating during a turn, you effectively divide the potential grip of your tires between two functions, acceleration and turning. In some cars, this results in understeer, during which the turning potential of the car is compromised, and instead of turning as sharply as possible the car will push toward the outside of the turn. In other vehicles, oversteer is induced, during which the tail end of the car swings out, making the vehicle more difficult to control in the turn and crippling acceleration potential.

That said, there are very few times when you can use the accelerator without touching the steering. The lesson here is not that you should never steer and accelerate at the same time, but rather that you need to understand the effects of combining the two actions. The real lesson here is to practice moderation. If you’re deep into a turn with the steering cranked to the extreme, pegging the accelerator is only going to ruin your turn. It may not be obvious in theory, but think of the opposite action: If you’re running pedal-to-the-metal down a long straight, cranking the steering wheel left or right is going to severely wreck your acceleration (and probably more).

How you moderate your acceleration should be directly related to how hard you’re steering. Through a slight right bend, you can ease the steering a little right without stepping off the accelerator. If, however, you’ve just slowed down for a sharp hairpin, you’ll want to only feather the accelerator as you crank the steering to maintain the modest speed you’ve set up for the corner.

After you’ve navigated a turn and pointed the car straight, center the steering and nail the gas to get out of the corner. In a perfect racing line, it’s okay if your acceleration out of the turn results in minor understeer that pulls the car away from the apex and to the outside of the corner. Use the full width of the course to keep the straightest line possible when accelerating out of a bend.

TURNING

Now that you’ve got a basic understanding of the effects of braking and acceleration on your ability to turn the car, it’s time to understand a key principle to cornering: Slow in, fast out.

The gist of the principle applies to every corner you take. Exiting the corner at the highest possible speed is the ultimate goal of every turn. If you’re fast out of a corner, you’ll carry that speed into the following straight. But in order to exit a corner at the highest possible speed, it’s necessary to enter the corner slowly.

As we explained earlier, before entering a corner, you want to apply the brakes as you approach your turn. From inside the corner, feather the throttle lightly, just enough to maintain a constant, low speed. Turn into the corner and aim the car for the corner’s apex (more on this later). Once you’ve made it through the meat of the turn, center the steering and nail the accelerator to get out of the corner as fast as possible.

When approaching a corner, you typically want to brake along the outside edge of the turn. Doing so will allow you to cut a gradual turn toward the apex. If you come into a corner from the inside of the track, you’ll effectively reduce the radius of the turn, resulting in a loss of speed through the corner (and out of it). A more gradual turn radius, started from the outside of the track, will allow you to maintain a higher speed while adhering to your racing line.

The apex of the turn is the point in your racing line that comes closest to the inside of the turn. Typically this is where you transition from turning to straightening the car for acceleration out of the corner. Visualizing the proper apex will give you an idea of what your racing line should look like through a particular corner.

After hitting the apex on the inside of the turn, let your acceleration pull the car back toward the outside of the turn. Use the full width of the course to cut as straight a path as possible as you exit the corner. Staying straight as possible will let you accelerate more effectively, adhering to the original mantra: Slow in, fast out.

WEIGHT TRANSFER

Now that you’ve got a basic understanding of proper driving technique, it’s time to look a bit more in-depth into the physical mechanics at play in high-speed racing. Weight distribution and weight transfer concern the effects of weight balance on the handling dynamics of your vehicle. These dynamics are always changing as you race, as everything you do affects the distribution of weight in your vehicle.

When the vehicle is at a complete stop, its weight balance is at its most neutral. A perfectly balanced car will have a 50/50 weight balance, with half of the car’s weight pushing down on the front wheels and the other half of the weight holding down the rear wheels. While only a few cars actually achieve a perfect weight balance, this general idea applies.

Naturally, the weight balance of a non-moving car is instantly changed the moment the vehicle kicks into motion. Upon acceleration, the weight balance is shifted backward. As the car lunges forward, the front end of the vehicle lifts while the tail end of the vehicle dips down. This shift in the weight balance dramatically affects the grip of the tires. Under hard acceleration, the front tires lose grip while the rear tires gain traction from the added weight. As acceleration slows, weight balance gradually returns to a more neutral state.

The opposite effect can be seen under hard braking. As a car brakes hard, the nose of the car dips down while the tail tends to lift. In this situation, the weight balance of the car is shifted forward. The front tires of the car gain traction from the additional weight while the rear of the car loses some grip potential as the pressure of the weight shifts away from those wheels. This shift in weight balance is why a car’s front wheels handle most of the braking.

As weight balance transfers fore and aft of the car, dynamics such as cornering ability and grip for acceleration are affected. The effects of weight transfer vary depending on the drivetrain type of the vehicle. For more details on the specifics, keep reading.

VEHICLE DRIVE TRAIN TYPES

The main components of a vehicle’s drivetrain that relate to weight distribution and transfer are the position of the engine and the wheels that are powered by it. Many low-end economy cars are front-engine, front-wheel-drive, while sportier rides tend to favor the front-engine, rear-wheel drive setup. There are also mid-engine arrangements and all-wheel-drive vehicles. Each variation affects the handling and acceleration dynamics of vehicles.

ENGINE PLACEMENT

The placement of a vehicle’s engine directly affects the weight balance of a car. A front-engine vehicle will tend to have a frontal weight bias. While this may help give the front wheels traction during cornering, it may also result in too little weight holding down the rear end of the car. Under extreme speed, this lack of traction in the rear quarters of the car may result in oversteer, as the tail end breaks loose and kicks out ahead of the front wheels. Still, you’ll find the vast majority of vehicles have their engines located at the front of the car, from econoboxes like the Chevrolet Cobalt to performance powerhouses like the Corvette Z06.

Conversely, you’ll find very few vehicles with a rear-engine arrangement. Pretty much only Porsche is crazy enough to put their engines at the far rear end of their 911 (some Volkswagens do it, too). The added weight to the rear may help keep the rear tires planted during acceleration, but may also contribute to oversteer if the weight is pushed too far in a corner. As well, having the weight of the engine at the back of the car tends to eliminate understeer. More commonly though, you’ll find vehicles with a mid-engine arrangement. Though the engine is still located aft of the driver, it’s positioned more toward the center of the vehicle, in front of the rear axle. This mid-engine arrangement gives a vehicle the benefit of improved weight balance. Vehicles like the Lotus Elise and Ferrari F430 have this mid-engine arrangement.

Front Wheel Drive

A front-wheel-drive (FWD) car has engine power delivered to the front wheels. The benefit of this setup is easy, simple control that’s difficult to lose. Front-wheel-drive vehicles are great cars to start with because they’re typically not as rowdy as other drivetrain setups. A mistake in a FWD vehicle will generally result in manageable understeer, rather than out-of-control oversteer. The downside is that the FWD setup is inherently detrimental to acceleration.

As we discussed earlier, as a vehicle accelerates its weight balance transfers to the rear wheels. As the weight shifts away from the front wheels, those front wheels lose traction. Since the acceleration of a front-wheel-drive car is dependent on the traction of the front wheels, this weight transfer limits acceleration. Also, high-powered FWD vehicles tend to suffer from torque steer. As the front tires share the responsibilities of both acceleration and steering, there’s a real chance that quick acceleration off the line can tug the steering left or right. As such, you’ll find that few performance-minded cars have FWD drivetrains

REAR WHEEL DRIVE

The vast majority of performance vehicles are rear-wheel-drive (RWD). The inherent strength of RWD is clear when you understand weight transfer. As we explained, under acceleration the weight balance of a car shifts backward, pushing down on the rear wheels. This added weight means added traction, a must for quick acceleration both off the line and out of corners.

The downside to rear-wheel-drive is that it tends to be more difficult to control than other drivetrains. Hop into a powerful RWD vehicle like the Corvette Z06 and you’ll quickly become familiar with the monster known as oversteer. During cornering, application of the throttle will tend to break traction to the rear wheels and send the rear end of the vehicle scooting out ahead of the front wheels. In road racing, this is never a good thing. Not only does the loss of traction to the rear wheels result in reduced speed, but it’s also potentially dangerous. Unchecked oversteer can quickly send your car into a spin and off the track.

Despite the learning curve for RWD vehicles, this drivetrain setup is generally regarded as the best for road racing application. Skilled drivers can work with the driving characteristics of rear-drive vehicles for an optimal balance of control and speed.

FOUR WHEEL DRIVE

 

In all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicles, engine power is delivered to all wheels of the car, though usually not all at once. AWD vehicles have a sort of inherent, if not simple, traction control system. Most typical, low-end AWD vehicles will favor power delivery to the front wheels. However, if the car senses that the powered wheels lose traction, the car’s computer automatically transfers the power away from the low-traction tires to other tires that do have plenty of traction.

The benefit of AWD is especially apparent during hard acceleration off the line. As the car’s computer shifts power to the wheels with the most grip, AWD vehicles really hook up with the asphalt and go. All-wheel-drive strengths are even more pronounced in compromised driving conditions, like driving on a wet track or driving in dirt. The benefits are also helpful in corners where power-on oversteer is minimized by the car’s computer wizardry.

Because of the smart characteristics of an AWD drivetrain, all-wheel-drive vehicles have many of the performance benefits of a RWD setup while maintaining the easy controlability of FWD setups. However, there are some compromises. Like FWD vehicles, AWD cars tend to suffer understeer more than their RWD rivals. As well, all-wheel-drive drivetrains add weight and mechanical complexity to cars, neither of which are desirable in real-life road racing. Still, AWD vehicles present a solid balance between rear- and front-wheel-drive vehicles and should definitely be considered by neophyte racers.

GENERAL TIPS

Another motto: outside – inside – outside

By now you’re familiar with the motto slow in, fast out. That helps you decide when and where to brake and accelerate through a turn, but it doesn’t cover the line you should take through the turn. While each bend is unique, this generally applies: outside, inside, outside. Start the turn from the outside edge of the track, move in toward the inside edge to hit the apex, and then let the car move back toward the outside edge as you exit the corner and accelerate away.

Aim for the Rumble Strip:

Note the red and white rumble strips that often line the edges of a race track. These strips generally run along the edge of the course that racers are most likely to be hugging. While that may seem inconsequential, you can use the locations of the rumble strips as makeshift waypoints forming a preferred racing line. If you’re hugging the inside of a turn without a rumble strip, chances are you’ve missed the corner’s proper apex. Try to stick to the outside edges of the course when the rumble strips are present and turn in so that your apexes coincide with the inside rumble strips

Gas and Break in Moderation

By far the most important thing for new players to learn is moderation. Your gas and brake pedals are analog, not digital—use them as such. If you mash the brake pedal all the way, you can lock your tires and lose control. As well, simply mashing the gas pedal all the time is counter-productive. Though you should always practice moderation in your gas and brake application, it is especially important to do so while cornering. Heavy gassing or braking in mid-corner is never a good thing.

Sliding is Bad

Racing is a constant battle for traction. If your tires are sliding, you’ve lost the battle. Sliding is never a good thing in road racing (it can be helpful on dirt, but that doesn’t apply in Forza). Listen to your tires to gauge the limits of their grip. If you start to hear the tires break loose, ease off the accelerator or brakes to maintain control and speed.

In order to get  a perfect start, one needs to think how Formula 1 cars start off: LAUNCH CONTROL.

Many players choose to give full throttle at the start, which only leads to useless wheel spin and time lost, not to mention if you have the traction control switched off! Other believe to wait until the light hits green to give full throttle, which is also time consuming as the engine needs to get up to revs until enough power is at disposal.

The best way is to simulate an electronic modern launch control. Each car is a little bit different as the different engines deliver maximum power at differente revs. Hence, it is important that before you actually start your race, you try a couple of starts giving full throttle and obsvere closely at exactly which revs the engine seems to ‘lock in’.  Once you understood that the Ferrari Enzo’ perfect revs are 8,000 rpm for example, at the countdown before the race you gently give throttle and hold the throttle very sensibly at the desired rev and when the light hits green it’s full throttle! It may take you a couple of attempts to get used to the throttle sensiblity and holding your finger, or foot, until the light hits green.

 The ciritcal moment is when it hits green light, you don’t want to be accelerating too early as to get into the eternal twilight of traction control and you don’t want to be accelerating too late, as you don’t want the engine revs to diminish….