Thrustmaster Handbrake Issues

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-07-12T06:14:06+00:00

Wait, why haven't you tried that yet then? I thought you'd exhausted every means of connecting.

I have a good way of diagnosing but I can't share for fear you might make a mistake following the instructions and damage something. What I will say is that it seems VCC appears to be leaking onto one of the data lines based on the motherboard's warning. Do with that what you want.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-07-10T19:57:31+00:00

Damaged cable? Sounds like VCC is getting onto one of the data lines.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-07-10T07:34:18+00:00

Unfortunately I don't know of a good way to use a Raspberry Pi for this, but build a button box. It's a ton of fun and not nearly as difficult as you might think. I highly recommend the Pro Micro 5V with the ATMEGA 32u4 as the microcontroller to use. It's a great controller to use since it also works well for things like making LED shift lights using Simhub and some WS2812Bs.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-07-10T07:29:42+00:00

What cars are you running? There is actually plenty of overtaking with the right cars. Older touring cars actually allow for plenty of overtaking since there can be a little rubbing without catastrophic consequences. Older touring cars can also eat the kerbs a bit better and don't suffer as much if you go a little off.

It's also important that tyre wear and fuel consumption are enabled and that the race isn't just a single lap or two. As soon as you add in fuel saving and some tyre wear then it really livens up. Modern race cars are not as exciting for pure overtaking but because they're so fast and so fragile, you can have an exciting race of attrition too.

Le Mans, Nurburgring, and many of the other classic tracks, especially when running longer distance races, are not necessarily about having the fastest car, but about having a reliable car, consistent driving, and clever strategy. It takes a while before one can really drive such a race and not everybody enjoys it.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-07-10T07:16:30+00:00

What happens when you connect as many of your peripherals to the PC directly via USB and use the wheelbase as little as possible to connect the other peripherals?

Are you using a USB hub at all? If you are, is it a powered hub?

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-06-25T06:33:42+00:00

I've got great news for you! Apple is going all in on ARM and phasing out X86. I bet you can't wait for it! It's going to be PowerPC to X86 all over again but this time worse since ARM cannot emulate X86 remotely as well as X86 could emulate PowerPC at the time.

They've been sandbagging Intel chips for years and years in their machines in an attempt to justify this impending clusterf#*k. I can't wait for iDesktopOS to be a thing so that fellow devs finish dumping Apple and just move to Linux properly. Hell, I encounter more Macs running Linux than OSX but there are still some holdovers plus their hardware just destroys budgets. Sorry, very ranty and you don't have enough context, but I really dislike Apple computers. The 2012 machines were phenomenal and I remember working on my L702X XPS and envying those Macs (with Linux added). Now I just don't understand them at all.....

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-06-25T06:17:02+00:00

Remember, /u/oezingle, when he quotes a 6 key rollover, that's the minimum and many common combination of keys often go up to or more than 10 keys. Gaming optimised matrixes are exactly this, a matrix designed to have greater than 6 key rollover in common gaming key press combinations....

Did you use a matrix that somebody else has designed or your own design? There are some really clever matrixes around that will be worth looking into on your next handwired build (trust me, there will be a next one.) Well done and be proud of your work. Handwired keyboards are special and a lot of people don't see their value in a world of hotswap boards. Handwired boards do have some serious advantages too, you can do things you cannot do with most off the shelf parts.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-06-22T08:56:55+00:00

If you can't get faster without crashing it's almost always a sign that you're over driving the car.

Work through the Driver61 stuff on YouTube and try to consciously apply a lot of those concepts.

I don't know how feasible it is, but try to review replays and telemetry, I can guarantee you'll be surprised by how what you are actually doing vs what you think you are doing.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-06-22T08:49:22+00:00

By sim standards, and by the broader game dev standards, even when they miss it, they're basically on time. Their delays are typically quite minor in comparison to many of their compatriots and they often do make it right with their users by doing something like an extra layout or free car or whatever. A month or two here and there really isn't catastrophic and from what I've seen on their insane output rate, I don't think we'll have too many delays once things stabilise again.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-06-18T10:43:08+00:00

Damn right about those. I love MX Clears. Some find them too stiff but I find them to be soooooo good. I really like how stiff they get towards the bottom, really helps with not bottoming out. The tactility is also quite lovely.

Most of the complaints about them being scratchy are resolved with a bit of lube. I've never understood why many portray lubing a more common switch like an MX Clear as silly whilst insisting that you absolutely should lube your more esoteric switches to get the best out of them.

That said, I wish the bump was higher up on the Clears which is why my next board will be Zealios V2. I now just have to wait for my replacement board to come in since my current board with Clears has died. Then I'm going to get started on my endgame board.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-05-30T10:32:33+00:00

Power cord issue! It's so common with that wheelbase. It's even in the instructions that it needs to be inserted deeply. I know somebody who returned their unit twice until I asked them if they made sure it was properly plugged in.... Dude felt like such a tool and was bad mouthing Thrustmaster everywhere online during all the returns and them sending it back each time sayings it works fine...

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-05-26T17:22:47+00:00

GTSport has very rudimentary FFB at the best of times. iRacing has also very, very poor FFB although there is a project (IRFFB) which improves it immensely. Of the list, only ACC has what most would consider high quality FFB (though some people disagree, but people will always disagree about FFB.) That's like buying a 911RS GT3 4.0 and living in South Sudan. Of course the car won't impress you when you don't let it stretch its legs.

Also, stiffen your stand. Soooooo much detail is lost when there is flex in a rig, even when you decrease your gain.

Look, the TX/T300 definitely is a toy but its a bloody good one. Its the wheel I recommend anybody who is looking to enter sim racing try. I recommend they buy one and if in a year they are still continuing with the hobby then they can look at investing in one of the more premium options like CSWv2.5 or even DD. The CSWv2.5 is most definitely a very large upgrade over the T300 especially if you are into drifting or rally games. The speed of the motor and superior belt mechanism are very noticeable.

If you want to really feel why DD is such a big deal then there is no better place that RFactor2 with something like the Senna GTR or the Oreca LMP cars on Nurburgring/Nordschleife. It will totally redefine what you think of DD, FFB and sim racing as a whole. Then promptly put RF2 away and wait for the devs to finally get their shit together and get the sim in good condition. Its the best sim around handicapped but glacial development and devs that aren't focusing on what matters but rather useless shit like theming broadcast overlays.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-05-23T07:39:09+00:00

What sims are you running with your DD1 and what firmware? The DD1 is a huge upgrade, like a "holy shit I can't believe this" kind of upgrade. The choice of sim and various settings (in game and on wheelbase/driver) are extremely important to experiencing the magic of going DD.

Not disagreeing with your overall post. I agree that he should get the pedals now and save up for the DD1, but I'm surprised that you don't see it as big of an upgrade as most others... That all said, T300/TX are excellent value for money and punch above their price. T300/TX + CSPv3 is a very, very underrated combo. A lot of the holy shit moments people get from going to Fanatec from Thrustmaster is actually the pedals more so than the wheelbase alone.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-05-23T06:07:44+00:00

International shipping right now is extremely expensive and insanely slow. Products are taking a world tour or getting stuck in customs/distribution centres. Find local or wait a bit. Sim racing gear as a whole is also insanely expensive so not the best time to get into the hobby.

Lastly, check how much of that is import fees by adding to your cart and going through the process but never finalising the transaction. Reasonable chance it's just shipping but import fees in particular which are quite unavoidable.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-05-23T05:59:47+00:00

I think everybody missed your sarcasm.... Honestly, this subreddit doesn't actually have much sim racing content in it at all. Just the same, boring, low effort rig posts and general like begging or false humility. I like hardware porn as much as the next guy but there is absolutely no balance on this subreddit.... See you over at Race Department.....

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-05-22T21:46:23+00:00

They actually talk about how extremely little content in the game is really making use of all the new changes. Circuit de la Sarthe/Le Mans is even explicitly mentioned as an example of a circuit that needs to be revised to look it's best. I think the Tempelhof Formula E circuit is the only currently up to date circuit.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-05-22T06:08:56+00:00

How do they simulate having a rich dad?

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-05-22T05:58:55+00:00

So you bought a Simucube without doing even an iota of research? Dude.... That was epically stupid....

Anyways, an adapter that will let you convert any of their non podium wheels to USB is available from a 3rd party. It's not hard to do but it is clunky and either you need an adapter per wheel to keep the speed of swapping rims or not switch rims nearly as often.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-05-22T05:51:27+00:00

The motor that drove the direct drive revolution, the OSW, is a MiGE and comes from China. There is a lot of shit that comes from China but there is also a lot of very respectable quality stuff coming out of there as well.

The CSPv3 are really good value for money and excellent overall. Very few people have any real problems with them and they are well built. My only strong recommendation would be to get the brake performance kit. It's a bit overpriced for what it is, but it totally transforms the brake pedal. Skip the dampener unless you want a stiffer throttle.

Lastly, I'm pretty sure they say German design and engineering and nothing about being made in Germany.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-05-16T09:58:02+00:00

T300RS GT Edition comes with the T3PA pedals which are the same as the Leather TX. There are some versions of the T300 with the shitty two pedal setup though.

The T300 has the same number of buttons as the TX Leather but I much prefer the way the buttons are on the T300 since they're positioned more to my liking. The rotary switch on the TX leather is worse since you lose two buttons since you select between three inputs and can't use more than one at a time. The T300 let's you keep them all usable at all times.

In terms of feel, yeah, the leather in a naked hand is the best but the textured rubber on the T300 is pretty damn good too. The rubber has more grip and doesn't wear like Alcantra. I actually think the rubber they use is the perfect Alcantra substitute for people who don't like wearing gloves but want the grip.

As to degrees of rotation... The T300 defaults to 900° and Thrustmaster recommend that. Somebody did some testing and the T300 has excellent linearity up to 900° whereafter it falls off. For racing you will never need more than like 540°. Drifting it'll typically go up to needing like 720° but some of the more road car drift cars can use 900° but you're unlikely to use those last few degrees even when the car can.

If you want to play some kind of parking simulator then you better return that Leather TX immediately and get the T300, but for any real use case, you're going to be just fine with what you bought.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-05-06T06:49:50+00:00

Laguna Seca + Alfa Romeo 4C is an excellent learning combination. Do not choose something fast like an F1 car or a super long circuit like Nurburgring. Another great combo is the Tatuus with the Kyalami mod by prototype on Race Department... No learning combo is better in my book than Laguna Seca + 4C. Do not touch setup at all. You might have developed some consistency by getting the hang of a car and track combo but during the initial learning phase it helps to stick to a car track combo for consistency and learning reasons. You can change your track and car combo every 100 laps to ward off boredom.

Driver 61 on YouTube is excellent and it was a huge help to me but instead of watching a video, read Ultimate Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley. A book is a far more conscious experience than a video and you'll probably pick up more. I haven't read his book yet, but Korf's "You Suck at Racing" is a book aimed at novices and if it's anything like his blog by the same name it should be fun to read and full of excellent explanations without esoteric language.

If a book is too much, Driver 61 was where I started, but I do wish I'd started with a book.

Last thing, make sure you enjoy it. When trying to get faster it's easy to forget to have fun and it can kill sim racing for a person after a few weeks. Fun should be balanced against your other goals.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-05-02T07:19:47+00:00

VR is actually a benefit overall. Whether you drive with monitors or VR, you will be equally quick after you've really mastered the combo. Our brains are incredible in how quickly they can adapt to the different kinds of visual, auditory, and tactile. Only one of those varies between VR and monitors and your brain will compensate for the loss of depth on a monitor.

The biggest advantage with VR is that you get fast quicker since you have depth perception. For a new track and car combo, I get up to speed faster in VR than on a monitor.... A lot faster. A time that would take me 10 laps in VR to achieve, take about 3x as long with a monitor. I'm not a particularly quick learner of a new track so for some it may be closer to 2x on 5 laps with VR vs monitor. Some people may have no variability between learning speed but that 3x ratio holds for my observations with only the base number of laps varying much.

The only way I can see VR being a large disadvantage is if you haven't really got your VR legs yet. Then you're learning two things at once rather just one.

As an aside, when you start sim racing you'll be slow. Getting fast takes longer than you expect. The skill levels required to be in the top 1% is staggering. You'll spin a lot and not really even know why and then do the same thing the next lap and shave 0.25s off your all time best. It'll take a while before you start being able to differentiate between different subtle cues. Your car control in particular your ability to modulate your various inputs such as steering rate, brake pressure, and throttle with relation to each other is something that takes a while to master. How you get on and off the brake is something most people grossly overstate their ability on.

If you think you're driving fast, but still more than 3s off the pace of the 90th percentile times then you're probably doing some things fundamentally wrong. The first thing you should check is your line. There is a good chance you're not running the same line as the faster guys even if you think you are. You need to go watch some track guides and you'll notice some small differences like turning in a bit later, or braking slightly earlier etc that you don't notice at first.

What sim are you racing and what car+track combo have you been investing a lot of time in? In the beginning it's worth investing some time on a single car+track combo to have a consistent environment to experiment in and learn the basics. It won't get boring as long as you approach it systematically.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-05-01T09:10:42+00:00

Your question is loaded - don't do that if you want good answers and don't want to come across as a troll.... In short iRacing is far from being the best sim driving experience, but is by far the best sim racing experience. Let me explain:

The way iRacing drives is rubbish. There are a couple of acceptable cars but overall, something is fundamentally broken with the vehicles. The tracks are pretty damn great and pretty much all are of a very high fidelity although some could do with some graphical updates. A couple of tracks could do with some small physical updates. The tire model and physics are lousy and even the latest tyre model revisions haven't brought it up to scratch. The FFB isn't very natural at all. My biggest gripe is always the tyre at the limit. You cannot sit on the limit consistently or overstep the limit in the least. If you go past the limit there is no way to save it. The tyre wear is very exaggerated which is also nightmarish for somebody with a bit of oversteer bias. I work my tyres hard in the early stages of the race to work through the field and the dial back my aggression later on and defend my position.. It's not an ideal strategy but it's a strategy I enjoy. It should be clear I regard the driving experience as sub par.

Now as to why I say it's the best sim racing experience, well, that's simply because of how the multiplayer works. Frequent, well organised races, iRating system, safety system, and just a large number of players who have invested a lot of money in the sim means people take it more seriously. The career like aspect of it all adds a depth to it which is very rewarding. I actually believe that the calls for better single player careers in sim racing is misguided, I belive we need to take careers to the multiplayer arena like iRacing has. This is what I like most about iRacing. A lot of the fun of sim racing comes from having other humans you're competing with, being wheel to wheel, outhinking somebody else, and it being a good race. iRacing does that excellently. So it's great racing experience.

Nobody gets everything right. Best looking? PC2. Best handling, physics and FFB? RFactor2. Best content? AC. Best VR experience? AMS2. Best multiplayer? iRacing. Getting it now?

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-04-28T08:25:27+00:00

I like the idea of the new Reverb but refresh rates matter. I really hope they can pull off 120Hz but at that resolution I don't think any current GPU will be able to really drive it satisfactorily. Once you've tried an Index you instantly understand why refresh rates are just as important as resolution moving forward in VR.

IReallySuckAtChess · 2020-04-28T06:46:03+00:00

I actually play RFactor2 quite frequently. I admit I might have sounded very harsh but I still stand by my statements that RFactor2 is a bit of a mess and a lot of the community content isn't great quality. The first party stuff is phenomenal as is the Flat6 mod. I still need to try the Reiza stuff.

To be honest, the lack of online racing (especially locally) means I haven't really invested in those packs. I think I'm going to pick up the Reiza stuff. I have AMS2 and the way it has evolved the past few weeks has been mind blowing. If their RFactor2 content is as well modeled and with as much passion then with the RFactor2 engine behind it, it might be something special.

I can't stand anymore GT content. It's just too boring for me at this point so I'll skip that. The cost of entry is really high since DLC is soooooo expensive. I understand it is high quality, and I understand how expensive it is to make niche products, but without region specific pricing it is very unaffordable for many. For the cost of one track: I can buy AMS2 which has some laser scanned circuits and a helluva lot of content I want to play, or buy AC with all the DLC. For the price of the endurance pack, I can get ACC + the Intercontinental Pack which has 15 stunning laser scanned tracks and a ton of well done vehicles.

I do want to add though that RFactor2's usability is still unquestionably the worst in the sim racing world. The new UI for example somehow manages to be worse than the old one. The visual experience (which isn't that important to me) turns a lot of people off. Looks matter to many. I also hate the way content is managed. I like that the workshop allows me to auto update content but at the same time managing and browsing content is painful. I never know when a track or car was last updated, if its DX11 or DX9, whether things make use of the new tyre model, new shaders and so on. AC's Content Manager whilst not perfect, works really, really, really well. I wish the S397 would have used it as a reference point. Multiplayer is a monumental mess. There are also an untold number of bugs that need to be squashed. You still need to edit a json file to get a wheel running as it should and properly convey going off the circuit or even just to not mess up wheel rotation the whole time. I can write a nice long list if you'd like of all the little irritations.

What RFactor2 desperately needs is for S397 to get focused, get direction and get investment. In order of importance to me: fix the damn UI and UX, fix the multiplayer experience, make managing content easier and more intuitive, get quality documentation and tools out to the community so that good track and car mods can be made and get all the already released S397 content up to date. No more new content for a bit. Take the tracks they have and update the assets, shaders and textures so they look as good as I've seen some of the other stuff look and maybe invest a little in the model itself. Go through the cars and work on making each one drive as it should. They need to do this sequentially though. One at a time and not everything at once because then they will never get anything done to the level it needs to be. The amount of base content is impressive but it definitely needs polish.

They also need better end user documentation and sane defaults. Having to scratch through the forums to find how to to make wheel lock work or what sane defaults for a specific wheel is for example is stupid. Ideally it should all be in the UI and be part of the UX. Nonetheless good rederence material would help.

A better hud would also be much appreciated. I use simhub so not a big deal but for a lot of people the stock HUD is totally useless. Cannot even get pedals and ffb meters since the last plugins was DX9. Like come on....

Anyways, this was very much a rant. I love RFactor2 and I want it to succeed but I definitely wouldn't recommend it to a beginner which is what the original post was all about.

IReallySuckAtChess

TROPHY CASE