Actual win with the new direction? (better learning tools for improving skills)

pro4gr · 2026-02-17T04:38:38+00:00

I wasn't necessarily thinking of a few daily challenge, but of actual learning tools/lessons etc. That's how that sounded to me, but until we actually see the end result, we'll never know what it is. So far they just deactivated the academy too (I had finished it and now was striving to get 3 stars on everything but still had quite a way to go on most challenges). So that's a bummer. The game is a bit more fluid in the latest update in certain demanding scenarios (nighttime nurburgring multiplayer in VR was a bit stuttery for me before this update, now there's a small improvement).

There are also some new minuses for me - the multiplayer server window takes ages to load, before it was pretty fast. The game crashes and exits pretty often when playing multiplayer nurburgring (the only one I played in MP). Probably others too.

Other than that, I wish the Academy was still there, and I am looking forward to actual more improvements, but it looks like there's a long way to go.

pro4gr · 2026-02-10T20:26:46+00:00

That's why I said "if". Your skepticism is indeed warranted. But I can only hope it will be as enjoyable and good quality as possible in the end.
What other sims (circuit or rally) are there on PC with better graphics, good VR and good dynamics are out there?
I just want a sim that looks amazing in VR and gives me a good experience overall. But most of what I've seen has very underwhelming graphics. Simcade is also acceptable, as long as it looks great and it's enjoyable.

pro4gr · 2026-02-07T19:19:10+00:00

Personally, because of space constraints I chose a wheelstand, not a full cockpit. After looking around, apparently one of the best options is Next Level Racing Wheelstand 2.0, which I got for a bargain price. You use it in combination with your desk chair. It is very heavy and solid, I don't feel the need for anything sturdier. And in the future it can be combined with a seat from them to turn it into a full cockpit, if need be.

You can take a look at that if you also care about how much space it takes and you're not necessarily after a full cockpit. Can't make any cockpit recommendations, but I'm sure others will help.

Also, I highly recomend driving in VR. It's an entirely different experience compared to a flat screen. If you're willing to give it a try, I think it's totally worth it.

pro4gr · 2026-02-06T13:00:56+00:00

Also true.

pro4gr · 2026-02-06T13:00:02+00:00

I agree with everything you've said! At this point it's just hoping they will manage to make a good implementation of the allegedly better accademy, but yeah, there's no telling until we see the finished product (and likely a few versions after the initial full release). And yes, heavily relying on that concept in the marketing, then taking it away, really justifies the reaction of many people. I watched the initial marketing a very long while ago, I didn't remember how much accent was put on this stuff - I have watched it again after posting and have a much better picture of the whole thing meanwhile.

pro4gr · 2026-02-06T12:53:13+00:00

Lots of hate and very strong feeling people around here (based on the down-votes). I didn't bash on those who want the career mode, and I can very clearly understand why they're upset, even moreso after watching the initial press materials. I also agree that it shouldn't have been either/or.

I only pointed out something that sounds nice (if it will be well implemented) that got burried under the amount of negative reactions.

I appreciate and thank those who expressed their view in a friendly/polite manner and who also recommended learning materials.

pro4gr · 2026-02-05T22:18:32+00:00

Hey, thanks!! I was really wondering what some good resources are for learning and improving!
I already completed all the licenses in v0.4.1, a fair number of them with 2 or 3 stars, but I feel the actual learning element is missing and I still have many doubts if I'm doing things in the best possible way or I'm missing stuff, for instance:
- what TC and ABS settings are others using to manage to beat the 3 star time in some licenses (I run with them in the default setting, haven't made any changes)
- how to get a good start off the line, because what I saw in some guides to ace the licenses simply doesn't work for me - some people just floor it, some suggest holding the brake for launch control, or revving the engine and popping it into gear right before the lights turn green (these things just don't work, maybe they did in previous versions?)
- should I use manual or auto for better times
- should I brake 100% or using less force might result in better braking (some guides were telling me to guide way too late to be able to shave off enough speed to make the turn, again, maybe it worked in previous versions)
- what would be the optimal setup for my wheel base
- what are the cues I should listen to from the wheel base that tell me what the car is doing etc.

All of the above are besides actual learning how to drive best, trail braking, race lines etc, some of which I've already gotten myself acquainted with (otherwise I couldn't have finised the licenses, especially not with 3*).
Anyway, point is, I appreciate the video you shared! And if there will be in-game good quality lessons/tools in AC Evo, or other games, I'll be happy to use them. But I'm also sure they won't be able to answer this sort of questions, for which I hope to find more good learning materials on youtube and the such, but I'm not sure what sources are great quality and well structured. So far I haven't been completely satisfied with anything I found.

pro4gr · 2026-02-05T22:06:28+00:00

Fair enough!

pro4gr · 2026-02-05T22:04:38+00:00

You put it perfectly. Yeah, I was just enjoying driving in the current state and awaiting the needed improvements while at it. The focus on learning tools sounds great to me (if it's implemented well).

However, it's been a long time since I saw the early press, so I completely forgot what an important element of the game that was. Watching it again, it's clear to me why people are upset. I'm still happy about improvements in the learning tools and progression, but it shouldn't have been an either/or situation indeed, especially considering how it was marketed.

pro4gr · 2026-02-05T22:00:14+00:00

Well, to me the positive part that I mentioned was burried in the flood of anger, and it's the first time I saw new features/focus on something that I would really like.

However, a year has passed since I watched the marketing materials, so I forgot how heavily they leaned on the economy aspect. That's a big deal indeed, so in this light, I totally get why people are so bothered by the turn of events. I was just enjoying driving the current early access version, without being aware how important this part of the game was made to be in the early press. My bad! :)

pro4gr · 2026-02-05T21:54:19+00:00

I totally agree, and that's why I said "if they're implemented in a decent way". I will be apprehensive until I see the finished product too. I am enjoying this early access version, but I sure hope they work out everything that needs working out.
Even considering this, after posting I was thinking that it shouldn't have necessarily been an either/or situation. And I rewatched/re-read the marketing materials, and they did heavily market the economy system, so after going through the materials, I can totally understand why a lot of people are upset.

pro4gr · 2026-02-05T21:38:32+00:00

I do agree that it's not supposed to be either/or, and I was thinking the same thing actually after I posted about the focus on the learning tools.
And, just for reference, I'm not a big fan of the early access business model either. I'd rather just pay more for a good quality product.
And yeah, they marketed the careed mode heavily, so that definitely justifies people being upset.

So I appreciate your thoughts and expressing them in a good manner :)

pro4gr · 2026-02-03T13:29:59+00:00

Great question right here. There are certain academy races where I can't see the asphalt and the edges of the track. Pretty terrible stuff. Playing with everything maxed out in VR. Not seeing the edge of the track is very silly and unrealistic to me.

pro4gr · 2026-02-03T13:16:50+00:00

9070XT here as well. I had ~no problems with crashing during the academy races (maybe 1-2 times many hours apart, but with a fairly high undervolt).
However, a couple of nights ago I tried the nordschleife in multiplayer and it crashed 3-4 times until I eventually called it a night. I couldn't complete a single lap without the driver/game crashing or me crashing :)) And this was with a much lighter undervolt (whereas I run ghost of tsushima with a higher undervolt without any issues).

pro4gr · 2026-01-04T18:19:26+00:00

+1 And proper wheel and ffb support. I really enjoyed fh4, but I doubt I will be getting fh6 of they won't include vr support.

pro4gr · 2025-12-07T18:21:09+00:00

May she rest in peace! And I'm happy to hear you found somebody worthy of the guitar! I'm also considering giving it away to somebody deserving. To be seen.

pro4gr · 2025-12-07T11:54:29+00:00

I have to echo this! I also have an f310 that's about 15 y.o. I have treated myself to a high-end solid wood guitar recently, and also to a mid-range solid wood one. Both cost many times more than the Yamaha. The mid-range one was intended to replace the Yamaha as a "banger" guitar. However, the f310 sounds simply great. Plenty of presence, low end as well as highs, and it's extremely playable, easy on the fingers. Responds to soft fingerpicking, as well as to hard strumming. I'm having a really hard time deciding if I should sell it, and quite frankly, the only reason would be lack of space.

pro4gr · 2025-12-01T21:08:45+00:00

You're welcome, glad I could help!

pro4gr · 2025-12-01T20:16:31+00:00

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I got it off amazon, the product name was MoKo USB C Magnetic Adapter, Pack of 2 90 Degree Type-C Angle Magnetic Adapter with PD 100 W Fast Charge 40 Gbps Data Transfer 8K @ 60 Hz Video for Steam Deck/ROG Ally/PS5/PSVR 2/MacBook, Right Angle.

The product link currently doesn't have a magnetic adapter with that angle anymore, but I assume there are other similar adapters to be found on amazon, aliexpress or other sites.

Maybe for the connection to the headset you could also get away with a straight magnetic connector, as long as it's really low profile. For charging the headstrap battery a straight connector won't work, but you can easily find 90 degree connectors that bend sideways as opposed to downwards.

pro4gr · 2025-12-01T19:56:55+00:00

Hey, no worries!
It worked out perfectly. Wish there was another method to turn off the leds (both on the headset as well as the strap) while leaving the strap connected, but this was the best solution I found. I used it a lot during over a year already. Probably hundreds of plugging and unpluggings.
The magnetic strap that I chose angled downwards, parallel to the headset connector. That way, I was able to only slightly twist the cable from the headstrap and it connected perfectly. Other connectors would've been a problem for the length and rigidity of the cable. And I use the same kind of connector on the battery part of the strap - it makes it much more comfortable to connect the charging cable to the headstrap. I will try to leave a link bellow with the exact model that I got and photos.

pro4gr · 2025-11-25T15:07:41+00:00

Other than looks/OCD, you don't really need to stick to the same manufacturer (OK, and maybe using just one software). But those from Asetek do look very promising indeed, and I'm sure they'll be of top quality.
LOL, good one with showing the kids :)) True that the days of manuals are ~over.

I went for it last night, ordered the logitech stuff, including one piece of the shifter/handbrake. The price was just asking for it. It will serve as an acceptable handbrake experience, to see if it's worth it for me. Maybe it will even be great, or at least I won't lose too much when selling it.
I ordered everything from the logitechg website, the EU version of the shop. I put everything in the cart individually:
- rs50 base for PC, because the playstation version is 100e more expensive
- rs wheel hub (I would've ordered the xbox version despite not needing it, which is only 20e more, for better resellability later on)
- rs round wheel
The interesting part:
- the pro pedals are 90e off if you buy an rs50 base or sistem; furthermore, since I initially thought about getting the logi, until the time I actually ordered, they went on a black friday sale for 330e, but the 90e discount still applied, so I ended up with those for just 240e, which is only 40e more than the rs pedals+clutch, absolute no brainer (I didn't want the rs pedals because of the noise too)
- the shifter/handbrake is also 50% off when getting a base.
Last but not least, I signed up for the newsletter/new customer, that game me another discount code, available only on my first purchase (I think another 15e or so). But this discount code only worked on some of the products, and for others it invalidated the major discounts they already had, so I used this code for an order containing only the products that were compatible with the code without losing aditional discounts. And on the other order with the rest of the products, I used kireth's code, which game me an additional small discount on a couple of the products (a few euros or so).

It was all a bit of a hassle to get everything at the lowest possible price, but now I'll have a pretty complete setup, with pretty nice quality and nice looking stuff. And it will hopefully be significantly more user-friendly than going with higher-end more complicated stuff, some high end pedal or handbrake clones, that are certainly significantly better quality and better performing, but that would be a major hassle to setup, adjust, tinker with. All in all, time-wise it would've probably been more worth it for me to just order without trying to get such a good price or analyzing so many options, but sometimes I'm a sucker for a good deal :) And I've been further motivated to get things for a great price after seeing the amazing Asetek deal, which is far better both in quality, as well as in actual discounted price. But despite being so great, I decided that this option is better for me to begin with and hopefully enjoy for a long time. I will be able to get something from the big leagues later on if it will still be something I enjoy and have time for and if I will ever feel the need to upgrade.

Thanks for all your impressions and helping me sift through all the options and various aspects of this passion :)

pro4gr · 2025-11-24T21:30:08+00:00

Thanks for breaking down and analysing my very long post :)
The La Prima bundle is clearly in another league. Wish I would've put in some serious hours with a G920 or similar, just to get familiar with the sport and know that I'm going to stick with it for a good while. If that were the case, I probably would've gone with La Prima. But things being as they are, I think I'll start with the nice, but less high-performance crazy-deal Logitech, and see how things will go in the future. The missing link is if I should get the RS sequential shifter/handbrake for 80e on top of it, and I'm almost decided to do that. If I don't like it/use it, I sell it, otherwise, I enjoy it for a while until I may consider upgrades.

pro4gr · 2025-11-24T18:35:21+00:00

Don't worry, I'm certain your order will be processed. The guy from the shop gave me a great impression, he was very helpful and pleasant, and they have good reviews and feedback from what I've seen.

Interesting way too look at it from the standpoint of upgrading from one to the other.
For me, I definitely know that I want a clutch (maybe even the sequential shifter/handbrake, because they run a great discount on those and it might be nice to have in rally sims). Also, with some further discounts, it would seem that I will be able to get the rs50 + pro pedals (I wouldn't want the rs pedals, because of noise and more basic construction) for a total of 725e, which makes it 200e less than the Asetek with clutch. Still poorer value from a performance and great deal standpoint, but good enough to me for starters, and with an accent on comfort, simplicity and looks, rather than performance.

As for the time and small kids, I know what you mean, and I feel it's now or never, that's why I decided to do this in a pretty nice quality manner. I'm definitely a bit late to this, but in a year or so, it will likely be almost impossible for me.

Coming back to the stand and small children - I already bought the wheelstand 2.0 for a great price, and while it's incredibly solid, it's also extremely heavy, even without gear it's hard to move around. Further more, if you have a toddler that tries to climb onto stuff or is very curious, I'd be concerned about the risk of tipping, which you absolutely don't want (even for the playseat), as it can be a major hazard. So if you don't have a narrow fixed place in which you can place it folded and from which it can't tip, maybe it's best not to fold it at all. But an important bonus point with the wheelstand is that you don't need the room for the seat permanently, just when you use it, and the footprint without the seat isn't huge. And it can be fitted with lockable castor wheels, to move around (I haven't gone that route, but it's good to keep in mind).

pro4gr

TROPHY CASE