Guide: Optimal FFB settings for rFactor 2 - The key to being in the "Zone" :D

You're welcome Sting.

Without being able to see for myself, my guess would be a hardware limitation. Let me ask you this, do you experience this same heavy resistance with the ffb on and off (i.e. when turned off at the wall socket)? If so, then i suspect that mechanical resistance in the gears and/or motors in your wheel are preventing you from being able to rotate your wheel fast enough than is required to save the oversteers. And if so, the only solution would be a new wheel.

 

Thanks for thinking with me. But when I turn FFB off, then everything is fine. I can then actually catch the oversteer without problems (only limited by the total 270 degrees of the MS wheel). So I know that it’s a FFB setting somehow. Other games (sims) like Rf1 and Assetto Corsa don’t have this.
Every day I when I face this problem, buying a new wheel becomes more tempting, but I want to make sure that I don’t run into the same problem when I’m going to pay 350 euros or more… And then there is the choice between G25/27, T500rs, FrexGP, ECCI, or do I wait for the Accuforce wheel.

 

Oh ok. That's good then i guess because it could be resolvable I'm just not really sure where to look though. Have you tried lowering the "ffb moothing" to 0 ingame?

 

I already drove with ‘ff smoothing = 0’. Changing this to a higher number didn’t do anything as well.

I found out that when I drive in a straight line, and start moving the wheel fast from left to right, that the FFB-dead zone increases more and more. It’s like the motor can’t handle the rapid changes from left to right and can’t keep up providing counter force. This is the same for RF1 and AC. But in RF1 and AC, the FFB doesn’t produce counter force when you have snap oversteer (and you have to go full lock), so I can catch the oversteer. Therefore I never noticed it before, and only experience it in RF2.

Do people with other wheels have this as well? Or is it really time to put my MS wheel into retirement?

 

Ah, ok. So it may still be a hardware problem because although it also exists in RF1 and AC, you don't really experience it because those sims don't produce counter force. If this is the case, then i don't think there is a solution. Perhaps there are settings to reduce this effect to limit the problem via a json file but i really wouldn't know where to look i'm afraid. Perhaps someone on the forum can chime in with a possible solution for you. Sorry i can't help you.

 

Thank you for thinking with me, really appreciate it!
Do people with other wheel-brands recognize these symptoms as well? Or is it just the old MS Sidewinder?

 

I usually check out any threads on wheels and have never run across complaints like this, I'm thinking it is your wheel, maybe it can't cope with rF2 ffb output? I think in the player file there is a line that has something to do with skipping updates to reduce problems with ffb.


Found it:
Line 392 in the controller file.

"Skip updates":0,
"Skip updates#":"Apparently some drivers can't handle a quick FFB update rate, so use this hack to skip the given number of updates (0=full update rate, 1=half, 2=one-third, 3=one-quarter, etc.)",

This is only thing I can think of that might help. Just really don't know.

 

Oh yeah, i remember this was ages ago during the beta.

Nice on jim!

 

Thanks for the advice Jimcarrel! However if I put this setting lower than 4, then RF2 runs in slow motion. Additionally after a minute or so, my car will suddenly be launched into the air with brute force without any apparent reason… This is a known issue with the Sidewinder FFB wheel.

I’m getting the feeling more and more that it really is a driver/hardware issue which can’t be resolved with settings. As you can see, I’m trying to hold on to my old wheel as long as I can. But it looks like it’s time to retire it.

I really appreciate you guys thinking along though.

 

Well, too bad that didn't work. I still have my original logitech from years ago, the black and red one. I remember paying a pretty good price for it, I think there was a black an yellow one that was a lot cheaper, but I spent a long time tracking down the black and red. I just can't bring myself to junk it. It brought me much satisfaction (must have been 8 to 10 years ago) one day I'll probably run out of room to keep it and have to regretfully chunk it. Some time you just have to move on with the time that is passing faster than we can keep up.

 

What's about this

What does it effect?
I have tested to put it on 2 and the FFB is very heavy!
What do you think?

 

It is the same kind of curve that you see in the setting panel of RF2 about pedal sensitivity. Putting it to 2, will mean that the FFB will output his maximum force very early, just like if you put the sensitivity in your throttle at 200%.

 

Great so it is better to keep it on 1(Linear).Thanks

 

Comante hit the nail on the head.



In my opinion, it's best to leave it at 1 but if for example let's say that increasing your "overall effects strength" if you're wheel profiler only adds upper ffb clipping (i.e. upper deadzone) to the ffb response curve, it may be beneficial to use a little non linearity (greater than 1) to liven up the low end a bit that way. Wheel's i can see this being most applicable to such are the g25/27 type wheels. If needed, you'd have to experiment with different values to see what is a good balance between improved low end forces and compromised high end forces.

 

Is it possibile? I thought that you can use 0.0 or 1,0 or 2.0 only? can I use for example 1.3?

 

Good question, i don't know for certain. I've always assumed so or else i can't imagine it being too helpful but i could be wrong.

 

Yes, you can put any value from 0.0 to 2.0 . As my DFP has a slightly non linear output I tried with values around 0.9 or 0.8 to try to make the output more linear. You can tell the differences.

 

Thank you very much Dr1pper for this thread very helpful. I just bought the T500RS (v5), there are just three days. I spent years with the Logitech G25 on rfactor (Leob + Real Feel FFB), Historic GT cars, WSC (1970), V8 supercars, Gp 1979 and many others... rFactor 2, Simraceway, GTL, Power & Glory, Project Cars, etc... Maybe I'm used to its brutal FFB but switch from Logitech G25 to Thrustmaster T500RS, it's like going from a Golf Gti 1 to BMW F10 535i . I can't find the same sensations. I have set the FFB as you said in your first message, Dr1pper, and I must admit that the T500RS is much more precise; I allow myself for audacities that I could not do with the G25, for example, but in terms of pure feelings, I like driving a boat... What's wrong, according you ?


BTW, I would like to find a complete description of the internal parts that make up the T500. Do you know where I can find it ?

EDIT: I ordered the Th8A I should receive shortly...I hate the fixed paddles; I think I would remove it when I would invest in the Ferrari F458 GTE wheel add-on.

 

Thanks Jochem. But i'm not entirely sure what you were trying to say towards the end there regarding the "I like driving a boat" bit?

Do you mean you prefer a stiff wheel? If so we can all certainly understand that since all mainstream consumer wheels are not able to reproduce what would be otherwise felt in real life. Since they don't have the strength, we must make a compromise between overall strength and ffb detail. Higher average strength whilst driving (above the sweet/optimal point) = loss of detail in the upper ffb range of forces. The only real solution is to get a better wheel but it doesn't come cheap ofc. I am considering an accuforce wheel and hoping i'll be able to afford it when released.

There is one other compromise you can make that i didn't really mention in much detail (if at all) in the guide. That is to increase the "steering torque sensitivity" above "1.0" (linear) to increase the average ffb forces without changing the optimal "car specific ffb multiplier".

"1.0" would be the blue line and increasing it (up to a limit of "2.0") would shift the response curve into red line direction.



This could actually work pretty well for some cars in theory (in my head and without having tested it much) but a problem that can occur is as you can see, forces in the upper regions start to plateau which will feel like ffb clipping if you set the value too aggressively and end up with a curve like the red one in the picture.

You'd have to experiment, try adding "+0.1" intervals and feel for the right value that offers good increase in average ffb strength when on track without inducing noticeable ffb clipping.

Last note, changing this will likely change the optimal "steering torque minimum" value as well. So if you increase steering torque sensitivity above default value of 1.0 you will most likely need to reduce the optimal value for steering torque minimum (that is if you are using it).

 

This is exactly what I mean. Thanks for the tips, this is a good compromise. I have optimised it to 1.35 and this offers me better resistance. I need to make more tests however to retrieve the sensation I'm searching for. But this is the good way, I thank you Dr1pper.


BTW, I have tested your tweaks with rfactor 1 (leoB + RealFeel); DRM 2.0, WSC 1970, Sports Coupés 0.9., WSGT; I tested the Porsche 917k, Ferrari F40, F50, Capri Turbo4, Porsche 935 without changing anything. This is really, really, really good. Much more easiest than with the G25 ! I thought this was not the same game !