Default setups.

my question is how bad, are tgr track default setups. I know that maybe the odd gear needs tweaking. But how off are they. Suppose if the ai using them makes balanced.

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Setups a lot of the time can be down to personal preference. Some people might prefer a car that is more steady which could be angled to more of an understeering nature. That might give them confidence. Some might prefer or enjoy the car to be more lively at the rear. Seeing as it is personal preference, you will get all sorts of different answers from each ends of the spectrum. None can be classed as a "wrong" answer. Some might have a loosey goosey setup for qualifying/hotlapping and a nice steady setup for a race.

For me personally, I find the default setups are fine, in that I can drive them fine and set decent times with them while also being able to draw out long stints on them too, without munching the tyres. You have to change the gearing, brakes, brake maps, little bit of aero, etc, to suit you of course.
I personally stopped caring about setups for what I'm doing in the sim after I tried 2 massively different setups with the Skip Barber, and set an identical time (down to a few thousandths of a sec) with both setups when pushing hard and while driving at a more steady pace, I found I was able to set pretty much the same laptimes consistently. I'm just used to adapting and trying to get the best out of what is there, which for me, works.
This is my view, seeing as that is what is being asked for. Setups definitely can have a big impact, no denying it, especially when you are properly dialing in each part of the car for the track. If your car is chattering around a really bumpy circuit, yeah things aren't working as they should be with the tyres. Same goes for a track where the outer edge of the tyre may be stone cold even though you are pushing hard. Lowering camber a bit should give you more grip, no doubt.


Sort of related...XD
I do think that too many people dive into setups without even properly doing some decent practice with the car and track. It is not something that is going to solve all your problems and slash your laptimes, and if you cannot drive the standard setup consistently, then you need to put the practice in and learn how the car needs to be driven. This is where I like the notes ISI have released for some of the cars. They give you a bit of an idea on how to adjust the way you are driving each car. You need to be able to drive the old F1 cars with quite a loose style, and do a lot of steering with the throttle coming through the corners. Sortov the same for the Howston (Lola), in that you need to be able to control the rear end with the throttle. Try to apply that to the Skippy or the modern GT cars, you will screw the tyres and probably set slow times. You just have to be able to adapt well.

 

My understanding is, that ISI has made the default setups like they are in real life.
A few of the cars are in race trim by default, as far as I remember.

Some of these default setups aren't very drivable, that's for sure. I wasn't anywhere near competitive in rF2 until I started collecting tweaked setups from different people.
Oh I wish I was better at making setups myself...

But don't quote me on that part about irl-part.
Someone smarter than me will come along any minute and correct me, I'm sure.

 

Minibull your reply is pretty much my opinion of Defaults setups since I've been playing racing games, since the amiga!! As much as changing aero or ratios will help (certainly more noticeable ), i think the rest is more down to pyschological, that odd degree change here and there....think is more about perfecting your driving line. You need to get the absolute most out of the car then to notice any small changes in setup, if it happens. Ive always been sceptical that how a PC can simulate all these changes to cambers toe suspension etc etc, down to the minute degree.

But thats my opinion.

"I personally stopped caring about setups for what I'm doing in the sim after I tried 2 massively different setups with the Skip Barber, and set an identical time (down to a few thousandths of a sec)"

but the line above is something i could say is my thinking. Get your gears and aero right and track knowledge and lines right and thats it for me. Especially enought for me to play with the AI anyway.. Online yeah maybe be more meticulate.

THanks guys for the reply.

 

Gears, ride hight and aero is about as far as my abilities go at this time.
But I've been slowly begun to understand suspension and camber too, which has helped me a lot lately.
But most of the time I just feel like I'm going in circles.

My philosophy is also to get the absolute maximum out of the car, and maximize my racing lines as best as I can.
This means so much more than setup.

Yesterday in iRacing, with the Z4 on MoSport, I had the same experience as you describe. Downloaded two vastly different setups and went for it.

Same time, almost exactly!

One setup was loose as hell. Here I was able to carry tremenous speed into the corners, but I felt like the car would break traction all the time and spin out.
It was pretty frightening at a track like this.

The other setup gave me understeer like you would not believe.
I had to take the "slow in fast out" approach to the extreme. However with this setup I was confident all around the track.

The phychological effect was the only real difference for me.
I know that with the pushy setup, I will be able to gain half a second, maybe more, because I trust the car.

 

I also think since ive found out over the years that most AI dont use the same tyre and road physics as the player, ive started to think, "keep my setup basic to balance with AI" i dont go much online as you most likely gathered lol...

On the recent F1 games i only ever used the quick setups for the track i was racing. (downforce required for track) thats it.

On another note im glad you guys have been communicative normally on these sort of threads, you get the "default setups are crap!!?? mate you dont know what your doing!?!?" THese are sims go play NFS?!?! init

 

Anyone found the default setups being more usable with recent builds?
I found they do, or at least suspect it, a default setup seems much less 'iffy' then in older builds. I remember trying it in the Williams F2 or the Renault3.5 and I immediately started tweaking, these days its less of an issue.

Reasons could be various, maybe I just got better, or perhaps the sim runs smoother and I get more feedback from it all.
Or maybe some changes in builds tackled some issues?


But I also think its important under what kind of conditions one is racing, vs the AI i'm not sure how much you can get 'out' of the car? they are somewhat limited and might not cater for your own potential.

In league racing I've often naively thought I was on a good pace and doing well in practise, until a practise week progressed and other members became faster and faster.
By the time we do our Saturday club the difference can be quite big and the biggest surprise is always our sunday night qualifying where things get really serious and some drivers even wait for the sunday Q to show their true pace.
(not in single events though, mainly championship conditions where things get more harsh)

And I've found that (for me) under those stressful conditions a tweaked setup can make all the difference, not the wings etc but the tiny tweaks that assist in any way under specific conditions on specific tracks.

The very few occasions we had where the setup didn't matter much where either on the Nordschleife or on tracks where the potential of the car was never going to be reached anyways. because of the track.
Other moments it was just me not having reached that sweetspot yet and was simply holding myself back. usually just by lack of practise because without good practise I am not able to make setup-decisions.

Rf2 seems to be much more sensitive to setup changes as well. could be just the mods I use and it will be very different using the Eve or the Williams but overall it all seems much more sensitive to me.