Left Foot Braking...

A discussion was started in the old forum, thought we could continue it here, since IMHO it's an important technique...

garpon originally posted:

[quote]
Does left foot braking work in CMR2? Will it be supported in CMR3?
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empty (are you 3mpty here?) responded:
[quote]
Left footed branking depands on your controller config. Some wheel support seperate pedals, others dont. Even on that I think thats a bad technique.
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Once again, empty is half right.

If you've got a pedal set that has the brake and accelerator control on one axis, you can't do left-foot braking. You're not really "braking" until the controller swings back to the negative axis. You can witness this in the controller calibration screen. Put your foot down on the accelerator, then apply brake, you'll see that it just results in less acceleration, not braking.

This really really sucks - and my Sidewinder FF setup is configured like this... I'm verging on buying a dedicated USB pedal setup because of it (no complaints with the wheel though). Left-foot braking is crucial for some rally driving techniques, although since I can't do it with my setup I can't comment on how well the technique transfers from real life to CMR2.

The reason that it's important that all the cars in CMR2 use Turbo engines, so (in theory) you have to keep the revs up to drive them effectively.

Same applies to heel/toe downshifting, etc. The CMR physics model doesn't appear to be realistically sensitive to brake/downshift dive, so it's not as big an issue as in real life driving, but hopefully that will improve for CMR3.

Your options are to use the handbrake, or have a brake button on your controller, or get a new pedal setup.

With my MadCatz 2 on Playstation it doesn´t work. When you have gas and brakes on at the same time, it´s just like letting the throtte go, like lifting off. And there is no way of changing this on Playstation with seperate axis and stuff like on PC:s, is there?

But you don´t really need to left-foot brake in WRC-cars, do you ?

[Egz]

I tested my Logitech GT Force with my PS2 on GT3, and its able to. Going into a replay and turning on the pedal pressure icons, I can see both gas and brake being applied when I press down on both.

I really hope this wheel is fully supported. &lt;nudge, nudge, wink, wink&gt;

It's really just a controller issue, as far as I know. If you don't have independent axises for brake and throttle with your pedals, you're out of luck. There's nothing that Codemasters can do about this, unfortunately.

Calle -
I'm going to assume you're being facetious... If you've ever seen footage of the footwork WRC drivers have to pull off, you'll know that left foot braking is really common, and critical.

[ January 06, 2002: Message edited by: Idjiit ]</p>

Idjiit, it seems you are only half right too.

The reason rally drivers use lfb, is not to keep the revs up because they use turbos. The turbos' ALS (anti-lag system) makes sure that the turbos' revs are kept up after you lift off, so as to eliminate turbo-lag. The reason for lfb is that braking while keeping the throttle open can fully or partially lock the rear wheels, causing oversteer obviously. You'll understand now why this technique is essential in rallying but not so widely spread in f1 or other types of car racing. And you'll also understand that it's highly unlikely that this works correctly in CMR2, although I haven't tried it. I'm still driving with the keyboard.

BTW which would be the best wheel now? I'm looking for one with a serial type shifter (with a joystick, not the pads behind the wheel) and a handbrake if possible.

[RallyBasher]

I know that on the original CMR, when I first started playing I used to accelerate and brake separately, until a mate totally trashed me in a head-to-head race. After studying his technique and putting it to use myself I was amazed how much more speed and control I gained.

I remember playing the game at a club meeting once, using a wheel and pedals, and this worked great for left foot braking. The feeling was so realistic.

When CMR2 was released I tried to play it in exactly the same way, but found to my horror that the left foot braking method didn't work. I had to learn to drive doing both separately again, but eventually got used to it.

I don't know whether I could stand having to start learning all over again, but I'm thinking of getting myself a wheel anyway, so maybe it won't be so bad.

I have a Logitech Formula Force GP and I like it a lot. It allows the pedaly to be reported as one axis, or seperate axes. The shifters are on the wheel (which is what I prefer).

I would like the MOMO version...

http://logitech.com/cf/products/prod...rview.cfm/2943

tommi_fan -
I stand corrected! I checked out drivingtechnique.co.uk, and actually found more info in the FWD techniques section, check it out...

http://www.drivingtechniques.co.uk/S...u=27&PageID=24

As for good wheel/shifter setups, check out Act Labs - they get pretty consistently good reviews for their wheel/shifter combo. They've got a pedal set with a clutch even.

http://www.act-labs.com/

Ball Racing Development is coming out with a new set of pedals which is supposed to rule, but I don't think they do FF wheels currently. The stuff is pretty pricey.

Well I have already read almost everything that is written in www.drivingtechniques.co.uk but thanks anyways!

As for act labs, i cant think which game the clutch could be used in, since all racing cars only use a clutch to start up the enigne and start moving, and the shifter i want would be a serial one, move it towards you and it changes a gear up, and vice versa. I had seen one on a Ferrari 360 (I think) wheel but I dont remember who made it. Besides I didnt like the rest of the wheel, but the shifter was really good.

[ January 09, 2002: Message edited by: tommi_fan ]</p>

[Egz]

I used to have a game called Viper Racing, made by Sierra I think, on my computer, and you had an option for a clutch, for shifting. The only one I know of.

That game had an interesting damage model...