CAR TUNING
In order to be successful in Pro Race Driver, the player must have a strong sense of car tuning. While a car may perform okay in its default/stock set-up, each vehicle needs to be tuned specifically for each circuit in order to truly get the best possible performance and thus have the best possible
chance at winning each race.
Gears
Transmission
Gear selection can be set to automatic (the CPU handles all shifting duties) or manual (the player must handle all shifting duties). If the player uses automatic transmission, then the shoulder buttons originally assigned to gear shifting (for manual transmission) are instead used to provide the player with a view of each side of the vehicle; this can be important to see the extent of the damage to the vehicle when using a chase camera view in gameplay. When using a driver (in-car) view in gameplay, these buttons (if automatic transmission has been selected) instead allow Ryan McKane to glance to either side of the car; this can be useful in passing other vehicles.
Ratios
In Pro Race Driver, each individual gear can be set independently, or all gears can be highlighted at once for overall adjustments. Shortening gear ratios (moving the curved lines to the left) will provide better acceleration at the sacrifice of top-end speed; this is ideal for tight, technical circuits such as Bristol. Lengthening gear ratios (moving the curved lines to the right) will provide better/faster top-end speed at the sacrifice of acceleration (i.e., slower acceleration, especially from a standing start and when exiting the pit stall); longer gear ratios are crucial to circuits with few corners and/or many long straightaways, such as Hockenheim Long and Monza.
Downforce
Downforce controls how the air passes over and around the vehicle, and helps to keep a car firmly on the ground (the opposite effect of wings from an airplane). Raising downforce will provide better pavement grip and easier cornering, but at the sacrifice of top-end speed; this is best for tight, technical circuits such as Zandvoort. Lowering downforce will reduce pavement grip and provide better/faster top-end speed, but cornering will be more difficult (and the vehicle may have a much greater tendency to slide while cornering, especially at high speeds); this is best for circuits with few corners and/or many long straightaways, such as Hockenheim Long and Monza.
Suspension
Stiffness
Softening a vehicle's suspension will allow for a much smoother ride overall and will also help with cornering, but the car is then more prone to flipping when cornering at high speeds or performing sudden evasive maneuvers. Hardening a vehicle's suspension will cause the driver to feel virtually every possible bump in the pavement and will also make cornering more difficult (especially at high speeds).
Ride Height
Ride height controls airflow underneath a vehicle. Raising ride height will allow for more air to pass underneath the vehicle, thus slowing the car moderately due to aerodynamic friction and also assisting slightly in cornering. Lowering ride height will reduce the amount of air passing underneath the vehicle, thus slightly augmenting top-end speed while also making cornering moderately more difficult.
Anti-roll
Anti-roll devices are designed to prevent the vehicle from flipping. Strengthening the anti-roll devices will reduce the chances that the car may flip during highspeed cornering and evasive maneuvers; this will also make cornering more difficult in general. Softening the anti-roll devices will make flipping a stronger possibility, but will also make cornering easier.
Brake Bias
Braking can be applied more toward the front or the rear of the vehicle. However, moving the brake bias more toward one end of the car makes wheel-lock a stronger possibility for those wheels.
Tires
In Pro Race Driver, the pit crew will automatically apply the type of tire appropriate for the racing conditions; however, the player can override the pit crew's decision. Slicks are for dry-conditions racing. Intermediates are for use when the pavement is damp but not really wet (as in a slow, gentle drizzle). Wets are used during hard rain and in the period immediately following actual rainfall.
It is VERY rare that the player can only adjust the tuning of one aspect of the car without causing one or more parts of the car set-up to be out of balance. For example, for racing at Monza, the downforce and ride height should both be lowered as much as possible; to counterbalance the cornering
difficulty inherent with these downforce and ride height settings, anti-roll and suspension stiffness should both also be lowered as much as possible to lessen (although not necessarily eliminate) the difficulty in cornering.
Klik om te vergroten...
