DiRT Rally

[-Jamie-]

Agreed, still great fun though particularly on a proper setup

 

[CrippsCorner]

So my tactic at the moment seems to be slide to left, slide to right, slide to left, slide to right, fall off cliff, repeat...

 

[RMDavis]

Agreed, still great fun though particularly on a proper setup

Yeah it's a fantastic game, one of the most imersive racers I've played. It's one of those games that demands 100% attention otherwise you'll be in a tree...

Lack of multiplayer, and DLC makes me think they're working on a 'Dirt Rally 2' already.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

 

[Silent_Scone]

Quick video I recorded a couple months ago to check performance, was with PS4 controller on PC.

 

[BoatNonce]

So my tactic at the moment seems to be slide to left, slide to right, slide to left, slide to right, fall off cliff, repeat...

Suffering from pendulum effect? It's quite strong in this game. You need to show the car where to go, and keep that input stable, and trust that the car will end up going in that direction. I usually steer more by shifting the weight with a flick in at the beginning of the corner, then holding the wheel fairly straight through the corner, than actually turning the corner.

Easiest car to drive IMO is the Hyundai. Very forgiving handling and s**t tonnes of grip.

 

[SCJM21]

Who's still playing this? Picked it up a few weeks ago and I've been hooked, such an immersive game, every stage I have to have full 100% concentration or else I'll be off a cliff.

Really enjoying the daily and weekly challenges, makes me want to play it every day, is there a league set up for CS.net? Joined one with a few pals and it's good fun to race against eachother!

Career mode is really good, made it to Pro in Rallycross, Clubman in Hillclimb and currently in Clubman on rally - however originally attempted rally in 1970s but those cars are so difficult to drive, so ended up DNFing and being demoted, beating Open again, and now trying Clubman in Group B which is far more controllable.

Love this game!

 

[_Tom]

I borrowed it off a mate recently. I quickly came to the conclusion that the tracks weren't wide enough. :laughing:

 

[Darren S]

Quick video I recorded a couple months ago to check performance, was with PS4 controller on PC.

You set some great stage times, m8! Just had a dabble on the career mode earlier on the One pad and you're way ahead in the 'check friends' standings.

Once you get into a flow, even on a pad it feels good.

 

[Jcs]

I play it now and again. Mega Rally X fan so seem to live on that then head over to the Polo WRC for a few stages.

I'm pretty good....at hitting trees.

 

[Silent_Scone]

You set some great stage times, m8! Just had a dabble on the career mode earlier on the One pad and you're way ahead in the 'check friends' standings.

Once you get into a flow, even on a pad it feels good.

I've not played it for awhile now. It's brutal though

 

[Darren S]

I play it now and again. Mega Rally X fan so seem to live on that then head over to the Polo WRC for a few stages.

I'm pretty good....at hitting trees.

Yep - it's very easy to become accustomed to tree trunks. It's the boulders and rocks on the side of the road that are the nasty little sods!

 

[BoatNonce]

Yep - it's very easy to become accustomed to tree trunks. It's the boulders and rocks on the side of the road that are the nasty little sods!

These little piles of dirt at the side of the road. They seem to be made of highly refined kryptonite. Or plutonium. Or lead.

Whatever you do, if you touch one, even gently, it's game over.

 

[imprezaworks]

This game is the most realistic racer I've played. The cars, the noise. I lasted one week before selling it lol.

 

[CrippsCorner]

I've still not managed to win a single race in the top three... beginning to piss me off tbh!

 

[-Jamie-]

Practice more then

It's a realistic sim racer, not some shite arcade game

 

[BGEarles]

This game worth getting? Need a good car game..


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[Mark_P]

This game is the most realistic racer I've played. The cars, the noise. I lasted one week before selling it lol.

It really is bloody good. Can't remember a game where I don't blink for such a long time. Even watching replays is cracking with the exhaust notes echoing through the forests!

 

[imprezaworks]

This game worth getting? Need a good car game..


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If you patience yes

 

[Jcs]

I echo the above.

I went into the first stage of the game all; MK2 escort, Im going to drift this all the way.....soon after.....I'll just get into the mini and try and finish a stage.

So satisfying when you nail a stage though.

 

[BoatNonce]

Try the escort in the rain on tarmac. Oh, good, I'm backwards again.

 

[Darren S]

It really is bloody good. Can't remember a game where I don't blink for such a long time. Even watching replays is cracking with the exhaust notes echoing through the forests!

Lol - I think I finish a stage with my face about six inches from the monitor too. I don't realise that I'm leaning further and further forward!

 

[SCJM21]

MK2 Escort, one of the hardest cars to drive IMO! I sacked it off and went for the Kadett instead.

Just about to finish Clubman rally in Group B, the Quattro is awesome!
If anything I'm really enjoying the online daily/weekly/monthly challenges, gives you a reason to jump on every day to see what the event is. Although yesterdays was the Renault 5 on Wales as a wager event, was feeling confident so put 150k down and drove off a cliff and retired .

 

[Darren S]

This is actually really enjoyable just with a pad. Granted it lacks the feedback of a wheel - as a rumbling controller can only do so much. I don't get that same sense of control with a pad in the likes of Project Cars.

Currently second in the championship, just a mere two seconds behind the leader. Still can't quite get the feel of my brakes right. Adjusting the bias makes them to 'bitey' or feel like I'm braking on ice. Maybe a few tweaks of the sensitivity is required?

Out of interest, can you enable manual gears on a pad? Unless I'm missing the obvious, I can't see them in the options?

 

[Darren S]

Loving this - but it certainly takes no prisoners! Hated the Welsh rally bit - it really confuses the car in how to behave. I do like the water splashes though - very neat effect. I actually find it easier to drive on snow than on the gravel and dirt of Wales.

How things have improved in Rally games since my days on the Amiga - lol....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombard_RAC_Rally_(video_game)?wprov=sfsi1

 

[Mikeyjp]

I finally got around to digging my steering wheel out the loft, found it hard at 1st, only managed about 3 wins in 30 races 😧 quite enjoying it though. I have used the Mk2 Esscort for all the races, not found it that bad my self.

I was also wondering about the gears, i have got used it now, but missed them at 1st

 

[BoatNonce]

Loving this - but it certainly takes no prisoners! Hated the Welsh rally bit - it really confuses the car in how to behave. I do like the water splashes though - very neat effect. I actually find it easier to drive on snow than on the gravel and dirt of Wales.

How things have improved in Rally games since my days on the Amiga - lol....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombard_RAC_Rally_(video_game)?wprov=sfsi1

I hate the snow, and love the gravel, lol. But then touching the snow banks is like driving into treacle.

 

[SCJM21]

You can enable manual gears, it's not in controls though, it's in the same menu as all of your assist options like ABS and TCS etc, as disabling each of those gives you more prize £££ as a difficulty bonus.

 

[Darren S]

I hate the snow, and love the gravel, lol. But then touching the snow banks is like driving into treacle.

Yeah - proper slow-down - however it has helped to 'correct' my car when I've gone a bit too quick at times!

Thanks for the tip @Steve_RS2250 - I'll look into that. Seems a strange place to put the option of manual gears?

 

[SCJM21]

At work so looked for a Let's Play video and screenshotted it, it's this menu (if you can't access it through options it might be on the pre-race menu, or on the pause menu whilst racing - have a play).

 

[SCJM21]

Been making good progress in career last couple of weeks, last night won the FIA Rallycross Championship which was good fun in the 208 WRX, also moved up to Elite in Rallycross as well as Professional in Hillclimb and normal Rally. Was really struggling with Clubman rally as chose to do it in a 1970s car, all terrible, ended up DNF'ing it and redoing in Group B, much better, Quattro is brilliant!

Also come across a money making tip if anyone needs help. If you get yourself up to Professional level in Hillclimb, this *unlocks* the difficulty in custom championship. So set up a custom championship with 1 stage on Pro difficulty in career, and for each single stage championship you finish (5-6 minute stage) you can win up to 60k credits. I did about 6 or 7 in a row and managed to rack up about 400k in about 40 minutes or so! Good method if you have the patience to do a load of hillclimb stages consecutively.

 

[HarvB]

Really enjoy this game - I'm playing with a Logitech wheel and I'd say a wheel is absolutely needed for that last drop of precision...

Turn the driver aids off and it's pretty brutal, I end up restarting a lot of stages because I get carried away, but always come out with a grin on my face! We should have a league for challenges or something.

 

[Darren S]

Been making good progress in career last couple of weeks, last night won the FIA Rallycross Championship which was good fun in the 208 WRX, also moved up to Elite in Rallycross as well as Professional in Hillclimb and normal Rally. Was really struggling with Clubman rally as chose to do it in a 1970s car, all terrible, ended up DNF'ing it and redoing in Group B, much better, Quattro is brilliant!

That's all I've used so far - in particular the Renault Alpine (what else? :wink. Last night I bought the Mini and the other car in the '70s class - along with the Mk2 Escort as if money was no object. Not tried any of these new cars yet as I'm still liking the under-powered, tail-happiness of the Alpine. Loved the tarmac stage of Monte Carlo - easily my best timings on any of the stages to date. Nothing beats getting a dab of the handbrake right and power-sliding around a hairpin bend - that and the background noise change when you goes through tunnels, etc.

The 'effect' on me in terms of driving this game has is quite pronounced. As mentioned, I could go full on with the Monte Carlo stage and feel comfortable with how the car was behaving. The stage times reflected this and I won that rally outright. However, that was immediately followed by a Finnish rally (iirc?) - where it has a series of long, fast sweeping sections on loose dirt. I went into proper Twitchy-Arse Mode and reined the car in - barely engaging 4th gear at all as it felt like I was piloting a 4-wheeled mattress. I didn't feel in control at all - and my times were shocking - despite not making a single c**k-up on the stage.

The fact that DIRT Rally can sufficiently portray a sense of fear/panic in a rally car going at high-speed is a testament to how good this game is. I prefer it to Project Cars tbh - and I never thought that would happen.

 

[SCJM21]

The Mini and Renault Alpine are in the 1960s class i think? As well as the Lancia Fulvia. The 1970s class has the Open Kadett, 131 Abarth, MK2 Escort and Lancia Stratos if I recall!
Wouldn't recommend the MK2 Escort personally, I hate the thing! The 1970s class is in my opinion one of the hardest on the game (as well as Group B - RWD, the Manta is a boat and the Lancia 037 is like a hyperactive puppy).

All of the locations are so different I agree, it's interesting because you can drive on Greece and really struggle and make a mess of it, then go to Germany next with the same car and absolutely smash it. I always hated Sweden, the banks just drag you in, then did it in Group B in Clubman and won every stage by 15+ seconds, the 4WD + power just smashed through it with relative ease. My favourite location is probably Greece, it can be a nightmare at times but I find it an exciting drive, I would say Germany but I'd class that as the 'easier' location.

If you're enjoying the Alpine A110 I recommend the weekly event this week, it's 1960s class, 6 full stages, one in each location. Get a nice payout if you finish in the upper tiers time-wise!

 

[Darren S]

The Mini and Renault Alpine are in the 1960s class i think? As well as the Lancia Fulvia. The 1970s class has the Open Kadett, 131 Abarth, MK2 Escort and Lancia Stratos if I recall!
Wouldn't recommend the MK2 Escort personally, I hate the thing! The 1970s class is in my opinion one of the hardest on the game (as well as Group B - RWD, the Manta is a boat and the Lancia 037 is like a hyperactive puppy).

All of the locations are so different I agree, it's interesting because you can drive on Greece and really struggle and make a mess of it, then go to Germany next with the same car and absolutely smash it. I always hated Sweden, the banks just drag you in, then did it in Group B in Clubman and won every stage by 15+ seconds, the 4WD + power just smashed through it with relative ease. My favourite location is probably Greece, it can be a nightmare at times but I find it an exciting drive, I would say Germany but I'd class that as the 'easier' location.

If you're enjoying the Alpine A110 I recommend the weekly event this week, it's 1960s class, 6 full stages, one in each location. Get a nice payout if you finish in the upper tiers time-wise!

Yep - my mistake - it is the 60s Class, doh! :blush:

I'll definitely have a dabble at that weekly event - see how good/bad I can do with it!

Below was my first attempt at Monte Carlo in the Alpine. I almost got away without issue until near the end. Typical.

 

[HarvB]

The 'effect' on me in terms of driving this game has is quite pronounced. As mentioned, I could go full on with the Monte Carlo stage and feel comfortable with how the car was behaving. The stage times reflected this and I won that rally outright. However, that was immediately followed by a Finnish rally (iirc?) - where it has a series of long, fast sweeping sections on loose dirt. I went into proper Twitchy-Arse Mode and reined the car in - barely engaging 4th gear at all as it felt like I was piloting a 4-wheeled mattress. I didn't feel in control at all - and my times were shocking - despite not making a single c**k-up on the stage.

The fact that DIRT Rally can sufficiently portray a sense of fear/panic in a rally car going at high-speed is a testament to how good this game is. I prefer it to Project Cars tbh - and I never thought that would happen.

Finland in particular is quite tricky!
Have you unlocked the advanced car setup? You need the separate damper rates for high and low rate compression etc to help soak up the bumps properly. It's also very much about finding a rhythm and throwing the car around a lot more than you'd think - the grip doesn't seem to drop off with speed like you would expect, and there's a much more gentle transition into slide than the rougher surfaces like Wales.
For me they're about even - I hated PCars initially until I found adjusting the tyre pressures made a massive difference.

 

[Mikeyjp]

Got gears sorted now, cheers :smiley: turned the ABS off too. Been racing around in the Renault 5 Turbo, good bit of fun. Doing better at the hill climbs now, they are some powerful cars lol

 

[Darren S]

Finland in particular is quite tricky!
Have you unlocked the advanced car setup? You need the separate damper rates for high and low rate compression etc to help soak up the bumps properly. It's also very much about finding a rhythm and throwing the car around a lot more than you'd think - the grip doesn't seem to drop off with speed like you would expect, and there's a much more gentle transition into slide than the rougher surfaces like Wales.

I agree - that's at the very core of this game, I think. In Project Cars for example, you're focused on not upsetting the balance of the car. Usually everything is that stiff that any heavy-handedness results in a slide or spin onto the trackside.

With Rally - you have to grab the car by the nads and chuck it about to get the best from it. Being timid and tip-toeing around just doesn't work. Plenty of opposite lock and tail-sliding is the way to go. Plus it looks cool. :wink:

 

[SCJM21]

Starting to learn this myself, taking far more risks when going into turns, I've watched a few world record runs on Youtube and the turning in point is so much sooner than you'd expect, and you can cut some corners much more than you think! I find doing a quick custom championship between career races is good practice, nothing to lose, just pick a car and go for it, learnt some much quicker ways of tackling some course sections.

 

[HarvB]

The world record runs are insane, sometimes I think the edges should be made a bit harsher to stop such ridiculous cutting...

It is a great example of how much grip there can be though - my routine for setting a car up is get the damping right to handle the jumps/yumps without upsetting the line too much, then when on the stage get the nose in as soon as possible and keep the rhythm as much as possible. The same goes for the Swedish snow stages as well - I found my times dropping hugely once I had the rhythm and a bit of bravery to chuck it in.

 

[Darren S]

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