PS4/G29

Hi Chaps.

Recently picked up a PS4 and a G29 to play AC (primarily for the Porsche content). Had some initial issues with no FF effects, but after yesterdays update I do now have some FF, but it still doesn't feel right - ie; the quality/quantity doesn't fit with expectations/all the positive comments I've heard about the game.

I'll explain what I have and maybe someone else with a G29/PS4 set up can tell me if this is how it's supposed to feel...

When I select drive in practice or special events, and before I engage 1st and press the accelerator (ie; the car is sat in the pitlane), the wheel has a lot of rotational resistance (like FF 10 in GT6). When I select 1st and pull away, this resistance reduces significantly.

When driving, the wheel counter-steers if the car over steers, and reacts to bumps etc.

BUT...

1. There's very little weight to the steering, even with FF at 100% (I have everything else at zero) - it's similar to GT6 with FF set to 1 or 2 and power steering on. I'm not usually one for high FF settings (I ran GT6 on c.5), but this is very light.

2. There's a massive force feedback deadzone - there's no FF effect until around 10* of lock is applied - this makes it very difficult to place the car accurately in to corners, or correct small slides on exits... and really spoils the enjoyment.

Is this the proper AC FF experience?

If not, I think my wheel may be faulty - I've had several G series wheels in the past and I know they are capable of much better than this.

Thanks in advance.

 

I recently bought a G29 and the FF is terrible compared to my T150, so I don't think yours is faulty. As you say, the resistance is there, but disappears once you start racing. Only had mine a week and the left paddle stopped working, so I sent it back and won't be getting a replacement.

 

It has a lot to do with how the force feedback is done in AC. The g29 can produce very strong force feedback. In my case on Pcars the force feedback is at least twice as strong as it is on AC and I have virtually no clipping and no ff deadzone.

If you wish to make the steering heavier and more detailed and with less ff deadzone in AC you will have to increase all the other effects to at least 50, especially the road feel. There is no other way, unfortunately.

 

This isn't uncommon in all versions of the game. I have this on my PC as well as my PS4. You actually do not want to fight the wheel constantly whilst driving. What you want is the subtle differences in the road. A lot of racing wheels setups as like this and over the years a misconception of having constant force is a what is required from the wheel. Take a real car for example on a smooth road surface going straight and then encountering a bump in the road. It generally isn't until you hit the bump do you feel anything. Since it's also only a sim, you can't expect to have the exact differences in say a race prep car (I've driven several) where you can feel a lot more through the seat of your pants, through the steering column due to having stiffer motor mounts, lowered suspension. Max 100%FFB isn't what you want ideally to feel the subtle road variations with the laser scanning they did with the tracks.

 

i thought i read somewhere that there is issues with the latest fw for the g29

 

I don't think there are any issues with the g29. Assetto corsa always had force feedback that is kind of like dirt rally, where it's very light, but nuanced and detailed. What seems like force feedback deadzone in the centre is not really a deadzone because when driving in a straight line you can still feel The bumps in the track, so it's not accurate to call it a deadzone. Again DR is he same.

In Pcars you can make the steering very heavy around the centre, but it can result in a pronounced notch in the centre and there are ways to smooth it out and make it feel more like AC or DR.

The thing about very heavy force feedback is that it can result in clipping pretty easily and even though it feels heavy, a lot of the detail gets lost.

I play AC with g29 and and I have it feeling pretty fantastic. Although I can't make it quite as heavy as in Pcars.

 

Been using different Logitechs with different driving games for years. Don't see AC as being particularly "light" compared to any of them. Do see it as being subtle and finessed by comparison though. Using 55% ffb at the moment on AC, everything else set to zero. Agree there is a nasty, recently introduced lack of feeling around the centre zone but beyond that soft gooey centre, 55% overall ffb is about as much as I can reasonably manage with some cars in this game (wheel weight varies a LOT car by car in AC).

With the mistaken idea that MORE is always better, I began AC using 100% ffb and literally couldn't turn the wheel fast or far enough for some corner combinations such was the sheer weight of the wheel (plus it felt as rough as a very rough thing) . You either have a technical issue with your G29 or a great deal more arm strength than I have or would ever want to use to get a car round a corner.

 

In my case, I have strong arms and what feels heavy to some people feels quite light to me. Plus I like all the additional effects like road feel turned up, as for me that's where assetto corsa really shines, as does DR.

In Pcars I managed to set the ff such that I can make it even heavier than AC, but but at expense of a some of the topographical and SoP feel, but it feels very good and I always feel as though I had an upper body workout after a few races.

 

Thanks for the replies

Just to clarify... I don't want heavy steering. On GT, I had FF at 4 or 5. I just want more feel to the steering just off dead center.

Had another hour and a half last night (Special Events - Carrera at Imola, RSR at Zandavoort & Cayman GT4 at Spa)... it doesn't ruin the game, but it makes placing the car accurately in to faster corners more difficult than it should be... also makes managing a sliding rear under trail braking more difficult too.

I'll try changing some of the other settings next time I have a session - though I read they aren't really part of the natural FF process and are more overlays... was trying to avoid that.

 

If you want to feel something in the centre you'll need to increase the road feel. If you are looking for a very natural sort of steering which is devoid of any overlays you will have a very dead feeling centre, unfortunately.

 

Tried increasing road, but it's horrible!

Played some more last few days and mostly still the same until last night...

Got home from work, took the rubber stop out of the brake pedal and went to run some laps. Back to running FF at 100%, everything else off.

Started in the 917/30 at Silverstone '67 Event. Steering felt same as most of the other I've driven - very little feel for front end grip (almost feels like a delay in the car turning in when the wheel is turned), light FF, massive FF deadzone... got tier 1 and quit. Car really understeery.

Switched to the 918 at Nurb... WOW, steering is super heavy, loads of feedback, no deadzone... only ran a few attempts as this combo is still a bit quick for me (will need to build up to this combo as I play more). Not driven anything in the game where the steering feels like this.

Switched to the Pagani at Nurb GP... and had an epiphany!

Car feels lovey - steering weight is good, deadzone is minimal, I can feel where the front end grip is, I can feel the weight transferring, car actually wants to rotate in to the corners (a bit too much) & tightens it's line off throttle. Add a bit of extra camber to cure the snappy rear and it feels really, really nice. Tier 1 by 2 s with plenty left. I could have lapped that combo all night.

Not sure what to make of this - the variance in quantity and quality of FF between the 918 and 917 was ridiculous.

Brakes without the rubber stop are fine - G29 brake spring is much stiffer than the original G27.

 

Update on G29 ‘issues’…

Miserable weather here, so spent most of the weekend playing AC (probably 16 hours total), mainly running the hotlap events.

FF levels with the G29 are variable to say the least. Some cars have very heavy steering with loads of FF (eg; 918), some have heavy steering with virtually no FF (eg; latest M3), some have heavy steering with perfect FF (eg; X Bow), some have light steering with little FF (eg; 917/30), and some are in the middle, with perfect weight and FF (eg; Escort, M3 Group A).

I guess this is much like real cars… but cars I would expect to have heavy steering don’t necessarily (the older ones, with no power steering, on slicks).

With the right car/track/FF combination, the game feels unbelievably good – the M3 Group A at Silverstone is particularly memorable. But some others feel terrible – the 917/30 at old Silverstone, for example, just feels completely disconnected from the road surface.

After trying most of the hotlap events, the difficulty level is also variable – some are golded after a few tries (Escort at Brands only took 2 laps), a couple I haven’t even bronzed yet. I have no idea, for example, how you gold the new M3 at Nurburgring GP. I’m not over driving the car, but I’m still a couple of seconds off gold on a track I know very well.

But when you find a combo that matches your skill level, in a car you enjoy driving… well, it’s just awesome.

I also tried one of the quick races – the Fiat 500. AI is a bit quick in Alien mode. Best I managed was 3rd. Going to have to up my game :lol:

Sounds are also for the most part fabulous – again, the M3 Group A… the whine of the straight cut box over the engine… reminds me of watching these cars on TV back in the day. And the coarse growl turning in to a scream of the BDA 4 pot in the Escort... lovely.

One thing that does irritate me though – brake release oversteer! This was one of my bug bears in GT physics, and it’s there in AC. And it seems deliberately so given it’s mentioned how to prevent it in one of the settings explanations. IME, this is just not accurately modelling weight transfer effects correctly – a car should not oversteer when releasing the brakes whilst trail braking. It might understeer as weight is removed from the front tyres, but should not oversteer.

 

Your right about the FF. There are two problems with the G29 on AC and I stopped playing the game after week 2. The FF deadzone was horrendous. The other issue was that the braking pedal is very stiff even after removing the rubber. In project cars you can increase the sensitivity to decrease the amount of pushing on the brake. Here there is no setting for brake sensitivity on the G29 and I ended up with severe knee pain that has not gone away yet. They need to rework a lot of this stuff ....

 

I don't have any issues with the brake pedal - I removed the rubber stop, and it's fine with a WSP on carpet.

Still playing AC with the G29. The FF deadzone makes it far from perfect, but it's still enjoyable on certain combos. AC is a bit of a PITA in how it implements the wheel - in so far as it doesn't automatically know there's a wheel connected, and even when it does it sometimes gives zero FF and needs a reboot.

 

Hi Stotty
Really interesting findings and comments.
I upgraded from PS3/GT6/G27 to PS4 pro, AC and G27 a couple of weeks ago and it felt like I had to relearn to drive! I think he difference between the G27 and the G29 is significant.
It has taken me quite a while to "dial into" the steering feel of the G29 and AC. Some cars do feel better than others. The brakes also need very firm pressure for some cars (eg: Huayra) and not for others (Ferrari/ KTM.) I agree with the disconcerting "dead zone" but in fact it does have feel, I think it allows you to "prep" the car for the corner. It has been referred to elsewhere but I've found that holding the wheel with just thumb and index finger changes it dramtically and allows you to really feel the car.
I was lucky enough to have an E92 M3 and several rounds of private driver tuition. On the way through £2500 worth of Contisport Contacts I was always reminded to hold the steering wheel as lightly as possible and follow the information coming from it rather than gripping tightly and forcing it. AC/ G29 reminded me of those lessons and feels just like that used to.

The settings I am using are:
FF 55 (down from 65, but I may go back up a bit)
Kerb 8
Road 5
Slip 60
Understeer ON (no idea what this does but read somewhere it was designed for G29/ AC - laps of Magione in an E30 drift showed I was quicker by a few tenths with it on.)

I have also found the (appropriate/ older) cars are quicker using the H shifter and it gives a different sound to the gearchange too.

I had a Playseat delivered the other day, that has made a huge difference too! The whole thing is just brilliant although the kids now call me a neek!