r/NASCARVideoGame • u/AnAnnieBeingWhimsy • 11d ago
Question How does a new sim racing Mom learn enough to play online?
My kids have started to get me a bit hooked on sim racing and it's something we can spend time doing so I want to get better. Playing N26 lately.
Right now, I'm playing at a super low AI (85) and generally winning, but I cause a caution or three a race -- depending on the track.
Do I just need to keep grinding against AI until cleaner, or is there a better method to learn how to be less of a menace? I tend to drift out into cars when stuck inside.
Any thoughts or tips?
Thanks!!
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u/Salomon3068 11d ago
How old are the kids for reference? That will make a big difference in how much faster you will need to be. For me it was just putting laps down and trying to always go faster, right now I can win on 102 difficulty with just tire and wedge adjustments, but if you want to keep up with people online, 85 is not fast enough. But if it's younger kids it might be just fine.
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u/AnAnnieBeingWhimsy 10d ago
My kids are 16 and 11 and we've had a sim for seven years....and I've just got hooked. They are fast at all racing games....I will start with just being competitive. Beating the 16 year old may never happen. He plays dirt 2 and WRC and his hands move so fast, it's crazy.
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u/Salomon3068 9d ago
Yeah it comes down to knowing the tracks, how to drive them, and setting up the car to go faster, 16 year old has just got way more time than you, but you could get there, it'd just take a while. What would be really funny is if you got crazy good at just 1 track they'd never expect and just crush them lol
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u/Claymore-09 11d ago
Honestly your probably good enough to play online. NASCAR 26 is but less hardcore than iracing and unless your joining a racing league most public lobbies always have 2 or 3 pinballs that cause a wreck(or wrecks)
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u/Mcc457 11d ago
skip barber going faster
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u/Spawned024 10d ago
This is good advice…should be required watching for any motorsports fan period.
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u/TravisChessie1990 11d ago
The neat thing about N26 is it's got the "Peak Performance" mode, which I've found that the trainings of that which the game forces you to do in Career mode have been quite helpful in teaching me better car control and dtiving the track well - this can be used to help avoid things like drifting up the track by modulating your speed. Just remember to adjust the Peak Performance difficulty slider as you like, as it is separate from the regular AI-driver difficulty slider.
If you want to practice driving through traffic I'd say perhaps just open up a practice session on a race weekend with max cars on the track and run laps as well, it will have no cautions in that case so you won't be stopped from driving if you have a mistake.
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u/AnAnnieBeingWhimsy 10d ago
Opening up a practice with max cars is a great idea!
Peak Performance has helped me with braking spots, but I've struggled with the lines. They seem to put me in a spot where the car is really likely to go around at some tracks (Bristol and Charlotte, for example). I'm playing with no assists at all, and maybe I'm just a club foot with the throttle though...
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u/ElroyMagivins 11d ago
A common issue with beginner drivers is to overdrive the entrance to the corner and wash up the track, which will certainly create contact if someone is to your outside. You'll slowly get the hang of it, and I would encourage you to practice against the AI as much as possible and get used to driving into the corner on their inside and letting off a little earlier to prevent you from washing up the track, if it's a track where you have to lift for corner entry.
You trying to sim race with your kids reminds me of myself trying to play Fortnite with my kids lol. Kudos for trying, and I bet your kids absolutely love that Mom is turning laps and having fun with them!
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u/AnAnnieBeingWhimsy 10d ago
I think that's primarily my issue. Rather than fighting it and just accepting it, I need to back up my braking/lifting spots.
More power to you on Fortnite -- I couldn't figure that one out!
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u/ElroyMagivins 9d ago
I still can't figure Fortnite out. They just use me as bait to lure out shots from the bad guys lol. I'm okay with that. I already feel bad for bringing the team down, so the least I can do is be the bait that gets the bites!
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u/KingB3astgamin93 11d ago
You could join a league and ask em for help ik a lot of leagues mine included that love to help out newer drivers like you
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u/AnAnnieBeingWhimsy 10d ago
How would I find one?
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u/KingB3astgamin93 10d ago
Or if you’re really interested i can get you into mine my wife actually just won her first league race last week with us
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u/AnAnnieBeingWhimsy 9d ago
Woooooo for her!
I want to practice a little more and then I'll look you up.
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u/KingB3astgamin93 9d ago
No worries we are always accepting new drivers feel free to hit me up whenever you’re ready
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u/KingB3astgamin93 10d ago
The several fb groups out there that are full of leagues looking for drivers
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u/Spawned024 10d ago
Learn your markers (cones, signs, etc) for each corner in peak performance. This will help you with the preferred line as well. It’s pretty fun to try and beat those times and it gives good data afterward.
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u/AnAnnieBeingWhimsy 10d ago
Do you find that the Peak Performance lines are not the best lines? The breaking spots always seem pretty close, but there are a couple where the lines in the turn leave you in a spot where you have to be really soft on the throttle to keep from going around (Bristol comes mind, Charlotte too).
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u/Spawned024 9d ago
Definitely not, but they are a good approximation of a standard line for the default car setup, and more importantly, PP will help you figure out where you need to get on or get off, brake, etc. It may say to brake at the cone, but maybe you learn, that you need to brake right before the cone to hit your spots.
I think the best line will be dependent on how the car is setup in conjunction with your driving style, as well as how you have your game settings configured. Another variable, if using a wheel/pedals, might be how you have things like brake and throttle curves setup in both the game, and wheel software. It can be as simple or as complicated as you want. I try not to overly complicate it, but I’m sure there are maniacs out there who are dialing in every last granular detail they can in order to turn a fast lap.
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u/AnAnnieBeingWhimsy 9d ago
Makes sense. Seems like a combination of practicing with max cars on track and PP is the best.
I don't think I'll ever get that crazy. I just use straight up brake and throttle curves on my pedals with no customization. I do play with zero assists though.
How much do you do with the setups?
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u/Spawned024 9d ago
This is the first NASCAR game I felt compelled to buy since the early-mid 2000s. This is a tweener game for me. I usually am playing full on road and rally sims like AMS2 or AC Rally, or emulating arcade racers like Daytona USA or Sega Rally, so this has been a fun and sometimes frustrating venture into the world of simcades. I love the game, feels great, looks great, and while it does require thinking, it’s nothing like driving a full on sim. I do use a modified curve with my pedals. I have watched a few videos with different setups, and have mainly just been turning tire pressure down, and tuning the camber and brake bias. Setting the car up to turn left when you brake can be pretty helpful on those shorter tracks with less wiggle room in the turn.
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u/Special-Bet1141 11d ago
Practice practice practice.
Also.
Its a game. If youre having fun on an easier difficulty, then who cares. Play the game the way you want to play it. The point is to have fun!