First the tips:

If you have trouble with drifting, set the driving mode to casual,
the game's auto-steering and auto-throttle/brake makes is seem that
your driving with a different set of physics (or maybe the physics
is changed). You only need to steer a bit, and you can hold the
throttle down most of the time.

If you want all stars, the "clean lap" stars on sprint tracks, like
sections of Nordschleife are near impossible. After winning, you
can re-run the event and stay behind the AI to get the clean lap star,
but you'll get a loss in your stats. There is also a trainer that
will mess up the AI.

Comments:

I'm barely into tier 2 events. I have a "works" Mustang GT, but a
stage 3 Carerra GT is faster on a track, and as shown in the numbers,
although the bars for the Mustang GT are longer. The "work" upgrade
was unlocked before I unlocked tier 4, so maybe there's a bug.

Upgrades on the 350Z and the Carerra GT, make them overpowered compared
to the grip. Even with traction control set to high, you need to go
easy on the throttle.

Fastest car I tried so far was the Zonda R in an invitational event.




As mentioned you spend a lot of time waiting for menu's to load. I'm
not sure what the issue is.

jeffareid (AT) hotmail (DOT) com (jeffareid) wrote:

I upgraded the 350z without about 150k's worth of winnings (just from single lap
Quick Races at The Ring) and found myself in trouble. It's a bit of an animal, and
I'm still not sure I have my controls set up properly. There are moments when I
feel this is the best sim experience I've ever had, but plenty of others when I'm
left with that feeling that something is wrong.

It remains, however, great fun. The immersion at times is immense. I may just be
seduced by the graphics and new features, but there is something pretty convincing
about the car's behaviour when you step onto the grass, and the cockpit 'jiggle' is
very good even though you don't get the kind of FFB jiggle iRacing's laser tracks
have to offer.

After a few more hours I'm still very glad I bought it. It's certainly an
interesting project and I think they've genuinely tried to bridge the game/sim
divide.

Whether they ultimately satisfy everyone or no-one remains to be seen.

Andrew McP

"Andrew MacPherson" <mcp.andrew (AT) DELETTHISgmail (DOT) com> wrote

The main feature I hate about these games and all console racers, using
winnings to upgrade the cars. I'd prefer to be racing equal race machines,
not ricers all sooped up. They are always more about upgrading, tweaking,
tuning than about racing.
That and stupid kudos/points for drifting and other on track nonsense durign
a race.

schooner (AT) accesswave (DOT) ca (schooner) wrote:

I agree with everything you say, which is why Shift is the first of this
game-orientated genre I've bought since, er... the first NFS, when we didn't have a
choice :-)

But there is one heck of an experience hiding behind all the gaming cr*p in Shift.
And some of the shallower gaming elements are actually fun, I must -- reluctantly!
-- admit.

The way I see it, Shift wouldn't exist if it wasn't for all that gaming cr*p, and
there's enough of a sim (as in simulated overall racing experience) buried in there
to make it worthwhile persevering with.

Who knows whether this enthusiasm will last. The novelty may well wear off quickly.
But I've already had a great morning and some real 'wow!' moments out of Shift. So,
for me at least, and for today at least, I consider this money well spent. I look
forward to someone out there possibly ripping the installation apart and finding
out how to maximise the sim side of things.

Andrew McP

"Andrew MacPherson" <mcp.andrew (AT) DELETTHISgmail (DOT) com> wrote

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-hd-need-for/55938

With upgrades, it ends up traction limited. Even with traction control
on, it still too much power for the grip it has. Not a fun car to drive
on the tigher tracks.

As mentioned before each car is like a different game. So far, most of the
cars with a "W", meaning you can upgrade to "works" level, end up with
a better power versus grip balance.

Actually I though the recent addition of jiggle effect was put to much
better use on Lara Croft in the latest Tomb Raider games.

For the tier 2 cars, the RX7 is a "works" car, but it ends up traction
limited, so you end up using 5th and 6th gears instead of the lower gears.

When you get to drift events, before entering the event, go to the gameplay
driver setup and select "casual", which enables "auto-drive", unless you're
a glutton for frustration at trying to get some of the cars to drift well.

Based on my testing, the best tier 2 car with "works" upgrade is the newer
Camaro SS, it ends up with a rating of 14.00.

For tuning, I recommend setting tire pressures at 30, or maybe 29 psi,
and changing the damper fast rebound rates to max stiff to prevent cars
from bouncing (the "works" Camaro SS has this issue on some tracks).

schooner (AT) accesswave (DOT) ca (schooner) wrote:

Thinking about this again, you could argue -- if particularly awkward, like me ;-)
-- that the series in iRacing are equally annoying hurdles. At least I don't have
to wait 13 weeks to earn my next badge in Shift. :-)

And I care for the badges/tiers etc. in Shift almost as much as I care for the
divisions, stats, and assorted pseudo-real series progression in iRacing... ie not
at all. It's just noise in the background in both games, and I just ignore it until
it gets in my way and I have to take it seriously enough to get over the next
hurdle.

In iRacing that's in order to be allowed to race a faster car against more than my
shadow and the Stephane's HUD util. In Shift it's to open up access to faster cars.
They are obviously different projects, but they also have a lot in common. I am
equally annoyed at the things I dislike in both titles.

Andrew McP

"Andrew MacPherson" <mcp.andrew (AT) DELETTHISgmail (DOT) com> wrote

I see little in common with Shift and iRacing beyond they both involve
racing, totalt different games all together.
Shift is a sprint race/tuner game it appears to me. iRacing is a graduated
license racing series with stock race cars on real tracks.

"Andrew MacPherson" <mcp.andrew (AT) DELETTHISgmail (DOT) com> wrote

FYI - http://forums.xbox.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=29123795

I don't have the game so can't say if it works but I've seen various posts
saying it does fix some of the issues.

schooner (AT) accesswave (DOT) ca (schooner) wrote:

Thanks. The complication here -- as with all Shift discussion -- is always having
to check whether people are using gamepads or wheels, and which wheel. Nightmare. I
never had this trouble with iRacing. :-)

There is a complicated 'web' of settings to play with, including things like the
steering lock buried in the car setup screens. It may take quite a while to find a
combination which hits the control nail squarely on the head, and I suspect
everyone will have their own preferences.

So far though I think it's worth persevering with. I really am *incredibly*
impressed by the depth of the overall racing experience. I am spending the vast
majority of my time at the Nordschleife though. (Perhaps my addiction to that track
is part of my delusional enthusiasm. :-) The career mode stuff is just a chore I
have to go through in order to experiment with some upgraded/improved cars.

Andrew McP