DiRT Rally Rock hard !

[jimortality]

I've not played this much, but what I've tried over the last few days, this is rock hard!! Is rallying really that difficult? I don't remember Colin Mcrae rally being this hard lol.

 

[tpw]

The game is indeed ridiculously difficult when you first start with it. If you persevere though, eventually it will just "click" and you'll be having the most fun possible with your pants on.

 

[Skazz]

I second the "it will just click".

But there are multiple stages to the process:
1. You actually start listening to the pace notes, realise that they give you warning of when to slow down for corners. Learn to trust them.
2. You start being more measured with your inputs, out of the "circuit racer" mentality and into the "guiding a missile through the trees" approach.
3. You start discovering how to take more speed through the corners by properly setting the car for the corners. Suddenly you realize that the car is properly sideways and you are watching foliage flash by in front of the car while powersliding, just like in the real life onboards.

For reference, lots of RBR veterans accused DiRT Rally of having too much grip at times (mostly with the v1 physics, since v2 reduced downforce I get the impression even the RBR vets are more satisfied). Personally I think the grip levels seem about right visually, and if you are not sliding the car it's just because you are not going anywhere near fast enough

 

[Robin5speed]

I agree to that. I have thousands of hours sim racing on tracks. So at first i thought that it would give me an advantage. Started to look for apex and brakepoints but was like 10 seconds away from first Place all the time even at clubman difficulty. And i crashed alot.
This weekend i played like i dont give a **** and was attacking it hard and throwing the car into corners sideways and then it "clicked" for me aswell. Now i just need to find a good balance between attacking to hard and going fast. So much fun!!

 

[Msportdan]

I wont say its hard. Maybe top level is but i can (when smash a stage well) can be 2 sec above the AI on professional.

Its just memory and practice.

 

[BJ4DESIGN]

100% agree that this game is far different to all of the on-road sims I have played. As you would expect it requires a pretty different approach, just like in real life.

I found that it did "just click" for me after a while and I do go in and out of being "in the zone" with the game and find if I keep crashing too much that I just need to back it off a bit and concentrate on the steering/braking/handbrake inputs.

I did find this video really useful for how to approach your braking and turn-in. It is of a real rally driving actually playing Dirt Rally. He pitches the car in quite hard and then adjusts the cars behavior through the corner with brake/throttle/handbrake/counter-steering inputs. Take note of how much he dabs the brake to adjust the car's angle.

Love this game, so much fun!

 

[vee10]

Just starting to click with me now, it's all about the weight transfer balance of the car and of course big balls. Using the brakes to set the car up on the way into a corner is the key for me using a combination of left and right foot braking on H-Pattern cars then obviously just left on sequential cars. Getting the 306 maxi to behave on gravel is a art form in itself.

Had one of those 'in the zone moments' last night at Monaco did a timed section of a stage without even realising it and was fastest. Once you get the flow it's magical when you lose concentration it's game over.

How the real drivers keep the concentration for the length of time they do is amazing.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

even more so in the cars from the 80s and 90s which were "a handful" or so it seems.

 

[panzer8520]

its not hard,its just knowing your vehicle and the track.its virtually impossible even in real life to sit in an average car and "feel it" imediately,it comes after a while.i am by no means " a pro " in this game.i play 1 hour daily,but i can see progress everyday.first 6-7 hours was a pain getting used to wheel,game,settings....it just takes practice.i wouldnt play at all if i can be first everytime without sweating.no concentration no win

 

[SpeedFreakGT]

running pikes peak hill climb is the most fun ive had with a single car on the track

 

[Dan Allen]

Yes, as everyone else said, its hard at first but once you get out of the circuit driving mentality of pedal to the floor and get into the off road mentality of only using as much throttle/brake as needed, the penny will drop

EDIT: Just realised Skass gave you the same advice