Are You Using Manual or Automatic Gears in Sim Racing Games?

Sam12H · Sep 18, 2022

Manual. With all aids turned off (unless I turn one on accidentally with a function key, which has happened).

I honestly can't fathom letting any game decide since it's such a fundamental part of my driving style to use a particular gear to fine-tune the car's willingness to turn (especially mid-corner behaviour).

MrBraindown · Sep 18, 2022

On all sims I use manual but arcade games like Wreckfest, I always go for auto.

I always try and be car-specific with my shifting, so paddles, sequential or H-pattern for that extra feeling of realism. Bremgarten with paddles in a Russell Alexis FF is all kinds of wrong!

PSG_1970 · Sep 18, 2022

I happen to play with a controller and rely on automatic upshift, but I always do all the downshifts myself. It may sound odd but well, that's my way to play and it works just fine on AC ; )

Tarmac Terrorist · Sep 18, 2022

Manual every time! Paddles in semis, Stick in Sequentials, and Stick in H-Patterns. I love my Fanatec shifter, its so versatile!

Velokoraptus · Sep 18, 2022

So modern formulas run with semi-auto or full manual gearboxes ? Because semi-auto ≠ manual.

Blerpa · Sep 18, 2022

Manual for sim racing games where I drive with a proper wheel.
Auto for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and games I drive with a joypad (Forza Horizon, etc.), cannot be arsed to manual shift while using a controller...

StrongestFish · Sep 18, 2022

Automatic, because i'm playing on keyboard just for fun, not for crazy skills and crazy laptimes. (This games: Codemasters F1's, Assetto Corsa, RaceRoom, ETS 2, NASCAR Heat 5)
One of my moments with AI in RaceRoom:

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/888154145431896115/1008589192579792957/e68bea95b7cede04.gif

trichens · Sep 18, 2022

In parallel with this, which side of the seat do you have the gearchange?
I saw someone say on another forum site - yes there are others

- that they wouldn't drive a particular BTCC car because it's got the seat on the right-hand side of the car with gear shifter on the left.

Firstly, does that matter to anyone? The bulk of non single seaters will have the gear shifter on the right if not using paddles simply down to the number of countries that have left hand drive. But even in the UK old style single seaters would have the gear shift on the right.

Seondly, if it does matter, do you swap gearshift from one side to the other when you change cars?

Wreckoning · Sep 18, 2022

trichens said:
In parallel with this, which side of the seat do you have the gearchange?
I saw someone say on another forum site - yes there are others - that they wouldn't drive a particular BTCC car because it's got the seat on the right-hand side of the car with gear shifter on the left.

Firstly, does that matter to anyone? The bulk of non single seaters will have the gear shifter on the right if not using paddles simply down to the number of countries that have left hand drive. But even in the UK old style single seaters would have the gear shift on the right.

Seondly, if it does matter, do you swap gearshift from one side to the other when you change cars?

Surely everyone just needs a matching pair of sequential and H pattern shifters (and Handbrake) on either side of the rig. Just makes it sooo much easier to switch between cars

roadyroad · Sep 18, 2022

Manual all the way. I tend to even prefer old cars with a H shifter, there's something fascinating and rewarding with this pedals "dance".

Neawoulf · Sep 18, 2022

What ever the car uses. In modern race cars i use paddles, in older cars/road cars (i usually drive those, i'm not a fan of modern GT cars) i use my good old h-shifter.

Edivad82 · Sep 18, 2022

Manual for all sim racing (paddles, sequential or H).
Real Auotomatic for ETS2.

Terry Rock · Sep 18, 2022

Manual shifting with auto clutch.
Will switch to manual clutch once I have a full rig with H-pattern shifter.
No other aids.

VirtuaIceMan · Sep 18, 2022

Missing an option: manual with clutch. Although I never use the clutch on my G920 :-D

Also, who uses shifter vs paddles. So many combinations

Damage Inc · Sep 18, 2022

Manual with auto clutch, trying to match paddles/sequential as required (can't be arsed to swap in the Hshift for older cars).

real auto for trucking and full auto for bike games (I can't fathom how people have amanual rear brake (like I do) AND down shift....do these people have 3 thumbs?!!!

Badwheels · Sep 18, 2022

Manual in real cars. Manual in sim cars. Manual on bikes. Manual running.

north · Sep 18, 2022

Manual, with clutch, for the sim games. Paddle, seq or h-shifter depends on mood and/or car. Exception for the auto cars in BeamNG.

RasmusP · Sep 18, 2022

Always manual! Barely H-shifter though and manual clutch only for the starts.
It's not about realism, it's about controlling the torque changes.

MrBraindown said:
but arcade games like Wreckfest, I always go for auto.

I used to do some "clean racing" in wreckfest, which is an awesome rallye cross style racing. The physics are not that accurate, but they "feel like you'd imagine to be able to drive in real life", if you know what I mean.

So even in wreckfest, I always drive manual to control the torque for keeping the drifting to the right amount to be fastest.
I really love wreckfest for racing, not the wrecking, lol

StrongestFish said:
Automatic, because i'm playing on keyboard

You should try mouse steering in Assetto Corsa! Once dialled in with the right sensitivity, it's awesome!
I'm using up-arrow and down-arrow for throttle/brake and then right-arrow for up shifts and left-arrow for downshifts.

Middle finger in the up arrow, index finger on the down- and right arrow.
Ringfinger on the left arrow.

That way you can brake and downshift with a throttle blip at the same time.

I always drive like this to learn new tracks, when I can't be bothered to unfold my seat with the wheel.

MJQT · Sep 18, 2022

For the last while, I've been sim racing on a controller (using a PS3 controller with open source Windows drivers) so I'm one of the people who theoretically might choose auto gears.

But not for me! While it did take a moment to master the finger mechanics

I find it such fun to not only manually shift, but also (in a H-pattern car) to lift on upshifts and blip on downshifts. With the throttle and brake on the L2/R2 triggers and up/downshift on the X and Square buttons, it's pretty ergonomic IMO.

The only assist I use is the auto-clutch assist. I haven't yet tried to manually clutch, because it's not straightforward to figure out an ergonomic setup. Perhaps (like some hand controls setups IRL) I could use L1 for upshifts and R1 for downshifts – so that when speeding up or slowing down, your other hand is the one for shifting – and map the X button to the clutch? Hmm. I may have to give this a try later today

DND · Sep 18, 2022

Semi manual in that I use auto clutch, the whole heal/toe thing would be too much for my large cranium with limited contents to handle.

Are You Using Manual or Automatic Gears in Sim Racing Games?

Are you using manual or automatic gears in racing sims?

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