DiRT Rally 2.0 My T300 FFB settings

[Case_]

In case anybody is interested, here are my FFB settings for DR2 on the T300 which I'm pretty satisfied with (see more below):

(Updated the image for the current state of the FFB in the game.)

Please note that if you raise the FFB gain on a T300 beyond the default 75 %, you really should be using the forced fan mode that keeps the fan running at all times (then again you should probably be using that mode even when not raising the gain).

I am using soft lock with the wheel set to 1080 degrees, but I have the driver hands disabled and only the virtual wheel is shown, because if I enable driver hands, the virtual wheel rotation doesn't match the real wheel (a bug, I assume).

As for the FFB settings themselves, they don't transform the FFB significantly, so the road noise is still quite low in the mix, but it is definitely there. I'm not a fan of those supposed XML "fixes", because from what I've tried, they introduce more issues than they solve (and I can come up with several reasons of why I think that is the result), no matter how you tweak them. I also have no problem feeling the suspension, wheel grip and all that without them (even though it definitely varies between cars - as it should). I would like the wheel friction to be higher for the wheel to not be as loose, but it seems to also hide detail in the FFB if you raise it, so I keep it low.

I'd certainly like the road detail to come out a bit more in the FFB, but other than that, I am very satisfied with how the FFB is and I think it's up there with the best and certainly far from "broken", "unplayable" or "non-existent", to quote a few descriptions I've seen. It is very nuanced and detailed, it just doesn't hit you over the head with the information it provides.

 

[DChaps]

Thanks, this is very helpful. I have a Thrustmaster TX 458 Italita running on Xbox One X and I will try these out tonight and post my results.

 

[Case_]

I have no idea how and if this applies to consoles in any way, mind you.

 

[Headspace10]

Just wanted to say thanks for posting this. I have seen your statements on the FFB and the "fix" that is out there, but I was still running a 2.5 FFB force in the device XML. I dropped that to the default 1.0, and used your settings. I dropped the Steering Center Force down to 90, but other than that I am very happy with it. The road surface is there, and I'm getting better feedback about the tires etc. Very pleased. Thanks again, good work.

 

[daniel1]

t500 here...Your settings certainly helped in "transmitting" some feel..Good stuff...

 

[Bratsaki]

Good job, I use the same settings and seems to work but with Spring and Damper with so high values you may have a heavier wheel but it adds effects that we don't need while driving. Maybe try Spring to 0 and Damper on ~20% is better

 

[Case_]

but with Spring and Damper with so high values you may have a heavier wheel but it adds effects that we don't need while driving.

No, it doesn't. You've been told that by a lot of seemingly knowledgeable people I bet, but it's not true. It's one of the most wide-spread myths of simracing.

In this specific case, if you turn down damper, you will lose the wheel friction and tyre friction part of the FFB. It's obviously your choice if you don't want them to be there, but I *do* want them because I want to feel the tyres better, and also because they're *supposed* to be there. And if you really don't want them, you can just turn them down in-game. If you set these two sliders to 0, then you FFB should feel exactly the same regardless of your spring and damper setting (so again, no reason to turn damper down).

You could probably turn down the spring without any negative impact on the FFB, but why bother, since - again - it doesn't do what you've been told it does. If you want a spring effect that is actually added on top of the FFB, you would check the "by the wheel" setting in the "Auto-center Settings" and set the strength of the spring. But if you keep it at "by the game", then no, spring isn't just added on top, even if you set it at 100 % (as is the default, after all).

 

[Case_]

BTW, a funny thing. I thought I remembered DR and D4 FFB fairly well, I played both very recently, but tonight, I did what could be considered a true side-by-side comparison, as much as something like that is possible to do with only one PC. And honestly, it was kinda surprising to me, because I've realized that at least with my own settings (tweaked for each game separately), the FFB is really not that different between the three games.

The most notable difference was that everything was stronger in Dirt Rally, but not necessarily better for it. The road noise especially, while certainly being more prominent (but not as much as I remembered), actually felt more like a static effect that didn't have much to do with the actual road surface. I was quite surprised by that, I remembered the surface detail quite differently. And the only other difference was that the suspension forces were again more pronounced and stronger in DR, where setting of about 80-90 in DR was still a bit stronger than 150 in DR2.

And apart from this, it all felt very similar, except I would still consider DR2 FFB better and more detailed when it comes to SAT, aka the most important FFB forces.

 

[Tripokaridos]

Your settings in my opinion are correct , BUT this game has problems with some FFB effects that are missing that something that everyone knows .
Also 95 TM Strength and 90 Self torque in game is way to much and from my XP there will be clipping in these values I can feel it , ( I use exactly the same settings as u have ,they are the best until they fix it but with 70 Self torque) .
The always on Fan doesn't let the motor use the self protection and lower the FFB values as soon as it is on AUTO that's correct , BUT the T300RS motor isn't strong enough to smoothly put out all theses effects without clipping in these values .
Also everyone must know that Depending the Mounting solution they different FFB levels they will use , For example when I got my T300rs on a Wheel stand pro I had to use 20-30% more FFB force because of the none steady mounting solution , Later when I mount my T300 alcantara edition on a None moving really steady position Very heavy Desk with bolts, ALL the forces from the wheel was clearly coming to my hands , so I had to lower a lot all the FFB levels . So from my XP if the mounting solution is moved a little by the FFB effects of the wheel then we need more FFB levels to feel something on our hands , if its on a really heavy and steady mounting solution we need less power to get the same feeling .
About Damper and Spring , also in my opinion those effects must be On , that way it feels like real life to me , letting the wheel after a corner in real life all I get is back to center force , also in real life I can feel the dampening of the wheel depending the speed ,and depending the solotion of each car (hydraylic, electric, or nothing) all of them some more some less have dampening .
For me Damper 0 - Spring 0 is a myth on sim racing community that doesn't work for me .
All these are my opinion , everyone have different taste .

 

[Case_]

The always on Fan doesn't let the motor use the self protection and lower the FFB values as soon as it is on AUTO that's correct , BUT the T300RS motor isn't strong enough to smoothly put out all theses effects without clipping in these values .

Not in my experience. Clipping on the hardware side is easily tested and I don't experience it even after hours of driving with the overall gain set at 95 %.

 

[theravenousbeast]

BTW, a funny thing. I thought I remembered DR and D4 FFB fairly well, I played both very recently, but tonight, I did what could be considered a true side-by-side comparison, as much as something like that is possible to do with only one PC. And honestly, it was kinda surprising to me, because I've realized that at least with my own settings (tweaked for each game separately), the FFB is really not that different between the three games.

The most notable difference was that everything was stronger in Dirt Rally, but not necessarily better for it. The road noise especially, while certainly being more prominent (but not as much as I remembered), actually felt more like a static effect that didn't have much to do with the actual road surface. I was quite surprised by that, I remembered the surface detail quite differently. And the only other difference was that the suspension forces were again more pronounced and stronger in DR, where setting of about 80-90 in DR was still a bit stronger than 150 in DR2.

And apart from this, it all felt very similar, except I would still consider DR2 FFB better and more detailed when it comes to SAT, aka the most important FFB forces.

What about D4? Physics oddities aside, I really liked the feel of the FFB on it.

 

[RasmusP]

Thanks a lot Martin for this complete overview.
I decided to give "hardware" clipping a chance to reduce the massive ffb spikes from the suspension slider.
Put in your settings, reduced ffb on the base to 50% and it's fun and feels pretty decent!
Spikes from bigger bumps are just blocked by the driver while the rest is nicely mixed!

So yeah, thanks for this sweet overview. Btw camera shake to max? I'd puke

 

[Case_]

What about D4? Physics oddities aside, I really liked the feel of the FFB on it.

To me it felt like somewhere between DR and DR2, while being closer to DR2 (and in fact I was wondering why there wasn't more of a commotion regarding the FFB since it feels fairly similar to DR2, but I guess it's because it had bigger issues, so nobody really cared). The suspension forces are also quite muted and the road detail is a bit more pronounced than in DR2. But I can't drive D4 for long, so it's only impressions.

I decided to give "hardware" clipping a chance to reduce the massive ffb spikes from the suspension slider.
Put in your settings, reduced ffb on the base to 50% and it's fun and feels pretty decent!

You really should not be getting HW clipping with your wheel set to 50 %. Unless I'm missing something.

Btw camera shake to max? I'd puke

Are you sure? It seems to me it does the exact opposite to what it might seem, so setting it to max lets the camera move around more, effectively *reducing* shake, while setting it to low(est) ties the camera to the car and the bumps are emphasized. Either way, it also seems to depend on car and in some of the cars, it doesn't really do a whole lot either way (the Mini, for example) and I would certainly appreciate some kind of "lock to horizon" option or at least more movement of the camera related to the cockpit to keep the world more steady, because say Argentina in the Mini is vomit-inducing even with the shake set to max, and I don't even normally suffer from motion sickness.

 

[RasmusP]

Ah okay.. I only really drove the Renault alpine yet for some stages and had the slider in the middle. Felt okay, didn't fancy to try a lot.
Gonna check max and min out though! Interesting observation for sure...

Hardware clipping might be the wrong word. Had a brain fart apparently... Of course it's only scaling the overall ffb input and since I'm using higher ingame sliders now, it's just software clipping.
Only for big spikes though, which is "good" I think!

 

[Case_]

@RasmusP I can't be sure about that, obviously, but given how the FFB feels, I would expect my settings (comparing the feel and strength to known "baselines" from other sims) to only clip on those cattle grids and when you reach soft lock. At least with the default 0.9 ffb gain (default for T300 in the game, that is).
But yeah, I get what you meant now.

 

[RasmusP]

@RasmusP I can't be sure about that, obviously, but given how the FFB feels, I would expect my settings (comparing the feel and strength to known "baselines" from other sims) to only clip on those cattle grids and when you reach soft lock. At least with the default 0.9 ffb gain (default for T300 in the game, that is).
But yeah, I get what you meant now.

Doesn't feel like details would be cut off for me too!
And yep, things like hitting rocks, cattle grids etc were the things that weren't bearable at 100% in the base.
Honestly, who cares for clipping when an impulse makes you fight with the wheel. As anybody could feel details while going over cattle grids

 

[Ntouskos Thanasis]

you should care ,cause t300 ,is to sensitive for much..

 

[Case_]

Momentary clipping should not damage your wheel in any way, no matter the settings (both in-game and in the wheel's control panel).

Even with sustained clipping, it would took a while, and it would also still depend on your overall FFB gain setting in your control panel (since you can be clipping even with the gain set to say 20 %, in which case such clipping would likely be almost impossible to cause any real damage, even sustained for hours).

 

[Ntouskos Thanasis]

true,but i just wanted to inform our buddies here,since there was a lot of broken t300,and thats why i dont use ffb fix,and thats why i use these settings here,even i have the tspc!

 

[Tripokaridos]

I tried again your values , and also I use them on other T300RS on my friends house these values, I surely get clipping .I don't know maybe your T300 base has better motor I don't know.
Can u tell us what firmware are u using ? Also can u tell us FFB levels on games like Raceroom and Assetto corsa ? So we can compare the values ?
Thanks.