Saitek X-52 + Saitek Rudder Pedals and Steering Autocenter

[P*Funk]

So my control scheme is probably a-typical. I use my full flight sim set up. I have a Trackir which helps, and I have my rudder pedal toe-brakes set as the analog Gas and Brake. This works alright, though I wish I could tweak the curves on it like you can in a flight sim. My stick I use for steering, which is where my real ongoing issues are.

They're not issues in the sense of the game malfunctioning, but they are issues in the sense of me not being able to get the game to do what I want.

Basically using the stick in "gamepad/joystick" mode is the only way to use it. Doing it like a steering wheel is just too twitchy because there isn't enough travel to the axes for it to be smooth. This forces me to use "steering autocenter" when in joystick mode as well, which isn't much of a problem. It makes navigating highways at high speeds smooth and with the right sensitivity settings enjoyable and responsive. However, when it comes to turning I have issues I can't quite resolve.

Basically steering autocenter pushes back against your steering relative to your speed, the higher the speed the more the counter force increases. This means that with the stick above the slowest possible speed you cannot get maximum turning response. This makes for start and stop turning around tight corners or the consequence of basically understeering through turns, which can lead to oversteering as the steering suddenly comes alive when your very active brakes cut your speed down quickly.

Basically there are two options to solve my issues with control. Either I find a way to bind a key to either toggle or hold to disable Steering Autocenter so I can get full steering control going into tight turns and then turn it back on as I come out to get back the smooth response, or I edit the game's code for the Autocenter forces to make them much less active at speeds below 40 kp/h or so.

I've already read about editing autocenter in the Physics.sii file inside def.scs, but I have no idea what to change. It looks like this.

SiiNunit
{
physics_data: .phdata
{
# These coeficients are used for computing autocentering wheel speed.
# The faster vehicle moves and the more steering wheel is turned left or right
# the higher autocentering speed is.
# Given value of speed_coef is for 100km/h velocity (linear raise).
# Given value of angle_coef is for maximum wheel turn (30degrees, linear raise).
# Returning speed coeficient is computed by multiplication of both coeficients.
# When result coeficient is 1, returning speed is exactly the same as full
# turning speed. This balance points define natural limits of steering
# dependent on vehicle speed.
# Ratio_coef defines upper limit of result coeficient (ratio against player).

steering_speed_coef: 4.0
steering_angle_coef: 2.0
steering_ratio_coef: 0.95

My first guess is maybe edit radio_coef? Im gonna fool around, but some insight would be nice. Its hard to know how to edit it so that the upper end of the "curve" is the same, basically the way it handles at high speeds, and doesn't change. Maybe its not possible and I'll have to find a compromize.

Expect to hear more from me, but I'd love some insight from more knowledgeable people.

[n4gix]

I can't help you with the joystick as I use my CH Yoke instead. I do however use the CH Pro Pedals as you do for brakes and accelerator. I've managed to tweak their response to suit me well, but it did take a bit of fiddling.

I have found that I needed to put the Non-Linearity for my Wheel (Yoke) fully to the right, otherwise the slightest "twitch" at 90 kph would result in loosing control. BTW, don't play if your sneezing!

Oh yes, welcome also my new addiction. This is my "recreation" from full-time FS development!

[Max]

steering_speed_coef: 4.0
steering_angle_coef: 2.0
steering_ratio_coef: 0.95

main centering speed (force) is computed something like this:

Code: Select all

centering_speed = (steering_speed_coef * truck_speed) * (steering_angle_coef * wheel_angle)

the faster you are going or the sharper you are turning, the slower the wheel turns further. if any of speed or angle are zero, no force is applied (thus the multiplication). values are just coef numbers with no special logic. just twek them to see what changes.
ratio defines limit when the centering force stops rising, because player have to be "stronger" - 0.95 means you will be always able to turn wheel with at least 5% of full turning speed.

logic behind is to prevent player to make sharp turns when driving too fast. IRL truck (with trailer) may not be able to do it safely and profi driver will never do that. the steering wheel in truck is in fact more stiff with increased speed as well so its based on real truck behavior.

[P*Funk]

Thanks for the explanation. I'll give it a go. I'm not looking to create a hugely unrealistic scenario, but frankly as it stands I highly doubt that a real truck would have as much issue turning the wheel all the way at 13km/h as it does for me. Its just such a radical decline in turning capability so its hardly credible as realistic, but thats not really expected since this is a make-shift solution to not having a wheel which is ultimately most realistic.

Thing is that at even 30 kp/h its very easy to make radical steering moves that are very safe and are in fact required to avoid obstacles in tight turns at moderate speed without having to literally stop in traffic. Its preferable to have too much steer and to learn to keep it under control than to have too little and find yourself destined for damage. I just want to get it right in the sweet spot.

I'll report back.

[P*Funk]

So it seems reducing the steering angle coef from 2.0 to something around 1.5-1.7 gives me a result close to what I wanted. There seems to be a bit of mushiness in the steering at 1.5 so I'm trying to figure out which higher value will feel tighter but give me the same control. 1.8 was too close to 2.0.

I still haven't played with the other values, but maybe a combination of 2 or more changed values will make for an ideal solution.