Hráč 1998 July & August/Hrac_23_1998-07-08_cd1.bin/Info/GamesFAQs/sega-touring-car-beg.txt

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SEGA TOURING CAR - BEGINNERS GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

Sega Touring Car for the Sega Saturn may be the most under-
rated game to be released this year.  It has received criticism
from virtually all of the major gaming magazines in both the US,
and in Europe.  The principal complaints leveled against STC
are as follows:

1.  The game's frame rate is too jumpy.
2.  The textures are grainy compared to other Sega racers
3.  The learning curve is too steep.

With these poor reviews in hand, I overlooked STC for quite
some time.  It was only when I began reading the very strong
reviews on the internet that I gave the game a second chance,
and picked it up.

Well it's true that the frame rate is lower than we expect nowadays
(about 20 fps).  And it's also true that the textures are relatively
grainy.  But against that, we have an incredibly fast, incredibly
deep racer with lots of detail, and virtually no pop-up whatsoever.
It's been a hell of a long time since I've had this much fun with a
racing game.  Frankly, the game is the best Saturn racer since
Sega Rally - and that's saying an awful lot.  To be totally honest,
if the frame rate were higher, I'd even rank this game higher than
Sega Rally.  In my opinion, it's that good.

Unfortunately, many find a game with a steep learning curve to be
too intimidating, and they don't give themselves a fair chance to
learn the game's subtleties.

With that in mind, I have written this guide to help those new to
STC get into the game in a positive way.  If I get some additional
help from others out there in cyberland, I am perfectly willing to
fully develop this piece of work into a full blown FAQ.  But for,
now, let's just call it a beginners guide.


Sega Touring Car and AM Amex

Both the Saturn and Arcade versions of STC were developed
and produced by AM Amex.  The director of this group, Tetsuya
Mizuguchi was also responsible for Sega Rally  (though at the time,
he and his team were part of AM3).

The AM Amex group was created to give the members of that
team more creative freedom than was possible within the confines
of the larger AM3 group.  Mr. Mizuguchi in particular wanted to
focus on very realistic racing experiences - with Sega Touring Car
being the first, and perhaps the most high profile of the group's
projects.

The key word here is realistic.  When AMA went to work creating
STC, a tremendous amount of research was involved.  In an
interview in the UK's Sega Saturn magazine (April 1997, issue #18)
Mr. Mizuguchi discussed some of this research:

"All the staff watched videos and read magazines and books about
Touring Car any number of times.  They also went to see real
Touring Car races.  There were a lot of staff who rode as
passengers in the Touring Cars, and all the main programmers were
driven around some of the circuits by championship drivers.  On top
of that, we also hired a circuit for the day and borrowed some pro-
race teamcars.  We then drove around ourselves!  The designers
also went location hunting.  They took their cameras to places in
Germany and Finland etc, and saw various views from the circuits
and lots of town landscapes and scenery".

After significant development, Sega Touring Car was released in
the arcades last year.  More recently, it has finally made its way
to the Sega Saturn in what will probably be the Saturn's final Sega
racer.

As promised, the game delivers an incredibly authentic racing
experience the likes of which gamers rarely see.  This authenticity
does create challenges as the game's learning curve is steeper than
most are accustomed to.  In that same Sega Saturn magazine
article, Mr. Mizuguchi describes the realism of the game's control:

"The fundamental areas are real.  However in order that it's easy to
drive for everyone we've changed it a little.  That's because the real
cars are so difficult that probably no-one could drive them.  We
devised it so that as many people as possible could feel the
atmosphere of the real touring cars.  Thus we made it fairly mild."

Mild perhaps compared to driving real racing cars, but still
significantly deeper than most home racers.

Over the following few pages, I will give some advice for the new
owner of STC on how to get into the gameplay as quickly and
deeply as possible.

GETTING STARTED - PRE-RACE CHOICES

There are a wide variety of different modes and options with Sega
Touring Car.  More than is typical for a racing game today.  For the
new racer, I strongly encourage going to the "Saturn Side", and
kicking things off with the "Time Trial" mode.  This will give you
the opportunity to get accustomed to the game's physics without
having the extra pressure of an actual race hanging over your head.
But before you start that run, let's have a look at some of your pre-
game options.

THE CARS

There are four cars that are immediately selectable in STC.  They
are as follows:

Toyota Supra GT

This rear wheel drive car has the best torque in the line-up.  You
really notice the value of this when you slow down too much for
some reason, and need to catch up in speed quickly.  Nothing
rockets to top speed faster than the Toyota.  Personally, I also
like the appearance of the Toyota best as it reminds of the Sega
Rally Celica quite a bit.

I can't however recommend the Toyota for beginners.  It's rear
wheel drive setup and heavy engine power makes the thing very
wobbly in the rear end.  You will indeed find yourself spinning out
quite a bit in this car until you get used to it.  I recommend steering
clear of the Toyota until you are quite experienced with STC.

Mercedes C-Class

The other rear wheel driver car in the game.  It handles somewhat
like the Toyota but feels a bit more stable.  Against this however,
it doesn't seem to have the Toyota's spunk.  In total, I consider this
to be the weakest car in the game - another one to steer clear of
when you first pick up this game.

Alfa Romeo 155V6TI

This 4WD roadster has very nice "sticky" handling, making it a
good choice for beginners.  It tends to swerve a little less than
the other cars, meaning you can keep it on the road a little easier.

Against this however, I find this car a little difficult to power-slide
and drift in.  For this reason, it is not my personal favorite.

Opel Calibra V6

Now here is my recommended ride.  Full time 4WD means that you
are very stable indeed.  You still have a good amount of drift
however which will let you get the most out of the game's curves.
An excellent choice for beginners and my personal
recommendation.

Whatever car you choose, it is important that you CHOOSE a
car.  What I mean by that is this.  Each of these cars handles
quite differently.  If you flip from one car to another, you will
never feel that you have gained mastery over the game.  You must
master your chosen car on each track.  Pick a car and stick with it
(Unless you are very unhappy and want to try something different).

TRANSMISSION

Most serious gamers will immediately jump to the standard
transmission.  After all, we all know that you can't capture the
best time possible with an automatic.  Right?  Well, maybe.

Remember, this game is really tough.  You should try thinking that
you are really going to head out in an honest to goodness racing
car.  If I were given that choice in real life (and I wanted to race
well), I would probably warm things up with the automatic - and
I recommend that here as well.  I have been playing this game for
some time now, and have unlocked most of the secret modes, but
I am only now slowly making the transition to the standard
transmission.  Believe me, you will get into the game much quicker
with the automatic.

CUSTOM OPTIONS

You will probably want to stick to a pre-tuned car for your first
few runs.  However, once you have burned up a few tracks, the
game offers you many customizable options to consider.  They are
as follows:

1 Final Gear Ratio

This basically allows you to trade top speed off against
acceleration.  If you go for a larger gear ratio, you will have
a higher top speed.  If you go for a smaller gear ratio, you will
have better high end acceleration.  The choice is yours.  Personally,
I rather like the standard settings, so I don't play with this one too
much.

2 Handling

Do you want quick handling, or loose handling?  You will probably
find your driving to be quite jerky at first, so I recommend
loosening
things up a little for a while.  The trick is, you can't loosen things up
much if you still want to make the tight turns.  A +1 adjustment is
about as much as you need.

3 Tires

Hard tires will last longer while Soft tires will give you better grip.
Since the games don't last all that long anyway, I go for a slightly
softer than normal grip (+1).  I also find it helps me stick to those
corners rather well.

4  Front and Rear Suspension

There is a separate adjustment for the hardness of your front and
rear suspension.  I recommend moving these both together.  My
experiments with different settings result in cars that just don't
feel "right" at all.

Basically, a harder setting will give you tighter handling.  A looser
setting lets you drift and power slide a little better.  I rather like the
defaults so I keep these both at zero.

5  Brake Hardness

How much stopping power do you want at your disposal?  My
theory is:  When you are on the gas, you are ON the gas.  And
when you are on the brake, you are ON the brake.  As a result, I
like to have some serious stopping power at my fingertips.  I set
this one to +2.

Now, there is something to be said for not messing with custom
options at all.  For example, if you want to place well with the
"Global Net Event" races, you will have to use a default car.
Believe me, switching to a default car when you are used to your
custom baby is very difficult.

CONTROL

I haven't said this until now, but let me say it before you get onto
the track.  You will NEED to use either the 3D control pad or a
steering wheel in this game.  You absolutely need to have
analog control or you can forget about racking up a good time.

With that said, I have personally found that 3D control pad option
"C" works best for me.  This is the first choice where the shoulder
pads are for shifting, nor for the gas and brake.  Obviously this is
a matter of personal preference more than anything.

What is more than simply preference however is the "Volume
Control" settings.  At this screen, you can adjust both the maximum
and minimum "volume" for your steering.  The maximum volume is
not terribly important, but what I really like is the ability to set a
minimum volume.  What that basically means is this.

You can tell the Saturn how much you want to move the 3D
control pad before you want it to register the movement as actual
"steering".  I set the minimum to about 8 percent.  This little feature
completely eliminates the "I can't go in a straight line" problem
often associated with analog control.  The game will simply not
respond to tiny little variations in your steering input, meaning that
you can drive straight, without wobbling.

Also, let me give you a steering tip with the 3D control pad.
Frankly, steering the way that Sega intended with that pad is
next to impossible (putting your thumb in the middle with the
pad at rest and moving it left or right).  I find trying to work any
game this way results in me swerving all over the place.

Instead, I hold the pad directly down with my thumb.  If you are
down and in the middle, your car will go straight.  To turn, simply
ease the pad either left or right and your car will respond
SMOOTHLY.  This works for virtually all Sega racers by the way.

IN THE RACE

You have selected your car, your transmission, and set up your
control options.  You are now ready to try your first lap.  As
I mentioned earlier, I strongly encourage you to try "Time Trial"
mode first - to get the feel of the game.  Also, let's start off easy
with the first course  (The Country Circuit).

There are a few racing principals which you can teach yourself
in the Country Circuit before straying onto any of the more
difficult courses.  Here are some of the simplest ones.

1.  Watch Your Line

In STC, as with real racing, it is critical that your car is lined up
properly for each and every turn.  That usually means going wide
right before the turn, easing into the turn, coming close to its
inside edge, and then drifting back out wide again immediately
afterwards.  This effectively minimizes the angle of your turn,
allowing you to take them faster, and smoother.

In STC, you can usually tell what the correct line is for the course
by looking at the track.  As in real life, the best line is the one most
traveled which means it has the most tire marks on it.  Look for the
dark path on the track, and try to stay with it.

2.  Don't Oversteer

The most common mistake that newcomers will make with this
game is oversteering.  Forget about other racing games you have
played, think about driving a real car.  If you want to change lanes,
how much do you have to turn the wheel?  Just a little tiny bit.
If you were to crank the wheel while bolting down the highway at
high speeds, what would happen?  You'd crash.

That's exactly what will happen in STC.  The game mimics real
driving more than it does other racing games.  You must move with
small but deliberate movements.

If you find that you are oversteering, you are probably looking at
either your car, or at the track right in front of your car.  Instead,
try looking way off into the distance at where you want to go.  If
you look as far down the track as you can see, and point your car
in that direction, you will indeed head in that direction.  Remember,
almost all the turns in the first track can be done with moderate
steering.

3.  Let Drift Be Your Friend, Not Your Enemy

You will notice very quickly how fast this game is.  When you hit
the gas, within seconds, you are moving at a terrifying pace.  A
car that moves at these speeds will experience drift when you either
begin to turn, or when you take your foot off the gas.  The drift is
that "floaty" feeling you get where you don't feel that you are
entirely in control.  You know that feeling from driving your own
car.  Remember that terrifying feeling you get when you are driving
down the highway in the rain - and you suddenly notice that very
gently, the car is drifting just a touch.  It gives you the (accurate)
sense that you are not completely in control of your car.

That drift is a key component of this game.  If you try to wrench
control of the car back, you will almost certainly crash.  Rather,
let the drift happen, and try to control it gently so that it helps
you as you drift into your next turn.  I have found that you have
to hit the brakes very rarely in this game.  Usually, just taking your
foot off the gas is enough - as long as you can make the ensuing
drift effect work for you.

4.  Don't Use the Brakes More Than Necessary

The name of this game is speed.  Your car will control best when it
is moving.  If you slow things down too far, you will have better
traction - and believe me, when you are trying to make your way
through a weavy course, that is not always a good thing.

For example, let me offer you that in the first course, you will never
have to use your brakes at all.  In fact, you will rarely have to take
your foot off the gas - as long as you keep to the best line.

Currently, I only have to take my foot off the gas for a split second
on the turn right before the straight-away, and the turn right after
the straight-away.  But I am convinced with more practice it is
possible to run this course without taking your foot off the gas at
all!

Later on in the game - in particular with the Brickwall Town course
- it will indeed be necessary to use your brakes, and to use them
hard.  But the early courses don't need much of that at all.

5.  Make Full Use of Straight-Aways

A buddy of mine is a real racing fanatic.  He actually races those
high performance karts in his spare time (the ones that go 80MPH).
He once said to me that a car race is nothing but a series of turns,
and drag races.  That type of sensation is certainly accurately
represented in STC.

And as with any drag race, it is important to go all out.  When you
are on the gas - be ON the gas.  Don't take your foot off during a
straight-away - not even for a split second.  Try to hold your sprint
for as long as you can, until you need to take your foot off the gas,
and make the drift ease you into the next turn.  Of course with
practice you will come to appreciate which turns can be done with
the gas on, and which ones require that you take your foot off the
gas (and which require that you actually hit the brake).

6.  Race Your Own Race

Once you move into the championship mode, you will be racing
against very aggressive CPU cars.  You will obviously want to
win.  Once that race begins, its important to remember that the
race is really between you and the track.  Try not to get too hung
up about what your competitors are doing.  Stay focused on the
lines and strategies which you worked out in the time trial mode.
The more you focus on the CPU cars, the more sloppy your driving
will be.

With these tips, you should get off on the right foot with this
outstanding title.  As I mentioned earlier in this post, I have
some interest in pulling together a Saturn FAQ, providing that
I get enough input from the STC experts out there.  I will of course
provide full and complete credit for any assistance.  Thanks all,
and if you have any thoughts or comments, please let me know
at:

[e-mail]

  - Wes


This guide is designed to assist those who are new to Sega
Touring Car.  It is written by [e-mail] with
references given to other sources where appropriate.  Please
feel free to use this guide on your (non-commercial) web-site
as long as you don't edit or change the document in any way.
Also, please let me know when you are going to use this
document, as I like to seem them when posted.  Thanks  - Wes