Thanks to SRL I have nearly lost my voice. I have never spent so much time yelling and nearly throwing my controller through my TV screen as I have the last week. Even struggling through trials didn't fill me with this much rage. I'll spend the first 2.7 laps in first only to hit that damn median head on close to the end of the final lap to put myself at the back of the pack. Or the fans. The damn fans.

Overall, love it. Two thumbs up.

Thanks to SRL I have nearly lost my voice. I have never spent so much time yelling and nearly throwing my controller through my TV screen as I have the last week. Even struggling through trials didn't fill me with this much rage. I'll spend the first 2.7 laps in first only to hit that damn median head on close to the end of the final lap to put myself at the back of the pack. Or the fans. The damn fans.

Overall, love it. Two thumbs up.

Here at DBO, we are your fans. The good ones. Like the ones that cheer for you.

But yeah, that is one of the things I like and hate about SRL, you can always get past in a moments notice.

Heh.

The fans are easy. Just aim for your gates and use your side boost to first dodge the upcoming fan blade then quickly boost the other direction to get back in line with your next gate.

I rarely have to steer around the fans anymore unless something has already gone horribly wrong. In general, I've found that properly managing and conserving my sideways boosts is my key to winning races.

Except Sparrow tricks are still way too finicky, so when I have a routine of side-boost set up, they fail me when I most need them...

i don't see how people ever catch up. If i lose the lead, i rarely ever get back to the front. It's infuriating, b/c in the post game screen, it'll show that i hit 3-6 more gates then the leader, yet i could never catch back up.

Another secret is that you should think hard before using your side boost to hit a gate you would have otherwise missed. Missing a gate is often not the end of the world. Getting passed while in first means your next few turns just got easier while getting significantly harder for the jerk that passed you. Keep calm and race on. If you're out of line of a gate ignore it and get set up for a good angle on the next one.

i don't see how people ever catch up. If i lose the lead, i rarely ever get back to the front. It's infuriating, b/c in the post game screen, it'll show that i hit 3-6 more gates then the leader, yet i could never catch back up.

I've found that hitting gates can be a good way to see if you are doing good. But I've also hit a lot of gates at bad angles and just boosted into a wall that actually netted me negatively. So sometimes it actually better to just miss the gate.

i don't see how people ever catch up. If i lose the lead, i rarely ever get back to the front. It's infuriating, b/c in the post game screen, it'll show that i hit 3-6 more gates then the leader, yet i could never catch back up.

You hit more gates because they were twice as big for you. And really, as important as the gates are, not snagging a wall or pillar or exploding off a cliff or against a fan blade is more important. Your first priority is to keep moving in the correct direction, no matter the speed. Missing a gate or two or 10 over the course of three laps is fine if it keeps you from flubbing a turn.

As for catching up. It's all about being perfect and hoping the leaders screw up. Good luck! We all need it since we've all been permanently stuck in sixth. :)

- No text -

- No text -

Being the fastest Guardian on the longest racing line means nothing when everyone else is doing the shortest racing line.

If you try to correct every wiggle then you will not do well. For the most part, ignore the animation of your sparrow and focus on where you are headed. Constantly correcting leads to PIO (Pilot Induced Oscillations). Try to steer as little as possible.

Be pointed towards the next gate when passing through gates.

Use side boost just before going through a gate when cornering.

0.075"

Try and guess the winner before the post game shows up.
http://xboxdvr.com/gamer/Finwe%20of%20Noldor/video/13240118

The problem comes when missing multiple gates in a row. A single one usually doesn't do that much harm.

Being the fastest Guardian on the longest racing line means nothing when everyone else is doing the shortest racing line.

The shortcuts on both maps are my key to clawing up from the back of the pack, or keeping a strong lead. I've seen guys hit the gate right before the Mars shortcut, but I can't hit it consistently so I just skip it. I almost always pull ahead at least one spot there.

The gate before the Venus shortcut is a little easier to hit, especially if you're coming from behind (wider gate), and if you have a side-boost available. Go a little wide-right as you jump down at the Skiff, aim to hit the gate pointed mostly towards the shortcut, and boost left as you go through it; you should be set up to go right up and over the shortcut ramp.

If I'm all by myslef, it's fine. My biggest frustration is trying to pass those people who are weaving like George Jones all over the track. Nearly every time I get stuck on something or miss a gate it's because some yahoo serves into me and I either go flying sideways or get stuck on top of him.

The past handful of races have had my competitors push me off the shortcuts. It has led me to train the turns.

Boy, let me tell you, perfecting the Venus zig-zag is exciting as hell. There's a cliff on the zag you can use as centripetal force by riding the edge that triggers adrenaline rushes every time.

I don't think I'm ever taking the Venus shortcut again.

The past handful of races have had my competitors push me off the shortcuts. It has led me to train the turns.

Boy, let me tell you, perfecting the Venus zig-zag is exciting as hell. There's a cliff on the zag you can use as centripetal force by riding the edge that triggers adrenaline rushes every time.

I don't think I'm ever taking the Venus shortcut again.

I'm able to take the "long" way around without letting off the gas using side-boosts, so I'm able to benefit from the gates and out-race any short-cut taker.

If you try to correct every wiggle then you will not do well. For the most part, ignore the animation of your sparrow and focus on where you are headed. Constantly correcting leads to PIO (Pilot Induced Oscillations). Try to steer as little as possible.

Be pointed towards the next gate when passing through gates.

Use side boost just before going through a gate when cornering.

A little trick I've found helpful: pay more attention to how your sparrow is angled, and less attention to how it is moving/drifting. I treat the nose of my Sparrow as a reticule. Wherever it's pointing, that's where I'll end up. Helps me avoid the PIO that you mentioned.

I think the shortcuts need a gate. Either on the shortcuts or aligned with the exits. There's just not quite enough incentive for me right now...

This is extra true when you pass through a gate. It will pretty much cancel all other momentum and shoot you "sparrow forward" whatever that happens to be at the moment.

I hope future tracks have multiple routes with gates so I'm not always trying to squeeze though the same gate with 4 other people who don't know how to drive straight.

Right after the teleporter on the Venus track there is a path to the right that goes behind the spider tank. I wish there were gates back there.

I think the shortcuts need a gate. Either on the shortcuts or aligned with the exits. There's just not quite enough incentive for me right now...

The Venus one is totally worth it, IMO. The Mars shortcut saves less time, and you miss 2 gates if you follow the fastest line, which can be harmful.

Agreed. There also appears to be a lane far to the left there around a rock formation but I've never been adventitious enough to check it out.

If you're missing two, you need to git gudder. ;)

If you're missing two, you need to git gudder. ;)

2 if you follow the fastest line :) It's possible to hit the gate just before and/or just after the shortcut on Mars, but you need to veer so far off the ideal line that it's hardly worth it.

I admit there is an unfortunate amount of swerve correction, though.

It seems to me that if I negotiate the turns correctly using the gates, the shortcutters don't get ahead. Or if they do, it is only for a few moments.

If I'm all by myslef, it's fine. My biggest frustration is trying to pass those people who are weaving like George Jones all over the track. Nearly every time I get stuck on something or miss a gate it's because some yahoo serves into me and I either go flying sideways or get stuck on top of him.

I don't want to complain to much but JESUS CHRIST THIS IS SO TRUE!!!
Damn yahoos ramming into me and continuing like it ain't no thang is really frustrating.

SRL is cool too, though :P

- No text -

- No text -

The past handful of races have had my competitors push me off the shortcuts. It has led me to train the turns.

Boy, let me tell you, perfecting the Venus zig-zag is exciting as hell. There's a cliff on the zag you can use as centripetal force by riding the edge that triggers adrenaline rushes every time.

I don't think I'm ever taking the Venus shortcut again.

I'm able to take the "long" way around without letting off the gas using side-boosts, so I'm able to benefit from the gates and out-race any short-cut taker.

1v1 me bros. If you're able to hit the gate right before the shortcuts, it gives you an advantage 90% of the time against even the best corner-huggers.

Although it is risky, and it doesn't always benefit you (30 seconds into the clip).

What I meant is that doing the zig-zag was so much more exciting than using the shortcut that, unless I really feel the need to win, I'm not taking them anymore.

The past handful of races have had my competitors push me off the shortcuts. It has led me to train the turns.

Boy, let me tell you, perfecting the Venus zig-zag is exciting as hell. There's a cliff on the zag you can use as centripetal force by riding the edge that triggers adrenaline rushes every time.

I don't think I'm ever taking the Venus shortcut again.

I'm able to take the "long" way around without letting off the gas using side-boosts, so I'm able to benefit from the gates and out-race any short-cut taker.

1v1 me bros. If you're able to hit the gate right before the shortcuts, it gives you an advantage 90% of the time against even the best corner-huggers.

Although it is risky, and it doesn't always benefit you (30 seconds into the clip).

Just check your times on guardian.gg

Mars
Venus

I'd say my times (KidTsunami / XB1) anecdotally suggest that you avoid shortcuts.

The past handful of races have had my competitors push me off the shortcuts. It has led me to train the turns.

Boy, let me tell you, perfecting the Venus zig-zag is exciting as hell. There's a cliff on the zag you can use as centripetal force by riding the edge that triggers adrenaline rushes every time.

I don't think I'm ever taking the Venus shortcut again.

I'm able to take the "long" way around without letting off the gas using side-boosts, so I'm able to benefit from the gates and out-race any short-cut taker.

1v1 me bros. If you're able to hit the gate right before the shortcuts, it gives you an advantage 90% of the time against even the best corner-huggers.

Although it is risky, and it doesn't always benefit you (30 seconds into the clip).

Just check your times on guardian.gg

Mars
Venus

I'd say my times (KidTsunami / XB1) anecdotally suggest that you avoid shortcuts.

I dunno. The site doesn't distinguish between best time and most gates hit. It just tracks what the best is for each stat. My best time on Venus is nearly identical to yours, but that was with 65 gates hit (my average), as opposed to my record of 70.

The past handful of races have had my competitors push me off the shortcuts. It has led me to train the turns.

Boy, let me tell you, perfecting the Venus zig-zag is exciting as hell. There's a cliff on the zag you can use as centripetal force by riding the edge that triggers adrenaline rushes every time.

I don't think I'm ever taking the Venus shortcut again.

I'm able to take the "long" way around without letting off the gas using side-boosts, so I'm able to benefit from the gates and out-race any short-cut taker.

1v1 me bros. If you're able to hit the gate right before the shortcuts, it gives you an advantage 90% of the time against even the best corner-huggers.

Although it is risky, and it doesn't always benefit you (30 seconds into the clip).

Just check your times on guardian.gg

Mars
Venus

I'd say my times (KidTsunami / XB1) anecdotally suggest that you avoid shortcuts.

I dunno. The site doesn't distinguish between best time and most gates hit. It just tracks what the best is for each stat. My best time on Venus is nearly identical to yours, but that was with 65 gates hit (my average), as opposed to my record of 70.

You're KoRnyMunKy / XB1?

So your best Venus time is 4:20.613 and mine is 4:10.009.

I wouldn't describe 10 seconds as "nearly identical". That would put me as "nearly identical" to the currently 8th best time on XB1 of 4:00.170.

The shortcut on mars? Don't even need to turn on the normal way, just target the dark shadow of the underpass and no hard turn or side-step of any kind necessary.

The shortcut on Venus? Side-stepping at the right times gives you an insane amount of speed coming out of that turn.

The past handful of races have had my competitors push me off the shortcuts. It has led me to train the turns.

Boy, let me tell you, perfecting the Venus zig-zag is exciting as hell. There's a cliff on the zag you can use as centripetal force by riding the edge that triggers adrenaline rushes every time.

I don't think I'm ever taking the Venus shortcut again.

I'm able to take the "long" way around without letting off the gas using side-boosts, so I'm able to benefit from the gates and out-race any short-cut taker.

1v1 me bros. If you're able to hit the gate right before the shortcuts, it gives you an advantage 90% of the time against even the best corner-huggers.

Although it is risky, and it doesn't always benefit you (30 seconds into the clip).

Just check your times on guardian.gg

Mars
Venus

I'd say my times (KidTsunami / XB1) anecdotally suggest that you avoid shortcuts.

I dunno. The site doesn't distinguish between best time and most gates hit. It just tracks what the best is for each stat. My best time on Venus is nearly identical to yours, but that was with 65 gates hit (my average), as opposed to my record of 70.

You're KoRnyMunKy / XB1?

So your best Venus time is 4:20.613 and mine is 4:10.009.

I wouldn't describe 10 seconds as "nearly identical". That would put me as "nearly identical" to the currently 8th best time on XB1 of 4:00.170.

I wouldn't use my Xbox account for those stats, I don't have any racing/trick sparrows there, so I'm stuck without fuel for the majority of a race.
Munky-058 is my PS4 account, where things are lined up better. I'm sure that if I was any good at the Mars map, I'd have a better time there too, but there are a bunch of curves and turns that I'm horrible at, but the shortcut ain't one of them (usually).

The shortcut on mars? Don't even need to turn on the normal way, just target the dark shadow of the underpass and no hard turn or side-step of any kind necessary.

And boost right as you hit the second gate, right? I know how to take that curve, and I still say that hitting the first gate, taking the shortcut, and hugging the right wall is the way to go.

The shortcut on Venus? Side-stepping at the right times gives you an insane amount of speed coming out of that turn.

Or you can just curve into a straight line through the gate, up the ramp, over the shortcut, and through to the next gate without having to get to the corner that needs boosts...

The past handful of races have had my competitors push me off the shortcuts. It has led me to train the turns.

Boy, let me tell you, perfecting the Venus zig-zag is exciting as hell. There's a cliff on the zag you can use as centripetal force by riding the edge that triggers adrenaline rushes every time.

I don't think I'm ever taking the Venus shortcut again.

I'm able to take the "long" way around without letting off the gas using side-boosts, so I'm able to benefit from the gates and out-race any short-cut taker.

1v1 me bros. If you're able to hit the gate right before the shortcuts, it gives you an advantage 90% of the time against even the best corner-huggers.

Although it is risky, and it doesn't always benefit you (30 seconds into the clip).

Just check your times on guardian.gg

Mars
Venus

I'd say my times (KidTsunami / XB1) anecdotally suggest that you avoid shortcuts.

I dunno. The site doesn't distinguish between best time and most gates hit. It just tracks what the best is for each stat. My best time on Venus is nearly identical to yours, but that was with 65 gates hit (my average), as opposed to my record of 70.

You're KoRnyMunKy / XB1?

So your best Venus time is 4:20.613 and mine is 4:10.009.

I wouldn't describe 10 seconds as "nearly identical". That would put me as "nearly identical" to the currently 8th best time on XB1 of 4:00.170.

I wouldn't use my Xbox account for those stats, I don't have any racing/trick sparrows there, so I'm stuck without fuel for the majority of a race.
Munky-058 is my PS4 account, where things are lined up better. I'm sure that if I was any good at the Mars map, I'd have a better time there too, but there are a bunch of curves and turns that I'm horrible at, but the shortcut ain't one of them (usually).

The shortcut on mars? Don't even need to turn on the normal way, just target the dark shadow of the underpass and no hard turn or side-step of any kind necessary.

And boost right as you hit the second gate, right? I know how to take that curve, and I still say that hitting the first gate, taking the shortcut, and hugging the right wall is the way to go.

The shortcut on Venus? Side-stepping at the right times gives you an insane amount of speed coming out of that turn.

Or you can just curve into a straight line through the gate, up the ramp, over the shortcut, and through to the next gate without having to get to the corner that needs boosts...

I was looking for the wrong PS4 tag, sorry about that.

Then that makes sense, 4:10.230 IS nearly identical to 4:10.009.

Is anyone on DBO smashing these numbers that can weigh in on shortcuts? I went through a whole narrative of discovering shortcuts, loving them, then avoiding them, and becoming frustrated that they weren't all they cracked up to be. At this point I'm out of practice taking them at all.

I'm often outracing the 2nd place by 10 seconds or more and you guys still run laps over me. Impressed as fuck.

Yep. Aside from wacko traffic and minor errors I'm usually the fastest by far during matchmaking and the top ranked people on those charts are beating my best by 25 seconds...