THE MICRO USER GUIDE TO PLAYING REVS
The Silverstone circuit awaits ...
The controls
FOR all those drivers who dream
of winning a race here's how to beat Max Throttle at his own
game without really trying. Let's start by loading in the game.
Revs can be played with the keyboard (Shift + f1) or joystick
(Shift + f2). Beginners may have found that the game is easier
to play with the joystick. This is true to start with, but once
you gain experience a keyboard gives better results. In this
guide we are going to concentrate mainly on the use of the keyboard.
So settle back into your seat and grasp the steering wheel or,
to put it another way, position your hands on the keyboard as
shown in Figure I.
Click here for larger image
As a clever and attentive reader
you will have spotted at once that there is no finger on the
brake key, A. (What do you want to slow down for, you're trying
to win the race?) The reason for this is that braking is only
needed in emergencies. For those joystickoholics who still insist
on playing with a joystick, grasp it as you would normally and
read on.
The Ralt 3 racer is controlled like this: car left is L or stick
left, car right is + or stick right. Accelerate is S or stick
forward and brake is A or stick backwards. Change up a gear is
Q or stick fully forward and push the fire button while change
down a gear is Tab or centralise the stick and push the fire
button. In either mode the spacebar amplifies the steering and
T starts the engine. In joystick mode the fire button acts as
the clutch.
When using a joystick you must slide the stick gradually in the
desired direction. If you yank the stick over you will skid and
spin all over the place. If you are moving fast and brake rapidly
by jerking back the stick you will also skid, spin and crash.
Try it.
Okay, so you're ready to go. Well not quite, there are still
the pit adjustments to make to your car. Start by selecting the
practice option (1) then set the rear flaps to 25 and the front
to 16. These are the best settings for handling and performance.
You will now find yourself alone on the track at Silverstone.
Before you get all excited and zoom off in a cloud of black evil-smelling
smoke it might be a good idea to start the engine. To do this
hold down Q, S and T simultaneously. These keys hold in the clutch,
depress the accelerator and operate the starter in that order.
When you do this you will find that the car leaps into life,
the rev counter starts to move and the engine sound fills your
ears. When the rev counter reaches the 5000 mark release the
clutch by letting go of the Q key. You should hear the squeal
of a wheelspin start. This is not strictly necessary but gives
you a good feeling and can be useful when it comes to starting
a real race. Now you are moving!
Keep the car in first gear and drive SLOWLY round the track.
Take a good look at the circuit as you go and learn the shape
of the curves.
On the Silverstone track there are four corners, a chicane and
a hairpin. Have a close look at all of them now because you won't
be able to drive and read this at the same time unless you happen
to be Zaphod Beeblebrox. You might find it a good idea to have
the map (Figure II or from the Revs manual) handy as well.
Click here for larger image
During the qualifying lap, and
in the practise mode, you start from point X. This gives you
plenty of time to build up speed before passing the start line,
which is where your lap timings are taken from.
The position of the start (Y) means that you will need to exit
the chicane as fast as possible. With practice this can be done
in fifth gear with revs around 5300 (smug smile). By the time
you have finished what you're reading now you will probably have
crashed at least once.
In practice mode when you crash your car it is deposited back
on the track at point X. So when you crash just begin again by
starting the engine, holding down Q, S and T ...
Keep practising in first gear, getting the feel of how the steering
responds to the keys, until you can make it round the whole circuit
every time without going off the track. You might get a trifle
frustrated, but this really is the only way to become a good
driver, so be patient.
When you can handle the car accurately at a slow speed it is
fairly straightforward to build up the speed without too many
mishaps. Simply remember that you will have to respond earlier
with the controls.
Now start again from point X and move off. As the rev counter
reaches 5600 move up a gear (Q). Remember your engine has maximum
pulling power in the range 5000-57000 rpm. By the time you approach
the chicane you should be in fifth gear.
The Chicane
You will next see the sign warning of the chicane which is followed
by two white markers on the left hand side of the track.
After the two white markers there is a red one. When you pass
this move over to the left hand side of the track while releasing
the throttle and changing down to fourth gear.
Cut in to the right. The car will move across on to red and white curbing on the right hand side. As you approach this curb release the steering momentarily, which maintains the steering at a level which will stop you going into a spin.
Although you can cut across the curbing in the chicane and at all the other corners, don't use the curb too much, otherwise your car will tend to take off which does not encourage responsive steering. As you pass the curbing on the right, turn to the left until you pass another red marker on your left, when you should steer right again.
You should steer across more curbing to the right before exiting the chicane on the left side of the track. You probably find this hard to visualise, so look at the plan view (Figure Ill), which might help to clarify things a little for you.
If you don't make it through the chicane the first time you try it, and you probably won't, don't panic. Just count to ten and do it again - in a lower gear if you like.
As in most things, practice makes perfect. The chicane is one of the most difficult things to master on Revs so stick at it until you can get through at a good speed without crashing. When you do you will find yourself on a short straight. Halfway down here is a flag on the left side of the track. This is the starting line.
The first corner after the start is a pain, being a fairly sharp right. Approach on the left side of the track and watch for a red marker. As you pass the marker change down a gear, release the accelerator, turn right holding the + key down until you cut across the curbing on the right.
Now release the + key. The car will slide over to the left of the track, and you will need to press the + key again together with the steering amplification (spacebar), to stop the car sliding off the track on to the left hand curbing. When you are through the bend move quickly to the right.
You now enter the hairpin section.
This consists of a gentle left turn followed by the hairpin,
which is a right then a gentle left again. The first curve is
easy to handle in fifth gear with the pedal on the floor. Simply
pull over to the left when you see the red marker. You will glide
through the bend on to a short straight.
The next thing is the hairpin so SLOW DOWN. Move to the left
of the track and at the second white marker take your finger
off the throttle, change into fourth gear and start the right
turn. As you pass the red marker cut in hard right. You will
move to the right curbing and you should now change down to third
gear.
Momentarily release the steering then move right again with amplification
if you are too far to the left and press the throttle again.
You should brush the left curb but release the steering a few
moments before this as the wheel takes a while to centralise
and this should be sufficient to keep you on the track.
Continue to accelerate as you move into the straight and build
up to fifth gear again. The last part of the hairpin section
is another gentle left which you can glide through in top gear
at top speed.
We now come to the long straight. This is the chance to really
put the car through its paces so floor the accelerator and see
what it can do. Move gradually over to the left of the track
ready for the next curve, which is a right.
As you pass the red marker turn into the corner across the inner
curbing and give the steering a touch of amplification. Release
the steering slightly before hitting the outer curb to allow
it to centralise and you should slide out of the curve facing
down a short straight.
Nearly round the track now, so don't blow it. Move to the left
in readiness for the coming right hand turn. Just before the
red marker, change down and start the turn holding the + key
down to keep the wheel turning as you enter the bend.
When you hit the inner curb release the steering and accelerate
out of the curve. You should come out of the corner reasonably
fast, just touching the outer edge of the track. If you don't
make it round this corner the chances are you're not steering
hard enough, so try again - you must hit the inner curb to get
safely round this one.
All that's left now is a straight followed by a gentle left before
entering the straight where you started. Having come out of the
previous corner on the left hand side of the track move over
to the right. When you pass the red marker of the next corner
simply move in to the left - no need to change down or brake
here and whoosh round the corner at full speed, moving out to
the centre of the track before exiting.
Now move back to the left hand side because folks it's back to
the chicane situation, so start again at the beginning of the
text.
That concludes the step-by-step guide to the Silverstone circuit,
but make sure you have memorised the map thoroughly.
The race is on!
WHEN you have mastered the circuit you will want to try your
luck in an actual race. It is imperative that you start by entering
a novice race.
The qualifying laps are just like driving in practice mode but
watch out for other cars. The thing that must be stressed here
is that all the other drivers are blind. This is because they
are simply trying to get the fastest lap time and will not let
a small thing like another car get in their way.
They drive the same path around the curves every time and if
you're in the way - well you won't be much longer. After qualifying,
with luck you should be fairly well up the grid with not too
many cars in front of you.
When you are given the signal from the lights spin the wheels
and go!
Carefully weave in and out of the other cars, gradually moving
over to the right of the track. The other cars will bunch into
groups on the left, with gaps in between. Move into one of these
gaps as you near the chicane and hang on the tail of the guy
in front.
If you hang back too much you will be rammed from behind and
crash.
As the manual states, in novice racing even the worst pile ups
are catered for.
This means, in effect, that there is always a crane ready to
lift your car back on to the track after you've ripped the catch
fencing to pieces.
It is worth noting here that in the higher racing levels the
crane operators go off for a tea break the moment you set wheels
on the grid, so if you crash it's the end of the race for you.
In the novice race if you slide off the track but manage to control
the spin it is quicker in real terms to crash the car than to
mess around trying to get back on the track.
If you come off simply depress one of the gear change keys, hold
in the clutch and hit the accelerator before releasing the clutch.
The car should leap forward and crash.
After crashing many people frantically hammer the Tab key to
change down to neutral for the restart. This is timewasting and
unnecessary. The fastest way to get moving again is to press
Tab, S and T together, releasing Tab when the rev counter reaches
5000 and then change down to first gear.
When you move up to the amateur level this technique goes out
of the window since crashing terminates your race. So if you're
planning to become a professional driver you will need to learn
to control a crashing car.
If you come off the track on to a high curb the car will leave
the ground completely and you will crash. There is very little
you can do to rectify the situation except not to do it in the
first place.
If you leave the track on a straight or while overtaking or through
being pushed off, just make slow gentle moves to get back on
to the track. You will notice very clearly here the difference
in grip between the grass and the track. If you panic and turn
sharply you will simply spin the car.
If you come off over a low curb change up to fifth gear and release
the accelerator. Now find that brake key, A, and repeatedly tap
it until the rev counter comes down to 2500.
When this happens drive slowly back on to the track. Do not ever
hold the brake down - you will only succeed in skidding the car
beyond control. If you do spin release the throttle and change
into fifth immediately. Tap the brake as above and hope. It was
said earlier that sustained braking causes skidding, but when
in a spin if all else fails there's nothing to lose, so lean
on the brake.
One thing to note is that sometimes the flaps are damaged in
a crash,so after a crash or bump move the car from side to side
and if the steering seems a bit sloppy press Shift + f0. This
will take you into the pits where you can reset the flaps.
But don't worry. As soon as you enter the pit everyone else stops
until you are back on the track.
Facts and figures
The engine of your Ralt 3 car has only one power band. This gives the engine its maximum power between 5000 and 5600 rpm. It is therefore vitally important to keep the rev counter between these values by being in the correct gear for the speed you are doing.
Qualifying
and Timing
In the novice race it is best
to get a qualifying lap time of between 1:30.0 and 1:30.5. If
you take longer than 1:30.9 it isn't really worth racing because
you start off in the middle of the grid and get squashed and
rammed when the pack goes round the first bend.
If you get a lap time faster than 1:30.0 everyone moves up a
league and - yes you guessed it - you're back in the middle of
the pack.
As a beginner it's pointless trying to enter the professional
race to see what it's like, because if you don't get 1:26.0 or
faster you will be dumped back into the novice race.
Wings
The best wing settings are 25
and 16. These settings were found after much time, energy and
above all, crashing. When you are used to them and can drive
a mean lap try changing them to 20 and 14.
This tends to be a bit on the spongy side around corners, so
freewheel into all curves from the second marker to the red marker,
but on the straight sections the car will fly.
Finer Points
Although you will be busy just
trying to drive a good race, it is worth looking out for some
of the finer points and added touches which give Revs its realism.
For example, when you hit the throttle inertia lifts the front
of the car and on braking the nose goes down just as a real car
would. It is this which makes Revs the best car simulation ever
produced for the BBC Micro.
Keep Revvin' 'cos practise makes perfect!
This article appeared in the March 1986 edition of the "Micro User", published by Database Publications.
Scanned in by dllm@usa.net
http://www.stairwaytohell.com