Adjusting Launch Control RPM

[TheTom]

Currently i don't notice any difference between selecting or not selecting Launch Control. The car will launch at the same RPMs whether LC is installed or not, thus resulting in the same acceleration times and so on. Therefore, being able to adjust the RPMs at which the car launches would allow us to optimise our cars' 0-100 and quarter mile times. It seems that currently, the car will always launch at half of its maximum RPM, so for example if the engine revs to 6000RPM, the car will launch at 3000RPM, regardless of the engine's torque curve. But i think it would be better to set the RPM at launch to wherever the engine makes the most torque. And since we will be able to adjust the power distribution on AWD, why not make a simple slider for adjusting the RPMs at launch?

Greets,
Tom

[Killrob]

Counter question: What percentage of cars over the decades, starting in 1946, has used launch controls? Probably something on the sub-1% level. So how exactly does that warrant a slider for a moderately significant aspect of that feature?

[maffc]

I can see some of his point, in that when it is available launch control doesn't seem to do much to the car.
Comparing the same car with and without LC, the car without traction control lost 1.1 points in tameness, but sportiness, etc and acceleration remain the same.
In real life my car has launch control, in normal operation launch rpm is restricted to 2000, whereas as with LC enabled it's 4000. To enable a more spirited take off as the handbook says.

Having said that while I was typing I probably missed the point and that tameness is the key factor.
We can assume that cars with LC are tested with it enabled, but cars without it will still rev to the same limit (because that's a characteristic of the engine), just launch is not as controlled, hence lower tameness.

[JussiE]

Launch control don't make that much difference if the driver is very capable. I.E. Race car driver. But for average Joe it does make a difference. The same applies to tracktion control, stability control etc. Capable driver will be faster without those.

How these should reflect values in game. I really don't know.

[JussiE]

In real life my car has launch control, in normal operation launch rpm is restricted to 2000, whereas as with LC enabled it's 4000. To enable a more spirited take off as the handbook says.

Typically cars don't have any restrictions regarding rpm at take off. At least this applies to cars with manual gearboxes.

[Jakgoe]

As a compromise, it would be nice for the launch control be optimized for the car itself by the game.

[maffc]

In real life my car has launch control, in normal operation launch rpm is restricted to 2000, whereas as with LC enabled it's 4000. To enable a more spirited take off as the handbook says.

Typically cars don't have any restrictions regarding rpm at take off. At least this applies to cars with manual gearboxes.

It's got a TCT box, selectable between Auto or Sequential modes. It converted me, prior to that I was a manual only guy.

Edit: Just to mention the 2000/4000 rpm limit is when the car is being held at standstill with the throttle fully open. Once she's let go it'll hit redline before upshifting.

[TheTom]

Counter question: What percentage of cars over the decades, starting in 1946, has used launch controls? Probably something on the sub-1% level. So how exactly does that warrant a slider for a moderately significant aspect of that feature?

I think it's safe to say there have been a lot more cars with launch control compared to cars with V16s. Launch control is something very many sports cars of the last 5 years or so had. Today there's even Golfs with Launch Control (the R for sure, and i think even the GTI if you select DSG). It's even safe to say that today, currently on the market, there's at least twice or three times as many cars with LC than cars with V12s.

[Daffyflyer]

To be honest, Launch Control is mostly just a toy I suspect.

It should be a fun thing to help your average driver get off the line quickly with ease (i.e more sportyness) but minimal actual performance effects compared to a talented driver launching hard.


Of all the things we could add, taking up valuable UI space and making things more complex to design, I don't think Launch Control RPM rates very highly at all, it simply isn't going to make a big enough difference to the final stats of the car.

[maffc]

To be honest, Launch Control is mostly just a toy I suspect.

Def agree in my car's case. I tried it because it was there but I'm not likely to use it again, I get more driving pleasure from simply putting her in Dynamic (sport) mode without the worry of something going bang (it shouldn't but still).

Does make for a minor conversation point though.

[RobtheFiend]

Launch control don't make that much difference if the driver is very capable. I.E. Race car driver. But for average Joe it does make a difference. The same applies to tracktion control, stability control etc. Capable driver will be faster without those.

How these should reflect values in game. I really don't know.

Then why do F1 cars have launch control? Those drivers should be the best in the world, so why bother with extra systems that complicate the cars?

[Daffyflyer]

I'd expect that F1 mainly uses it because they're damned difficult cars to launch properly, and every bit of assistance you can give the driver to leave the line consistently will be used.

I'd be interested to see the performance difference between using launch control and launching manually on various road cars though, if anyone can find that information.


Regardless, of all the possible technical details we're simplifying, I feel like setting your own launch control RPM is one of the least important. I'm sorry if folks don't agree, but we have to choose our priorities on what details to focus on, and this isn't one of them really.

[JussiE]

Then why do F1 cars have launch control? Those drivers should be the best in the world, so why bother with extra systems that complicate the cars?

It makes a difference if you have 800hp in 600kg car. That is uncontrollable. But if you have 400hp in 1500kg car a good driver is better than the system.

I would also like to remind that F1 launch control will be defined and adjusted for each track, weather etc conditions. That's why they make few launch tests on warm up lap. They adjust the power engine is giving, how the clutch is working etc. Street car launch control is just maybe a little bit more power, possible race/power mode turned on and predifened RPM before launch.

You really can't compare F1 launch system to a street car launch system.

[JussiE]

Another addition. Typically if you want to know the 0-100kph time of your car you'll run it for example 10 times and pick the best time you got. If you push revs too high before launch you'll just burn rubber and your time will be a lot slower. With launch control your time will be (almost) always exactly the same but that does not mean that you couldn't be faster without it.

[Daffyflyer]

Another addition. Typically if you want to know the 0-100kph time of your car you'll run it for example 10 times and pick the best time you got. If you push revs too high before launch you'll just burn rubber and your time will be a lot slower. With launch control your time will be (almost) always exactly the same but that does not mean that you couldn't be faster without it.

Now THAT is basically the entire reason for launch control, as far as I can tell. Consistancy!