I'm just good, dammit!

2005 Need for Speed Most Wanted
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GT3x24x7
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I'm just good, dammit!

Post by GT3x24x7 »

So I’ve been playing Most Wanted online a bit lately. Ok, a helluva lot. Now I’m well aware that this is certainly not a perfect environment where everyone plays nice – I can deal with people trying to push me off the track, reverse into me at the start, disconnecting as soon as I get ahead etc etc. It takes all types to make a world.

The thing that does kinda get me is when I get a bunch of noobs in my room calling me a cheat because I happened to beat them repeatedly by over 30 seconds, with a variety of cars. No matter how much I remind myself about the vagaries of human nature, this kind of behaviour never ceases to amaze me.

Surely people can’t be so short sighted as to believe that anyone who is markedly faster than them must be cheating. The fact is, I’m just a whole lot better than them, or at least a lot better prepared.

Let me explain a few things, the way I see them. Before I get started however, let me just say that this isn't directed at anyone here. Those people from NFSUnlimited that I have raced haven't been a problem and knowing most of you guys I don't expect there would be one. This post is more a way of getting this crud off my chest and possibly providing some tips for better online results along the way.


1. To finish first, first you have to finish.

You gotta walk before you can run. If you’re having trouble getting through a map without hitting anything – and I mean anything, not just walls, but lightposts, signs, bushes etc – then it’s highly likely that there’s someone in the race who will get through quicker. Everything slows you down in Most Wanted, even driving on grass and pavements. Race clean, or lose.

2. It’s a level playing field

Performance matching is enforced in ranked games. What is it? Performance matching automatically sets all cars in the race up with the same performance parts as the best car entered. For all intents and purposes, all cars in the race are equally capable of winning, power-wise. Um, don't choose the Camaro, however..

3. Have a clue

For crap’s sake, have some idea about the track you’re about to tackle. If you turn right when you should have gone left, don’t be coming back into the room screaming about the guy that broadsided you in the middle of that fated manoeuvre. This is what offline mode is really about – practice, practice, practice.

4. Maximise your available power

So many people mess this up. When adding performance parts to your car, be sure to add all ultimate performance parts first, buy those, then come back in and add the Junkmans. Junkman parts enhance your existing parts so if you haven't yet bought the ultimate package, you'll actually be upgrading the stock crap that you came into the store with. Done right, you should hit max on all three bars once the Junkmans are installed.

5. Power is nothing without control

So many people I talk to online about their cars have done basically nothing to them except to max them out (hopefully) with Junkman parts. In fact, when I mention ‘performance tuning’, most people don’t seem to have a clue what I’m talking about. Fact is, adding more power to a poorly set up car will only make it less controllable. Make sure you take each and every one of your cars on a variety of offline tracks, and tweak the performance tuning (in the Pause menu, in case you never noticed) to get the car handling at its best. Believe me, performance tuning can completely change the feel of the car. This is a key point and cannot be stressed highly enough.

6. You drive with a keyboard?!

Heh, I’ve had guys screaming at me that I’m cheating ‘cuz u cant drive that smooth in this game’. Wrong. You can’t drive that smoothly with a keyboard. I mean come on, think about it. Imagine a car that has two large friendly buttons on the dash marked L and R instead of a steering wheel. Now imagine that those buttons instantly set the front wheels to full lock in either direction. Such a car would be completely uncontrollable. Ok sure, this is a game, but you’re still doing the same thing! There is no way you can get though a turn driving keyboard as quickly or as smoothly as a skilled guy using a controller, no matter how good you think you are.

7. You can’t cheat anyway, dammit.

You cannot cheat in ranked games. The EA servers run cheat detection systems on ranked games, looking for any changes in a variety of parameters - parts, nitrous and so on. Read it yourself, you have the damn file on your hard drive already: Start>All Programs>EA Games>Need For Speed Most Wanted>Readme.txt. It's all there in electronic black and white. Jeez.


Ok, I’m done. Anyone wanna race? 8)


BTW, next time this happens to you, shoot them a link to this post. Here's the tinyurl: http://tinyurl.com/9f5vn
Last edited by GT3x24x7 on 09 Jan 2006, 09:53, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Jmac- »

All good lessons that many people don't seem to know ... I'd like to add one more, though ...

Braking is crucial to good times ... Most people I know do not brake properly; they either brake during the corner and/or they don't brake enough ... In most cases, you should brake before the turn then accelerate though ... Also, if you practice your braking points, you will cut many seconds off your lap times ...
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Post by GT3x24x7 »

Most definitely! Thanks for pointing that out. :)
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Post by Ceska666 »

This is very good and usefull lesson GT, thanks :D I think, i must try playing online 8)
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Post by viper_gts »

hehe, i have been called a cheat a few times aswell, because i was blowing away carrera's with my semi moded 911 Turbo S in drag mode a couple of weeks ago. I think there was 3 occasions. I used to play Black Hawk Down (FPS shooter) and damn i was shiznit hot at that game 8) , but cos i was so good, it would be a frequent occurence being called a cheat and although annoying at first, i soon learned to just laugh at them and take it as a testiment to my own skill. You gotta be good if people think you cheat when you don't :twisted: . Anyway, i know exactly how you feel GT, what makes it even worst, is when you try to talk with them in a social manner about there allegation and they either burst into an abusive tirade against you or just completely ignore you.


Just for the record.........GT blow me away in all our sprint races and circuit races by about 30+ seconds, but in my defence........i've been busy with my new project that i haven't learned the tracks lmao :lol:
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Post by GT3x24x7 »

viper_gts wrote:Just for the record.........GT blow me away in all our sprint races and circuit races by about 30+ seconds, but in my defence........i've been busy with my new project that i haven't learned the tracks lmao :lol:
No, actually I'm pretty sure you just suck, Peter! :D



Nah.. we had some good racing. ;)
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Re: I'm just good, dammit!

Post by Bauke777 »

GT3x24x7 wrote:or at least a lot better prepared.
lol that GT :) I have been called a cheater also, but I must say I feel honoured lol ;) It happens to me every now and then too, finishing and nobody comes in after the 30 secs, but I think in time, say in a couple of months, more and more ppl will get better. But anyways, what I wanted to say: ur quote here says it all imho. We prepare ourselves for a race. As it is irl, some1 w/ zero tracktime is most likely going to lose from some1 w/ lots of tracktime. There r so many hard corners (last turn Oil Refinery, 1st turn Camden Tunnel, the tricky shortcut-like turn in Waterfront, etcetc) where u can gain seconds and seconds of time if u know where to brake, where to downshift, when to use nitro etc. But that is imho such a basic rule if u want to have a shot at winning a race or, at least, finish in time w/ the others...

I do have a question about ur 4th point: does this maximizing junkman parts matter? I think the M3 can't be tuned, but say I drive an Elise against an Elise w/ everything maxed out, w/ junkman parts: won't we be equal on performance in a ranked game?
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Re: I'm just good, dammit!

Post by GT3x24x7 »

Bauke777 wrote:..does this maximizing junkman parts matter? I think the M3 can't be tuned, but say I drive an Elise against an Elise w/ everything maxed out, w/ junkman parts: won't we be equal on performance in a ranked game?
I take your point. The thing is you need to know the car you're about to race. If you have the car maxed already and are used to it that way, you won't be in for any surprises (ie a differently performing car) when you hop into a race with cars that are tuned more powerfully.

As for the M3, don't you wonder how performance matching affects it? If the car can't be customised/tuned, does it then follow that the rest of the field are always matched to the M3, if it's present in a race? Hmm.
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Re: I'm just good, dammit!

Post by Bauke777 »

GT3x24x7 wrote:As for the M3, don't you wonder how performance matching affects it? If the car can't be customised/tuned, does it then follow that the rest of the field are always matched to the M3, if it's present in a race? Hmm.
jep, dunno either :s I AM driving a M3, so that's why I wondered... btw what car r u driving?
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Post by GT3x24x7 »

I drive M3 or Carrera mostly, but if I got a lot of newbies I like to mix it up and choose randomly.

BTW I tried the M3 offline in quick race just now, and it's much slower there than it is online. I guess the performance matching does actually beef up the performance of the M3 to that of the fastest car in the race.
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Post by Morty »

GT could pwn me with his hands tied to his back... He's just that much better than me :(

I've also been called a cheater btw, but that was NFSU. When it comes to MW, I have a looooong way to go....
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Post by GT3x24x7 »

*points excitedly at heading number 5* ;)
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Post by Bauke777 »

lol that morty :) GT, I'm prolly online 2nite, hope to cu there! I'll have ur M3 for breakfast 8) (and stuff, seen too many movies, was a semi-quote from Commando "...have green barets for breakfast... lol)
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Post by DarrenR21373 »

I really must try online at some point. Problem is, GT (and other frequent onliners) will probably whip my butt - main reason I haven't played online so far, really - I HATE losing... :D
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Post by xHaZxMaTx »

I never play online until I beat campaign mode, and that should be tomorrow. :D BTW, nice tips GT.
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Post by Fishwhiz »

darn it i have the ps2 version.... the next nfs game ill get for pc.
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Post by SliM_880 »

Good job man thats a good guide...
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Post by Shutterbug »

This probably applies more to the british players here, but

Learn the correct side of the road!
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Post by DarrenR21373 »

^ Although I sometimes find it easier to drive on the left in the game - and it's fun avoiding on-coming traffic at 200+ mph. :D
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Post by westwood3200 »

I think EA cannot be cheated.....
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Post by Saeidi »

DarrenR21373 wrote:^ Although I sometimes find it easier to drive on the left in the game - and it's fun avoiding on-coming traffic at 200+ mph. :D
That gives me the thrills :shock: and when I used to crash.... :cry: Well, I am still getting my bounty up high in career mode and just play unranked races online. I just wanna improve. Though, I am BL#1 here in NFSUnlimited.
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Post by _I3urlNlouT_ »

did anyone mention the tranny? If you still drive this games with automatic transmission you cant expect to get through corners as good as when driving with a manual transmission since it allows you to downshift before or while entering a corner to get a faster exit. I was playing in LAN with a friend and we played against 2 other players online, he was driving with a controller, BUT with automatic trans. he was always last and I actually beat an M3 and a Porche GT with a well-tuned manual Evo & keyboard :) Just my 2 cents
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Post by Ceano »

_I3urlNlouT_ wrote:did anyone mention the tranny? If you still drive this games with automatic transmission you cant expect to get through corners as good as when driving with a manual transmission since it allows you to downshift before or while entering a corner to get a faster exit. I was playing in LAN with a friend and we played against 2 other players online, he was driving with a controller, BUT with automatic trans. he was always last and I actually beat an M3 and a Porche GT with a well-tuned manual Evo & keyboard :) Just my 2 cents
I drive with a Logitech MOMO steering wheel and you can drive just as same with ether manual or auto shift, you just drive like you do in a real car. Lift the foot from the gas pedal and brake if needed just before the corner and then full throttle out of the curve, sharp and fast curves all the time.
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Re: I'm just good, dammit!

Post by Bauke777 »

GT3x24x7 wrote:You can’t drive that smoothly with a keyboard. I mean come on, think about it. Imagine a car that has two large friendly buttons on the dash marked L and R instead of a steering wheel
Ceano wrote:I drive with a Logitech MOMO steering wheel
Wheel too eh...

I drive w/ the keyboard and althoug I have a fairly good keyset setup, there is no way u can hold the wheels like when ur driving w/ a steering wheel. I still haven't got a wheel, cuz I mostly play NFS games on my laptop in stead of my desktop... AND, afraid that once I get used to it, I don't know how to race w/o a steering wheel...

I can think of lots of advantages of a wheel, like driving smoothly through long turns, or setting the wheels in the right direction in mid-air from a jump. We, keyboard users r always tapping keys to get a decent driving line. It is quite intensive, always correcting the car. And like in F1, u can tell by the movement of the hands if the driver is in control of the car. The more movement, the more the driver is trying to control the car.
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Post by GT3x24x7 »

_I3urlNlouT_ wrote:did anyone mention the tranny? If you still drive this games with automatic transmission you cant expect to get through corners as good as when driving with a manual transmission since it allows you to downshift before or while entering a corner to get a faster exit. I was playing in LAN with a friend and we played against 2 other players online, he was driving with a controller, BUT with automatic trans. he was always last and I actually beat an M3 and a Porche GT with a well-tuned manual Evo & keyboard :) Just my 2 cents
I drive automatic exclusively. This is an arcade racer, not a simulator, and it certainly doesn't simulate an automatic transmission, it's just the game changing gears on the manual box for you.

Yes, automatic can put you at a disadvantage in some games, for example you find yourself in a high gear heading upslope and unable to change down. Happily, and I'm sure you weren't aware of this Burnout, the auto box in Most Wanted can be manually shifted just like the manual.

This fact gives the auto the edge. For the most part, you can concentrate on the line, your speed, the tool in the A4 who keeps trying to smack you into the closest immovable object etc, and whenever the need arises you can simply manually shift to suit.
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