GT2 License Tests

GT2 License Tests

These are my notes on how to (try to) achieve gold licenses for Gran Turismo 2.

B-1 Start, Acceleration, & Braking 1

------------------------------------------------------

B-2: Start, Acceleration, & Braking 2

1). Floor the gas (so it's bouncing off the limiter from the very start) or at least keep revs high. As the test starts, allow the tach needle to get all the way to the limit, which is 7,000, before shifting.

2). The Fiat's engine has a power curve which maxes horses at 5,500 rpm, so it's important to exploit this area. I shift from 2nd to 3rd at redline, but 3rd to 4th at 6,250. The engine's going to rev with slightly more vigor during its "sweet spot" on the tach.

3). Once the car's in 4th, don't shift up to 5th. Pass 700 meters, pass 800 meters. Pay attention to the lane markers (the lines in the middle of the road) as we fly over them.

4). Start braking just after passing over the final lane marker between 800 and 900, which is the white line just before 900 meters. Brake fully, downshifting from 4th to 3rd to 2nd.

5). Downshifting to 1st should occur just before entering the stopping zone. CRANK the steering to the right just as you pass over the line. I've found this helps slow the car even more.

-----------------------------------------------------

B-3: Start, Acceleration, & Braking 3

1). Now we're in an R34-series Nissan Skyline; the top Japanese automobile of the late '90s in many drivers' opinions. Keep revs mid-range at the very start. As the clock ticks down, give full gas just before the final BEEP. The clutch should engage somewhere between 5,500 and 6,000 RPMs if it's done right. This maximizes tire traction, while also keeping the clutch from slipping.

> My opinion is this is better than flooring the gas (bouncing off the REV limiter).

2). Peak horsepower resides at 7,500 rpms in this car, so allow the engine to redline before shifting. Shift up to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. DON'T upshift to 5th. The engine will be screaming by now!

3). Pass 600 then 700 meters. Pass 800. Count the lane markers in the middle of the road as they are driven over: ONE... TWO... THREE... FO... Start braking about halfway over the fourth marker.

4). Again, brake fully. No feathering. Downshift from 4th to 3rd to 2nd.

The Skyline should be downshifted to 1st just before entering the finish zone. Crank the steering fully to the right while crossing the finish line.

------------------------------------------------------

B-4: Circle Track 1: Acceleration Basics

My gold time: 23.666

"Make two laps around this 30-mter radius circuit".

Sounds easy, right? Perhaps even fun. Who could predict the frustration that's about to commence.

Some folks say it's best to switch to D-pad steering for B-4, however I was able to gold (after what seemed 50 tries) with analog. Switching to digital messed up my flow with the steering, but that's me.

Below are some suggestions.

1). Switch to AT (automatic transmission) even if you're usually more comfortable with MT. It's just one thing less to think about, that one measly upshift from 1st to 2nd. Now all we have to focus on is steering.

2). Floor the gas. As the 75 horsepower weakling begins rolling, don't just jerk the steering inward so you're immediately on the red & white curb, try to be smooth. The less steering-jerks, the better. Ease inwards sort of gradually.

And once the Vitz is on the rumble strip, we're going to spend as much time on those reds & whites, just as the demo shows. All four tires on that curb, as much as we can.

3). The rest of the test is similar to the NASCAR tests in GT5 at Daytona. The idea is to keep the throttle planted the entire time, while steering movements are minimal. It's best to hear as little tire squeal (ann!! ann!!) as possible. If there are any long moments when tires are making noise this means they're also scrubbing speed.

4). Keep steering as the finish line is approached, stay on the curb. I've tried straightening the wheel just before crossing the finish (attempting to gain a burst of speed) but this only seemed to add time.

Overall what helped me, especially as speed gathered over 40 mph and the hatchback was firmly on the curb, was to visualize a point-of-reference which begins about three car-lengths ahead. I'm picturing where the little Vitz is going to be roughly a half-second before passing over that spot. This is similar to how I tackled Daytona/GT5 as well. I'm not looking at the area just in front of the car, I was looking far ahead on that bank, where the car's about to be in a couple seconds. This is one of those times when tunnel vision is actually a good thing!

--------------------------------------------------------------

B-5: Circle Track 2: Acceleration Basics

My Gold time: 32.208

Oddly, I found the 80-meter steering test in the more-powerful Subaru easier than the 60-meter test driving the previous Toyota! B-5 took me just three tries to gold.

1). Again, I found it's better to select AT instead of MT, and I'm mostly a manual-transmission guy. Now all I gotta worry about is steering.

2). Keep the engine steady between 6 and 7,000 rpms at the start, flooring it just as the test begins.

Tricky thing about the Subaru is we can't just keep the throttle planted the entire time; occasionally its important to curtail the gas a bit. Otherwise the car will start pushing too far to the outside. Even so, this test is freaking easy in comparison to the previous one.

3). Steer toward the turn gradually, throttle planted. The transmission will shift to 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. Once it's in third, start paying attention to speed. If the car's cruising slightly above 70 mph, feather the gas a bit so it's falling into the mid 60s at the lowest. Anywhere between 64 to 72 is okay, speed gathering, then falling back.

4). That's pretty much it. In this car it's not as important to stay on the curb the entire time; I found myself rolling onto the curb (inwards). Off the curb (out). Onto the curb. And off. All four tires were on the skidpad during "off" moments, which is okay.

5). As the finish is approached, it's okay to loosen the front-end. Don't straighten it all the way, just loosen it slightly, allowing the Impreza to gain speed.

----------------------------------

B-6: Basics of Cornering 1

We've got a yellow cheater line on the track this time, supposedly showing us where the Mazda Demio is supposed to be. But notice the demonstration driver does not follow this line to a tee, especially as the turn begins to tighten.

1). I'm revving at about 5 grand at first, flooring it as the clock starts.

I've also ditched automatic transmission this time, back to MT. This allows the option of a bit more speed. The tach gets about halfway into redline before shifting from 1st to 2nd, and 2nd to 3rd.

2). Initially steer the Demio to the right of the yellow line. This test is supposed to teach us "out-in-out", the classic way to navigate in and out of many turns while maintaining speed. Anyway, the Demio is to the right of the line initially.

3). As the rumble strip begins on the right, stay "out" for a moment, but then carefully steer inward, so that the car is now slightly left of the yellow line.

4). Aim inwards, toward the inner rumbly. Allowing the inner tires to graze slightly over the rumble strip is okay, but no grass, and no extreme rumble strip action (which can mess up the car's cornering arc).

At some point about halfway into the turn, the gas might need to be lifted just for a split second, which allows the car to orient itself we now go from "in" to "out" without too much understeer. This is an intuitive thing. It's difficult to say when this slight bit of liftoff will be needed, or whether it'll be needed at all.

Because that's one of the main differences between GT1 and GT2: understeer is more persistent in this game!

5). Keep steering as the outer curb approaches, throttle planted. Keep the car in 3rd gear as the track straightens. It'll redline heavily, but upshifting to 4th costs a few hundredths of a second, which could be the difference between silver and gold.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

B-7: Basics of Cornering 2

Same turn as before, only difference is we've got a much more powerful car to handle.

1). Shift gears immediately if you're using MT instead of AT. Stupid thing about this test is the engine's already maxing revs as the test starts, and if it's not upshifted into 2nd at the start, speed gets lost.

2). Allow the Honda's 1.8 to get all the way to the RPM limit of 8,000 before shifting up to 3rd. All Hondas have their power tucked way up high.

3). I found myself ignoring the yellow line, moving the Integra to the right of the line, in fact, so I could get a maximum "out" angle.

4). Upshift into 4th just before approaching the outer rumble strip. The car's outer tires can roll slightly over the rumbly while angling for as much "out" as is possible. Full throttle.

5). Now, this gets tricky. Swerve to the left while following the yellow line, while downshifting into 3rd and letting off the gas entirely. Yes, four things need to happen at once, exactly in that manner (swerve / follow / downshift / no gas). The idea is to aim the Honda IN now, allowing its front-end to dig into the pavement, heading toward the inside.

6). Allow the car to veer inwards for a split second or two before cautiously reintroducing fuel. A smidge of brakes will probably be needed (watch the demo with behind-car cam going). The gas pedal may need a bit of feathering as the inside of the turn is approached, but eventually the throttle can be floored again.

7). Upshift into 4th as the turn straightens.

--------------------------------------------------------

B-8: Basics of Cornering 3

Same car, same track (Apricot Hill) except now we're making a right turn into the track's hairpin. This is an incredibly easy test, a two out of five, five being hardest, and 1 being those ridiculously easy rally tests which occur later in the game.

1). Again, be prepared to upshift into 2nd right away if using MT instead of AT. Now that the car's in 2nd, wait until 8,000 rpms before upshifting to 3rd.

2). Upshift into 4th while aiming outward. It's okay to allow the Honda's outer tires to graze lightly over the outer rumbly.

3). The same trick for #5 above is needed: let off the gas, follow the line, swerve inwards, and downshift to 3rd.

I found myself doing this portion a bit sloppy, jerking the car inwards too sharply instead of being smooth, so that I was now inside the yellow line a bit. Didn't matter. This test is easy, like I said.

4). We're still in 3rd gear. Start reintroducing gas before the inner apron. Aim the car inwards so its inner tires roll slightly over the inner rumbly. Minimum speed: 65 mph. Feather the gas if needed before flooring it.

5). As the corner goes from "in" to "out", follow the line. Shift up to 4th.

----------------------------------------------------------------

B-9: Basics of Cornering 4: S-turn

My goodness, it's the Ford Cougar! Here's our first instance of an automobile which appears in GT2 and only GT2.

1). This test is a standing start rather than a rolling one, which means we get to choose how to proceed. Most folks will simply floor the gas, bouncing off the limiter, while I prefer to rev mid-range, giving full throttle as the test begins BEEP!

---------------------------------------------------------

B-10: Basics of Cornering 5: S-turn

1). Be prepared to upshift right away if using MT. What is it the demo programmers have against us manual shifters? Anyway, this test is exactly the same as the previous one, except we're in a rolling start instead of a standing one. We should be in 3rd gear.

2). Roll outward to the right side of the track, allowing the outer tires to graze lightly over the bumble strip for a moment, or not. Release the fuel and then swerve suddenly as the line does.

I found myself turning inward earlier than the yellow line says we should actually, so that the entire car was to the left of the line instead of over it..

3). Heading toward the inner rumbly, a dab of brakes is needed. Watch the demo to get a clue when. I was going a minimum of 58 mph during this first turn. Steering must be cranked hard for a few split seconds while feathering the gas

4). The rest of the test is similar to B-9. Keep the throttle planted the entire time while leaving the first turn and entering the 2nd. Steering does not need to be as sharply cranked for this second turn, matter of fact, keep it just loose enough to go from inside to out. Too much steering scrubs speed.