Rally Racing FAQ - Guide for Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec

GGGGG TTTTT 33333     RRRR   AAA  L     L     Y   Y   Gran
G       T       3  *  R  R  A   A L     L      Y Y    Turismo
G  GG   T     333     RRRRR AAAAA L     L       Y     3
G   G   T       3  *  R   R A   A L     L       Y     Rally
GGGGG   T   33333     R   R A   A LLLLL LLLLL   Y     Guide

By

Wolf Feather/Jamie Stafford
[email protected]

Version:   1.0
Completed: Bastille Day 2001

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CONTENTS
Spacing and Length
Permissions
Introduction
Fast Advancement
Dirt Driving
Wet-conditions Driving
Circuit Tips and Warnings
Contact

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SPACING AND LENGTH
For optimum readability, this driving guide should be
viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier.
Check for appropriate font setting by making sure the numbers
and letters below line up:

1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

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PERMISSIONS
This guide may ONLY be posted on FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com,
PSXCodez.com, Cheatcc.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com,
InsidePS2Games.com, RedCoupe, CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat
Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru, cheatingplanet.com,
vgstrategies.com, and neoseeker.com.

Permission is granted to download and print one copy for
personal use.

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INTRODUCTION
Rally racing in the Gran Turismo series is almost exclusively
dirt-based, unlike games exclusively devoted to Rally racing.
Those who have played the Rally events in Gran Turismo 2 will
certainly recognize almost all the Rally circuits in GT3, and
will certainly appreciate the exquisite detail paid to the
visuals.  However, as in the rest of GT3, the new physics
engine makes it virtually impossible to drive the same car
(perhaps a Peugeot 206 Rally Car) the exact same way in both
GT2 and GT3.  Also, some of the returning circuits have much
more pavement than before, although the majority of these
circuits are still dirt-covered.

The major change in Rally racing from GT2 to GT3 is in the
actual racing format itself.  In Gran Turismo 2, you compete
against a ghost version of a particular vehicle for only one
lap around a circuit, therefore dust is not an issue.
However, GT3's Rally format uses multiple laps per race,
against an actual (non-ghost) opponent.  Further, GT3's
maniacal attention to detail includes large clouds of dust
(for dirt-based races) to greatly obscure your vision if you
are not in the lead.  Fortunately, the spray issue in the
wet-conditions races is only slightly annoying, and does not
truly obscure your vision.

An important notation used in Gran Turismo 3 is the II
designation.  The name of a circuit followed by II means that
the race is actually run in reverse of its standard
direction.  For example, Tahiti Challenge of Rally is run
clockwise, while Tahiti Challenge of Rally II is run
counterclockwise.

Unfortunately, GT3 does not include the Pike's Peak courses
from GT2's Rally mode.  However, the Suzuki Escudo (THE car
of cars!!!!!) is still a part of the game - it can be
purchased for 1,000,000 credits, or won by winning ALL Rally
mode events.

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FAST ADVANCEMENT
One of the best tips concerning the Rally events is actually
part of a larger plan for GT3 as a whole.  Winning the Gold
Trophy in ALL tests for a given level in the License Tests
will give you a high-powered car which can then easily win
virtually any race, thus amassing cars and money quickly.
However, some people (myself included) are quite content
enough with achieving a Bronze Trophy for each of the License
Tests.

This is where Rally comes in.  Take the time to acquire a car
and keep adding parts, entering the same vehicle in as many
races as you can win.  During this process, as you win cars,
sell them, and use the money for more parts for your
dedicated car - unless you win a car which can give you a
much greater horsepower output when maxed out.  In my case, I
use a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII GSR(J), maxed out to
565HP.

Once you have all the horsepower your chosen vehicle can
accommodate, buy dirt tires and head for the Rally events!!!
You will likely need to spend time seriously thinking about
tuning your car (done in the Settings menu), but once you
find the right settings for your vehicle, you can compete on
virtually all the circuits in Rally mode and have a very good
chance at winning each race.

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DIRT DRIVING
After completing a number of races on pavement, driving on
dirt can be a radical change for newcomers to Rally racing.
As in standard pavement racing, speed, braking, and racing
line are all important, but - in my opinion - they all take a
back seat to steering in Rally racing.  Dirt is much more
difficult for the tires to accurately grip to give you the
traction necessary to brake, accelerate, and turn cleanly.

Essentially, everything comes down to anticipation, even
moreso than pavement driving because of the element of
severely-reduced traction.  Learning to control a sliding
vehicle is key - the direction of the slide, the speed of the
slide, the positioning of the wheels, and other factors all
influence how you can get around a corner or how you can
either hold or get back on the optimal racing line.

Without question, Rally racing can be frustrating at first,
especially the mostly-dirt circuits.  Of course, the Rally
License Tests will give you a chance to learn how to control
your vehicle on various Rally circuits in differing
situations.  Even after the Rally License has been acquired,
it may be beneficial to complete each Rally License Test
several more times - both to reinforce the driving
techniques, and to become more familiar with these courses.

Dirt Driving Payout:
   Race   Credits
   1      5.000
   2      10.000
   3      20,000
Winning all three races at a given circuit in the given
direction results in winning a Rally car.

The number of laps per race (varies by circuit):
   Circuit                          Race   Laps
   Tahiti Challenge of Rally (II)   1      2
                                    2      3
                                    3      5
   Tahiti Maze (II)                 1      2
                                    2      3
                                    3      5
   Smoky Mountain Rally (II)        1      3
                                    2      5
                                    3      7
   Swiss Alps (II)                  1      3
                                    2      5
                                    3      7

I was able to win ALL the dirt-based Rally competitions using
a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII GSR(J) with these
parameters and parts:
   Ride Height          117mm front, 117mm rear
   Shock Absorbers      Level 9 front, Level 9 rear
   Camber Angle         1.0 front, 0.5 rear
   Stabilizers          Level 3 front, Level 3 rear
   Gear Ratio           Auto Setting: Level 22
   Downforce            0.19 front, 0.41 rear
   Active Stability     Level 14
      Management
   TCS Controller       Level 7
   Parts Acquired       Suspension/Semi-racing, Sports
                        Brakes, Muffler and Air Cleaner/
                        Racing, Port Polish, Full-engine
                        Balancing, Racing Chip, Clutch/
                        Triple Plate, Flywheel/Racing,
                        Driveshaft/ Carbon, Transmission/
                        Full-racing, Limited-slip/1.5-way,
                        Turbo Kit Stage 3, Intercooler/
                        Racing, Sports Tires, Dirt Racing
                        Tires, Lightweight Stages 1-3

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WET-CONDITIONS DRIVING
One (very dirty) word: hydroplaning.

The biggest problem in these wet races is sliding.  While you
obviously need to put down A LOT of power to try to win the
races, that power constantly risks to slide you out of
control.  Should a slide ever make you completely spin
around, you may as well just quit the race and start over,
because you will NEVER be able to catch up with your
opponent.

Fortunately, if you are following closely behind your
opponent, spray from the other vehicle is not such an issue
that your vision is truly obscured.  Granted, the spray of
water is rather annoying, but you can still generally see
what is ahead.

If you have a powerful enough car, you can use it for the
dirt AND wet-conditions Rally races.  However, take care in
coming out of the slow chicanes, as using too much power can
cause of spin.

Wet-conditions Driving Payout:
   Race   Credits
   1      5.000
   2      10.000
   3      20,000
Winning all three races at a given circuit in the given
direction results in winning a Rally car.

The number of laps per race:
   Circuit                            Race   Laps
   Super Special Route 5 (Wet) (II)   1      2
                                      2      3
                                      3      5

I was able to win ALL the wet-conditions Rally competitions
using a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII GSR(J) with these
parameters and parts:
   Ride Height          117mm front, 117mm rear
   Shock Absorbers      Level 9 front, Level 9 rear
   Camber Angle         1.0 front, 0.5 rear
   Stabilizers          Level 3 front, Level 3 rear
   Gear Ratio           Auto Setting: Level 27
   Downforce            0.19 front, 0.41 rear
   Active Stability     Level 14
      Management
   TCS Controller       Level 7
   Parts Acquired       Suspension/Semi-racing, Sports
                        Brakes, Muffler and Air Cleaner/
                        Racing, Port Polish, Full-engine
                        Balancing, Racing Chip, Clutch/
                        Triple Plate, Flywheel/Racing,
                        Driveshaft/ Carbon, Transmission/
                        Full-racing, Limited-slip/1.5-way,
                        Turbo Kit Stage 3, Intercooler/
                        Racing, Sports Tires, Dirt Racing
                        Tires, Lightweight Stages 1-3

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CIRCUIT TIPS AND WARNINGS
Tahiti Challenge of Rally: Be careful when transitioning
between pavement and dirt.  About halfway around the circuit,
the set of three jumps can easily cause you to find yourself
sideways and smashing against a barrier.

Tahiti Maze: Perhaps the best thing to do here is simply ride
the rails, especially if you are trying to catch up to the
leader.  Be careful when transitioning between pavement and
dirt.

Smokey Mountain Rally: The 'front stretch' is now entirely
pavement; however, it would be wise to slow just before
cresting the final paved jump.  There are a number of jumps
all around the circuit which are quite likely to send you
first airborne, then into a barrier or mountainside.

Swiss Alps: This long, winding circuit has numerous hairpins
which can either help you to catch up if you are behind, or
can quickly put you behind if you are in the lead.  Beware
the transition to and from the bridge.

Tahiti Challenge of Rally II: Be careful when transitioning
between pavement and dirt.  About halfway around the circuit,
the set of three jumps can easily cause you to find yourself
sideways and smashing against a barrier.

Tahiti Maze II: Perhaps the best thing to do here is simply
ride the rails, especially if you are trying to catch up to
the leader.  Be careful when transitioning between pavement
and dirt.

Smokey Mountain Rally II: The 'front stretch' is now entirely
pavement.  Especially in this (clockwise) direction, there
are a number of jumps all around the circuit which are quite
likely to send you first airborne, then into a barrier or
mountainside.  Take care to slow down just before cresting
the hill in the first turn; failure to do so will certainly
launch you airborne and into a barrier, allowing your
opponent to slip past you and gain a hefty lead before you
can regroup.

Swiss Alps II: This long, winding circuit has numerous
hairpins which can either help you to catch up if you are
behind, or can quickly put you behind if you are in the lead.
The evening sun casts dark shadows over virtually ALL of the
circuit, so intimate knowledge of the course is required to
even have a chance of winning here.  Beware the transition to
and from the bridge; on approach, the dark shadows mask the
narrowness of the bridge opening, so a flawless racing line
here is absolutely essential.

Super Special Route 5 (Wet): Of course, the wet conditions
will have you sliding around the circuit at almost all times,
so the real trick is to control your sliding and make the
vehicle slide in a manner conducive to winning.  Be careful
coming out of Turn 7 and heading into Turn 8 (the first
timing point), as the vehicle will naturally want to slide
out into the open area to the left on exiting Turn 7, and a
barrier suddenly narrows the entry into Turn 8.  To the
extent possible, ride the rails.

Super Special Route 5 (Wet) II: Of course, the wet conditions
will have you sliding around the circuit at almost all times,
so the real trick is to control your sliding and make the
vehicle slide in a manner conducive to winning.  To the
extent possible, ride the rails.  Do not let yourself get
distracted by the beautiful moon.  As you come out of the
tunnel (the final turn), take care not to slide off into Pit
Lane or ram the Pit Lane barrier on exit.

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CONTACT
For rants, raves, etc., contact me at [email protected]

To find the latest version of this and all my other PSX/PS2
game guides, visit FeatherGuides at
http://www.angelcities.com/members/feathersites/

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                   Wolf Feather    Jamie Stafford
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Just as there are many parts needed to make a human a human, there's a
remarkable number of things needed to make an individual what they are.
                - Major Kusinagi, _Ghost in the Shell_
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