I started with controller and moved to a projector & wheel for my setup, but after years of practice the sim was good enough that I eventually bought a rally car, assembled a rally team, and placed runner up to the eventual class national champion in a full stage rally my rookie year.
One of my favorite memories was having an "off" that debeaded and blew out a tire. While driving up to 60mph on the rim to finish the stage I thought "wow the sim was really spot on with this experience"
I sold the car after getting my ARA "pro" license though, they don't simulate how you have to light dollar bills on fire to fund your hobby, nor the very real risks of serious injury or death.
Had to jump on to my desktop and log in to hn to say thanks for this comment! Its (very subjectively) one of the coolest comments I've ever read on this site. I've often fantasized about doing something very similar. Spending tons of time in DiRT or Assetto Corsa and trying to use that in the real world. I've never actually succeeded but I feel like you've saved me from wondering "what if" too much. I'm still deeply jealous and seriously impressed by what you've done. Congrats!
Look into autocross, if you haven't before. It's probably the most accessible way to get a taste of time-trial racing in real life, and events are held all over the place -- basically anywhere there's a community and a free, empty parking lot. You just need a car (any car as long as it runs and is safe), a helmet (probably the most annoying part), and usually less than $100 for admission.
Had to jump on to my desktop and log in to hn to say thanks for this comment!... impressed by what you've done
Ha thanks, I have to say when I reflect on the experience it was about 10% "me" and 90% "others and the team". After towing the car home on faith that I would figure out the rest (my car maintenance experience was roughly changing tires and checking oil), I reconnected with a mentor who had decades of stage rally experience.
He ultimately invested tons of his time and effort into short-cutting me through many lessons and gotchas, even helping me rebuild the motor when it blew up before my 1st scheduled event. After awhile I called our rally team "God's Grace Rally Team" because the way it so quickly came together and succeeded so well in light of the many overcome issues was really a spiritual experience.
But yes, it can be done. Take that step of faith... reach out and ask for help too!
The only VR game that has had staying power among my friends is VTOL VR. VTOL is a combat flight sim based around near future jets and helicopters. This is where I see the greatest growth potential in VR, in simulators and stationary immersive experiences. Walking around is cumbersome and aiming with physical controllers doesn't feel as clean as M&K, but sitting in a cockpit and pushing buttons while the world flies around you at mach 2 feels amazing.
As a simulator nerd, the best experiences I've had has been with Microsoft Flight Simulator and various racing simulators (like Assetto Corsa). The experiences are so much better than I really don't play them anymore unless I use the VR headset together with the flight/driving controls as the experience is so different.
I've heard good things about Vertigo 2 and VTOL VR. Gorilla Tag was popular for a bit also, and Contractors has some fun basically total conversion mods recently, like a TF2 and Battlefront 2 gamemode. Into the Radius is nearing it's end of development as well. A couple others I've had fun with are are Dragon Fist, Until you Fall, Ragnarock and the Pixel Ripped games.
I liked the 2017 Rick and Morty game. It's rather short, iirc about two hours.
We often used to hang out at my old place with a few friends (often the first days of the year, but also some weekends), playing boardgames, cooking together and taking it slow. We played the game on two or three of these occasions and having one person do a full play through with the others watching/commenting on the TV worked incredibly well. Plus, spectators don't need to focus on the game. I think one time we did two play throughs back to back (different players, and I think the second one wasn't there for the first round). Though the living room at that place was huge and allowed for a 3x4m arena with only minor inconveniences. And of course if people loath R&M it's less funny I'm afraid (but still a very nice VR puzzler!).
As a VR enthusiast nothing has come close to the experience of Half Life Alyx (except maybe PavlovVR). Luckily it’s had a prolific modding scene to keep me going but really we need more like it.
No Man’s Sky had a VR update and I much prefer the game in VR to regular. It’s like a completely different game in VR and I am play it wildly different from keyboard and mouse.
