Julien Regnard has released a new version of his Sharp Tires Mod for Need for Speed Shift, aiming to give the title’s tire model a realistic overhaul.
The mod improves the tire physics, allowing more precise and direct steering, as well as a more realistic grip level. The tire data is based on real-life data and extensive testing, the game’s drift tire physics have not been touched.
The mod requires the latest version of Need for Speed Shift (1.02) to be installed, it works both with packed and unpacked versions of the game. Make sure to check out the mod’s readme file for more info and recommended settings to make most of the new tire behaviour.
Sommergemüse
January 26th, 2010 at 05:31
Tested and really worth downloading it.
German Version over at my Blog (Click on my Name hehe)
Skillcoil
January 26th, 2010 at 06:17
umm I would like to see a comparison video between the original vs this mod.
F1Racer
January 26th, 2010 at 10:15
what will a video tell you ? The best way to compare is to download it and try it yourself. Then you don’t have to rely on someone else’s opinion.
drdryvillage
January 26th, 2010 at 11:12
This sim rule them all
Gulyo
January 26th, 2010 at 11:26
This crap is BIG disappointment … I’ve bought it but WASTE of money !!! I try to sell but noone is needed …
Klaas Jan
January 26th, 2010 at 12:02
How can there be something wrong with a game which has a improved physics mod coming out every month or so…
michael
January 26th, 2010 at 12:16
Well, to be fair, plenty seem to think the cars in shift don’t behave properly based upon the way they see them move. Presumably this is by looking at them move. As I understand it, a video could show this motion. I’ve heard, soon they’ll have sound and colour!
And TBH, it seems no less asinine to suggest that some individuals “opinion” of what the mod is like makes any more sense as a means of judging it, especially as it claims to make the game more realistic.
Juls seems to have decided, for example, that the grip multiplier should be 1.0 and so on, stuff that Ian Bell claimed were not set at 1.2 to add extra “arcade” grip levels or to dumb down the game at all, but are instead what SMS suggest are the correct levels of grip.
Will it be different? yes. You may subjectively prefer it? Absolutely. But does it actually live up to the claims it makes about realism? When, like all mods, it’s basically someone changing a few values in config files using the one or 2 word variable names to decide what the parameters mean, and then making huge assumptions about what the values are or “should” be. I very much doubt it.
Sommergemüse
January 26th, 2010 at 12:28
Whats the problem?
It’s more challenging to drive with this Mod – and I have more fun with that…
And now it’s possible to Spin the car with to much Acceleration… thats Realistic (if you shut of all the crap ABS, ESP..)
orubasarot
January 26th, 2010 at 15:59
I have to admit, most of the cars in Shift do resemble my own personal driving experience more accurately than other sims. However this is because the rubber bushings on my 3 series have disintegrated, my subframe is damaged, my allignment is a disaster, and either the traction control or ABS is malfunctioning and pushing the steering side to side in certain situations.
Too bad Shift can’t simulate a car that actually works. Or colors, but that’s some real high tech stuff to have consistent colors, plus it simulates hobos spraypainting your car with primer on the way to the track from your garage, so perhaps that’s a feature?
hoboracer
January 26th, 2010 at 17:09
Why a hobo? Maybe they are numbering the cars as they go out.
Der_KHAN
January 26th, 2010 at 17:26
just reading about shift makes me sad. so much potential wasted :(
Mahjik
January 26th, 2010 at 17:58
Try it for yourself. You typically only read people post complaints, rather than the people who are enjoying it (i.e. playing rather than posting). Not all sim racers have the same opinion.
Sommergemüse
January 26th, 2010 at 18:04
Thats true only some peoples (and ever the same) are swearing…
I think you should try Shift, it’s a really great game!!!
hoboracer
January 26th, 2010 at 18:46
You can always go back to Prostreet. In fact, a lot of guys still claim NFS1 is still the best. I personally love me some cop chases, but Shift is a great circuit racer. Potential unwasted.
Der_KHAN
January 26th, 2010 at 19:42
i have tried shift for myself and i have tried it again with every patch they released. i don’t mean to be offensive… but seriously, how any simracer can defend this pos is beyond me.
hoboracer
January 26th, 2010 at 20:32
At least you tried it. Be offensive, it’s feedback for the devs, but let them know exactly what you don’t like. Calling it a pos makes yourself look bad when it obviously sells well. Just say you don’t like it for whatever reason and move on. I have tons of race games on the shelf, some good some bad, none are total pos. Except maybe crashday or outrun2006. :)
AeroMechanical
January 26th, 2010 at 21:22
I believe the default tire model is quite good and doesn’t really need any tweaking.
There’s nothing wrong with changing it of course, if you prefer the way it drives with a mod. One thing for sure, is I don’t think modders should be aiming to make it handle more like rFactor, RACE or GTR2. That would be a mistake. iRacing or NKP would definitely make a better example, but judging new sims on whether they drive like older sims doesn’t make much sense.
I do take issue with the force feedback to a degree though. I think it should be tweaked, even if that might mean eschewing realism, to account for the inate weakness of any force feedback wheel. It can be improved with some tweaking of configs and setups, but it still isn’t up to NKP, iRacing or RealFeel for communicating forces. I like my FFB to be taut and communication of the front tires scrubbing or sliding to be obvious, even exaggerating the numbers if necessary.
djotefsoup
January 27th, 2010 at 00:48
The thing that always comes to my mind is the BHMS review of GTR2:
http://www.bhmotorsports.com/review/GTR2/3
However it doesn’t matter how good a physics engine is when the values input into it are dumbed down to appease the market.
There is vastly too much grip, catering toward the magazine readers, Doug A, the mastermind of previous physics such as GTR/GPL etc and a real life driver winning many titles has obviously been reigned in with these physics. It�s a pity Simbin had to pander to magazine critics in this respect, I think the community is in agreement that this is a backward step. This is a HUGE pity, and the main reason I cannot drive the sim anymore…
A good thing to come out of this is the source code has been left open appeasing the hardcore crowd by letting make their own physics. In this case we are lucky, the NAP mod physics is vastly improved and finally something to make GTR2 enjoyable. Make sure if you want a more realistic experience you try these physics.
Does anyone think that’s right? Or was it that GTR had some bugs, people confused those bugs with realism, and thought the sequel was arcade when it removed them? :)
carbonfibre
January 27th, 2010 at 00:57
It’s clear now the pitfalls of Shift can’t be fixed through this notepad tweaking tire model method that people insist on continuing to mod. There’s no doubt Juls and the rest are making excellent strides towards reducing the apparent arcade easiness on the higher tier cars with these mods, but these sorts of improvements take second rate behind the more serious FFB problems.
FFB is the single most annoying thing stopping me from enjoying shift and this mod (which I regard as the best attempt yet) did a fantastic job of amplifying wheel oscillation to comical levels. The Shift modding scene needs actual programmers to fix the FFB with plugins that would also hopefully introduce much wanted under-steer effects. Until then, I’ll still be doing my driving on rF, waiting for rF2.
Der_KHAN
January 27th, 2010 at 00:57
well i didn’t go into detail much because i have done that a couple of times already here on virtualr – also in the feedback topic we made for ian bell.
RKipker
January 27th, 2010 at 02:32
You guys are “Killing Me” its a game, not real life and will never be REAL! However, as a game I think SHIFT is one of the best of 2009 for racing games.
Fun, Exciting, and Challenging in Pro Mode all assist off.
Der_KHAN
January 27th, 2010 at 03:50
it has been said before, virtualr didn’t start out to be a place for games but for simulators. and let me remind you of what ian bell promised shift to be:
orubasarot
January 27th, 2010 at 07:47
This whole non-sim apologism is ridiculous on a site with “100% SIM RACING NEWS” written at the top of every page.
Should we start getting the latest scoop on browser based Mario Kart clones too? If it’s only about fun, why not put Bejeweled on this site too? People enjoy that, fun is fun, right guys?
If I wanted to read praise of Mickey Mouse physics I wouldn’t be reading a sim racing blog. This place is SUPPOSED to be pretentious.
This is a place for geeks with $1,000 custom hydropneumatic carbon ceramic composite clutches ordered from some wookie-looking dude welding things in a shed in Japan. If you want to talk about your gamertag achievements you’re at the wrong place. If you want fun, you’re at the wrong place.
orubasarot
January 27th, 2010 at 07:50
AAALLLAAAHUUU AKBAR netKar PRO is my savior and telementry software is its prophet, death to contard infidels.
djotefsoup
January 27th, 2010 at 08:06
I just think it’s amusing that Shift gets contrasted negatively with GTR2, when GTR2 was put down next to GTR itself, for very silly reasons by very silly people. The icing is that it never registers with anyone that Shift implements a bunch of things in code which the “realism” mods for GTR2 tried to add through brute force and data edits – sidewall flex, limits on tuning setting ranges, differences in gearbox speeds, more forgiving tyres, different aero adjustment properties per car, really the majority of what the hardcore wanted to add in NAP is in Shift.
Doesn’t seem like many people notice that though :)
Sommergemüse
January 27th, 2010 at 14:53
Bla Bla Blay Cry
But I say some aspects are for sure more realistic than GTR 2, rFactor and so on…
And about the Force Feedback: It’s better than in any gMotor Engine Based Game..
Play Shift some hours and go back to GTR 2 or whatever you like … you will notice it
So please stop crying in Shift is more Simulation than you say…
Vince Klortho
January 27th, 2010 at 15:05
No. It is most definitely not right because the source code is not open and never has been. The physics files are open but they are not source code. They are parameter files.
I find it hilarious when people say the grip levels are too high while many people including Ian Bell and some real race car drivers say it is not high enough. In addition to the FACT that GT cars can hit at least 2.5 lateral Gs while cornering according to the telemetry that I have seen on broadcasts. That is SERIOUS grip. Of course, sim racers know best.
ForzaBarca88
January 27th, 2010 at 18:29
@the trolls complaining about NFS not being a sim…..
Give us some OBJECTIVE reasons on why the physics engine in Shift doesnt qualify as a simulation instead of that drivel. There’s plenty of “sim racers” that can get along with its physics, just because you’re a noob…err I mean don’t like the physics doesnt mean its not a sim.
And btw, given its his site Montoya can write about whatever he deems to be sim racing related. But if Paris Hilton does interesting things with a G27 Shifter in her next sex tape and he deems that to be sim racing related, thats when I’d be worried….
In any case if you dont give a **** about a particular piece of news its not hard to skip it.
Montoya
January 27th, 2010 at 18:44
Given that Paris is more into expensive and exclusive stuff, she`d probably do it with a FREX shifter though
Der_KHAN
January 27th, 2010 at 22:49
ok, now i’d really like to know your experience level. what sims have you been racing and what steering wheel do you use?
the best ffb i have ever experienced is my custom profile for a combination of leo ffb and realfeel in rfactor. iracing is pretty much on par with that, just a little number with some cars; less sense of understeer. gtr evolution is pretty good too, once it’s setup correctly. but shift… i mean the effects are all there but the “simulation” of load changes is just so off i don’t even have words for that. … and the physics… you’re always sliding for some reason and spinning a car is near impossible – kinda like dirt 2 really.
i have quite a few buddies who are simracers themselves and everyone agrees that shift has nothing to do with driving a real car… except for the graphical presetation maybe. i don’t wanna bash anybody but from what i’ve seen so far i must assume that you shift-defenders either don’t have that same simracing-attitude, or you just don’t have any idea what you’Re talking about.
Sommergemüse
January 28th, 2010 at 00:26
Really I give a fuck of your swearing…
Just drive Shift some hours and go back to rFactor – you are missing really much…
And don’t go personally I’m a damn noob only why i Like Shift???
fpol
January 28th, 2010 at 01:42
Vince Klortho:
I find it hilarious when people say the grip levels are too high while many people including Ian Bell and some real race car drivers say it is not high enough.In addition to the FACT that GT cars can hit at least 2.5 lateral Gs while cornering according to the telemetry that I have seen on broadcasts.That is SERIOUS grip.Of course, sim racers know best.
Too bloody right Vince. What I find appalling is that so many sim racers admit to never having done more than drive the family sedan down a highway – on mundane all season street tires capable of .77g max – yet those same guys will claim to know what a proper set of Michelin race compound slicks, downforce, and a dedicated race bred suspension with revised pickup points (not an off the shelf set of H&R coilovers bolted to stock mounts on a watered down ‘performance car’) produces.
Here’s what i know – I’ve never come home from the track (in a comparatively mundane ‘performance’ street car) and thought that GTR2 was generally an ‘arcade’ game with grossly inaccurate physics. While I’d never argue it’s the definitive simulator of our time, you absolutely can take solid driving principles, and utilize them in the sim to turn a decent lap – that works for me.
fpol
January 28th, 2010 at 01:47
Just thought I’d add…
I’m pretty dedicated to serious simming and in fact i *do* use them for driver training for track time, as high performance track and autocross is my most dedicated hobby. I don’t have a carbon fiber clutch for my sim rig, however I did spend well over 1K for a pedal set from a manufacturer in Japan. That said i have NO PROBLEM with Montoya adding these entries.
Shoot – i don’t care about most of the F1 mods du jour, nor do I care much about Pole Position, and haven’t owned a console in years so clearly don’t drive Forza or GT5 – but this would be a pretty quiet blog if it only covered iRacing and NKpro…and shoot, as great as the iRacing physics are I wouldn’t call standing on the throttle and slamming a car into gear at race start a ’simulation’ of a how it’s really done …so I guess Montoya should only report on NKPro! He could host that blog from his home desktop!
Der_KHAN
January 28th, 2010 at 08:36
see thats my problem with this topic, i’ve never ever heard one single valid arguement why shift is a better sim than iracing or rfactor. those two are the benchmark for me (although theres only a select few cars for rfactor with realistic physics). all i’m hearing is, just try it and you’ll see. well i have tried it. and i see that the ffb isnt better, the ai isnt better, the physics are not better, there’s nothing “sophisticated” about the tire model, the cockpit shaking is nothing new and the motion blur, tunnel vision and crash effects don’t make a good simulator. i have given shift a chance, i really wanted to like it. you can read up on my old comments here, i have never bashed this game before i tried it myself. but even after hours of enduring this game, there’s nothing sim that i’m missing when i go back to rfactor. i didnt mean to insult you. of course your not a noob if you like shift. but you are noob when you go around trying to tell people that shift has better ffb than ANY gmotor2 sim, because that’s simply not true.
Sensekhmet
January 28th, 2010 at 09:50
It might be my settings but the mod actually feels worse to drive than original tires. Just my opinion. It’s a lot easier to lose control over the car, especially since the AI will sooner or later come into contact with you. The thing that really makes me frustrated (and flying off the track very often) is the complete lack of feedback when the front tires start to let go. It’s almost as if understeer isn’t even modeled in FF. The effect is that when approaching a corner I can *never* be quite sure just what the car will do.
mattabater
January 28th, 2010 at 12:06
i dont think Sommergemüse comments are to far fetched at all. i dont want to argue which is better but this does make rfactor feel dated in some areas of physics, its just does feels realer. you can go on and on all day but it doesnt matter its kick ass and i think its the closest ive come to driving one of these top tier racing beast. Now wheres the ferrari please? :) .
Der_KHAN
January 28th, 2010 at 14:11
“in some areas of physics”… in what areas? what is that magic voodoo thing that you guys go on and on about but never explain?
hoboracer
January 28th, 2010 at 18:04
Why do you need someone to justify this to you? It’s your own opinion that counts. Why do you require an explanation for the sales of this game? Uninstall it and throw it in the trash already.
mattabater
January 28th, 2010 at 22:50
You’ve been giving plenty of reasons you’re just trolling
. doesnt matter what people say to you they play shift they must not know what there talking about, and what area of physics is rfactor better than shift?. since you know so much why do you need people to explain to you Mr expert?.
Der_KHAN
January 28th, 2010 at 23:12
wait what? now i am the troll? all i’m saying is that i am right and the others are wrong!
mattabater
January 29th, 2010 at 00:04
wait what?, no you always were a troll!. and those others just make you look stupid, there is no way you are more right than them, maybe in you’re dreams.
Der_KHAN
January 29th, 2010 at 01:46
no! i’m righter than they are!!!
drdryvillage
January 29th, 2010 at 04:21
interesting is shifft always fill a lot of comments, or maybe not, its like that with everything thats popular, from crap music to crap movies = mainstream
Sommergemüse
January 29th, 2010 at 04:58
Shift is no crap!
mattabater
January 29th, 2010 at 11:11
there crap pc’s prolly cant run it most likely
.
mattabater
January 29th, 2010 at 11:34
yep everyone decided not to download
drdryvillage
January 29th, 2010 at 13:45
Hi sry, but I didn’t mean like that. I was talking to Der_KHAN to not waste his time. Missing quote, sry. You download what you want, I don’t give a…
but this game is not qualified to simulator by my standards. Obviously others are less exigent, but I can understand it
drdryvillage
January 29th, 2010 at 13:46
Thats not equal to a bad game, actually is a good game
mattabater
January 30th, 2010 at 01:24
hey where did i say you said it was a bad game i dont care if you think its good or bad one bit ;), my point is you’re full of shit. give a subjective reason why its not a sim. saying its like pop music doesnt mean its not a sim.
drdryvillage
January 30th, 2010 at 17:33
OK I go first. Because I see no one pointing where is the simulation…
but not full because Im almost finished and then I will race some serious simulator… 
To me it feels like driving a hovercraft with no wheels, like arcade game. It bounces like there is no tomorrow. Its impossible to spin. Not even close to real car feel. Like arcade games IMO
And you are right Im shiting right now
mattabater
January 31st, 2010 at 01:51
its not impossible to spin though, cars in real life bounce when they hit bumps, how do you know what a one of these fully race prepared gt cars feels like?. your moped doesnt count btw.
Der_KHAN
January 31st, 2010 at 04:01
well that’s the beauty of shift, there’s also normal road cars like the bimmer 3 series or honda civic.
mattabater
January 31st, 2010 at 06:48
Yea but you haven’t driven a car let alone any of those. even an AZ 600 is out of you’re league. So there again you haven’t proved anything. you say we cant prove shit well you cant prove shit. show us you driving a 3 series m3 then testing shift that would be proof. and btw you went quiet you thought you had something with you’re comment so you came back, but you still got put down.
anyway we were having a discussion and you said they have to prove it like to expect them to pull something out there asses. you cant prove anything thing so why do you expect them to prove anything?. you silly child. from now on you shall be known as der_BRAIN.
I have driven a 1993 m3 also a 1999 audi a4 the old audis not hugely different from the new ones, id say there bang on in shift. so you’re full of crap if your trying to say they dont feel realistic, but you are anyway coz i know you were.
Der_KHAN
January 31st, 2010 at 21:53
no i went quiet because i was playing the bad company 2 beta around the clock :p
no i concur. i was very much able to drive a real 3 series and an a4 in a straight line. mind you orubasarot’s bmw doesn’t count!
mattabater
February 1st, 2010 at 00:16
nah not that smart alecy shit that you always resort to. you were trying to say they dont feel right,but theres no question they do feel right.
drdryvillage
February 1st, 2010 at 07:06
With or without this “realistic overhaul” mod?
mattabater
February 1st, 2010 at 08:41
the car characteristic’s how the car feels behaves, not to be fully mistaken for the grip levels what this mod changes, were realistic without this mod. the overall behaviour is better with this mod though because of the more realistic grip levels.
michael
February 3rd, 2010 at 17:22
There’s no problem. That’s the point. No problem with the tyres. Indeed they are, arguably, the best thing about the game. He could have “fixed” just about anything else and at least found something to fix :)
As for the now tiresome and old “the cars don’t spin in NFS shift”, perhaps you should remove all the crap you’ve installed and try the vanilla game?
The cars don’t spin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DWerA7i7eM
No really, they won’t spin…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJCuVwKLtkw
Sommergemüse
February 3rd, 2010 at 18:25
Cookie?
Der_KHAN
February 3rd, 2010 at 23:22
i totally agree it’s the same as the endless discussions about Need For Speed Underground being “arcady”.
just look here you naysayers! the cars do spin! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bumRpE8rLCA
and here: some hardcore simracing fans show off the sophisticated tire model with a donut! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgE3pALZ9fg