V-Rally 3 - Strategy Guide (Page 01)
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V V RRRR AAA L L Y Y 333
V V R R A A L L Y Y 3 3
V V --- RRRRR AAAAA L L Y 33
V V R R A A L L Y 3 3
V R R A A LLLLL LLLLL Y 333
V-RALLY 3: GAME GUIDE
by
Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather
FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM
Initial Version Completed: January 31, 2003
FINAL VERSION Completed: April 12, 2003
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CONTENTS
Spacing and Length
Permissions
Introduction
Menus
Autoload/Autosave
Drivers
Points
V-Rally Mode
Time Attack Mode
Challenge Mode
Tuning
Navigatorspeak (English Language Audio)
General Tips
Racing Tips: Braking
Racing Tips: Cornering
Racing Tips: Coasting
Racing Tips: Weight Shifts
Racing Tips: Wet-weather Racing/Driving
Stage Overviews
Vehicle Set-ups: Overview
Vehicle Set-ups: 1.6L FWD Class
Vehicle Set-ups: 2.0L 4WD Class
Vehicle Set-ups: Bonus Car Class
Regular Cars
Unlockable Items and Features
Extra Challenges
Diagrams
Online Resources
Contact Information
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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 font setting by making sure the numbers and letters
below line up:
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
This guide is now approximately 95 pages in length in the
Macintosh version of Word98 using 12-point Courier font.
Therefore, printing this guide in its entirety may not
exactly be a great idea.
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PERMISSIONS
Permission is hereby granted for a user to download and/or
print out a copy of this driving guide for personal use.
However, due to the extreme length, printing this driving
guide may not be such a good idea.
This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides,
GameFAQs.com, f1gamers.com, Games Domain, PSXCodez.com,
Cheatcc.com, gamesover.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com,
RedCoupe, ComputerUnderground.com, InsidePS2Games.com,
CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru,
cheatingplanet.com, GameReactors.com, RobsGaming.com,
Infogrames Australia, neoseeker.com, CheatHeaven, IGN,
ps2fantasy.com, and vgstrategies.com. Please contact me for
permission to post elsewhere on the Internet.
Should anyone wish to translate this driving guide into other
languages, please contact me for permission(s) and provide me
with a copy when complete.
Remember: Plagiarism in ANY form is NOT tolerated!!!!!
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INTRODUCTION
V-Rally 3 is the first appearance of the V-Rally series on
PlayStation2. Not surprisingly, its graphics are excellent,
the cars have many more tuning options, the sounds are better
and more convincing, and the fun factor has been raised :-)
Unfortunately, however, Track Editor (which allowed the
player to create original rally stages and circuits) is not
included in V-Rally 3, which is a severe disappointment :-(
The main focus of V-Rally 3 is its career mode (appropriately
entitled V-Rally Mode). In fact, V-Rally 3 simply CANNOT be
played until at least one driver has been created; only then
can the various gameplay modes be accessed. The created
driver(s) can then be used in V-Rally Mode to progress from
the 1.6L FWD (Front Wheel Drive) category up to the 2.0L 4WD
(Four Wheel Drive) category of competition. V-Rally Mode is
explained in further detail below.
Also available are two quick race options: Time Attack Mode
and Challenge Mode. Time Attack Mode is self-explanatory.
Challenge Mode sets the player on three or more stages, which
must all be completed within a specified time limit.
One of the best things about V-Rally 3 is that there is
rather little time spent in loading each stage. For all the
graphic detail, this is quite amazing. It also helps that
there is a screen providing information on each stage as it
is loaded, providing the player something to look at and
consider as the stage is being loaded.
The Gran Turismo series, perhaps the most successful racing
series on PlayStation and PlayStation2, introduced rally
racing in Gran Turismo 2, and then brought it back with many
visual changes and a few new venues in Gran Turismo 3. This
is likely the first experience with rally racing for many
PlayStation and PlayStation2 gamers. While Gran Turismo 2
includes two point-to-point stages (which were unfortunately
eliminated from Gran Turismo 3), the Gran Turismo series
primarily feature circuits, which are fairly rare in actual
rally racing. To this extent, the V-Rally series is much
more realistic than the Gran Turismo series, although the
Gran Turismo series certainly excels in its vast multiplicity
of tuning options.
Please note that some of the information in this guide come
from some of my other guides, with appropriate modifications:
General Racing/Driving Guide
V-Rally 2: Game Guide
World Rally Championship: Game Guide
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MENUS
Menu navigation can be slightly tricky in V-Rally 3, which is
why this has been given its own special section.
At the bottom of a menu screen, the various categories will
be listed. Using the D-pad to move to the left or the right
will move to the next category in that direction. As each
category is selected, its sub-categories will appear above
the category title, with the upper-most sub-category already
highlighted; pressing the up and down buttons on the D-pad
will move through the sub-categories. It is important to
note that until a sub-category has been selected (by pressing
the 'X' button), pressing the left or right buttons on the D-
pad will move to the next category in the appropriate
direction. Until a player becomes accustomed to this system,
it is very easy to inadvertently move from one category to
another.
On the positive side, virtually all menus in V-Rally 3
include full-motion rally-related animation. This can range
from the player's vehicle arriving at the next Service Area
to full-out racing action.
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AUTOLOAD/AUTOSAVE
V-Rally 3 uses an autoload/autosave feature by default.
Saves to the global game options files can take a long time,
especially the first time such a file is created on the
memory card. Afterward, especially when dealing with a
driver's save file, this process is VERY fast. The autosave
feature can be changed by selecting Misc. -> Save from the
Options menu screen.
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DRIVERS
It is impossible to play V-Rally 3 until at least one driver
has been created. In fact, the first time V-Rally 3 is
played (or if all the driver files have been erased from the
memory card in Memory Card Slot 1), the game will force the
player to create a driver.
Driver creation is done in multiple steps. First, the player
must enter a last/family name for the driver, then a
first/given name. Second, the player can choose a
nationality for the driver (by selecting the appropriate flag
from the nationality screen; as each flag is selected, the
country's name is indicated, so this can also be a good way
to learn to recognize some of the flags of the world).
Finally, the driver's look/appearance can be selected by
using the left and right buttons on the D-pad to rotate
through the possibilities.
Unfortunately, there are NO female driver 'looks' available
in V-Rally 3, which can be perceived as a definite slap in
the face toward female players. While most rally drivers
(and navigators) have historically been male, there have been
a few females in rally racing competition, such as Andrea
Aghini.
Driver creation is important, because V-Rally Mode (the
game's career mode) uses each driver's file to save career
information; the driver file also contains information for
Time Attack Mode and Challenge Mode. Driver files are saved
independently on the memory card, so the only real limit on
the number of drivers available is the amount of space on the
player's memory card.
Once at least one driver has been created, Delete will delete
a selected driver.
Compare can be used to compare the records and performance of
any two drivers. Comparisons are done across each gameplay
mode and overall.
Pressbook should actually be titled 'Pressbooks,' because
there are really two volumes involved. One volume lists a
driver's stage and career records, while the other volume
more closely tracks the driver's career (including a bar
graph noting the driver's ups and downs in a career, once a
minimum of two seasons have been completed). Note that
Pressbook can also be accessed from various screens in V-
Rally Mode, thus providing the player with up-to-the-moment
information on her or his rally racing career.
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POINTS
There are two 'types' of points used in V-Rally 3. First,
within V-Rally Mode (the game's career mode), points are
awarded to the top-placing drivers at each rally based upon
how they finish the rally (those drivers who do not
successfully complete all five stages of a rally - i.e.,
those who retire early due to vehicle breakdown, severe
accident, or player cancellation - WILL NOT receive any
points for that rally):
Place Points Place Points Place Points
----- ------ ----- ------ ----- ------
1 25 6 10 12 4
2 20 7 9 13 3
3 16 8 8 14 2
4 13 9 7 15 1
5 11 10 6 16 0
11 5
As mentioned in the Drivers section (above), any two drivers
can have their records (Pressbooks) compared. This
comparison can be done by gameplay mode and by overall
records. All comparisons are based upon points for each feat
in the game (such as besting the default time in Time Attack
Mode, or by winning championships in V-Rally Mode) - with the
best-performing driver in each area receiving one point -
attained across the three gameplay modes of V-Rally 3:
Time Attack Mode
Each country has eight total stages (four initial
stages, and the reverse configuration of each stage).
The driver receives one point for each stage where she
or he has set the record time for the stage. Thus,
a grand total of forty-eight points can be attained in
Time Attack Mode.
Challenge Mode
Each challenge offers a number of points determined by
the number of stages involved in the challenge. Points
are only offered for the default challenges; player-
created challenges (via Extra Challenges) are not
included in the Pressbook. A total of twenty-four
points are available within Challenge Mode, with the
best-performing driver in each challenge receiving an
appropriate number of points:
Saxo 3 points Pirelli 6 points
Polo 4 points Michelin 6 points
206 5 points
V-Rally Mode
The calculation of points for V-Rally Mode is the
default value listed below multiplied by the number of
times a driver has accomplished a given feat. For
example, a Rally Victory is worth three points; a
driver who has won twenty rallies will earn a total of
sixty points based solely upon rally victories.
Rally Victories 3 points each
1.6L FWD Titles 10 points each
2.0L 4WD Titles (V-Rally Titles) 20 points each
Note that due to the never-ending nature of V-Rally
Mode, this is the only gameplay mode with no cap on
the number of points a driver can acquire in the game.
Therefore, if Driver A has received the maximum number
of points from Time Attack Mode and Challenge Mode,
Driver B could still be deemed the overall 'better'
driver for having played through numerous seasons and
won an insane number of rallies (and potentially
championships).
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V-RALLY MODE
This is the main area of focus in V-Rally 3, allowing a
player to pursue a rally racing career. V-Rally Mode begins
with the player's Office, where a career is managed (and to
where the player returns between rallies). The Office menu
allows the player to access and read e-mails, view driver and
team rankings in both the 1.6L FWD and 2.0L 4WD classes,
personal data and goals, and the driver's pressbook. The
final category, 'Rally!,' takes the player to the first/next
rally of the season.
E-mails are important. Some are from various rally racing
magazines and Web sites, providing information about how the
season is progressing. Others are from various teams, either
offering potential driving contracts (usually via driving
tests first) or other team-related information. Once the
player has selected a team and signed a contract, the team
manager will also send e-mails with information and/or
motivation. [To this extent, the lack of cutscenes featuring
interactions between the player's chosen driver and various
personnel (team manager, other drivers, etc.) is quite
apparent, especially for those who have played the excellent
PlayStation2 game Pro Race Driver.] In some cases, the
player can even 'create' responses to the received e-mails.
While it is possible to simply move on to the next rally
without reading any of the e-mails (once a contract has been
signed for a season), it is best to at least read the subject
headers of all the available e-mails to be able to take
advantage of any test drives which may become available based
upon the player's performance in the previous rally or
rallies.
Each rally season is a bit different. There are four rallies
in the 1.6L FWD category and six rallies in the 2.0L 4WD
category each season. However, the counties hosting each
rally and stages of each rally tend to be modified (i.e.,
selected at random by the CPU) for each season, so it is
simply not possible to expect to run the exact same stages
season after season after season; this is one of the things
which separates V-Rally 3 from other rally racing games such
as World Rally Championship (which uses much longer seasons,
but all the stages are always in the same order across all
levels of gameplay difficulty).
Service Areas are the only places at which vehicle repairs
can be effected, and these come at various points throughout
each rally; this means that it may be necessary to drive two
or more stages between Service Areas, which can be
particularly important if a vehicle is carrying a lot of
damage for several consecutive stages. More importantly,
each team is permitted only thirty minutes to effect repairs
on a vehicle, and each type of repair takes a given amount of
time to perform, so player selection of what should be
repaired at each Service Area is highly important - ALMOST as
important as keeping the rally car on the roadway and NOT
incurring any damage. It is important to make repair
decisions quickly, especially if EVERYTHING needs to be
repaired, because the thirty-minute clock begins counting
down as soon as the player enters the Service Area; time
wasted in making decisions can potentially mean that one or
more aspects of the vehicle cannot be repaired in the time
remaining.
At the beginning of each rally and immediately after each
Service Area, the player can adjust the car's tuning to
maximize performance in the upcoming stage(s). The various
tuning options are more fully explained below in the Tuning
section. It is extremely important to make use of the stage
information, to closely study the maps and read the
information on the anticipated conditions (of both the
roadway and the weather), as this will be the greatest
determinant of how a vehicle is tuned.
Note that should a player participate in multiple seasons in
the 2.0L 4WD category, the placement or the positioning of
the Service Areas in each rally is prone to change. For
example, in the first two or three seasons, the first Service
Area will follow the first stage of a rally. In later
seasons, the first Service Area in some rallies will instead
come after the SECOND stage of a rally.
Between seasons, the player can choose to move on to other
teams based upon the e-mails received in the Office. Again,
this will generally first require a test drive, followed by a
contract proposal should the player perform well enough in
the test drive. Fortunately, while test drives require the
player to complete a given stage within the time limit
specified, there does not appear to be any problems should
the car become damaged, so long as the stage IS completed
within the specified time limit.
The player should anticipate approximately thirty minutes to
complete a (five-stage) rally in V-Rally Mode. In most
cases, even with taking a few minutes to consider car set-ups
at each opportunity, a full rally should not take this long,
but it is certainly better to plan for too much time than for
too little time :-)
Also, in V-Rally Mode, there will often be times when the
player must successfully complete two or more rally stages
before arriving at a Service Area to repair any damages and
tune the car for the next set of stages. The player will
likely be forced to make some potentially-difficult decisions
when running consecutive stages without a Service Area; for
example:
1.) If the first stage has 85% mud and 15% wet gravel, and
the second stage has 100% loose gravel, which tire
compound is best to produce lower times across the
combined stages?
2.) If the first stage has numerous tight, twisty corners
with virtually no straightaways between them, and the
second stage has only very minor corners and rather
lengthy straightaways, what is the best gear ratio
setting to use across the combined stages?
3.) If the first stage has severe foggy conditions and the
second stage has pristine daylight conditions, how
will these visibility issues affect vehicle set-up
and/or driver performance?
Obviously, it is not always possible to achieve a 'happy
medium' between consecutive stages when the stages involved
are extremely different. This is where A LOT of educated
guesswork comes into play. In these situations, it is very
important for the player to be consciously aware of the Human
and vehicle limitations and strengths. Also, if the player
has previously amassed a great lead (of time) over the rest
of the competitors, then the player can lose a given amount
of time on one stage and excel on the other by tuning 'only'
for one of the stages (fully recognizing that time will be
lost on the other stage, but still tuning and driving in such
as manner as to attempt to minimize the time which will be
lost in this endeavor).
Unless the player has explicitly switched to manual saving,
quitting V-Rally Mode will AUTOMATICALLY save game progress.
Therefore, should the player not like her or his performance
in a rally, the only way to be able to re-enter V-Rally Mode
from the previous save point is to restart the console and
reload the game, re-entering V-Rally Mode normally.
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TIME ATTACK MODE
Time Attack Mode is the player's opportunity to try out
various stages to record the lowest possible completion time;
the current lowest completion times are always displayed on
the stage information screen as each stage is loaded in
preparation for each mode's gameplay. There are various
options to customize the Time Attack Mode experience, from
selecting the rally and stage (in the forward or reverse
configuration) to vehicle selection to tuning.
First, the player is required to select a driver (at least
one driver must be available in order to play V-Rally 3).
Next, the player can select a rally; selecting a host country
for a rally brings up a sub-screen where the player can
select a stage, but only the first stage in each rally is
initially available.
Vehicle selection is next. There are a number of cars in the
1.6L FWD and the 2.0L 4WD class from which to choose, but a
selection of bonus cars may also be available based upon the
bonus vehicle(s) the player has received in progressing
through the game. Once a car has been selected, the player
can view detailed data on the chosen vehicle, and can also
take a Close View - which allows the player to customize the
car's look and/or features, rotate the vehicle using the left
and right buttons on the D-pad, and zoom in and out.
Next, the car's set-up can be adjusted. See the Tuning
section (below) for details. Once all this has been set to
the player's liking, it is time to hit the stage!!!
At the completion of the stage, the player is given the
option to save the time just completed. Next, the player can
choose to rerun the stage, view a replay, view the telemetry
for the stage (which details the player's performance in
relation to the optimal racing line for that stage), or exit
back to the Time Attack Mode menu.
Note that for each country, there are four stages shown, but
only one stage is initially available; beating the default
record time at each stage unlocks the next stage. Once the
fourth stage's default record time has been bested, then the
player can select from all four stages in either the forward
or reverse direction on future Time Attack Mode attempts.
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CHALLENGE MODE
Here, the player must complete various challenges. Challenge
Mode sets the player on three or more stages, which must all
be completed within a specified time limit. The stages are
not necessarily from the same rally, meaning that the player
will likely be presented with vastly different terrain types.
First, the player must select a driver; at least one driver
must be available in order to play V-Rally 3. Then the
player can select a challenge from among those presented (by
using the left and right buttons on the D-pad), and view the
car used for the challenge.
Next, the player is shown the times to beat for the
challenge. The player can also customize the car's tuning;
see the Tuning section below for details. Then, the player
heads to the first stage.
Following the first stage, the player is shown the
performance (time) and given the opportunity to view a
replay, and then is allowed to prepare in the same manner for
the second stage; this repeats for all the stages. Upon the
completion of the final stage of a challenge, the player may
be shown a trophy presentation and given the name of the next
challenge.
Please note that some challenges must be completed with a
specific vehicle, whereas other challenges will allow the
player to choose from a small selection of vehicles. Also,
once a challenge has been successfully passed, the next
challenge in the series will become available, and all
previous challenges can also be selected.
There are only five default challenges in Challenge Mode.
Once Extra Challenges has been unlocked, any created
challenges will appear for selection after the default
challenges. However, created challenges and their record
times DO NOT appear in a driver's Pressbook (or in a driver
comparison, which is based upon the Pressbook concept).
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TUNING
There are various tuning options available in many gameplay
modes of V-Rally 3. Note that once a tuning sub-category has
been selected, adjustments are made in a pop-up mini-screen.
Tires
Selection There are twelve tire compounds offered
in V-Rally 3, and each team selects the
three which should be best-suited for a
given rally (indicated at the bottom of
the Tire Selection sub-screen). However,
the player can override the team's
decisions and choose from any of the
twelve available tire compounds.
Proper tire selection is EXTREMELY
important, as selecting the wrong tire
compound for a stage can slow the car by
up to several seconds PER SECTOR.
However, since most of the stages in
V-Rally Mode (the game's career mode) are
run consecutively without any Service
Areas and opportunities to change vehicle
settings, this will sometimes mean a MAJOR
compromise on one stage in order to attain
the best possible time on another stage.
Pressure Lowering tire pressure flattens the tire
and allows more of the tire to grip the
roadway, but this sacrifices top-end
speed. Conversely, raising tire pressure
increases top-end speed by reducing the
contact area and overall grip with the
roadway.
Chassis
Suspension The suspension allows for a given amount
of movement in the axles, and should be
ideally set so that the main body of the
car not pitch or jump around due to bumps.
For smooth surfaces, a hard suspension
setting is best. For rough or bumpy
surfaces, a softer suspension is best
(allowing for more axle movement).
Ride Height Ride height is important for both
regulating the passage of air underneath
the vehicle and for ensuring the vehicle
does not scrape the roadway, especially at
the top of jumps and crests and when
landing after a jump. Higher ride height
settings slow the car somewhat due to more
air passing underneath the vehicle, but
reduce the chances of the car bottoming
out (which can slow the vehicle even
more). Lower ride height settings can
slightly increase overall speed due to
less aerodynamic friction, but greatly
increase the possibility of the underside
of the car scraping the roadway.
Stabilizers Stabilizers are designed to ensure the
vehicle remains upright, thus reducing the
potential for a rollover incident
(especially when cornering quickly). A
higher stabilizer setting provides more
stability, but cornering can be more
difficult. A lower setting creates a
greater risk of a rollover accident, but
cornering can be made easier at higher
speeds.
Mechanics
Gearbox Ratio Shorter gear ratios provide faster and
stronger acceleration, but at the
sacrifice of top-end speed. Longer gear
ratios provide faster top-end speed, but
acceleration will be slower and weaker.
Differentials This controls the amount of power going to
each wheel of the car.
Brakes Brake settings here can be made in two
areas. First, brake balance can be
adjusted, so that the maximum braking
power can be located more toward one end
of the vehicle (if centered, then 50% of
the braking power goes to the front wheels
with the remaining 50% going to the rear
wheels).
Independent of brake balance is brake
strength (which can also be adjusted in
the driving-specific tuning options
below). A harder brake strength reduces
the required braking zone before a corner,
whereas a softer brake strength
necessitates a longer braking zone. Also,
harder brake strength settings risk to
create wheel-lock if the brakes are
applied harshly (which is a natural
driver reaction if an accident is about to
occur), thus causing the vehicle to slide
and not decelerate properly.
There are also driving-specific tuning options which can be
made on a separate screen before heading to the stage(s).
Note that once a driving-specific sub-category has been
selected, adjustments are made in a pop-up mini-screen.
Car Options
Gear Box Select between Automatic and Manual
Transmission. This is set to Automatic by
default.
Steering This controls steering sensitivity, or the
amount of delay between button press and
car response
Acceleration This controls the rate of acceleration
Brakes This controls brake strength. Note that
this DOES NOT handle brake balance, which
can only be adjusted in the actual Tuning
section.
Ghost Activate and deactivate the ghost car (if
applicable)
Controller
Configure Change button configuration
Vibration Select between low, medium, and high
vibration rate
It is important to remember that these tuning options can
only be accessed at the beginning of a rally and immediately
after each Service Area. Therefore, it may be necessary to
think several stages ahead in terms of tuning options, which
means that the vehicle may not perform well in one stage but
will likely excel in another.
Also, when a player takes part in a teams' driving test in V-
Rally Mode (the game's career mode), the player is not
permitted to tune the vehicle.
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NAVIGATORSPEAK (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AUDIO)
V-Rally 3 (in the North American version) offers audio in
English (the default setting), French, and Spanish. This
section covers the navigator's driving instructions in
English.
The navigator will give instructions to inform you of the
many twists and bumps in the road ahead. Many times, these
instructions are spot-on, although at times they are given
just as you reach the specific corner or caution mentioned.
Sometimes, however, the instructions are not quite exact, so
take care to not follow the instructions to the letter
without questioning. For this reason, it is also important
for the player to keep looking as far ahead as possible, so
as to not be mislead by any incorrect instructions and to
also (hopefully) spot any potential shortcuts or unannounced
areas of potential danger.
If the sign panels at the top-center of the screen are
activated, these will exactly mimic visually what the
navigator is saying. Further, two panels are shown; the
bottom panel represents the current instruction, whereas the
top panel (largely off-screen) indicates the following
instruction. The top panel will slide down to the bottom
when appropriate.
Distance: The navigator will sometimes indicate distance.
This is measured in meters (remember that one meter is
slightly longer than thirty-nine inches). '100' and '150'
are the most common distance calls, although distances as
long as '250' are also used on occasion.
Direction: The navigator will indicate whether the upcoming
turn is to the left or the right.
'2' Corners: These turns have the harshest angles, and almost
always require braking.
'3' Corners: These are moderate corners. Braking may be
required, depending on the surroundings and the car's speed
entering these corners.
'4' and '5' Corners: These are the turns with the slightest
angles, and can generally be taken at flat-out acceleration.
'And:' This functions as a conjunction, indicating that the
second instruction immediately follows the first instruction.
It is also possible to be given a 'sentence' with 'and' used
repeatedly to join multiple instructions. Note that 'and'
can be interchanged with 'into' without any change in
meaning; however, 'and' is used more often because it is
shorter to pronounce.
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