Warning: I am going to discuss the possibility of not using the cockpit view in sim racing. If you are offended or made squeamish by this premise, click away. Otherwise read on.

I have a 20" wide screen LCD and (currently) a MOMO wheel. I am soon going to be ordering an actual cockpit with racing seat to race in, but for the time being I am just using my desk and a low computer chair such that it feels rather like a cockpit as I sit low.

Firstly, I have always played the game in cockpit view (GTR2 is all I play btw) for the simple fact that I desire the most realistic experience there is. I am wondering, though, if cockpit really isn't the best thing to run. In cockpit view, you basically lose about 40-50% of your screen space for viewing the track to look at the interior of the car. Since I have a wheel and monitor positioned in such a way that the racing wheel top is just at the bottom of my screen, there's sort of a bit of redundancy here in that I sort of have my own cockpit already in real life outside of the game, and having another one inside the game only restricts view. I tried driving around using hood view for a bit because seeing the top of my steering wheel, followed by the hood of my car followed by the road seems like a pretty accurate reproduction of driving.

Honestly, if you're sitting in a car, you have a WAY better field of vision than the cockpit view in GTR provides you. Not to mention how limited you are at looking around using the look left/right buttons.

Do any of you seasoned sim guys use another view besides cockpit and are you willing to admit it in front of your peers now so I can find out what sort of numbers there are?

Thanks

I use behind car view simple so i can see the whole track and who is around me,except for open wheel cars and when im practicing i use incar view.

I've been simracing for 5 years and all of those years have been with hood view...in every sim. I find cockpit views to be impossible to drive from due to the very limited field of vision. Some say it's cheating, but they're free to use it aswell...

I've been accused of many things when admitting to using hood view, so lets see whats said this time.

I prefer hood view as well, regardless of how I set the field of view, or turn off/on the wheel in the cockpit, doesn't matter. I feel the cockpit view just cuts out too much of the real view we would probably have in the real car.

You know these arguments have gone on since the dawn of sim racing and there is no right or wrong view, just what you personally prefer.

I usually use behind the car view, but I have been running in the NASRL P&G mod series and you have to use the in car view and it's been tough to adjust but it has been fun. Never done much with the hood view, have to give it more of a try sometime.

Justin, I use the hood view in everything except open wheel.

Btw, yes, you will get some counter opinions on this. Hehe.

I used hood view until I began to use the Trackir system. Trackir allows me to look into the apex of each turn and to see out my side windows [in cockpit], which is very nice when re-entering the track after someone punts you off. It took some time getting use to the Trackir. I also use a 50 % FOV. The trackir also work with the hood camera in rFactor, but not GTR2

I sit on my hood, as well. If I ever get TrackIR, I would switch to cockpit (I do miss sitting inside my car and seeing the windshield slowly get filthy). The immersion is much better inside the car, but with my viewpoint being locked to the front, sitting on the hood gives me back that missing periphery vision.

I agree with you fully Justin, I have a 24 inch monitor and i just cant get into cockpit.. i have tryed over the last few weeks. The only reason i do try and use it is because i can see the bumps effect the car in CP view.
But as for realism. CP view doesnt feel more real to me at all. Im like you, i have my screen and wheel setup to be like an actually dash, and the screen is like my windshield. i have a real life track car complete with a cage, and its nothinggggg like CP view.. nothing at all..
I also run the car better in Hood view.
This is how i see things. My desk is my dash. my screen is my windhsield.

In Race 07 you get the addition of big, slimey bug splats on the windshield or visor.