Not entirely realistic H-Pattern Gearbox Implementation

Product: EA SPORTS™ WRC
Platform:Steam-PC
Summarize your bug When driving an H-pattern manual transmission vehicle, whether synchronized or dog-box, it's possible to complete shifts without any clutch activation if proper rev-matching is achieved. Especially in rally racing and especially at a lower level where sequential transmissions are unavailable, due to the intense handling requirements rally racing tends to have, many drivers only use the clutch to start off the line and subsequently use rev-matched shifting to enable two-foot/left-foot braking to be used without having to move your left foot on/off the clutch - exactly like heel & toe shifting, except with left foot braking and using a dog box or incredibly precise rev matching instead of the clutch. In fact, a common early upgrade for rally cars is to switch from synchronized engagement to dog engagement to further allow this type of driving while swapping out synchronizers for dogs which allow slightly less precise rev matching while also removing the weak link of the synchronizers which will wear out faster, especially if your rev matching isn't perfect. When 'manual' clutch is selected in the game with an H-pattern shifter, you can indeed pull the shifter out of gear as one would expect, however, even if your rev matching is perfect, you cannot shift into the next gear without touching the clutch, at least slightly. Although technically you shouldn't be able to pull the shifter out of gear without considerable force on a good condition transmission without lightly letting off the throttle to unload the gear teeth, I don't think that aspect is particularly simulate-able without some kind of force-feedback H-pattern shifter. However, I would really like to be able to do this type of driving in game - other than this, CodeMasters has come closer than anyone else in replicating transmissions in a great way and giving plenty of options. I would like to be able to also shift into gear without the clutch, but only if the transmission input shaft and engine output shaft speeds are relatively close/synchronized as in real life - in fact, I would love if it penalized me by damaging the transmission if I don't match it well enough and try to shove it in gear without the clutch. Putting the clutch mode on "manual - override" does allow this type of driving, however, it's not quite right because it's still doing the clutching for you and I've noticed other times when I do use the clutch that it seems to still 'help' in a way, like I'm not sure if dropping the clutch too quick at low RPMs would still stall the car in override mode. Especially in cars with a dog box, which many of the cars in game would likely have if they're not sequential, this is the norm and it's actually quite similar to how sequential transmissions are managed in many race vehicles, where the ECU will briefly cut ignition to unload the drivetrain to allow shifting out of gear and then (assuming you're downshifting) blip the electronic throttle to increase engine revs to where they need to be for the next gear so that the gears can mesh in a similar unloaded fashion, although in sequential race cars this all happens automatically within 50-150ms - but still, no clutch is used between shifts but is still used to get the car off the line. In real life, as mentioned the goal is to enable the driver to use left foot braking without having to alternate their left foot between the brake and clutch while also alternating between left foot braking and heel and toe, simply because they need to shift gears. In fact, I literally drive my daily drivers around like this out of habit and only use the clutch to start or if I sense I've screwed up the timing on a shift since I can just quickly stomp the clutch to save it instead of grinding - of course, the same thing happens in rallys as well, where a driver will do the same and stomp the clutch to not grind if they know their timing is off, at least in a synchrobox, in a dog box, you just have to be quick and firm - although it's not impossible or unheard of to break dogs if your rev matching is too far off and you are too firm or just too slow in general (you have to complete the shift between the rotation time of two of the dogs, otherwise you're going to mash a dog into a dog and/or sheer one off) This is the one thing that would make shifting in this game (and previous Dirt games as well) perfect IMHO, especially if it has to be precise and you risk suffering transmission damage if not. Aside from the option of having synchro and dog box options for transmissions in the game, not much else could make it more perfect for me other than if we also had force-feedback h-pattern shifters where you can feel the syncros or dogs when shifting - in a real car, almost anyone can do a clutchless up-shift if they pull the gear lever half way into the next gear while the engine revs are coming down, once the engine revs match up and with the right pressure on the stick, it will pop right into gear w/out the clutch or any fuss (although, holding it like this until it slides in is NOT GOOD for your synchros!! but it does help one learn the feeling/how it works) I've been begging since the last game for this to be added. It may be too late but this is also something that could be added without much fanfare and wouldn't detract from anyone else's experience, IMHO, I think most people wouldn't even notice as the behavior in-game would be identical unless you actually do match the revs where it allows the shift, other than perhaps adding gearbox damage as a consequence for un-matched shifts.
How often does the bug occur? Every time (100%)
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Learn how to shift clutchless, then drive the game then drive a real manual transmission, then realize this is impossible in the game even though it's something that happens in real life and would be more realistic, not to mention this is something that is actually used as a technique/skill in motorsport!
What happens when the bug occurs? Gearbox stays in neutral, regardless of engine and transmission speed even though you were able to pull the car out of gear without the clutch (which should be quite difficult, increasingly so as more torque is applied to the gears, as well unless you unload the drive train by slightly letting off the throttle and creating slack between the gear teeth)
What do you expect to see? I expect the requested shift to complete but only when the engine RPMs and transmission input shaft speed are within a small range (100-200 RPM) and ideally the same behavior as current (stuck in neutral, grinding sounds) when the RPMs are un-matched, perhaps with risk of gearbox damage if one continues to try and shift into a gear without the clutch or when the shaft speeds are unmatched. It should also not be easy to pull it out of gear without unloading the gearset but I don't see a good/reasonable alternative to how it's implemented without force-feedback h-pattern shifters being commonplace)

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When driving an H-pattern manual transmission vehicle, whether synchronized or dog-box, it's possible to complete shifts without any clutch activation if proper rev-matching is achieved.

Especially in rally racing and especially at a lower level where sequential transmissions are unavailable, due to the intense handling requirements rally racing tends to have, many drivers only use the clutch to start off the line and subsequently use rev-matched shifting to enable two-foot/left-foot braking to be used without having to move your left foot on/off the clutch - exactly like heel & toe shifting, except with left foot braking and using a dog box or incredibly precise rev matching instead of the clutch.

In fact, a common early upgrade for rally cars is to switch from synchronized engagement to dog engagement to further allow this type of driving while swapping out synchronizers for dogs which allow slightly less precise rev matching while also removing the weak link of the synchronizers which will wear out faster, especially if your rev matching isn't perfect.

When 'manual' clutch is selected in the game with an H-pattern shifter, you can indeed pull the shifter out of gear as one would expect, however, even if your rev matching is perfect, you cannot shift into the next gear without touching the clutch, at least slightly.

Although technically you shouldn't be able to pull the shifter out of gear without considerable force on a good condition transmission without lightly letting off the throttle to unload the gear teeth, I don't think that aspect is particularly simulate-able without some kind of force-feedback H-pattern shifter.

However, I would really like to be able to do this type of driving in game - other than this, CodeMasters has come closer than anyone else in replicating transmissions in a great way and giving plenty of options.

I would like to be able to also shift into gear without the clutch, but only if the transmission input shaft and engine output shaft speeds are relatively close/synchronized as in real life - in fact, I would love if it penalized me by damaging the transmission if I don't match it well enough and try to shove it in gear without the clutch.

Putting the clutch mode on "manual - override" does allow this type of driving, however, it's not quite right because it's still doing the clutching for you and I've noticed other times when I do use the clutch that it seems to still 'help' in a way, like I'm not sure if dropping the clutch too quick at low RPMs would still stall the car in override mode.

Especially in cars with a dog box, which many of the cars in game would likely have if they're not sequential, this is the norm and it's actually quite similar to how sequential transmissions are managed in many race vehicles, where the ECU will briefly cut ignition to unload the drivetrain to allow shifting out of gear and then (assuming you're downshifting) blip the electronic throttle to increase engine revs to where they need to be for the next gear so that the gears can mesh in a similar unloaded fashion, although in sequential race cars this all happens automatically within 50-150ms - but still, no clutch is used between shifts but is still used to get the car off the line.

In real life, as mentioned the goal is to enable the driver to use left foot braking without having to alternate their left foot between the brake and clutch while also alternating between left foot braking and heel and toe, simply because they need to shift gears. In fact, I literally drive my daily drivers around like this out of habit and only use the clutch to start or if I sense I've screwed up the timing on a shift since I can just quickly stomp the clutch to save it instead of grinding - of course, the same thing happens in rallys as well, where a driver will do the same and stomp the clutch to not grind if they know their timing is off, at least in a synchrobox, in a dog box, you just have to be quick and firm - although it's not impossible or unheard of to break dogs if your rev matching is too far off and you are too firm or just too slow in general (you have to complete the shift between the rotation time of two of the dogs, otherwise you're going to mash a dog into a dog and/or sheer one off)

This is the one thing that would make shifting in this game (and previous Dirt games as well) perfect IMHO, especially if it has to be precise and you risk suffering transmission damage if not. Aside from the option of having synchro and dog box options for transmissions in the game, not much else could make it more perfect for me other than if we also had force-feedback h-pattern shifters where you can feel the syncros or dogs when shifting - in a real car, almost anyone can do a clutchless up-shift if they pull the gear lever half way into the next gear while the engine revs are coming down, once the engine revs match up and with the right pressure on the stick, it will pop right into gear w/out the clutch or any fuss (although, holding it like this until it slides in is NOT GOOD for your synchros!! but it does help one learn the feeling/how it works)

I've been begging since the last game for this to be added. It may be too late but this is also something that could be added without much fanfare and wouldn't detract from anyone else's experience, IMHO, I think most people wouldn't even notice as the behavior in-game would be identical unless you actually do match the revs where it allows the shift, other than perhaps adding gearbox damage as a consequence for un-matched shifts.

PLEASE, PLEASE consider adding this. I would be happy to provide more details if required and, if needed, even a video showing this type of driving in action as well as any evidence that might be required to prove that not only is this realistic/how transmissions work but is also used as a technique/skill in motorsport, *especially* rally.