Ok I just did the whole event 31 (without any boosts or jump starts to get the most difficult impression from the race). And I did notice something I wasn't going to really talk about from the last race in event 31. I'll talk about this at the end of my post.
I have it on single button mode, and I used the Evolver Type-EX. Top Speed is 349 km/h and Drift Type is Dynamic. I suggest using what ever car you're comfortable with really. I generally choose standard drift type and whatever car has the highest top speed. But I don't really mind dynamic. I would even suggest using the basic cars available, like the Fiera Type-EX.
Anyway, the basics.. Firstly, yes I know the commentator is annoying, but she is right, slip streaming is important. The thing I notice about RR is that the racers are in blocks, and if you get ahead of someone, try boosting ahead and get in the distant slip stream of the next racer, thereby slowly pulling yourself to the next block. I think of this like in cycling races, how a team member of a cycling group jumps ahead to pull the team forward to the next block.
Secondly, I personally make the map on zoom in mode. This way, you can see immediately what the next corner is going to look like, so you can then drift accordingly. Funny thing here is that you can actually play the whole game using the map completely without the top screen, and in some ways, it's easier (you're not being distracted by silly/deceptive aesthetics :P ). But playing by the map isn't really fun :P Just use it as a helpful tool.
Thirdly, avoid touching the walls (obviously :P ) and also your opponent you're trying to overtake. The only time you should make impact with something is when someone is trying to overtake you, and you block them with your rear.
The thing I noticed about RR 3D (and I kinda disliked) is that, especially later on in the game (all of expert mode and end of advanced mode), the game kinda cheats. As I was saying earlier, the game kinda works in blocks, and to make the game more difficult, it seems Namco makes each individual block very hard up until a point, where they completely back off. For example, you drift awesomely, you don't hit walls, and you use your boosts perfectly, yet somehow you are still battling it out with the same guy who really you should have smoked (even one of the last place guys). At some point though, if you are still pulling off good corners etc. your current opponent will completely back off, and the next block will somewhat slow down until you get in it, then it'll turn up the difficulty to very hard again, up until a point. It's almost like subraces in the race, you beat the guy and he backs off, now the next guy. It's really weird, and I kinda dislike it as it seems cheap, the game makes the opponent as fast as you when you're using your boost and he isn't. You can overcome the block cheat rarely by doing really well to the point it feels like you deceived the game's code :P
You'll find this to be more prominent in the later part of the game. Later, later in the game, the race is actually divided up into parts where if you don't place a certain position at the end of each lap you'll actually be disqualified, you'll see the same effect here as well. In this instance, it's a bit more acceptable to me.
Anyway, back on topic, event 31 race 4 shows the beginnings of this type of AI. I can't give any hints, other than the basics I have said (which you probably already knew anyway). Just keep drifting tightly on the corners, use the first stage of the boost (stage 2 and 3 are a waste really unless your car picks up boosts quickly anyway), boosts are usually most effective on corners (unless you are catching up to the next block then use it there), be aggressive and keep in front of your opponent if they are tying to pass (but not in front of them when they are too far back otherwise they'll slipstream you).
Sorry if most of this is obvious, it's just striking to me the later part of the game works this way.
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