And I'd like to point out why you can't always choose a branch in Outrun mode. The leader chooses the branch, so if your opponent leads, you have to follow. There is supposed to be an arrow to point that out, but I haven't implemented that yet.
Oh! Getting sucked over to the other branch is pretty weird, also pretty jarring and makes it tough to stay on the road. In OutRun 2006, when you can only take one of the branches, the other is blocked off with big red arrow signs--that works pretty well. : )
Maybe because it doesn't have a frame limiter?
Yeah, that seems to be it. I set the frame limit to 60 using RivaTuner Statistics Server and that fixes it (and the weird shrill little shrieking sound my laptop was making when running it, too...that was probably bad ; D). Can't use RTSS when running it through Steam but I guess it still controls okay even without the Xbox analog input--and now I can have it as a taskbar shortcut and use the little icon I made for it. ^ _^
Oh yeah and now that I'm not running it through Steam Input--I'm using keyboard controls through Joy2Key--I'm reminded that without that Steam Input, the Throttle key doesn't work on the Car or Transmission select screens (or for skipping the pit crew animation after Transmission select in 0.3.5)--have to hit Enter instead, which is a unintuitive/inconvenient.
Oh and one last thing: the full manual mode doesn't actually make you faster. The automatic mode is actually the fastest because it shifts really quick and at a good rpm, and you don't have to manage your throttle and brake because of the traction control and abs.
Oh good, I really like automatic. : ^D I drove stick in real life but I don't seem to get along with it in OutRun, like even the 2-gear toggle shifting in the original OutRun just does my head in somehow, I suppose because the games are so fast and there's other stuff that seems a lot more critical to be thinking about! ^ _^