Okay but how do I *actually* play?

[AlexArtsHere]

Got into Ring Racers last night after having watched a bunch of online montages and I am not having the best time so far. I appreciate that it's made plain up front that this isn't a beginner friendly game, I expect I'll only really learn stuff like the best time to use rings and fast falls online, but right now I can't even just drive successfully, it's like the handling and turning circles on these characters and the tracks were made for different games and I'm just not really sure what I'm supposed to be aiming for. I've tried taking turns without gas, steering counter to my drift, starting and releasing drifts at different times but I just can't seem to take corners in ways that matches the curvature of the track. Beyond that, there's also the issue of trying to gain speed to be able to take shortcut gates, where players in the clips I've seen just seem to be able to do it without much resource usage.

I'm not writing all of this out to drag the game or anything, I just wasn't prepared for how beginner-unfriendly this game would be and I'm feeling lost on how I'm supposed to improve, so would appreciate any pointers and additional resources (I've been through as much tutorial as I have unlocked, up through the braking segment, and have red about tridashing, sliptiding and wavedashing in the online manual, though the latter two I can't practically implement due to my aforementioned control issues). Would like to make stuff for this game one day but I think it rather requires me to understand how it plays and be good at that first.

 

[PencilVoid]

I just can't seem to take corners in ways that matches the curvature of the track.

Then don't. :^)
Your machine has a lot of weight and momentum in a way that most kart racers don't; trying to follow the shape of the road like it's Mario Kart is actually something I think trips up new players fairly often. What you should try to do is make your line fit within the road rather than trying to follow it. Generally you want to start drifting earlier than it looks like you should. The faster you're moving, the earlier you start the drift. It takes a lot of time to get used to your chosen character's handling but you will get used to it with practice.

Beyond that, there's also the issue of trying to gain speed to be able to take shortcut gates, where players in the clips I've seen just seem to be able to do it without much resource usage.

Something you should be aware of from the tutorials and manual is that the speed requirement for tripwires varies depending on how far away you are from first place. The further back you are, the lower the speed requirement. Aside from that, it's good to familiarise yourself with the many different kinds of boosts in the game and learn to keep track of how many you have active at a time. Practicing that and becoming more familiar with both your character's boost stacking efficiency and how the tripwire speed requirement changes with your placement will help you gauge what plays will get you over the speed requirement.

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"Action games are like sports. If you practice every day, you will improve over time."

- Sonic Mania manual
Ring Racers is, in my opinion, a very "long term" game. If you show dedication and determination you will be rewarded, but you need to show a lot of determination. Very few Ring Racers players start consistently winning races without accruing weeks or even months of hours of playtime. Take your losses on the chin and have fun despite them. And never be afraid to ask high-level players for help. The Discord server is full of skilled players who are always happy to help any new player who makes a genuine effort.