So, since I've bought Forza 4 I've been obsessed (sort of like what happened with Forza 3). Now that I'm deep in the game I'm starting to really define how I play the game and am interested in how the GB is playing as well. So, how do you play Forza 4? I'll give my answer as an example below (you don't have to put in as much as I did or you can put in more or different things. It's all up to you).

Difficulty

ABS On

Suggested Line: Braking Only

Steering: Simulation

Damage, Fuel, and Tire Wear: Simulation

Stability Control: Off

Rewind: On

Traction Control: Off

Shifting: Automatic

Camera

Cockpit unless I'm driving a 'race' race car (the cars where the windshield is tiny). Occasionally bumper or Chase-Far (in aforementioned 'race' race cars). I originally went to cockpit view to increase the difficulty but now I've gotten so used to it it is hard for me to hit my cornering lines unless I'm in that view.

Type of Car

I usually pick the car that is the fastest. BUT, I tend to use more AWD cars for the traction and grip on corners versus RWD and FWD. I usually swap in an AWD train into all of the cars that I use on a daily basis. I tend to pick European cars because the American cars have a heavy back-end that whip to wide around corners.

Cornering

I try to get all of my braking in before turning my car at all. This allows me to full throttle around turns while still holding traction. I usually follow a line where I bank wide before the turn, brake to appropriate speed, turn in toward the corner (apex) of the turn (usually the middle of the semi-circle of the turn), accelerate to full-throttle, and pull out wide and speed into the straight-away (though it doesn't always work the way I want it to). Occasionally I'll drift but usually I'm in control and have grip.

Passing

I usually pass on turns by taking the inside edge.

Peripheral Used for Driving

I use the Xbox 360 controller. It works great. I really don't want to find a spot in my house for a driving wheel.

Only I'm this crazy about this game? Is everyone telling me I'm all alone!?!?!?

sigh...

Most of my settings are the same as yours, but I keep traction control on (what car with 600+ HP doesnt have traction control?) and damage set to limited (I do like to bump).

I am just starting out, so I am switching around cars a lot.

I had all assists turned off except for clutch, and maximum difficulty. I turned on Traction control for R1 because when you play with a controller I felt like I didn't have enough accuracy to drive it well enough. I drive cars with more power without traction control on my PC with a wheel and have no problems. I think if I did enough practice I could learn how to but I never felt the urge to. I liked driving R2 and R3 cars but drove what I need to mostly.   
 
I drive in the 3rd person view, it's really good in this game. 
 

Well..most assists are off, except clutch and traction control for high hp cars. Braking only line, no replay, and cosmetic damage only because the AI is so aggressive this time around and 'rubbin' is pretty much required. No wheel, controller only for years now, dunno why I never tried one out. I race all car types, but I enjoy the R2 and R3 cars the most. Camera is behind mostly. I like to build, tune, and set times, and beat the challenges, as well as beat the campaign events, but no online racing this time for some reason. Anyway, this edition of Forza is just the best yet, still deep as hell, but more polished than ever with the best racing AI I've ever seen in a game. The Alps, and Sonoma are two new tracks I particularly like also.

Everything off, except for clutch. Mostly because my shifter broke and I'm waiting for Fanatec to release the clubsport shifter which is supposed to be metal. All of my real life cars have been sticks but I can't get used to driving using the clutch and the flappy paddles.

I will usually turn on traction control on the R1 and R2 cars, since they're virtually undrivable without them, there's a reason they have it in real life.

Everything is off, but:

• I switch traction control and ABS on for the R1-R2 classes
• I will usually have the braking line on (I don't really count this as an "assist" per se)
• I will sometimes drive clutch, I don't find it too much more difficult that regular manual (I always drive clutch during Drag races)

Always cockpit view, all other views are silly looking.

For corners, start wide, come into the apex, exit wide, standard stuff. When overtaking I come in close and get really slow, power out as soon as I'm doing turning.

I would go for 4WD (I don't really have a preference) but as I am now slowly making my way through the event list, I tend to not have too much of a choice what car I want to drive, the cars I used the most through the career were, the Audi A6, Jaguar XF, Nissan GT-R and Lamborghini Murciélago LP-674 SV.

I like to play hardcore but I don't use clutch. Otherwise everything set to sim and all assists off. Usually from in-car view but I cheat if its a left hand drive.

@Mike17032 said:

Most of my settings are the same as yours, but I keep traction control on (what car with 600+ HP doesnt have traction control?) and damage set to limited (I do like to bump).

I am just starting out, so I am switching around cars a lot.

IRL no race car has TCS or ABS for the most part. You can drive alot faster without both.

Like the way Hood view sounds and feels the best, wish cockpit was a little bit louder, also alot of the race cars dont have enough windscreen visibility for me. Use a couple assists, automatic (i know, lazy), TCS, braking line. Have a Fanatec CSR wheel with the elite pedals....that I don't use, because Its a pain in the butt to set up and I'm not as fast with it, so I need to get rid of it, if anyone is in the market to buy the set I'm your man.

I run automatic and run out of the bumper cam (or whatever that camera is where you see none of your car).  I run difficulty on "medium" because apparently I can't hack "hard" in the single player (I'm such a pussy).  Other than that I use everything off.  Standard steering because I'm using a gamepad, and that feels about right.  No lines, no TSC, no ABS.

Difficulty

Everything turned off or set to simulation except for rewinds. Using manual transmission without the clutch.

Camera

Cockpit, always. I actually find it much easier to drive this way because I get more feedback from the car. On top of that it makes for a much more immersive experience.

Type of Car

I buy a car or pick one I already have and choose an event accordingly. I drive RWD almost exclusively, and am a real big fan of Ferrari, BMW and Mercedes. Driving R2-class cars is a totally different type of experience than a cruise in a B-class, and I like to keep things fresh by using the whole spectrum.

Cornering

I don't really know what to say. Brake late and hard when coming into corners, hit the right apexes and full throttle out. I like to wiggle my butt around a bit, RWD is great for that.

Passing

Totally depends on the car. With some cars I take corners very conservatively and use pure horsepower to first drag and then overtake on the straights. With others I use the agility and light weight of the car to my advantage and try to break later than my opponents or find lines past them in the corners.

Peripheral Used for Driving

I'm using my standard 360 controller. I was going to buy a wheel for Forza 4, but Microsoft decided to stop manufacturing their wheels and there wasn't really anything appealing on the market at the time so.. I'm sticking with this for now.

@JasonR86 said:

So, since I've bought Forza 4 I've been obsessed (sort of like what happened with Forza 3). Now that I'm deep in the game I'm starting to really define how I play the game and am interested in how the GB is playing as well. So, how do you play Forza 4? I'll give my answer as an example below (you don't have to put in as much as I did or you can put in more or different things. It's all up to you).

From Forza 3 (and the way that I play any other racing sim....)

Difficulty

ABS Off

Suggested Line: None

Steering: Simulation

Damage, Fuel, and Tire Wear: Simulation

Stability Control: Off

Rewind: Off

Traction Control: Off

Shifting: Manual

Camera

Always cockpit, never anything else.

Type of Car

AWD favoured, but drivetrain indifferent and will not do any fundamental changes to a car (i.e. turbocharge a NA car, increase the number of gears on the transmission through a racing box, drivetrain/engine swap [unless the engine is 100% equivalent and just more powerful]). REFUSE to drive American cars.

Cornering

Slow in, nail apex, fast out.

Passing

I usually pass on turns by taking the inside edge.

Peripheral Used for Driving

Controller. Wheel's too expensive and too single-purpose... And I'm a cheap Asian.

Difficulty

Everything off apart from the clutch, max difficulty and usually from the inboard camera. That is unless the views rubbish or there's too much roll cage in the way, when I switch to the bonnet cam.

everything off but the braking line. I use the clutch and cockpit view.

I mostly play with a medium difficulty with all the assists turned on. I have severe vision problems, and for me, automatic braking and the rewind feature are small miracles. Without them turned on, I go off every corner, hit just about every wall, and usually end up in dead last. It's why I don't play it against anyone but close friends who know me. I usually use the first person view from the hood, though I'll alternate it occasionally with the cockpit view on easier courses. I like to alternate up my cars every couple of races, but I tend towards B and A class cars. My favorites to drive include the Challengers, the Hyundai Genesis, the Saleen truck, and most Mercedes.

ABS: on
Traction: off
Stability: off 
Line: Braking only
Damage: Simulation
Steering: Normal
Gearbox: Manual 
Rewind: on, though rarely used
 
I generally try to tune cars to get them pretty drifty so I can take corners as fast as possible and look cool while doing it, hence the lack of simulation steering and ABS on. 
 
Camera depends if i'm playing online or not, if Online I usually stay outside the car to avoid hitting people, however if there's plenty of space I go bumper/bonnet cam
 
 Passing, I usually wait until the very last moment to brake when cornering so i usually pass people most then.