Are you serious..? I thought "n00b" was some sort of elite-speak...
Are you serious..? I thought "n00b" was some sort of elite-speak...
Those definitions are from the official NDR dictionary of FAIL (due to be published in 2034).
There are tons of servers running different combos but people don't join in numbers: those connecting for some pickup races do not want to race half a hour alone on an empty server, hoping for someone else to join.
I know it, have done it several times and it's just depressing. Better fire up SP with AIs then
It's not that hard to do something actually. Just needs a bit of will, a server and common sense. And if you don't have a server, ask around... I'm sure people who have one will help if your ideas aren't very stupid.
Late last year I started organizing some events to see if it's viable to have some different combos with quality racing. It's been 3 events so far (they're probably still in the first page of Leagues & Events if you want to take a look) and the results were very promising... in fact, I'll probably start doing this monthly.
Don't get mistaken though, pick up racing is a different matter. Having all the variety people seem to want, all with full servers AND at the same time is unlikely to happen now, after the Scirocco, after S3 or after <insert random fact here>.
People just join they're everyday servers, to race with their everyday "friends" on their everyday combo, because they're familiar with those things and feel good there.
If you're not happy with it, there are some things you can do once in a while and I suggest you start trying right now. But if you want to wake up one day and think "let's see.. I guess I'll go online with other 20 RACs around Fern Bay Black today", well... good luck.
Late last year I started organizing some events to see if it's viable to have some different combos with quality racing. It's been 3 events so far (they're probably still in the first page of Leagues & Events if you want to take a look) and the results were very promising... in fact, I'll probably start doing this monthly.
Don't get mistaken though, pick up racing is a different matter. Having all the variety people seem to want, all with full servers AND at the same time is unlikely to happen now, after the Scirocco, after S3 or after <insert random fact here>.
People just join they're everyday servers, to race with their everyday "friends" on their everyday combo, because they're familiar with those things and feel good there.
If you're not happy with it, there are some things you can do once in a while and I suggest you start trying right now. But if you want to wake up one day and think "let's see.. I guess I'll go online with other 20 RACs around Fern Bay Black today", well... good luck.
But you won't be able to go online with 20 other XFGs now unless you're willing to stick to demo 
If league racing is just the only viable solution, then LFS should offer better support for leagues, so more pickuppers would try league racing.
We also need (more?) events to cover a wider range of time frames, in order to accomodate people in different timezones and lifestyles.
Looks like we're in the TBO timeframe now.
I don't think so. Leagues demand dedication and stuff, something pickuppers don't want - or else they would not be pickuppers?
Now I agree. In fact I believe organized free-for-all, fun-but-serious racing that suits groups of people are probably the most fun you can have with LFS. That's why I'm doing it.
Stuff like what?
I'm a pickupper because I'm a noob, I'm slow, and I tend to race at late hours.
Question is, am I the only one?
if the reply is even only 'maybe', then there's a chance to drag more people into organized racing.If there aren't enough drivers (or enough time on their hands) to sustain two different, thriving communities (of pickuppers and league racers), it may be a smart move to make pick up a little less random and more organized (the iRacing way?)
Stuff like... dedication. 
Being slow and being a pickupper aren't really connected to me. If you know the basic racing rules, are respectful and can deal with traffic then you can race in any league.
Our league has any kind of drivers, and as long as they know what they're doing, they're welcome to stay. Of course, if you're slow you'll have to live with being a backmarker - but hey, every race needs one.
I guess people gets intimidated by the "I'm fast, so GTFO of my way" behaviour some fast drivers have on pick up servers. I'm yet to see that kind of crap in a decent league.
Just to stay on topic again, I'm not sure what iRacing does. But I think the "come home from work, fire LFS, do a coupe of races, leave" kind of pick up servers are a good thing too.
Being slow and being a pickupper aren't really connected to me. If you know the basic racing rules, are respectful and can deal with traffic then you can race in any league.
Our league has any kind of drivers, and as long as they know what they're doing, they're welcome to stay. Of course, if you're slow you'll have to live with being a backmarker - but hey, every race needs one.
I guess people gets intimidated by the "I'm fast, so GTFO of my way" behaviour some fast drivers have on pick up servers. I'm yet to see that kind of crap in a decent league.
Just to stay on topic again, I'm not sure what iRacing does.
But I think the "come home from work, fire LFS, do a coupe of races, leave" kind of pick up servers are a good thing too.Agreed
Probably not, but I tended to associate the two things; eventually I took the plunge probably because I enjoy races longer than the usual 4-5 laps (I do dozens in Single Player mode, and loved the SO Sprint track on CTRA only because it was 17 laps long)
IMO there may be others who think they're not good enough for it, and of course as long as pickup racing is healthy those people won't likely move on to leagues.
OTOH if one is an active league racer, e.g. joining more than just one, he/she will have little time left for pickupping, that's why I speculate there might not be enough people to keep both the communities healthy.
It offers a sort of bridge between the two forms. To join a race you have to sign up to it and wait until the event starts, and there's a race every -say- 30 mins (I don't know how often exactly ATM, suppose it depends)
AFAICT while there's not a true championship ranking, there's a sort of point-based license system which gets updated every 12(?) weeks and basically 'unlocks' the ability to race at higher levels (against faster drivers and with better cars)
All in all it's a sort of CTRA on steroids
As for pickup and play, some of us are capable of running competitively in league situations, but don't have the time and/or simply don't want to have to dedicate time that we may not want to give up. Simply put, people have other plans, work and simply don't have the time/energy to sit at their computers for 2 hours without a say in the matter. If you miss a few races you pretty much waive your right to win the league, and that's what matters or you wouldn't have a league in the first place, no?
But then that's just me. Frankly, playing on the NDR/RSR TBO servers gives me all the fun, excitement and close racing I'd ever need. Sure, others may not be impressed so easily but for me, it'll do
If NDR became a league where I'd have to race every few nights in a heat format, for 3 hours solid (practise, qualifying, sprint and feature races), I think many people would simply stop playing it.
Pickup and play is for those who don't have time, not skills.
</rant>
But then that's just me. Frankly, playing on the NDR/RSR TBO servers gives me all the fun, excitement and close racing I'd ever need. Sure, others may not be impressed so easily but for me, it'll do
If NDR became a league where I'd have to race every few nights in a heat format, for 3 hours solid (practise, qualifying, sprint and feature races), I think many people would simply stop playing it.
Pickup and play is for those who don't have time, not skills.
</rant>
Eh, no, completely wrong if you ask me. Of course, it feels good to be able to win a league but that's definately not the most important reason to join a league.
The most important one for me is to have something different from the public servers (longer races, pitstops, maybe dual class races) and obviously the fact that you know you won't get wrecked.
I very much see your point Ziggy, however the whole point, I believe, of entering into a tournament over several weeks, possibly months is to win.
Maybe I am too competitive.
Maybe I am too competitive.
You probably are.
I never joined any league with the intention to win. I know that I'm not the fastest so I don't go into races expecting to win them or get a top 5 finish. I'm even happier if I actually manage to do it then.
If all people would think like you, no league would be full anymore. Because as soon as 2 or 3 aliens signed up there would be no more people signing up because they know that they probably can't win.
Racing with people faster than me if the only way I get to improve.
Don't miss the organizing bit, and the fact that it is fun.
I'm overly competitve as well, sucks, but who cares if you win or lose as long as you put in some effort and had fun doing it.
Yes, true. So you are admitting that it's not only about winning?
Ok, it's about winning. and taking part, and improving.
I did a few rounds of last year's AA FBM series and found it enjoyable even though I had no chance of winning, but I set myself goals of being within n secs of the winner, not being last, trying to hang on the tail of faster guys for as long as possible etc. I am finding the Conedodgers skill league concept interesting and a good challenge for me, it's a regular daily thing but non-attendance doesn't hit you too hard.
The AA series was at a good time of week for me but as has been said, it can be hard to block out the time with other commitments, depending on when they are running. I'd certainly be interested in setting up something similar for FBM XRG/XFG pick up racing that perhaps just takes your best few results of the day - but I'd need to learn how to extract the data and code it all up which would be something of a steep learning curve.
The AA series was at a good time of week for me but as has been said, it can be hard to block out the time with other commitments, depending on when they are running. I'd certainly be interested in setting up something similar for FBM XRG/XFG pick up racing that perhaps just takes your best few results of the day - but I'd need to learn how to extract the data and code it all up which would be something of a steep learning curve.
I got bored with CTRA because of the points race.
The idea behind the points was interesting, intending to select and promote cleaner and faster racers to regroup them in higher tier servers where more competitive and cleaner races could occur on a pickup basis.
I had excellent fun on race2 for a while but got disappointed when the LRF class disappeared. I never liked the race3 server - not so clean at the back where I belong
On the other hand the points system created unnatural competition and tension, that a good amount of racers apparently could not cope with.
I have looked around and finally found a place to race: Dead Men Racing.
Server admins online when I happen to be (some evenings, Europe time) - no voting!
Clean racers welcome there, even not so fast.
1 combo for one week, 10-20minutes pickup races. On thursday evening 1 hour race on the weekly combo. This means I usually have a few training sessions and short races fun duing the week, and try to get ready for the "big" race.
I have tried combos I was not seeing anywhere on standard servers, used cars I thought I could not drive, had fights for laps and laps without stupid / reckeless moves.
I am certain there are other servers and places as good, hiding for you to find.
My conclusion:
LFS does offer a great amount of combos, but only a few are available that have racers on. Interesting series or concepts will only attract racers through advertisement as there is no governing structure above the servers, like iRacing.
On the other hand this anarchy is the unavoidable drawback of LFS and the freedom of choice it offers (unlike iRacing).
This freedom made LFS what it is: full of niches, where anything can be found (and also the best, worst and in-between).
The only things we can do to help are, in my opinion:
Avoid creating yet one more server with an existing over-used combo
Welcome newcomers properly and train them when they show the will
Be polite (if not nice) and helpful on the forums. Write less posts (spam?) and more actual content that can be used by others.
All this to give LFS a welcoming and entertaining image, increase the userbase in quantity and quality for the benefit of us all.
The idea behind the points was interesting, intending to select and promote cleaner and faster racers to regroup them in higher tier servers where more competitive and cleaner races could occur on a pickup basis.
I had excellent fun on race2 for a while but got disappointed when the LRF class disappeared. I never liked the race3 server - not so clean at the back where I belong
On the other hand the points system created unnatural competition and tension, that a good amount of racers apparently could not cope with.
I have looked around and finally found a place to race: Dead Men Racing.
Server admins online when I happen to be (some evenings, Europe time) - no voting!
Clean racers welcome there, even not so fast.
1 combo for one week, 10-20minutes pickup races. On thursday evening 1 hour race on the weekly combo. This means I usually have a few training sessions and short races fun duing the week, and try to get ready for the "big" race.
I have tried combos I was not seeing anywhere on standard servers, used cars I thought I could not drive, had fights for laps and laps without stupid / reckeless moves.
I am certain there are other servers and places as good, hiding for you to find.
My conclusion:
LFS does offer a great amount of combos, but only a few are available that have racers on. Interesting series or concepts will only attract racers through advertisement as there is no governing structure above the servers, like iRacing.
On the other hand this anarchy is the unavoidable drawback of LFS and the freedom of choice it offers (unlike iRacing
).This freedom made LFS what it is: full of niches, where anything can be found (and also the best, worst and in-between).
The only things we can do to help are, in my opinion:
Avoid creating yet one more server with an existing over-used combo
Welcome newcomers properly and train them when they show the will
Be polite (if not nice) and helpful on the forums. Write less posts (spam?) and more actual content that can be used by others.
All this to give LFS a welcoming and entertaining image, increase the userbase in quantity and quality for the benefit of us all.
I'd say you rather have the tendency to oversimplify things.
The discussion is about improving LFS and have people to enjoy more variety in what they race without having to stick with whatever combo is popular at the moment.
That was why hybridizing pickup and league racing was suggested. CTRA used to do that to a degree, I guess we're now waiting for someone to push the envelope even further.
What can WE do to improve LFS? Are there too many servers?
(70 posts, started )
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