Last night I was racing the XFG around South City Classic along with about 15 other hoons.

South City, with its barriers and bottlenecks often causes carnage but if you can get near the front you are usually OK. Trouble was, this server was set to reverse grids. It made this already dangerous track become deadly. It was mayhem! I must have been smashed from behind on average three times a race. Everytime you got some space you would catch up with traffic. If you could avoid the stranded cars you were OK but if you were in the thick of it avoiding contact was virtually impossible.

The situation was made worse as usual, by one or two idiots. I did have a lot of fun but I wouldn't call it racing.

Anyway, my reason for this thread was to see what people think about reverse grids. Personally I think they are great on open circuits with passing places but just misguided on tight dangerous circuits. What do you all think?

Like you said, it's nice on "big" tracks. But it's admin decision, if they want to use it or not.

I think its fun, but as you pointed out, there need to be a certain level of skills on all players. It gives medium fast racers a chance of winning, and fast racers a challenge (instead of online hotlapping )

Its fun but people should also be given the option to start at the back. I hate going in to reverse grid races knowing the im just going to hold everyone up. They are only fun if everyone is driving within 3 or 4 seconds of each other.

Also makes it more interesting for the one bloke who finds hes faster than anyone else and races alone.

There's nothing more boring than to win a race and because of that be doomed to start in the pole and win a second race without any overtaking.
So I really like reversed grids.
But the bigger the field the bigger the difference in experience of the drivers.
People who are new to the combo usually feel comfortable with starting in the lower poisitions, so they can get used to the track. Faster people don't want to get into the danger of people who are new to the car and track and spin/slide rather often.
So I like partially reversed grids most. Reverse the first 8 and you're set up for a great race.

Vain

At South City reverse grid are fun when you are not in the mood for racing and just fancy a bit of adrenaline.

Otherwise reverse grids are fine, i'm not really fussed how grids are organised to be honest - i'll start anywhere on most tracks, only Aston National/GP I preffer to be at the back (so I can get on the inside and come out of T1 near the front almost every time).

Quote from Becky Rose :

Otherwise reverse grids are fine, i'm not really fussed how grids are organised to be honest - i'll start anywhere on most tracks, only Aston National/GP I preffer to be at the back (so I can get on the inside and come out of T1 near the front almost every time).

Unless you are in the FOX's. I hate every position other than P2 on that track. The first bend is a recipe for disaster with the current slipstream effects.

In the CRC Mini League we used to use random grids. That worked pretty well. Everyone seemed to start from pole or from the back at least once a season.

Personally I hate them because I'm such a slow starter. If there was an option to 'start at back' on request then I'd be going for that.

I love them, let everyone go on the 1st corner, they clean each other out of it and then just drive around them

Quote from nikimere :

I love them, let everyone go on the 1st corner, they clean each other out of it and then just drive around them

Easier said than done at SO Classic m8. That was my plan. People were taking each other out all over the place tho. Not just turn 1, lap 1.

well if u have total n00bs at the front and pro's at the back then when they get to T1 there will be a HUGE crash because pro's drive fast and n00bs spin fast in front of them and like i said HUGE CRASH, but usualy they are very fun

Imho, reverse grid is FUN, once all the fools know the track a bit so they brake in time.. If you have normal grid, once your in the top 3, races get very boring.. since the guys infront are faster, and guys behind are slower, it is just doing your laps.. Reverse grid forces you to think and act, move around the slow guys, outbrake some one.. make sure you exit quicker and overtake em... etc etc.. I like the action, and incidents belong to racing..

btw if you got/get smashed from behind your not fast enough (just kidding)

Most of the really fun races I had where on reverse grid servers. You finnish top 5 start at the back, and fight your way to the top 5 again

Quote from Scoop :

well if u have total n00bs at the front and pro's at the back then when they get to T1 there will be a HUGE crash because pro's drive fast and n00bs spin fast in front of them and like i said HUGE CRASH, but usualy they are very fun

Crashing pros aren't actually pros

well they crash into the n00bs in front that drive at half the speed

Quote from Vain :

Reverse the first 8 and you're set up for a great race.

Vain

+1
That would make the newcomers on the server start in the back, which would give them a chance to get to know the track if they haven't driven it before.

Mattemann1

Quote from Scoop :

well they crash into the n00bs in front that drive at half the speed

sorry but its that sort of attitude that causes crashes. Doesnt matter how slow the guy in front is it is your job to avoid him. Nothing i hate more than arrogant people who think they can brake at their hotlap marker when theres 20 cars filling the 200 metres to the corner.

Reverse grid is just asking for trouble, the beginners don't know braking points cause confusion and chaos in the first corners, and alot of the time there is a few quicker drivers who just wants to get passed all the noobs as soon as they can, anyway they can.

sil3ntwar i'm not like that but i've seen it hapen a lot of time so that's why i said sometimes is just asking for trouble

bout a week ago, i jioned a server with a reverse grid, didnt know the track/combo so after qualifying last, at the pit exit, i went off the racing line, and took me time on the pit exit to let everyone else pass..

i dont have any probs with rev grids as long as everyone else is responsible..

Quote from Scoop :

sil3ntwar i'm not like that but i've seen it hapen a lot of time so that's why i said sometimes is just asking for trouble

Gotta say, last night most of the accidents seemed to be caused by fast, impatient drivers hitting people out of the way by stuffing it down the inside. The knock on affect invariably resulted in multi car pileups.

Depends where you are and what racers are online, if their are guys who just started the combo and using the FOX< them startig int eh middle is going to cause a crash, people dodge the slip streams and people dodge to stay behind them and hit the guy alongside.

If you don't like this just press spectate before the race starts, then when it starts click join race and you start last.

Quote from Gentlefoot :

Gotta say, last night most of the accidents seemed to be caused by fast, impatient drivers hitting people out of the way by stuffing it down the inside. The knock on affect invariably resulted in multi car pileups.

That is the reason I don't like reverse grids. That and if I'm the one who doesn't know the combo well, I hate to be put in the front. I prefer to start last. That way, I'm ok and not getting in the way when having an "off" night or not knowing the track, or, if the fastest, I'm not running around in the front by myself. If I'm starting last, I don't dive in and try to win the race at T1. I short shift and accellerate slow, watching the carnage at T1, then start my racing.

Quote from W1LLSD4D :

Personally I hate them because I'm such a slow starter. If there was an option to 'start at back' on request then I'd be going for that.

As soon as the race is voted to restart, go to spectate. Sit there until you see the grid set, then join. You will be put in the back of the grid. I do it all the time.

Beat you to it Rodgers