I go outside and slow down and they toss me. I go inside and slow down and they toss me. Tried slowing down on the freakin straightaway and dude tosses me. There was nobody for miles and he couldn't just go around.
I'm new. I'm *trying* to abide by proper etiquette and let people riding my ass overtake me and they seem to prefer knocking me off the track instead.
I can't think of any more obvious ways of going off line to consent to an overtake.
The downside is other drivers that you race against are unlikely to read through them.
The thing with demo servers is that unless most of the pack are fast/good drivers (people who constantly lap sub 1.35 in bl1/gti), you have to keep evading bad drivers. What I used to do was pull off to the extreme sides (into the grass) after the green light and let the whole field go by; at least that would ensure that I won't be punted off-track in Turn 1.
That kind of makes sense. I brake earlier than most because I'm still learning, but if I keep the line, that gives Andretti dude behind me a sensible choice: slow the hell down or go around me. If the speed differential is high, it makes sense for them to try to slingshot around me to the outside, in which case I give up the line and stay just inside it until they get by.
Faster drivers - if they are experienced at all - will wait for a chance that does not include sending you into the ditch on purpose.
Simple rule to think about: overtaking is best done on straightways NOT when entering a corner.
That rule stays true even in multi-class racing - even if some blockheads seem not to remember sometimes(...)
As I learnt before: decide which line you want to take through a turn before you get to the final turn-in - and then stick to that line.
That means: If you're entering a corner with noone else in sight: feel free to use all the track (fastest line). If you are under pressure from behind: consider the possibility of entering the corner side-by-side with your opponent. Then you both will need a somewhat slower speed through the turn in order to avoid hazardous contact and to hold your own line throughout the corner. Biggest responsibiltiy: chose either the outside or the inside throughout the whole corner (or left/right throughout a combination of consecutive corners) and do not deviate from your chosen side of the track.
Simple rule of thumb: If you are already at the inside: stay inside
If you are a little too late on your brakes and your (faster) opponent from behind aims for the inside : outside line is your only option.
Really: blocking your opponents by wildly switching lines back and forth while cornering is generelly considered bad sportsmanship.
Whatever you do, please keep an eye on the mirrors and monitor your own distance to other cars constantly throughout the race.
Always give your opponent enough room to "survive" a given corner while staying on the track. It is perfectly O.K. to make room sparse for your opponents but never take away another's room as much as to throw them off-track. Always leave enough space for others to survive.
Good racers can vary their racing line as to force their opponents onto a slower line without the need to <<kill>> them.
Big hint: don't join an ongoing race mid-way if you can help it. Especially on a short and tight track this can be very troublesome. If you absolutely have to get started, wait for the main field to pass the pits and go out afterwards to avoid any immediate conflict.
If you see yourself in the situation of a total stand-still, posing a potential danger to the rest of the race: remember the magic [shift]-[s] command.
However: especially in multi-class races -- consider your own vehicles's limits
- what tires are you running on? Street/offroad/slicks ?
- what tires is your opponent running on? If it is a gt-class racer that usually means some variant of slicks = more lateral road-holding capability.
- downforce-enhancements on your car or the opponents' vehicles?
The first rule when you are faced with an opponent slower than yourself, coming in sight in front of you is very simple, as well:
YOU are responsible not to interfere with the line of the racer you wish to overtake. Prepare to avoid physical contact as much as possible.
Sure enough there are a great number of racers out there that did not yet take to heart the most basic principles of the racing code. Do not let them discourage yourself from aspiring a a clean and competitive racing style.
Wow, what a lot of stuff. Here's the deal. I can hold a decent line and avoid hitting cars in front of me. Holding a line and paying attention to the guys in my mirrors at the same time is beyond me at the moment. Side by side isn't too much of a problem, I just move over as best I can, although I still get sideswiped sometimes. I don't know if that's me or them.
My biggest problem is getting hit from *behind*. Perfect example is last night, going into the first turn. I'm in pole position and dash for the turn as best I can, knowing that half the field is going to try to jockey for position in the first turn. (It has been my observation that most racers, especially the more experienced ones, compete for position in the first turn rather than keep position so everyone survives.) Anyway, I do my very best to brake as late as possible and *still* get tossed from behind. Then told I'm stupid for braking before the 50 sign. Well, you know, I started braking at the 100 sign, which is really good for me. I downshift smoothly and brake early. And invariably get hit from behind. There is always one asshat who hasn't read the "brake early" document regarding the first turn.
Bottom line is that the more experienced players don't seem to have a lot of patience for noobs. I'm averaging just under 33 for splits and my best lap so far is 1.41. I'm slower, but not entirely incompetent here. I don't block and, when able, I move over and slow down to let folks pass.
Still, I get hit from behind in a lot of races. Hold my line, move it in, move it out, slow down, don't slow down. Doesn't matter. If they're faster, they hit me.
This isn't everyone of course, but it happens so often that I've given up racing in the pack. I do a false start and come in from the pits and try to catch up.
Well I assure you will get faster times soon, but as of now with 1:41 which is 8.xx seconds slower than WR, and with many racers who have 1:33.xx times, I think it is best to false start, else you can go to the side of the track and drop to the back. BL T1 can be intimidating and even when experienced racers are racing, some contact is inevitable. Probably you can use the LFS suggested racing line by pressing "4" till you get a hang of it. As of now work on your racing techniques and master the track and car. You can go to ![AMG] Gti motorsport as well, it is a good server with patient people. Also in case you do want to go with pack you can flash a chat message like "Learner, please be cautious while passing!" In time you will be up there with the guys, don't give up
Read his post, he uses false start so that the server (it is configured that way in many servers) takes him back to pits, so that he can start from back of the pack. That's what he has been doing lately so I said either use that or go to the edge of the track and drop to back of the pack. My main point was to try dropping back of the pack in some way or another. And I am not just inventing this. When I started out many people in servers advised me the same (dropping back to the tail), so that with the T1 fear out of the way, you can concentrate on controlling the car and THEN once you are comfortable you can race with the pack. How else do you expect him to take BL1 T1, with a PB of 1:41.xx and with early braking etc? This was a temporary solution till he is confident.
Do you have any other solutions?
Also there is another post by him, where he says AI rams him from back etc. So he is new to this, and he is learning. Racing with the pack to T1 is the least of his problems now. Having said that a better solution is to flash "Learner, pls be cautious while passing" at the start of the race, as I mentioned in my previous post. Any good/experienced driver should understand this message flashing and support such a person, I know I would.
Although I can see why you choose to brake very early for T1 in the example you have given, try to look at it from the others point of view. They would probably have been taken by surprise and rear ending you could be the safest course of action for them, rather than trying to swerve and causing a massive pile up.
If you want to start from the rear of the grid, simply spectate and join the race after the grid is formed. Your tactic of getting sent to the pits for a false start will not work if the server has midrace join disabled.
