I wanted to get some experienced sim racer’s opinions on blocking.

It is my opinion that blocking is ok entering turns but that is about it. What I mean is its ok to defend the passing line (inside braking line and inside corner) when fighting for position with another racer.

What I don’t think is ok (and I’ve had people do) is trying to block on the straight. You’ve left the turn entering the straight faster than them and it is inevitable you’re going to pass them. As you get close they swerve and sometimes hit you. This is really a crasher IMO. If they miss you, then fine they’ve really scrubbed some speed and you get the easy pass. But it really is a cheap move.


But even though I despise that kind of blocking, I do think its ok to block as long as you are in front and you don’t slide into the other player (or cut in front and slam on the brakes). This type usually takes place in the turns.

What are your opinions on that? Is some blocking ok if done cleanly?

no blocking is ok, defending your position is fine tho.

So how would you define both "Blocking" and "defending your position"?

Make one move, so yes, pull in front of the other car, but make no contact at all.

Take the inside line as you said, but there has to be enough room on the outside when exit the corner if they are still beside you, again, no contact...

Swerving on a straight is not defending your position, if they are overtaking you on a straight, they are quicker than you, let them past and jump in the slipstream, overtake on the next corner...

Thats just my opinion

According to MSA regs (UK Motorsports) and also FIA regs (F1 etc) you are allowed to make one blocking move and then return to your normal line (which could be used as a second blocking move). You are not allowed to weave to disrupt toe as that is considered numerous blocking moves.

You may hold your normal line as you go into the bend unless the other car has achieved significant overlap as you enter the braking zone, this is usually defined as the front of the rear vehicle being parallel (or beyond) of the drivers head of the lead vehicle.

These are the rules I run by when I race LFS - although if anything i'm a bit more leenient (I sometimes forego the return to line aspect of the regs) because some racers are extremely techy and have their own ideas.

Quote from Becky Rose :

According to MSA regs (UK Motorsports) and also FIA regs (F1 etc) you are allowed to make one blocking move and then return to your normal line (which could be used as a second blocking move). You are not allowed to weave to disrupt toe as that is considered numerous blocking moves.

You may hold your normal line as you go into the bend unless the other car has achieved significant overlap as you enter the braking zone, this is usually defined as the front of the rear vehicle being parallel (or beyond) of the drivers head of the lead vehicle.

These are the rules I run by when I race LFS - although if anything i'm a bit more leenient (I sometimes forego the return to line aspect of the regs) because some racers are extremely techy and have their own ideas.

This is the rule by which I race. I will make one movement across the track to get the inside line. If my opponent takes the outside line and gets along side me that's fine. I do move back out as far as I can (without pushing my opponent off the circuit) to get a better entry. This way, the only way I can be passed is if my opponent manages to pull off a switchback move and pass me on corner exit - a hard thing to do.

So to summarise, I never actually block as such, I simply take a defensive line.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

Just don't do anything silly, and if someone else does anything silly to you, don't feel too bad about pushing him off the road to save yourself.

well said

i tend to find that if sum1 is weaving its best to remove them from infront of you rather than cause a crash by trying to pass normally

Quote from ayrton senna 87 :

well said

i tend to find that if sum1 is weaving its best to remove them from infront of you rather than cause a crash by trying to pass normally

So you'll avoid a crash by causing a crash

Sounds like good words to race by. I am usually very conservative and try to avoid contact even if the person is being overly agressive.

I will admit that I've purposely spun-out a swerver a couple times after they've rammed me while trying to block. I didn't feel bad, they were trying to push me off the road, so I had to defend myself! This was on the demo of course. S2 racers in general are more courteous.

hitting them in the back under braking doesnt cause a crash, it just pushes them wide.

Will, the only time you post these day are in either crashing, blocking or karting threads.

lol!

you are forgetting setups!

http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=9760

/falls into wrecking category.

Quote from ayrton senna 87 :

hitting them in the back under braking doesnt cause a crash, it just pushes them wide.

I hate when people forget that you can't slow down nearly as fast if you are drafting. A few times, people are right behind me in T1, and they end up causing a wreck because they are drafting me, and cant stop in time.

yea i hate that too lol

Hey, I'm a total Newb here and so far haven't yet risked racing online (I can just about hold a straight line now!) Question is; are the AI cars any comparison to racing online? as they just plough straight through me if I get anything wrong. I'm guessing from previous posts that 'real' racers aren't like this so would I be better doing most of my learning online as the AI tends to make you agressive?

Thanks

Well, it depends a lot on the skill and will of the racers on the server to have a clean race. Specially people who are in LFS since the beginning will do everything to avoid touching each other.
Clean racing is just WAY more fun in the end. Blocking is all lame, specially pushing other cars off the road is forbidden...

That's the problem I would much rather race clean but don't trust myself to hold my line (I'm a mouser by the way...) however, racing the AI really helps with choosing lines etc but you do get battered about.

anyone weaving/blocking should be fired. they fire blockers in real life too, in saloon cars. It even says to fire them in a driving book called 'Speed Secrets' by ross bentley

You'll learn more and faster online than against the AI. You'll learn to drive quickly from the experts, you'll learn moderation from the midfielders, and you'll learn about human nature from the shift-s'ers.

Quote from Gentlefoot :

So to summarise, I never actually block as such, I simply take a defensive line.

Yea, me too. Usually when I exit a corner I immediatly take the inside line for the next turn. And when we (finally, the LFS straights are usually quite long) approach the corner I try to get back to the outside a bit, without pushing the other one off the track, so you still have some speed into the corner.

Basicly classic blocking.

people have crashed into me by trying to block when it is already too late for them to try and block.

i'll already be on the inside closing in on them... they will turn to the inside and smash into the side of my car.and then they get pissed at me this is before even the start of the corner entry. i consider what they do to me dirty driving.... and they get pissed at me

if i am going to block i will be holding the inside line long before they are even able to think abouttaking the inside line without smashing into my rear with late braking. i leave them room on outside all the way.

some corners are just very dangerous to pass on and in those situations a good chasing car will wait for a better time to pass unless the person being chased makes a mistake.


if someone's a real jerk i will position my car so that if they do try and ram me they spin themselves out.

I don't block at all.

"If it shown that I am clearly MUCH slower than the guy behind I'll let him by. (By my standards) It's considered poor ettiquite to block someone if they show a much higher speed than me. Then again, I'm so aggressive when it comes to overtaking that by the time I get by the guy we'd already be out of the race!"

Quote from WRX_Racer :

So how would you define both "Blocking" and "defending your position"?

I'd define "defending your position" as taking the inside line during corners, not giving up your line to let the guy behind you take it.

I'd define "blocking" as constantly weaving infront of the guy behind you to not let him pass.

The difference is to me is whether you're looking in your rear view mirrors, or out your front windscreen...

defending your position by going off the ideal raceline i am not quite sure of the exact semantics...

i never swerve in front of someone. its always a gradual thing with me before they even get a chance to pull up next to me. If you have to swerve its already too damn late imo... but many drivers dont feel the same way and swerve in front of me and more likely into my side.