Well, to be honest, the demo account problem is a big paradox...
Simply remove the demo users or say them "buy or go away" is not the best solution, there are a lot of good drivers that can't buy a S2 account (was my case), would be a big loss from great racers (some probably better than most of the S2 drivers)... But in the reverse side, like John5200 said, the demo servers are part of what makes the S2 servers empty...
About that wouldn't help LFS in a short period, is a big truth... The second part, "they don't want to race", its exactly the problem... Why you buy a racing simulator of not for racing? This can create a problem, like on Brazil, where most of the people here know LFS as a drifting simulator with stupid mods...
This makes a bad reputation for real racers and sim racers (there is a famous post here in LFS forum what represents it: "LFS: Racing, cruising, drifting, stunt and Cocking About simulator"), that can easily explain why most S2 servers are empty today while F1 2011, rFactor and other sims communities increase...
To me, i think the best solution would be to if remove cruising and drifting, do it when S3 come, so will be fair with cruisers/drifters and would guarantee new racers coming...
Even if this wasn't an idiotic idea, how could you possibly "block" drift servers? It's not exactly easy. Someone will just go and drift in a race server then.
There are also some kart races and such on AU sometimes. Besides, drifting on AU is boring.
I don't get what's with the hate against drifters and cruisers. Aslong they stay in their own server and don't start cluttering race servers I don't see a problem.
Besides, if you would get rid of drifters and cruisers LFS would lose all drivers online.
yeap agreed, we try to host all types of races to separate them.
but also i want to point out somthing to what got this thread started, normally we keep to our selfs, TC is one of them i dont think ive ever seen anything about them. but occationally you get a douche bag that comes along making everyone rage, in my teams case we let a person into our team that was decising who he was and ran off with the insim which i have now released in the programmers section of LFS. But when you try to be all private about it doing everything you possibly can and they dont listen it frustrates you. so you vent on the forums. we dont want trouble. but we think everyone desrves to know about these sort of people.
I don't say there shouldn't be any demo servers anymore, I say it should be done like years before. Some years ago there was a licence seperation, so that S2 could choose what servers should be displayed (not entirely sure if it was seperated 3 times (Demo / S1 / S2) or 2 times (Demo / S1 + S2). (like in LFS World)
But back then S2 racers raced S2 stuff and demo racers, demo races. Now since most S2 guys are in demo servers, races are most of the time on limited player, BL1 + FBM, with tons of crashers and yeah ALWAYS the same config. Dunno but IMO the server list should be seperated again.
(Demo is a IMOPRTANT part of LFS. Did anyone here buy LFS before trying the demo? I just say the displayed serverlist should be seperated again)
Edit: There is nothing wrong with variaty. If cruises want to cruise, let them cruise. If drifters want to drift, let them. They just need to be easyly seperated.
Edit2: found a picture of what I mean (and yes it was seperated 3 times. It shold be seperated just twice, never had a problem with S1 races)
How to seperate "racing types": When opening a server choose one of 3 options: race, cruise or drift. Just like we seperate cruise from the rest, drift should be also a option to toggle off. Problem solved.
My bad i thought you was implying to do away with demo servers all together. I agree with what you said just now. They should go back to where s2 users can choose what license server is listed weather it would be demo,s1, or s2. and demo players only see demo servers.
I'm all for cruise and drift servers. just the way he was saying seemed like he wants them gone for good. and your right you take those away how many players would come online then?
Cruise and drift servers can be ignored if you don't like them.
There is some great racing servers, well populated on LFS - just know where to look. I am not specifically thinking of cargames. Think OLFSL, think GDC, Redline - mature driving and good racing.
Yes, and also is it better to have drift/cruise servers where people go to relax and drive as bad the want, or have racing servers being invaded by drifters cruisers? These servers actually keep racing servers clean.
maybe these people bought lfs because they seen the fact that it looks so realistic and maybe seen all the amazing videos on youtube showing people cruising, i know i didn't buy the game so i could race
I personally don't hate cruisers or drifters, i was a cruiser 2 years ago and also tried to learn drift, i like all styles from driving...
The problem itself, like your post says, its LFS community is basicly made mostly from drifters and cruisers...
Racers are going away to C.A.R.S., rF2, GTR, iRacing, and racing is becoming extinct... Where still exists races, its something artificial, people just driving to get more !ex or !rt, or crazy races at South City what starts with 15 cars and finishs with 5...
I honestly doubt that's the main reason. I also like pCARS, rF2, GTR and iRacing and whatever because of several reasons; better graphics, easier modability, more content, more updates and a bigger user count (online).
I so disagree with you! Where do you take that, that most of the S2 users are on the demo servers? Why do you want to forbid S2 users from joining the demo servers?
"Casual racers" (people like me) join servers with other people on it. Since most racers are demo racers and the demo servers only have black wood on them, most races are made in Blackwood with a Formula BMW. This of course gets boring at some point (also with a lot of noobs crashers and small servers. Yesterday I raced after month again and was driving 1:16 times and even though I started last I got second. Also the races where only 3 and 4 laps instead of my demo time with 5). LFS is not that big (especially compared with other titles etc. nvm). So the bit of variaty gets crushed because most of the populated servers are demo servers.
In english: At this moment (cuite populated actually) THERE IS ONE S2, single class server with more then 5 persons on it. (In TOTAL I see FOUR race servers with more then 5 ppl. And only TWO race servers with more then 10 players). (I won't even start counting the demo servers (it's at least one LFSW page)
Since I don't like the idea to put a UF1 together with a GTR car and love the FOX.... what do I do? There are 0 race servers with more then 5 people in this game for a nice Formula game so I join a demo server.
Also the displayed picture has a clickable Demo / S1 / S2 icon.... Also since you already have drift in your name, I guess you don't race that much so demo server obviosly arn't to atractive for you.
I don't know how to filter out the S2 guys racing on demo servers but I guess it's a lot.
By putting it back to filterd licenced and non licenced servers, almost no S2 racer will be on a demo server (only reason I see is to race with a demo friend). When I remember back at the seperated time I saw a lot of populated racing servers, with quite clean racing, a lot of players and fun.
Is anyone from the "old times" actually agreeing with me or am I just crazy?
Edit: I just calculated with every server displayed 270 S2 racer online in S2 servers (with servers with more then 3 racers online. I guess the others number (+ S1) is x < 40). While ther are 406 S2 racers online. Ok, that's not more then the half but it's still a number with that some other tracks then BL1 could get filled. Dunno but 90% of when I'm online I have to join a demo server when I want a FOX/ Formula race (while FOX is still the most used licenced car acording to LFSW). And I guess a lot of S2 racers also left because of that.
You just posted this to make it 3333 post to your name did't you?
If not your not worthy of the four years and 3333 post youve made!
Answers no, advice is filter them.