First off i'd like to say that, as you can see in my profile (and I believe beneath my avatar), I am a DEMO RACER.
This is just an idea that popped into my head. I really have no REAL experience online in LFS, and as such, can't (and won't attempt to) make any real judgments based on the current state of the online section.
Only reason i'm sharing this is because really, it has nothing to do with my experience, and is just a bare bones idea :\
Anyway, I figure it'd be interesting to have two different online modes, Race and Sim mode.
In Race mode, you race against whomever you wish, with whatever cars and car modifications you wish (as in, races are unrestricted based on experience).
In Sim mode, you race using cars that you purchase using credits that you are awarded for winning online races.
With these cars you may purchase parts and services that actual EFFECT PERFORMANCE, such as turbo and superchargers, clutch and flywheel upgrades, intakes, etc etc.
Many of these upgrades could have entirely subjective performance enhancing effects, similar to the adjustments currently provided. IE lighter flywheels and clutches, different types of tires, replacing of general car parts to lighten the vehicle.
The point of former parts/services would not be to incrementally increase the cars general racing ability (ala the GT series, where you basically use your credits to make your car "better"), but to make the racer think about what they plan on using this particular car for. If the racer is interested in racing rally events, they would race low level circuit races, and save their money to "build" a competitive rally car.
Winning races (and thusly credits) would be recorded to a users account. As a racer wins more and more events (of higher and higher level), new events are opened to the racer, depending on how they fare.
Example: A racer may chose to enter a large number of rallying events, and attempt to raise their skill in those events specifically, thusly allowing the racer access to higher level rallying events (with stronger competitors), but not access to higher level touring events.
The higher up a racer reaches in the events he/she may enter, the more the races they enter begin to cost, and the more the purse for said races would be.
The highest level events would require a racer to have an entire crew ready to support their efforts.
READ: The main point of Sim mode would not be for a racer to try to progress their car, but to progress their position on the online leader boards. Thusly, car improvements would be cheap and accessible (but not so cheap so as to let a racer who has just entered the game to enter say, Formula races), with the entire point of credits not to allow the racer to upgrade their car, but to allow the racer to enter more and more tournaments and events, and to make the racer THINK about what events they are entering (a racer would not enter an event costing millions of credits unless he or she believed they had a significant chance in placing highly in the event), thusly make races more competitive.
Increasing emphasis on this fact, would be that all car modifications available in Sim mode, would be available at absolutely no cost in Race mode. A racer may spend thousands of miles perfecting their car setup in Race mode, and change it as many times as they want, then take said setup with them to Sim mode, and spend credits that they have earned on said setup.
Both Race and Sim mode would take place online btw.
Just a passing idea that crossed my mind shortly :P
This is just an idea that popped into my head. I really have no REAL experience online in LFS, and as such, can't (and won't attempt to) make any real judgments based on the current state of the online section.
Only reason i'm sharing this is because really, it has nothing to do with my experience, and is just a bare bones idea :\
Anyway, I figure it'd be interesting to have two different online modes, Race and Sim mode.
In Race mode, you race against whomever you wish, with whatever cars and car modifications you wish (as in, races are unrestricted based on experience).
In Sim mode, you race using cars that you purchase using credits that you are awarded for winning online races.
With these cars you may purchase parts and services that actual EFFECT PERFORMANCE, such as turbo and superchargers, clutch and flywheel upgrades, intakes, etc etc.
Many of these upgrades could have entirely subjective performance enhancing effects, similar to the adjustments currently provided. IE lighter flywheels and clutches, different types of tires, replacing of general car parts to lighten the vehicle.
The point of former parts/services would not be to incrementally increase the cars general racing ability (ala the GT series, where you basically use your credits to make your car "better"), but to make the racer think about what they plan on using this particular car for. If the racer is interested in racing rally events, they would race low level circuit races, and save their money to "build" a competitive rally car.
Winning races (and thusly credits) would be recorded to a users account. As a racer wins more and more events (of higher and higher level), new events are opened to the racer, depending on how they fare.
Example: A racer may chose to enter a large number of rallying events, and attempt to raise their skill in those events specifically, thusly allowing the racer access to higher level rallying events (with stronger competitors), but not access to higher level touring events.
The higher up a racer reaches in the events he/she may enter, the more the races they enter begin to cost, and the more the purse for said races would be.
The highest level events would require a racer to have an entire crew ready to support their efforts.
READ: The main point of Sim mode would not be for a racer to try to progress their car, but to progress their position on the online leader boards. Thusly, car improvements would be cheap and accessible (but not so cheap so as to let a racer who has just entered the game to enter say, Formula races), with the entire point of credits not to allow the racer to upgrade their car, but to allow the racer to enter more and more tournaments and events, and to make the racer THINK about what events they are entering (a racer would not enter an event costing millions of credits unless he or she believed they had a significant chance in placing highly in the event), thusly make races more competitive.
Increasing emphasis on this fact, would be that all car modifications available in Sim mode, would be available at absolutely no cost in Race mode. A racer may spend thousands of miles perfecting their car setup in Race mode, and change it as many times as they want, then take said setup with them to Sim mode, and spend credits that they have earned on said setup.
Both Race and Sim mode would take place online btw.
Just a passing idea that crossed my mind shortly :P