3 server-side settings for pitting:

Allow instant-pit
Instant-Pit when stopped (or 5km/hr)
No instant-pitting (must drive to pits)

2 Server-side settings for spectating:

Allow instant-spectate
Instant-spectate when pitted

3 Server-side settings for rejoining (2 exist already)

Allow instant-rejoin
Rejoin after specified delay
No mid-race join


I think that'd facilitate just about everyone's requirements, and would make for some interesting combinations (I'd run: Pit when stopped, Instant-spectate when pitted, Rejoin after delay)

Quote from frokki :

It would be cool if they made disable "beaming" or "shift+s" a server side option for serious races/servers. The 'pits' should be entered by actually driving into the pit box, like you exit there now.

Just my 5 cents.

yes, I want to second that. I'm not a total-realism-freak but I find it disturbing if someone crashes, teleports to pit and gets a brand new car, then comes back out just in front of me and blocks me for half a lap before I can overtake him.
This is really a problem because in almost every race more than half of the racers will do that at least once, some do it every few seconds. I'm not against midrace-join, but if you crash your car, the race should be over for you and you should be forced to drive in the pit yourself and if you can't, forced to spectate.

At Blackwood before I enter the last corner before start/finish, when I read the message "xyz is leaving the pit", I'm always like "omg, please no !!" because I know he will enter the track exactly when I arrive at the hairpin corner apex.

I call it telepitting.

Quote from Ardent :

At Blackwood before I enter the last corner before start/finish, when I read the message "xyz is leaving the pit", I'm always like "omg, please no !!" because I know he will enter the track exactly when I arrive at the hairpin corner apex.

That's the next thing... What about a drive through penalty if the driver crosses the yellow line when exiting the pits!

I don't think it's a good idea, sometimes realism just isn't what makes a game enjoyable to play. It's just another one of these many things that isn't exactly "real" but improves the playabilty of LFS. Sure some people abuse it but one of the things that attracts people to LFS is it's get up and go online play, if you screw up you don't have to sit back for the end of the race wasting precious time.
I'm an admin for a league and we don't really need a server side option for this sort of thing either, you have rules and if people brake them they are penalised.
In the end if you want serious racing you'll really only find that in a league. If I'm on a 5 lap pick-up race and crash or get taken out on the first corner I pit and keep going, I don't want to sit on my arse and waste 10 minutes.

:iagree:
in the Czech League, this is also forbidden and if someone does it he get's DNF.

Quote from tailing :

It's just another one of these many things that isn't exactly "real" but improves the playabilty of LFS.

It may improve the playability for the crashers but certainly not for those still on the track. After a crash, for whatever reason, you have no chance to catch up again, so what's the point in driving onto the track again ? I honestly see no difference if you sit on your arse and watch, or if you sit on your arse and continue driving out of competion.

Such a serversite option would also make it much more difficult for "professional" wreckers to do their nasty things, since they can only crash once and not destroy the whole race. I see only advantages for that option.

It could maybe be realised by setting the amount of new cars per racer, so you can allow everyone one new car per race, but not unlimited amount.

Quote from Ardent :

I honestly see no difference if you sit on your arse and watch, or if you sit on your arse and continue driving out of competion.

*cough practice *cough

thats a great idea and not so difficult to fix i guess

I have no problem with the "beaming", "teleporting" whatever to the pits. In public servers, I just hate to end up spinning say, just past the chicane and out of view and end with my car sitting in the middle of the line with burning hot tires that I can't quickly get going straight again seeing the orange dots coming up to my position on the map. The last thing I want to do is have someone wack into me because I couldn't get out of the way and they didn't see me until the last moment that's too late.

As for those who do teleport to the pits and rejoin the race, I always watch the map to make sure noone will be coming up to the end of pit road soon. I wait and pull out behind them unless there is a lot of space to where I'll rejoin the track well ahead. That way I can PRACTICE which I really need.

As for whoever said they cringe when they are coming up to T1 at Blackwood and saw someone leaving the pits.... Here you really should stop before entering the track. There is really no merging onto the track from this pit exit. It's a tough place to merge on. Always check the map for racers and if any are even remotely close, STOP and let them by. Even if there is room, chances are you will be much slower entering the chicane and they will catch you there and you will get in the way. Number 1 priority if you pit out of the race should be NOT to get in the way of ANYONE still out on the track involved in the race.

Quote from Ardent :

It may improve the playability for the crashers but certainly not for those still on the track. After a crash, for whatever reason, you have no chance to catch up again, so what's the point in driving onto the track again ? I honestly see no difference if you sit on your arse and watch, or if you sit on your arse and continue driving out of competion.

Have you played with GTR? Have you seen the enormous amount of people 'migrating' among servers? Have you ever finished a game alone or with 2 others on the whole track when there were 20 people on the grid initially?

These are the reasons it'd be a good idea to support serious league races only. But there it's not that important anyway, we can keep our rules.

On public servers it would only result in servers emptying quickly IMHO. You can achieve an empty server by simply kicking everyone and passwording it, it does not require all the extra coding :-)