The thread about pitstops got me thinking more generally about race format and what things might make the overall CTRA experience more fun, more 'real' and more varied.

Personally I would prefer the 'endurance' races to be a bit longer - also for the non - endurance races to be a bit longer on the 'pro' servers... maybe have a 'sprint' day

Am I correct in thinking that when there are more racers in the server, the number of laps is increased ?
If it is, I think it should be increased by more


It would also be nice on endurance day to have qualifying sessions - that way, you don't have to drive through many very long races to work your way towards the front of the grid (Thats one of the nice features about GPL - you look in the server list for a qualifying session with a few minutes left to go - run a good lap and you're starting on the grid alongside people who are at your level. I've always been amazed by how few LFS servers use qualifying).
It would be good when driving longer races to be able to take a break without losing your position on the grid - qualifying would give this option...
It would also help in those infuriating situations where you've spent three races working your way up the grid at south city only to be taken out in an accident and dumped to the back of the grid again.
I dunno if its possible to have a qualifying session every two races (or every three for short races... that would be a nice compromise if possible... maybe times from the previous race could count towards it (I know this is probably not technically possible right now - just thinking out loud ) that way folks who've just finished could use the quali session to take a break while recent joiners and folks who sat the race out could run a few laps to get a decent grid position...
This would also help in situations where the race is full - people might be more happy about giving up their spot if they weren't going to start at the back of the grid when rejoining...

Maybe give out license points for qualifying results that would be fun.


anyway, it would be interesting to hear if anyone else agrees, disagrees or has any other thoughts about race format

cheers

Col

I dont plan on introducing qualification to public pickup racing because I find it infuriating when I log on for an instant fix and all I can find is a hotlapping session.

There's some merit to having it on the endurance day, but actually completely inadvertantly I think I might already have fixed this in the new software.

good shout Col, for enduro days only it would be cool to have even a 5 minute qualy session that starts race automaticaly once session is over

that way everyone has got a chance to do one flying lap.

so then theres likely to be less carnage at the start, afterall, people still think that racers are won in the first 2 corners.

Quote from col :

It would also be nice on endurance day to have qualifying sessions - that way, you don't have to drive through many very long races to work your way towards the front of the grid (Thats one of the nice features about GPL - you look in the server list for a qualifying session with a few minutes left to go - run a good lap and you're starting on the grid alongside people who are at your level. I've always been amazed by how few LFS servers use qualifying).

The problem with that is people would stop playing in the servers, hence why most LFS servers you join wont be running qualifying even though you can vote for it. One of the biggest factors that make ISI games so tedious to play online (beside mismatches) is the race weekend setup... I just want to race, leagues is where qualifying and practice should be.

I personally enjoy working my way through the grid, especially on endurance days. It's no fun if you have the pace to be at the front and you just drive 15laps on your own... I'd rather start last and finish 10th than run away at the front.

Qualifying beats the point of the CTRA IMO, as Coulthard said about F1, "Races are just a progression because in qualifying you end up with the fastest cars at the front and the slowest at the back" or something to that affect.

Quote from keiran :

The problem with that is people would stop playing in the servers, hence why most LFS servers you join wont be running qualifying even though you can vote for it. One of the biggest factors that make ISI games so tedious to play online (beside mismatches) is the race weekend setup... I just want to race, leagues is where qualifying and practice should be.

I personally enjoy working my way through the grid, especially on endurance days. It's no fun if you have the pace to be at the front and you just drive 15laps on your own... I'd rather start last and finish 10th than run away at the front.

Qualifying beats the point of the CTRA IMO, as Coulthard said about F1, "Races are just a progression because in qualifying you end up with the fastest cars at the front and the slowest at the back" or something to that affect.

its a one day a week event - why not run it for a few mondays and see what happens to server traffic?

if it has a negative effect - pull it... also you may want it only on certain servers..

Quote from keiran :

as Coulthard said about F1, "Races are just a progression because in qualifying you end up with the fastest cars at the front and the slowest at the back" or something to that affect.

Pretty funny coming from Coulthard he always seemed to kack up his qualifying more than most - especially when it was one flying lap...

Anyway... you would still have the option of not doing a hot lap and starting at the back - if thats your thing

fwiw, I didn't expect much support for qualifying, but I really don't understand why, at least for the longer races.

@Becky
"I think I might already have fixed this in the new software"
Does this mean you can't do quali? you are doing quali? or you have an alternative feature that solves (some of) the issues I think quali might solve?

cheers

Col

Quote :

why not run it for a few mondays and see what happens to server traffic?

Well mostly because the servers will be closed when patch X is released which might be today or certainly very very soon indeed. We'll then be gone about a month and come back with something that completely supercedes this question anyway

EDIT TO RESPOND TO YOUR EDIT: @Col, Yes.

Quote from Becky Rose :

EDIT TO RESPOND TO YOUR EDIT: @Col, Yes.

curiouser and curiouser

Quote from col :

fwiw, I didn't expect much support for qualifying, but I really don't understand why, at least for the longer races.

You have my support Col

Longer races with a 10/15 min qual session sounds great to me.

I see no reason not to at least try it out and see how popular it is.


Unlike Keiran i would make sure i was joining a GTR server that was as the start of a nice long qual session (in the days when i thought GTR was good )

Obviously there are plenty of people that just want an instant 'jump in and race 5 laps' type of race, but i'm pretty sure there must be plenty of racers who would like more league type races without having to join a league.

Quote from The Moose :

You have my support Col

Longer races with a 10/15 min qual session sounds great to me.

I see no reason not to at least try it out and see how popular it is.


Unlike Keiran i would make sure i was joining a GTR server that was as the start of a nice long qual session (in the days when i thought GTR was good )

Obviously there are plenty of people that just want an instant 'jump in and race 5 laps' type of race, but i'm pretty sure there must be plenty of racers who would like more league type races without having to join a league.

Yet again this is the most sensible moose i know - qualifying for enduro is much better because like the very reason of the enduro nights - it's not just a pick up 10 minute race is it?

Quote from Dru :

Yet again this is the most sensible moose i know

Damn right....don't ever confuse me with those stupid,brainless,moronic Moose that are so common these days. They're scum, the lot of em

Quote from The Moose :

Damn right....don't ever confuse me with those stupid,brainless,moronic Moose that are so common these days. They're scum, the lot of em

I thought you refered to the others as 'Elks' to avoid confusion..




I mean, as long as the qualy is less than the race distance of enduro this is a great idea

Quote from Dru :

I thought you refered to the others as 'Elks' to avoid confusion..

Don't get me started on Elks....They may think they are just Moose with a different name, but believe me...they aren't fit to scrape the mud from my hooves.



quick..someone get this back on topic.....

back

ok i´d really like to see

a) longer races on all days and very longer races on endurance days
b) quali sessions for the "very longer" ones
c) possibility to drive ctra on the current version, until the insim is patched
to X (i need my titanium, u know)

Quote from LordBlaster :

c) possibility to drive ctra on the current version, until the insim is patched
to X (i need my titanium, u know)

I thought about this but I don't think it will be feasible if the patch will be an auto-update, unfortunately

There's a few other things that prevents it, for one we dont want to be responsible for a community division. Also the UKCT team want to do some serious house keeping on the server. It's time for the system to take a break - it is afterall still the STCC system, cobbled together in a spare 5 minutes with half of it's features disabled.

It will be back, bigger and better than ever.

everyday the patch "x" is NOT realeased is so far a good day

Quote from LordBlaster :

everyday the patch "x" is NOT realeased is so far a good day

yup this is true, as i'm not doing any leagues at the mo, i'm finally got some 'free' time to race on the CTRA servers and currently i'm 65% towards Gold... sods law they release X the day i get gold