I have a question. Now for those of you who dont know me I use to be a oval only guy. (I only played NASCAR/INDY games/mods).
Until recently I decided to try my hands on road courses (i bought LFS and rFactor).
Now, in stock car racing (oval or road courses) contact is no big deal, just as long as you dont spin the other guy out. In some leagues, getting others loose just A LITTLE bit is fine.
Does the rules completely change in road courses? I traded paint with a few guys (I never spinned anyone) and I was banned.
I'm also curious on another thing, why is blocking = ban? I was on a oval server and in my previous NR2003 team I was known for being a good blocker on an oval. Now, I never force people out or bump them with malice. But I wont give up my line. I raced in the oval starters server and I was banned for blocking. I mean WTF!!!!
When you visit a server you have to be willing to follow the rules of that server, no matter what they are, or there's a chance you will get banned. So, if they say no contact and you continue to bump and rub other cars, even if you don't wreck those cars, you've broken the rules of the server. Same goes for blocking. If the admins don't want you to block more than once, then it's best you follow those rules or find another server. Those are really you're only two options in this case.
Ok, let me tell you how it goes. I played nascar racing excessively a few years ago, so i know exactly why you're so confused. The slipstream technique in lfs (which is by the way still in a "early stage of development") compared to nascar racing is completely different as you might have noticed. You cant get behind another car, use the draft, recude the drag of the group and gain speed. That doesn't work right now so its absolutely useless to block/ defend your line at all time. You will slow down the group instead of getting an advantage over those who are not working together.
Get rid of your common strategies and get used to it, make the best out of it. We tried to do so and many people are willing to go by the rules we had to create and as far as i know, this provided alot of great races.
(please read this to get a better understanding of what im acutally talking about (just in case you do not already know and for everybody that actually dont know about it))
-> which brings me to my point: after a couple of years now playing this game and especially the oval it turned out that teamwork (drafting non-stop) (different kind of what one as a stock car driver would consider as teamwork), no matter if youre actually in a team/ clan whatever or not, is the best solution while logically most effective. So there is only one reason to block: block to keep the pattern stable. For example (group of three cars): If you got passed by someone at the end of a straight and the distance to this car turns out to be perfect for the next straight, block (narrowing your race line depending on the situation, try to avoid sudden movements) the car that is behind you to keep the distance and therefore the pattern.
So what is racing on the oval in LFS? Its hotlapping. Two, three four or five cars (+/-) in a group is usually the optimum capacity, at least for cars with slicks and downforce. You get to know each other after a while and pull the rest out of these vehicles, fight together for good lap times or against other groups.
Now there are basically two options to win a race if you desperately need to win.
Number 1 is luck, which basically means that you end up in a position (resulting out of the "draft pattern") on the start/ finish straight (last lap) where nobody else could catch you in time to pass you before the s/f line.
or
Number 2 (the so called "Quietscheente style" (/insider joke )), you are allowed to block in the last lap after turn 3 but only as much as it wont forces any crashes with the guys you are racing with. Think about it, you will win that way only once, maybe twice but next time youre on the list and you will most probably have to deal with simular strange/ dangerous manoeuver.
Well, ok, its not realistic but im convinced it will be one day. I mean hey, whats the oval for then? I think its purpose is to make this game even more perfect and im also sure that curcuit racers will benefit from this work. But i dont even want start imagine how big the effort must be to create and test all those calculations/ codes that are needed to make it "perfect" or close to realistic conditions. Afaik, papyrus/ sierra had a big team and also assistance from the nascar/ stockcar industry. LFS developers are "just" 3 men (afaik). Im patient, are you?
Alright, this is just my homble opinion about it and maybe i missed something here and there. Other (lfs oval) drivers may see things different then me and im open for any improvements. I hope this was at least a bit helpful for you and if youre interested, just visit our site and we can talk about your case.
I was there when you were banned and it was not just for blocking, but your general conduct on the track. To be fair you were warned many times. If you cant play by the rules of the server they have every right to ban you.
I actually didnt realize that my actions were such a big deal. Many accidents I caused were....well....accidents. I was playing with a mouse for the first time and I had a hard time controlling the car.
I do believe that i apologized every time i caused a wreck. That wreck that occurred right before I was banned was completely unrelated to me. I started in the back so I couldn't have cause the accident.
To answer your question, blocking on road courses is usually uses the following rules (wording varies between sanctioning bodies) when racing for position:
You can make one move between corners (eg. if you start on the left side of a straight and move to the right you have to stay there).
You are allowed to sit in the middle of a straight so long as you don't close the gap either side.
You absolutely must not weave.
You must not squeeze other cars off the road.
Use common sense and if there's a big speed difference don't block, if you're going to cause a crash (eg. coming out the pits).
Doing either of the last three and causing an accident both IRL and LFS will fast track the banning process.
Contact in the big heavy GTR's on the oval usually isnt a good idea, especially on the starter server. Obviously contact can be done and can be allright (LFSCAR has plenty) but thats only because most people are decent drivers. A lot of the folk on the starter servers are basically that, starters. Even if you can handle the contact, they may not, and the admin could have taken that into account.
AJP, the first rule is questionable. Whether you are allowed to, say, move to the right, then move back to the racing line for the corner (Obviously only when its safe to do so, if theres a car there, move over a little but not enough to force them off the road). Some people allow it, some people dont.
)), you are allowed to block in the last lap after turn 3 but only as much as it wont forces any crashes with the guys you are racing with. Think about it, you will win that way only once, maybe twice but next time youre on the list and you will most probably have to deal with simular strange/ dangerous manoeuver.
You should go to the starter server.