Do you think pace cars is a good idea??? 
Let me know if it is or not
Let me know if it is or not
Pace Cars?
(25 posts, started )
Pace Cars?
On an ALMOST related note, it might be interesting to have some kind of option which, when selected, would have the cars - when qualifying was over the pace car comes out, everyone catches up, and ON THEIR OWN everyone lines up at the start line in the position they were given - instead of just being reset to the correct spot. Might be fun. Once everyone is set, THEN it resets so as to bump your car into perfect alignment and spacing for the green light.
I think it is, except for some cases where it is not.
+1 for a safety car option - but in future, use search.
+1 for rolling starts - but in future, use search.
+1 for rolling starts - but in future, use search.
What's the big deal about safety cars? At the moment someone can hop into one (with correct skin) and quite easily go out and bunch up the F1s if server rules allow.
It would be far better with a human driver too....is this implemented in league races? I would have thought so, it would work brilliantly
It would be far better with a human driver too....is this implemented in league races? I would have thought so, it would work brilliantly
Problem is though is that once the race starts in LFS.. it starts, you can't drive up to where you're supposed to go for the start, and then tell LFS to start the race (yet).
we had this in 2 seasons of lfscar league and NO in most times it did not work:
reason 1: the pace-car driver was not there sometimes when he was needed (toilette, eating, ...)
reason 2:. pace-car driver can make mistakes or lets say it polite: wrong decisions (we had a red flag due to a unclear situation of the pace-car causing a mass crash and a complete restart in a 120 laps race)
reason 3: someone has to sit and wait for 2 hours without doing something
reason 4: if the pacecar driver was the admin at the same time, he could not watch whats going on behind him
reason 5: subjective decision when a pacecar driver is coming out (maybe this could be solved with lfs-lapper)
reason 6: pace-car driver did not know the track or had wheel calibration problems during his laps
if there are humans involved, mistakes can happen, and this is the least thing you want to have in a caution/safety car situation. at least the pacecar should be predictable and 99,999% sure of what he is doing which can only achieved by an automated system. i've tried the human way in more then 20 races and in most races at least one Safetycar-phase did not work out as it should because of the above mentioned reasons.
a much safer and better solution is the use of an AI driver. this is now possible with the latest patch Y with the command "/ai PACECAR" "/spectate PACECAR". but we need a working system for checking if people hold their positions or if they are speeding and stuff like this.
i know someone who is working on an insim application for this. not sure how far he is. the last thing i've heard was: "its ready for testing"
BUT yes in general: +1000 for a serverside option "flying start", "start with formation lap" and +1000 for server-side AI drivers to be used as pacecar drivers (+100 for the possibility to set the fuel of an ai driver or a "pit after 5 laps" option for the AI).
There's no reason an AI driver shouldn't be able to run as a pacecar. They don't need to be aware of their surroundings or overtake, and they don't need to drive fast.
It seems like it would be fairly simple to have them start in the pits and just wait until the admin command brought them out. Or maybe have them automatically react to certain criteria, like multiple yellow flags at one point on the track.
I'd want to give them infinite fuel too, because otherwise you'd have to find a way of filling them up on long races, and that would need a bit of tinkering - you sure as hell wouldn't want them using up a pit spot.
And obviously the pace car's lap count and position would not appear on the final race summary either.
But I think it would be a good idea to have two options - one for an AI pace car and another for a human-controlled one. That would give an extra level of command to admins.
/pacecar ai
/pacecar human
/pacecar out
/pacecar in
It seems like it would be fairly simple to have them start in the pits and just wait until the admin command brought them out. Or maybe have them automatically react to certain criteria, like multiple yellow flags at one point on the track.
I'd want to give them infinite fuel too, because otherwise you'd have to find a way of filling them up on long races, and that would need a bit of tinkering - you sure as hell wouldn't want them using up a pit spot.
And obviously the pace car's lap count and position would not appear on the final race summary either.
But I think it would be a good idea to have two options - one for an AI pace car and another for a human-controlled one. That would give an extra level of command to admins.
/pacecar ai
/pacecar human
/pacecar out
/pacecar in
Also, the SC will show up on InSim apps.
There is one problem with this - non dedicated servers cannot run AI drivers. Maybe that could be added, although the dedi would need to run physics. Or maybe get a currently spectating player to run the AI for the SC
Basically, we need the following commands
/rollingstart - Wether the race has a rolling start or not.
/autoSC - SC will be deployed automatically, if it's already out it does nothing.
/deploySC - Manually deploy the SC, if it's in the pits it does nothing.
/exitSC - Get the SC to come in next lap.
And an InSim packet to be sent when the SC is deployed.
Maybe red flags would be a good idea as well ...
There is one problem with this - non dedicated servers cannot run AI drivers. Maybe that could be added, although the dedi would need to run physics. Or maybe get a currently spectating player to run the AI for the SC
Basically, we need the following commands
/rollingstart - Wether the race has a rolling start or not.
/autoSC - SC will be deployed automatically, if it's already out it does nothing.
/deploySC - Manually deploy the SC, if it's in the pits it does nothing.
/exitSC - Get the SC to come in next lap.
And an InSim packet to be sent when the SC is deployed.
Maybe red flags would be a good idea as well ...
@ the LFS BC practice sessions there were a few rolling starts with safety car and it all went rather well
+1 for AI pace cars.
But it does actually need more commands? Can't you just spec the AI?
But it does actually need more commands? Can't you just spec the AI?
Hi Fisch
I found this quite funny because, apart from reasons 4 and 6, aren't these all true about real-life pace cars too!!!???!!
Really depends if you want LFS to stay realistic or not. Especially for (for example) the STCC. If the pace car simply appears on the track, you risk it being on top of someone, you risk it confusing the hell out of any driver maybe a lap behind, and it would look awful. If it appears in the pits that's not so bad, but it seems silly to disallow telepitting and then force a car to use the same thing.
And if it simply disappears afterwards it's going to look terrible. Pace car, pace car, pace car, no pace car. That'd suck.
Better would be a dedicated spot in the pits where a pace car gets added automatically at the start of the race. It'd wait there with constant 100% fuel refill until needed. So it comes out for a rolling start and waits for the drivers to line up behind, or it waits until there's an admin command or big incident. People can see it in advance and plan accordingly.
And it could free up another server slot
What about doing /laps=0 then /laps=however many laps/how long the race is.
/laps=0 during the lights sequence will freeze the lights AFAIK...that's one way to do it
Definetly +1 if you ask me.
ok here is a workaround for the use of the AI as a pacecar for flying starts:
make a setup for the AI so it cannot drive faster then the speed you want to (like 150km/h)
/ai [Name of AI]
order the grid so the ai is at the front
at the start put out a yellow server message like: "FLYING START, STAY IN YOUR FILE"
after the start, give out a drive-through or stop/go penalty to the ai driver in the lap you want it to start the race
/p_sg [Name of AI]
the ai will go into the pits
when the AI crosses the pit entrance line:
give out a "GREEN FLAG" server side message
send the AI to spectate with "/spec [Name of AI]"
all these commands could be set up in a script and bind them to a button. the admin on the server just has to trigger them.
make a setup for the AI so it cannot drive faster then the speed you want to (like 150km/h)
/ai [Name of AI]
order the grid so the ai is at the front
at the start put out a yellow server message like: "FLYING START, STAY IN YOUR FILE"
after the start, give out a drive-through or stop/go penalty to the ai driver in the lap you want it to start the race
/p_sg [Name of AI]
the ai will go into the pits
when the AI crosses the pit entrance line:
give out a "GREEN FLAG" server side message
send the AI to spectate with "/spec [Name of AI]"
all these commands could be set up in a script and bind them to a button. the admin on the server just has to trigger them.
So we don't really need the suggestion then. We can already do it. Woo.
That's actually a great idea.
YeahYeah.. all want pace car.. me to..
But it not going to happend.. no admin want to make..
But it not going to happend.. no admin want to make..
we tried out the pacecar program today. it looks very promising.
what it does (most of the times) at the moment is: starts an automated pacecar, checking positions, checking if someone is speeding, checking if someone overtook before green flag. and gives out penalties, lets the pacecar drive into the pits, starts race with green flag.
but it is more a prove of concept at the moment, but... its working
what it does (most of the times) at the moment is: starts an automated pacecar, checking positions, checking if someone is speeding, checking if someone overtook before green flag. and gives out penalties, lets the pacecar drive into the pits, starts race with green flag.
but it is more a prove of concept at the moment, but... its working
Sweet. If you can get this working, I can see it being implemented widely in the serious racing servers. It'd be a great way to add some realism to the game.
Doesnt Lapper have a Safety car option "!sc" ?
It might do now, but it possibly didn't when this thread was active - a year ago.
2 years ago.
Nice digging up my own suggestion mick
Anyway, tried this and it works fine just need to find the exact speed it goes
Anyway, tried this and it works fine just need to find the exact speed it goes
Pace Cars?
(25 posts, started )
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