I'd suggest two ways:

1) a last-52-weeks rank like in tennis. This would require a big database though and make licences less usable: if you don't race for a year, you gradually go down to copper.
2) licences based on quantiles. q<0.1% = titanium, 0.1%<=q<0.5%, - platinum, 0.5%<=q<2% - gold, 2%<=q<5% - silver, 5%<=q<20% - bronze, 20%<=q<50% - copper.

In both cases a person can't be sure of own licence and accessibility of hosts.

The issue with ranks and accumulating points regards the emotional payoff and motivations of players. The payoff from CTRA comes also from posession of a high-level licence. Just the same as in WoW. It gives the same feelings as in real life (tho, the number of people who admire your licence is much smaller than the number of those who would admire a luxury RL posession). Anyway, this still motivates many players. The problem is that if this system is removed or made more complicated, those who were motivated this way, will leave.

I think the idea definitely has some merit, I'm also a new comer to CTRA although I'm more experienced than some higher licensed racers here. Like you I recently got my National B and well, what was the point? It's very rare that SS2 or SS3 is used. Likewise with the Bronze license, it may as well not even exist as you essentially need to endure Race1 till you get your Silver and then Race2 is barely used because most are naturally attracted to Race3 and GT2, I know when I get my Silver I'll be racing the XFR.
Don't get me wrong, CTRA and the X-System is really quite superb and I'll continue to race on the servers as it provides the best pickup racing, even on Race1. However the current situation where the lowest tier servers are the only ones regularly populated is not good and something like what has been proposed here could help. I'd love to be able to have some good FO8 races and am quite capable of doing so but at the moment it seems like even if I do eventually reach the International B level I'll still have no one to race it against.
Maybe with this idea current high license holders would only be reduced to the Bronze license with a bit of a restructure of the license levels so that it takes longer to get the Bronze. That way new and inexperienced guys still have to prove their worth and the very experienced guys don't need to suffer Race1. Make the TBO class on Race2 open to Bronze holders so they don't need to go back to XFG/XRG either (TBO should be open to Bronze anyway). Anyway just some things to ponder, anything to get some racing going on SS2 and Race2.

A bold and well thought out OP, but to be honest I am with the rest of the respondents on this one.

I don't have the time some other racers do (yes I'm jealous ), to dedicate themselves to hauling in the points, but I've had my targets set on Platinum (18% to go) and National A (8% to go) for some time now. The vast majority of my LFS time is spent trying to attain these goals

If the CTRA bods decided I had to return to the starting rung I'd seriously loose the plot :wtf2: and disappear off to GTR land again on another server.

I'm eternally grateful to the CTRA for opening my eyes up to racing in cars other than the GTR's and I'm now a committed TBO and SS fan as well.

A quote from Alien T:
"My goals in CTRA were to reach Platinum and National A, now that I have reached that I no longer race striving for points, this actually make LFS more enjoyable for me as I can race on other servers without thinking I am missing out on CTRA points, if that makes any sense?"

Thats where I want to be, and to be able to go GTR racing on Race 3.

So, nice try, but no cigar

EDIT : Gold and above drivers should be banned from Race 1 imo. Possibly the same with National A and SS1?

Quote from The Moose :

I'm simply not interested in setting foot anywhere near Race 1 again, and i don't wish to spend months on the TBO servers again just so i can drive the GT's.

I put many months of effort into getting where i am and have absolutely no wish to go through it all again.

I ,and i imagine all the high licensed drivers would just go and race elsewhere rather than go through the system again.

everything else is pointless

The solution is to have leagues within the CTRA system, fully automated structured racing with points awarded for position in a league manner, alongside licence progress.

This concept has always been a long term goal of the X-System, solving another problem at the same time - getting pickup racing with unusual car + track combo's.

The event system planned for X system was never developed in my time with the CTRA because I was off doing other things, I believe her name was Aisling. I understand that it is a planned feature for X2.

Conceptually, unless its changed greatly in the hands of UKCT, it should provide each night 1 or more league standard races in a pickup manner, running numerous 'leagues' over a 6 month period with numerous events, where points are fixed to your best 'n' number of results (we where planning on best 6).

The idea being that each night there would be a few events from various 'leagues' with a practice, qualifying and race session - possibly some with even more complex formats, the goal being to achieve a true pick up and play league structure - with access to different leagues having different licence levels (starting with bronze).

That was the concept anyway.

well, the concept sounds absolutly great, i wish we will see
some of this in the near future

Quote from LordBlaster :

well, the concept sounds absolutly great, i wish we will see
some of this in the near future

+1

/me likes

Quote from HVS5b :

Gold and above drivers should be banned from Race 1 imo. Possibly the same with National A and SS1?

I'm starting to think you're right on this one. TBH i think Silver+ should be banned from Race 1. This would certainly get Race 2 full up again.

I'm well aware of the arguments against this mind you
I used to race a lot of SS1 even with an International B license, because the other servers rarely had anyone on them.

Forcing the higher licensed drivers onto the higher servers seems to be something worth considering imho. It surely cant hurt to see if this will increase the popularity of servers that seem to be permanently empty.

I guess youre right, however blocking people from a server isnt really nice. Bcus people can like driving the cars availble there. Its the only server wich has a XFG and XRG within the CTRA system besides BnJ.

Quote from yeager :

Michael Schumacher has 7 world championships, yet each season he started with 0 points...

0 points, but +1 F1 car

Quote from psychometalist :

3) CTRA isn't a league, it's a bunch of servers to have friendly and competitive racing.

I'd say it straddles a gap that exists between the two. It's pure pickup racing, which means it's there for anyone who'll play by the rules, but the rules in CTRA servers are definitely more strict than those of some very well-established leagues out there. CTRA is accessible, but fundamental to this discussion is that there is no clear "end" to the CTRA, unlike a season in a particular league. I think, for some, this makes the process exhaustive.

What the CTRA needs is some more finite goals. Something different to strive for, within a specific timeframe, and to achieve - win it, stuff it in your belt, display your medal with pride and get on to the next CTRA challenge. This is what we, at CTRA, call "X2"

Quote from psychometalist :

I remember someone begging Sam to reset his points in order to make a fresh start but he didn't ).

Removing licence notes infractions and race statistics (I think this is what he particularly wanted) and resetting his points was never gonna happen. People lose points occasionally, but there's always an infraction associated with it. Licence history is fundamental to the CTRA, and cannot/will not be tampered with for any reason. Leagues and teams depend on this information, and if we allowed a single licence to be "fiddled", the entire base of trust and faith in our system stats would collapse. We'll never let that happen.

Quote from Mackie The Staggie :

The idea is bold, but flawed. However it does no mean it's wrong.

I agree. Essentially what's being asked for, here, is what is in development now.

Quote from SamH :

Essentially what's being asked for, here, is what is in development now.

Fantastic... I can't wait!

No way my points will be resetted... Not now I am so "close" to the FO8...

Quote from Darkone55 :

No way my points will be resetted... Not now I am so "close" to the FO8...

You won't lose that car once you've reached it. However, in the future there will be events run within the CTRA that involve the FO8, and you'll be allowed to compete in those

Sounds good. I can barely wait!

Just let me keep the XRT, pretty please.