Hi,

I've been following CTRA from back when it was STCC, I remember playing on the original servers and totally loving it. Especially when I was granted my silver license and I got onto the TBO's.

What an experience it was! A full grid of evenly matched TBO's fighting around tight circuits with long battles. There was never a race where I didn't have fun or have an awesome race-long battle with someone.

What I think, is that these days should be brought back. The old CTRA Race 2 server should be brought back to life. None of this silly restriction GT2 class stuff going on. No multi-class races, just a track rotation system, points and the TBO class cars 24/7.

I've made an online petition to record interest in this matter. Here's the Petition Conditions:

Quote :

By signing this petition, I fully pledge that I would like the CTRA Online Race server, hosting TBO races, within Live For Speed, to return to its past state. Excluding class modifications and multi-class racing.

Also, by signing this petition I state that if the CTRA TBO Online Race Server reverts back to its former glory, I will try to attend as frequently and as punctually as possible.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/CTRATBO/

I hope I can have a reply from one of the CTRA admins on this issue, as well as being literally inondated with a signiture on the petition.

Thanks guys,
Jack McIntyre
Fusion Racing Team

Yeah i agree totally with this. I used to love racing the TBO once i had gained my silver license. However one of the main reasons that i have not been on CTRA much these days is that the multi class racing has put me off it.

what could be done is perhaps another server.. like they used to have.. CTRA 2a (tbo) and CTA 2b (multiclass). It would attract alot more attention i feel because the racing is so close and much more fun with JUST tbo on the track.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks
Dan

Hmm am not a fan of multiclass myself as of yet. But it might just be a matter of hardware constraints? You can only run so many servers. And no point in empty servers.

Quote from SpikeyMarcoD :

Hmm am not a fan of multiclass myself as of yet. But it might just be a matter of hardware constraints? You can only run so many servers. And no point in empty servers.

When the old servers were around it was hard to get in they were so full. Now its hard to even race against someone, because no one likes the multiclass stuff and the tracks are crap.

UKCT has more server bandwidth than LFS racers could use.

Quote from mcintyrej :

the tracks are crap.

How can the tracks be crap only on the Race 2?

Besides if you want the Race 2 to be populated then why the hell are you on a Redline Racing server? Go populate the Race 2. If you join others will join too. Atleast that's what has happened to me every time I've joined the Race 2 server when it's been empty.

Quote from March Hare :

How can the tracks be crap only on the Race 2?

Besides if you want the Race 2 to be populated then why the hell are you on a Redline Racing server? Go populate the Race 2. If you join others will join too. Atleast that's what has happened to me every time I've joined the Race 2 server when it's been empty.

I was on Redline because I was racing BF1. I didn't say the crap tracks were only on Race 2, I just included it in the negatives side of things. TBH, i'm not a big fan of much of the tracks on the CTRA servers, except Race 1 really. I love tight, short, twisty tracks with not many corners. Something you can really have a good sprint around and have some close racing. As opposed to racing on something like Aston where in some parts the corners are far apart and are all long and sweeping. Here's a little track list that would work well (in my opinion).

Aston Cadet
Aston North
Blackwood GP
Blackwood Rallycross
Fern Bay Club
Fern Bay Gold
Fern Bay Green
Fern Bay Black
Fern Bay Rallycross
Fern Bay Rallycross Green
Kyoto National
Kyoto Long GP
South City Classic
South City Chicane Route
South City Sprint 1
South City Sprint 2
South City Town
Westhill International

There's a good 18 track list that could be cut down a lot further depending on what specifics the CTRA team may want.

Apart from the RX tracks and BL1R (the yellow issue) aren't all those tracks in the rotation?

Quote from March Hare :

Apart from the RX tracks and BL1R (the yellow issue) aren't all those tracks in the rotation?

They might be, but i've not raced on them in a while. It only ever seemed to be the KY tracks and the Aston tracks.

When it comes to tracks, I preffer short tracks too (though you have some of the longest in LFS in your suggested list). The problem with that is the regulars get bored of the tracks quite quickly.

The problem is that LFS really does not have that many environments, and whilst the layouts do give variety it just isnt the same thing when you are going around the same corners all the time.

Then there are tracks that some racers just cant handle, like having Fe Club with medium or fast speed cars. Then there is the demand for various different types of racing, take out LRF's and the mob want LRF's, take out XFG for licenced racers and the mob want XFG's.

In the perfect world CTRA would have enough competitors to run 15 or more busy servers to satisfy every combo, but there just arent that many racers. So it tries to cater for as many tastes as possible by allowing multiple classes to race together. Your only racing against the other cars in your class, and whilst a BnJ style position display for your class might be a good improvement I do believe that the development of truly multi-class racing in CTRA is and was a huge step forward for satisfying the demand for diversity.

I know when I was in the CTRA all the server + combo requests that pop up every few weeks we would love to have included, we just couldnt, because we were getting 2 busy road car servers, 1 busy single seater server, and BnJ. There is only so much you can do with 1 or 2 busy servers.

I do think GT2 needs rebalancing (I dont know if it was done recently I heard tale of some beta testing about it but havnt seen an anouncement), as the last time I looked the hot hatches where not that competetive across most of the tracks, but otherwise I think the multi-class aspects of the CTRA is very good.

I think the GT2s pre patch Y were spot on and I loved the longer tracks that we raced........

Quote from StableX :

I think the GT2s pre patch Y were spot on and I loved the longer tracks that we raced........

+1

I admit the GT2 racing was good, but can none of you remember the days where you'd race pretty much all night and battle for the lead all race?

Maybe a trial run is in order.

Hi,

in my opinion race 2 as it is now has created some of the best public races i've ever had (and i've been on LFS for a while:nod. Especially in the last couple of weeks with racers like Michael Denham, Pallukka or kraniwani being online...we had lots of great races and did battle for the lead all race. And it seemed quite crowded to me too - maybe not as full as it used to be but thats more or less a normal thing considering there are so many other ctra servers online (with more stable cars than TBO or LRF) - i could race on race2 whenever i wanted to in most cases.

I agree on some of the tracks however; aston can be quite boring in the TBOs ... but then again that might only be my personal preferance

Yea, I remember those days Jack, and good they were too. TBO racing was the biz

I'm not so keen on this multi-class stuff because although you might have 12 - 15 drivers in the server maybe, it often turns out you might only be racing against 3 or 4 in your class. That's not much of a challenge and a bit of a bore really.

Quote from Swiss_Tony :

Yea, I remember those days Jack, and good they were too. TBO racing was the biz

I'm not so keen on this multi-class stuff because although you might have 12 - 15 drivers in the server maybe, it often turns out you might only be racing against 3 or 4 in your class. That's not much of a challenge and a bit of a bore really.

I remember racing with you mate, good times eh!

Hopefully if CTRA doesn't come out with a TBO server, somewhere else might. I just remembered the brilliantness of the STCC TBO servers.

Quote from mcintyrej :

I remember racing with you mate, good times eh!

Hopefully if CTRA doesn't come out with a TBO server, somewhere else might. I just remembered the brilliantness of the STCC TBO servers.

More than anything I want to see a TBO only server, it's my favorite class. But because of constraints on the userbase we cannot feasibly provide seperate servers for LRF and TBO drivers. There is still some great action to be had on the servers, everyone spread the word and get more people playing LFS then we can unroll more exciting things for everyone =)

Quote from EagleEyE :

Hi,

in my opinion race 2 as it is now has created some of the best public races i've ever had (and i've been on LFS for a while:nod. Especially in the last couple of weeks with racers like Michael Denham, Pallukka or kraniwani being online...we had lots of great races and did battle for the lead all race. And it seemed quite crowded to me too - maybe not as full as it used to be but thats more or less a normal thing considering there are so many other ctra servers online (with more stable cars than TBO or LRF) - i could race on race2 whenever i wanted to in most cases.

I agree on some of the tracks however; aston can be quite boring in the TBOs ... but then again that might only be my personal preferance

Wow... you've been a member on this forum since 2003 and this was your first post. Respect

Totally off topic, I know, but I just found it a bit... surprising.

Since I haven't been able to play LFS for nigh half a year now I unfortunately don't have anything more relevant to say in this topic

Quote :

Wow... you've been a member on this forum since 2003 and this was your first post. Respect

oh ... do i win some kind of price for that? In fact i've been a member to LFS since 2003 ...the forum just came with it; and apart from that i'm just a quiet guy i guess

Quote :

More than anything I want to see a TBO only server, it's my favorite class. But because of constraints on the userbase we cannot feasibly provide seperate servers for LRF and TBO drivers. There is still some great action to be had on the servers, everyone spread the word and get more people playing LFS then we can unroll more exciting things for everyone =)

thats quite exactely how i would have said it

here here
the old few servers without wierd car modding worked really well...
CTRA servers won't give any points and everything is really unfreindly unless you are there fdrom start time.. no open praccy servers,
i haven't driven LFS for months due to the lack of servers in the northamerica area, and less good racing- CTRA hasn't really helped this by making it impossible to join many servers as well..

Quote from GT Touring :

here here
the old few servers without wierd car modding worked really well...
CTRA servers won't give any points and everything is really unfreindly unless you are there fdrom start time.. no open praccy servers,
i haven't driven LFS for months due to the lack of servers in the northamerica area, and less good racing- CTRA hasn't really helped this by making it impossible to join many servers as well..

I disagree entirely. The CTRA has a system which breeds the best racing i've had on LFS. Everything is unfriendly? RUbbish, I find the mature racers the most helpful and friendly... and it doesn't matter if the servers are hosted in North America, it's the fact there are fewer LFS /CTRA racers in America. I'm in San Francisco and never have an issue with the fact the CTRA servers are hosted somewhere in England.

The fact that some of the servers are impossible to join is simply a reflection of the good system which breeds racing with other maturer racers... It took me long while to get a silver/national b license due to lack of skills and time, but today I had a race where for 2, even 3 laps I was side by side, swapping places with another racer and it was the best racing i've had since LFS hit the internet... and i've been racing since then.

Quote from GT Touring :

here here
the old few servers without wierd car modding worked really well...
CTRA servers won't give any points and everything is really unfreindly unless you are there fdrom start time.. no open praccy servers,
i haven't driven LFS for months due to the lack of servers in the northamerica area, and less good racing- CTRA hasn't really helped this by making it impossible to join many servers as well..

I agree. By the time I get home from work(5pm Pacific time) there are maybe 1 or 2 CTRA servers online and its single seaters or race 1. I prefer the TBO or GT2 classes but they aint on, so I dont bother.

TBO is/was the best class for close racing and great choice of cars, race 2 was so much fun in "the old days"

I think the fact is LFS as it currently stands, has changed in such a way (these last 2 major patches) that close racing throughout the whole race is now impossable with each car within each class heating tyres at different rates, even in league races IMO the excitement of close door to door racing has been replaced by tiny snippets of close battles, and alot more worrying about tyre health.
The CTRA system is a good one, but falling numbers of racers online, and the fast heating tyre issue makes it hard to get good close races anywhere anymore.

SD.

Quote from SparkyDave :

TBO is/was the best class for close racing and great choice of cars, race 2 was so much fun in "the old days"

I think the fact is LFS as it currently stands, has changed in such a way (these last 2 major patches) that close racing throughout the whole race is now impossable with each car within each class heating tyres at different rates, even in league races IMO the excitement of close door to door racing has been replaced by tiny snippets of close battles, and alot more worrying about tyre health.
The CTRA system is a good one, but falling numbers of racers online, and the fast heating tyre issue makes it hard to get good close races anywhere anymore.

SD.

not true, yesterday evening I had whole races of close racing, with the xfg though. The slower the cars, the closer the races get. I came to think that with the amount of cars we have now (compared to s1) it's way harder to stick to one class and drive it (example TBO which is mostly noone driving). The more experienced the grid is with the car, the closer the races get.

I will have my server set up to any combo you guys want with the TBO's. Please use 6% restriction on the FXO.
Server name is °RP° Rising Phoenix

Kenneth