hi! I'm a new driver and this is the first post i write!
I think that this is the definitive simulator ever and has the opportunity to cover all the racing disciplines! I personally am a rally fun and i hope that interesting stages will be developed as soon as possible because, perhaps, this sim could become also the main rally sim on the entire actual theater ( mitic RBR included !! )

Quote from France B. :

hi! I'm a new driver and this is the first post i write!
I think that this is the definitive simulator ever and has the opportunity to cover all the racing disciplines! I personally am a rally fun and i hope that interesting stages will be developed as soon as possible because, perhaps, this sim could become also the main rally sim on the entire actual theater ( mitic RBR included !! )

The problem with Rally it's that it's difficult to port to a multiplayer platform... it's mostly a single-player thing as cars start their stage minutes apart.

As LFS is mainly build to be a Multiplayer Racing Simulator I somehow don't think Rally will fit in. But who knows...

Depending on the length of the stage, it could be done by scaling the start times down. You could maybe go 30 seconds apart instead of 3 minutes or whatever it is IRL.

That would keep the idea of multiplayer alive by keeping people racing at the same time, but still allowing enough time between each to allow for some minor mistakes.

What about running it where all the cars run at the same time, maybe, but showing splits and stuff. Replays work as usual, tabbing between the cars.

And don't forget those special stages where two drivers are pitted against each other in parallel courses!

But yeah, the whole 30second staggered start would help to preserve the multi-player aspect of the sim while operating in a time-attack styled racing form.

Quote from duke_toaster :

What about running it where all the cars run at the same time, maybe, but showing splits and stuff. Replays work as usual, tabbing between the cars.

Duke posted an idea I was thinking about while typing my post...though to do that you would have to a) work it so we didn't see each other (i.e. all on the same server, running a 'local' copy of the track where only the splits and lap times communicate to the server, or b) disable car-to-car collision detection which would be like ghost car and would be annoying as hell. Doing a) would probably need a special interface where spectators and/or finished drivers could still tab to different drivers to watch, and also have a timing/standing display.

Methinks this would require quite a large amount of coding and would have to be in that "Rally Pack" that was mention what seems like ages ago. You would have to start the game and enable "Rally Mode", which would enable a whole different UI.

I'm sure this will never happen . However making LFS more allround racing simulator is not a bad idea, adding some more autocross layouts would be a great thing, because now we have only a few, what is obviously not enough for serious rallycrossing .

I don't think it'd be worth the bother having everyone on the same server but nobody seeing anyone else. If you're not typing (and in rally there's even less chance than circuit) and you're not competing directly, there's no point to everyone being on at the same time. It'd be using server bandwidth for no reason.

Some super special stages would be cool though. But TBH that'd be pretty much like RallyX is now. There are plenty of autocross layouts that are SS stages (I've even made one myself).

Where's my rally pack?

I think the 30 second staggered start was the best idea - its the most sim-biased option for a rally upgrade.

If we're going to have a rally pack though I think we need some variants of the cars. We could have something along the lines of an XRT-R (R for rally) and an FXO-R, alongside an RB4-R. These could only be allowed on the rally mode and they're upgraded to WRC standards, of if Scawen's feeling generous - Group B standards.

I'm not sure we'd need a whole range of new cars. I mean most of them work for RallyX already. Maybe just XFG and RB4 upgrades to start, to cover A- and B-class. Not that I'd complain about getting another half dozen cars of course

Wrong forum.

Like you've never misposted anything.

In real life many events run stages on 30 sec starts anyway, often with splits and merges on single venue events.

For another way of making rallying work online you should check out www.rbr-online.net they have a very neat application that piggybacks onto RBR where everyone lines up and starts each stage at the 30sec/1min intervals as they would in real life and as you wait you can chat to the other competitors and also watch split times and stage times coming in from the drivers doing the stage. You don't have long to wait to do the next stage so it doesn't get boring. Of course this doesn't make for real pick up and play competition because the rallies can be quite long but it is only the same as the more organised races in LFS.

One thing I would suggest for RBR is a new autocross environment/map based on an airfield (where most single venue rallies take place) and a few more objects and higher object limits for laying out rally stages.

Anyone whose been to a single venue airfield event will tell you they are very busy/fast paced with many cars on each stage at once often doing more than one "lap" of the layout. 99% of the stuff required in LFS is already there with the ability to put timing and splits into autocross courses already present, all that we need is a new airfield map, ideally with various "access roads" etc (think like the road that runs up the side of the drag strip in LFS but longer) and maybe some gravel sections.

Anyway those are my thoughts on the subject. If anyone is interested I would be happy to post some of my "single venue rally" autocross layouts.

Your opinions/criticism of the idea would be welcome.

Regards

Duncan

Duiletter: I think that would be pretty cool for a start, and would fit in well with the tbo class, ie group n cars. Say 5 "stages" on one server, racers start with 30 second intervals, are timed over each stage, and maybe drive (or warp, less realistic but less chance of wrecking) to the start of the next stage. Kinda like a crazy golf style of rallying

Of course with an airstrip type arena you could also have true off road sections of flattened mud, or if possible the ability to place a mud/dirt route on the grass areas.