As per title, it would be more useful as a racer to have a clearer distinction between actual racers and mid-race joiners, (who are not involved in the race).

I would like to suggest the following:

Mid-race joiners don't show up on the race order list, (bottom right of screen), at all.

a) I have no interest in the gap between myself and someone not in the race. If a car is right in front or behind on track and the order list shows a several second gap between you and the next car in race, you'll know they're not involved in the race and can act appropriately in order not to ruin your own race.

b) Also, should you encounter a car on track, (either passing or being passed), you automatically know from their name that they are a mid-race joiner as it's not on the list, (useful for those that use names above cars).

Mid-race joiners are a completely different colour on the map (eg blue) irrespective of their actual track position

a) So map users can see immediately that the car in front or behind is not involved in the race some time before they actually encounter them on track and again respond appropriately.


For the same reasons as above, Mid-race joiners will also know immediately that the car in front or behind is involved in the race and act accordingly, (by not racing them).

Thoughts?

Seems like a great idea!

But isn't there something you can dowload for this already?

rather than just mid race joiners, why not a different colour for every car on a lap below you on the map, which I beleive is already the case!

Not an entirely different colour but the cars who are in the same lap as you and behind you have a brighter orange than the cars who are 1 or more laps down.

Just disable the ability to mid race join, far better. Fun servers can allow and more serious disable.

People who join midrace are not up to pace, have cold tires and have no effect on the outcome. They should not be allowed to even join IMHO.

Quote from Woz :

Just disable the ability to mid race join, far better. Fun servers can allow and more serious disable.

People who join midrace are not up to pace, have cold tires and have no effect on the outcome. They should not be allowed to even join IMHO.

But on the other hand, If I'm going to play LFS for 45 minutes before I go to sleep, it's a good thing that I can join mid-race, find my pace and setup and finish the race, so I don't need to fist wait for the race to end, start the next one at the back of the grid and spend the time learning the combo and taking notes where my setup ain't bad.

Quote from Woz :

Just disable the ability to mid race join, far better. Fun servers can allow and more serious disable.

People who join midrace are not up to pace, have cold tires and have no effect on the outcome. They should not be allowed to even join IMHO.

Well that would actually be my prefered scenario too but as it seems that is not likely to happen I came up with these ideas to help sort the wheat from the chaff in race. I drive predominantly on CTRA and have to say nearly all the issues I've had on those servers have been down to mid-race joiners interfering with my race, but as CTRA allows them then not much else to do really.

In all honesty I don't understand the whole point of allowing mid race joins. They wouldn't happen in real life so shouldn't be allowed in LFS. I'm also not keen on the fact that these people join mid-race - set a quick lap - then are ahead of you on the grid when the next race starts. IMO even fast drivers should be forced to join at the back if they haven't set their lap "in race". Let them work their way through the pack I say, that's the whole point of racing.

Quote from zeugnimod :

Not an entirely different colour but the cars who are in the same lap as you and behind you have a brighter orange than the cars who are 1 or more laps down.

These colors are adjustable in options. I have only cars in front of me or same lap in bright colors - one ore more laps behind dark grey.

OT:
Race order list should also be no problem, all mid race joiners are at the bottom.
I dont need informations above a car if its a midrace joiner or not - if he is one lap behind he'll get a blue flag and should act appropriately. If he ignores blue flags there would be no difference if I know that he is a midrace joiner or not ...

On endurance races its common that someone rejoins after a disconnect - he would also be marked as midrace joiner.

Quote from frokki :

But on the other hand, If I'm going to play LFS for 45 minutes before I go to sleep, it's a good thing that I can join mid-race, find my pace and setup and finish the race, so I don't need to fist wait for the race to end, start the next one at the back of the grid and spend the time learning the combo and taking notes where my setup ain't bad.

But then you have played LFS long enough that all that should be sorted already?

If you need to learn a combo I would say joining in the middle of a live race where you could off someone is NOT the place to do it.

Quote from frokki :

But on the other hand, If I'm going to play LFS for 45 minutes before I go to sleep, it's a good thing that I can join mid-race, find my pace and setup and finish the race, so I don't need to fist wait for the race to end, start the next one at the back of the grid and spend the time learning the combo and taking notes where my setup ain't bad.

Quote from woz :

But then you have played LFS long enough that all that should be sorted already?

If you need to learn a combo I would say joining in the middle of a live race where you could off someone is NOT the place to do it.

The difference is, you, me, frokki, Banshee, Tweak, Tristancliffe, DWB, just throwing random names out here, would all make sure that we join the track away from other racers and not bother the race at all. The problem is, for each of the names I typed there as well as all the others who would make sure we didn't bother the race, there are 50 racers who pay no attention and join the track right into the side of the leaders, try to race and pass those who are legitimately in the race, etc.

Just a case of the masses ruining it for the minorities. There are plenty of times when even though I or others similar to what I listed above "have played LFS long enough that all that should be sorted already" patches change everything with setups. I certainly am not a setup guru, nor do I use the extreme oversteering setups that most use, so it takes me quite some time to catch up to the setup changes with patch updates. I may have 50,000 miles worth of racing in LFS, but I have 0 setups for the FZR should I decide to start racing with it again since about patch V. Same with LFR or TBO class cars, 0 setups since about patch V which patch V sets would be utter crap in Y.

The "can't join midrace" on CTRA servers drive me up a freakin wall when I enter the server and need to do a few laps, tweak, do laps, tweak..... It's unfortunate and really stinks for some of us, but definitely understood why we need that with all the other "type" of midrace joiners out there.

Quote from Woz :

But then you have played LFS long enough that all that should be sorted already?

Umm, no. Like Mike said, all setups are gone after an incopatible patch. At the moment I have setups for pretty much TBO+LRF only.

Quote from Woz :

If you need to learn a combo I would say joining in the middle of a live race where you could off someone is NOT the place to do it.

By learning a combo I meant finding the braking points and the general flow, not which way does the next corner turn. Of all possible combos in LFS I could competitively race from the start line at maybe 5-10% of them.