This thread's a good read!
Glad to see the CTRA admins are coming away fairly well unscathed, too
Since revising the structure of our rules and trying to clarify some points, some new issues with the rules have come to light that we'll need to address soon. I'll pick those off so you guys know, because they seem pertinent to the discussion..
"Bump and steal" - the process of deliberately smacking someone's back-end to push them wide or destabilise them into a corner. We've started to see this a lot more, recently, although it's always been illegal on CTRA servers.. so we'll be making a specific point of it in the rules. It's sometimes pretty difficult to determine if an individual instance of this is deliberate or not. However, it's piss-easy to spot it as a behavioural trend in a driver. When it's reported, we spend a long time looking at other examples of corner entry from the reported driver, and they're positively up the creek if they're caught. This kind of thing is a once-in-a-blue-moon incident, so if we can find it recurring within 3 or 4 other races, we consider them habitual bump and stealers. Bear in mind that bumping and stealing is an easy fix if it's done in error, anyway. You just give the position back. Occasional contact into a corner is perhaps even inevitable, and can't be 100% avoided - accidents happen - but the driver that disadvantages another driver, by accident or on purpose, is always in control of whether or not they return the position.
On that point, if the disadvantaged driver crashes and totals, and then spectates, it's impossible to return the position within 2 corners (regulation) but we will diminish the penalty issued - or even dismiss it - if the advantaged driver gives him/herself a voluntary drive-thru in the same race. If we miss them doing that, they can point it out in their appeal.
GTR midracers overtaking GT2 competitors - Hands up, I admit I hadn't properly considered this in developing the new rules write-up, and it's definitely an issue because some of the tracks we run are really short tracks. I will be sticking this in the sporting code. To summarise, GTR midrace joiners WILL be allowed to overtake GT2 cars, but only on main straights.
Both main and straight. They must aim for the empty side of the track, and the GT2 competitor mustn't defend. I've tested it myself and reviewed several example replays, and if a GTR gets within striking distance on entry into a corner or chicane, they should be free to pass at the earliest opportunity on the following straight. The GT2 competitor should pick a side of the track, and the GTR should use the other. By the time the next corner comes, on 70% of the shortest of tracks, they're already firmly into the corner before the GT2 hits the braking zone.
Thoughts?