Quote from The Moose :

That's half the fun of racing for me. Getting to know your opponents, their strengths and weaknesses, knowing exactly who are the guys you can race 2 wide through any corner are and who's over aggressive, who will crack if you pressure them etc.

I've said it before Moose, stop asking for my number..... you take this getting to know your opponents way too far!

Quote from StableX :

I've said it before Moose, stop asking for my number..... you take this getting to know your opponents way too far!

You think i see you as an opponent?

Quote from The Moose :

I absolutely guarantee it. There are people sat by, flexing their credit cards, just waiting for iRacing to offer more than it's current system. They obviously don't want the custom.

Quote from The Moose :

You're not one of the people that would like to race in a real life series then? You know, racing the same people for a season.

Sim racing is free from lots of the constraints of real racing, but I'm sure the rush I'd get from real-life racing would make me enjoy it very much, even though in the sim world I might enjoy a different format. That rush is something that for me personally is mostly missing from a basic pick-up race with nothing to gain and nothing to lose. When a significant portion of the field drive like they don't care, the race just doesn't feel that engaging.

I understand the attraction of a league type format, but it's something that I probably wouldn't want to commit myself to. For me the iRacing SR and iRating system strikes a very good balance between leagues and open pick-up races, and I don't feel it's a case of missing the best of any worlds. The feel of the regular season races is definitely not the same as a generic pick-up race.

But it's a matter of opinion in the end. Hopefully there will be enough racers who share some of my opinions so that the iRacing regular seasons will be a success (as I think they have mostly been so far). Anyway, on their website iRacing state that "One of our highest priorities is to develop ways to fulfill requests for individual races and leagues", so hopefully there will be something for everyone in due course.

Quote from The Moose :

I absolutely guarantee it. There are people sat by, flexing their credit cards, just waiting for iRacing to offer more than it's current system. They obviously don't want the custom.

I don't think it's a matter of not wanting the custom, but more a fact of not comprmising thier end goal, almost in the same way that the LFS devs will not change thier plan to suit the needs of a cetain group.


Although I agree with you're point, I think iRacing will continue down this route untill such a time shows that people are not wanting it and the numbers decrease.

Query:

As I've just started driving this simulator, I'm still using the rookie Solstice. Now official week 13 has just started there is two circuits to race. However, I only ever have the option to drive one circuit, regardless of which date I select the session from. Anybody know what this is all about? Do I need to race at least one circuit before I can race the other, or what?

iRacing.com is a nice system, but damn either the information is really hard to find, or it just doesn't exist.

Cheers chaps.

The tracks are on alternating days, so when you go to the Solstice series and expand it, you will see that today on the 27th is Lowe's Motor Speedway and tomorrow is Summit Point Raceway, alternating each day till the end of the week. Its just a schedule for pointing out what you can race on what day, so only one will be available at a time.

Normally tracks will alternate each week.

Quote from Liff :

Sim racing is free from lots of the constraints of real racing, but I'm sure the rush I'd get from real-life racing would make me enjoy it very much, even though in the sim world I might enjoy a different format. That rush is something that for me personally is mostly missing from a basic pick-up race with nothing to gain and nothing to lose. When a significant portion of the field drive like they don't care, the race just doesn't feel that engaging.

I understand the attraction of a league type format, but it's something that I probably wouldn't want to commit myself to. For me the iRacing SR and iRating system strikes a very good balance between leagues and open pick-up races, and I don't feel it's a case of missing the best of any worlds. The feel of the regular season races is definitely not the same as a generic pick-up race.

But it's a matter of opinion in the end. Hopefully there will be enough racers who share some of my opinions so that the iRacing regular seasons will be a success (as I think they have mostly been so far). Anyway, on their website iRacing state that "One of our highest priorities is to develop ways to fulfill requests for individual races and leagues", so hopefully there will be something for everyone in due course.

Really good points. It's taken me quite a while to get used to the iRacing system but I have to say, now that I have, I agree with what you're saying. The iRacing system is very good for making sure you practise, test out your safety and speed on the time trials, then qualify and race. That's the way to get the maximum points from the Season at least. It really does help your driving.

Quote from Mackie The Staggie :

I don't think it's a matter of not wanting the custom, but more a fact of not comprmising thier end goal, almost in the same way that the LFS devs will not change thier plan to suit the needs of a certain group.


Although I agree with you're point, I think iRacing will continue down this route untill such a time shows that people are not wanting it and the numbers decrease.

I think you're right. AlienT. said last night to me that it would be perfect to have an additional session to practice, qualify, race and TT. That would be to have Pickup Race, purely for the fun of a race without the pressure of the SR etc. Though I would love to see this, I can imagine that having it would detract people from driving so much in the Season races and cause the numbers in those races to decline.

Maybe worth looking at when iRacing member totals get a lot more

Quote from Liff :

Excellent post, although I disagree with the above statement.

To me iRacing is a very nice compromise between leagues and pick-up racing. I wouldn't want to either commit myself to a league and race the same 20 people all the time, or attend pick-up races where the skill level of people would vary greatly. For me the non-SR 13th week road racing has greatly reasserted my second point.

For me the biggest gripe with iracing really is that it is, like you said, a compromise. I don't think that there is need for compromise as the two types of racing could happily coexist as different challenges. Pick up racing, even if not as open as it has been in other sims, could attract people who do not want to commit themselves into one series for a season and a league type environment where people could commit themselves into that structure and it's different requirements. However, I would't say that in this case compromise=balance. Imho, the current way of doing things is very very much weighed towards pick up racing.

Maybe the coming world championship will change things a bit although it is just available for the top drivers...

Another query:

As a rookie, I can't change any of the car setup, which I suppose I would expect. Using the normal Solstice, I can just alter suspension settings. Is this a limitation of the car, and do setups become more advanced when I'm in a more advanced car?

Quote from dawguk :

Another query:

As a rookie, I can't change any of the car setup, which I suppose I would expect. Using the normal Solstice, I can just alter suspension settings. Is this a limitation of the car, and do setups become more advanced when I'm in a more advanced car?

Yes, the Mazda and Radical have a lot more options to fiddle with.

Quote from Jertje :

Yes, the Mazda and Radical have a lot more options to fiddle with.

\o/

Quote from dawguk :

Another query:

As a rookie, I can't change any of the car setup, which I suppose I would expect. Using the normal Solstice, I can just alter suspension settings. Is this a limitation of the car, and do setups become more advanced when I'm in a more advanced car?

the way it's set is so as a rookie you concentrate on the driving and making sure you can stay on track while racing with everyone else on the same setup. Then you go to the advanced in the oval and road and find that you get a basic set of variables you can tweak that are a different set of variables for the oval and road. The reason for there only being basic setup options is to allow you to change and see the difference and start making your own setups based on your own style of driving.

Then you go from there to the faster cars that give you more options. The faster you get, the more options you get.

Quote from dawguk :

Another query:

As a rookie, I can't change any of the car setup, which I suppose I would expect. Using the normal Solstice, I can just alter suspension settings. Is this a limitation of the car, and do setups become more advanced when I'm in a more advanced car?

At the moment the rookie solstice is the only car with fixed setup. The others allow more. Here's few screen caps of all the cars I have:

Adv. solstice
Legend
Skippie
Late model
Radical

Anyone up for some Radical Racing tonight? Hyperactive what's your real name so I can look out for you? I'm Struan Robertson so say hello guys if you see me in and around in there

Quote from AlienT. :

Anyone up for some Radical Racing tonight? Hyperactive what's your real name so I can look out for you? I'm Struan Robertson so say hello guys if you see me in and around in there

I'd love to mate but it's a Sebring day I can Laguna with ya

I should really be starting my Skippy practice ready for the new season but tomorrow is the new patch supposedly and the new truck! Might not see many on the radical tomorrow with the truck coming out

Well I think Laguna is back after midnight Andy, you know we'll still be up then so I'll race ya for a can of coke and a Mars bar then, so you'd better get practising My best at Laguna in the Radical is a pityfull 01:24.026

Quote from AlienT. :

Well I think Laguna is back after midnight Andy, you know we'll still be up then so I'll race ya for a can of coke and a Mars bar then, so you'd better get practising My best at Laguna in the Radical is a pityfull 01:24.026

I better go try

==================
Update: 1.22.1 let's go AlienT.

How about you too get over to iPricing and talk there
We don't need to hear about your little trists.

Quote from Toddshooter :

How about you too get over to iPricing and talk there
We don't need to hear about your little trists.

Damn it he's found us in here....just no hiding from him....come on Todd you know you want to get your credit card out, or are you scared you'll be too slow for me and Andy?

WOW!!!! Those Radicals are a blast round Laguna... that gave me a work out! Lot's of fun!

Quote from StableX :

WOW!!!! Those Radicals are a blast round Laguna... that gave me a work out! Lot's of fun!

Yep was a good fun race....now wheres my coke and marsbar

Quote from AlienT. :

Yep was a good fun race....now wheres my coke and marsbar

you get nothing... you won by not pushing it

update is out in 4 hours guys :]

website just went into maintenance mode

Yay! Just bought myself a G25. I'll be signing up for iRacing once school's finished for the year so be prepared to recieve lots of stupid questions. Also, look out for me on the track- I hear I'm dangerous.