Exactly what I've been wanting to point out: the wind. I don't mind the wind, I think it offers an extra challenge and makes each race a little different; gotta break earlier for this turn and later for that turn etc... But on some tracks strong winds can make you 1 to 2 seconds slower in the XFG or XRG, and for some people this might mean that they can't get within the 108% of the track record - which may very well have been set under different conditions, eg. no wind at all or a backwind on the long straight. In that aspect I think it's a bit unfair. Not really whining here as I've not yet been "out of the points" just because of wind, just pointing out that windy conditions can affect your laptimes in a pretty bad way sometimes.
Begging for thanks is not enough, now you have to tell others to not thank others for answering a quesion? If you actually read the posts you would realize that the 4 posts all answered his original question. illepall
I was watching some races yesterday and that didnt come off to be right then. I saw some people on the SS server getting better times but a lap down and not getting points then someone on the next race getting the same position and lower lap time and points. I didnt see one racer yesterday in 4 races getting points for being a lap down.....
Like i said, you need to have a "good position" (unnoficially - i'd go for 7th or better) and a laptime inside the 108%. The odds of getting a lap down, and yet still getting in the top 5 or whatever are remote - the point system also rounds DOWN iirc.
Meh, it is a pain yeah... but i can live with it. Makes every race a little bit different and a little more challenging. Personally, i find it no fun if there aren't some kind of variables in the mix someplace.
I find it nice to have some wind, personally. But I think "high wind" is too much (at least in SS). Not only it causes many crashes, but it also reduces the points everyone is getting, because sometimes it can cost everybody up to two seconds per lap.
And in fact, when the race switches to a track with high wind, people often vote to end the race immediately to force it to switch again. So I'd suggest limiting the wind to off and low.
Heh, yes, I think I was racing with you for some of that. Well, not with you, I was usually about a minute behind down the road.
The wind is cool and it's nice to see it getting used - my problem with wind is in LFS' implementation of it, not the CTRA's. It's totally unrealistic. Firstly it changes so much each race, the first couple of laps aren't so much racing, and more seeing what the wind is like at each corner. In real life, the winds would be largely similar to the winds in the race 10 minutes previous. Changes in wind direction, speed and nature need to occur gradually and over time. Secondly the wind seems to have an un-naturally strong effect when hitting your car squarely from the front or back - disproportionate to when the wind is hitting you at an angle. It seems a bit exaggerated to me, but I've not done any specific testing to see if it's true, it's just the feeling I get when driving.
All of which means I'd like to see the wind in CTRA kept low (and on occasions, off - maybe it already is if it's picked at random) until LFS sorts it's wind trouble out. And once it's been refined, let mother nature rip.
I don't know, strong winds can make for some funny situations at times And it's not like it's always strong. So long as it's completely random I say keep it as it is
Lol i'll agree with you on that one Lord. KY2 + High Wind is terrible!!!! The odd time we get a wind-free race there is the only time i can improve my lap record :P
I agree, the points calculation can make high wind races a bit frustrating (if you're trying to improve your license, that is).
The only way I can think of of solving that issue without a complex calculation of how the wind in the current strength and direction would theoretically affect the car on the track (is that even possible?), would be to dynamically weigh the point calculation more to the best laptime of the current race in case of activated wind.
You'd also need a sort of internal driver performance rating to determine if the fastest lap of the driver in question is valid or if the server is just populated by a bunch of really slow racers trying to gain points. Maybe even calculate a weighted average of all best laptimes to use for the point scale. Then depending on the laptime credibility, offset the point-time-range from the regular track record. Or something similar to this. Lap records should probably only be stored when wind is off, too.
Or maybe in general move the point calculation more to cleanliness (amount of yellows/contacts?) and laptime stability away from raw pace. Or, leave it as it is.
I have a different questions about how points are awarded:
Racing on race2, I noticed that you seem to get a lot more points in the GT2 class than with the UF1. Is that the case or just my imagination? Also, setting the lap record in the UF1 doesn't really seem to make much of a difference as to how many points you score. Is that the case or is it again just my imagination?