I didn't see any other threads talking about this, what do people think of the green racing line available in the test patch? Personally I have been leaving it on and racing with it, so I can better see how consistent I am.

How is it generated? Is the line dynamically computed depending on what set your car has? Or is it just static per car and was precomputed?

To be honest, I thought the racing line was ONLY going to appear for an AI car that you are spectating.... That is the way I'd like to see it.

I didn't think the AI's racing line was also going to be visible even for human drivers

It isn't generated from anyone's own racing line... it is purely the default AI racing line, and never changes.

I haven't even turn it on or know how. But I'd has a guess that it is based pretty much on the old racing line that was there in rubber laid down anyway maybe it gets updated with other cars path data as well that would be interesting for AI being trained by human drivers. But I dought it.

I like it.

Means i can figure out what im doing wrong, and the correct lines to take.

Once i figured out the trick i probably wont use it much...at the moment its hard to even play with it, to much of a distraction

Quote from Glenn67 :

I haven't even turn it on or know how. But I'd has a guess that it is based pretty much on the old racing line that was there in rubber laid down anyway maybe it gets updated with other cars path data as well that would be interesting for AI being trained by human drivers. But I dought it.

Nah, two different things.

The racing line is the one shown in the latest official LFS video (bright green and red line drawn on the track). You press '4' to view it.

The racing groove/path however has been in LFS for a long time, and that is the rubber marks that darken on the corners of the tracks as you drive over them. And yes, that is drawn dynamically wherever the car goes (option for either your own car, or all cars).

Quote from Tweaker :

Nah, two different things.

I always thought there was a default racing groove there before it gets changed by human path updates which I assumed was what the AI racing line would emulate. Ah well another assumption dispelled
Anyway it would still be interesting if the AI could see the racing groove and learn from there human counter parts

I don't see it, don't know how to turn it on and don't like to know how to turn it on

What ^ said - I don`t know how to turn it on, but to disagree with above, I would like to see it
Maybe just to compare the lines, since the AI drives mostly perfect lines on the track. Put 20 of them in a race and it looks like a train

Well, I do think it can offer good help to new players, and even more experienced players, I feel it should be available in singleplayer only (or is it? haven´t tested it out)

But where is the option itself to turn on the racing line thingy?

Quote from Tweaker :

The racing line is the one shown in the latest official LFS video (bright green and red line drawn on the track). You press '4' to view it.

Is this it?

press 4

And now having played with it , it has merit in so much as the not so quick amongst us have a bit better idea where to place the car.

Which can only be a good thing, maybe just maybe slow up T1 smashes.

Thanks for info
Just wanted to see for myself what people was talking about.

While I think it has it's merits for new players, the racing line also is a dangerous gift: it marks braking points and off throttle areas quite early, thus making you learn the wrong breaking points. Also, if you use them you tend to look for the red patch as a breaking point instead of objects next to the track, which could make it even harder to drive when you switch it off.
I'd rather have a single colour racing line and perhaps a gear/speed recommendation for the next corner instead of break points.

It doesn't bother me as I don't use it, but I think it kind of goes against all the other things they've done to add more realism...

As it is I think it can provide assistance for real beginners, preferable offline and when learning a track. Anything that can improve the learning curve (well not exactly, but the first part of it when you still struggle to get a clean lap... do you oldtimers remember this time with a tear of longing in your eyes?) is welcome as it brings more competitive racers to the servers. Good fun last night, BL1 TBO class with 30+ drivers!

2 questions though:
I did not test it, does the line adapt to the car driven (i.e. braking points)?
Is is updated when the AI / player hits a pb?

The learning curve? That line doesn't tell you anything you won't know in three, moderate speed laps, will restrain you from being creative with lines, will make you rely on it (so you won't turn it off), and make passing harder as you'll tend to expect other people to follow it, and brake when it says brake.

The easiest way to learn LFS in the long term is to struggle, working out driving lines, struggling with brakes and gears on manual. It might seem harder for the first ~100 laps, but you'll learn SO MUCH MORE that way that the next 10,000 laps will be easier, quicker and more competitive.

Racing lines are not case in stone for some corners, there are plenty of corners that I take different lines than others round.

Now, weather there is one QUICK line round a track, thats a different story.......

I don't like the idea that the line should be visible while racing online, but I would like to see it in singleplayer for newbies to learn the basics and in LAN racing, because on LAN parties some people are total noobs and don't have any idea what a racing line is and a visible line definitely helps them alot!

The good thing is that this line isn't available in hotlapping and in proper online (with "proper" I mean servers with Forced Cockpit View option enabled). So only those that want to drive while sitting 10 meters behind the car and in the air, will be able to see this racing line .
I think most of you who are skeptical about this line thingy, seek for more realism and use incar view and thus we need not worry

Quote from Chaos :

I don't like the idea that the line should be visible while racing online, but I would like to see it in singleplayer for newbies to learn the basics *snip*

Yep.

Just tried the line. It takes into account what car you are driving. It can't be used while hotlapping. Didn't try it while online but I doubt it works.

Some places it was EXACTLY the line I use but other places I was way off. Incidentally some places it seems to be very different to the lines other online racers use.

It gives us newbies an approximated idea about where to go and where to brake. I wouldn't trust it enought to rely on it as sole guidance. But it's a nice addition for us incompetent drivers. Extremely welcome aid in learning a new track. (There still are plenty of "new" tracks in LFS for me )

Might be the fastest line but I get better times with my own lines. However wrong they might be.

I would love to see this idea expanded to something similar to the way it is handled in GTR2. I thought that was a fantastic idea- it shows you where you were, whether and how much you were braking or accelerating on a previous lap. I didn't end up using it very much because it saps a lot of immersion, but it was an excellent tool for refining your laps and braking points. However, it could become a crutch if people were basing their braking points on the line itself rather than real landmarks on the track.

I tried it out the way it is now and I think it's a good idea- especially for training new players- but I'd like to see something dynamically updated that more experienced racers could use as well.

I do think it should be restricted to training or practice modes only though.

Love,
Aero

I like the racing line! Helps me, a person who isn't fantastic at LFS, to learn the tracks a bit better!

I do however think it's quite a bad idea! As we're updating LFS and making it more realistic the devs are adding, the racing line is an example, unrealistic things to the game!

Yes, it's a good idea, great in fact, but you wouldn't get a line on the floor in real racing so personally, even though I like it, I think it should go!

Quote from March Hare :

Didn't try it while online but I doubt it works.

No, currently you can use it while online.

I'm not sure I'm convinced that it should be limited to only local practice sessions, it seems like it is exactly the same kind of thing as the shift+l screen showing the suspension and camber in real time or the f9 menu showing the tire temps in real time, both aren't strictly realistic but they add to the sim and help the driver.