AI just giving up? Weird pacing in endurance race.

[Michael88]

So, something weird happened when I did a custom race on the Nordschleife.

I took my new Subaru WRX GT3 for a spin, custom race, medium difficulty, 40 minutes on the Nordschleife, 20 cars grid, tire wear and fuel consumption on 1x (So basically no wear and no refueling stops). Turns out there is a McLaren F1 starting on third place, with its high top speed and acceleration he pulls ahead of the field fairly quickly.

My fist lap, waving through traffic was a 7:01, the McLaren was in 1st place already with a 12 second lead, a Citroen GT3 closely behind it. My second lap was a 6:47, the lead of the McLaren increased to 15.9 seconds.
Then, during the third lap all of a sudden the lead of the McLaren shrunk to 10 seconds, then 5 seconds, then I overtook the Citroen GT, then I finally took over the McLaren in the Bergwerk turn fairly easily. (He let me pass, he showed me with a turn signal) All in less than one lap.

Then, leading the gap between me and the 2nd placed McLaren increased to 2, 3 and then 5 seconds, my laps were all 6:47s. My lead would shrink a little on the straights to 3 seconds but increase to 5 seconds again in the twisty sections of the circuit.

Final lap my lead suddenly shrunk, the McLaren began to haul ass really hard, the last lap I was fighting for my life, doing a 6:45 and the Mclaren finished 1 second behind me.

My question is, what kind of weird pacing is that? It feels like the McLaren had a really good start, then just kind of gave up after the second lap, then on the last lap he was suddenly going into rampage mode.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of pacing in their custom races?

 

[Lain]

I know there’s a custom race option that sounds basically like rubber banding… you didn’t enable that, did you?

If not, maybe it’s bugged. I know enabling it decreases the custom race payout, which seems like the opposite of what it should do since it theoretically should make the race closer.

Also, the AI is bad and maybe just exhibits weird first & final lap rubber banding regardless, lol

 

[Michael88]

I know there’s a custom race option that sounds basically like rubber banding… you didn’t enable that, did you?

If not, maybe it’s bugged. I know enabling it decreases the custom race payout, which seems like the opposite of what it should do since it theoretically should make the race closer.

Uh, I had no idea this option existed, I don't remember seeing it - if its on by default then it was most likely turned on in this race. I got 54.000 bucks for a 40 minute time limit race.

 

[Lain]

I forget what the option’s called, but I’m pretty sure it’s off by default.

 

[Famine]

I forget what the option’s called, but I’m pretty sure it’s off by default.

"Boost", and yes.

 

[Michael88]

I forget what the option’s called, but I’m pretty sure it’s off by default.

If its off by default then it was not rubber banding in my race, I did not fiddle around with it. Which makes it weird, rubberbanding would have explained this weird behavior.

I'm not complaining by the way, the race was interesting, but its a little strange going from the realization that I have no chance of winning that race to overtaking the leader in like 3 laps, and with doing consistent lap times.

 

[AutumnalGlow]

If its off by default then it was not rubber banding in my race

I wouldn't be so sure, if I had to guess the option being disabled means the AI just does their usual rubber banding. The boost setting, as far as I'm aware, also applies to the player. It rubber bands everyone.

 

[JP76]

So, something weird happened when I did a custom race on the Nordschleife.

I took my new Subaru WRX GT3 for a spin, custom race, medium difficulty, 40 minutes on the Nordschleife, 20 cars grid, tire wear and fuel consumption on 1x (So basically no wear and no refueling stops). Turns out there is a McLaren F1 starting on third place, with its high top speed and acceleration he pulls ahead of the field fairly quickly.

My fist lap, waving through traffic was a 7:01, the McLaren was in 1st place already with a 12 second lead, a Citroen GT3 closely behind it. My second lap was a 6:47, the lead of the McLaren increased to 15.9 seconds.
Then, during the third lap all of a sudden the lead of the McLaren shrunk to 10 seconds, then 5 seconds, then I overtook the Citroen GT, then I finally took over the McLaren in the Bergwerk turn fairly easily. (He let me pass, he showed me with a turn signal) All in less than one lap.

Then, leading the gap between me and the 2nd placed McLaren increased to 2, 3 and then 5 seconds, my laps were all 6:47s. My lead would shrink a little on the straights to 3 seconds but increase to 5 seconds again in the twisty sections of the circuit.

Final lap my lead suddenly shrunk, the McLaren began to haul ass really hard, the last lap I was fighting for my life, doing a 6:45 and the Mclaren finished 1 second behind me.

My question is, what kind of weird pacing is that? It feels like the McLaren had a really good start, then just kind of gave up after the second lap, then on the last lap he was suddenly going into rampage mode.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of pacing in their custom races?

I first noticed the AI throwing out pass/turn signals in GT Sport custom races set to pro on the Nordshleife.
Thought it was kinda realistic like it's seen as a 'Touristenfahrten'.....and yes experienced it in GT7 too.

I just presumed it's a feature, but I'm kinda new to GT Sport and this one.
My first GT games since back in the PS2 PS3 days.

I guess it's also a possibility that the McLaren and leaders had incidents or came off track somewhere, hence the inconsistent laps.
I have noticed them ****ing up more in GT7 which I like and is more realistic.

 

[Michael88]

I guess it's also a possibility that the McLaren and leaders had incidents or came off track somewhere, hence the inconsistent laps.
I have noticed them ****ing up more in GT7 which I like and is more realistic.

I watched the replay of the first 3 laps till I overtook the McLaren and the F1 did fine, no accidents. It just suddenly slowed down a little. Don't forget I overtook the car fairly easily and built a lead on it, and on the last lap it pushed so hard I had to beat my previous lap times by 2 seconds and the F1 was just a second behind me.
Like @AutumnalGlow said, it must be hidden rubberbanding.

Strange thing is, I have not noticed any of this rubberbanding in the 10-Lap GT3/Gt4/Group-B races. I lost to AI that was doing super consistent laps to the very end.

 

[Batschisane52]

Could it be, that the AI was doing some kind of fuel managing(or is that thought too far fetched) ?

I had similar experineces in long custom races, but I had too look at the fuel consumption in that races myself and toggle around with the fuel consumption myself to be able to finish the race with one fueling pti-stop less than the other cars...

But on the other hand, the AI sometimes dies strange things in custom races...

 

[JP76]

I watched the replay of the first 3 laps till I overtook the McLaren and the F1 did fine, no accidents. It just suddenly slowed down a little. Don't forget I overtook the car fairly easily and built a lead on it, and on the last lap it pushed so hard I had to beat my previous lap times by 2 seconds and the F1 was just a second behind me.
Like @AutumnalGlow said, it must be hidden rubberbanding.

Strange thing is, I have not noticed any of this rubberbanding in the 10-Lap GT3/Gt4/Group-B races. I lost to AI that was doing super consistent laps to the very end.

Huh...Yeah weird eh, perhaps it's that hidden rubber banding then.
I can confirm the same in those GT races, AI is a massive improvement imo, especially the spicy 🌶🌶🌶🌶 ones!
And we have Sophy to look forward to yet.

 

[Gt79]

This game has rubber banding by default in any race, especially prevalent in rally races, they will let you off then come close and overtake you then fall behind to give you a chance to overtake and win, classic rubber banding that has been plagued racing games for years now

 

[CodeRedR51]

Also, the AI is bad

Its not great, but I wouldn't call it 'bad'. Some great battles have been had in my Gr4 custom races.

 

[s0cks]

Mate, I get the same weird AI pacing in most races, even the chilli ones. The AI, and thus the single player racing in this game is super disappointing.

 

[Gt79]

I made custom daytona race with pro difficulty grid start, ai never made a move, gr2 nsx stayed in front from start to finish, in Forza on max difficulty I'd be eating dust, simply because they would have 200 hp more, that's the only way ai usually wins

 

[cdotcizzle]

Uh, I had no idea this option existed, I don't remember seeing it - if its on by default then it was most likely turned on in this race. I got 54.000 bucks for a 40 minute time limit race.

Did you get to pick the payout of your race? I’m so butt hurt career had no endurance races that I wanted to make a Le Mans, maybe not 24H but I haven’t done it cause I didn’t know custom races have payouts! So now I really want to do it!

 

[Michael88]

Did you get to pick the payout of your race? I’m so butt hurt career had no endurance races that I wanted to make a Le Mans, maybe not 24H but I haven’t done it cause I didn’t know custom races have payouts! So now I really want to do it!

Payout for any custom race longer than 60 minutes is so pathetic its not worth it, unless you do it solely for fun.

 

[cdotcizzle]

Payout for any custom race longer than 60 minutes is so pathetic its not worth it, unless you do it solely for fun.

Definitely for fun. I used to look forward to each new GT game to do the 24H Le Mans just cause I love the cars and track so much