Looks like I missed an eventful race on Tuesday. I would have been there... but the dreaded YLoD had other plans for me.
My beloved launch model PS3 gave up the ghost in the midst of a Portal 2 co-op session. I guess the metaphysical aperture science of space-time wrinkles was too much for it to handle. *Taps and a 21 gun salute*
After a gilksy guided motherboard reflow to temporarily resurrect it and a successful data transfer to a new slim model, I'm ready to get back into the best brew of caffeine and gasoline on the internet! 👍
@StigsHero: Not that I am a huge proponent of handing out penalties (after all, I'm the beneficiary of perhaps the biggest single example of sportsmanship for entire current Capp Cup to date courtesy of Lancer), but I feel compelled to throw a couple ideas out there for you since you asked. You are a great race organizer; I want to try and help a little!
It strikes me that in keeping with your goal of simpler generally equaling better, the only relatively low-maintenance penalty system you could implement would be based off of post race replay reviews.
Basically, I was thinking of something comparable to how F1 race stewards assess penalties post race. The question is whether you want to go with a qualitative or quantitative penalty system. Personally, I think in this case it would be best to use a quantitative system. With a qualitative system, you open yourself to too much subjectivity by trying to assess how comparatively severe any given infringement is. Using a quantitative system, all penalties are the same. The driver is either deemed guilty of an infringement or not. The penalty simply becomes more severe with each successive infringement. Everyone is treated equally and repeat offenders who do not clean up their driving pay the price.
- Replay based penalty system
- StigsHero (or someone designated by him) is sole judge and executioner of penalties.
- Complaints and deliberation can be conducted via PMs, but if a penalty is assessed it can be announced on the thread so fellow Capp Cup members can help monitor and enforce it.
- No complaints can be submitted during the race where the infringement occurred (too complicated to assess and enforce in the middle of a race).
- A running tally will be kept of each driver's total quantity of infringements (maybe post them publicly in the OP?). A driver's infringement record is independent of specific races and carries over throughout the duration of the Capp Cup.
- Multiple infringements can be made during a single race, therefore more than one penalty can be accrued by a single driver per race.
- Penalties
- 1st infringement: 5 place grid spot penalty at next race
- This penalty is light. If the driver is quick, it may not affect the race result much. If the driver is slow, they may already be at the back. This is kind of like a warning that is still a clear penalty.
- 2nd infringement: 20 second penalty
- 20 seconds will be added to your total race time. The impact of this penalty is again indefinite. It is more severe to those higher up the finishing order depending on the final time gaps. However, if a driver was dirty moving through the field, the penalty will be meaningful.
- 3rd infringement: 1 race ban
- The field gets a reprieve from the repeat offender while they ponder the worth of their driving skills, their real motivations for driving in the Capp Cup, and the meaning of life.
- 4th infringement: 25 point penalty and 1 race ban
- 25 points will be subtracted from the offender's point total for that day's championship and they will be banned from the next race.
- 5th infringement: Ban from Capp Cup
Anyway, that's just some food for thought. Now that I just read all this crap I've typed out, I'm not even sure I think it's simple enough or effective!