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I've read thread after thread about the track limits penalty system, too harsh, too loose, too different from the AI. But few that address the core issue, IMO.
For starters, what racing series IRL penalizes by slowdowns..? Timed penalties? Yes, a few. Drive-throughs after a few warnings? Sure. Holds in the pits during a regular pitstop? Absolutely. But I can't think of one that allows a driver to pick and choose when and where he decides to slow down on track (and without making first clear that he must NOT do it to hinder another driver in any way whatsoever).
Next, I cannot think of any penalty that is served by driving normally! There are dozens upon dozens of track limit penalties that simply disappear with no consequence if another corner approaches and the requested slowdown occurs by simply taking that corner. Again, no real life equivalent to my knowledge. If an F1 driver incurs a 5s penalty, it isn't negated if he slows for the next corner! Or waits on track.
For a game to gain the mantle of 'sim', shouldn't penalties be 'simmed' too?
For me, the issue is, would it be any HARDER for the devs to enact a penalty system that reflected real life? A couple of warnings from the Race Chief, then a timed penalty served either after the checkered flag or on a scheduled pitstop. If a warning is given that results in a position advance as well, position returned (plus the scheduled penalty). This latter penalty already is fairly well implemented in the case of contact (diving, ramming etc.), but poorly if the cut is not penalized due to being served by the next corner and results in no contact.
Push comes to shove, and the slowdown penalty is carved in stone, it would be nice if there were designated areas off line on the longest straights where the penalty HAD to be served, not willy nilly where (sad to say) so many drivers use it to impede anybody passing while they serve it. But, all in all, I don't see how a true to life penalty system is any harder to implement than the current one... In fact, considerably simpler, imposing only timed penalties served by a hold in the box or subtracted at the checker.
Many people do in fact do this... Ignore the slowdowns and take the timed penalty at the end. Perhaps it is time that this becomes the de facto standard, because cut penalties that are served by slowing for the next corner anyway aren't penalties at all! But it takes a certain kind of mindset to laboriously track them all and plan deliberately where to cheat and where not to. One that often is not fun to race against!
On the same subject, but a little off tangent...
How hard would it be to allow players the same lines allowed the AI, or restrict the AI to the lines forced on the players? The disparity between what your AI opponents can do and what you get penalized for ratchets up the frustration factor enormously, allows the AI to create all kinds of mayhem particularly at the start, and half the time ends up with the player turning off the penalties altogether, which is never a good thing! One rule for all would help newer players see the correct legal lines, and avoid the complaints about the track limits!
Is there a better way than we have now of penalizing and enforcing track limits, inside the technical limits of the hardware?
For starters, what racing series IRL penalizes by slowdowns..? Timed penalties? Yes, a few. Drive-throughs after a few warnings? Sure. Holds in the pits during a regular pitstop? Absolutely. But I can't think of one that allows a driver to pick and choose when and where he decides to slow down on track (and without making first clear that he must NOT do it to hinder another driver in any way whatsoever).
Next, I cannot think of any penalty that is served by driving normally! There are dozens upon dozens of track limit penalties that simply disappear with no consequence if another corner approaches and the requested slowdown occurs by simply taking that corner. Again, no real life equivalent to my knowledge. If an F1 driver incurs a 5s penalty, it isn't negated if he slows for the next corner! Or waits on track.
For a game to gain the mantle of 'sim', shouldn't penalties be 'simmed' too?
For me, the issue is, would it be any HARDER for the devs to enact a penalty system that reflected real life? A couple of warnings from the Race Chief, then a timed penalty served either after the checkered flag or on a scheduled pitstop. If a warning is given that results in a position advance as well, position returned (plus the scheduled penalty). This latter penalty already is fairly well implemented in the case of contact (diving, ramming etc.), but poorly if the cut is not penalized due to being served by the next corner and results in no contact.
Push comes to shove, and the slowdown penalty is carved in stone, it would be nice if there were designated areas off line on the longest straights where the penalty HAD to be served, not willy nilly where (sad to say) so many drivers use it to impede anybody passing while they serve it. But, all in all, I don't see how a true to life penalty system is any harder to implement than the current one... In fact, considerably simpler, imposing only timed penalties served by a hold in the box or subtracted at the checker.
Many people do in fact do this... Ignore the slowdowns and take the timed penalty at the end. Perhaps it is time that this becomes the de facto standard, because cut penalties that are served by slowing for the next corner anyway aren't penalties at all! But it takes a certain kind of mindset to laboriously track them all and plan deliberately where to cheat and where not to. One that often is not fun to race against!
On the same subject, but a little off tangent...
How hard would it be to allow players the same lines allowed the AI, or restrict the AI to the lines forced on the players? The disparity between what your AI opponents can do and what you get penalized for ratchets up the frustration factor enormously, allows the AI to create all kinds of mayhem particularly at the start, and half the time ends up with the player turning off the penalties altogether, which is never a good thing! One rule for all would help newer players see the correct legal lines, and avoid the complaints about the track limits!
Is there a better way than we have now of penalizing and enforcing track limits, inside the technical limits of the hardware?
