- 241
- Nightingale__ (two underscores)
I know this rule has been established for a while already, but I don't think the current system of judging splits at the final checkpoint is a good way to do cat and mouse. Not all courses have the same distance between the final corner and finish line or even the same exit speed, so just setting a fixed time feels inappropriate to me. In addition, not all courses will make good use of the entirety of the final sector (ex. Sekigahara, especially ver.2). I think a better method would be to have a subjective gap change judged between the two drivers at an arbitrary point on the track. In racing games, every driver has an instinctive ability to judge how fast the other driver is around the course relative to their own car even when car speeds and absolute time gaps are varying all the time. You can just "tell" when the opponent is pulling away or getting closer. This subjective gap system has the advantage of not being dependent on the initial gap (I've noticed some players charge into the first turn at 100+km/h, in which case the current absolute gap system fails to account for the massive initial gap), and also allows for more flexibility in course selection. At the same time, however, it produces a grey area for gap times which I can see some rivals getting into heated disputes over. This system has the disadvantage of being dependent on player honesty and consistency between drivers' ability to judge gaps. Introducing a third party to decide whether another round is needed could help, but it also complicates the system slightly.
And another thing: there is no consistency in how all of us begin our races! I've seen plenty of situations where both drivers do not slow down after the final corner and just charge into the beginning again in 6th gear! In other cases, the leader makes no indication of when he is going to drive at 100%, and the chaser, unprepared, gets left behind before the race has even started. We need to establish a standardized procedure for beginning cat and mouse rounds. Now what I do is, (and I find it works very well), as the leader, I drive up to about 100m (~100yd?) before the first corner, and then slow down to 60kmh (~40mph), and allow the chaser to tail me about 1.5m behind. A gap greater than 2 car lengths won't do. We remain as close to this speed and gap as possible until we begin racing. When I reach the start of the course, I lightly tap on my brakes to flash my tail lights twice, and then the race begins. This way, it is obvious to the chaser when the race is about to start, and there is no possibility for misunderstanding.
Thoughts, guys?
And another thing: there is no consistency in how all of us begin our races! I've seen plenty of situations where both drivers do not slow down after the final corner and just charge into the beginning again in 6th gear! In other cases, the leader makes no indication of when he is going to drive at 100%, and the chaser, unprepared, gets left behind before the race has even started. We need to establish a standardized procedure for beginning cat and mouse rounds. Now what I do is, (and I find it works very well), as the leader, I drive up to about 100m (~100yd?) before the first corner, and then slow down to 60kmh (~40mph), and allow the chaser to tail me about 1.5m behind. A gap greater than 2 car lengths won't do. We remain as close to this speed and gap as possible until we begin racing. When I reach the start of the course, I lightly tap on my brakes to flash my tail lights twice, and then the race begins. This way, it is obvious to the chaser when the race is about to start, and there is no possibility for misunderstanding.
Thoughts, guys?
