dylansan
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- MINICOOPER120
1 Lap Magic:
If you played GT4, you probably remember the 1 Lap Magic races, where you were given a fast car like a supercar or JGTC car and were forced to watch for a seemingly endless amount of time while slower cars of the same model or same brand get a head start, at which point you finally start, and must try to catch all the other cars before the end of the lap. If you messed up, you had to reset and wait all over again. But when you did catch the leader, especially close finishes on longer tracks, the thrill was indescribable. At least for me.
Well anyway, this league is the GT5 online equivalent of the same thing. Yes, the waiting is still necessary, but with real people behind the wheel, you never know how well you're doing until you get to the end, and it's that uncertainty that makes the race so fun. You're competing with someone you can't even see, and only in the final seconds does your final result come into focus and you see if you won or lost.
This League:
Obviously the biggest difference between GT4 and this racing is that we can't program the delayed starts at appropriate times, nor do we even know off hand what those times would be for the closest race. As a result, some pre-race testing must be done before each race, and the timing of the starts will be approximate. Unlike spec racing, there is no way to ensure that everyone has a fair chance of winning, so if you're concerned about finishing positions and prize money, this might not be for you. This type of racing is entirely done for fun, and all we can do is trust people to be honest about their times and start as close to the assigned time as possible.
The Procedure:
- Drivers must take time before the racing to test each car they plan to run, in an online lobby, to get an approximation of their lap time. Drivers should write these down as I will not be able to keep track of more than one time per person. Ensure the room you test in matches the regulations below, as a difference in tire wear or grip reduction could make a big difference.
- Once you join the room, wait for my instructions. I am experimenting with different ways to run the room, including requiring cars to get in order during free run so cars start in the correct grid spots, and having different portions of the night disallow certain cars. For example, at some point I may say "only cars above 400PP now." Anything required of drivers will be spelled out before the race, to allow for preparation.
- Once you know the instructions, get in one of your cars and tell me your estimate of your lap time. I will use everyone's time to calculate a delay for each person, which is the amount of time they need to wait before starting to drive.
- IMPORTANT: Do not drive around the track in free run mode, before the race. Instead, leave the pits in your car and wait for the delays. I will give the delays in order of slowest to fastest car, so you should arrange yourselves on the track in that order so the cars will be in the correct grid spots when the race starts. Once you are in the right spot, do not drive around the track.
- When the race begins, start when the race clock matches your given delay. Keep your foot on the brake while waiting, as you may tend to roll if you do not.
- Any time you want to switch cars, you may, but be sure to give me your time when you do so, and that it is within whatever PP limits I may have specified. I may give suggestions about switching to avoid two drivers having cars with very similar times, but I will always try to give you a chance to drive the cars you want eventually.
- Also keep in mind that if your switch changes the lap time of the slowest car on the grid, everyone's time will have to be recalculated. It's not so much the calculation that takes time, but giving everyone that information. So bear that in mind. This is part of the reason we usually run the same race two or three times before switching cars.
Most importantly, please give the racing your full attention and try to keep things going as quickly as possible. Races can be set up very quickly if everyone is paying attention, but it can take forever if one person is dilly-dallying. We want to race as much as possible and we can't if there are people unprepared. In the same vein, if you show up and have not taken times for your cars, you will be asked to go to another room to get times before returning and racing. If I let one person get times in the lounge I'll have to let everyone, and we'll be back to running two or three races a night. Not good.
Regulations and Settings:
The default regulations are as follows (based loosely on S.N.A.I.L. regulations):
Start Type: Grid Start
Grid Order: Slowest First
Boost: Off
Penalty: Weak
Visible Damage: Off
Mechanical Damage: Light
Slipstream Strength: Weak
Tire Wear/Fuel Consumption: Off
Grip Reduction: Real
Tires are determined by the car's PP:
Production/Street Cars
below 450 PP -> Sports Hards
450-499 PP ---> Sports Mediums
500 PP & up --> Sports Softs
Race/Tuner Cars
below 600 PP -> Racing Hards
600 PP & up --> Racing Mediums
These are just recommendations, and you may use other tires if you prefer. I suggest either the S.N.A.I.L. tires, or stock tires, depending on your preference. However, I feel the aim of this series is to compare real life cars, and get to know cars you haven't driven. Neither can really be accomplished if you tune all your cars beyond recognition. You are free to tune if you wish, if there's a car that's special and you really enjoy driving it, but nothing confuses me more than slapping RS tires and a turbo on any random car, especially when having a higher performance car won't give you a better chance of winning!
Vehicle Tuning: Allowed (But not recommended)
Driving Aids: Only ABS allowed
Rules:
While this type of racing is whimsical and unlike most racing, it is still meant to be clean, to ensure the most fair outcomes. I understand that race endings may involve several vastly different cars all passing each other at the same time, which can cause chaos, but it should be treated the same way as the first corner on any other race: very carefully. In essence, this type of racing is like a regular race in reverse. Don't be surprised if it suddenly becomes very close in the last few corners.
Racers are expected to follow the applicable OLR Rules (which as far as I can tell is all of them) and pursue good racecraft. I will save all replays, and complaints can be PM'd to me for review if necessary.
One last note: As I said, we're sort of using the honor system as far as telling me your times and starting at the right time. However, if I notice anyone is cheating the system, consistently giving themselves an advantage either by reporting slower times than appropriate or starting earlier than determined, they will be dealt with appropriately. Anyone ruining the fun by hoarding the prize money will be banned from racing with us. This has not happened yet and I don't expect it to happen any time soon.
Upcoming Races:
Races will be held in the Division 3 S.N.A.I.L. lounge. Ask about joining there to gain access to that room.
Races will be held on Fridays, at 10PM EDT. This is subject to change if necessary.
The next set of races will be Friday, August 24th, at 10PM EDT.
Theme: Japanese Classics - As far as I can remember, which apparently isn't much, we haven't had a theme specifically dedicated to Japanese cars yet. But in many races so far, I've seen numerous drivers driving Japanese cars where eligible, most of them relatively modern. So to force them to drive something different, this week's theme will be classic Japanese cars. This is what Gran Turismo games are all about, it seems, and there's no shortage of cars to choose from.
If someone wants to be cheeky and use the Toyota 7, I can't stop them, but don't plan on using it the whole night.
You'll see me in a Toyota Sports 800 for sure, and possibly some historic rally cars. I'm allowing cars up to 1985 because they're classic enough, and we need some faster cars to kick the butts of the slower ones.
Track: Suzuka Circuit
Car Restriction: Country of Origin: Japan, Year: 1985 or earlier
Feedback:
Please, absolutely give any suggestions or feedback, or ask any questions you need to if anything is unclear. This is a difficult thing to coordinate and I'm just hoping the first race goes smoothly (and that there's actually interest). If you have any ideas at all about how to improve this, post them, and I'll be sure to discuss them to determine the best course of action.
Also feel free to suggest possible themes, as I am always open to interesting ideas.
Lastly:
Have fun! Hopefully you find this type of racing as fun as I do!
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for me I'd like to try it!
