rec.autos.simulators

This morning I've forced myself (and it has been a real chore) to run a
couple more Solstice rookie Lime Rocks, and a Time Trial. The first race
and time trial pushed my SR up about another .1 thanks to an off +
barrier collision in T1 during the race which meant taking it very
carefully for about 7 laps with a pull to the right. I didn't pit because
I'm not sure what effect that has on your scoring. It can't be good.

In the second, clean, race I miraculously came 4th out of 6 thanks to...

(a) a relatively slow field in which nobody lapped me... for the first
time! But only just.

(b) the two in front of me must have had a pretty bad last lap incident,
because they were about 15s ahead of me.

Anyway, in that race my SR went up from 2.92 to 3.49, so clearly your
position must have a significant multiplier effect.

I've now just checked and, as Dave suggested, I've found an 'advanced'
Solstice race I can join. Shame it's at Summit Point, which I know almost
as well as I can speak Mandarin, but I'm rapidly learning that in iRacing
beggars can't be choosers. :-)

Right, it's time for a cup of cocoa and then bed. My quest to find my way
around iRacing will have to continue tomorrow. Who knows, I may even plod
my way up to an SR of 4 this week, invest another $15 on the Skippy, and
discover that there's some fun in this darned treadmill of a sim! ;-)

Andrew McP

I just wish they'd sell me a version which would allow me to just fire up
the sim, choose a track & car, and go race with some friends on an open
private server. I'd pay whatever they asked... well, maybe. ;-)

However such a release would probably cut subscriptions drastically and
make the make project unworkable, so I'm increasingly aware it'll never
happen.

So if I want fun from my racing, not a career with safety rating concerns,
I appear to be barking up the wrong tree.... for now anyway. Later on
they may relax a bit. The trouble with all this though is that the longer
you spend driving the iRacing code, the harder it is to go back to other
sims. While the racing framework is highly contentious, the sim code
certainly isn't.

Andrew McP

Andrew McP

The reason your SR went up is probably because the SR isn't calculated
on a single event. It's calculated across all events. If you enter a
race and crash at the end, and quit, but went into another race and
crashed at the start, you might have done 2 laps (across 2 events) and
crashed twice in two laps. The SR can look a little weird because of
that. :)

SR dictates, solely, your ability to race clean and controls your
advancement.  Period.

iRating is your personal score against all other drivers and is based solely
on finishing positions.  Nothing about iRating controls advancement or what
cars you drive.

Rookies do not have iRatings.  There is a reason for that.  Rookies should
be more concerned with developing skills to safely drive in traffic, and
that's it.  The finishing position is far secondary for Rookies.

Everyone starts as a Rookie.  Over 4 years we did many times :)

-Larry

-Larry

-Larry

Once you get to Class C you won't give a damn about your early racing days.
Actually, this begins with Class D, but kicks into high with Class C.

I, too, was bored to death in the Rookie ranks.  Mainly because I am plum
burnt-out on short tracks.  Class C has changed all that.  I ran 10 races
and 2 time trials _already_ this week in the SC at Homestead.  That's more
than I did an entire season in my rookie season.  In fact, it's more than I
did in my entire Class D season.  In the first week of racing this season I
have already met my Class B promotion requirements for next season.

I set a goal.  To get the hell out of Rookie/Class D as soon as possible,
and I structured my racing around that.  I accomplished that goal and I'm
having a ball now in Class C.  Well, at least with ovals :)  As usual, RC's
are a *** for me but it's always been like that.

You need to give it time.  You won't be there forever.

One other thing, and a lot of people miss this.  For races/TT's to count
towards promotion, you must race IN-CLASS.  You can race up, and you can
race down, but only IN-CLASS races/TT's will count towards promotion.  I
think a few got bit by this the last cycle.  This is one part I do thing
should be made clearer in da book.

Use the first two weeks to meet your requirements for promotion.  THEN go
have fun.

-Larry

A +.1 is typical for a clean rookie race.  The thing is you only need
about 5 of them to get to the next level (2.5->3, 3.5->4).

BTW in practice sessions you can drive with other cars on the track and
not worry about incidents (they show them but they don't count towards
SR).  You just need to let you buddies know when you be on a practice
server (i.e. pick one at a specific time).

I'm not a big fan of iracing but to give it a fair shake you really
should read the sporting code. ;-)

PS Tire pressures make a big difference in the way the adv. slowstice
handles.

Huh?  As a rookie with SR at 3.x the adv slowstice races and TT counted
towards SR, and as a rookie with 4.x SR the Skippy TT and races counted
towards SR.  And SR is the only thing that matters when it comes to
promotions.  It would really suck if you had to go back and do slowstice
races after earning a promotion.

I have read it, but have had trouble digesting it into something which
makes sense to me at all times. As I said much earlier though, I'm quite
sure that's more my problem than iRacing's. I'm not quick off the mark
when it comes to taking information onboard, hence this exploratory
iRacing 'diary'.

It is, however, not the simplest of sims to get to grips with. I think
that's fair to say.

Andrew McP

The Solstice may look like a proper car but someone's using mine to store
their gold bullion in judging by the way it handles. The advanced
version's better, but that just means some of the gold's been stolen...
probably by the Fed to finance the socialisation of the US economy which
seems to be fully under way now. ;-)

I appreciate that. But the only thing that's kept me going so far is a
desire not to waste my $20. I think road racers starting out on the
iRacing path should be warned they're not there to enjoy themselves as
Rookies, they're there to prove they're worthy enough. :->

Andrew McP

Is the Soltice that bad of a car in RL or has iRacing just made it
appear bad and is not as realistic as some would have us believe? THe
Solstice is no Ferrari for sure and I have never driven a Solstice but
looking at its design specs it should'nt be that bad of a performer.

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

"The Solstice carries itself like a true sports car, its classic rear
wheel drive and four-wheel independent suspension layout allows for that
correct old-timey roadster ride, but still delivers all the advantages
of up to the minute 2006 Pontiac technology.

The suspension package includes four Bilstein coil-over monotube shocks,
eigh*** inch 245/45R18 *** and fast-ratio rack and pinion steering,
which allows Solstice to be driven like a sports car should, and really
deliver that special feel of a sports car to the driver and passenger.
The Solstice will let the driver feel the road, and can take corners
like a true sports car, yet is still smooth and comfortable enough to
enjoy even the longest road trip."

Ah, that explains it then! ;-)

Andrew McP