rec.autos.simulators

How has written a good explanation of what the values on these 3 lines
do..

Don Wilshe

BLAP  49800
RELS  104
TIRES 60000 4500 40000000 60000 4500 40000000 0

Dave Otterness

:                               BLAP (Best Lap)
: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
:   This keyword has one parameter, which is the time (in seconds) it takes the
: fastest computer cars to make a lap during qualifying.  Three decimal places
: are assumed so '23849' would mean 23.849 seconds.

This is true, but you can drop the "during qualifying" part.  This number
not only controls the Best Lap of Qualifying, but also the race.

I think people are confused with the fact that after adjusting this number
the cars don't seem to go better in the Race.  Keep in mind that the car
has more gas in it during the race than in Q and will thus make slower lap
times.  Traffic also makes a difference (especially in Nascar).

Of course, you will say N2 Q's with 22 gals and races with 22 gals.  True,
but I can assure you that after 1 year of tweaking the AI numbers that I
know that BLAP also controls race laps.

I have written other posts to describe this situation.  The key is that
the numbers in the .LP files, the AI strength (in Options Menu), the
numbers in Drivers2.txt, BLAP and RELS all make up a formula that creates
the AI driving ability.

A simple change to one number DOES effect the formula, but not as much
when used by itself.  The other numbers mean just as much to creating the
AI formula.

Also, with the abilities of this formula and ALL of those numbers, the
term "Best" lap is a misnomer (sp).  It is very possible to make the AI
cars run faster than what is BLAP by adjusting other numbers in the
formula.  For example, keeping all the same and just bumping up the
Traction numbers would possibly cause the AI to run better laps than what
is set in BLAP.

For example, I have ICR2 and have the Drivers2.txt beefed up pretty good.
I then have the BLAP for Toronto set to 59s, but they will Q at 56s and
run race laps of 56s.  So BLAP is just a variable in the formula, it's not
the end-all-be-all lap time.  If I set BLAP to 57s, then they will run
laps of 54s, etc.

I'm not trying to start an argument, but thought I'd clear up the
misconception.

Controls the speed (in seconds) of the AI cars in Qualifing.

The relative strength of the AI cars' race speeds in relation to the % used
in the Opponents strength option.  You can use this to tune the AI speeds to
better fit your skills, while keeping the Opponents Strength at a set value.

Man, I used to know this but it's slipped my mind.  I know the numbers
control grip and wear for the left and right side tires, but I can't
remember any more details than that, sorry.

--


http://ebusch.akorn.net

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                BLAP (Best Lap)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  This keyword has one parameter, which is the time (in seconds) it takes the
fastest computer cars to make a lap during qualifying.  Three decimal places
are assumed so '23849' would mean 23.849 seconds.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                RELS (Relative Strength)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  This keyword has one parameter, which is the percent of the speeds defined
in the LP files that the cars will attempt to achieve.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                TIRES
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  This keyword has seven parameters. This keyword is used to define the
characteristics of Goodyear tires.  The first parameter defines the grip for
the left side tires.  The second parameter describes the heat generated by the
left side tires.  The third parameter specifies the tread life of the left side
tires.  The fourth parameter defines the grip for the right side tires.  The
fifth parameter specifies the heat generated by the right side tires.  The
sixth parameter specifies the tread life of the right side tires.  I have no
idea what the seventh parameter is for.  Increasing the grip values increases
the grip of the tires.  Increasing the heat values
increases the heat generated by the tires.  Increasing the the tread life
values increases the life of the tires. Increasing grip increases heat and
decreases tread life and decreasing grip decreases heat and increases tread
life.

I had editted the above, but I believe most of it comes from Corey's original
track editor project page, with very few changes. I've found a few other things
in the track.txt files as well that I am not sure are common knowledge, so
sometime when I put a web page back up I will try and consolidate it all into
one readme file... come to think of it I suppose I could write the file and
post it here :). Hope this helps some.

ST

<lots of good stuff snipped!!>

I belive the BLAP format in N2 is different from ICR2.... I N2 (whilch i
presume don is asking about) the BLAP values IS in seconds... i.e 144344 at
Sears point equals a lap of 1 min 43,344 secs.

Hope this helps.

--
Ed_ - Norway
Cheek Junior Team  
http//:home.sol.no/solhmrek

"Early on, the cars were getting faster and faster.  And with
good reason:  everybody was cheating."   - Richard Petty

Also, the value expressed in BLAP is the *average* time the AI
will qual - basically, the middle of the pack (some of the qual-times
higher, some lower).

Cheers!

Marc

Marc J. Nelson
Sim Racing Online / Sim Racing News / The Sim Project
http://members.aol.com/simracing

: >I belive the BLAP format in N2 is different from ICR2.... I N2 (whilch i
: >presume don is asking about) the BLAP values IS in seconds... i.e 144344 at
: >Sears point equals a lap of 1 min 43,344 secs.

Oh.  He just wanted to know what it stood for?  Sorry for rambling then.

Yes, it is in secs for all Papy sims as stated many times here 23456 means
23.456s.

Except that in your example, 144344 would be 2m24.344s and not 1m44.344s.
It would mean 144s, not 1m44s.

Likewise, 73834 would be 1m13.834s.

: Also, the value expressed in BLAP is the *average* time the AI
: will qual - basically, the middle of the pack (some of the qual-times
: higher, some lower).

Again, this depends on how you have the Driver's abilities set for min
and max.  If you set all drivers min and max settings to 500/501 and set
RELS to 100% and the AI Strength to 100% then the AI will turn times
EXACTLY what is BLAP.

If I set ALL drivers the same as above, then they will ALL drive the exact
BLAP; not splitting it half above and half below.

Think of this as the baseline.  Then as you can tell, if I set some
settings above 500/501 and some below 500/501, then yes, they will make a
split on the BLAP.  But again, that depends on by how much and which ones
are changed.

Oops, there I go rambling again.  ;)

Ooops!! Sorry my mistake...!

See.. we all do - sometimes... :)

--
Ed_ - Norway
Cheek Junior Team  
http//:home.sol.no/solhmrek

"Early on, the cars were getting faster and faster.  And with
good reason:  everybody was cheating."   - Richard Petty

% I have written other posts to describe this situation.  

And indeed he has.  Here is repost of one his excellent insight into
this AI mix:

Date: 19 Aug 1997 03:17:31 -0500

Here is what I know about the traction, drag and power settings.

Sim = IndyCar Racing II
Track = Michigan

AI Settings = 100% Strength

BLAP=30166
RELS=100

With all numbers set to 500 for min and 501 for max the AI Lap Times were
equal to 234.045 MPH.  This is the "baseline" setup.  This means that with
these settings the AI will run the EXACT lap speed of the value in BLAP.
Every time, 100% of the time.  Even if I set ALL drivers the same then
they will ALL run EXACTLY what is in BLAP.

This is how the numbers effected the lap times (all settings = 500/501
unless noted):

     Setting             Value           Lap Speed
---------------------------------------------------  
Aggression              998/999         234.045 MPH
Traction                998/999         248.464 MPH
Drag                    998/999         221.195 MPH
Traction & Drag         998/999         234.045 MPH
Power                   998/999         248.464 MPH
Traction & Power        998/999         264.804 MPH
Traction, Drag & Power  998/999         248.464 MPH

Look carefully at the overall lap speeds.  Some are equal with huge
changes in the numbers for each setting when combining changes.  This is
because the numbers make up a formula based on these settings along with
AI Strength (in the options menu) and the BLAP and RELS numbers in the
track.txt file as well as the values in the .LP files in each directory.

A summary:

Aggression:  Higher = more tendency to block and hog line
             Lower = more tendency to give up line and not block
             Either way it has absolutely no effect on the lap times

Power:  Higher = better acceleration out of corners and higher top speed
        Lower = poorer acceleration and not as high of a top speed

Traction: Higher = better cornering ability and more grip for late braking
          Lower = slow in the corners and WAY early on the brakes (wimps)

Drag: Higher = lower top speed and poorer acceleration
      Lower = higher top speed and better acceleration

Each of the above is based on an adjustment of just that setting.  When
changed together it is combining a formula that has many variables that
will make the same lap times.  However, even with the same lap times, the
AI will still drive differently depending on what has changed and by how
much.

The best thing to do is start from a baseline of 500/501 and use the BLAP
and RELS numbers to get the AI to turn laps that you can run as well.
Then, based on your driving, either add or subtract the settings to tune
the AI to your abilities, such as a lower straight speed, but better in
the corners based on the charts above.

Experimentation is the best you can do.  As you improve, make the
adjustments to the AI as well.  It will make you a better racer when you
are going 100% full out and you are stuck 0.4s behind the car just in
front of you lap after lap.  All you can do is pray for traffic and hope
for the best.

It is possible to get most of the tracks equal with just one DRIVERS2.TXT
file, but it is almost impossible to get them all equal.  That is due to
the way the .LP files come into the equation.  Sometimes they just go too
slow in one corner, but are ok for the remainder of the track.  That is
ok, but then when you turn them up for that one slow corner they will
smoke you over the rest of the track.  Sometimes it is best to leave them
slow in a few corners so you can get the overall laps better adjusted.

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Any-way you slice it, it's still an *average*...While setting the
driver's ability so close "narrows" the margin of the BLAP value,
its reflection of a mean is no less deminished.  In your example,
you've pretty much zeroed any random values handed down by
the EXE (aggression in the turns, power of the car, etc), but not
changed the characteristics of the BLAP.

Again, if you have 10-drivers all rated at "10", then they'll all drive
as "10", no matter how you slice it.  However, it's still an average,
and if in doubt, ask a statistics professor.  =)

Cheers!

Marc

Wow, great thread guys -- very interesting... not too surprising, but nice
to see someone's spent more time on this than I have!

Colin Taber
CICC97
Snake Racing