Guess the correct date that iRacing will go under and I will send you a
free copy of Xcom.
Not much money though. My savings are deflating fast enough as it is,
without throwing money down the opinion drain.
Andrew McP
Cheers!
Remco
> But they forgot the fun part...
I shouldn't take the p*ss, because I really do want it to succeed, and as
soon as I sort my triplehead setup out I'm going to have buy in for
another month. I think racing on ovals with decent peripheral vision
might be quite entertaining. For a while anyway.
Andrew McP
PS Actually I nearly cracked & rejoined earlier today when I discovered
the Skip Barber's at Infineon again. I was just starting to love that
track when the tracks switched last time.
Expand on that thought... I kinda see your point, feel the same but at
times I have so much fun on there... so I cant decide. would like to read
your opinion though. PS you don't think the Skip Barber series is about
spot on to the F3 <was called trainer?> races we ran on the end of the
heydays of Vrock?
personally I think it kinda feels like it is but again it has been quite a
while since I did the GPL thing... but getting safety ratings/license
disabling penalties for 2 tire barely off the track, on this dang thing
(iRacing) on a road course, pisses me off intensely... yet I can scrub the
wall slightly and not get a penalty. I mean it is so bad, that as if you
don't get a penalty enough trying to get out of someone's way, and barely go
off track because there might be a race going on behind you (faster racers)
and you try to give em room without getting your lap screwed (i.e. coming to
a stop in the pits to let them by or something), you get penalized even if
you don't cut to gain time, nor lose control of the car? to me that is
BULLCRAP.
>> I will, however, put
>>money on the service being considerably different (or at the very least
>>diversified) by this date next year.
> Yeah, I agree with that. Physics, graphics, sound and netcode, that's
> all great. But they forgot the fun part...
> Cheers!
> Remco
I can't send anyone a *free* copy of Xcom if you don't post realsitic
dates.
> Expand on that thought... I kinda see your point, feel the same but at
>times I have so much fun on there... so I cant decide. would like to read
>your opinion though. PS you don't think the Skip Barber series is about
>spot on to the F3 <was called trainer?> races we ran on the end of the
>heydays of Vrock?
I agree completely with this. I understand why they've implemented the
SR system, but it's overdone IMO.
The reality for me is, I fire up iRacing, and since I'm still a Rookie
with a SR of 2.90, I've to drive the Solstice series. But there is
noone in a race, if there is a race... I do feel lonely, there isn't
even someone in chat. Ok, so I do a timetrial. I manage to drive 4
laps without an incident., up to the corner before the last
corner....there I go a bit too wide.....no score, and a SR
improvement of 0.01. And I didn't even gain time because of that
mistake!
I don't understand what the timetrial is for, anyway. But at this
rate, I've to do at least 55 incident free laps to get a score above
3.00, so I can race the Advanced Solstice. Since I've no clue if there
are races for that class, I can't find a way to see races where I'm
not allowed, I'm not too motivated to do these 55 laps. I might have
to do a lot of timetrials in the Advanced Solstice aswell to get a SR
above 4.00, so that I finally can get to race the Skip Barber. I don't
have the free time nor motivation to do that, I just want to do a race
the moment I fire up iRacing. Now I've more fun starting Race07 and
race the Radical.
Cheers!
Remco
> I understand why they've implemented the SR system, but it's
> overdone IMO.
1) Keep subscribing and take every vocal opportunity to lobby iRacing to
offer a more relaxed version of the existing setup. They could do it
easily enough, because it only really requires an alteration to the
practice servers.
2) Having tried the service, make our feeling felt in the forums and then
leave. That was the route I chose, but -- as has been widely documented --
I'm finding it hard to stay away. The trouble is, I know nothing has
changed and I'll meet the same frustrations (and occasionally rewards!) I
met before. Damned if I do rejoin... .damned if I don't!
Unless you can race at peak times (and that varies depending where you
live) iRacing can be a very lonely place, and obviously nothing much has
changed since I semi-retired. Again we return to iRacing's stated policy
of growing slowly which, almost inevitably, means retaining only those
who are fast enough to regularly find competitive racing. The rest are
bound to fall by the wayside.
In my month only ever found two others in a chatroom on one occasion, and
they were chatting about real world engines... something I have no
knowledge about whatsoever. iRacing has yet to develop a functioning
VROC-style racing community (the forums don't count). You could even
argue that the way the seasons and divisions are constructed they'll
never manage it. Human beings are psychologically geared towards
relatively small groups... 30-40.
I found TTs very boring, but I did do a few when I couldn't find anyone
to race, or there was a looooong gap (they're every 2 hours) to the next
Skip Barber. I had a policy of putting on the radio to stop me getting
bored, and driving 8 really unimaginative laps (or however many were
required for that track), then slowly cranking up the speed. That way I
always got a rating, even if I only ended up with nine laps before
putting two wheels on the grass and getting stuffed.
Oval TTs are a lot easier and quicker to build up to and recover from
mistakes. But then that's because our American friends have a shorter
attention span. ;-) <fx:ducks>
Ultimately, neither do I, other than a measure of people's hotlapping
ability. I suppose it's the iRacing equivalent of GPLrank? There's
probably a chapter about it in the Sporting Code. But it's been nearly
three weeks since I had to look at that bloated monstrosity, and -- like
women and childbirth -- my brain has conveniently forgotten the pain
involved.
I really do think you should do your best to run a race a day at the back
of the field. Don't push hard, just concentrate on getting round the
track. If you have a totally clean race your SR goes up in quite
satisfying chunks. While this can be very boring, it's the only way of
getting into a Skip Barber. It really is a completely different
experience.
Personally I found the advanced Solstice just as dull a ride as the basic
model.
There are; they run at similar intervals to the ordinary Solstice races.
I stuck with the basic Solstice and my 'back of the field' race tactic. I
even raced on my own once and my SR still went up more than it would've
done in a TT. That was a *really* boring time though! 17 laps or so on
your own is not recommended. :-)
In your dreams! You have to hang around in the forums for a while,
posting about the cars and tracks you'd like added in order to dilute the
racing pool even more! ;-)
I've been having some fun in Mini races at the Ring. But I still long for
something as satisfying as the Skip Barber to drive. It's a real sod that
I can't find a sim I enjoy fully any more. iRacing has the vehicles I
want to drive, but not the freedom. Race07/Evo has the main track I want &
overall *** polish. GTR2 has the engine sounds. And I have a headache
trying to decide whether to just throw my games PC in the bin and forget
about racing altogether. I was *so* close to that until recently. Now
look at the mess I'm in!
I blame it all on Kaemmer. He should've retired to the mountains after
selling Papyrus, instead of*** around creating tempting but
frustratingly flawed software. :-)
Andrew McP... feeling like Odysseus, tied to the mast listening to
iRacing's Siren song! ;-)
>I can't send anyone a *free* copy of Xcom if you don't post realsitic
>dates.
>I really do think you should do your best to run a race a day at the back
>of the field. Don't push hard, just concentrate on getting round the
>track. If you have a totally clean race your SR goes up in quite
>satisfying chunks. While this can be very boring, it's the only way of
>getting into a Skip Barber. It really is a completely different
>experience.
>Personally I found the advanced Solstice just as dull a ride as the basic
>model.
>> Since I've no clue if there are races for that class
>There are; they run at similar intervals to the ordinary Solstice races.
>> I might have to do a lot of timetrials in the Advanced Solstice as
>> well to get a SR above 4.00
>I stuck with the basic Solstice and my 'back of the field' race tactic. I
>even raced on my own once and my SR still went up more than it would've
>done in a TT. That was a *really* boring time though! 17 laps or so on
>your own is not recommended. :-)
Cheers!
Remco
The "trick" to Time trials is to drive the car for as many laps as you can
without ANY incidents, for the whole "time trial" period (usually 30 minutes
aren't they)... to me that is as "fun" as driving to work... So, as you
can imagine, you get bored and you try a couple things as your laptimes
improve, next thing you know you overdo a corner, and go flipping off the
fastest turn's guardrails 2x for off track, 2x for hitting the guardrail, 4x
for losing control means you just fking wasted 30 minutes of yer life....
you can only test-drive any car, you cant race higher cars for 4 weeks (when
rookie) 12 weeks after that or when your safety rating is above 4.0, then
you can drive Next license higher cars in races/timetrials/qualify sessions
. but you gain safety points VERY quickly as a rookie, doing timetrials.
It has been said 2 or so incident free time trials = one race.
>>> But at this rate, I've to do at least 55 incident free laps to get
>>> a score above 3.00, so I can race the Advanced Solstice.
>>I really do think you should do your best to run a race a day at the back
>>of the field. Don't push hard, just concentrate on getting round the
>>track. If you have a totally clean race your SR goes up in quite
>>satisfying chunks. While this can be very boring, it's the only way of
>>getting into a Skip Barber. It really is a completely different
>>experience.
>>Personally I found the advanced Solstice just as dull a ride as the basic
>>model.
>>> Since I've no clue if there are races for that class
>>There are; they run at similar intervals to the ordinary Solstice races.
>>> I might have to do a lot of timetrials in the Advanced Solstice as
>>> well to get a SR above 4.00
>>I stuck with the basic Solstice and my 'back of the field' race tactic. I
>>even raced on my own once and my SR still went up more than it would've
>>done in a TT. That was a *really* boring time though! 17 laps or so on
>>your own is not recommended. :-)
> Argh! So I've to suffer the Solstice until my SR is above 4.00! The
> horror... Still, since you're so sure about the Skip Barber being the
> bees knees, I'm tempted to try....
>>> I just want to do a race the moment I fire up iRacing.
>>In your dreams! You have to hang around in the forums for a while,
>>posting about the cars and tracks you'd like added in order to dilute the
>>racing pool even more! ;-)
>>> Now I've more fun starting Race07 and race the Radical.
>>I've been having some fun in Mini races at the Ring. But I still long for
>>something as satisfying as the Skip Barber to drive. It's a real sod that
>>I can't find a sim I enjoy fully any more. iRacing has the vehicles I
>>want to drive, but not the freedom. Race07/Evo has the main track I want &
>>overall *** polish. GTR2 has the engine sounds. And I have a headache
>>trying to decide whether to just throw my games PC in the bin and forget
>>about racing altogether. I was *so* close to that until recently. Now
>>look at the mess I'm in!
> It's strange, but overall GPL/VROC is still king. Yes, it's dated, but
> it had it all. The newer sims are way better on some points compared
> to GPL, but not on all points.
> Cheers!
> Remco
>> But they forgot the fun part...
> Fun is for gamers. iRacing is for grownups! And a handful of bored
> profession racers who fancy a laugh at the wannabes. ;-)
> I shouldn't take the p*ss, because I really do want it to succeed, and as
> soon as I sort my triplehead setup out I'm going to have buy in for
> another month. I think racing on ovals with decent peripheral vision
> might be quite entertaining. For a while anyway.
> Andrew McP
> PS Actually I nearly cracked & rejoined earlier today when I discovered
> the Skip Barber's at Infineon again. I was just starting to love that
> track when the tracks switched last time.
This week is Laguna Seca, next week Summit Point, then VIR (also
excellent track), then final week of the season is Sears again, this
time Cup layout. Then "Week 13" - who knows what to expect, but no SR
and no iRating - should be fun!
Cheers!
John