probably still be too long). Sorry.
My reasons for making this post are based on my love of racing (real and
simulated) and a desire to see simulated racing become respected as a form
of racing where the skills of the sim driver approach, if not equal, the
skills of the real-world driver. I believe I won't get too much argument
that an enormous amount of good can come to the simulated racing community,
its members (drivers), its software developers both individual and
corporate, same for the hardware developers and manufacturers,
leagues/series administrators...and so forth, if the real-world racing
community embraced the simulated racing community with something on the
order of equal stature and respect. Its no secret that I have spent the
better part of the last five years (full-time for the last three years)
trying to do my part to bridge the gap between sim racing and real racing.
So I'm not going to go into all the supporting reasons why I think we'd
benefit by being respected as racing drivers....by real-world racing drivers
and their "community"....I kind of figure that's a given!
I also want to state without any doubt, I totally defend the right of any
member of this community to choose to enjoy sim racing however they wish to
do so. If that means they want to treat this activity as a leisure-time,
fun, game-playing activity.....that is 100% their right to do so. That
includes the so called "wreckers" even! I would defend their right to wreck
other drivers in a race with them....if that's their idea of "fun" they are
entitled to it. They are just not entitled to wreck other drivers who don't
share their sense of fun. As long as the "wreckers" all race together and
not with other more serious-minded sim drivers/participants....that's Okay
with me!
So, for sake of simplicity......I would like to divide all the members of
this community into two general groups: Serious sim racing drivers and
game-playing sim racing drivers. Notice, I did not say "two equal
groups".......I have no idea how many members of this community, if asked to
place themselves in one group or the other.....would be in each group. We
could say, "50/50"....but it really doesn't matter to me....it has nothing
to do with what "point" I'd like to make. Let's say, there's a substantial
number of people in both groups....together they make up the sim racing
community I'm referring to in this post.
So....to the point I would like to make: When someone who is engaging in an
activity of sim racing that is clearly "game playing" (like wrecking cars
instead of racing against cars)......tries to make that out to be serious
race car driving......sim race car driving to be exact.......then I am going
to stand up and shout "NO." Why?
Because I'm trying to get real-racing people to look upon the activities of
the "serious sim drivers" in this community with some respect.....respect
because they have the same or close to the same skills as real race car
drivers. I know that, but at this point, they don't know that! And, I
can't do that if a vocal minority of "game players" in this online community
keeps calling what they are doing "race driving".....it discredits everyone
in the sim racing community when that happens. Or, should I say, it
discredits them as far as the real-world racing community is concerned.
And, that is the opposite of what I think....as do many others in this
community....would be good for sim racing.
I'm not talking about the "wreckers"....am I. No. They are a small
minority....true. But they are not very vocal.
I am talking about the GPL community. Not all of its members of
course......but a far too large number of them.....and a way to large vocal
number of them. I'm also talking about a few in the N4 community.....but
its a relatively small number.....in my opinion at least.
So, to many of you.....it might seem as if I'm attacking the GPL sim racing
community.....that often referred to group of "elite" sim racers (a term
I've heard too much of lately...makes me want to throw up
sometimes).......and that's why I figured this was not going to be popular.
Well, I'm not attacking anyone.
But I am going to ask the GPL community, some (but not all)....of its
members....to do me, and anyone else in this community that would like to
see sim racing some day become a full-fledged e-sport form of racing....a
very big favor! I don't know for sure how many others there are among you
that would like to see sim racing become a respected form of racing......I
know I can name a couple hundred.....and that's enough to ask this favor, I
think?
Here's the favor: Please stop referring to, in public places (like this
newsgroup, race chat rooms, VROC, etc.)....referring to "hot-lapping," or
the GPLRank - (Hot-lapping scoreboard).....as racing, race car driving or
having anything to do with racing skills. I'm not asking you to stop doing
it. I'm not asking you to stop liking to do it even! I am asking you to
stop calling it "racing".....because it isn't. And, when members of the
real-world racing community see you doing this.....you discredit everyone
who is a serious sim driver in this community....and would like to bridge
the gap between themselves and the real-world race drivers. I don't think
this is an unfair "favor" to ask of you.
I would like to make a few "points" in support of my request:
1. In case there is any doubt that this "game" activity of hot-lapping is
being referred to by its participants as "racing"....here's a direct quote
off a web page displaying the GPLRank list: **When players reach the magic
sub zero score, they would have reached a milestone putting them in a
category of excellence in driving. A point we all strive for.** That is a
direct "cut and paste" copy from the following website:
http://www.technobyte.com.au/Advantage1/GPL/subzero.html
2. Real world racing does not engage in any activity that even resembles
"hot-lapping" or keeps any records or "lists" that would resemble the
GPLRank system list of drivers. Nobody in real-world racing could afford to
crash their cars....what....several hundred times (some of you say several
thousand times).....in order to pull off some totally lucky "flyer lap"
...and then post it somewhere so they can be thought of as an "excellent
race driver." Of course, nobody in real-world racing would live through
such an activity, either.
3. The closest thing I can attribute in real-world racing to something that
maybe some of the "hot-lappers" have confused to be similar to what they
do.....and call it racing......is maybe "qualifying" or....."fastest race
lap"......or maybe even "track record holder." But, let's be clear about
this. No race driver I know of, made it to the "hall of fame" of public
opinion (or the real one) in racing because they had a lot of
races.....where they had the "fastest lap" in that race. They don't keep
that score in real-world racing. I don't think anyone made it for having
the most "track records" either. I know they don't put you in the hall of
fame for having been on the most poles.....heck, no one can even remember
who the pole sitter was....come Monday morning...usually (unless of course
you also win the race on Sunday). The only thing they put you in the "hall
of fame" for....is winning races....winning championships (based on
winning/finishing position...in races).
4. I spent an hour.....maybe it should have been longer.....but I couldn't
find a single GPL related website that listed all the GPL drivers in ranking
of the number of races they've won. Or, the number of podium finishes
they've had. I have no idea who the good race car drivers are in GPL....or
what they do or where they race....and certainly not how they rank amongst
themselves. I do know however, who all the best "game playing hot-lappers"
are. That took me just a minute or two to find. Too bad, because no one in
real racing cares about that....I know I certainly don't. It might be
fun....but its not about racing.
5. In real-world racing.....there's a sub-amateur form of driving called
"autocross".....and even a professional form of it in the USA, called "Pro
Solo II" sanctioned by the SCCA. Its quite a fun activity....I've done it
several times and its exciting and challenging...and not easy to beat the
guys who do nothing else but autocrossing. For those of you that don't know
what this is.....its racing against a clock....solo....through usually a
parking lot full of "gates" marked out by yellow or orange cones. The car
(usually they are ranked in classes) and driver who traverse the coned gates
in the shortest time.....and don't knock any cones over (they penalize you
for knocking over cones).....is declared the winner of the autocross event.
They have second and third places too. Sometimes, if your autocross club
has a lot of members, they can afford to give you little trophies or plaques
if you come in first, second or third. I don't think anyone in real-world
racing would confuse autocrossing with racing.....or autocross drivers with
race car drivers....although many autocross drivers have moved up to amateur
SCCA racing and then gone on to full professional racing as well.
Autocrossing would actually be a level or two above "hot-lapping"...if they
did hot-lapping in the real world.....because in autocrossing, you can't cut
the corners off....go over the curbs...or go off into the grass.....because
you'd knock over a cone and be penalized a second for doing that.
Autocrossing would be a lot harder than hot-lapping...but they don't have
hot-lapping so they don't think of it that way.
6. I have a lot of books about racing, race car driving, skills of
racing....and so forth. I looked through all of them. I couldn't find
anything in them about hot-lapping....although I could find a lot of
references to how stupid it would be to attempt to run the
...
read more »