This is the pseudo-official
Microprose Formula One Grand Prix/World Circuit
Hall Of Fame
officially located (and much prettier) on the WWW at
http://brains.cc.rl.ac.uk/https/hof/wcpchof.html
The WCPCHOF is published every two weeks on rec.autos.simulators, by
request via Internet e-mail, and on the World Wide Web. Direct comments,
questions, membership applications, bloopers, and anything else to Dave
`Gizmo' Gymer at one of the addresses at the bottom of this page.
Commodore Amiga players might want to check out Edo Nijmeijer's
Amiga Hall of Fame
by contacting Edo at [email hidden].
Notes from the editor
Firstly, let me thank Edo for letting me make a guest appearance on the
Amiga HoF, and writing nice things about me. Thanks, Edo!
Drivers SA, SL, and XFV: you applied for IDs a long time ago and still
haven't sent any times. Please confirm that you're still interested.
The scoring system has changed again; this time it's a real big change,
brought about because it was becoming obvious that the existing system
would soon become inadequate for the increasing numbers of drivers. For
full details of how the new system works, read the section later in this
document. Basically, most of us get more points. Okay?
The values of the fastest time score and cutoff speed fraction are not
yet fixed, and are open to discussion.
The "absolute records" have been renamed to "rallycross" records, and a
new category, "perfect" records has been added, which is where records set
using the save/restore technique have gone. Multiple records are allowed
in each section, so if you had records in the old CC category (remember
that?) that were lost when I cut it back to just one "absolute record"
you can resend them if you want them included.
Following our little save/restore crisis, for which I have to accept
ultimate responsability, some records have been moved into the "perfect"
category, and take a penalty. They do not appear in the top ten listings.
"Perfect" times will not normally recieve any points; this is a stop-gap
measure until those times are re-driven. The new scoring system will use
the top time in the "standard" category, not the "prefect" time; this
means that even with the penalty, some times score more than 20 points
(the thoeretical maximum).
The WWW version of the HOF now carries some extra information; I would be
grateful if you could take a look and, if possible, let me know whether a
lap was clear or used slipstreaming, and (for the top 3 times only)
confirm that it was set without using the banned save/restore technique.
The layout changes once more. The WWW page now holds each track's records
in a seperate page; the text only version (also available on the WWW)
lists only the best ten standard times.
Rules and regulations
You must use Formula 1 Grand Prix (a.k.a. World Circuit) on the PC;
players are strongly advised to upgrade to version 1.05.
You need to get a driver ID from me to enter, but I can allot one when you
send your first record(s) in. I sometimes let people choose their own. So
if you want to join in, just mail me your real name and e-mail address,
and your preferred DriverID (if any).
I do publish times set by cutting corners or chicanes (what I call
"rallycross" records), but you need to tell me because those times do not
count towards the championship. Using the grass at the side of the track
is okay as long as it wasn't used on purpose.
"Wall braking", that is, using the walls of circuits like Monaco and
Phoenix instead of brakes, is illegal, except for absolute records. The
best way to ensure that this is not done is to run with indestructability
turned off at those tracks. Accidental contact with the wall is acceptable
(but won't do your times any good!).
Using AI cars to brake is also illegal. Mere accidental bumping is okay;
they're pretty stupid so we have to make allowances.
Drafting (slipstreaming) AI cars is permitted, as is using an editor to
alter the computer cars' power. Player power must be left at the default
716BHP. Drafting a human player with two linked machines is not legal.
There is no restriction on the AI grip setting but players are asked to
keep this below 16, just in case it does have an effect. When you submit a
record, if possible please let me know if it was clear or if you got a
tow, so that I can include the information in the WWW page for others
trying to match or better your times.
Laps must be driver in one complete go; you are not allowed to drive part
of a lap, save the game, come back, and then reload if you don't drive the
rest of it perfectly. You may, of course, simply pause the game (and
examine the replay). This rule is relaxed for both rallycross records,
and for records in the "perfect" category.
Use of a game editor which permits wing settings outside of the normal
limits (0 to 64) is not permitted.
I prefer people to include their setup details, but do not require it. You
may use any tyre compound. Note that up to and including version 1.03, a
bug in the game allowed you to set very fast times during the race at
Mexico; such times are illegal.
Feel free to tell me anything else you think important when you send times
in. I'm always willing to discuss the rules.
The scoring system
The scoring system was inspired by the IICC HotLaps system, but has a new
twist. The fastest time at each track scores a fixed number of points;
slower times score in proportion, down to a cutoff point which is some
fraction of the fastest time slower (this is all based on the average
speed, rather than the actual time). A more mathematical explanation
follows.
Given C (the "cutoff speed fraction"), F (the "fastest time score"),
and H, the highest speed at the track, we can say that an entry of speed
N (the "normspeed"), where N=H*(1-C), scores 0 points, and that an entry
of speed H scores F points. The range of speeds over which entries score
points (the "points spread"), is of magnitude P, where P=H*C. So an entry
of speed S scores P points, where P=(S-N)*(F/(C*H)).
The current values of C and F are to be found on the WWW pages.
The net impact of this is that two similar times score similar points; the
greater the difference between two times, the bigger the difference
between the points they score. The nature of the scoring system means that
you gain points for improving your times even if you don't improve your
position at each track, and that you can't lose points unless the fastest
time is beaten.
Miscellaneous
If you know non-Internet people who might like to join in, a page on the
WWW version of the HOF tells you how to host them.
The full lap record listings are only available on the WWW; the plain text
versions sent via mail and news contain only the top 10 standard times.
The driver list is only available from the WWW; you should know who your
are, and I don't want to be mailing out too many files!
Ivanhoe (IV) has spotted a potential future problem; on 24 January 1995 he
pointed the following out to me.
Due to the rapid decrease in time necessary to complete the laps in
F1GP, especially in Imola (-0.853s in 30 days), I have done a little of
calculation and discovered a potential problem to arise in the future.
If the average rate of decrease does not change it follows that on or
about the 15th of April 2002 a driver will break through the 0m00.000
mark, hereby driving at an average speed which exceeds the speed of
light.
As you probably know this will entail problems with causality, meaning
that it will be possible to cross the finishing line before even
starting the lap.
When it comes to this, there may be organisational difficulties too
because you will have to post the HOF before the laptimes are driven.
Now how are you going to do that, eh?
I guess we better hope that F1GPv2 comes out before 2002.
[email hidden]
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