Railriding Etiquette

I know railriding in GPL isn't cricket. What I want to know is what is the done thing in online racing if you make a mistake and run into the Armco? Is it OK to stick the power on and get some help from the rails if it was a genuine mistake or should you slow down a bit and not take advantage? The reason I ask is that I feel almost ready to hit VROC, maybe in about a week or so, and I didn't want to cause offence because I'm bound to make a mistake and run wide. Cheers Phil -- http://www.youpies.co.uk

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>I know railriding in GPL isn't cricket. What I want to know is what is the >done thing in online racing if you make a mistake and run into the Armco? >Is it OK to stick the power on and get some help from the rails if it was a >genuine mistake or should you slow down a bit and not take advantage? >The reason I ask is that I feel almost ready to hit VROC, maybe in about a >week or so, and I didn't want to cause offence because I'm bound to make a >mistake and run wide. >Cheers >Phil

My usual course of action is to slow down until I can safely peel myself off the rail without taking anyone out, and then continue on my way. I think the last thing you would want on VROC is to be known as a rail rider. don [|]-(_)-[|]

Good point. I tend to floor the throttle, but I DO feel a bit guilty about that, especially when someone's close behind (not because he sees it, but because I made a mistake and he couldn't profit of it). But there are times that you run into the rail while you're evading someone or try to make space when someone overtakes you into CG... then I feel less guilty (but still floor it). But perhaps people found that very offensive, without telling me...

gui.server.***.net>: Depends some on how the VROC server has the damage set, if it's on Pro, and I wish they all were, you won't get away with to much rail riding. As mentioned, slow down until you unstick and get going again. It's real easy to spin coming off some armcos, come off easy. -- Don Scurlock Vancouver,B.C.

I'm glad you've brought this up as I myself have just begun racing on VROC and was wondering the same thing. My current practice is to stamp on the gas. I don't feel too guilty about it as I wait until well after hitting the rails before doing so, so my lap-time does suffer. I don't go into the corner thinking 'hell i'm not gonna make it, better floor the accelerator'. I also find that if I try to peel away from the rails too soon i'm more likely to cause a shunt, particularly near the start of the race. If i'm being out of order please let me know as I don't want to be regarded as a railrider. Cheers, Rick.

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> I know railriding in GPL isn't cricket. What I want to know is what is the > done thing in online racing if you make a mistake and run into the Armco? > Is it OK to stick the power on and get some help from the rails if it was a > genuine mistake or should you slow down a bit and not take advantage? > The reason I ask is that I feel almost ready to hit VROC, maybe in about a > week or so, and I didn't want to cause offence because I'm bound to make a > mistake and run wide. > Cheers > Phil > -- > http://www.youpies.co.uk

-- -- R K Mather

The most common corner I find myself hitting the rails online is the first Lesmo at Monza (I've really gotta get control of that "head thing"). And although the impact is not intentional, I feel like I'm cheating if I floor it after I hit. I usually try to slow down enough to peel myself off the barrier and return to the racing line before accelerating. But that's just me- I've seen others come into it full tilt and actually pass other drivers on the outside. Somehow that doesn't seem sporting to me.

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> The most common corner I find myself hitting the rails online is the first > Lesmo at Monza (I've really gotta get control of that "head thing"). And > although the impact is not intentional, I feel like I'm cheating if I floor > it after I hit. I usually try to slow down enough to peel myself off the > barrier and return to the racing line before accelerating. But that's just > me- I've seen others come into it full tilt and actually pass other drivers > on the outside. Somehow that doesn't seem sporting to me.

I agree, and wouldn't dream of rail-riding in an attempt to gain or keep position. But when I do mess up my entry into the first Lesmo, i'd rather get away from the corner as quickly as possible than cause an obstruction. If I slow right down and the driver behind me also misses his braking-zone then thats both our races practically over. I have in the past used the rails to get round a corner and then deliberately conceded position on the following straight if I feel i've hard-done the driver behind me, which seems like the safer option. Rick. -- R K Mather

Hey, let's not mince words here.... deliberate railriders are the lowest form of scum. If I make a mistake in a corner and end up against the barrier I act as if I am in a real car or have Pro damage on:- I slow down and get off the barrier as soon as I can. If this isn't possible because a car is wide and close behind me, I have even been known to power out of the turn and let the car behind through, so the car that should have got an advantage does get it. I would rather lose a few places in a race than have anyone accuse me of railriding!!

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>I know railriding in GPL isn't cricket. What I want to know is what is the >done thing in online racing if you make a mistake and run into the Armco? >Is it OK to stick the power on and get some help from the rails if it was a >genuine mistake or should you slow down a bit and not take advantage? >The reason I ask is that I feel almost ready to hit VROC, maybe in about a >week or so, and I didn't want to cause offence because I'm bound to make a >mistake and run wide. >Cheers >Phil >-- >http://www.youpies.co.uk

That's the one. Andrew McP

It's Lesmos 1 for me as well. I either seem to get it just right or out brake myself and run wide. That particular bit of Armco is a pain to get off. Of course I also run wide when John Surtees is coming up behind me! Cheers Phil -- http://www.youpies.co.uk > > The most common corner I find myself hitting the rails online is the first > > Lesmo at Monza (I've really gotta get control of that "head thing"). And > > although the impact is not intentional, I feel like I'm cheating if I floor > > it after I hit. I usually try to slow down enough to peel myself off the > > barrier and return to the racing line before accelerating. But that's just > > me- I've seen others come into it full tilt and actually pass other drivers > > on the outside. Somehow that doesn't seem sporting to me. > I agree, and wouldn't dream of rail-riding in an attempt to gain or keep > position. But when I do mess up my entry into the first Lesmo, i'd rather > get away from the corner as quickly as possible than cause an obstruction. > If I slow right down and the driver behind me also misses his > braking-zone then thats both our races practically over. I have in the > past used the rails to get round a corner and then deliberately conceded > position on the following straight if I feel i've hard-done the driver behind > me, which seems like the safer option. > Rick. > -- > R K Mather

That's what I thought and what I try to do even if I'm racing offline. I want to get myself into good habits. Cheers Phil -- http://www.youpies.co.uk

One problem is that it seems you have to slow down much more than you should to get off the barrier, given that the barrier is a wider radius than the turn it shouldn't be that hard. That makes it tempting for people to ride the rail all the way round rather than slowing to a crawl to get off it. - Michael

Hmm... I wonder how this can be an issue at all... I have never even thought of gaining from riding the rails. If I hit the rails because of overdriving, I think that the race is over, and that I should creep into the pits to see if it is possible to salvage the car... Riding the rails to gain from it is utterly, totally and completely incomprehensible to me. And if I caught someone doing it in a race against me, I would do my utmost never to race against the same person again. And if the servers would only use the "pro" setting, we would have no such thing, ever!!! Hmm, I am going to use only pro race on my server from now on. And I suggest to all the other hosts around the world to do the same! This is is a simulation of F1 in 1967, and the sportsmanship and gentleman behaviour of the era!!!! ---Asgeir---

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> I know railriding in GPL isn't cricket. What I want to know is what > is the > done thing in online racing if you make a mistake and run into the > Armco? > Is it OK to stick the power on and get some help from the rails if it > was a > genuine mistake or should you slow down a bit and not take advantage? > The reason I ask is that I feel almost ready to hit VROC, maybe in > about a > week or so, and I didn't want to cause offence because I'm bound to > make a > mistake and run wide.

I generally slow down by lifting off the throttle, until you can pull the car off the rails, then continue on as normal. If you carry on accelerating, or even just maintaining the same speed, centrifugal force will force the car outwards, thus keeping the car stuck on the rails. 8-) *Peter* - http://www.cix.co.uk/~peterpc/home.html

If I run too wide at Monza and can't avoid hitting the rail then I just feel too guilty if there is a car behind me and I will usually slow down enough to let the car through on the inside. Railriding is for wimps! :) -- Peter Ives - (AKA Ivington) No person's opinions can be said to be more correct than another's, because each is the sole judge of his or her own experience.

In article <feMq4.27711$[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says... > > I have often wished all hosts would race pro. I have almost as often been > glad when they're not.... > I reckon we'd see almost no finishers for a while until foolhardy drivers > chilled out a bit. It wouldn't take too long! OTOH we might see no racers > long before that... The problem with racing on Pro is the random/warp crashes that so often plague the start of GPL online races. You can be really careful and try and pick your way through the debris and *still* get taken out by a car randomly appearing in front of you. At least with shift-R you can still be in the race. We could do with a patch for railriders that makes their tyres pop as soon as you scrape it for over a certain time. - Michael

I have often wished all hosts would race pro. I have almost as often been glad when they're not.... I reckon we'd see almost no finishers for a while until foolhardy drivers chilled out a bit. It wouldn't take too long! OTOH we might see no racers long before that... Ben

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>Hmm... >I wonder how this can be an issue at all... >I have never even thought of gaining from riding the rails. >If I hit the rails because of overdriving, I think that the race is over,

and >that I should creep into the pits to see if it is possible to salvage the car... >Riding the rails to gain from it is utterly, totally and completely >incomprehensible to me. And if I caught someone doing it in a race against me, I >would do my utmost never to race against the same person again. >And if the servers would only use the "pro" setting, we would have no such >thing, ever!!! Hmm, I am going to use only pro race on my server from now on. >And I suggest to all the other hosts around the world to do the same! >This is is a simulation of F1 in 1967, and the sportsmanship and gentleman >behaviour of the era!!!! >---Asgeir---

In a pickup race,just keep on going. In a league race you better slow down. Joel Willstein