F1 Challenge - Mechanical Failures

I did a bit of a quick test the other night on some races to see what results I got on mechanical failures as follows for anyone that is interested: I ran sample races on autopilot Australia, Monza, Silverstone and Canada and varied driver strength, aggression, race length, mechanical failure type etc. The way I did this was to start the race and then drop out shortly after the start and run the rest of the race on autopilot. Generally no real difference could be found on effects on mech failures whilst the game, was on autopilot, between differing driver strengths and aggression. The races gave between 9 and 15 'did not finished's varying from clutch/electronics (false starts), and then most race dropouts were through suspension, engine or accident. More failures were experienced when rnning full length races compared to 50% races on time scaled settings and of those most failures were experienced on full 100% races run with normal mechnical failures compared to time scaled (usually around 11-15 dropouts). However nearly every in race dropout was due to suspension or engine failures. This is almost certainly because I was running the first few minutes and then exiting the race to let it run on autopilot which seems to automatically create only suspension and engine failures except for the odd accident. So not very promising generally and of these two types of failure they were always one after the other ie one suspension failure then an engoine then a suspension etc for all the drop outs. However the good news is that if you actually drive in the race yourself, whilst youre driving the failures that take place are generally more imaginative. For example in the few short races I have run I have experiences AI cars failing through brakes and fuel loss. I have also experienced wet races where all runners fell out by dnfs which I never got in any races on autopilot. So it seems likely that the computer AI for cars is far more accurate and detailed whilst youre in the race yourself. However in the few races Ive run to the end Ive experienced less numerous dropouts that when the races are run on autopilot. So the summary is that whilst you are racing yourself, the cars do tend to suffer imaginative failures but generally fewer of them. However whilst the races are being run on autopilot you tend to get more dropouts but theres very little variation between the failures experienced. The results do suggest though that running full length races on normal mech failure settings show more attrition than 50% races on timescale failures. But unfortunately not many of us will be able to spend the time to run full races much and certainly not having a save feature whilst during the weekend or race this is practically impossible to do unless you are a) a student b) unemployed or c) unmarried and preferably all three. When anyone develops a decent save feature for this game please let me know! This also all tends to suggest that if we were ever given a replay facility where you could watch a whole race even when you have finished due to failure or crashing etc it would porbably tend to be pretty boring to watch anyway. Which is a shame because it would be great fun and works well in GP4. -- Nigel 'Nats' Stutt [email hidden] "Its life, Jim, but not as we know it." Remove NOSPAM to respond please.

On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 22:20:03 +0100, "Nats" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted text (8 lines)

>I did a bit of a quick test the other night on some races to see what >results I got on mechanical failures as follows for anyone that is >interested: > >I ran sample races on autopilot Australia, Monza, Silverstone and Canada and >varied driver strength, aggression, race length, mechanical failure type >etc. The way I did this was to start the race and then drop out shortly >after the start and run the rest of the race on autopilot.

The way the game simulates when you drop out of a race or press the "next session" button in qualifying is not very reliable. If you want a reliable simulation of qualifying, you have to press CTRL-T to accelerate time and just sit and wait for the clock to run out. If you want to simulate a race, drive into the pits and park your car and, without getting out of your car, hit CTRL-T to accelerate time and then go get a burger or something until the race is over. I have no idea how ISI simulates things otherwise, but the results of accelerating time and letting the sim rapidly calculate things are totally different, with the latter being way off in almost all cases. Jason

Did you notice any pattern in which drivers were having failures? Because if you look in the .gdb file for the track there is a list of all the drivers who are going to have incidents. Not sure if that only happens in championship races or what, but I thought it was odd because it seems to imply that AI DNF's will not be random. "Nats" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:bf1r63$mkn$[email hidden]... > I did a bit of a quick test the other night on some races to see what > results I got on mechanical failures as follows for anyone that is > interested: > > I ran sample races on autopilot Australia, Monza, Silverstone and Canadaand

Quoted text (7 lines)

> varied driver strength, aggression, race length, mechanical failure type > etc. The way I did this was to start the race and then drop out shortly > after the start and run the rest of the race on autopilot. > > Generally no real difference could be found on effects on mech failures > whilst the game, was on autopilot, between differing driver strengths and > aggression. The races gave between 9 and 15 'did not finished's varying

from > clutch/electronics (false starts), and then most race dropouts werethrough > suspension, engine or accident. More failures were experienced when rnning > full length races compared to 50% races on time scaled settings and ofthose > most failures were experienced on full 100% races run with normalmechnical > failures compared to time scaled (usually around 11-15 dropouts). However > nearly every in race dropout was due to suspension or engine failures.This > is almost certainly because I was running the first few minutes and then > exiting the race to let it run on autopilot which seems to automatically > create only suspension and engine failures except for the odd accident. So > not very promising generally and of these two types of failure they were > always one after the other ie one suspension failure then an engoine thena

Quoted text (8 lines)

> suspension etc for all the drop outs. > > However the good news is that if you actually drive in the race yourself, > whilst youre driving the failures that take place are generally more > imaginative. For example in the few short races I have run I have > experiences AI cars failing through brakes and fuel loss. I have also > experienced wet races where all runners fell out by dnfs which I never got > in any races on autopilot. So it seems likely that the computer AI for

cars > is far more accurate and detailed whilst youre in the race yourself.However > in the few races Ive run to the end Ive experienced less numerous dropouts > that when the races are run on autopilot. > > So the summary is that whilst you are racing yourself, the cars do tend to > suffer imaginative failures but generally fewer of them. However whilstthe > races are being run on autopilot you tend to get more dropouts but theres > very little variation between the failures experienced. The results do > suggest though that running full length races on normal mech failure > settings show more attrition than 50% races on timescale failures. > > But unfortunately not many of us will be able to spend the time to runfull > races much and certainly not having a save feature whilst during theweekend > or race this is practically impossible to do unless you are a) a studentb) > unemployed or c) unmarried and preferably all three. When anyone developsa > decent save feature for this game please let me know! > > This also all tends to suggest that if we were ever given a replayfacility > where you could watch a whole race even when you have finished due to > failure or crashing etc it would porbably tend to be pretty boring towatch

Quoted text (12 lines)

> anyway. Which is a shame because it would be great fun and works well in > GP4. > > -- > Nigel 'Nats' Stutt > [email hidden] > > "Its life, Jim, but not as we know it." > > Remove NOSPAM to respond please. > >

Hmm I will look at that file. Furthermore I have found that more interesting accidents seem to happen when the other cars are set to FULL visual effects but that of course could be just a coincidence so I will try a few more races with that setting as Im sure that must be just a display enhancement. On an unrelated point there is a setting in the .PLC file that is really nice. Try setting environment map to 1 to really get a sense of speed. It enhances the track graphics greatly to show the texture of the termac brilliantly. In fact its worth lowering the circuit graphics a notch to get smooth racing with this setting on to really appreciate the driving experience. -- Nigel 'Nats' Stutt [email hidden] "Its life, Jim, but not as we know it." Remove NOSPAM to respond please. "Haqsau" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Did you notice any pattern in which drivers were having failures? Because > if you look in the .gdb file for the track there is a list of all the > drivers who are going to have incidents. Not sure if that only happens in > championship races or what, but I thought it was odd because it seems to > imply that AI DNF's will not be random. > > > "Nats" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:bf1r63$mkn$[email hidden]... > > I did a bit of a quick test the other night on some races to see what > > results I got on mechanical failures as follows for anyone that is > > interested: > > > > I ran sample races on autopilot Australia, Monza, Silverstone and Canada > and > > varied driver strength, aggression, race length, mechanical failure type > > etc. The way I did this was to start the race and then drop out shortly > > after the start and run the rest of the race on autopilot. > > > > Generally no real difference could be found on effects on mech failures > > whilst the game, was on autopilot, between differing driver strengths and > > aggression. The races gave between 9 and 15 'did not finished's varying > from > > clutch/electronics (false starts), and then most race dropouts were > through > > suspension, engine or accident. More failures were experienced when rnning > > full length races compared to 50% races on time scaled settings and of > those > > most failures were experienced on full 100% races run with normal > mechnical > > failures compared to time scaled (usually around 11-15 dropouts). However > > nearly every in race dropout was due to suspension or engine failures. > This > > is almost certainly because I was running the first few minutes and then > > exiting the race to let it run on autopilot which seems to automatically > > create only suspension and engine failures except for the odd accident. So > > not very promising generally and of these two types of failure they were > > always one after the other ie one suspension failure then an engoine then > a > > suspension etc for all the drop outs. > > > > However the good news is that if you actually drive in the race yourself, > > whilst youre driving the failures that take place are generally more > > imaginative. For example in the few short races I have run I have > > experiences AI cars failing through brakes and fuel loss. I have also > > experienced wet races where all runners fell out by dnfs which I never got > > in any races on autopilot. So it seems likely that the computer AI for > cars > > is far more accurate and detailed whilst youre in the race yourself. > However > > in the few races Ive run to the end Ive experienced less numerous dropouts > > that when the races are run on autopilot. > > > > So the summary is that whilst you are racing yourself, the cars do tend to > > suffer imaginative failures but generally fewer of them. However whilst > the > > races are being run on autopilot you tend to get more dropouts but theres > > very little variation between the failures experienced. The results do > > suggest though that running full length races on normal mech failure > > settings show more attrition than 50% races on timescale failures. > > > > But unfortunately not many of us will be able to spend the time to run > full > > races much and certainly not having a save feature whilst during the > weekend > > or race this is practically impossible to do unless you are a) a student > b) > > unemployed or c) unmarried and preferably all three. When anyone develops > a > > decent save feature for this game please let me know! > > > > This also all tends to suggest that if we were ever given a replay > facility > > where you could watch a whole race even when you have finished due to > > failure or crashing etc it would porbably tend to be pretty boring to > watch > > anyway. Which is a shame because it would be great fun and works well in > > GP4. > > > > -- > > Nigel 'Nats' Stutt > > [email hidden] > > > > "Its life, Jim, but not as we know it." > > > > Remove NOSPAM to respond please. > > > > > >

> Did you notice any pattern in which drivers were having failures? Because > if you look in the .gdb file for the track there is a list of all the > drivers who are going to have incidents. Not sure if that only happens in > championship races or what, but I thought it was odd because it seems to > imply that AI DNF's will not be random. Somebody told me that you can set mechanical failures to '2002 Season' - not sure what that means exactly - does it mean that engine blowups will occur for the AI drivers on the exact same laps as they did for the real drivers last year? ;-)

I think so. I haven't tried it, but I'll bet that's why that data is in the .gdb file. "Redmist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:bf29o7$9gq7k$[email hidden]... > > Somebody told me that you can set mechanical failures to '2002 Season' -not > sure what that means exactly - does it mean that engine blowups will occur > for the AI drivers on the exact same laps as they did for the real drivers > last year? ;-) > >

Yes the cars fail as they did during that season. So if you want to experience a certain failure just play a car that experienced it during that race. I make try looking for a hydraulics failure just for fun! -- Nigel 'Nats' Stutt [email hidden] "Its life, Jim, but not as we know it." Remove NOSPAM to respond please. "Haqsau" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > I think so. I haven't tried it, but I'll bet that's why that data is in the > .gdb file. > > > "Redmist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:bf29o7$9gq7k$[email hidden]... > > > > Somebody told me that you can set mechanical failures to '2002 Season' - > not > > sure what that means exactly - does it mean that engine blowups will occur > > for the AI drivers on the exact same laps as they did for the real drivers > > last year? ;-) > > > > > >