Small improvement requests for post-patch X

[ste_]

Since patch X is imminent I thought I'd post these enhancement requests for Patch Y.

1) Please consider getting rid of the 'Player trying to connect' messages, unless there's actually a reason that people racing need to know this. (I can't think of any, but there might be). Same thing if a player fails to connect; do we really need to be told this? (But of course it is nice to know when a new player has successfully connected and what their name is, so no change to this.)

2) When you finish a race and the final position list is displayed, please consider also putting a 'R' next to their name if the player has voted to restart for the next race.

3) The player list on large servers is very long, and finding someone's name in this list can be quite a job. Please consider highlighting someone's name if they have addressed you by clicking on your name. People might ask you a question ("can i have your set please?", "what is your first split time"), and it'd be nice to easily pick out their name to respond to them.

4) I'd like some simple stats for each set I have. eg: how many miles on each course (and in total) I have done with a named set, what my best time was with it and when I last used it. Often I get into a particular combo and get a good set for it, then don't race that combo again for months. When I come back to it i have all these sets and I can't for the life of me remember what set I used to use. If I had some simple stats I would be able to see what set I'd used the most for a combo, or what set I got a good time with, and so know what set I should use. Also, a way to enter some notes about a set would be grand too.

5) When you are speccing a full race, there is no 'join' button on the menu screen. But if you go into your garage, there's a join button there (even tho clicking it won't do anything). Please consider having both buttons always present, but simply greyed out if the host is full and no space for you to join a race. And of course as soon as there is a space, both buttons would be ungreyed out and clickable.

6) There's no mention of potatoes anywhere in lfs. Please rectify this shameful omission :)

edit: 7) Please sort the connection list (pressing N twice) into two parts.. people racing and people spectating.

edit edit: 8) A way to have LFS automatically remove skins that haven't been _accessed_ in the last 'X' months. I go through my skins directory semi-regularly, and any skin that hasn't been accessed in the last 3 months or so I delete, which saves me lots of HD space. It would be nice if LFS did this housekeeping automagically for me.

9) <csimpok (http://www.lfsforum.net/member.php?u=48246)> a way to let people take your set without having to ask you for it, and you having to send it to them.

10) <Electrik Kar (http://www.lfsforum.net/member.php?u=96610)> In spectator mode- would be good if there was another button alongside the players name you could click, and the camera would tab to them.

Keep up the great work fella!

[MAGGOT]

Suggestions 3 and 6 are really really good ones. 4 Is also a good idea for those of you who are LFS-car-sluts :P

[Bob Smith]

Regarding point 1, would you rather have a really vague, non-descriptive error message? Do you work for Microsoft by any chance?

[ste_]

Regarding point 1, would you rather have a really vague, non-descriptive error message? Do you work for Microsoft by any chance?
My point is why do we need to see such messages at all.. "A Player is connecting" "A Player failed to connect". So what? Tell me if someone joins (and their name) by all means, but the other two are unnecessary imo.

[Bob Smith]

It's useful info for hosters, mainly when first setting up a server, but I admit it's not particularly interesting to casual racers.

[wark]

It's useful info for hosters, mainly when first setting up a server, but I admit it's not particularly interesting to casual racers.

Right, and until now, it was an explanation as to why a vote was cancelled (or why you couldn't exit the pits). Wait, can you now exit the pits while someone's connecting?

Either way, is too much information really a problem?

[ste_]

Just that with 32 racers and 15 specs there's already a lot of talk going on, and it getting poluted with useless (at least to the 'casual' racer) information could be avoided.

[MAGGOT]

Either way, is too much information really a problem?

Apparently it is when you're a fighter pilot of an F-14 Tomcat... Having your brain melt down while you're in a dogfight is not a good thing to have happen...

...Although, LFS doesn't have any F-14s... yet..

[Shotglass]

ive already askt for no 2 no idea why it wasnt included in the test patches

anyway another important thing would be to sort out the message/chat display its a mess on a 47 client server

[EvilVendingMachine]

7) Please sort the connection list (pressing N twice) into two parts.. people racing and people spectating.


The part of the connection list that shows whether the racer is on a wheel, mouse etc will be blank if they are specing.
But +1 at 3-6.

[Electrik Kar]

+1 at 3-6.

Yeah, these are all really good ideas. :scratchch

[anarchypredator]

Please incrase the reading of KPH gauge :(

[Not Sure]

Please incrase the reading of KPH gauge :(

:thumb:

[rovens]

As for number 6, someone needs to create a good potatoe skin for the ufr, preferably jersey royals with mint leaves.

[hectic]

Great stuff devs, love the false starts and car balancing:) I've got another small request,

8) Have the option for a full Patch X arcade reset (position + damage reset) as well as the old position reset (pre-Patch X).

[Electrik Kar]

In spectator mode- would be good if there was another button alongside the players name you could click, and the camera would tab to them. Maybe there's a function like this already, but I haven't found it. Would be very handy now with such long player lists-

[matze54564]

3) The player list on large servers is very long, and finding someone's name in this list can be quite a job. Please consider highlighting someone's name if they have addressed you using your full racers name. People might ask you a question ("can i have your set please?"), and it'd be nice to easily pick out their name to respond to them.

Connection-List Changes (http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=22988) Player Status and car and Sort-Ability, lag-bars, ping and Highlighting of spectated Players in Connection List

4) I'd like some simple stats for each set I have. eg: how many miles on each course (or the course I'm currently on) I have done with a named set, what my best time was with it and when I last used it. Often I get into a particular combo and get a good set for it, then don't race that combo again for months. When I come back to it i have all these sets and I can't for the life of me remember what set I used to use. If I had some simple stats I would be able to see what set I'd used the most for a combo, or what set I got a good time with, and so know what set I should use. Also, a way to enter some notes about a set would be grand too.

+1 great idea

5) When you are speccing a full race, there is no 'join' button on the menu screen. But if you go into your garage, there's a join button there (even tho clicking it won't do anything). Please consider having both buttons always present, but simply greyed out if the host is full and no space for you to join a race. And of course as soon as there is a space, both buttons would be ungreyed out and clickable.

+1 great idea

[csimpok]

My suggestions:

1. IMO for problem #3 a better solution would be to have an option to allow all other drivers to download your set when you are online on a server without asking it. It would save a lot of list searching for fast guys and a lot of unnecessary chatting during races.
(And what you mean by "full racer name" by the way? I think nobody would say: "Hi [!NF]Csimpok may I try your set?"... Usually they say Csim or something short :))
2. On a server with 48 people even with blocked messages it's very disturbing to see lots of "x left the pits", "y joined the spectators", "z disconnected", "a timed out", "b was banned" etc...messages, so I suggest an option to fully block ALL! messages except host messages.

[GabbO]

Hi friend :)

for your point 2: Shift + "-" does this already, doesn't it?

[csimpok]

Hi!

Hmm OK, I will see :P

[zeugnimod]

(And what you mean by "full racer name" by the way? I think nobody would say: "Hi [!NF]Csimpok may I try your set?"... Usually they say Csim or something short :))

I think he meant over the connection list. When you click on a name and it appears at the beginning of your message without typing it.

[csimpok]

I think he meant over the connection list. When you click on a name and it appears at the beginning of your message without typing it.

Yeah OK but I still think it's unnecessary chatting and clicking if otherwise somebody would allow others to get his set.

[zeugnimod]

I agree.

I also agree with the other original suggestions, especially 6) of course.

[csimpok]

So if you agree Ste pls put my suggestion in your list in the first post. :)

[huio0]

Great thing this false start is. But should AI or somebody online get a penalty if some idiot crashes into him on start? And does it have to say penalty al over the windscreen for the whole race? :scratchch

Allover: good patch. working good and smooth. Keep up the good work ;)

[Deem0n]

1) I play in LFS by keyboard. I cann't redefine Gear up & Gear down on Right Shift and Right CTRL.
2) I cann't race with bots on qualification. There is appears message:S2 Alpha:AI drivers can't yet qualify or practice because they don't know how to drive through pit line
3) I install X patch and can't view my W old replays - they atr reobsolete replays :(

[joen]

And does it have to say penalty al over the windscreen for the whole race? :scratchch
Well, if you got a drive-through penalty for instance you should go in the pits and complete the penalty and the message will be gone. If you finish the race without completing the penalty you will be disqualified.

[joen]

2) I cann't race with bots on qualification. There is appears message:S2 Alpha:AI drivers can't yet qualify or practice because they don't know how to drive through pit line
That's because the AI hasn't been completed yet. Regarding the qualifying this is no change from previous patches and not a bug. I believe Scawen will work on the AI for the next patch.
Practice was possible in previous patches because practice would start from the grid. Practice now starts from the pit. Anyway, just use race if you want to drive with AI, it makes no difference really.

3) I install X patch and can't view my W old replays - they atr reobsolete replays :(
Nothing can be done about that. LFS is a sim in development so these things are unavoidable. It has happened before and will happen again. Best thing to do is keep a seperate version of LFS running patch W if you want to be able to watch them again.


Just realised this is not the patch X thread :x
The posts I was responding to (and thus my replies) don't really belong in this topic.

[huio0]

Well, if you got a drive-through penalty for instance you should go in the pits and complete the penalty and the message will be gone. If you finish the race without completing the penalty you will be disqualified.
It's a time penalty not a drive-through - i'm not that stupid ;)

[Virtual-R]

Great stuff devs, love the false starts and car balancing:) I've got another small request,

8) Have the option for a full Patch X arcade reset (position + damage reset) as well as the old position reset (pre-Patch X).

I second this request, the old way allowing the car to be reset after rolling but still carrying the damage needs to be brought back in so it can be activated on the server side. In long endurance races the old reset can be a good option to give people a 2nd chance if they happen to roll without giving them any advantages other than being turned back onto their wheels.

We have recently had to limit it to no resets however because resetting the car back onto its wheels with no damage and new tyres basically defeats the purpose of pit stops, gives people way too much of a advantage by using it and makes things too unrealistic.