Merge Race 1 and 2

[ColeusRattus]

After thousands of laps I finally managed to get a silver license yesterday. To my dismay, I found out two things though: firstly: I can't control the TBOs anymore, too much power ;) And secondly: Race 2 is empty most of the time.
As I wanted to get back into Race 1, it was full, so I couldn't join. Now today while driving to work, following idea dawned on me, which could lead to more evenly used servers:

Merge Race 1 and 2. Make it multi class, so that copper and bronze can drive with the XFR and XRG, while the silver+ can use the TBO.

That way, we'd have two servers where the majority of people could race, people with higher licenses who still prefer the XFG and XFG could still go there and use them, and TBO fans wouldn't have to race on empty tracks.

Even if only one or two are driving in TBO's, it wouldn't be "point whoring", as that can be done on an empty track too, and much more easily.

The only problem I see with that is that it would be a tad more difficult to drive as there would be more lapping due to the faster cars, but I don't think that would stay an issue for long as people would get habited to it.

So, I think the only obstacle in the way of this suggestion is the to me unkown amount of work to be done by Sam to do it, and his willingness.

[Bean0]

Putting lower licensed drivers in Race 2 defies the point of having it at all.

[ColeusRattus]

I think that having hardly any racers on Race 2 does the same. Of course I don't know the exact numbers, or even rough ones, I can just judge it by my own experience, but it seems to be a huge interest for Race 1, but only a little for Race 2.

Of course, it's just an idea and it should be fleshed out to work actually, so there could also be a bronze XFG/XRG + TBO on Race 2, giving hopefully a tad cleaner racing than a ffa Server. Saying that, I've raced against very clean coppers and very reckless silvers and golds, so a higher license is no guarantee for a higher racing standard.

[chunkyracer]

I think this problem has got much more to do with the fact that with a silver license you can also race in the Race3 server with the UFR and XFR, and it looks like most of the people prefers to drive those instead of the TBO´s. I´ve been racing in Race2 last week and was planning on doing it again this week, but most of the times I join the server, do a race to see if other people join and end up leaving the server because no one joins or the ones that do, just leave the server right afterwards without even joining the track. Don´t think that allowing the XFG and XRG to race there would do any good, because if you were the only TBO racing it would be exactly the same as it is now, and you would end up changing to one of the other cars to have a proper race, transforming Race2 in the second Race1 server.

[ColeusRattus]

Good points made, but I think that's actually the remedy, as I do think that if one or two would start using TBOs on an already full server, more would join in. Especially if it would be promoted to the system, for example by having the points distributed by license, not by class, so one who uses a TBO kind of forces the others who are able to join in.

[Becky Rose]

Popularity seems to flow between race 2 & 3, hense silver drivers have access to both.

Adding TBO to Race 1 would not be difficult (it's just a config file change), but it would be necessary to increase the grid size and that could have serious repurcussions.

[menantoll]

What about adding XFG & XRG to Race 2?

There are times when race 1 gets full so it would help solve this problem and also it means that race 2 can stay silver and above.

[Glenn67]

What about adding XFG & XRG to Race 2?

Yeah I was going to say the same thing, alot of higher lic drivers actually like xfg/xrg racing so if race 2 was multiclass but you still had to have silver or above to join it might get busier :shrug: I haven't been on ctra for ages and have silver lic - with xfg/xrg on race 2 I would very likely become more regular on ctra.

[obsolum]

The problem with Race 2 being empty most of the time has existed for quite some time now. It was "cured" temporarily a while ago when Race 2 suddenly became a bit more popular, probably due to a number of threads here in the CTRA forum about there never being anyone on the server and about the balancing of the cars :)

When reading the forums it always seems that there is plenty of interest in the TBO's, but reality suggests otherwise. Maybe it's just a case of "organizing" something. Like some kind of semi-event or something, announced here with a set date and time so people know about it and can plan it into their busy schedules :tilt:

Merging Race 1 and Race 2 is a big no no for me. The race quality would suffer greatly from that. I'm Gold licensed myself and I do enjoy TBO racing but whenever I race on CTRA it's usually on Race 1 because a) I like the XFG/XRG slightly better than the TBO's and b) there's never anyone on Race 2 when I check it and I can't be arsed to join and drive around on my own waiting for enough people to join and actually stick around before I can have a race :shrug: Despite the fact that I prefer the XFG over the TBO's I would definitely race on Race 2 if there was actually racing to be had, just because the overall quality will undoubtedly be a lot better and because there's more points to be had.

[peterules]

Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

I've been fighting hard for my Silver Licence recently and can't wait to get out of the XFG & XRG. Merging the two would be a disaster! I like it the way it is...

Just wait for me to get to silver - then there will be 1 more to race with on Race 2 ;)

[Stefani24]

Nice Idea, then there would be low-level multi-class racing
+1

[Toddshooter]

I like it the way it is. If you change it to multi class it will only have the effect of moving the people that race the TBO's to race 3.
Race 1 is there for a reason. To learn enough race craft to move up with others of your level.
This is why Race3 works so well. Silver and above have learned enough about how to drive in a crowd without crashing to race multi class.
Most on Race1 have not learned this yet.

[james12s]

i think there is some things that could be done to make race 2 more popular but merging it with race 1 is defiantly not one of them

[AjRose]

I think leaving race 1 alone and adding XFG+XRG to race 2 would be a great idea. It would let the copper+bronze drivers have a better chance of scoring points and give cleaner races to the silver+ drivers on race two. I'm sure it would also increase TBO activity on race 2.

[menantoll]

There seem to be 2 ideas running through this thread now.

1. Some sort of merge of race 1 and 2 as the thread title says

and

2. Adding XFG & XRG to race 2


It would be nice if Sam could give his opinion on both ideas.

Sam?

[SamH]

I'm not yet convinced that there is actually a problem to solve. I definitely wouldn't open Race 2 to Copper/Bronze. That would destroy the quality of the racing there. The only possible route, if we were to go any way other than the way we are now, would be to allow Silver licenced racers to use XFG/XRG on Race 2 in a multiclass environment. That would broaden the track availability for XFG/XRG drivers, since Race 2 is S2 rather than S1, but I don't think that it would increase the popularity of Race 2 in the right way or for the right reasons.

In short.. I'm still thinking... :)

[z-ro 8]

Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

I've been fighting hard for my Silver Licence recently and can't wait to get out of the XFG & XRG. Merging the two would be a disaster! I like it the way it is...

Just wait for me to get to silver - then there will be 1 more to race with on Race 2 ;)

and once you've obtained silver, maybe you can move on to single seater........:D

[NightShift]

2. Adding XFG & XRG to race 2

Doesn't sound bad at all. Though Race1 could then have its name changed to "CTRA Wreckers Limbo" :)

[zeugnimod]

I think leaving race 1 alone and adding XFG+XRG to race 2 would be a great idea. It would let the copper+bronze drivers have a better chance of scoring points and give cleaner races to the silver+ drivers on race two. I'm sure it would also increase TBO activity on race 2.

+1, sounds great.

[Joris]

+1, sounds great.

+1

I do like these cars but i would rather drive them in a place safer than race 1 generally is.

[peterules]

TBH race 1 is pretty ok when u get the hang of it but i do think that the higher licenced racers are earning too many points there... I see many Silver, Gold & Platinum drivers earning like 20pts or more. I think they need to be dropped a bit then it might free it up for the rest of us and give them more incentive to go into race 2/3 :nod:

[Becky Rose]

20pts is nothing to those guys.

[yeager]

Ban Silver and above drivers from race 1, then race 2/3 would fill up a lot quicker.

[AjRose]

A lot of silver+ drivers enjoy the XFG+XRG...

[racer hero]

Make a silver+ XFG and XRG server which awards more points.

[z-ro 8]

Ban Silver and above drivers from race 1, then race 2/3 would fill up a lot quicker.

keep in mind that just because some1 has collected enough points to have a silver license, it doesn't mean they are ready for race2.
i have silver, and i get spanked in race1 all the time.
hate to admit it, but that's the way it is.....:shrug:

[JohnnyFX]

keep in mind that just because some1 has collected enough points to have a silver license, it doesn't mean they are ready for race2.
i have silver, and i get spanked in race1 all the time.
hate to admit it, but that's the way it is.....:shrug:

That doesn't mean you can't compete in Race 2 or 3, either. I usually get spanked in Race 1 too, or I did when I last raced there (it's been a while). I'm hardly ever among the leaders on 2 or 3, but I can compete there and usually have people I can race with.

[zeugnimod]

give them more incentive to go into race 2/3 :nod:

Imagine, there are people who just like to drive the XFG/XRG and don't care about the points. :shrug:

[Fuse5]

Make a silver+ XFG and XRG server which awards more points.

Thus also thinning the lines of XFG&XRG drivers, by separating the novice drivers from the experienced ones? For the novice drivers, that would make getting to Silver even harder.

And I really don't believe that the silver+ crowd would prefer that option, and the server wouldn't be that popular.

Because, people who are silver+ don't drive the XFG&XRG for points, as the higher their license, the fewer points they get from race 1. So they must be doing it for the fun of it, and especially, the competition. Competition with 15 cars on the grid is much more challenging than with a grid of 3-5.
So the silver+ server wouldn't serve its cause.

[peterules]

ok, maybe silver was a bit too harsh! but then this brings up the fact that i love to race in the FBM SS1 but due to the licence i have for single seaters i earn 2pts for a win, 1pt for a 4th place and 0pts for 6th or lower. i dont do it for the points either ;) but one mistake or one tap from a T1 diver in SS1 and i'm out of the points for sure. Maybe they should do the same for the higher licence drivers in race 1 too?....

[niels1]

I havent read it all but I think opening up race 2 for XFG and XRG woud be a splendid idea. Unlike Sam I do think it would fill up race 2 and sure like the idea. You get the multiclass racing you have on race 3. And boy I like that. As a faster driver you have to be so much more aware of other slower cars on track. You have to pick your moment to pass them. It gives me more a race feeling then just TBO. TBO are great cars but so hard to handle. And when a racer made it to a silver license the switch isnt that big. They can switch back to the car they used to drive without filling up server 1.

Hense the idea multiclass race 2 :thumb:

[NotAnIllusion]

Limit Gold and above to driving STD on Race 2 :thumbsup:


Yes, that was a joke ;-)

[peterules]

Limit Gold and above to driving STD on Race 2 :thumbsup:


Yes, that was a joke ;-)


Suppose we will all have to wait and see what happens when the new car is introduced. It's so exciting not knowing whats going to happen :razz:

[Bean0]

Multiclass Race 2 was tried with LRF...it didn't really help.

[NotAnIllusion]

Multiclass Race 2 was tried with LRF...it didn't really help.
LRFs are (for me anyway) far harder to drive than anything up to that point though :scratchch

[niels1]

Multiclass Race 2 was tried with LRF...it didn't really help.


Yup it was. But for most of the racers hard cars to drive. And to me not really a perfect match with the TBO. The XFG/XRG arent really a match but those arent there to compete. To occupy race 2 and give the new licensed silver drivers a fallback.

Also I think you give the lower licensed racers on race1 more change of winning and progressing better in there license. Just my 2 cents on the matter. :shrug:

[menantoll]

Just another thought on this issue.

There has been the odd occasion when I have got the "Server Full" message when trying to join race 1.

I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong but with a server limit of 32 and only 20 allowed on the track at a time this leaves 12 people unable to race + those unable to join the server. I understand that not all those 12 will be wanting to race, spectating while eating etc. but it will still be a fair amount of people wanting to race but can't.

I'd also love to be able to race XFG within the cleaner Race 2/3 environment but I do also understand that watering down Race 1 might not be a good thing. I found the CTRA servers while looking for a XFG server that had quite a few racers that wasn't on BL1.

[DrBen]

I'm pleasently surprised how many positive posts about multi-class racing I read in the last couple of days.
That seems to be of high value to a quite some people - which is a good thing

I'm all for introducing multi-class racing to Race 2!
Yes, TBO + LRF was tried before & it didn't quite work -

In my understanding that has to do with the car's power-to-weight ratio, which was pretty close. BUT at the same time there were indeed "incompatible handling" - issues that were never overcome. There were simply so many different lines and accel/brake-points for all those cars that it was too much to handle for most racers at silver/gold stage.

Now again, TBO + STD is a very different animal. I think this could work out for the better. And at peak times of day this would clearly mean a releave for Race 1 and the newbies while at the same time give us STD & TBO-lovers a far better competetive environment and a larger variety of tracks to race on.

On another note: If multi-class racing is considered too risky on Race 2 how about a simple interchanging class pattern? One race TBO, the next one STD, and so forth... ?

Me, I'd clearly prefer Race 2 to be multi-class :D

btw: Merry Christmas!
DrBen