Tracks Thomson Road Grand Prix 1.1

Keith Gregg · May 31, 2017

Thanks...yup I meant my server for MP with a link to your download here.
Cheers and thanks for your hard work.

ALB123 · May 31, 2017

Something strange is deafinitely* going on... I'm using Content Manager and I already had a grid populated from a recent race I ran (an odd mix of about 7-8 different LMP vehicles). I wasn't paying attention when I hit GO! I forgot to change MY car to an LMP, so when it loaded the track I was in a Kunos Porsche 911 GT3 RS. I fell from the sky a bit...my car hit fairly hard and bounced around... I was about mid-pack at the starting line, but I wasn't even in a grid spot. My car was almost perpendicular to the rest of the pack...like he was just dropped onto the tarmac with no regard to his proper orientation.

I quit that one immediately and reduced the number of AI drivers from the max allowed to about 17, 18 if you include me. Again my car was dropped onto the track, but it didn't feel like I was dropped from as high as the 911 must have been. The force of hitting the ground didn't seem as jarring.

This time, I noticed that I was in a proper racing grid spot. Sweet! I let the race go off and we raced toward the hairpin. I was about mid pack when I started, so I even pulled off the racing line to try and get more AI heading toward that hairpin. When I got within sight I noticed 2 cars were off the track, one must have spun off -- the other may have been hit/pushed off. When me and my gang of AI drivers began to go around the hairpin there was a little bit of commotion. Another car was clipped and spun around as a result and then remained frozen until he retired.

I drove the rest of the lap to see what was going on -- at that point cars were fairly spread apart and seemed to be okay. So, I quit the race...but then I had a thought! Why did I start midpack?! Sure enough, I checked my slider in Content Manager and it has my "Starting Position" selection set to "Last".

---------------------------- OFF TOPIC BELOW -----------------------------------------------------
* - Deafinitely is the name of a song on Gilmour's first solo record.

@Keith Gregg You're very lucky. I was a tad too young to see them in 1987, but I was able to catch 2 Pink Floyd shows with Gilmour running things in 1994 (Yankee Stadium & Foxboro Stadium). Incredible. Just beautiful. I've seen him a handful of times on solo tours. Likewise, I caught Roger Waters in 1999 when he decided to start performing live again. I've been to about a dozen Waters shows since then...seeing The Wall twice (once indoors and once outdoors). Those shows were so over the top...I loved it.

I have my tickets to see him perform in September. His new tour "Us & Them" just started this past Friday. His first new studio album in 25 years releases June 2nd. I can't wait.

Keith Gregg · May 31, 2017

My bad...The AI was actually set at 95% with 5% variation and 50% aggression...I just tried with the same setting but using a single grid of URD's Formula Lights and they all got around the first hairpin ok but on the fast left straight after was where the fun began....6 drivers retired immediately lol and as I finished off the first lap another 3 retired so I assume there was another pile up somewhere...hope all this helps

OFF TOPIC
I saw Floyd on the Delicate Sound of Thunder tour at Wembley Stadium and Pulse at Earls Court (which was an experience I will never forget)..I am a huge Waters fan but have yet to see him perform live (I was ill at the time of Live8 reunion...a fact I bitterly regret...pigs did indeed fly that night.
Regards

Fat-Alfie · May 31, 2017

I don't get any weird spawning, but I do get AI drivers overcooking the first hairpin

I wonder if that's related to aggression

I think the track is going to need a bit of an overhaul, with maybe a new AI spline and / or AI hints file.

Thanks for pointing this out @Keith Gregg

picklesam · Jun 4, 2017

No donate button? This is AMAZING thank you! The best road circuit ever..it's got everything! The snakes section requires extreme concentration...Just saw a run of the modern Thomson rd on youtube they've installed humps before the dangerous corners...will there be another track Fat Alfie?

Fat-Alfie · Jun 4, 2017

Thank you very much, I am really glad you like the track. I can't take credit for the gorgeous layout though - that's down to the Singapore landscape

No donation button, no (but I appreciate the sentiment). This is just fun to do, and I have found that as soon as money becomes involved the fun starts to fade. Comments like you just left is payment enough for me

Yes, there will be more tracks from me (hopefully). I am currently working on a track that was last used in 1956 and scrapped for being too dangerous (double fatality at the last meeting). If you like Thomson Road's Snakes section then I think you will love the Battenberg Ring's Holzhausen section. The track is 12.5km long and I hope to make it in the style of the Nordschleife.

Early version:

Keith Gregg · Jun 4, 2017

picklesam said:
No donate button? This is AMAZING thank you! The best road circuit ever..it's got everything! The snakes section requires extreme concentration...Just saw a run of the modern Thomson rd on youtube they've installed humps before the dangerous corners...will there be another track Fat Alfie?

I too was going to buy you a couple of beers for your hard work but couldnt find the donate button.

Picklesam...I am going to use this circuit on my server if you are interested...let me know what cars you like to drive on it maybe we could get some racing going on it

picklesam · Jun 4, 2017

Oh man just had an intense race with the AI, just beat the M4 in the 718 boxster...what a joy going through the snake with the 718..I also noticed the rubber marbles on the side of the track! I really want to drive pass the pits and keep going! Perhaps an extended version later on?

Can't believe they use to race there...all those trees and light poles...crazy..Thanks again for making this, would never have know it existed...how did you know about this track? Really looking forward to Battenberg now!

Hi Keith! At the moment I'm enjoying the lower powered cars..tried to take the F40 there but crash every lap! What's the name of your server?

Fat-Alfie · Jun 4, 2017

I can't quite remember how I found out about this track. I really like old circuits - not just old and disused, but forgotten or unheard of. I have a feeling it was during one of my many Google Image searches for "forgotten grand prix circuits" when I saw the track silhouette, liked the look of the shape and then began to research it (or maybe here )

My logic is that modern F1 racing is now quite dull - safe, but dull. So, maybe it is dull because it is safe. So if I can find a circuit that existed before safety (!) then maybe the racing there will be more exciting. I am all for safer racing IRL and would hate to return to the death toll of the 1960s, but this is sim racing and we don't need acres and acres of tarmac runoff areas to stay safe

It makes me really happy to read that other people like this circuit too

I have no plans to extend it, although I do plan to release an update at some point, as I need to tweak the AI line and a couple of other minor things. I'll wait and see if Kunos make any more changes to the AI code first, though. Btw, my favourite car for testing during the build was the Porsche 718RS 60 Spyder - such fun around TR.

I am really excited about the Battenberg Ring too - as much as I was during the TR build. I know when I am enjoying a project because I start to spend more time 'testing' than I do working on it

Keith Gregg · Jun 4, 2017

I believe the Nords was similar...closed for safety.

Keith Gregg · Jun 4, 2017

I just did a few races using a mixed grid of 16 90's touring cars but I set the aggression to 35% (from 50%) and the races were perfect...in fact I was getting my lilly white arse whooped every race

Hope this helps

Helmut Skrdla · Oct 28, 2017

@Fat-Alfie
Hi, the track is really nice looking, very detailed, interesting subject matter too.
My problem I have is that the AI can't handle it. The first jump after Start/Finish half the cars end up on the left grass (near the bus stop) because going over the hill they fly off when they need to actually turn right. Even the Computer-Driver Lotus 49 will do it.

Then there's the first tight righthand after that jump where they all crash together. Usng F1 1967 cars, including Ferrari and Lotus from Kunos officially... so not related to bad physics mod cars.

Terra21 · Oct 28, 2017

Helmut Skrdla said:
Then there's the first tight righthand after that jump where they all crash together. Usng F1 1967 cars, including Ferrari and Lotus from Kunos officially... so not related to bad physics mod cars.

Its not the just track to blame. im pretty sure Alfie has brake/danger hints etc in place which btw can only do so much..even some of the kuno's cars "AI" are found out under high speed corners and heavy brake zones on alot of tracks eg: porsche 908 LH,F40,330 P4 etc.. and the kunos high downforce F1's struggle in some situations...AI is mystery at the best of times

Fat-Alfie · Oct 28, 2017

Helmut Skrdla said:
@Fat-Alfie
Hi, the track is really nice looking, very detailed, interesting subject matter too.
My problem I have is that the AI can't handle it. The first jump after Start/Finish half the cars end up on the left grass (near the bus stop) because going over the hill they fly off when they need to actually turn right. Even the Computer-Driver Lotus 49 will do it.

Then there's the first tight righthand after that jump where they all crash together. Usng F1 1967 cars, including Ferrari and Lotus from Kunos officially... so not related to bad physics mod cars.

Thanks for trying the track - much appreciated

Can I just ask what your AI settings are? I just did a few quick races with both the Lotus 49 and the Ferrari 312/67 and all cars made it through 'The Hump' without crashing. They bunched up a little going round the first hairpin (Circus) but that is understandable. My AI strength was set to 92% +-5% and aggression was 30% +-5%

This track was used from '61 to '73 but only for Formula Libre / Formula 2. I think it's being rather optimistic to hope that AI drivers in F1 cars or cars more recent than 1973 will be able to handle it. I did the best I could, utilising AI hints and even altering the grip levels around the track to increase the AI's caution, but I think it is always going to have its limits

Helmut Skrdla · Oct 28, 2017

Thanks for the fast answer.
I hadn't changed the AI defaults since last reinstall, so it was 98% no variation, 0% Agression.

Saw today that even at Highlands the AI will crash out sometimes, so it's more related to the recent updates than your track obviously. Thanks for doing your best!

the3ws · Nov 26, 2018

First off, what a stunning track. Thanks for your work. I have a problem though. The game crashes every lap at the same place - the long loop. I'm new to PC gaming so I've probably messed up somewhere (plus I haven't seen the problem reported by other users). I've tried deleting the track and unpacking a fresh copy, but I still have the problem. Any suggestions?

Fat-Alfie · Nov 26, 2018

Hmm... I have a feeling this might have something to do with my stupid idea to add more than 2 additional timing gates

Could you try opening overlays.ini inside the thomson/data folder, delete [CHECKPOINT_3] and the 5 subsequent lines, and then resaving it?

I think the additional timing gates causes an error with an app but I can't remember which one it is.

Thanks for trying my track, though

(but sorry about the crashing

)

Let me know how you get on.

the3ws · Nov 26, 2018

Hi Dave. Thanks for the quick response. I'll try the suggestion. Before I do, I'll try removing the apps I'm using then reinstalling them one by one to identify the culprit.

Thanks again for creating such awesome content. I love Feldbergring, my new favourite track. Must remember to rate it.

Fat-Alfie · Nov 26, 2018

Reading back through this thread, it seems to be Crew Chief:

https://www.racedepartment.com/threads/thomson-road-grand-prix.131270/page-3#post-2485621

"Jim Britton : OK, looking at the data for the Thompson GP track, the game reports that there are 4 sectors but there don't appear to be any at all - the game reports that the player is always in sector1. I don't think it'a possible to work around this in Crew Chief"

I have a track update in the works, so I could adjust the overlays.ini for that, reducing the sectors to 3

the3ws · Nov 26, 2018

Fat-Alfie said:
Hmm... I have a feeling this might have something to do with my stupid idea to add more than 2 additional timing gates

Could you try opening overlays.ini inside the thomson/data folder, delete [CHECKPOINT_3] and the 5 subsequent lines, and then resaving it?

I think the additional timing gates causes an error with an app but I can't remember which one it is.

Thanks for trying my track, though (but sorry about the crashing )

Let me know how you get on.

The app causing the problem is BLM Times. When I untick the app in general settings everything is fine. I edited overlays as you described, ticked the app, but the same problem happened. I also tried changing overlays count to 3, same result. Not a problem, I'll remember to untick the app when I visit Thompson.

Thanks for your help.