More and more racing fans become simracers everyday. But our community is a complex one that can leave newcomers like a bunny in the headlights. What is one tip you would give fellow simracers?
Image credit: Kunos Simulazioni
The simracing community is certainly a growing one. Less so than in the height of the pandemic, but more and more racing fans are still making their way to the hobby of pretending to drive.
Such growth means many newcomers are entering the hobby with little to no experience. A long list of games one can try out, countless pieces of hardware and many accessories one can buy and an online community that can arguably appear somewhat toxic. Simracing is most definitely not the easiest of hobbies to get in to.
That's what this little piece is all about. It's time to put down the pitchforks, settle the debates and throw on an aura of positivity. Surely we all know someone that's attempting to get in to simracing and we'd all want them to have a good first experience of the hobby. So what would be one tip you would give your fellow simracer?
This doesn't have to focus on newbies. In fact, judging by iRacing voice chats and countless Discord server rants, it seems many a simracer would love to provide other experienced enthusiasts with their advice. Although these rants often turn out to be attacks rather than constructive.
As a simracer that has often enjoyed online competition, I am starting to lose motivation for competitive online services. This is mostly due to a concern when it comes to the safety ratings they offer.
Before entering a race, I frequently worry that a fellow racer will take me out, handing me half a dozen incident points. On the other hand, I fear I could ruin other racers' fun by causing incidents myself. Wanting for everyone to have a good time, this can often be a burden on one's mind when racing.
But if you see the bigger picture, you shouldn't have to worry about incident points or ratings. Be it online, in leagues or offline. Race because it's what you want to do rather than to chase rating points. Certainly don't stop yourself from participating or having fun in fear of losing safety rating. It can always be recovered in later races. Stop focusing on the numbers when racing.
What advice would you give your fellow simracers?
Image credit: Kunos Simulazioni
The simracing community is certainly a growing one. Less so than in the height of the pandemic, but more and more racing fans are still making their way to the hobby of pretending to drive.
Such growth means many newcomers are entering the hobby with little to no experience. A long list of games one can try out, countless pieces of hardware and many accessories one can buy and an online community that can arguably appear somewhat toxic. Simracing is most definitely not the easiest of hobbies to get in to.
That's what this little piece is all about. It's time to put down the pitchforks, settle the debates and throw on an aura of positivity. Surely we all know someone that's attempting to get in to simracing and we'd all want them to have a good first experience of the hobby. So what would be one tip you would give your fellow simracer?
This doesn't have to focus on newbies. In fact, judging by iRacing voice chats and countless Discord server rants, it seems many a simracer would love to provide other experienced enthusiasts with their advice. Although these rants often turn out to be attacks rather than constructive.
Advice from a writer
As usual with this type of discussion, I will leave my take on the matter here.As a simracer that has often enjoyed online competition, I am starting to lose motivation for competitive online services. This is mostly due to a concern when it comes to the safety ratings they offer.
Before entering a race, I frequently worry that a fellow racer will take me out, handing me half a dozen incident points. On the other hand, I fear I could ruin other racers' fun by causing incidents myself. Wanting for everyone to have a good time, this can often be a burden on one's mind when racing.
But if you see the bigger picture, you shouldn't have to worry about incident points or ratings. Be it online, in leagues or offline. Race because it's what you want to do rather than to chase rating points. Certainly don't stop yourself from participating or having fun in fear of losing safety rating. It can always be recovered in later races. Stop focusing on the numbers when racing.
What advice would you give your fellow simracers?
