Idea to get more use from servers???

POST REVIVED AFTER A FEW MONTHS - SKIP TO PAGE 4 (Post 39) - OR SEE BRAMS STICKIES ON THE TWO NEW CASUAL SERVERS FOR RACE CLUB MEMBERS AT THE TOP OF THE FORUM - THE SERVERS ARE THERE FOR YOUR USE - ANYTIME FOR RACES WITH OTHER CLUB MEMBERS - PLEASE USE AND MAKE THEM A SUCCESS!!!


Original Post -
I have noticed that very often servers are up and running for club events for (often) hours and hours before and after events. Last night after getting a disconnect at Watkins Glen I asked on the thread if its ok to use the servers if there still up? Of course the answer came back, yes its ok.

My suggestion is this - Why not unlock the server for All or at least a wider selection of cars, until the actual event start, the server would still be passworded, but any RD member wanting to join and have a go on that track is free to do so and can see before clicking join, or checking the forum that the Server is not in an organised event. This could help us all get time in on different tracks, in different cars, in servers with other like minded players - which is what most of us are here for. If at first this seems impractical think about it a little more - we want servers full, we all want to race with non-wreckers and opening the range of cars up for these 'extended practice sessions' can help with that - it could also help to level the playing field by stopping the practice of people doing 200 laps before the event practice even starts because more people would be there utilising the server, in different cars slower or faster..

A final word of warning, and just to prove I have thought about this a bit, different car classes on the same track mean you have to be extra mindful and aware of slower traffic and different handling characteristics or this might happen - the first is an in car video I found, the second some amazing quality photos from the event, the actual accident, and lower down the wreckage back in the pits, Evo's and Small Pugs on the same track, combind with overexhuberant right foot of an overly focused (on cars in the same class) driver.....
 
A final word of warning, and just to prove I have thought about this a bit, different car classes on the same track mean you have to be extra mindful and aware of slower traffic and different handling characteristics or this might happen - the first is an in car video I found, the second some amazing quality photos from the event, the actual accident, and lower down the wreckage back in the pits, Evo's and Small Pugs on the same track, combind with overexhuberant right foot of an overly focused (on cars in the same class) driver.....

I was at that meeting when simon Norris came out of Camp corner and his EVO Simply Understeered into the side of the Pug 106 Launching the Car up in the air! That is the Castle Combe Saloon Car Championship.

But i like the idea to have every car except the car the event is running untill the start time! This can help people to learn the track and what lines to run!
 
  • Matt Crouch

I think his idea was to mix it up by allowing most of the car classes on the track, and removing the quali / race, just having practice. I don't think it's a bad idea, but I think it's logistically somewhat more difficult as it means you need a server restart just before the event, which in a way defeats the initial point of having the servers up before hand. It also needs someone who has access to the server to be around just before the event to restart it, which isn't always the case methinks.

it could also help to level the playing field by stopping the practice of people doing 200 laps before the event practice even starts because more people would be there utilising the server, in different cars slower or faster..
I think if people want to practice hotlapping they will, whether it's on the server normally or on their own... and there's nothing wrong with practice really - at the end of the day it's normally the case that the same people come out on top whether they've had a lot of practice or not, and having that lapping practice helps prevent avoidable accidents. :) edit: ok so having all the cars on the track would help in that aspect even more I suppose, just a trail of thought :fwd:
 
That was the idea to mix it up a bit, but more importantly to get RD members searching and joinig RD servers more because if you click on a server and it has all the car classes this would be an immediate indicator that its ok to join, becaus the server is not in an event (if you click on a server and are given only 1 car class you know is in an event and not to join, rather than having to check the forum first, perhaps convert the time zones if its an EU server and your US or vice versa.

I accept this does mean a server reset or restart when the event begins or maybe even a short time before the event if thats convenient for the admins..but I think if it was headlined in the Racing Club Forums we could utilize the servers more, keep RD Members Playing on them more, which in the longer term could lead to increased traffic and donations for RD, so everyone wins!!!
 
  • Andrew Evans

don't see it meself... if yer praticing for an event, you'll want to run the car you're intending to drive... people do join the servers whenever they want - last week there were 12 people on the mini server the night before... arrrrf!

also, the server admin is time consuming enough without having to chop and change all the time - plus, as matt stated, sometimes there's no-one available before an event kicks off...

what you sound like you're more after is a generic hang-out server... however, without an event to pratice for, i see it being little used... (as demonstrated over xmas when we put up a bunch of "turn up and race" servers to cover staffing/event gaps)
 
Yeah I was there! I like it the way it is, I join the server to have a practice of the car/track.

I don`t see a problem with the way things are at the moment, you are free to join anytime the server is up and stay on for the event.

The only thing I would say is, if the server is up the day before and enough people are on then it should be treated as a race server and not voted through to practice, you should be able to qualify and race and people who wish to join should wait until it goes back to practice.

I think this would be more useful to members and give some much needed racing practice without the worry of wrecking someones official race with a dodgy pass.:good:
 
  • Matt Crouch

I think this would be more useful to members and give some much needed racing practice without the worry of wrecking someones official race with a dodgy pass.:good:

Works for a lot of events but I don't think you'd find many people wanting to race a whole enduro before the event :D
 
  • Andrew Evans

^^ yup...

also, please don't do this...

there's nothing more frustrating than wanting to join a server and not being able to because those on there have it locked into race mode... prior to an event always vote the server back to practice... ALWAYS! :good:
 
There is maybe a solution for the question raised by Dave. First, a permanent public server is out of the question unless we finally get an ingame admin option like in rfactor. As long as that isnt implemented in the game it wont happen on permanent basis.
What we can do is opening up the RANK/STATS server more so you can also race on it. Ill ask Ramon if that is possible and wont mess up the stats. That is already the server with the most tracks and cars enabled and free to enter at any time...
 
  • Eric Soeters

There is maybe a solution for the question raised by Dave. First, a permanent public server is out of the question unless we finally get an ingame admin option like in rfactor. As long as that isnt implemented in the game it wont happen on permanent basis.
What we can do is opening up the RANK/STATS server more so you can also race on it. Ill ask Ramon if that is possible and wont mess up the stats. That is already the server with the most tracks and cars enabled and free to enter at any time...

Is there already an outcome of that discussion?
 
Ok - another idea - what about running an event where there are more than one car class on track at the same time? I accept the norm in online racing is to have one car class, and thats for a good reason, but what if say only two or three classes of car were used say GT Pro, WTCC2007 and Mini - if its agreed before hand at sign up who drives in what cars (or to make it more interesting (complicated) you could have qualify for each class) - you could allow say 7 fastest class, 8 middle and 10 slowest - 'first come, first served' - so long as everyone joins in their assigned car class some fun racing should be had with the added bonus of making the event more appealing to more people because they may like a track but not car, as well as hopefully some closer racing as the slower car classes start to get lapped.
Its all about good fun and interaction with other cars on track - I don't care if your faster than me because your more skilled, or have a better PC and Hardware, or even if its because your in an Aston and I'm in a Mini. What I want is to see the faster guy coming, while i'm still battling within my car class, and carry on while you pick your way through us, at the same time battling for your own position.... much better than those times we all have in a one car class race where we spend 5 laps sitting 3 seconds in front and 3 seconds behind another car...... oh and sometimes, of course I wanna be the nutter in the fire breathing turbo blaster, breathing down you neck as you struggle for grip in you little mini!!!
Sounds like fun :) - Go on someone give it a try!
 
We do have mixed class events from time to time Dave. Acouple of examples are below. 1 mixing very different classes, another mixing cars with similar pace over a lap but very different characteristics used to achieve that.

1 limiting factor for me with these is the 25 slot limit whcih means classes are often quite small and the spread of pace within them often is not. That said if you had something more specific in mind it might be worth approaching one of the Race Directors to see what they think about running it.

http://forum.racedepartment.com/rac...nesday-24th-december-2008-santa-delivery.html
http://forum.racedepartment.com/race-07-racing-club/10529-various-albi-10-december-2008-a.html
 

Latest News

Online or Offline racing?

  • 100% online racing

    Votes: 93 7.7%
  • 75% online 25% offline

    Votes: 129 10.6%
  • 50% online 50% offline

    Votes: 173 14.3%
  • 25% online 75% offline

    Votes: 341 28.1%
  • 100% offline racing

    Votes: 473 39.0%
  • Something else, explain in comment

    Votes: 5 0.4%
Back
Top