Rfactor PCC League......The next step

UnbounD · Post by **UnbounD** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:12 pm

Hi

Viking has just done the hard work and most of the tracks (bar 3) we are really limited to 28 or less drivers on the grid.

What to do on Tuesday is still a bit of a mystery to me.

Your thoughts are most welcome.

Personally I have no problem to running 20 mins before practise and the top 26 get to qual.
But I do realise that this is a little harsh for some.

Even tho we had 30 plus the other night, I can dam near garentee that there will be less once we get a few weeks into it........ always happens, but at the moment thats a MOOT point.

Editing the grids will take some time. In case your curious..........
The track (just the surface and around the grid), needs to be loaded in 3dstudio. Lights or other placemarker object placed where the grids are, there positions in 3 axis recorded, then amended to the AIW file.

Once written this does not seem like too much work. I supposes its actually about the same amount of time as doing skins so If you REAlly want. I can have crack at this on the weekend.

This would mean for each track you will have to d/l a new AIW file. No drama, BUT youll have to back up your old ones or they wont work anywhere else.

This also means players from overseas wont be able to join unless they have files.

If we are doing this, we may as well change the time of day for race starts and a couple of other things.

If this is the path you wish to take and Riven is ok with this or some version of this, we can procede this way and I will do one as a test, then do the lot in one go.

Pretty bummed out personally, but nothing is ever easy

Thanks

U

Mattly · Post by **Mattly** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:21 pm

Which tracks can handle the number of drivers.?

Viking · Post by **Viking** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:34 pm

A possible solution, I've mentioned to Unbound in PM, is to have the cars that start in bad grid slots click race, escape back out, then click race again. This will place them in the garage, and they then drive to end of pitlane and start there, when the pit light goes green. This should work with formation laps enabled too, timing of escaping back out I'm not sure on for this, but would guess it would be before the formation lap starts. This option would mean no extra work for Unbound, but would vary each week as to the number of cars that would have to do this, and those starting from pitlane would loose qual order, unless they click race in the same order as qual'd.

A test at the weekend should let us know, timing, if it works with formation laps etc. Wouldn't need 30+ drivers, just a handful, and some patience. Please let me know if we want to try this.

This method was used for the f1rst3 PCC race, in Feb, that had 60 cars on Essington, with 50th back starting from pitlane, so it has worked in the past.

Growler · Post by **Growler** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:44 pm

That sounds like a better idea than limiting it to 26 drivers.
At least the few tail enders can still race with us.

Growler.

BAZZIL · Post by **BAZZIL** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:48 pm

I like Vikings Idea - seems the most practical.

I'd say you'd have to join the track, wait for the formation to start, once started those at the back go back to the garage, the others complete the formation lap, grid up and those in the garages wait in pit lane for the start.

We need to find out if cars waiting behind the line in pit lane works successfuly or do the cars in the garage have to click race once the lights go red for the start.

Eagle32 · Post by **Eagle32** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 11:30 pm

Viking wrote:This should work with formation laps enabled too, timing of escaping back out I'm not sure on for this, but would guess it would be before the formation lap starts.

Well it definitely didn't work after the formation lap when everyone was sitting on the grid because UnbounD had the guys in weird positions go to the garage. So IF it would work with a formation lap it'd require them to be in the garage before the lap or during.

However, I'll help give it some testing on the weekend if I've got this assignment done.

Editing the tracks seems like far too much work. Not to mention being a pain in the ass. I don't really want to fart around switching files if I'm on a different server.

Maaz · Post by **Maaz** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:14 am

For the Testing how about loading up the server with 25 AI and having 5 actual drivers not qualify and start from the back / move to start from the pits in the foramtion lap.

If this works we would not need 30+ actual drivers to test.

I'll help in the weekend where I can

This would be a better option than the knock-out practice session (if it works).

Growler · Post by **Growler** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:00 am

Let me know when and I will join up to if possible.

Growler.

UnbounD · Post by **UnbounD** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 5:29 pm

Im wondering what the game would do if at the end of the pace lap, those without grid positions pull into pit lane and line up at the end before the lights................. That would be cool.

Viking · Post by **Viking** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:26 pm

UnbounD wrote:Im wondering what the game would do if at the end of the pace lap, those without grid positions pull into pit lane and line up at the end before the lights................. That would be cool.

Yes, that sounds like the best plan so far.

Could Bazzil or Mattly host a server sometime before tuesday, so we could try these things. Would only take 30mins or so.
Dont want to ask Riven to do this, as he does so much for us server-wise already, and we'd want to mess with formation laps on/off, etc. As I've already said, it would only really require 5 or so people, as we are only testing to see if it lets people start from pitlane, and when they have to be there.

Eagle32 · Post by **Eagle32** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:37 pm

If your bored sometime this evening Viking I can set one up. Looks like a slow eve night

UnbounD · Post by **UnbounD** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:03 pm

I will jump on vent about 8ish..........My buggy is completely stripped as I blew a front dif and cracked a motor mount...... But I will jump on for a yak

Viking · Post by **Viking** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:23 pm

Eagle32 wrote:If your bored sometime this evening Viking I can set one up. Looks like a slow eve night

Prometheus · Post by **Prometheus** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 11:58 am

Regretfully I'll have to pull out of this league for the time being, due to my fantastic wonderful employer.

A large event which I had 3 weeks scheduled for setup has been shifted forward to . . . in 3 days time. So it means lotsa work, no free time, and no racing at night for a while

This large event is rather forcefully tied to my contract, that if it goes horribly wrong, I'm going to have a lot of free time on my hands.

My Easter Lan visit may require rethinking, but I'll know on the week of the LAN how things really are.

BAZZIL · Post by **BAZZIL** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:27 pm

lol sounds like skuz might need to negotiate a 4th trip down

Prometheus · Post by **Prometheus** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:42 pm

Weird I know, him turning down all the offers he had

I'll know by Wednesday 12th if I can make it - if so, I'll still be down on the Friday with Skuzz in the electric car.

Skuzzlebutt · Post by **Skuzzlebutt** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:51 pm

Prometheus wrote:Weird I know, him turning down all the offers he had

I'll know by Wednesday 12th if I can make it - if so, I'll still be down on the Friday with Skuzz in the electric car.

Heh, well I still couldn't come down with Mattly cos I can't get Thursday off. Flyboy...I can still catch a ride with if I can just get down to TeAwamutu. So there's a backup if it turns out you can't make it.

This must be some special project...is John Campbell changing his hairdo?