Rennlist iRacing thread
03-20-2014, 01:06 PM
#3961
Hey Ed, It's not specifically you. The trouble with iracing is that there is no point-by unless you use voice chat. On the run down to T6 I was far enough back that I wasn't going to be able to make the pass before we got to the corner unless you lifted. When I saw that not happening I tucked back on to the race line, but that's when you were trying to let me by on the inside of the corner so I had to check my speed. In the real world I'm sure you would have pointed at the corner to let me know it was what you wanted and was safe. But I can only rely on your 'body language' in sim. I misread your language as an inevitable pinch into T6. My choices were back off or divebomb; I made the play that I thought would keep me in one piece until the back straight. That's what gave Tom the opportunity to take the inside, but he had the same thing in T7 and came out of that corner off line and spun. You certainly didn't cause any accidents. It just became a high risk situation with all 3 of us through that section.
When I'm running all alone I'm very patient with lapped traffic and I'll try not to interfere with any battles for position. I've got no problem slowing down a bit and chilling out until someone wants to let me by so they can catch my draft on a straight. When Tom is 1 second behind me fighting for position I will still drive safely, but I need to make the passes happen with a lot more urgency. Likewise Tom will take more risks to not let a lapped car get between us in areas where passing is completely unsafe. (This also happened and let me break the draft earlier in the race)
When I'm running all alone I'm very patient with lapped traffic and I'll try not to interfere with any battles for position. I've got no problem slowing down a bit and chilling out until someone wants to let me by so they can catch my draft on a straight. When Tom is 1 second behind me fighting for position I will still drive safely, but I need to make the passes happen with a lot more urgency. Likewise Tom will take more risks to not let a lapped car get between us in areas where passing is completely unsafe. (This also happened and let me break the draft earlier in the race)
Well said.
The other thing to keep in mind is that your brain is missing information you otherwise normally get in a real car. Better sounds, peripheral vision, butt meter, and as Justin said, the ability to gesture to other drivers. Then factor in that the guy passing you, or guy you're about to pass, faces those same issues... and when you get into a side-by-side situation you're essentially BOTH blind.
Without gestures, etc., just as Justin said, we have to rely on each other's body language as displayed by your car, to figure out what you're going to do. Now the advantage of being in a private league like ours, is that we're all the same guys, we race each other every week, and we'll eventually learn each other's traits and habits. Those of us who have been doing this a while can generally tell what some of the others are about to do before it happens. I can run door-to-door with Justin because we've run enough together, I can tell what he's gonna do before he does it (and vice-versa) because I recognize his body language. IMO it's really no different from real-life racing if you're running with a group of regular guys... PCA, SCCA, etc. You know each other's style, know who to watch out for, etc.
Voice chat, etc. is helpful to signal to upcoming cars what you want them to do - though I'm really only in agreement with that sentiment if the voice comes from someone I recognize. Sometimes I can't see the popup window to tell who it is that's talking... and I also might not be able to connect the car/name/voice together. So you might be screaming at me, but if I don't know which car is yours, I'll have no idea that it's YOU in front of me.
My advice - just make your intentions obvious. Over-do it and be overly cautious. If you're going to swing wide to let someone pass up the inside... swing WAY wide. Wider than you would in real life. If you're going to let someone pass down the straight, make it obvious. Lift, let them get by to the point where they can see you in their mirror before getting back on it. Leave lots more room.
03-20-2014, 01:09 PM
#3962
Burning Brakes
To add to that, if you slow on entry, and don't provide voice chat indication (point by), we won't know until we realize our closing speed is greater than normal and risk incidents. Remember we are trying to get as close to you as possible in the corner to draft/pass on the next straight.
03-20-2014, 01:42 PM
#3964
Drifting
Just for fun, here is my thought process at the exit of T5 with Ed (lapped) in front and Tom behind.
Scenario 1 (optimal): Show Ed that I want by on the inside and he lets me by before entry. Hopefully I can keep Ed between me and Tom until the back straight. Tom will certainly get Ed on the straight, but at least I have another lap before Tom is back on my tail. All 3 of us get through safely and I stay in the lead with Tom and Ed in my draft for a couple more laps.
Scenario 2: I show Ed the inside and he doesn't let me go easily. We are going into T6 3 cars thick and I know Tom is going to try something if I show any weakness. Hopefully Tom stays behind until the straight and I can catch Ed's draft and I'll deal with T10a when I get there. Depending on Ed's speed I'm going to have either pass between T6 and T7 (scary!), the exit of T7 (also scary), or the straight when Tom is going to be trying something too. Any of this scenario will slow all of us down and there is a strong possibility that I won't be leading after it unfolds.
Scenario 1 (optimal): Show Ed that I want by on the inside and he lets me by before entry. Hopefully I can keep Ed between me and Tom until the back straight. Tom will certainly get Ed on the straight, but at least I have another lap before Tom is back on my tail. All 3 of us get through safely and I stay in the lead with Tom and Ed in my draft for a couple more laps.
Scenario 2: I show Ed the inside and he doesn't let me go easily. We are going into T6 3 cars thick and I know Tom is going to try something if I show any weakness. Hopefully Tom stays behind until the straight and I can catch Ed's draft and I'll deal with T10a when I get there. Depending on Ed's speed I'm going to have either pass between T6 and T7 (scary!), the exit of T7 (also scary), or the straight when Tom is going to be trying something too. Any of this scenario will slow all of us down and there is a strong possibility that I won't be leading after it unfolds.
03-20-2014, 02:20 PM
#3966
Got collected by Ted when he ran wide and spun trying to get back on the track. Car was bent after that, limped it back to the pits for repairs.
03-20-2014, 06:49 PM
#3971
Rennlist Member
03-20-2014, 06:52 PM
#3973
Burning Brakes
No GB option I know of. The best you can do is buy 3 or more and get a small discount. Occasionally iRacing has a bigger discount for multiple track or car purchases but I'm not aware of one running right now. I'll likely buy this, Sonoma (final track of this season) and a track from next season I don't have.
03-20-2014, 06:58 PM
#3974
Drifting
Autoclub was a request from earlier in the thread by the socal guys. It's also an upcoming PCA club race in early April for people who want to practice up or learn the track. Let's give it a shot.
03-20-2014, 07:01 PM
#3975
Drifting
No GB option I know of. The best you can do is buy 3 or more and get a small discount. Occasionally iRacing has a bigger discount for multiple track or car purchases but I'm not aware of one running right now. I'll likely buy this, Sonoma (final track of this season) and a track from next season I don't have.