Ridiculous as it might sound, I'm best in an LX at South City. Crazy

Quote from Viper93 :

They are but there is a reason =P Not everyone can keep the car on the track =P Even I have major issues sometimes. Not saying that they are not fun to drive though. I really enjoy the LX6 once I can keep the rear end planted.

It's easy when you get the hang of it, trouble is people are so used to driving easy cars that they get a bit of a shock when they drive the LX6/RAC/FZ5.

They ARE possible to drive, and drive fast, it just takes practice, and smoothness on the controls

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I think the FZ5 and RA take some getting used to just because of the engine placement - I haven't spent enough time with them yet (which is a shame, and I fully intend to drive them more!) - but the LXs are totally sweet in every way. I still wish they'd bring back the mythical LX8 now we've got improved tyre physics.

The more I drive the LX6, the more I am inclined to agree with you Kev

Yep, I'd agree with that Danowat - more than anything last night I found the apex speeds almost shockingly slower than I was expecting and this cought me out a lot whilst I got to grips with the car.

I think though that I had similar problems of one sort or another when I tried other cars for the first time too - the first time I drove an XRT it wasn't fun at all, but I now rate it as one of the more rewarding cars to drive (although i'm still slow in it, it doesnt bite so hard as it used to), so in that respect I dont think the LRF's are particularly 'hard'. Only a bit 'different'.

Don't the 3 of them just look like the oddest 3 cars to have on track at the same time, though? Or am I just being ignorant?

Also, I wanted to know.. do I just keep it to LRF, or do I make some combos LRF, some FZ50-only, some RAC-only and some LX6-only? Opinions please. I won't change it from all-LRF unless there's a strong desire to randomly limit cars.

[edit] oh.. and.. do you want it to occasionally pick the oval? Bear in mind that oval reversed will have that strange layout that Hyperactive created (unless someone can tell me how to remove it)

Yeah, the RAC and FZ5 go together ok, but the LX6 looks plain odd, although they are pretty competitive together.

I would say keep it LRF.

Quote from Hyperactive :

One reason for the FOX server to be "empty" might be the fact that the FOX servers are already quite popular so people just choose the servers where they have raced already lots. Which are BL1 and AS2 servers mostly.

another reason is that the fox is incredibly boring to drive ... last night on bl1r i found tha i hardly needed to use the brakes at all (was about 3-4 secs off wr pace but still)

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I think the FZ5 and RA take some getting used to just because of the engine placement - I haven't spent enough time with them yet (which is a shame, and I fully intend to drive them more!) - but the LXs are totally sweet in every way. I still wish they'd bring back the mythical LX8 now we've got improved tyre physics.

the ra is by far the hardest to drive car s2 has to offer with its ridiculously laggy turbo, bad weight distribution and lightness
and the fz i nothing but a whale ... a fat one too

Quote from SamH :

Don't the 3 of them just look like the oddest 3 cars to have on track at the same time, though? Or am I just being ignorant?

they absolutely do ... but theyre far an beyond the most interesting class since every car is nothing like the others and yet theyre more or less balanced in hotlap terms

Quote :

[edit] oh.. and.. do you want it to occasionally pick the oval? Bear in mind that oval reversed will have that strange layout that Hyperactive created (unless someone can tell me how to remove it)

what layout ?
and how about just deleting it rom the layout folder ?

and i think the oval could be a lot of fun with lfr

Umm.. no oval then. I'd rather do it the more personal way

i tried last night, but an LX6 with full manual and 540 degrees, proved too much!

Quote from Shotglass :

what layout ?
and how about just deleting it rom the layout folder ?

and i think the oval could be a lot of fun with lfr

Hyperactive (I think it was, anyway) created a fun layout for the oval reversed, on the Odd Combo a month or two back. All the UKCT servers run from the same LFS executable, so if I remove it from the folder, it's not available on any. If it's there, it's applied to all. The STCC servers run from a different executable, so the layouts on that aren't applied to the OC/Clubs.

I'll hold off including the oval for now, I think. I suspect it wouldn't be missed if it never turned up as a random track.

The oval will become a bit more interesting when we get cars with 600+bhp and little to no downforce. If you can keep the throttle planted and just steer, it's not really challenging to drive. Sure smoothness and line become super important (before anyone rants ovaling doesn't take skill), it's just not the sort of racing I'm looking for. Also slipstreaming is too strong in the downforce cars for true close oval racing... that's where it would become more fun. Atm it's just "there's a car behind me... now he's infront".

Quote from Jakg :

i tried last night, but an LX6 with full manual and 540 degrees, proved too much!

It gives you a damn good workout though, and it's a great way to practise driving the proper way. You soon get used to using all three pedals and both arms on different things all at once as you change down into a corner. I still need to work on blipping the throttle though as I'm forever locking the wheels when changing into 2nd gear.

I have to admit that the layout on the oval, when I tried it made the thing more interesting by far. It also made for some real carnage. It took a good 5 or 6 races to become familar enough with it, to get around the track just once without incident. I don't like the oval as a track. Personal thing.

Where could I get a copy of this layout?

Quote from SamH :

I have to admit that the layout on the oval, when I tried it made the thing more interesting by far. It also made for some real carnage. It took a good 5 or 6 races to become familar enough with it, to get around the track just once without incident. I don't like the oval as a track. Personal thing.

sounds like fun if youre bored late at night ... could you please attach it to one of your posts/link me somewhere where i can find it ?

Quote from Bob Smith :

Where could I get a copy of this layout?

damn you post like a fox

Quote from SamH :

With all due respect, the forum is 95% hypothetical/theoretical, but LFS is the true testing ground. I've launched servers in the past, following pages of "why oh why isn't there a.. " on the forum, only to have the server sit empty for weeks at a time, with not one soul entering, before I've finally killed them off.

I have to agree completely. A lot of people keep wanting odd combos, FO8 and LRFs but when there is a server just for that, very few join. Still we get a lot threads about it but when it gets down to joining to the server and racing the whole interest kind of dies. I guess it is simply down to the fact that people want a lot of different combos but are not willing to try the combo someone else wants. One wants XRR at BL1 and other wants XRR at BL1R. As a result they both drive their combos offline because no one is driving their combo online

---
Basically there is nothing wrong with the oval. It's the LFS' aerodynamic modelling which makes the oval races more of a passing contests instead of more realistic racing. Even on oval a pass should be a challenge, not just something you make once or twice per lap with predefined lines you must follow to be competitive. With heavy and powerful nascars the current oval could be great fun but if LFS was about ovals we should have at least 3 or 4 different ovals. From long and flatout ones to short and lots-of-braking-needed ones. In it's current form oval is more about staying in the draft and pulling rightly timed passes instead of keeping on the racing line and managing to keep the car under control at high speeds. I'm not saying that it is or could not be fun in its current form but it has very little to do with real oval racing

---
The layout I made for the OCC was something different I wanted to experiment with. It was a bit crazy one with the very tight T1 and bit of odd rallycrossing needed. But I had to use many haybales and concrete elements to guide the racers and as a result a lot of moonflights occured. In the end it was not a good layout for close racing because the slightest tap on wall could send you to moon. Actually the layout was even lot harder when I made if in the beginning but it was way too complicated to be used online so I had to take off few corners. Imho, online layouts need to be simple so people can easily learn them, but still offer some challenge after they get used to it

Quote from Bob Smith :

It gives you a damn good workout though, and it's a great way to practise driving the proper way. You soon get used to using all three pedals and both arms on different things all at once as you change down into a corner. I still need to work on blipping the throttle though as I'm forever locking the wheels when changing into 2nd gear.

problem is i arrive at a turn, ie the second chicane at Aston Club Reversed, i arrive at the corner in 6th.

The entry is in 4th (for me at least), so my left foot plops on the clutch, and my hand reaches over, goes straight from 6th to 4th, while my right foot is burying itself on the brake. Then, i release the clutch

Now, at the same time as my hand touches the shifter, i need to start pulling it into the apex, but as i've got 540 degrees of rotation, the damn thing pops out a little, and i need to correct - but because i'm downshifting, i've only got one hand on the wheel. Ah, i see a problem, if it slips too much, then i need to move that wheel very quickly, and i just don't have the control to do that with one hand.

IF i keep it, i then need to drop it into 3rd for the second section, put the power down and go RIGHT upto the grass trying to get a good exit.

But to do that i need to go and stabilise the car, swap my right foot to the accelerator, give it a little, and then move one hand to the shifter, change up into 4th (luckily going from an odd to an even gear is easier!), ease off the accelerator (as i've got the clutch down - so it might start to rev up - and if i release the clutch like that it will slide), and release the clutch, and get the power down WHILE stabilising the car AND while moving my hand over to the wheel, and to the position i want on the wheel.

I swear i need to learn to dance to drive the bloody thing, as ive got to do all that EVERY corner!

It's rewarding, though, i just need to do all that WITHOUT the throttle blip

EDIT - Hyper, i really like your layout, although perhaps it's just because i'm an oval nub.

Must. Resist. Turn. 3. Comments!

Quote from Bob Smith :

Where could I get a copy of this layout?

I'll post the layout in a sec

EDIT: sam posts the layout in a sec

Quote from Bob Smith :

Where could I get a copy of this layout?

The only way that oval layout could be selectively not used is if I coded in an autox= command into the server management software, you could grovel - but I think it's far easier for me to blackmail you into not using the oval by not giving you such a feature Sam !

In fact, where can I stick an even more obtrusive layout?

Quote from Becky Rose :

In fact, where can I stick an even more obtrusive layout?

Ahh.. forward planning and male intuition means you don't actually have FTP access to that particular folder

If desired, I don't mind splitting the Odd Combo executable itself away from the other Club servers (Compo, GTR, LRF and FOX), and giving some FTP access out to you trusted Odd Combo fans, for the Layout folder. It's a little bit of ongoing work to do it, but I'm willing if it's desirable.

btw why does lfs select layouts wihtoug specificially asking it to anyway ?

Quote from SamH :

is that the official michelin approved layout for ky1r ?
i gotta say i was hoping for something a little more evil

thanks Kev - i think the fact that i've never driven a car in anger (and that karts have lock akin to my Momo) doesn't help - it's just that i run outta feet, heel-toeing is the answer, but it's gonna be a struggle!

Quote from Shotglass :

btw why does lfs select layouts wihtoug specificially asking it to anyway ?

It's actually useful, most of the time.. especially if people are habitually taking shortcuts on tracks you run. I wouldn't want to see it removed, tbh.. it's just when you run more than one type of server off one executable that it could *potentially* be annoying.

Quote from Shotglass :

is that the official michelin approved layout for ky1r ?
i gotta say i was hoping for something a little more evil

When you've got Jak headed at you, and you're trying to slow down for a rather odd L-shaped chicane, believe me.. it's evil

Quote from Jakg :

i've never driven a car in anger

Buy a Ford Escort, then you can try driving a car in embarassment too!

Or buy German and experience the delights of mechanical breakdown - well ahead of it's inclusion in LFS