To be perfectly honest, the points awarded to higher license drivers isn't worth racing for, you are talking like 1-2 pts at best.
I like driving on the Race 1 server, simply because of the car selection, I couldn't care less about the points, as they are so low for higher licensee's.
If the points for higher licensed drivers were removed all together from Race 1, it wouldn't really bother me in the slightest, a decent clean, close race is much more satisfying than a virtual "payout" of points..........
No it's to separate the Fast (skilled) and the slow (not so skilled) drivers.
If you give slow drivers points then they go to the next server and than the whole server 1 enviroment idea is gone
A very valid issue is at stake here, certainly that's not what I invisioned race 1 being for. I see the whole system a little differently but what you've said got me thinking. What IS Race 1 for? Really.
Yesterday I was knee deep in the business plan for STCC and one of my first thoughts this morning, other then "wtf I have a wall here?" and "ouch that really hurts", was of the mission statement that the STCC was founded on.
The CTRA just sort of happened, it doesnt have a mission statement or clear guideance on the direction it is going. We just do stuff ... because we can.
This is certainly food for thought, what direction should the CTRA go in and what should it stand for? This is becoming a more pertinent question than ever with the growing business interests that are emerging as we speak.
But we're not talking about dishing out points for just turning up! CTRA doesn't do that any more. If you can't place in the top few positions you generally get very few points.
So we're talking about giving points to copper/bronze drivers that can go faster than the other copper/bronze drivers. And if you can regularly beat the other copper/bronze drivers, then you're ready (or getting ready) for the next level, imho.
Like Strobe already said, that doesn't happen anymore. You can only get points if you're fast enough (within 108% of the CTRA lap record) and if you finish well. So slow drivers will generally not get points. So the better guys of the Copper & Bronze bunch would earn points, allowing them to progress to Silver where they can then race the higher licensed guys and improve their skill further as they go along. Like has been said countless times now, some of you seem to expect that Copper/Bronze drivers improve and get as fast as the Silver/Gold/Platinum drivers while still racing on Race1. That's not the idea at all, IMO. At Race1 you have to prove that you're better than other Copper/Bronze drivers, then you can go to Race2 where you can prove that you are better than other Silver/Gold drivers, and so on...
+1 and ofcourse some of the big shots now were pioneers and probably raced eachother on bronze license.
But that is NOT the point. You should be able to beat your peers. That is on a beginner server the main goal should be to beat other beginners. And some of those are really fast also, since beginner on CTRA does not equal LFS beginner. And since race 1 uses demo cars most of them are very familiar with the car just not the tracks.
yeah you are right, this is a problem for the entry servers, but if you would do restrictions to ss1, i think you only would shift the problem to the Race1 server. to prevent the kind of driving you was describing, i think there is some guide needed for the newcomers. but i think i a full ss1 there is one guy who have the time to tell the people and i think you realise very fast if someone wants to learn how to race or just wanna have fun while crashing people. and then it is the task of us to raise reports against such people and the penalty given by the admins, force the people to rethink their driving style and i think in the most cases the "bad" guys don't return to the server.
i think one of the most important points is, that WE have to keep the entry servers clean through raising reports, without the admins can't do anything
Well to me I would liken it to a real life progression in motorsport where you start off either in Clubman (Race 1) or Formula Ford etc etc ( SS1 ) then trying to progress up the ladder to the pinnacle of your desired route whether that be GT1 or F1 and the CTRA team have done a very good job with this car balancing etc to provide us all with very competitive races across various car types.
What most of you seem not to have realised is the version we are using today is only V1 with more functions and tweeking to come so sit tight, stop whinging and enjoy the ride as I believe LFS and the CTRA combination is going to be one of the best places to be within the Sim Racing World
Back to server points topic........
The last thing I would like to see is the higher licence drivers not being able to drop down to Race 1 or SS1, the copper and bronze licence holders should use this scenario as a positive and use this time to learn off the higher drivers and ask for sets also it's a chance to save the replays as a lot can be learnt from watching race replays afterwards.
As I have stated previously the points I personally would rather only go to the copper, bronze and silver licence holders on Race 1 and clubman (mabe Int B also) drivers on SS1, the majority of higher licence holders are not really bothered with the minimal points on offer and return mainly for the combo's on offer, as we have all realised that it is usually these servers that provide very good enjoyable close racing.
The reason I add silver to Race1 is to enable them to gain points on Race 1 and Race 2 to aid their progression up the tiers the same with Int B on the SS servers hence the brackets just my thinking on this.
CTRA didnt sort of happend Becky. You build CTRA with the thought of STCC in mind. Maybe I see it wrong but the majority of racers come to CTRA because close and fair racing. This kinda thing just dont happen, it does happen because the name wich started with STCC. Dont forget why you build STCC in the first place. The intention you had to build the STCC is still there. Sure it has developt and been taking over by the UKCT.
CTRA doesnt need a statement, CTRA IS A STATEMENT ON ITS OWN !!!.
Your thoughts on race1 may be different intended but still is the part where every racer starts. But more importently that is where you learn the most. All your skills are needed there. Look at the connection list at race1, its always busy there and it still got the high level racing. Why, because the system rocks, it seperates the boys from men.(sorry becky). No where in LFS you can find a entry server which is so populated.
CTRA to me
CTRA stands to me as a nice enviroment for quality racing. Great system, off course with some flaws. But nobody builded Rome in a day. It needs time. The racers there are nice friendly people. I like the point system. You need to make points to progress your license. A great way to create better and cleaner drivers. Also it is natural too progress in a game. If your not fast enough or fair you dont earn points, i like that. Nice plain and simple. Like any game.
Points agrument
Nowadays it seems the points are taking up by the higher licensed racer. Nothing wrong with higher licesed racers to race at race 1 or SS1. They need to be there. A good competition and a way to learn from them. It seems that higher licensed racers forgot that they have been there too and know how difficult it can be to get some points. And if the higher licensed racers are eating up all the difficult to earn points nowadays it start to demotivate the lower licensed racers. This way you loose in time more people because they cant even reach a bronze license. A bit overtaken off course, but this will happen someday. So by giving the higherl licensed no points at rcae 1 or SS1 you open a gate for more people to progress. That way they still can drive there, the lower licensed can learn from them and still score points.
for ever driver more than one licence higer than the use cutoff point for points add one more to that number
although this is just an idea i know that it has got alot of problems and i do agree with the points being awarded by comparing all copper/bronze licences and the all of those above judged against each other
That was developed for the old syswtem but never really got to work because of X. Not really a priority for me. If people use it instead of the chat system saves me from blocking them I like to drive not talk.
The purpose is not for talking, more just for communicating instead of raising a report against the individual, and not having to do it on a public server were ego's become enraged if that failed then you could raise a report.
and the CTRA team have done a very good job with this car balancing etc to provide us all with very competitive races across various car types.
just my thinking on this.
