Quote from joen :

Here's basically how I would like the track select screen to be.
..
I agree that it would be nice to be able to set the session type and number of laps on the track select screen, but I didn't put them in here yet.
..

good idea! adding the session type and laps will make this a very useable screen

Hi,

Don`s idea is nice but it will be an issue when more tracks might come in S3.
I think the better idea would be dynamically collapsed track config selection.Like you would have main track listed(Blackwood,Aston,Westhill....etc)and when you click on track a track selection roll down for example will all config to choose.

small idea: on track select screen - left click on track number -> normal track config
right click on track number -> reversed track config

this would come handy

(Disclaimer: Read the U14 thread, read this thread, tried the U14 a couple of times)

There are a few things that i don't like ...

Short: I would love to have the old T-style preloading of tracks back via an option to turn it on/off and I would like to be 'auto-joined' to a hot lap race.

Reason: I usually hotlap using a track car combo i currently 'work' on. In T-days i could:
1) fire LFS up
2) click on 'Hot lapping'
3) click 'Ready' and give it a spin.

Now i have to:
1) start LFS
2) click on 'Hot lapping'
3) select a track ... which i have to remember
4) 'join race' ... where there is no other option
5) click ready and give it a spin

Step 3 is OKish for me now (since U14), but i still would love to have the track preloaded.
Step 4 is realy not needed since there is nobody else than me who might hotlap

Besides that U14 is fine for me and i realy like the improvements.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I don't think the "one click" is a big deal. It's not like it's difficult or time-consuming to click the mouse twice, or three times.

Agreed I'd much rather see a menu screen where you select the track, then the layout and only after you click on the layout does it start to load, it seems pointless to load the track then reload it when you select the config.

I got a bit carried away

Quote from aDRENOcHROME :

(Disclaimer: Read the U14 thread, read this thread, tried the U14 a couple of times)

There are a few things that i don't like ...

Short: I would love to have the old T-style preloading of tracks back via an option to turn it on/off and I would like to be 'auto-joined' to a hot lap race.

Reason: I usually hotlap using a track car combo i currently 'work' on. In T-days i could:
1) fire LFS up
2) click on 'Hot lapping'
3) click 'Ready' and give it a spin.

Now i have to:
1) start LFS
2) click on 'Hot lapping'
3) select a track ... which i have to remember
4) 'join race' ... where there is no other option
5) click ready and give it a spin

Step 3 is OKish for me now (since U14), but i still would love to have the track preloaded.
Step 4 is realy not needed since there is nobody else than me who might hotlap

Besides that U14 is fine for me and i realy like the improvements.

If you want to preload tracks then go options->misc->Intro/Exit screen. Setting to show will preload tracks setting to skip will fast start.

Quote from Hyperactive :

I got a bit carried away

Nice! and lol @ North Pole weather

Quote from sil3ntwar :

If you want to preload tracks then go options->misc->Intro/Exit screen. Setting to show will preload tracks setting to skip will fast start.

Thank you! I tried that before and it didn't 'feel' right to me. Let me explain ... this will paint me even more nitpicking

I don't like interaction which isn't needed. In case of having 'Show Intro' enabled, i have to abort the intro with the escape key (mouse doesn't work here) and have to click through one additional screen when exiting. This is definitely not a biggie, but it's poking me every time just a little ... the T-style preloading was perfect for me and i miss it.

Just to throw in my own $0.02, I also would like to see a picture (or better yet, multiple pictures that fade into one another) rather than a description. I don't want to have to muss with all of this right-clicking or typing in different letter combinations. The menu needs to be kept simple and straight forward. Point and click. And I agree with the people who have said that we need to leave room for future expansion.

Work isn't that busy today, so maybe I'll photoshop something up.

edit: something like this maybe? As we get new tracks and layouts a scroll bar could be added. You pick your track, pick your layout, pick forward/reverse, then pick weather. It should be simple and straight forward so that newbies are basically walked through the process. And nothing but the preview pics should load until you pick everything and click "OK".

Quote from Hyperactive :

I got a bit carried away

You put CF as track abbreviation ("config" ), but it should be FE

Quote :

bLaCk VaMpIrE (http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=9870)
i really like the idea with directly jumping into the trackmenue.
but there are 2 problems. at first you cant select reversed tracks and secondly especially new users will have no clue what they are clicking on.
i attached a image, how it yould work and thought about that it also would be cool just to type in "k3r" without anything and lfs automaticly loads Kyoto GP rev. or for blackwood "b1". with a little timeout, so that eventually comming "r" is not ignored.
maybe the numbers i added in those : () dont know the word^^, should be replaced with "1r" for configuration 1 reversed, instead of 2, to keep the old style.

Hello,

I've read a couple comments in this thread and I don't find this use case:
I want to play online then I don't need track menu at startup.

Personnaly, I think that the previous startup is great.

Have nice day.

uhm?

This thread is 'only' about the track selection screen. It has nothing to do with Multiplayer Oo

Quote from ORION :

You put CF as track abbreviation ("config" ), but it should be FE

But you got the point

Quote from Cue-Ball :

edit: something like this maybe? As we get new tracks and layouts a scroll bar could be added. You pick your track, pick your layout, pick forward/reverse, then pick weather. It should be simple and straight forward so that newbies are basically walked through the process. And nothing but the preview pics should load until you pick everything and click "OK".

Please, no. Sorry but that is just 1 choise too much. You should be able to choose the track, the track layout and the weather from one menu.
I admit that showing some kinf of pic from the track would be cool, but I wouldn't like to see it done at the expense of usability.

And the track should be loaded after the user presses the "Ok"-button (in my model), not after clicking the name of the track

Quote from Hyperactive :

Please, no. Sorry but that is just 1 choise too much.

It's the same number of choices no matter what. The only difference is how they are presented.

Quote :

You should be able to choose the track, the track layout and the weather from one menu. I admit that showing some kinf of pic from the track would be cool, but I wouldn't like to see it done at the expense of usability.

I don't see that it's done at the expense of usability at all. I would actually like to see everything on one screen, but if that's going to happen I hope that the layout will be planned ahead so that the user can select even more options (ambient temp, track temp, time of day, weather, etc). Fitting all of this information in an easy to read format is difficult.

Quote :

And the track should be loaded after the user presses the "Ok"-button (in my model), not after clicking the name of the track

I agree. This is what I would like to see as well.

Hello.

For fast track selection, a context menu could be provided on the track names in any kind of selection screen.

A pie menu might be the most convenient approach (see attachment) and allows for very fast selection:
Move to track name - press & hold right mouse button - drag to configuration name - release button.
This action should select the track/config and also trigger the 'ok' button.

Ideally, the name and a preview image of the layout should be displayed while over the name of a configuration, if this does not cause delays.

This would in no way disturb the screen layout for beginners but provide a quick alternative for experienced users.

Quote from pathfinder :

A pie menu might be the most convenient approach (see attachment) and allows for very fast selection:

Ideally, the name and a preview image of the layout should be displayed while over the name of a configuration, if this does not cause delays.

Please no! That pie menu makes me feel like I'm looking at an Excel spreadsheet!

I think that any menu which does not show the layout of the track and which does not show some sort of track preview is worthless. There are too many tracks and too many layouts to expect people to remember them. I've been playing this game for about a year now and only know a handful of the combos. And I know none of them by their "FE1" name. I only know the proper name, ie: "South City Long".

Quote from Cue-Ball :

Please no! That pie menu makes me feel like I'm looking at an Excel spreadsheet!

I think that any menu which does not show the layout of the track and which does not show some sort of track preview is worthless. There are too many tracks and too many layouts to expect people to remember them. I've been playing this game for about a year now and only know a handful of the combos. And I know none of them by their "FE1" name. I only know the proper name, ie: "South City Long".

I have been LFSing for just under a year and I know most of the three letter names.

Quote from duke_toaster :

I have been LFSing for just under a year and I know most of the three letter names.

Good for you! However; the fact of the matter is that anyone who's new to the game, or anyone who hasn't bothered to learn the three letter designations will get nothing from them. Most people learn better using visual cues. Showing a layout of the track, a picture overview of the track, or both is going to be much easier than some obscure three letter designation.

I would be willing to bet that the majority of racers don't associate the tracks with their three letter abbreviations. I know for a fact that the guys I usually race with don't know them. We would all prefer something visual.

Aston [1][2][3]...
That is not very descriptive.

When racing, we are shown a small map of the track on the top left corner.
In the "KWIK TRACK SELECT(tm)" screen there are numbers. It is not very helpful.
It would be better if instead of numbers, each track&configuration was represented
with a small map like the one on the top left corner when racing.

I tend to not download mods or test patches or things for LFS I only download proper patches as in the past I've downloaded things before and it's messed LFS up, but I have to say it looks as if LFS has changed quite a bit with these test patches. Very Nice. I noticed on the track select screen it just says Aston and then the numbers which are the configs, could you make the name of the config, for example, when you hover over 1 on Aston it says Cadet in a box or something. It'd make it easier to know what config it is.
I haven't been following these test patches so if it already does that someone tell me please.

Quote from nutty boy :

I tend to not download mods or test patches or things for LFS I only download proper patches as in the past I've downloaded things before and it's messed LFS up, but I have to say it looks as if LFS has changed quite a bit with these test patches. Very Nice. I noticed on the track select screen it just says Aston and then the numbers which are the configs, could you make the name of the config, for example, when you hover over 1 on Aston it says Cadet in a box or something. It'd make it easier to know what config it is.
I haven't been following these test patches so if it already does that someone tell me please.

Yes it does, you just press "Aston" and then it is the verbose track selection just before, so there's no point to do what you describe. This new menu is just a handy shortcut for the people who are in a hurry.

Thank you for the track selection screen discussions, pictures, and so on. I took bits of various ideas that I read on this thread and made what I thought was practical from that. The result can be seen in U17. There's no need to think it's absolutely final - it is only a test patch. But I hope you will find the interface quite useful, the way it allows you to browse the tracks before loading.

http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=9869

thank you Scawen for the great work once again.. it works brilliantly now with the new GUI..