GPL online with rolling starts

After playing online for a while, I've noticed that the starts are the most dangerous part of racing. There's just too many things going on from people slitthering all over the place, cold tires, etc.. Add in a bit of latency and you've got trouble. How about trying a single-file rolling start instead? We can treat the first lap after the green flag as a warmup lap and simply gun for it when we get within sight of the s/f line. Use some rule like no passing before s/f and away we go. Of course, we're assuming that everybody agrees not to jump the rolling start... Comments? Later, Martine

Not a bad idea; I've considered the same. After all, it works for CART, and does anybody remember Spa last year? :-) An alternative is using the broader-spaced 2 X 2 grids someone's done, but I don't remember where you can get them. You'd have to require everyone to use them, of course. Steve B. remove "edy" from address for email

Only the host needs to have the grids. They can be found on Bart Westra's page at http://people.a2000.nl/bcwes/gpl.htm

Thanks for the heads-up, Brian. Steve B. remove "edy" from address for email

I've been considering this "Rule" for quite some time but couldn't figure out how to get everyone to comply. I can see this working in a league race where everyone works by rules but in a pickup race... Add in the fact that some drivers log into the race with only 2 seconds left in the practice session and wont know about the rolling starts and you'll be asking for more trouble then you have with the normal starts. I think that that "rule" is best to be used in league races. I just thought of this while typing away.. In the VROC "Comments" field, you could state "rolling start"(?). Just hope that the new guys will know what it means :-/ Mike Barlow

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> After playing online for a while, I've noticed that the starts are the most > dangerous part of racing. There's just too many things going on from people > slitthering all over the place, cold tires, etc.. Add in a bit of latency > and you've got trouble. > How about trying a single-file rolling start instead? We can treat the > first lap after the green flag as a warmup lap and simply gun for it when we > get within sight of the s/f line. Use some rule like no passing before s/f > and away we go. Of course, we're assuming that everybody agrees not to > jump the rolling start... > Comments? > Later, > Martine

-- ========================================= Mike Barlow of Barlow Racing? MikeBa on the TEN network. Member of R.O.R. 1999 http://w3.ime.net/~marknjess/noflame.html ========================================= Racing online with the help of...... Race Communications Association http://members.xoom.com/RCA/toc.html Holodyne Engineering Mystic Music mikeba.vcf < 1K Download

Yeah, the cars were already rolling and round the first corner when it happened. Now recall the IRL's first outing at Indy and tell me what a success it was... :-) Cheers! John

On Sun, 14 Mar 1999 19:43:02 -0800, "Martine Wedlake" >How about trying a single-file rolling start instead? We can treat the >first lap after the green flag as a warmup lap and simply gun for it when we >get within sight of the s/f line. Use some rule like no passing before s/f >and away we go. Of course, we're assuming that everybody agrees not to >jump the rolling start... The only problem is that you can get just as much wheelspin at low speed as at no speed, and the loss of control will be worse as well since you will go "somewhere" as opposed to nowhere. Ouch! Cheers! John

>On Sun, 14 Mar 1999 19:43:02 -0800, "Martine Wedlake" >>How about trying a single-file rolling start instead? We can treat the >>first lap after the green flag as a warmup lap and simply gun for it when we >>get within sight of the s/f line. Use some rule like no passing before s/f

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>>and away we go. Of course, we're assuming that everybody agrees not to >>jump the rolling start... >The only problem is that you can get just as much wheelspin at low >speed as at no speed, and the loss of control will be worse as well >since you will go "somewhere" as opposed to nowhere. Ouch! >Cheers! >John

Hopefully though, the tires will be a bit warmer and able to provide a bit more grip. And I'm not sure I agree that you can get the same degree of wheelspin as easily as at the start. Dumping the clutch at high revs will produce a sudden jolt to the tires whereas a simple rolling on the throttle will tend to ease in the torque. Later, Martine

happened. Now recall the IRL's first outing at Indy and tell me what a success it was... :-) << IRL.....say it again with me. IRL......... :-) Couldn't resist, Steve B. remove "edy" from address for email

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> After playing online for a while, I've noticed that the starts are the most > dangerous part of racing. There's just too many things going on from people > slitthering all over the place, cold tires, etc.. Add in a bit of latency > and you've got trouble. > How about trying a single-file rolling start instead? We can treat the > first lap after the green flag as a warmup lap and simply gun for it when we > get within sight of the s/f line. Use some rule like no passing before s/f > and away we go. Of course, we're assuming that everybody agrees not to > jump the rolling start... > Comments? > Later, > Martine

This is one great idea. Not exactly f! mind you,but it would take care of the horrible starts that are so common when racing online at VROC. Just aobut every race with more than 4 people,there always seems to be a big crash taking out a large portion of the field. Joel Willstein

Beside the fact that rolling starts in a very realistic 1967 Grand Prix sim are a total joke, they would solve nothing. In several hundred online Nascar2 races, I would say that 99.5 percent of them were standing starts. This in a sim that gives the option of standing or rolling. This in a sim that simulates a sport where rolling starts are tradition. Your well earned front row position was usually wasted(on a rolling start) by the guy who thought that blowing by you from the back row inches past the start finish line was ok. Not to mention the speed differential at the first corner of the cars that start further back. For open races, this would be a big mistake. Just my humble opinion. Scott Hieronymus Scott696 on Ten >> After playing online for a while, I've noticed that the starts are the most >> dangerous part of racing. There's just too many things going on from people >> slitthering all over the place, cold tires, etc.. Add in a bit of latency >> and you've got trouble. >> How about trying a single-file rolling start instead? We can treat the >> first lap after the green flag as a warmup lap and simply gun for it when we >> get within sight of the s/f line. Use some rule like no passing before s/f

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>> and away we go. Of course, we're assuming that everybody agrees not to >> jump the rolling start... >> Comments? >> Later, >> Martine > This is one great idea. Not exactly f! mind you,but it would take >care of the horrible starts that are so common when racing online at >VROC. Just aobut every race with more than 4 people,there always seems >to be a big crash taking out a large portion of the field. >Joel Willstein

On Mon, 15 Mar 1999 12:30:09 -0800, "Martine Wedlake" >Hopefully though, the tires will be a bit warmer and able to provide a bit >more grip. And I'm not sure I agree that you can get the same degree of >wheelspin as easily as at the start. Dumping the clutch at high revs will >produce a sudden jolt to the tires whereas a simple rolling on the throttle >will tend to ease in the torque. You won't get much heat during a pace lap, either that or you'll have half the field crashing! The point on wheelspin is that it's just as easy to spin the wheels from standing as from a low speed - easier with some cars. If you're stopped the car will go nowhere, whereas if you're rolling along the rear will kick to one side or the other leaving cars either side or behind (who are already moving faster than normal) little time or space. It all sounds like little, if anything, to gain for a lap touring around doing nothing. Cheers! John PS - I wouldn't like to try it at the Glen or Spa! A pace lap in a NASCAR at Elkhart Lake was bad enough :-)

Our league has been having pretty good luck with the 8 meter spaced grids that Bart Westra did. Racing GPL requires a certain amount of self control, at the start and usually into the first slow turn. I'm not sure a rolling start is the answer - it changes the characteristics of the race, and at many tracks, will just result in moving the pile-up down track somewhat. If you want Indy racing rolling starts, you are running the wrong sim. I know the starts on VROC can be very frustrating. I've actually had better luck joining, and hosting, Pro level events. Pro tends to make the drivers more cautious, and possibly attracts a slightly more cautious crowd. Of course it is worse if you do get taken out on the grid! Joining a good league, and racing with the same people all the time is the best solution - with the 8 meter grids! Kevin Caldwell Calgary, Canada

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>>On Sun, 14 Mar 1999 19:43:02 -0800, "Martine Wedlake" >Hopefully though, the tires will be a bit warmer and able to provide a bit >more grip. And I'm not sure I agree that you can get the same degree of >wheelspin as easily as at the start. Dumping the clutch at high revs will >produce a sudden jolt to the tires whereas a simple rolling on the throttle >will tend to ease in the torque. >Later, > Martine

We like to think that one very attractive alternative is the "Nail That Track" series. NTT is a weekly series featuring daily races that are now qualifiers for a weekly track championship race. This week's series features the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. NTT operates in a controlled, password-protected environment and features high quality competition and excellent connections and places a premium on responsible racing and sportsmanship. Although we, on occasion, have the sometimes unavoidable starting grid mishaps, I think you would find their frequency markedly lower at NTT. Search RAS for thread subjects containing the phrases "Nail That Track" or "NTT" or visit the "News" section of The APEX ( http://gpl.gamestats.com/ ) for more details on race schedules, registration procedures, communications settings, and race reports. Come join us at Spa! Jack Rambo

Yeah, Steve, I think the 2x2 is THE way to go... the standing starts were such a big part of the F1 scene, I couldn't bear to see them go... even if accidents take place. But I do LOVE the 2x2 grids... and HATE the 4x4 at Silverstone! :-( -_Dave

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> Not a bad idea; I've considered the same. After all, it works for CART, and > does anybody remember Spa last year? :-) > An alternative is using the broader-spaced 2 X 2 grids someone's done, but I > don't remember where you can get them. You'd have to require everyone to use > them, of course. > Steve B. > remove "edy" from address for email

-- Dave Schwabe The Aussie Toad -- Grand Prix Legends & Brabham site http://users.wi.net/~schwabe