[Race & Editor] Starting Grid

[TorbenX]

I always was (and am) hoping that they would include the possibility to create a Starting Grid in the Trackmania games.

Instead of starting on the same block, you might want to start races in a specified order, depending on how you did last race or what your time was, just like in other race games or the real motorsports like F1. This would, in my opinion, also give an extra boost to the new Championship modus that will be included (or did I get this wrong?).

I think you could easily create this in the editor by placing the Hotlap Block and create the possibility to place 'Starting Grid Blocks' behind them, with simple and corner blocks.

Good idea or bad idea?

(and sorry if my explanation did sound confusing or if my English wasn't that well...)

[DonTubo]

actually i like this idea a lot but there's a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge problem!

how do you decide who's on first , second , third place?

[Timmeh7]

Qualifying Round?

[tcq]

This would be very funny, to do some nice races (e.g. formula one raceswith qualify). But you can do the same stuff also by scripting a game mode like this
1) doing a 5min TA and then restart it and let drivers start with a time delay and look which one finishes first, second ...
2) do a qualify and then let all drivers start for one round, but add up a distinct amount of time for the qualify place

But a starting grid would be definitly nice, really would like that idea. But it's not necessary,if maniascript is as mighty as i hope it will be

[Slig]

Why would you want to make a bad and unwanted race length difference between players, on a no-collision game which nicely permit to avoid it ???

[TorbenX]

Why would you want to make a bad and unwanted race length difference between players, on a no-collision game which nicely permit to avoid it ???

Well, why not? Some people would love it.

[Slig]

Why would you want to make a bad and unwanted race length difference between players, on a no-collision game which nicely permit to avoid it ???

Well, why not? Some people would love it.

you probably mean the one who would start in 1st place ? because for the last place one, i guess that he wouldn't love it...

If you want more realism, collisions, starting grid, etc., go on http://www.raceroom.net/ or such (and enjoy to have a rookie bump your rear and make you fail a curve where you had break just as needed to take the curve)...

TM is supposed to have an arcade but technic gameplay and the same exactly cars and chances to win. Making the gme the level based on drive abilities and regularity (well... and few luck with bugs ^^). No collisions, starting at the same place are the key features reach it (and no car settings, to avoid the need of a high knowledge of the game to not have a badly tuned car).

[Trackmaniack]

Slig, take a breather....it's not just for the race this would be beneficial, but think of how this could improve mediatracking. Besides, what if they did it like the dirt track racers we have over here in the US? The best racers actually start in the BACK so there's more racing/passing action...then it wouldn't be one guy out in front the whole time. Besides, a lot of the rounds servers have qualifying rounds anyhow...I wouldn't see it as being that hard to A) implement a starting grid, and B) make it selective...i.e., for the Time Attack games where people often drop-in and drop-out for single races, you could disable it, and just have everybody start in the same place, as every car is a ghost anyhow. But for rounds races, it could be implemented. Another possible idea, is to have an invisible start 'line' where the start of the "Start" checkpoint is...and only when racers cross that line does their time start, therefore each race is scored on time from start to finish, not simply who crossed first.

[shaun23153]

It might sound odd, but I think if you were making a multi lap track, you could chose to have a rolling start as an OPTSION when building the track?

[Romain42]

2) do a qualify and then let all drivers start for one round, but add up a distinct amount of time for the qualify place

Another possible idea, is to have an invisible start 'line' where the start of the "Start" checkpoint is...and only when racers cross that line does their time start, therefore each race is scored on time from start to finish, not simply who crossed first.

I think those 2 options have a huge caveat: when you race rounds, the fun comes from the fact you see the car in front of you and you see you can pass it if you accelerate. You can measure how faster you have to be to pass it. In the 2 systems you proposed, you can cross the finish line before an opponent and be ranked lower. Imo, it destroys all the "strategic" matter of rounds racing, since you can't check where are your opponents compared to you. Let you imagine you set the delay between each player to 10 seconds : you end up with a race that seems to a cycling time attack / rally special stage.

Besides, what if they did it like the dirt track racers we have over here in the US? The best racers actually start in the BACK so there's more racing/passing action...

It recalls me that in some championships such as the WTCC, the best drivers have to take more ballast. I think it's good for the entertainment of the attendees but it's not the fairest competition possible. Anyway, it could be fun as a "less-competitive" mod. I guess ET or ESL will not select it for their competitions...