Improve Skill System

[DrownedOut]

I generally think its silly that the easiest campaign track awards the most overall skill points, that a 22 second track with 3 basic turns awards the most skill points. Generally people play the campaign tracks to compete against other peoples times. With the current skill point system people end up playing A01 through A04 90% of the time. The reasoning is why bother with the harder tracks if they don't give you a decent amount of skill points. This is because the overall skill points is based on the amount of time that others have played the tracks. Meaning the lowest common denominator, the track that requires the least amount of skill, has become the most played.

It would be more objective to offer the most skill points for the hardest tracks. This is so obvious it tends to be overlooked. With this reasoning the following type of scale would be more appropriate for real "Skill" points. A slightly different scale could also be appropriate, but the general idea is that the harder the level of track the more skill points it will reward.

A level tracks - Max skill points for first place = 100,000

B level tracks - Max skill points for first place = 200,000

C level tracks - Max skill points for first place = 300,000

D level tracks - Max skill points for first place = 400,000

E level tracks - Max skill points for first place = 500,000

The scale doesn't particularly matter but the general idea becomes obvious.

I understand the general argument that players alone should determine what gives the most skill points. The current system, however, has shown that this has not been a practical application. The easiest tracks have become the most played, the harderst tracks are rarely played. The easier tracks give the most skill points, the hardest tracks give the least skill points. This seems counter intuitive to the basic fact that the tracks become more difficult as the campaign progresses. B tracks are harder than A tracks, C tracks are harder than B tracks, D tracks are harder than C tracks, and so on. Meaning the harder the track, the higher the tracks level, the more skill it takes.

With a system similar to above, or slightly altered but keeping the basic premise in place, will actually reward more points to drivers with more skill.

I would like to see more emphasis on harder tracks and less empasis on 20 second 2 turn tracks where people hope for a fluke run.

[Capheraekton]

I agree with this. I've always thought it was silly that easier tracks give more sp than harder tracks. Either all tracks should have the same maximum amount of sp, or, like you said, harder tracks should give more sp than easier tracks do.

[fidlak]

Hey, I agree with this too, most skillpoints are for A tracks. I would suggest a multiplier. A=1x B=2x C=3x D=5x E=10x or something like that. I think this would solve the problem best.

[zootie]

I too, think it's a good idea and better system

[leygo]

good point

[DrownedOut]

Good to see others feel the same way. Wonder if this will ever catch on, I feel a revamp of the "skill" system would benefit the game.

[pedmacedo]

The current system gives more points to the most competitive tracks, if it's easy or not it's irrelevant. I think the way it is now is much better than your suggestion. Beating the whole world in a01 should obviously give more points than beating half a dozen who managed to submit a time for E03.

Also, this should be in suggestions, NOT here. Is it that hard to post in the right forum?

[v4nkw15h]

Although this system seems a bit wonky on the surface I think you are missing something.

More people play A1 so more points are theoretically available if you get the best time, but it's also considerably more difficult to get one of those best times because of the level of competition.

It's much easier to get a top 10 time on B1 than on A1 because less people have tried to do it.

As an example, with the same ammount of time and effort I was able to score 100k on B1 whereas on A1 I only managed 35k. The level of competition is higher on A1 so the rewards are greater.

So although A1 might be the easiest track to complete, it is the hardest track to achieve a top time on and hence why more points are available if you can do it.

As more people realise this the level of competition will increase on all the tracks and the rewards will grow.

The system works to reward the most points for the hardest to achieve records. Just because D1 is harder to drive than A1 does not mean that the a top 10 time on D1 is harder to achieve than on A1. It's not. So the points are infact being awarded correctly already.

You will be rewarded equally for time investment no matter what track you choose to race on. Give or take random luck and chance of course.

That is my experience so far anyway. Try it.

[Chevron]

[DrownedOut]

Although this system seems a bit wonky on the surface I think you are missing something.

More people play A1 so more points are theoretically available if you get the best time, but it's also considerably more difficult to get one of those best times because of the level of competition.

It's much easier to get a top 10 time on B1 than on A1 because less people have tried to do it.

As an example, with the same ammount of time and effort I was able to score 100k on B1 whereas on A1 I only managed 35k. The level of competition is higher on A1 so the rewards are greater.

So although A1 might be the easiest track to complete, it is the hardest track to achieve a top time on and hence why more points are available if you can do it.

As more people realise this the level of competition will increase on all the tracks and the rewards will grow.

The system works to reward the most points for the hardest to achieve records. Just because D1 is harder to drive than A1 does not mean that the a top 10 time on D1 is harder to achieve than on A1. It's not. So the points are infact being awarded correctly already.

You will be rewarded equally for time investment no matter what track you choose to race on. Give or take random luck and chance of course.

That is my experience so far anyway. Try it.

I think intuitively what you are saying is correct, but I am arguing that its not actually happening like that.

Consider that there are about 37,000 registered players now. Most of those racers can barely make a gold official time for the D and E level tracks. They don't even bother trying for official times on those, which is true because the top 10 official times are not even filled in for most countries on those harder tracks. But they do try for top times on the A tracks. They don't have the skill to hit a world time, so they just settle going for a local time.

So if 35,000 people try 10 times each for a local time on a track (which is all they can really aim for and don't even bother with the harder tracks because they are too hard) that is 350,000 attempts. That is 350,000 attempts inflating the supposed "skill" level of the top times. But in reality that doesn't make getting a 23.99 instead of a 24.01 any more skillful. It just means it has been artificially inflated because the 35,000 people tried for the only track they can reasonably get a solid local time on.

I'm not trying to take away from the top racers, I just think the skill point system is messed up in that it pigenoholes competetive racers into only racing the easier tracks.