First non-GT3 race - bad experience

senatorxmg

senatorxmg

Active member
Since buying the game and hopping into online races, I've only used the LMGT3 cars. With that, mostly with the Mclaren and the BMW.

I enjoyed racing Sebring in the wet...but it gets a little old when faced with doing it all the time. Decided to give the LMP2 cars a try. For the first couple of days, all I did were offline practices and races at Monza. Not the greatest laps...but I got it to 1:43s consistently. Could improve on those times with better brake points and pressure but I felt I was ready to hop into an online race. Oh my...maybe not!

Eagerly registered for my first race...20min Monza beginner. Noticed that I was in split 3 of 17!!!!! Wait, what???? Never raced an LMP2 before....but I'm with some pretty decent guys here. Qualified 18th with a 1:43 something. Three quarters of the split were in the 1:41s.

Start of the race went as expected. First corner mayhem to which I contributed to by misjudging how fast one of the guys ahead of me would brake...initially another car in front had to swerve out of the way to miss him...I just wasn't ready. Watching the video after showed me that this car was braking much more quickly than anyone else around him....in the end, I take responsibility for my part. After a stop in the pits for repairs, I fiigured I'd just worry about getting some good clean laps in to at least salvage some of my SR.

End of race could not come quick enough....massive hits to both my DR and SR...seemingly most of that came from high race expectations and the first turn crashes. Not enough to drop my rating to a lower one...but enough to irk me for being an LMP2 noob stuck in the 3rd split. I should not have been there.

My biggest issue after that race was being placed in that split with it being the very first time I've raced in that category of cars. Is it based solely on my DR? I'm almost S1...so were not talking a really high DR either. It's a horrible and there should be some way of being able to try out a new car without the risk of killing your current rating. I did ok offline with AI 94%...but online was massively different as I expected it would be. I just didn't expect to be against a whole better class of racers in my first outing in the LMP2.

While this car is fun to drive, I'm not sure I'm going back to it or even try the Hypercars unless changes are made to how one gets slotted to a split. I don't know how other games do it...probably similar...but this certainly makes me want to stick to the class of cars where I've earned my current ratings. I don't want to race in the lower GT3 splits just because of driving the LMP2. This is why I think it's a good idea to have different DRs for different classes.
 
senatorxmg said:
My biggest issue after that race was being placed in that split with it being the very first time I've raced in that category of cars. Is it based solely on my DR? I'm almost S1...so were not talking a really high DR either.
Click to expand...
If you're almost S1 DR then you will be in high splits as the vast majority of players are in lower areas of B3 or even B2. I'm about 3/5ths 'across' B3 and I was racing in split 3 of 7 in the P2s at Monza this morning. I qualified 6th and finished 4th and I was pretty pleased with that, but the game said I should have been on pole and won the race.....
 
There's always a lot of randomness to the carnage.

I did 5 Monza LMP2 races, ~split 4/20 and the first 3 were the cleanest I have ever seen.
Side by side through chicanes like never before. Minor T1 issues, but not where I was.
All downhill from there.

On Sebring GT3 I got punted a lot and even targeted.
 
Yeah, if you can get up the front and away, things tend to go well. in my 4th place race I made a good start and apart from having to miss a stationary car stopped in the second chicane near the end it was plain sailing. In three other LMP2 races at Monza I qualified poorly, got caught up in a lot of divebombing stupidity and ended up way down in all three races.
 
I find the LMP2's the best cars to race in the game. I would try the intermediate and advanced races that feature the LMP2's. I agree that different cars should have different DR. But please don't give up on the LMP2's. Once you get used to them they become addicting. In the right hands you can trouble the Hypercars because of how fast they are capable of being.
 
RhinomanWC said:
I find the LMP2's the best cars to race in the game. I would try the intermediate and advanced races that feature the LMP2's. I agree that different cars should have different DR. But please don't give up on the LMP2's. Once you get used to them they become addicting. In the right hands you can trouble the Hypercars because of how fast they are capable of being.
Click to expand...
I don't want to give up on them...I think they're kind of fun. I don't really care about having a high DR for bragging rights but I do care about the splits I get put in. I think the split one is in should pretty much reflect their skill level. Sure, over time, I will be placed in the proper LMP2 split as the DR either goes down or my skill goes up...but at the same time it's impacting where I race with the GT3. I don't like that.

I could just not race GT3 for awhile until I get better at the prototype in offline. Just thought with a 1:43 at Monza that I should be more middle to 2/3 back of the splits. When you're running 2 seconds behind each lap...that ain't fun. I'm not worried about SR...I can control that for the most part.
 
I've been thinking for a while we should be given a seperate rating for each class, am in a similar situation where I drive GT3 but occasionally fancy something different, I don't particularly want to be in the higher splits in LMP and honestly it puts me off even bothering having a go.
 
senatorxmg said:
I don't want to give up on them...I think they're kind of fun. I don't really care about having a high DR for bragging rights but I do care about the splits I get put in. I think the split one is in should pretty much reflect their skill level. Sure, over time, I will be placed in the proper LMP2 split as the DR either goes down or my skill goes up...but at the same time it's impacting where I race with the GT3. I don't like that.

I could just not race GT3 for awhile until I get better at the prototype in offline. Just thought with a 1:43 at Monza that I should be more middle to 2/3 back of the splits. When you're running 2 seconds behind each lap...that ain't fun. I'm not worried about SR...I can control that for the most part.
Click to expand...
I think it's worth checking the fastest times for the event you're looking at joining, and seeing if you're your "usual" gap behind the fastest drivers. When I find myself further away, I just practice for a while rather than go straight into a race. That way you don't get into a split way above your level.
 
Lazza said:
I just practice for a while rather than go straight into a race. That way you don't get into a split way above your level.
Click to expand...
I'm almost certainly misunderstanding this, but how does practicing for a while before going to a race change where you're placed in a split?
 
senatorxmg said:
I don't want to give up on them...I think they're kind of fun. I don't really care about having a high DR for bragging rights but I do care about the splits I get put in. I think the split one is in should pretty much reflect their skill level. Sure, over time, I will be placed in the proper LMP2 split as the DR either goes down or my skill goes up...but at the same time it's impacting where I race with the GT3. I don't like that.

I could just not race GT3 for awhile until I get better at the prototype in offline. Just thought with a 1:43 at Monza that I should be more middle to 2/3 back of the splits. When you're running 2 seconds behind each lap...that ain't fun. I'm not worried about SR...I can control that for the most part.
Click to expand...
Thanks for expanding. I agree with your reasoning. I've been in a similar boat in the past. I had my DR "artificially" inflated because I did a large number of Le Mans races in a week and did well in the races. After a few races my DR went up and I was placed in higher splits than normal. When I tried other races on other tracks I was placed in higher splits and couldn't keep up. I ended up finishing at the bottom of those races. I used GT3's in all those races. It must be much more difficult swopping classes and tracks. I think DR per car class is a great idea.
 
Lazza said:
Practice to get faster, and do times more suited to your DR :)
Click to expand...
OK. It's strange, I can often struggle if I just practice, especially if I practice alone, but then go a lot quicker (closer to what I would expect) in qually or the race.
 
Aysedasi said:
OK. It's strange, I can often struggle if I just practice, especially if I practice alone, but then go a lot quicker (closer to what I would expect) in qually or the race.
Click to expand...
I've had that happen as well. I think the focus required to race, overtake, defend, keep your braking points, etc minimises the attention needed to put in good laps.
 
RhinomanWC said:
Thanks for expanding. I agree with your reasoning. I've been in a similar boat in the past. I had my DR "artificially" inflated because I did a large number of Le Mans races in a week and did well in the races. After a few races my DR went up and I was placed in higher splits than normal. When I tried other races on other tracks I was placed in higher splits and couldn't keep up. I ended up finishing at the bottom of those races. I used GT3's in all those races. It must be much more difficult swopping classes and tracks. I think DR per car class is a great idea.
Click to expand...
Yes, I think I've probably been pretty successful this week on Sebring wet. A 1st place finish and 3 podiums has helped out my DR quite a bit. Next week could bring a whole different set of results.

I should just not worry about DR and let it take care of itself. If I really am doing better in GT3, then I should place a lot higher if I start getting placed in lower splits.
 
senatorxmg said:
I should just not worry about DR and let it take care of itself. If I really am doing better in GT3, then I should place a lot higher if I start getting placed in lower splits.
Click to expand...
This. When it comes down to it, what does it matter. As long as you have Gold SR so you can do all the intermediate and advanced events as well as the beginner crash-fests, then you can have good fun and good racing. I know I'll be DRB3 probably for evermore, but I'm no longer worried about it in the slightest.
 
Aysedasi said:
OK. It's strange, I can often struggle if I just practice, especially if I practice alone, but then go a lot quicker (closer to what I would expect) in qually or the race.
Click to expand...
go to online practice, and watch as others go. you can do it from Standings screen (click to some line in list and then "Watch" button in lower right)
this will let you learn and not participate in race. also you can try some laps by yourself and see your time among others in same conditions.
offline practices are good for track learning, but you cannot get same conditions as online and learn from humans in offline.
 
For me the LMP2 is the best class actually together with GTE .
Much more beautiful to drive and exciting . Compared to GT3 you have to dose the braking very well if not you lock the rear and go into a spin ; also you have to have the BB moved forward , a 53% at Monza is what I use and the brake pedal pressure to 74% . Since I started with LMP2 , after 87 races done with GT3 and GTE , I would never go back . I hope they leave the possibility to race in LMP2 also in the bronze level ( I am SR G3) because the 20-minute format is exceptional for people like me , in the week can not devote much time to it .
 
The split and expectation systems can be pretty messed up depending on the number of currently playing and there skill level.

I did the Sebring wet daily a lot last week, its a track I know very well so was expecting a DR increase. As I got really close to S1, I'd constantly be in split 2.

I'd do a race and see I was expected to finish 2nd (I did so gained a tiny bit of DR, not really relevant). Then I'd do the same race straight after (split 2 again) and be lumped in with a lot of people way better than me. Finished with expectation of 16th (think I was 12th). Surely thats grounds to be put in split 3?

Seemed to be a cycle of expectations ranging from 1st to 16th..seems a bit weird. I got managed to scrape into silver with an another expected to finish 16th.
 
Expected to finish 16th (or 2nd, or whatever) simply means you've got the 16th (or 2nd) highest DR in that split.
Depending on the number of registered people and the split size you can have that situation where by just one extra registered generates the need for an extra split:
Code: 
For split size 38:

76 registered -> 2 splits of 38

78 registered -> 3 splits of 26
And if you've mostly got the same people doing consecutive races you can find your 'expectation' oscilating.
To continue with the example above :
Code: 
Split size 38
28th highest DR of ALL registered for that race

2 splits case: -> Split 1 -> Expected to finish 28th (out of 38)

3 splits case: -> Split 2 -> Expected to finish 2nd (out of 26)
 
Last edited:
jon1976 said:
The split and expectation systems can be pretty messed up depending on the number of currently playing and there skill level.

I did the Sebring wet daily a lot last week, its a track I know very well so was expecting a DR increase. As I got really close to S1, I'd constantly be in split 2.

I'd do a race and see I was expected to finish 2nd (I did so gained a tiny bit of DR, not really relevant). Then I'd do the same race straight after (split 2 again) and be lumped in with a lot of people way better than me. Finished with expectation of 16th (think I was 12th). Surely thats grounds to be put in split 3?

Seemed to be a cycle of expectations ranging from 1st to 16th..seems a bit weird. I got managed to scrape into silver with an another expected to finish 16th.
Click to expand...
I think you've hit the nail on the head with the way I'm bothered about DR and the splits I'm in.

After a race where I think I've done pretty well in, I get those damned "Expected to finish 1st but finished 3rd - BLAH!! :( I think that part of the rating system is quite poor....or maybe it's just the messaging.

I am getting better and have started to gain DR in the LMP2 class....even improved my times by over a second at Monza (low 1:42s now). Got put in the 1st split last night...qualified 13th but managed to get an 8th place. So eeked out a little bit of DR+. Still irks me that it's expecting me to qualify near the top even though my times have never indicated that I should even be in the top split with the company I'm in!!! I get dinged DR points because I don't meet expectations that are unreasonable for qualis.

I think the game needs a better way to determine the split you're in. Perhaps if the game knows your best time on a given track and class, it slots you accordingly with DR in mind. If it doesn't know this because it's your first time (meaning no historical data), then it uses DR and the "no data" factor to slot you further back until it has data to reference.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top