shyguy1001 wrote:A simple thing that would go a long way are -
Timings updated from each way point rather than each lap (or the possibility to make "sectors" as is the case in F1)
On the HUD display for it to say how far ahead and behind the nearest cars to you are (and possibly who they are). This would make it easier to determine who is lapping you.
I tough a litle bit about that.
Well, it's not good solution to do that because It will all depend of track makers and their decision where to put a checkpoints. Sectors could not help a lot too. I watched some old videos (like AL-AntiSlider League videos where some guy FederDuck ruined dede's and Tijny's race
, some Jarno's videos etc.) and I realized that players must have an instant warning when they will going to be lapped. So that warning must be conditioned by position of two cars, not by going through the way points those two cars. Warning based on way point would probably be useless for faster player in many cases, because that warning could come to late. It's the same with lapped player. He could get the warning to early so that he could let a wrong guy to go pass him.
The most important thing is that lapped player should get an easy visible warning; so it should appear just by the car.
Ok, here are my suggestions:
-The firs thing that should be done is
making invisible lapped area behind the every car. (picture 1.)
-Every part of the area should behave like some kind of way point, but it will not show lap time information anymore. When faster player goes inside the lapped area of another player, that lapped player will get that information (warning) so he can be prepared for giving a pass. Like you can see, I decided to use a little red quadrat there. (picture 2.)
-Red quadrat (or any other signature) should not be visible with duration longer then 3-5sec.
The reason for that is possibility of double or triple etc. (very rarely) lapping. So when shortly lapped player get the warning for the first player, that warning (our little red quadrat) will disappear in 3-5sec. and be prepared for eventually another player(s). Once, when red quadrat disappear, lapped player will not get it again for the same player in about 40-60sec because he don't need it all the time. (picture 3.)
-In the case that two players went inside of lapped area, both cars could send that information to slower player. It would work out if programmers make possibility of showing more warning informations by the lapped car. The best signature is probably with our names, and also by using base color of our cars. It will be the same with more 1 lap faster players (even 3, 4, 5...). (picture 4.)
-It could be also perfect with possibility of more quadrats (in case that more players went into the area in 3-5sec.) colored by our base color. (picture 5.)
-Invisible lapped area, like I called it, could have another design (maybe even better and easier to make). It could be just
an invisible line that will behave exactly like that area. (picture 6.)
-Maybe the line looks like that faster car could miss it, but it's impossible. Lapped car will always moving left and right, especially in zone of curves. (picture 7.)
-So, the invisible lapped line is kinda like invisible area that I suggested. Actually, the line create an area by moving (zic-zacing) of car, even not just in curves. But it's impossible to catch someone on full straight line anyway. Of course, invisible lapped line could be little shorter for safe. (picture 8.)
-Invisible lapped area or invisible lapped line is actually a new moving sector or new moving start line, but it don't counts lap times. Our times will still be updated just through the old (static) start line. Invisible lapped line will cooperate with static start line. Player 1 will be lapped if player 2 touch start line and lapped line before that player 1 touch the start line.
-With 'rough race' option (command) we will not need these improvements. So, we need possibility to turn it off too.
-And remember, this is just an idea.
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Sure, there is an easier way to make this without any hard work with these lapped areas or lines. Player who is 1lap behind should see all faster cars with sign "-1lap" on them. Players who are 1lap faster should see all slower cars with sign "+1lap" on them. Also, to make this better and preciser, track makers should have ability to put few sectors on the track too.
Actually, we are already using TAB button, but it's not good enough; now we must use TAB just temporary (few seconds) because signs (with players names too) are on all cars on the track and that makes visibility problem.
I'm saying that signs (only "+/-1lap", without players names) should be only on lapped drivers and 1 or more laps faster drivers. All other cars would have no signs around its self (including the main player too).
This should be possible to set up in new main/video option where we could turn it on or off. TAB is already too busy for that.
