GTA Racing Rant

[jakswan]

This might be a bit of a rambling post apologies. Not sure “rant” is accurate, more observations and what I think could be improved. This is aimed at both the community and at Rockstar.

 

First let’s do the positives, as an arcade-ish racing game I think it’s great, there is loads of variety, the cars are such that its worth owning a few in each class, so I’m generally always saving up for the next car.

 

ELO System

 

Rockstar why on earth do you present wins \ losses, you entire business plan relies on people playing the game and it is as if you show this information in the most discouraging way you could imagine.

It must have been asked before but an ELO ratings system surely can’t be beyond the resources of Rockstar.

 

 

I enjoy racing for 10^th spot as I do for 1st but to tell players they “lost” is going to put people off.

 

Catch-Up

I don’t mind catch up, makes the game exciting, I know the fastest driver/car is going to be severely limited but a few points in general:-

 

I don’t know if it is by accident or by design but catch-up is on by default, yet hosts but custom vehicles on. I do understand custom vehicles, to have these cars its fun to save up and tune vehicles them and it should give you an advantage.

 

I’m somewhat puzzled by Catch-up and custom vehicles.

 

Destruction Derby & Daft Racers

First I don’t know why Rockstar haven’t done any tracks like the original game (figure of 8 = total carnage) especially given the nature of most racers!

 

What I really wanted to question was the mindset of most racers though. It seems like I’m trying to race and almost everyone else is trying to crash?

 

When I say crash i.e. crash into others, is this to gain an advantage? If it is to gain an advantage then I think you might need to recalculate a little.

From my observations attempting to crash into someone takes your focus on taking the next corner as fast as you can to crashing.

 

 

What will you gain? Even if you are good at crashing (weird concept), at least 25% of the time it will actually result in you coming off worse against the person you are trying to slow down and it will almost always result in you going slightly slower than you could, handing an advantage to everyone else.

 

In the odd occasion it actually works the person you crashed into now has the “red mist”, they have ceased racing and their sole aim is revenge, and remember with catch-up on they now are able to go faster then you!

 

Racing Pay Outs

This seems a bit crazy on a non-stunt track you can idle/race on your own for 8 mins and get $5k, on a stunt track you can get $8k for 8 mins, around $0.7-$1k a minute, ON YOUR OWN!

If you play against a few others end up in the bottom half the payouts that are less!

 

I’m sure this has been brought up before but being new to GTA on PC thought I look for comments so people can point me in the right direction.

 

 

[oleg_aka_djmeg]

i'd like to think that those people who are trying to crash are the kind of people who accidentally blast their brains out with a shotgun, walk off the cliff playing pokemon go, pee on cables above train tracks etc.

Edited July 16, 2016 by oleg_aka_djmeg

[Alvarez]

Looking up on people falling down the cliff playing Pokemans Go.

Mfw it's a thing.

 

I am also somehow disgruntled about not having second or third place, but yet, wins in races are supposed to count even more than K/D because you fight against multiple opponents.

At the same time, it doesn't mean a thing because of counterfeit ratios.

[REXX]

http://gtaforums.com/topic/823972-gtao-the-official-btch-moan-topic/

[Coleco]

I enjoy racing for 10^th spot as I do for 1st but to tell players they “lost” is going to put people off.

 

 

Yeah, I've never been a fan of that either. While I accept that finishing in 2nd place isn't a win, it can be pretty tough to hold on to and should at least be considered a podium finish.

 

I think the top three should be featured at the end of each race, and the absolute win/loss ratio should be discarded. It's yet another useless stat that means nothing when the outcome of races can be decided in the pile-ups that usually occur before the first corner.

[Mrs. Buzz]

 

Yeah, I've never been a fan of that either. While I accept that finishing in 2nd place isn't a win is 1st place looser, it can be pretty tough to hold on to and should at least be considered a podium finish.<snip>

 

fixed that for you

[jakswan]

 

I enjoy racing for 10[/size]^th spot as I do for 1st but to tell players they “lost” is going to put people off.[/size]

 

Yeah, I've never been a fan of that either. While I accept that finishing in 2nd place isn't a win, it can be pretty tough to hold on to and should at least be considered a podium finish.

 

I think the top three should be featured at the end of each race, and the absolute win/loss ratio should be discarded. It's yet another useless stat that means nothing when the outcome of races can be decided in the pile-ups that usually occur before the first corner.

As a quick win maybe change lost to DNF?

 

Yeah, I've never been a fan of that either. While I accept that finishing in 2nd place isn't a win is 1st place looser, it can be pretty tough to hold on to and should at least be considered a podium finish.<snip>

 

fixed that for you

Did you mean loser because looser doesn't make sense.

[Coleco]

 

 

Yeah, I've never been a fan of that either. While I accept that finishing in 2nd place isn't a win is 1st place looser loser, it can be pretty tough to hold on to and should at least be considered a podium finish.<snip>

 

fixed that for you

 

 

Fixed that fix for you

[OBeef619]

Yes we have heard this thousands of times. Enjoy Stunt Races for the week because they will be dead and empty unless they hold event weeks.

 

My biggest gripe with Stunt Races is the fact doing stunts (backflips, barrel rolls, front flips, big air jumps) results in you either flying over the checkpoint, off the track or spinning out resulting you in losing time and position. May as well just be called Races with some jumps, minor speed boost and some stupid slow down pad...

[Silver le Belge]

Rockstar wants people to crash into each other. Unlike games like Forza, ramming or doing pit moves is way too efficient. The résult : R* creates races in the sky, on roads without barriers and without "no collision".

 

R* does not give à damn about competitive racing.

[Jammsbro]

Switch off catch up people, seriously. I can deal with smashing, afk, trolls, almost everything. What I can't deal with is racing brilliantly and getting in front only to have my speed reduced and watching the guy I just beat overtaking me after I fought for three laps to get in front.

 

Anyone, f*cking ANYONE, rank 4 or rank 500 whose leaves catch up on is a f*cking noob of the highest order and should be ashamed.

[7nvd]

 

R* does not give à damn about competitive racing.

I agree, but let's see what the creator update can do for us, I don't have high hopes, but hypotheticly it could fix everything.

[DarkSavageDeathlyCloud]

Oh look...a bitch and moan topic.

[Cudwieser]

pee on cables above train tracks etc.

 

That would be a feat.

 

P.s Peeing on the third rail (as proven by mythbusters) is non-fatal unless there is a train coming. Fatality comes from being near the rails in the first place. Just saying.

 

 

 

 

R* does not give à damn about competitive racing.

I agree, but let's see what the creator update can do for us, I don't have high hopes, but hypotheticly it could fix everything.

 

 

What I've learned so far in the stunt races is the need to pay attention more than usual and the fact you need only slow down to let the idiots pass. When the go off, get on the gas and be somewhere else. As the penalty for screwing up in a stunt race is higher than on the ground, the rammers are going to come of worse. At the end of the day to win you have to go for the win, not for the loss. Also (if catch up is on you are better in 2nd than 1st).

Edited July 16, 2016 by Cudwieser

[AUScowboy]

Stunt races are fun, but if you want some racing based on pure skill and who picks the best vehicle, use non contact. For this very reason i still find myself entering more normal races than stunts. Stunts are fun, but the players get annoying pretty quick.

[7nvd]

 

pee on cables above train tracks etc.

That would be a feat.

 

P.s Peeing on the third rail (as proven by mythbusters) is non-fatal unless there is a train coming. Fatality comes from being near the rails in the first place. Just saying.

 

 

 

 

R* does not give à damn about competitive racing.

I agree, but let's see what the creator update can do for us, I don't have high hopes, but hypotheticly it could fix everything.

 

What I've learned so far in the stunt races is the need to pay attention more than usual and the fact you need only slow down to let the idiots pass. When the go off, get on the gas and be somewhere else. As the penalty for screwing up in a stunt race is higher than on the ground, the rammers are going to come of worse. At the end of the day to win you have to go for the win, not for the loss. Also (if catch up is on you are better in 2nd than 1st).

Thanks for the tip, but it has nothing to do with what you quoted.

[Hunter]

Looking up on people falling down the cliff playing Pokemans Go.

Mfw it's a thing.

I haven't heard of that yet, but there have been people who've wandered off into busy roads playing Pokemon Go.

[Zader]

I've got a friend that doesn't race a whole lot, but when they do, they do pretty well.

They've got 12 wins and 88 losses, according to the last recording I made of us racing together, and almost all of those 88 "losses" are 2nd or 3rd place.

 

Reminds me of playing the old Wipeout games, getting 3rd, and having the word "UNLUCKY!" stand out on the screen, despite me finishing with a podium.

[Crystal3lf]

GTA isn't a competitive racing game, so "arcadey" features are on by default and ramming should be expected as part of the fun. If you are getting frustrated at other players ramming you, then you should go play something more mature; like Project Cars, Assetto Corsa, or Forza.

[SoDank_ItPainsMe]

I stopped reading when you said you don't mind catch up.

[Silver le Belge]

Stunt races are fun, but if you want some racing based on pure skill and who picks the best vehicle, use non contact. For this very reason i still find myself entering more normal races than stunts. Stunts are fun, but the players get annoying pretty quick.

I would prefer à "hard contact" mode. Like in simulation races, cars would be heavier to push and pit.

[blue1]

I stopped reading when you said you don't mind catch up.

This. Hosts using the cheat Catchup should not be given any RP or money for the race as punishment for using that lame setting. Catchup encourages people to ram the leader (who's easy to catch) and it's only luck if you win, not skill.

 

(edit: typo)

Edited July 17, 2016 by blue1

[Pedinhuh]

I'd say Catch up is double edge sword, because while it certainly doesn't help the leader of the race, it helps the driver who got pitted and crashed out of the track, allowing it to come back and if the race is long enough, win.

 

I say, instead of removing catch up, just turn it off by default and NERF the effect of it on the leading driver, while BUFFING the speed of the driver in the last place, in that way you can actually make races more balanced by reducing the performance gap between each vehicle.

[DarkSavageDeathlyCloud]

I'd say Catch up is double edge sword, because while it certainly doesn't help the leader of the race, it helps the driver who got pitted and crashed out of the track, allowing it to come back and if the race is long enough, win.

I say, instead of removing catch up, just turn it off by default and NERF the effect of it on the leading driver, while BUFFING the speed of the driver in the last place, in that way you can actually make races more balanced by reducing the performance gap between each vehicle.

Hell no...with catch up on there is more chance of noobs pitting anyone.

 

Without...if the track is long enough...noobs will fall behind regardless.

 

And if you are really deceny...you will pass pitting noobs regardless

[MaleTiger]

I don't get why GTA has to have racing like Forza. Golf is not like PGA Tour, fighting is not like Fight Night and shooting is not like Battlefield. It's a free roam game and races, darts, tennis, etc. are just simply added for variety

[Dr Labuschagne]

If only our characters new how to clutch-in and downshift. That might solve a lot of problems...

[Mrs. Buzz]

 

I'd say Catch up is double edge sword, because while it certainly doesn't help the leader of the race, it helps the driver who got pitted and crashed out of the track, allowing it to come back and if the race is long enough, win.

I say, instead of removing catch up, just turn it off by default and NERF the effect of it on the leading driver, while BUFFING the speed of the driver in the last place, in that way you can actually make races more balanced by reducing the performance gap between each vehicle.

Hell no...with catch up on there is more chance of noobs pitting anyone.

 

Without...if the track is long enough...noobs will fall behind regardless.

 

And if you are really deceny...you will pass pitting noobs regardless

 

Totally agree here - but if you're bumped of the track of so called noobs (these kind of drivers who think its more a destruction derby than a race) I sometimes wish there's a fair catch-up. And noobs are not always bad noobs, tbh.

[dieseltech20]

Simple, don't race with the typical ranDUMB players. Join a crew of like minded individuals and race with them, plenty of them out there and none are hard to find.

[BitBasher]

I think the top three should be featured at the end of each race, and the absolute win/loss ratio should be discarded. It's yet another useless stat that means nothing when the outcome of races can be decided in the pile-ups that usually occur before the first corner.

I disagree that it shouldn't track wins. A win is a win. It should also track podium finishes separately though.

 

 

This. Hosts using the cheat Catchup should not be given any RP or money for the race as punishment for using that lame setting. Catchup encourages people to ram the leader (who are easy to catch) and it's only luck if you win, not skill.

If it's only luck then why can some people consistently win catch up races?

 

It's a mental crutch that some people think that catch up races take no skill. They take skill, it's just an addition set of skills in addition to those used in normal racing. Dealing with other cars in close proximity is a skill. Braking just enough to let other cars up so they cannot pit you is a skill. Reading the other driver to know when a pit is going to happen so you can avoid it is a skill. Keeping your eye on radar constantly so you always notice when a drafting car is flying up your butt about to ram you is a skill, as is juking to avoid that car and letting him pass so you can immediately draft him back. Perhaps most importantly there is skill in keeping track of how much of the race is left so you make sure you are the one behind and drafting up for the pass behind the finish line without the other guy having time to do the same.

 

Note than none of those aspects of skill involve me ramming or crashing someone else. If you are a competent driver you just wait for the other guy to wreck himself or crash trying to wreck you. The vast vast majority of all wrecks are preventable by you.

 

Be better than the other guy. Find out how you can improve and do it instead of failing the same way over and over then complaining there's no skill. Remember, the only common element in all of your races is you!

Edited July 17, 2016 by BitBasher

[-LN-]

Well, I've raced quite a bit since I started playing--I'm almost at 5600 losses and a few wins here and there between it all, but honestly, race records are rarely even glanced upon, and it's all subjective since it doesn't take into consideration how many players you were racing against; the skill of those players; type of race; and so on and so forth. I've known of many people giving away wins to help individuals unlock upgrades, and if your competition is generally some of the top drivers from various racing crews, losses will be numerous unless you can easily refrain from making even a slight mistake during the race; have a good position on the starting grid; and partake in the practice of pavement surfing. Therefore, yes, I agree that looking too closely at the stat is flawed, but I don't think it is necessarily discouraging--I don't honestly care how many losses that I have; I feel better about the wins that are achieved through clean racing with good settings and a healthy competition.

 

Catchup is horrible. I hate slipstream as well, but some may argue that it is semi-realistic. Sure, drafting exists in racing, but slipstream in this game is a bit over-powered. Perhaps if they took it down a couple of notches it would be fine, but combined with slipstream, it's a recipe for disaster and it is not racing that one can take seriously.

 

The reason for individuals crashing into one another during races is perhaps not all related to gain an advantage. Sure, people will stop at nothing to win (including cheating), but you have to consider the age and mentality of a good portion of the player field. Immature children who think it's entertaining to troll others and refuse to play the game "properly". There is also this mindset that since it's GTA, anything within racing is fair game--finding a group of clean and respectful fellow racers can be quite difficult unless you are seeking a crew dedicated solely to racing. There are randoms who race cleanly, but I would say that only about 1 out of every 60 is a clean driver, and being a clean driver seems to correspond more with being more mature as an individual. Opinions may vary. Of course, sh*t happens, lag happens, and accidents can happen to anyone and everyone, but someone familiar enough with racing in this game can generally tell the difference between an accident and someone being an arsehole whilst driving.

 

If I am not mistaken, racing payouts are generated based on overall length of the track (number of CPs), number of players, and the time it takes to complete the race. If you don't hit any CPs, I believe you receive nothing now--it did not used to be that way. I'm honestly not sure though--I don't often look at what others receive at the end of the race.

 

Racing is addictive, but it is a love/hate relationship for me in this game. I've long burned out on non-contact races, but yes, racing with a field of people who will stop at nothing to take everyone out--especially when some of the disastrous settings are in the equation can often make it quite frustrating. For me, I'm trying to learn to just take it as it is, not worry so much about where I finish, and just simply work to improve my driving abilities. Will I ever get any better? I honestly don't know; I'm fairly average, but it can be rewarding to set some personal goals for yourself in regards to how you play.

 

Oh and as for custom vehicles; I like races with both customs and non-customs. Races that have been designated for one to three specific cars can be lots of fun, but yes, they are on by default because R* wants people to purchase custom vehicles to generate Sharkcard sales.

 

I hope all of this made sense.

Edited July 17, 2016 by LN-MLB