Interesting Concept No Public Mic Racing

I did a race yesterday in the IFCA Continental Tire Series. AAR GTDon tried a new concept of having NO public mic's. The teams could go into private chat among themselves (team chat) and everyone else had to disconnect their mic. This is a more realistic approach because drivers don't communicate during races and give passing info. This forced everyone to be more aware and the funny thing is there was not 1 contact in a multi class 25 lap race at Motegi! It also completely eliminated the cross talk, and mid race random chat that can distract a racer from his race. All the talking came after the race kind of like a racers lounge after the race. (it was like what happens in real racing.)

This is something I would Really like to implement here in the FSCS.

What do you guys think of this concept? Please voice your thoughts and vote on the idea.

They also have no restarts. That also made racers seem to be more careful and aware because the price to pay could be dear. The racing was just as hard however their seemed to be passes made cleaner and both drivers made the right decisions.

Anyway, for right now I really like the Mic rule.

As for my race...I built, tuned, put a livery on the car in 25 minutes and found out the track 5 minutes before qualifying. Got home just in time to sign up and race. I was off pace a bit from the leaders but by mid race I was closer on pace enough that with time and a tune I feel good about the next race. It was similar to our GS but with no aero like ST and the cars have a spec predetermined build on em.

Check it out IFCA Continental Tire Series.

I think its a good idea but we would *need* a test exhibition race to see how it goes. it would suck for tams that are 3 deep but all end up in different rooms, but eh what can you go :p got my vote to give it a try.

SaintedPlacebo4 wrote:

I think its a good idea but we would *need* a test exhibition race to see how it goes. it would suck for tams that are 3 deep but all end up in different rooms, but eh what can you go :p got my vote to give it a try.

Seconded.

I think it would be cool to try. What about affiliated teams like Section 8 and Nein Shiza.

Thinking about this since I read the original post, and I am pretty sure in both cases where I rolled, I had gotten distracted by race chatter that was going on. In Le Mans in particular, I definitely remember feeling like I was losing my focus due to a lot of background talk and then it happened. Granted, I know that's as much on me not being able to tune it out, but still, agree this could bring more focus to the racing. Definitely up for giving it a shot.

For as many times random chatter has made me lose focus, I'd think there is just as many times as it helps me keep focus/stay entertained.

Its a good thought, and it SHOULD make people be more aware of the racers around them. But for some people it won't change a thing. I am not against the idea, but I wouldn't agree with it being forced. I think it should be optional, and if racers want to go in their own team chat that would be fine, But my biggest worry would be people being left out in the public lobbies. (maybe new racers more than anything).

Not only that, but I'm not a big fan of calling my line at all. I normally race careful enough to not put myself in a spot where I'd need too. But most of the time for me (and I remember doing it the last race a few times) I was telling somebody that I WASN'T going to make a move on them, this way they would know to carry on their normal line and not overdrive and cause other issues.

Also how would this work with the rolling starts? Would it be more of a NASCARish type of start where once the leader hits the line everybody is free to go, or would they be eliminated.

SaintedPlacebo4 wrote:

I think its a good idea but we would *need* a test exhibition race to see how it goes. it would suck for tams that are 3 deep but all end up in different rooms, but eh what can you go :p got my vote to give it a try.

i agree it would suck for privateers as well.

you would have to have a team with equal talent (or lack of) so that you will not be bored out of your mind whilst driving for that long.

Admin/PredatorUSMC wrote:

As for my race...I built, tuned, put a livery on the car in 25 minutes and found out the track 5 minutes before qualifying. Got home just in time to sign up and race. I was off pace a bit from the leaders but by mid race I was closer on pace enough that with time and a tune I feel good about the next race. It was similar to our GS but with no aero like ST and the cars have a spec predetermined build on em.

Check it out IFCA Continental Tire Series.

i got you bud;) it was a lil weird and im sure max had enough of me by the end but it was clean and i didnt lag out

I don't see the boredom factor. If your pushing and focused on the race I don't get bored. But each his own attention span. As for the rolling starts....hmmmm. Either would be when the leader goes the field starts the race or start finish line start or standing starts only. I like the rolling starts but whatever is best for the series I am good for.

killerz2801 wrote:

I think it would be cool to try. What about affiliated teams like Section 8 and Nein Shiza.

SUPER TEAMS?

drake has its own super team for next season... the porsche will be around but not in gs

I really like having public communication with the other drivers. The best part is having people call out their passes so that you know you need to give them room or not. Real race car drivers have panoramic mirrors AND peripheral vision to allow them to spot cars beside them. If everyone had a 3-Xbox, 3-TV setup to allow them to see beside their cars I could see doing it, but it seems to me it would add an extra challenge to do without it.

The best part of the open communication to me is when a GT car is coming up on my GS car, and they let me know that they will wait until the next straight to make a pass. This allows me to drive my normal line without worrying about the faster car cutting into my line at the last second.

On the other hand, I certainly can understand why people get distracted by the chatter. The first few races I ran in the series, I found it to be a real issue to me as well. Once I got used to it though, it was one of my favorite things about this series. Unless you're running near the front, or have someone nearby, a two hour race can quickly become monotonous. As much as I love Forza racing, it really just isn't exciting enough for me to drive around by myself for that long.

Tachyon mentioned the chatter at LeMans being distracting, and I certainly sympathize. As I said before, I understand why people can get distracted, as I did the first few races. However, I found the dialogue in the B lobby at LeMans was what really kept me going. I feel like I've finally learned to tune it out a little when I need to concentrate on the corners, but on those LONG straightaways, it was a welcome relief. It wasn't until I lagged out into my own lobby that I begin to make serious mistakes which drastically hurt my time.

As a last note, I've found I can significantly reduce the distraction by simply turning my headset down a little. I can still pay attention to a pass being called out when I see a GT car coming up on me, but I can also tune it out when I need to put all my attention to the track.

Oh yeah, I feel like the best example of the benefit of open communication came in the last race at Hockenheimring. I had 100% front brake damage for 6 laps due to a lag incident. I felt much safer after I let the GT drivers know about the damage and that I would have to brake really early. This allowed EVERY one of them that passed me in those laps to NEVER follow my damaged car into a brake zone. Of course, with that much damage, I wasn't really worried about more damage to my car, but I would have hated to screw up the GT race.

personally, i vote no. we have all witnessed what happens sometimes when someone doesn't call their pass, communicate to a GS car where they're going, or someone just doesn't know anyone's beside them in general. i say since we have a resource, use it. we already are cut from the feeling of the car, track, etc.

i do remember last season at lemans i spun going onto the back straight, the one with all the woods and its really really narrow, and i called it out bc i knew gt guys were coming around me. i was pinned nose first against the wall and yelped for them to tak the outside and they went by. they said thanks bc they would have went thru two wide and ended their race. it was the worst spot to spin bc there is no where to go by the time you see it. i think i like the idea but at the same time we act as race control in a way.

I have been thinking this would be a great idea since I started running series on forza. For Tue sake of teams being split I think affiliated teams should be able to communicate also. Even though section 8 and NSzA are seperate teams we are all in the same stable and a part of NSzA.

How would you do the rolling starts without talking? Just a thought I had.

Like we did them in touring cars. When the leader crosses the line he goes. Everyone goes off of the person in front of them. Cuts down on pileups into turn one that way also because of less congestion at the start. That's how we did them anyways. Worked better than calling out a go imho.

I started unplugging my mic during endurance races anyway since its so damn uncomfortable, so hey, I'm all in. Also I think we as a team really just wanna talk amongst ourselves and coordinate, it just feels right.
A microphone isn't a fender guard, or a giant hazard-orange sign that says "avoid me!". It can't substitute for responsibility on the blacktop. Besides, what forces us to be a little more cautious also pushes us to grow in driving skill to where we may look back and wonder why we needed pass calls in the first place.

Long story short, I say go for it, and things only work if people are willing to make them work.

Dr PiiHB wrote:

I have been thinking this would be a great idea since I started running series on forza. For Tue sake of teams being split I think affiliated teams should be able to communicate also. Even though section 8 and NSzA are seperate teams we are all in the same stable and a part of NSzA.

So i guess im not included in on that chat. Its okay at this point im a privateer since i have no clue where my teammate went

Raceboy77 wrote:

personally, i vote no. we have all witnessed what happens sometimes when someone doesn't call their pass, communicate to a GS car where they're going, or someone just doesn't know anyone's beside them in general. i say since we have a resource, use it. we already are cut from the feeling of the car, track, etc.

+1


We all have chat volume knobs on our headsets so if the banter of the race is actually distracting, you can turn your chat volume down so that it won't disturb you.

As far as the general communication issue with gaming and real-life, real teams communicate with their driver telling them about who's coming up behind them or who is around them. We cannot do that if everyone is in there own chat room. There are no blue flags on Forza to tell you that a faster car is coming behind you. This would put both classes of cars at an even greater risk of hitting each other.

I see where raceboy and Matt are coming from. It could cause issues with gt cars passing gs cars. But its like I have said before. Know when to pass and know when to let someone pass. That's all it comes down to. People say they don't have the player position chart on. That causes problems and has proved to be a neusince in the past for multi class and single class racing. That's why people say "oh I didn't know you were beside me". Use the chart as a resource just like Matt said. Its there so why not use it. It only helps you. Also people cut the track map off. That's another resource to let you know where cars are around you yet people race in this series without it. I've also heard people say they couldn't see me because they use in car view and I want to punch them in the face when they hit me because of it. Tht is no excuse. Its all about track awareness.

The point I'm trying to make is that everyone will always have an excuse when an accident happens. Most are bs. There are enough resources available that not being able to talk to other drivers on the track should be a minor inconvenience. You still have mirrors, map, leaderboard, and trap times to show you where cars are around you, as well as you should know your car well enough to be able to safely drive in a pack of cars without communicating. If you can't use all of that info to safely drive your car, maybe you should reconsider racing. Not saying that accidents won't happen, I'm just saying that its worth giving it a go. During practice rooms I am often in a party and not talking with other drivers and I rarely have an accident because of it. I know we are teammates but roscoe and I can race any car anywhere in any kind of race without communicating and never touch each other with only inches between us. I have raced that way with him and many others in this series and other series and it has gone fine. It just requires a little more awareness, which may not be a bad thing for this series. People have been known to make some pretty bonehead and thoughtless moves on the track. Maybe not talking to other drivers will require people to focus a little more.

The only problem Phib with using the trap times is it only tells you about the car behind you for position, not the car behind you that's about to lap you.

Matthnt wrote:

The only problem Phib with using the trap times is it only tells you about the car behind you for position, not the car behind you that's about to lap you.

I know. That's why there's a mirror and track map. There are plenty of tools to know where cars are around you. Many people turn them off then use that as an excuse when they hit you. Its uncalled for is all I am saying.