Q's Transformations and Fastest Game on Ice

starkaos

Due to the vast amounts of times that I have run Fastest Game on Ice for the Winter ships, I have gotten bored of running it as a Human. So I have been using the Do your worst option from Q to give some brief excitement to the race. Sehlat seems to be the cutest contestant for the race especially with the various animations it has over the others.

However, I am wondering if which transformation you use determines the traction and speed of the race. Also, it seems that Breen are less likely to show up as an opponent when transformed. Am I imagining things or not?

angrytarg

I like to run as a Targ (Duh) but I haven't noticed any difference in traction or speed. However I am certain there is no variable modifying the opponent in relation to what form you get. It seems like too much effort for a pointless feature xD

nikeix

In th e hints thread someone mentioned being turned into a spider may give you extra traction.

wendysue53

no. the Breen still show up. there is a random chance you won't get an opponent to run against.
as for which from changes the race. I'd like to think the small spider that looks something like an Elachi Spider-thing works best. but that's just the one I run the race with sometimes and it 'looks' like it runs best. doesn't mean it does. Has the least virtual mass of the rest though, if that makes any difference.

nikeix

I'm not sure the lack of opponent is random... I'm suspicious that only one opponent can exist per map and if someone else is running the race ahead of you a second one can't spawn.

Maybe.

Or I could just be crazy .

bergins

I feel like the chance that no opponent spawns has increased this year over times prior. Perhaps you are noticing the same thing I am, it just happens that you have also decided to run once Q has "done his worst" and so that looks like the variable you are looking for.

What I want to know is this: What trait or ability am I using that transforms my main back to human form after a couple seconds or so? I can't run the race as anything else because I don't know what to turn off.

wendysue53

nikeix wrote: »

I'm not sure the lack of opponent is random... I'm suspicious that only one opponent can exist per map and if someone else is running the race ahead of you a second one can't spawn.

Maybe.

Or I could just be crazy .

Nah. you're not nuts or we'd all be! oh. wait..

but I've seen a line of runners and more than one Breen/opponent in the races. one would go and then another. Not the same opponents, mind. Just opponents.

arionisa

As Wendy said, already having an opponent on the track definitely does not prevent another from spawning. On a quite regular basis, I run the race, with an opponent, and actually come very close to catching the opponent of the person racing ahead of me. I suspect that the races are timed to run as close together as possible to allow more people to race per hour, but also spaced out just enough to make it impossible for a racer to actually catch the NPC racing ahead of them, but it is still fun to try.

I have caught and passed the actual player racing ahead of me a few times, and after the race will attempt to offer advice, or at least point them to the forum posts about how to increase your racing speed. Not counting the ones that just plain ignore me, the rest are split about 50/50 between being grateful for the help and being quite....hateful...for my obviously wrong assumption that they might need/want/benefit from having help.....

anodynes

You can catch the NPC of the racer ahead of you. I've beaten the NPC and the racer ahead of me to the finish if I start as soon as the roughly 15 second window is up, and don't make too many sliding backwards errors. This is with all of the straight up run speed and sprint buffs, but no Counter-Command armor (since I only roll if I know that not doing so will disqualify me) or Fleet Research Lab Combat bonus.

markhawkman

Yeah you have to be lightning fast to do it, but you CAN pass another player who is in fact winning. You really need to sprint almost the entire course, but it can be done.

wendysue53

sprint. roll. sprint-sprint. roll.

markhawkman

I don't usually roll. I find that simply letting off of sprinting while cornering is usually adequate for my needs.

wendysue53

I used to drift it. but found that 1 in 3 times I did, I ended up in the lake. so started rolling the hard turns.

markhawkman

The trick to drifting is to cut the corners really tight.

officerbatman81

Hey guys just want to clear something up.

Sprinting is not needed to win the race to get you event doodads to turn in for the ship. I have never sprinted EVER and always won, always got my ship earlier in the season. Never rolled either, what is that nonsense (rhetorical).
Never spent lobi.
When i saw someone sprint last night i had to laugh. Dont work to hard at this game.

markhawkman

I do it for the FUN! It's a challenge trying to catch the racer ahead of you!

wendysue53

what @markhawkman said.

gets boring if you walk the whole way.

jade1280

Ice spider animation gives the illusion of traction.

officerbatman81

I guess thats why they call it grinding, kids.

warpangel

Some people say certain transformations make you faster. But it's probably just the animation looks faster.

There are traits that make you faster though.

xyquarze

Catching your forerunner's opponent has become harder with the ending of the headstart, but it is still possible even without any trait or equipment modifiers or abilities, jumping or rolling. I only managed it twice so far, but just doing it once would prove it is possible. (You also need a not too fast player before you of course, because if they're quick, their opponent will vanish before you get 'em).

anodynes

The NPCs' speeds vary, too, or so it appears. I regularly catch the ice spider earlier than a Breen or Jackal Mastiff, for instance.