Want a solo speed challenge that nets a ton more favors? Get superior floaters on multiple alts, then get them ALL through the hunt during the time allotted.
I was one second short of getting 5 alts through one night. at ~100 favors each that adds up fast if you make it. ^_^
The race could have two major improvements. A permanent map, because I often race without any scenery. It seems it takes too long to load. Overall, I see lag on the Risa map. Second, the flags should be active when the race is on. Not second flag spawns when first is taken. From left to right there is first, second, third and rest flag. They should be placed in a diagonal.
I have the cheapest board because, given the problems with the race, I see no use in spending more on an expensive board, Further, the cheap board looks the best, because of the small engine; it is the most elegant one.
Btw, I don't see those dancing bots anymore. Has there been taken some action?
Want a little bonus to it as well? If you get a superior floater on two toons you can run the Hunt on both and score yourself an extra 100 favors.
That's true, I was talking about one character though because when I give advice I assume the most basic requirements. With multiple characters it is indeed much easier. I even run the hunt three times - one char with tribble + superior floater and two characters with the rental floater + tribble (I figured a route that takes me around three minutes, sometimes I overshoot or get stuck so it's maybe 3 and a half minutes on the rentals). If I would push it I could maybe make a fourth run, but that's too much hassle to consider it "casual"
^ Memory Alpha.org is not canon. It's a open wiki with arbitrary rules. Only what can be cited from an episode is. ^
"No. Men do not roar. Women roar. Then they hurl heavy objects... and claw at you." -Worf, son of Mogh
"A filthy, mangy beast, but in its bony breast beat the heart of a warrior" - "faithful" (...) "but ever-ready to follow the call of the wild." - Martok, about a Targ
"That pig smelled horrid. A sweet-sour, extremely pungent odor. I showered and showered, and it took me a week to get rid of it!" - Robert Justman, appreciating Emmy-Lou
I'm not going to let anyone make an excuses for Cryptic saying that coding race finish condition for prize payout is difficult... It's not.
Internally the server breaks down contestants internally into classes based apon the quality of the board.. most specificly, its speed rating, for any one specific heat.
On the assumption that no matter what your going to have lag, then the only thing that need to be tracked is the player course time.. NOT where they are in relation to other players on the course JUST the players time from race start to when the server registers the player crossing the finish line. Where you place in timing with the other players in the same board class determines if you get more the 15 favors for finishing.
Because its a one lap heat results are going to be dead accurate. The timer per player starts when the race starts, NOT when they cross the start line.. when the race starter says go, the race is on..
Players will be unlikely to lag right at the start of the race... Its also possible to easily model what would be the best possible time around the course... for cheat detection. Some one beats the computer determined best possible time by two or three second you know they are doing something they shouldn't.
Once the race ends, THEN prizes are awarded based on final standings.
If your going to have a "Race" in a game, then do it right! Do it so it's as fair as possible to all participants. Because wee have multiple "powerboard" types with different speed rating.
Now, Faster board types should award greater prize payout..
And get rid of the grab a flag mechanic,, please...
I tell ya what.. go to go cart track.. and hang flags for 1,2,3rd along the track.. tell the drivers they not only have to cross the finish line in the proper position to claim the flag, but they must also drive to and grab the flag. If they miss grabbing the flag, someone else behind them can grab the flag and win the race.
Does this sound stupid, lame, unfair, and ridiculous to you? It does? Good! Thats why you don't see such a system in real world racing.
The flag "solution" in place now was a very bad band aid. It's bad game design.
As for Cryptics engine being unable to model real world physics etc.. I'm calling BS on that. It can model it. It's a custom in house engine.. All they gotta do it write the code for it. The code it's self might not be simple, but it can be written. I mean really folks. We been watching this game now for over 5 years. Look at all the systems that have been added during that time.
I'd love to see the multiplayer "racing" games in STO not only better structured, but better thought out. In the winter event we have the fast and the flurriest contest, but that's a solo race against the computer. There is a multi player race...It's problematic though and I don't particularly enjoy. Again there is the issue of "flag" that have to be grabbed. Though the in game velocities are substantially less so it is less of an issue, but its still the same unfair problem. Winners loosing their prize to someone else.
The flag "solution" isn't a solution for a lag issue. It's a problem. And one more thing for the server side software to keep checking conditions on. Yet more clock cycles get used. It's a poor solution. And as we have seen recently most of the lag issues are indeed server side as they have been all along.
Want a fair race? Then track players time from the "go" at start, to when they cross the finish line.
Want a fair "multi Class" race? Then you must award separately for the different classes.
This doesn't have to be done. BUt it pretty mean to the players not doing so,, The faster classes could have a little bit better payout, or not.
The racing is fun, but it could be much much better with some minor changes in the race structure.. It's just another type of Mini game, with the difference being that its a competitive one with several players doing it at the same time.. Get Borticus on it. Thats his sort of specialty anyway right?
The suggestion to break the race down in to classes was made last year.
Maybe the studio has been to busy this year to have done anything, and the increasing technical issues server side has possibly impacted things.
Lets see, things we know of for sure that should be in the next patch..
Lag/latency fixes too numerous to list...not that most of would even understand what they are reading (I would, but I'm special that way). Costume changes/fixes/upgrades in quite possibly very large numbers. SOme effecting new summer stuff, and some not.
Maybe someday they might consider adding high payout multi lap races.
Unfortunately any fix for the power board racing is likely not going to happen before next year. Not unless someone with pull get seriously worked up about it and can say fix now, and it gets fixed.
If someday we get to drive Argosy's around on a planet surface and they add racing with 'em for an event, better get that at least something close to right.
I just encountered something new - I was unable to grab the flag. I came in first, stopped at the flag - but no interaction prompt appeared. Second came in, grabeed first place. I moved over to the second place flag - no prompt appeared. After all places were gone I approached the participation price - no interaction prompt. I left the area and got disqualified for leaving the track
^ Memory Alpha.org is not canon. It's a open wiki with arbitrary rules. Only what can be cited from an episode is. ^
"No. Men do not roar. Women roar. Then they hurl heavy objects... and claw at you." -Worf, son of Mogh
"A filthy, mangy beast, but in its bony breast beat the heart of a warrior" - "faithful" (...) "but ever-ready to follow the call of the wild." - Martok, about a Targ
"That pig smelled horrid. A sweet-sour, extremely pungent odor. I showered and showered, and it took me a week to get rid of it!" - Robert Justman, appreciating Emmy-Lou
At this point, I would be happy with everyone getting a flat 25 favor prize for simply participating in the race. IDK how many times I've parked at the flag and spammed "f" and never even got a prompt to claim the flag. The timer would be perfect, but anything would be better than the whole "claim the flag" thing.
Spikey
Comments
I was one second short of getting 5 alts through one night. at ~100 favors each that adds up fast if you make it. ^_^
I have the cheapest board because, given the problems with the race, I see no use in spending more on an expensive board, Further, the cheap board looks the best, because of the small engine; it is the most elegant one.
Btw, I don't see those dancing bots anymore. Has there been taken some action?
That's true, I was talking about one character though because when I give advice I assume the most basic requirements. With multiple characters it is indeed much easier. I even run the hunt three times - one char with tribble + superior floater and two characters with the rental floater + tribble (I figured a route that takes me around three minutes, sometimes I overshoot or get stuck so it's maybe 3 and a half minutes on the rentals). If I would push it I could maybe make a fourth run, but that's too much hassle to consider it "casual"
Get the Forums Enhancement Extension!
Internally the server breaks down contestants internally into classes based apon the quality of the board.. most specificly, its speed rating, for any one specific heat.
On the assumption that no matter what your going to have lag, then the only thing that need to be tracked is the player course time.. NOT where they are in relation to other players on the course JUST the players time from race start to when the server registers the player crossing the finish line. Where you place in timing with the other players in the same board class determines if you get more the 15 favors for finishing.
Because its a one lap heat results are going to be dead accurate. The timer per player starts when the race starts, NOT when they cross the start line.. when the race starter says go, the race is on..
Players will be unlikely to lag right at the start of the race... Its also possible to easily model what would be the best possible time around the course... for cheat detection. Some one beats the computer determined best possible time by two or three second you know they are doing something they shouldn't.
Once the race ends, THEN prizes are awarded based on final standings.
If your going to have a "Race" in a game, then do it right! Do it so it's as fair as possible to all participants. Because wee have multiple "powerboard" types with different speed rating.
Now, Faster board types should award greater prize payout..
And get rid of the grab a flag mechanic,, please...
I tell ya what.. go to go cart track.. and hang flags for 1,2,3rd along the track.. tell the drivers they not only have to cross the finish line in the proper position to claim the flag, but they must also drive to and grab the flag. If they miss grabbing the flag, someone else behind them can grab the flag and win the race.
Does this sound stupid, lame, unfair, and ridiculous to you? It does? Good! Thats why you don't see such a system in real world racing.
The flag "solution" in place now was a very bad band aid. It's bad game design.
As for Cryptics engine being unable to model real world physics etc.. I'm calling BS on that. It can model it. It's a custom in house engine.. All they gotta do it write the code for it. The code it's self might not be simple, but it can be written. I mean really folks. We been watching this game now for over 5 years. Look at all the systems that have been added during that time.
I'd love to see the multiplayer "racing" games in STO not only better structured, but better thought out. In the winter event we have the fast and the flurriest contest, but that's a solo race against the computer. There is a multi player race...It's problematic though and I don't particularly enjoy. Again there is the issue of "flag" that have to be grabbed. Though the in game velocities are substantially less so it is less of an issue, but its still the same unfair problem. Winners loosing their prize to someone else.
The flag "solution" isn't a solution for a lag issue. It's a problem. And one more thing for the server side software to keep checking conditions on. Yet more clock cycles get used. It's a poor solution. And as we have seen recently most of the lag issues are indeed server side as they have been all along.
Want a fair race? Then track players time from the "go" at start, to when they cross the finish line.
Want a fair "multi Class" race? Then you must award separately for the different classes.
This doesn't have to be done. BUt it pretty mean to the players not doing so,, The faster classes could have a little bit better payout, or not.
The racing is fun, but it could be much much better with some minor changes in the race structure.. It's just another type of Mini game, with the difference being that its a competitive one with several players doing it at the same time.. Get Borticus on it. Thats his sort of specialty anyway right?
The suggestion to break the race down in to classes was made last year.
Maybe the studio has been to busy this year to have done anything, and the increasing technical issues server side has possibly impacted things.
Lets see, things we know of for sure that should be in the next patch..
Lag/latency fixes too numerous to list...not that most of would even understand what they are reading (I would, but I'm special that way). Costume changes/fixes/upgrades in quite possibly very large numbers. SOme effecting new summer stuff, and some not.
Maybe someday they might consider adding high payout multi lap races.
Unfortunately any fix for the power board racing is likely not going to happen before next year. Not unless someone with pull get seriously worked up about it and can say fix now, and it gets fixed.
If someday we get to drive Argosy's around on a planet surface and they add racing with 'em for an event, better get that at least something close to right.
Get the Forums Enhancement Extension!
Spikey
For some unknown reason I just had a mosty lag free race.. I also worked hard to get into first place from a 3rd place start.
I of course not only managed to not get my bonus prize at the end for first.. I was unable to claim either 2 or 3rd..
Man that really stinks... I ran a hard lap and won it, and got 15 favors..
Yea,.. ahh NO. not good, bad.. rude even.
I have to wonder though why is the H.O.G faster than the Fed board when it costs the same?
We come in peace, SHOOT TO KILL!