Generic Multiplayer and the Slow Down Penalty

I have read through many threads describing the multiplayer issues but wanted to ask about the slow-down penalty and how it relates to the online racing.

At first I kind of liked that when the slow-down flag is given to the racer you actually have the option to take this penalty at a later time (i.e. the next turn that you were going to slow down for anyways). However, I've noticed in multiplayer games the racers just stop in the middle of the racing line and break check half the field! For this reason I think they should just auto penalize the driver and send his car to "ghost" mode similar to how this is done in GT6.

Is this the same for the PC version? If so, how has it been addressed if at all?

 

Hi DrVegas,
yes it is the same for PC version: in case of cut, you have to slow down for some seconds before the end of the current lap.
Unluckily, it is up to the drivers to do it in a way that doesn't harm anyone.
In real life racing, the drivers are given a different penalty (like Drive Through, or +5/+10 seconds added to their race time, depending if there is the chance to pay the penalty before the end of the race and other factors).
I agree that having to pay the penalty on the same lap isn't ideal, but it can generally be done in a safe way except in some corner cases (eg: cut at last turn).
IMHO the main problem is that most of the guys show very little awareness of who/what is near them, and the current AC solution isn't (pardon..) idiot-proof enough

 

It is a pain, so the best thing to do is not cut, especially at Monza as there are no really slow corners after the Lesmo. It is a pain when you get someone slowing down in the most inconvenient places, but then there are some that park on track and attack passing racers, those that ram and weave and others who have not practice in anyway at all. So as a sim I do not want to see ghost cars, just a little respect from other racers. Time added to the end of the race could be good as it will really force you to be more careful and if you receive 3 or more you get a forced drive through (reset to having another three cuts after drive through, not like some games that once you have three warnings every new one gives you another drive through).

 

Would be nice to have the option to add the penalty to the finish time at the end of the race as slowdowns cause real problems (at times) on track .
That's a feature I'd really like to see available in the future .

 

I agree ghost cars while under penalty is also not something I would prefer. Not sure I like adding time at the end but that might be the best solution.

I was playing through a PlayStation "Party" the other night with a friend (from GT6) the first night he had the game and he didn't realize how the slow down penalty worked and ended up DQ in the pits. Of course we gave him a hard time telling him not to bring those "Cheater lines" he was used to getting away with in GT6.

Another online question - I have read that currently the multiplayer is "Region Locked" and I would not be able to play with anyone outside of North America. Can anyone confirm this? It appears this might be the case since all I see are a handful of "drift" lobbies and maybe one or two race.

 

Don't think so bud I'm in the UK and have played with members of our community from all over the world Inc America

 

Yeah I'd like exactly that so everyone can keep racing. Would also be good for truly accidental or crash avoidance cuts because the frustration of being downgraded one or two positions after the race is certainly less annoying than having to leave your duel mid-race as you spend the penalty...just because you avoided a crash.

 

The penalty system is good. Its just players that cant use it properly.

via Xiaomi Mi5 ver Karramba!!

 

If you avoid an accident and get a penalty you might not feel that way. It teaches you to stay on track, but it is harsher than Alex Jones voice. Still it all there is for you console guys, we have a few different ways to control naughty behaviour, Minorating and sTracker. Still I have never liked AI stewards as they never see the whole picture.