So I continue my ambivalence towards which racing game to use for my project. The more I have been watching F1 on TV the more it seems to be about tire strategy. That just isn't a big part of CFR. So I tinkered with Race and banged out some rules to make the robots more unique and thought I would run the spanish grand prix. Robots do change for tires and damage in my new rules.
I used the same qualify sequence that I developed for CRF which involves dice. The top 6 were:
Raikkonnen
Lewis
Riccardo
Sainz
Vettel
Bottas
I qualified 10th.
Starting grid. you can just see me waaaay in the back
Starting weather was intermediate moving strongly to sunny which was interesting. [ I used the weather rules from boardgame geek] Soft tires would last about 15 laps and give you the 2-3 blue chip boosts per the rules and hard tires would last about 38 laps. Due to the weather a 1 stop strategy wasn't really in the cards for anyone so all racers decided on variations of a 2 stop using both soft and hard tires. Everyone starts on intermediate tires.
Lewis gets a great start. Sainz in the yellow Renault also starts well.
Alonso and Grosjean both slide during a late break early in the race.
Track has dried. Lewis bottom left has built a commanding lead around lap 18. All cars except mine have switched from intermediates. I have had an incredible run of cards and am trying to stretch out my tires a little longer. I have moved from 10th to 8th.
As my tires continue to hold I move up. Here I pass Vettle.
Lewis switches from soft to hard allowing Raikonnen to catch up. Finally Kimi passes Lewis on lap 24!
Huckleberg running a good race (7th) loses his gearbox and has to retire.
My intermediates hold through 30 laps and I hold Vettle off to keep 8th. Now a 1 stop strategy looks appealing.
Lewis' tires are running bare, Vettle's hard are fine and he catches teammate Kimi and Lewis on lap 41.
With new hard tires I catch Bottas and Ricardo also on Lap 41. With careful tire management I shouldn't have to pit again while they will.
Between laps 45 and 48 everyone pits and I take the lead! Now roles are reversed as Lewis and Vettle are on new softs and quickly gain ground on me until the 53rd lap they catch me going into the turn...
Lewis decides to challenge me in the turn and we have contact. He spins into the gravel but as I pass I realize my wing is decidedly bent. With over 10 laps to go I enter the pits; rats.
Lewis and Vettle challenge each other but in the end...
but in the end it is Hamiton first closely followed by Vettle and Bottas. Ricardo takes fourth.
I manage a distant fifth as I pass Kimi on my brand new softs.
I really enjoyed this race as well. The robots all played differently and kept me engaged in the race throughout. The time investment was still substantial, about 3 hours, but less than CFR with 14 cars. While it didn't feel like I was in the car it did feel like I was watching it either in the paddock or on TV and was involved in the strategy of the race. When to time the pit, when to push were all decisions. A different experience from CFR but enjoyable.
Still don't know what to do?!?
Perhaps a couple more plays of each will help me decide.
Joe
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