Restrictor & Ballast Sheet

[jeromef1]

[iframe]https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTW8x2V8oE2QBZ_iSFu1nl1YnFQCB2fzcwJNwiTxrnJAXeId8cvSgCWf9fMJtb1udEttXYUXm4NPuX6/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true&widget=true&headers=false, 900, 500[/iframe]​

 

[Tberg]

Legend: 

Lap = drivers fastest race lap
Lap/Avg = drivers average in relation to grid average lap
cur REST. = Driver current RESTRICTOR plate. Is zero at the first round (race 1+2)
Pos. REST. = Static RESTRICTOR value, given to each leaderboard position from P1 and down. This is not the final RESTRICTOR value added to the driver!
Pen. REST = The penalty RESTRICTOR value added to the driver, based on finish position, though only if driver fastest lap <101% of average grid lap. This is also the value added after Round 1! From round 2, 'New REST.' is used.
New REST. = New RESTRICTOR value, and final value the driver will carry to next round.
Ballast <100% = Ballast added if driver is under 100% of the average grid laptime. This is also the value added after Round 1! From round 2, 'New Ballast' is used.
cur Ballast = Driver current BALLAST. Is zero at the first round (race 1+2)
New Ballast = Average of 'Ballast<100%' and 'Current Ballast', that the driver carries to next round.


The system is designed to work with a larger gap in laptimes, due the nature of different skill levels in simracing, rather than using rl systems like f.i. BTCC ballast. It'll also not penalize drivers that are slower than 101% average grid lap.
Restrictor plate will not affect the cars handling, ballast will however.
Maximum restrictor can never be higher than 100%, which is approx. 1% off a laptime, equal to 1sec on a 1:40.000 lap. Restrictor will be added based on results.
Maximum ballast is set on server to 150kg, and ballast will be added to fast drivers regardless of the ability to finish high in the results.

Also, and very important: restrictions added are added to the CAR #, not the actual driver. This means, that if a reserve is filling in, that person will be driving with the restrictions that the given car has accumulated.
If a driver/car misses a race entirely, the restrictions will freeze at the current values, till the driver/car resumes the championship.

 

[HEYFANTA]

This is just an example, right? we are not gonna get restrictions based on practice ?

 

[Tberg]

This is just an example, right? we are not gonna get restrictions based on practice ?

Just an example, yes 

Restrictor and ballast won't be added until round 2 @ Red Bull Ring, including the qually. The values will be based on both race 1+2 results from round 1 @ Silverstone, though nothing will be added between the two races. This goes for all rounds throughout the season.


Pre-season race @ Mugello will also be without any restrictions, as well as the results will not affect the season.

 

[DEADZERO]

Is this something the server will impose on our cars automatically or do we need to add the ballast and such?

 

[Tberg]

Is this something the server will impose on our cars automatically or do we need to add the ballast and such?

The restrictions will automatically be added to the cars....by me, serverside, so you don't have to do anything 

Joke aside, there's no automation available, and because it's manual work that I first has to be put in the sheet, then onto the server entrylist, restrictions will not be added between sessions.

 

[DEADZERO]

Will the restrictions be added right after the 2nd race? Curious to know if we get to practice with the ballast on before the next race

 

[Tberg]

Will the restrictions be added right after the 2nd race? Curious to know if we get to practice with the ballast on before the next race

Good question!

Yes, I plan to update the season results and restrictions immediately after the races are over, before midnight.

 

[Lum]

Because we all are going to go straight to practice for the next race right after Race 2

 

[Tberg]

Restrictor table updated!

The restrictor&ballast everyone will start with at Round 3 next Sunday, is the data in green on Round 2!


Yikes, this is gonna screw things up


Please don't forget, that this is the first time EVER we've tried using restrictor. It might bring the grid too close, and if anything needs rebalancing, we'll do so!
But, I hope we can go forward through the season till week 5 is done, before considering re-balancing the restrictions. Then we'll have 2 more weeks of racing to test afterwards.

 

[John Gordon]

I really don't understand this. And I don't get why I have both Ballast and Restrictors?

 

[Tberg]

I really don't understand this. And I don't get why I have both Ballast and Restrictors?

Hi John, 

It might look a little complicated, so I'll probably hide a few coloumns of data.
The idea is:
Top 10 gets restrictor percentage added for finishing position (100% for 1st, 90% for 2nd, etc)
It works kindda like BTCC uses ballast, but we're using restrictor as it doesn't affect the handling. Also, restrictor is added per result, not season leaderboard.

However, ballast are added for race fastest lap compared to the average laptime of the whole grid. That means, if you're faster than the average grid time, you receive ballast. How much you get is based on how much faster you are. This brings the faster drivers closer to the average grid time, while restrictor is more based on how consistent you are, making it easier for the drivers behind to catch you next week.

The system will be a little harsh after week 1 and will need week 2 and maybe 3 to start evening out the grid. The whole point is to close the grid even more than using a singlemake car can do. This way, the season championship is not already predictable after week 1, as midfielders will have a shot at scoring podium points, as well as the top drivers will switch places a few times.
The system has been created to get more people to stick through the season, promising way more opportunities to have close racing while also scoring more points. 

That said, nothing is set in stone. I've planned a re-balance, if necessarry, after week 5. As is, no one can get more than 150kg ballast and 100% restrictor, which will never happen the way the system works.

Final word: this is an experimental restrictions system, so forgive me if it seems complicated or harsh. I wanted to try something completely new, and since we're not 20 drivers with very similar skill-levels, this offers something for both the seasoned and the rookies.
The system might be something to keep for a future season, maybe only parts of it, maybe just a re-balanced version, or it could be trashed entirely. For this season, give it some patience and let's see how it evens out the grid and what racing experience it brings along.

Cheers!

 

[Tberg]

Average grid lap is now calculated by all laps that is '<=fastest lap x 103%'.
That means, laps that are slower than 103% of the fastest lap set on server, are not in the calculation of the average grid lap.

 

[Tberg]

Restrictor penalties changed, to:

1st = 50%
2nd = 45%
3rd = 40%
etc.

I discovered a mistake in my testcalculations, making a 100% restrictor far too invasive on laptimes, when the idea is to shave off a maximum of 1% pr.lap.

 

[Sollmann_1993]

Restrictor penalties changed, to:

1st = 50%
2nd = 45%
3rd = 40%
etc.

I discovered a mistake in my testcalculations, making a 100% restrictor far too invasive on laptimes, when the idea is to shave off a maximum of 1% pr.lap.

This is really confusing to me. If you are "Fast", do crazy good laptimes, are consistant etc. but finish outside of Top 10 or get Last due to a crash, you still get a huge amount of Ballast/Restrictor. In my Opinion this does not work.

In my opinion, it would be less confusing for everybody, if you give a certain Ballast for the Top 10 Overall after both Races.

1st 100 Kg 
2nd 90 KG etc. etc.

 

[DEADZERO]

Just allow 2 more weeks to pass before any changes are made. The system might work, if not, it'll be changed like Tberg said.

 

[Aksu]

TBerg!!! xD
Ballast works quite good It really gives somebody else change to get to podium.... I have 117 kg ballast right now and I can't drive because of INVALID SETUP xD Too low front....
59mm and minimum is 60mm

https://imgur.com/a/Fvc7S

edit: Just did some testing offline and I couldn't add more than 80 kg ballast to keep front height in limits and even with that weight....
I was second slower than without ballasts 
Drove only without p2p those times but with ballast couldn't get same time even with 3 p2p's  :lol:
Sooooooo.... still add restrictor above that  This is going to be interesting 

 

[Sollmann_1993]

TBerg!!! xD
Ballast works quite good It really gives somebody else change to get to podium.... I have 117 kg ballast right now and I can't drive because of INVALID SETUP xD Too low front....
59mm and minimum is 60mm

HAHA, you have to sit this one out. See you in 2 Weeks on the Nürburgring Aki 

 

[Tberg]

Restrictor penalties changed, to:

1st = 50%
2nd = 45%
3rd = 40%
etc.

I discovered a mistake in my testcalculations, making a 100% restrictor far too invasive on laptimes, when the idea is to shave off a maximum of 1% pr.lap.

This is really confusing to me. If you are "Fast", do crazy good laptimes, are consistant etc. but finish outside of Top 10 or get Last due to a crash, you still get a huge amount of Ballast/Restrictor. In my Opinion this does not work.

In my opinion, it would be less confusing for everybody, if you give a certain Ballast for the Top 10 Overall after both Races.

1st 100 Kg 
2nd 90 KG etc. etc.

Exactly. If you're crazy good, do fast times, but crash out, maybe not even your own fault, you'd be flying by everyone the next race if you didn't get ballast/restrictor, based on how good you "actually" can be.
Ballast overall top 10: this is basically what we're doing, but we're using restrictor instead. This is because ballast have influence on the car handling, restrictor does not. So, we use the "normal" type of penalizing the grid without hurting the handling.

Then, because this is not real life, where top 10-15 drivers easily are within 1-1½sec in laptimes in the same car, we're dealing with a wider spread in laptimes, regardless if the more skilled and/or consistent drivers finish higher. For the reason mentioned earlier, the system looks at who is potentially a fast driver, and if he's faster than the average lap, he's gets ballast. 

For this season, my goals were:
[ul]
[li]bring the grid as close as possible, regardless of skill levels.[/li]
[li]get more drivers/teams to complete the season, as often in simracing, teams just stop if they're too far behind and reality hits them.[/li]
[li]get the top 3-5 drivers to battle much more intense, while getting the midfield to be competitive a few rounds in. [/li]
[li]kill the prediction of who wins a season after the 1st week/round[/li]
[/ul]
The system may look confusing, but really you should just look at your restrictor value as a success "penalty" and look at ballast as a "speed" penalty.
Two values that will swing up and down till hopefully it evens out the grid so much, that everything is desided on the track: slipstream overtaking, P2P management, pressure, multiple battles and overtakes, etc.

Look at how close the real Audi TT cup is in laptimes and how mixed the results are during the season:
https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/audi-sport-tt-cup-2017-8033/results-and-point-standings-8161

In simracing, with a wide spread in speed/skills, you can often look at the round 1 results and see top 10 of the whole season. Drivers will be racing against the same team/drivers most of the time, if not entirely alone around the track. This is not F1


@Aksu, I thought I changed the setup-file on server to accomodate that rideheight, as I have the same problem on my car. Must have forgot to save or upload it from my own rig.
The height will be adjusted 2 clicks up on both front and back for all cars, nothing that will affect times much but will allow for high ballast. 

 

[Tberg]

correction: more than 2 clicks are needed for high ballast, so:

Ride height is now open on the base setup for the rest of the season! Makes sense when ballast is now kicking in