Boost - Do you use it online or no?

[chuyler1]

First off, I never race NASCAR so these comments are from road course experience only.

Boost=high I never use but boost=low is occasionally fun. However, it only takes 1 or 2 bad drivers out of 16 to completely ruin Boost=Low. That one bad driver will keep plowing through the field only to crash and repeat.

With PP racing, all cars are not created equal. In my 450pp room my regulars know if you want to win a race you pull out the NSX or Elise. We like racing other cars though and the lap times can vary by 3-5 seconds. That doesn't make for very interesting racing since the leader can pull away once he gets out front. In a 5 lap sprint, the fastest car usually spends the last 2 laps alone.

To combat this, I've been trying the reverse starting grid. However it usually results in turn 1 or turn 2 carnage at the front when the slower drivers start ramming each other thinking they are the fastest. Then the actual fast drivers come along and the slower drivers ruin a perfectly good pass by punting you on the next turn when they think they can run the same line.

Perhaps a better approach is boost=low + damage=high + penalties=high. Cars that want to start bashing others will have to smarten up or GTFO. No way a damaged car can catch back up even with boost=low. However I fear that a car that is punted might get damaged accidentally.

 

[Sum1s2pid]

No.

While I understand that it keeps the field tight, which helps slower drivers, in way too many instances, Boost tends to punish fast drivers and reward bad drivers.

Faster drivers should always run away from the pack. That's just the way it is. They're faster. If a slower driver wants to be in contention for the lead, they should learn to drive faster. If a bad driver wants to do the same, they should stop being bad.

 

[Skyline_77]

I'm unsure myself.. Boost can make for a really fun race.

I usually only end up in amateur rooms, so i'm ahead of the pack mostly. Boost helps em catch up and put pressure on me.

 

[eecubed]

It's funner to have a close race than a realistic race. I voted for Low Boost since I play this game for enjoyment and relaxation. I don't participate in serious races.

 

[nawfal]

This makes me wonder, what about a race with high boost and with X2010s and one 500R? Will the 500R go light speed if the transmission is changed enough?

 

[MikeTheHockeyFan]

In addition, while rare, this in combination with "heavy damage" and the perfect type of players can sometimes create the most realistic online session featuring an actual sense of risk.

There is nothing better than a sense of risk in an online race, a risk to lose it all due to a foolish attempt to pass, or crash due to not slowing down properly.

I feel racing together in a group, many laps where risk is involved creates a more genuine experience.

Rare, but genuine.

Very interesting different way to look at it. I am looking for a way to have enjoyable online races with High Damage :up:

 

[velly]

i take part in two lots of races, tuesday night, 15 laps no boost

and thursday nights, 3 laps sprints wil max boost.

I am not a fan of boost, but it keeps the pack closer but in the wet i did manage to win by over 8 seconds lol

 

[chuyler1]

This makes me wonder, what about a race with high boost and with X2010s and one 500R? Will the 500R go light speed if the transmission is changed enough?

I can't comment on boost=high but with boost=low it will only get you as far as the lead car if you have a slightly slower car. There usually isn't enough boost to get you past unless the cars are equally matched.

 

[veyron1001]

Boost is like no wear/fuel. Both are useless and will not improve your driving.

 

[Sn1per666]

No.

While I understand that it keeps the field tight, which helps slower drivers, in way too many instances, Boost tends to punish fast drivers and reward bad drivers.

Faster drivers should always run away from the pack. That's just the way it is. They're faster. If a slower driver wants to be in contention for the lead, they should learn to drive faster. If a bad driver wants to do the same, they should stop being bad.

My thoughts exactly. Not to mention that in my experience it causes more collisions.

Years ago when I played Forza I couldn't keep up with anyone but it certainly didn't bother me. I just tried to get better. If boost were in every racing game and couldn't be turned off then whats the point of getting better?

 

[chuyler1]

Boost is like no wear/fuel. Both are useless and will not improve your driving.

I'd have to disagree. If you are a beginner or intermediate, boost will help you keep up and learn the driving line by following someone, watching their brake zones, and adjusting your driving line to match theirs. The key is to use boost to follow, not to pass.

 

[sgllocal]

we use boost all the time online in racing. why? because it makes the races alot more closer and challenging rather than someone flying off in front with like 20secs gap lol.. serious boost on makes the racing so much more closer and better..

 

[Yardang]

I usually dislike boost because some of my fastest laps are with me trying to play catch up. But at the same time, it's hard to do that as an NSX in the hands of a skilled driver usually has a 15 second lead by the end of a race. If someone takes out an NSX in low HP/PP races, I'd want boost on to make things more even. 'Cause once someone takes out the NSX, rooms start switching toward "NSX and Friends" (those friends being the RX-7, Elise, and Evora), which gets boring...

 

[chuyler1]

Yardang, you definitely hit the nail on the head as far as rooms go. I usually taunt people in the NSX/Elise until they leave or pick a car that runs similar lap times...unless they can't keep it on the track. The PP system is far from equal and boost helps with that.

But with that said, it's more rewarding to fight tooth and nail for 7th place with boost off than it is to fight for 1st with boost on.

 

[RWB1213]

I voted low, and here is the reason . . . in every console racing game I have played, including GT5, the variables of driver skill and car performance (even when PP is matched) still generally leads to a pretty sizable disparity on the track. Some drivers are just better than others, and some cars (at a given PP) are just ringers. As much as I hate how the boost operates in GT5 (slows cars in front, and boosts cars in back) it does lead to more competitive racing. If the drivers and cars are evenly matched without boost, then leave it off.

 

[chuyler1]

I agree RWB. If drivers can run clean lines and make clean passes in cars that are closely matched. The draft is all that is needed for interesting racing. I just wish it was easier to match cars. I get a competitive, clean race probably 1 out of every 10 5 lap races online. The other 9 I am either 3-4 seconds faster per lap, 3-4 seconds slower per lap, or get bumped on the first lap and spend the remaining laps fighting to the front.

 

[Destinkeys]

There's ALREADY an exaggerated 'boost' that you can't switch off... GT5's hyped up drafting. There's no point in having TWO 'boosts'.

If drafting and good line can't catch you back up after a mistake, well, that's the incentive to NOT make mistakes..!

 

[PiRacingChamp]

not even once.

 

[Tvensky]

No for real racing.. Yes sometimes for fun and Shuffle racing. (but sometimes..) 99% its off..

 

[chuyler1]

There's ALREADY an exaggerated 'boost' that you can't switch off... GT5's hyped up drafting.

Yeah, on some tracks the draft is a bit excessive and very unrealistic. At 130mph you shouldn't get a boost from a car 10 lengths in front of you.

 

[ChUnKieBaLLz]

Lol...since this brought up a pretty good debate, I've decided to do an experiment regarding Boost and Fun factor. Feel free to participate in this experiment as a full grid would be totally awesome and a bigger sample is always better. Just to let everyone know beforehand, I am one of those people who vote for Boost High for all my online races.

So, this is how it's going to work. There's going to be 4 races at the same track, same number of laps. I've decided that there will be 1 PP race @ 550PP and 1 One-make Race, both with boost on High and one with no Boost. So 4 races in total, 2 PP races, one with boost and one without boost, and same thing with One Make race.

So far with a bit of testing, I've decided to use 5 laps @ Grand Valley Speedway Reverse. Not only is there ample room and time for racers to have tight races, there are enough technical corners and straights for boost to make an impact on the race.

The PP races will be set @ 550PP, while the One-make race will be the Arcade SLS AMG with stock tires (Sports Hard). The same car must be used for both PP races to keep everything constant. No Aids will be turned on for all 4 races. Damage & Penalty will also be turned off as well.

The idea behind it is to see if there's a correlation between Boost and Fun factor for a full grid of drivers with varying levels of skill, while keeping everything else constant. It'll be great if people can take the test, then reply back on this thread to talk about the experience. If you want to help out a fellow GTP'er out, then come on over to the GTP Chat room and we'll hook you up on the specifics about this experiment.

 

[chuyler1]

If you get 16 courteous drivers it won't matter what boost is set at. But if you have a few laggers or bad drivers in the bunch, they'll push their way to the front by going inside and using other cars to turn. The only problem I have with boost is that I have to put up with bad drivers for longer periods. When its 5-10 racers that all know one another and know what a defensive racing line is...boost low, boost high, or no boost is fun regardless.

 

[GT5Power]

I voted for low boost, because I was in a PP room without boost where a guy kept pulling away from the others and we went back to the lobby before I even finished. IN SECOND PLACE.

When I inherited the room, I set boost to low and slipstream to strong and *boom!* all the top 3 finished within 0.7s. How EPIC is that? 💡


~GT5Power

 

[Eric W]

For me, boost ruins good racing. It takes the skill out of the race. It allows poor drivers to catch up to the pack and it severely handicaps the skilled drivers. What fun it that!

When setting up a lobby "Race for Real" boost shouldn't even be an option but unfortunately it is. Boost should only be available as a "Race for Fun" option but "Race for Fun" and "Race for Real" means absolutely nothing when setting up a room.

 

[NjLowrider]

Boost makes the game do strange things. If your out front it will make you feel slowed, but when a corner comes up it feels like you got more momentum than you think.

The physics start feeling wrong.

Boost is for fun. Not for true racing.

 

[GT5Power]

I have heard reports of drivers being drafted and LOSING speed due to boost on high.

PD is never going to change

~GT5Power

 

[DGXR]

Boost is one of the worst features I have ever seen in a racing game. Drivers at the front of the pack should be there *only* because they are fast, clean drivers... and maybe because they got lucky in that turn 1 massacre and preserved their position through skillful driving. They should not be up front because of an artificial race position equalizer -- "ooh my car is much faster now because I'm in last place." That's ridiculous. Drivers need to earn their finish position.

 

[Kamina]

Ummm... what is boost?

 

[Johnnypenso]

Do you enjoy using boost online?

Yes, or no?

If so, boost low or boost high?

Generally no, but the odd time just goofing off with people I know it can be fun. Never used high, only low.

 

[GTP_CargoRatt]

Boost is one of the worst features I have ever seen in a racing game. Drivers at the front of the pack should be there *only* because they are fast, clean drivers... and maybe because they got lucky in that turn 1 massacre and preserved their position through skillful driving. They should not be up front because of an artificial race position equalizer -- "ooh my car is much faster now because I'm in last place." That's ridiculous. Drivers need to earn their finish position.

I couldn't agree more. When I used to race online, I avoided rooms with boost just for that very reason. It allows lesser skilled drivers to be up front with the more skilled drivers. Inevitably, it would always be one of those lesser skilled drivers that had no buissiness being up front in the first place that would cause a big ass pile up, ruining everybody's race.