Is it fair to have lap cutoffs for Online tournament Classes?

[Manasseh257NSX]

I want to know if this idea I have for future tournaments is fair.

So right now I am hosting a series, (GT WorldWide Tour) and it has 3 classes. However, the LMP2 Class is extremely teetered as well as the GTE class. I plan on having another season but with more specs and more sanctioning.

With stricter sanctioning, I am thinking about having lap time cutoffs for each class. I would do this by setting a minimum time for each class on a test track and if the driver cannot make the minimum time, they will have to change their class or (If in the GTE Class) change their vehicle

(i.e. Driver xx signs up for the LMP1 class with xx car. We go to Silverstone to test or "Tryout" I guess you can say, and the minimum time set to race in the LMP1 class is a time of 1:51 [At Silverstone] Driver xx runs 5 laps but is unable to run the time required. He therefore has to change classes to compete. This will be the same for the LMP2 class with a different set time. For the GTE class, you will have to switch your car or tune it until you are able to make minimum time [GTE minimum time is very lenient and doable unless one has a 550pp car])

By this it keeps the driving competition tight and puts everybody in their best suited category so everyone is having fun.

My question is, is this a fair and clean method of grouping everyone in their best suited class so the races can be clean, competitive, and fun? Or is this unfair? As every car does handle different and sometimes the settings just need to be tweaked to run said time?
(Also this goes for me too. If I can't make the minimum time I will have to switch classes)

 

[Voodoovaj]

Sounds good except for the last bit about switching your tune to compete. Just have a bottom class with the slowest drivers in that class and don't worry about a cut off for that class.

It's like relegation in soccer. The best move up, the worst move down.

 

[Sick Cylinder]

I want to know if this idea I have for future tournaments is fair.

So right now I am hosting a series, (GT WorldWide Tour) and it has 3 classes. However, the LMP2 Class is extremely teetered as well as the GTE class. I plan on having another season but with more specs and more sanctioning.

With stricter sanctioning, I am thinking about having lap time cutoffs for each class. I would do this by setting a minimum time for each class on a test track and if the driver cannot make the minimum time, they will have to change their class or (If in the GTE Class) change their vehicle

(i.e. Driver xx signs up for the LMP1 class with xx car. We go to Silverstone to test or "Tryout" I guess you can say, and the minimum time set to race in the LMP1 class is a time of 1:51 [At Silverstone] Driver xx runs 5 laps but is unable to run the time required. He therefore has to change classes to compete. This will be the same for the LMP2 class with a different set time. For the GTE class, you will have to switch your car or tune it until you are able to make minimum time [GTE minimum time is very lenient and doable unless one has a 550pp car])

By this it keeps the driving competition tight and puts everybody in their best suited category so everyone is having fun.

My question is, is this a fair and clean method of grouping everyone in their best suited class so the races can be clean, competitive, and fun? Or is this unfair? As every car does handle different and sometimes the settings just need to be tweaked to run said time?
(Also this goes for me too. If I can't make the minimum time I will have to switch classes)

I think it's fair, especially if this information is made clear in the thread. Perhaps you could have a pre-season round run as a time trial and assign people to classes after that. Some spaces might open up in the top class if some of the fast drivers choose not to race in it - some of the top drivers prefer the lower classes.

I think the above suggestion would work better because it gives you control over the number of drivers in each class whereas if you use a set time, all or none of the drivers might achieve it. I recently read the Desire Wilson story (she won two rounds of the World Sportscar championship) and at Le Mans one of the times she raced the rule was that only the fastest eight teams in each class could enter.

If you do a time trial - perhaps in several cars you can assign the drivers to each class in turn making adjustments as required if drivers opt to race in a class below the one to which they are entitled by virtue of their time trial result.

In my room I use a different system for multi-class if the cars are not being issued by choice: each driver earns a license grade based on their previous results - all start on silver. Consistently fast drivers are upgraded to gold and previous championship winners are graded platinum. Sadly I am not fast enough to be gold. From a fairness point, as host make sure whatever rules you pick apply equally to the Host other drivers and all race officials / stewards etc.

This is not a common thing on GTPlanet, but if my series involve multiple car types we swap cars at regular intervals - this stops the resentment that can build if people think they always get worse cars than the others.

 

[Manasseh257NSX]

Sounds good except for the last bit about switching your tune to compete. Just have a bottom class with the slowest drivers in that class and don't worry about a cut off for that class.

It's like relegation in soccer. The best move up, the worst move down.

I think it's fair, especially if this information is made clear in the thread. Perhaps you could have a pre-season round run as a time trial and assign people to classes after that. Some spaces might open up in the top class if some of the fast drivers choose not to race in it - some of the top drivers prefer the lower classes.

I think the above suggestion would work better because it gives you control over the number of drivers in each class whereas if you use a set time, all or none of the drivers might achieve it. I recently read the Desire Wilson story (she won two rounds of the World Sportscar championship) and at Le Mans one of the times she raced the rule was that only the fastest eight teams in each class could enter.

If you do a time trial - perhaps in several cars you can assign the drivers to each class in turn making adjustments as required if drivers opt to race in a class below the one to which they are entitled by virtue of their time trial result.

In my room I use a different system for multi-class if the cars are not being issued by choice: each driver earns a license grade based on their previous results - all start on silver. Consistently fast drivers are upgraded to gold and previous championship winners are graded platinum. Sadly I am not fast enough to be gold. From a fairness point, as host make sure whatever rules you pick apply equally to the Host other drivers and all race officials / stewards etc.

This is not a common thing on GTPlanet, but if my series involve multiple car types we swap cars at regular intervals - this stops the resentment that can build if people think they always get worse cars than the others.

Okay, Okay, I think I'm getting it. I should have a time trial event or race. (For me I would probably do a one-make type race to eliminate any advantages another car might have) and after the race/Time Trial, I could save the replay and evaluate the players by the times they ran (position means nothing in this, as players in 1st sometimes can get knocked off the track and fall to 4th or 5th but have faster times than the person in 1st) and I would group the players with the fastest consistent times in Group A the middle times in Group B and the rest in Group C.

(Now if someone in Group A chooses to race in Group B, I will then allow anyone in Group B move to Group A if the wish to, to fill in that vacancy. Same goes for Group C if anyone chooses to move to that group.)

 

[Sick Cylinder]

Okay, Okay, I think I'm getting it. I should have a time trial event or race. (For me I would probably do a one-make type race to eliminate any advantages another car might have) and after the race/Time Trial, I could save the replay and evaluate the players by the times they ran (position means nothing in this, as players in 1st sometimes can get knocked off the track and fall to 4th or 5th but have faster times than the person in 1st) and I would group the players with the fastest consistent times in Group A the middle times in Group B and the rest in Group C.

(Now if someone in Group A chooses to race in Group B, I will then allow anyone in Group B move to Group A if the wish to, to fill in that vacancy. Same goes for Group C if anyone chooses to move to that group.)

I would go with a short time trial or series of them - some people can put in fast laps after hours of grinding away, but what is more relevant are those who can knock out a quick time on their first, second or third lap - they are the ones that will be able to put in fast times in a race.

The time trial function can be quite exciting as you compete and see the times progressively coming down. I did one a couple of months back to cover the rally stages of a championship. I used 10 minute time trials if the course was short and fifteen minutes if it was a longer course (e.g. Mount Panorama) with 5 minutes practise before each event. Using a tuning prohibited set car is a good idea and don't forget to put strong penalties on so that the game prevents people from cutting the track. Avoid certain tracks like Monza where the penalty system is very intrusive. It will take a bit of testing and trial and error to get the right durations and tracks, but once set you should be able to complete the event in around 1.5 hours if you run several time trials.

 

[Manasseh257NSX]

I would go with a short time trial or series of them - some people can put in fast laps after hours of grinding away, but what is more relevant are those who can knock out a quick time on their first, second or third lap - they are the ones that will be able to put in fast times in a race.

The time trial function can be quite exciting as you compete and see the times progressively coming down. I did one a couple of months back to cover the rally stages of a championship. I used 10 minute time trials if the course was short and fifteen minutes if it was a longer course (e.g. Mount Panorama) with 5 minutes practise before each event. Using a tuning prohibited set car is a good idea and don't forget to put strong penalties on so that the game prevents people from cutting the track. Avoid certain tracks like Monza where the penalty system is very intrusive. It will take a bit of testing and trial and error to get the right durations and tracks, but once set you should be able to complete the event in around 1.5 hours if you run several time trials.

Alright then, that sounds good. Thanks a ton bro! I really appreciate the advice and constructive feedback, it really helped me figure out a pretty good class grouping system.