Sport modes biggest failing for the slow to average driver.

  • Thread starter Lebowski
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Lebowski

Lebowski

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United Kingdom
United Kingdom
It's amazed me that this has never been addressed yet in any updates. I'm talking about the terrible mismatching of rankings. For example, i've been a D-S for a long time who sometimes reaches the dizzy heights of C-S. All too often though i get both rankings pushed down. Why? Because the system thinks it is fair to match a driver who is D rated with A and S rated drivers.
Im not interested in the mechanics of how or why this happens, im aware. What i can't understand is how it is still allowed to happen after so many updates. For example, ive put hours and hours in to qualifying trials for Bathurst and my absolute best is 2:06.750.
Now after that i never managed to dip below 2:07.2 ever again, it was a true one off. My peak of talent. My limit. My absolute best that cant be improved upon.
I was quite happy with that yet since gaining that time im constantly matched with A and S rated drivers who are at least 3 seconds a lap faster than me and will churn those times out constantly. Its not just Bathurst, it's every sport mode race since the game began. Rarely do i get a fair and equal grid and manage to get a fair race with equal drivers.
The game should match drivers equally. D with D, B with B and so forth. A D-S driver should only ever be matched with a grid of other D-S drivers as should A-S drivers only be mixed with A-S drivers and the same for every other combo too. Seriously, how hard can i be to implement a fair system?! It totally puts me off racing when you know you cant make any progress.
 
You should relax and accept the fact you aren't the fastest.
I've spent several evenings as a B-S driver racing A+'s and S's. If you're not the fastest you have to learn to accept that and pick your battles.


If the game can't match you with D-S ranked players, that's probably because there aren't enough online, in Sport mode and queued up for that race at that point in time.
 
Thats my whole point of making this thread!!!! Im fully aware im not fast. The game should realise that with my qualifying times and my rankings. The system needs to be changed to mix people with others of equal talent. And if theres not enough players then i would rather have a small and equal grid than a large and unequal grid or even a delayed race. It needs sorting, it cant be difficult to just programme it for a like for like matching.
 
Try playing in a different timeslot (earlier or later). The system chooses those available at time of entry.
 
I've been B-S for ages and though the games matches me with other B-S players I only ever seem to qualify between 8th-20th and either through lack of pace, the odd mistake or more likely getting crashed into I finish maybe 1-2 places up on that.

I've only ever had 5 wins in over 300 races, most of those were in the early days of the game or at odd times when I just seemed to get lucky with grid position (IE same qually time netting wildly different places in two successive races).

Nowadays I just take the little victories: a podium finish, gaining as many places as possible or just finishing ahead of 'that idiot' that took me out in T1.
 
The mismatching happens purely on the count of players you're being matched with. it seems the most populated is DR A/B SR S/A/B. I always find a full grid here.

As @baldgye has mentioned, just pick your battles. Just because someone has a good rating, that doesn't mean they are better than you. Pick your battles and go your fastest without being too aggressive on the overtaking and defending and your DR/SR will rise. Fast lap times don't increase your rating, consistent races do.


BLiTZ
Nowadays I just take the little victories: a podium finish, gaining as many places as possible or just finishing ahead of 'that idiot' that took me out in T1.
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This is exactly what I mean. It's about getting by and taking what you can!

For instance, in GT5 I had silly quick race pace but poor qualifying pace. For GTS that seem the complete opposite. I can qualify top 3 most events then seem to drop off or make mistakes, I can't grasp the dirty air! I feel like it's forever changing weirdly enough so I just try and be competitive as smooth as I can
 
Lebowski
Thats my whole point of making this thread!!!! Im fully aware im not fast. The game should realise that with my qualifying times and my rankings. The system needs to be changed to mix people with others of equal talent. And if theres not enough players then i would rather have a small and equal grid than a large and unequal grid or even a delayed race. It needs sorting, it cant be difficult to just programme it for a like for like matching.
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If it matched you to an empty or mostly empty server then how would that be fair, or even work? People would just be gifted wins by having odd combinations of rankings. Why should people who are bad at driving, get a free pass at winning over those who are far better and faster? It would destroy all the value of Sport mode.


Sounds like what you want, exists in the game. Make a lobby and simply restrict it to players of a similar ranking to yourself. Then you can delay it as much as you need and balance it as you see fit.
 
What if during your session

100 users A+
15 users B
5 users C
20 users D
15 users E

And each session only can accept 16 people per instance,and thats is how you ended up with so many A+
 
Lebowski
And if theres not enough players then i would rather have a small and equal grid than a large and unequal grid or even a delayed race
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I think that also. The amount of drivers each lobby should be dynamic and not fixed. If the SR of DR/A/A+ drivers goes lower then below 95, the matchmaking starts to bekome a complete joke.
 
D-Max
The mismatching happens purely on the count of players you're being matched with. it seems the most populated is DR A/B SR S/A/B. I always find a full grid here.
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The most balanced lobbies are those of drivers who had a DR reset :D

Happened to me yesterday. For the first time in the last two months I was in a full lobby of B/C drivers. Once my SR went up, I got matched with B/B drivers.
 
Lets put it in a real world example for those saying choose your battles, accept it etc. This isn't about choosing battles, it's about the system being broken. The DR system is there to sort ranks out. If it puts you with just any old rank then what is the point of the system in the first place?
The real world situation. You book a karting session with your mates on a Saturday afternoon before you hit the pubs. You're all wannabe racers of equal talent (ie fat and slow!) and know that we all have an equal chance. The grid isn't quite full. A pro karter then turns up for a bit of practice. He destroys us obviously and takes away our fair competition. Would that be fair?
 
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Lebowski
Haha but you get my point though!
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I mean, no?
Your example is an example of your mates getting together for a public lobby.
Sport mode would be more like you turning up to an open track race day and then being upset you're not the fastest.

The ranking system isn't broken it just struggles to match according to two variables with a very limited player base.
While GT Sport sold well, the VAST majority of players haven't done a single Sport mode race. So the match making does it's best to put the closest matched drivers together into a decently sized lobby.



Edit: though actually, your story is quite a lot like the time me and my brother and friends went karting (just time trials nothing serious). We set some ok times and had a break for something to eat and drink etc.... while we did that a tiny stig went out onto the track (same helmet and white uniform etc) and smashed our lap times by seconds.
Turns out she was a 13yr old girl who was competing in the jr British karting series. :lol: There is nothing quite like a group of lads (who frequent the gym), thinking they are **** hot, only to be smashed by a very polite and friendly 13yr old girl.
The look on their faces is something I wont forget :lol:
 
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I guess it's each his own. Personally I prefer to race against drivers better and much better than me. I feel much better and more challenged if I end up 10th, but have beaten one or two A+ guys than winning a race where skill levels are the same. The only challenge in the latter is to make no mistakes whereas the former present a much bigger challenge and help me to improve. In GTS, unless you are one of the top racers, the number of wins means absolutely nothing as too many people manipulate their DR / SR ratings to get their stats up, which in my view is meaningless.

But then as I've stated, to each his own.
 
I kind of agree with the sentiment here.

In the 17 sport mode races I've done since last November in nearly all I found myself mid-pack racing in clean air. 5-10-20 seconds behind the fast guys, 5-10-20 seconds infront of the rammers, spinners and people with no car control at all. If I try and push harder, I end up off track, and my results take a dive.

I can admit I'm not very good, and I don't mind not winning... but where's the incentive? At least in the famed 'catch the rabbit' offline mode I'm interacting with other cars.
 
baldgye
I mean, no
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I've changed my post just for you to make it more real life haha!

Good story by the way! We did something similar many years back. We all went as a group for a karting session and i invited my dad's neighbour along for a laugh to see my mates reactions once they realised who he was. He was a karting champion! He only did a few laps and soon quit as it was just for fun during practice but he blew everyone into the weeds!

Anyway, I still maintain it is pointless to have a system that is meant to put players of equal ability together that totally disregards it's sole purpose.
 
MatskiMonk
I kind of agree with the sentiment here.

In the 17 sport mode races I've done since last November in nearly all I found myself mid-pack racing in clean air. 5-10-20 seconds behind the fast guys, 5-10-20 seconds infront of the rammers, spinners and people with no car control at all. If I try and push harder, I end up off track, and my results take a dive.

I can admit I'm not very good, and I don't mind not winning... but where's the incentive? At least in the famed 'catch the rabbit' offline mode I'm interacting with other cars.
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You did 17(!) races. That’s a very small sample size and you definitely have much more room to improve.

It’s like dropping into the newest Call of Duty and expecting to get top of the lobby after 2 hours of playing time.
 
Lebowski
For example, ive put hours and hours in to qualifying trials for Bathurst and my absolute best is 2:06.750.
Now after that i never managed to dip below 2:07.2 ever again, it was a true one off. My peak of talent. My limit. My absolute best that cant be improved upon.
I was quite happy with that yet since gaining that time im constantly matched with A and S rated drivers who are at least 3 seconds a lap faster than me and will churn those times out constantly
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This is interesting as I have been B/S since December, very similar experience to you but assuming this is GR.3 my best laptime recorded for Bathurst is 2:11

I only ever get matched with B/S or B/C and rarely start in the first half of the grid but almost always finish in the first half.

Don’t worry too much about qualifying but concentrate on your race/strategy/car choice. I only ever do the long race as the others are too short.

Hope it gets better for you, don’t give up it’s great fun even if you don’t win much.

I have 8 wins in 153 races
 
Boedefeld
You did 17(!) races. That’s a very small sample size and you definitely have much more room to improve.

It’s like dropping into the newest Call of Duty and expecting to get top of the lobby after 2 hours of playing time.
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That’s sport modes biggest failing.

The vast majority of GTS players do not progress with more than 20 races.
 
Boedefeld
You did 17(!) races. That’s a very small sample size and you definitely have much more room to improve.

It’s like dropping into the newest Call of Duty and expecting to get top of the lobby after 2 hours of playing time.
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That's not what I'm expecting at all, If I stay as Dr D forever it doesn't bother me. The issue is as Lebowski identifies, too often I'm not just racing against Dr D players.

I'd also say that after 20 years of playing Gran Turismo, though there is room to improve, I'm aware of my limitations... with more practice I could improve my pace a little I'm sure, but that doesn't translate into suitable levels of racecraft to succeed in races. The issue here isn't about being good enough to win, it's about the game offering a structure that delivers gameplay that is rewarding - even if the final results aren't.

As it stands, sport mode is tedious and unrewarding to me. Even if they fixed this issue, it still has plenty of others, so I'm unlikely to increase my lowly tally of 17 races by much at all anyway, but I do agree with Lebowski's point.
 
Only advice I can give you is to take some points off your SR. Drop it to A. 99 SR seems to match with only other SR 99 people. Most D level drivers struggle to keep the car between the lines and they can't avoid contact. You will easily make it to DR B with that pace.
 
baldgye
The people crying about how unfair the matchmaking is seem to wilfully ignore the fact that only a small % of the GT Sport player base has even played a single Sport mode race...
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Erm, excuse me!! This isn't crying, this is pointing out a blatantly obvious flaw in a system that has one purpose; to match players of equal rank and ability. 1340 races is not crying or a statement of withdrawing my interest altogether in the game. If people can moan on for months about exhaust flames that don't affect the game then this, a genuine fault, deserves PD's attention.
 
Azerach
Only advice I can give you is to take some points off your SR. Drop it to A. 99 SR seems to match with only other SR 99 people. Most D level drivers struggle to keep the car between the lines and they can't avoid contact. You will easily make it to DR B with that pace.
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If you had read my first post you will see I mentioned I often get demoted in the ranks. It makes no difference. In fact if anything you get even more S and A rated drivers.
 
baldgye
The people crying about how unfair the matchmaking is seem to wilfully ignore the fact that only a small % of the GT Sport player base has even played a single Sport mode race...
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Crying maybe a little harsh, as there is a valid point that players interest is going to wane if every race consists of lapping by themselves and finishing mid pack, likewise yesterday I joined race A at 6 o clock something (Dr A Sr S) after just improving my qualifying to a top 60 position, I expected to be matched with other rated DR A’s but instead of being mid pack I thought I’d be 4-6th, what ended happening was I was in a room with all others rated as B/S and my pace at nearly a second quicker. Suffice to say my race involved me getting a 1 sec lead after the first corner and then not seeing another car for the entire race.

PD have to realise quickly why it is that racers dont hang around.

For me I have a simple answer, or at least a theory to be tested. If players can earn more credits racing in sport mode than offline, even for finishing in last place, maybe the grinders, as Im sure there are many, maybe they would move there credit farming online, would that be a detriment to the quality of online racing, possibly, but my simple answer can quickly be found out, and that’s PD’s problem for me, the work so seemingly slowly that their work ethic can be considered to be suffocating Sport Modes potential.
 
Only if I really invest lots of time in qualifying I get to the better half of the field. And then I am still far of the pace of the pole.

Either the system simply wants a wide spread field or there isn't enough players.

It does not seem to understand my pace to begin with, it seems that my door number is always ahead of me
 

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