F1 2016

[JudgeDredd]

3rd race in
China
Qualified 13th
Finished 12th (just)

I have beat my team mate (though I had been using the Flashback feature whenever I made a mistake - but I'm not now).

Next race - Socchi - this will be a bad one for me because I have never raced it so I only have the 3 practice sessions to work it out, do the trials AND get the best setup for the track...all with limited tyres which will take punishment (due to not knowing the circuit).

[Asid]

Nice one JD 

Keep us informed as to your progress.

[JudgeDredd]

I found this video I must've made of qualifying in Bahrain

It's just Q1 and Q2...I didn't record Q3 where I think I qualified 8th or something. I've noticed though that my qualifying pace isn't like my race pace. When you get to select your pit strategy, you get an "aggressive" and "conservative" choice.

If you select the aggressive option, it means your going to be pushing a lot and therefore it's MORE pit stops. Conservative means you're looking after your tyres and therefore you'll have less pit stops.

Because I know I'm aggressive, I choose the aggressive strategy and hence have another pit stop. Determining how you use the tyres and which pit stop to go for by the way is all due to the tyre management test - you can see where you're pulling too much in the corners, stretching that rubber or where you accelerate before your wheels are at the optimum angle - so these tutorials help massively

 

I did say I would post some negatives if I came across them - and here's two gripes I have with the game thus far...

• Safety Car - AI!
  More an AI issue than the safety car probably - either the AI is waaaaay too conservative when trying to catch up with the safety car or the safety car is way too fast. But sometimes the result is you not catching up with the safety car at all before it goes back in the pits.
  
  I had a race where the safety car was out and I was heading on the final part of the lap - so I changed strategy and boxed for fresh tyres. When I came out, I had to stay behind the car in front of me and we were trying to get attached to the safety car line - but the AI was driving so slow (or the safety car was so fast) that in the end it was called in (after 3 or 4 laps I think) which meant we didn't get attached to the queue.
  
  Another time, we did catch the safety car (I didn't pit this time because I had done so the lap before) and were instructed to overtake it as it was waiting to pick up the leaders - it took us 3 laps to catch it which I thought was hugely excessive.
  
  So that's a pain in the arse
• The Engineer! 
  The engineer is a dick. He says things at the wrong time (coming into a corner etc, etc) or is just rubbish. For example, I had picked my pit strategy. My first stop was going to be between lap 10 and lap 13. I got the call from the engineer at the start (towards the end?) of lap 10 that the pit lane was open. I checked my tyres and thought I would extend a bit - knowing I could pit up to lap 13 where the window would close (presumably for my team mate).
  
  Anyway, I carried on, ignoring the pit lane open message...all good. I also got a call from the engineer telling me the pit window would close - again, a great point. However, I selected to pit on lap 12 and told the garage I was pitting. During my in lap, which is crucial, I then get this long bloody speech as I'm twisting round corners, that "We have a viable change of strategy...let us know whether you want to change or not"...what comes up is "Pitting lap 12 for soft tyres or pitting on lap 10 for soft tyres"
  
  Well lap 10 IS GONE and I've already let you know I'm pitting this lap!!! This is really annoying because of two things - first it's a long old speech he's giving you and you're trying to go through corners and navigate traffic whilst he's blabbering on so you aren't concentrating on engine revs and secondly, it's bloody pointless. I've told you I'm coming in!
  
  He also seems to give an "alternate strategy" soon after the race starts - which again is annoying.
  
  So the engineer needs ALOT of work.

However - more positives
Another great point however is the excessive fuel and how it's portrayed to you (and fuel use in general). First, how much fuel you have left is displayed great - not at all confusing like in previous titles and second, the amount you have "in excess" is very easy to understand - AND it doesn't magically "disappear" like in previous titles.

For example, in 2015, you could be shown you have +1 lap of fuel. Put the mix to rich, and that extra lap of fuel would be gone by the time you've done a lap. In this version, if you have say, +2.50 laps of fuel in excess, switching to rich could give you about 5 or 6 laps of running rich. This allows you to hugely change how you overtake and defend. Also the amount is relayed to you perfectly.

It also seems like you can build up excess fuel by driving conservatively on Standard fuel mix. So if you "change up" prior to max revs (called short shifting) then you can slowly build some extra fuel for those in and out laps.

Another great feature is the "beep" for changing gear.

Absolutely loving this title. Best F1 game by far in an absolute age - both from a driving experience and from an immersion perspective

[JudgeDredd]

And here's me at Sochi - part of 1st Practice

What you're seeing here is an absolute n00b on the track. I've never raced this, so buckle in and watch how I try and learn a track, overshooting, breaking too early, scrubbing the tyres and generally not doing too well.

I'll do a few laps like this (using the hardiest tyres available for durability - because they will take punishment) and then move onto the Track Familiarisation task. You could argue I could be doing that right away...that does make sense, particularly as you can run the tasks multiple times. But I just like to have a recce before hand.

 
Again, when exiting the pits, I had to go into the menu and setup my controls because for some reason if I don't do so, the brakes and accelerator seem to be "on" or "off"...resulting in too much torque and very, very easily locking brakes.

I don't know why this is - but it's been the same for EVERY Codemasters F1 game (maybe for Dirt too...I can't recall). I only have to do this when booting the game up (and should try and remember to do it in the menu system before jumping in). I don't have to do it each time I leave the pits.

[Asid]

I wouldn't call it "noob". I would call it aggressive driving style 

Thanks for posting

[JudgeDredd]

np

I suppose that's one way of putting it.

Videos for Sochi to follow will be the test sessions, race start and first few laps

[JudgeDredd]

Sochi Track Acclimatisation

I have not raced this track before. Only recently I've had about 10 laps practice, so my track acclimatisation test shows my n00bness

 

[Asid]

I thought you were going to run out of fuel while on the track.

I think your driving in this car is getting better. I kept leaning into the gates...Even harder towards the ones you missed lol

Quite immersive.

Thanks

[JudgeDredd]

For the "trials" I don't think you don't get to select fuel or tyres...they're selected for you (at least I haven't bothered to try and change them) so there was never a chance of running out of fuel...enough is put in.

[JudgeDredd]

A wee taste of Monaco (I am historically terrible at Monaco)

 

[Longknife]

Monaco is a tough track & historically my worst one as well. Turns 5 & 6 plus the chicane at 11 I always have to baby it through.

[Asid]

A wee taste of Monaco (I am historically terrible at Monaco)

@3:10 hitting the barrier..Ouch.

Looks really good. I find it a trick circuit to race on.

[JudgeDredd]

omg - this is going to be a painful race. As expected, having never raced or practiced to any degree at Sochi, I am going to be beaten by my teammate. I didn't manage a single point for my Tyre Wear test and will not likely grab any from the Qualifying Pace test

This could be where my team mate grabs ground back (currently I am leading significantly in the rival battle).

Also - seems to be a bug here where the text wouldn't disappear.

 

[Longknife]

Looks like your line was good. I dont know that I would do any better.

What kind of wheel & pedals are you using?

[JudgeDredd]

Logitech Formula Force...not the best, but not the worst either

It's not that my lines were wrong (well, not all the time), I think I was breaking too early and too late, resulting in hitting the apex too slow and losing 10ths hand over fist, or overshooting - again losing time.

Either way - compromise your line through the corner (either by braking too early, too late or turning in at the wrong angle) and you can't put as much power down - resulting in lost time. I think I'm about 4.5 seconds off pole position and a good 1.5-2 seconds off where "I should be"...