Any chance we could get a racetrack top times page on the website, like we have for CtC and dueling?

Excellent, common-sense idea, Phaserlight.
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Also, since the tracks are located in dangerous grey space, why not give them a few guards so that people don't camp the tracks. Even though it's quite fun to trap someone inside the tubes. Perhaps a few delegate defenders from all three nations, so something like a prom, valk and a maud as defenders with SF style tactics and strength.

I'd imagine the racetracks location is only temporary until we get more players. I don't think the devs designed Sedina as the bright center of the universe it has become.

I'm just betting 2 tracks will end up in Serco space, 2 in Itani space, and 2 in UIT space, probably in the newb zones.

I am hoping that the Devs make MORE tracks. The variety is the spice of life.

I was also wondering how a time threshold could be set so a player could earn XP for completing the track under a certain time limit.

I know if I was going to get XP for the racing I'd spend more time practicing.

How about 1500 combat XP the first time you make ir? You have to know how to handle your ship to fly it through the course quickly.

For weekly or monthly TOP score you'd get an additional 2000XP and your name announced in the news. I'd have the scores reset every week or month so you'd have to go back and re-establish your donimance.

I completely disagree Sarahanne that you should get xp for racing. If anythign you should get a racing license and not combat xp, your NOT in combat. Perhaps make racing ships and the better racer you are the better racing ship you can get. But not combat xp for racing that's obserd. And getting xp simply for holding a top score, that's lame too. The top score is reward enough IMO.

I like Sarahanne's idea.

warning: coffee induced stream of consciousness follows:

If guides can hand out combat xp for a mining mission, this seems like a valid way to earn combat xp. Besides, what would a racing license get you? Better ships? Actually, that might be a pretty cool idea. You could have racing ships that are super light but with no weapon ports, and racing batteries that are like uber fast charge batteries: very low capacity but high recharge rate. Perhaps for some of the existing batteries you would also need some racing licenses.

Otherwise, I don't really have much of an objection to earning combat xp. Look at it as military-run pilot maneuverability training courses if you want. There really should be some kind of reward.

The rewards would have to be handed out only once per week though, (kinda like CtC) otherwise people could cheat and gain lots of combat xp by incrementally beating their own times.

While I agree that getting xp for combat while on a mining mission is lame, that doesn't justify giving it out for racing, somthing that has absolutely NOTHING to do with combat. At least with the mining missions you can say that the pilot that received it was at least defending the miners, and therefor deserves the combat xp, regardless of wether or not he/she actually killed any of the bots, since playing the pidepipper is the normal tactic.

I wouls suggest however that guides not be able to hand out ANY XP at all, yet another guide power that is obviouisly being abused. WHERE IS THE "GUIDE" RULES PAGE ON THE WEBSITE!!!!

bottom line, if your in combat, you should get combat xp, if your racing get racing xp or no xp, if your trading you get trade xp, and if your mining…mining xp. Why blur the lines of distinction.

Guides were specifically given the ability to grant XP for pre-approved role-playing events (such as guided mining expeditions). These events are pre-approved by the devs. If you have any factually-based concern of a guide power "obviously being abused" then please email John.

The guide rules for general consumption are being hashed out in a private area and will appear when Incarnate has had a chance to polish them up a little more. Our current version has a lot of examples and extra information that is not of general interest or concern.

Back on topic, I'd like to see a race scoreboard too, with daily best times, best times ever, best time per ship class, etc.

"racing, somthing that has absolutely NOTHING to do with combat"

How can you say racing has nothing to do with combat? That's like saying flying a plane has nothing to do with being a fighter pilot. Just because you aren't blowing stuff up doesn't mean you aren't being trained to become a better combat pilot. Racing takes just as much skill as the aforementioned "pied piper" tactic. And what about when Strongholds are implemented and we'll have to learn to maneuver quickly through tight spaces? I'd say racing skills would be very applicable.

To reply to FM,

Yes, I'd also like to see weekly (perhaps daily when we get more players) and all-time top runs for each ship class. Heh, the behemoth class, that would be a riot.

Moth races would be great for trade guilds like TGFT.

I can see it now... a moth in TGFT forest green.... barreling through the maze.

Even better get a bunch inside the dark maze and have them get wedged in together.

I really wanna make an in-game scoreboard which flashes various statistics while nothing interesting is going on, and flashes times pertinent to the participants while people are racing.

A webpage will do, but I don't feel like making a complicated one now. For the time being, here's a raw stats dump, if someone wants to come up with classes and their own statistics.

http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/racestats_raw

<sector> | <time, milliseconds> | <ship> | <name>

@Phaselight

All flying in a strait line, or through a tunnel is how to manage tight quarters, teaches you nothing of dodging or strafing, or quick brake manuvers, or how to shoot, which are all key elements in combat.

As far as scoreboards, floating neon signs near the exit and entrance of each track with the top 5 (whatever it announces now when you enter sector) would be very cool to see, or possibly a larger rotating sign in the center above and below the track. And even a small map of the course with small dots to show where current racers are in the track.

Have you flown through the racetracks much, johnhawl218? None of them are simple straight lines, and I for one do a lot of strafing & quick brake maneuvers in them. About the only thing I do in combat that I don't do racing is shoot (and a lot of the fun I've had in the racetracks has been when rather than racing, I shot at the racers, so then I was shooting [but not racing]). Also, as I read the dev-wiki on the Leviathan Strongholds, managing tight quarters will become very important for combat.

But even putting that aside, what would you suggest as a better alternative? You don't like giving Combat Piloting XP to reward racing, so what would be better? No reward other than bragging rights, like we have now? A monetary reward? A new "Racing License" you would earn XP for? Personally, I much prefer racing being rewarded by Combat Piloting XP, possibly together with monetary rewards.

Of course combat has something to do with the ability to fly through these courses. Just like we have to avoid enemy shots, we have to dodge the walls, and avoid smashing into stuff.

I also think that combat XP (perhaps Piloting XP?) ought to be given out for these courses.

> I also think that combat XP (perhaps Piloting XP?) ought to be given out for these courses.

It is actually called "Combat Piloting" already. Everyone just shortens it to "Combat".

Beolach, read my earlier post, I suggested an alternative xp path, racing licenses, kind of like doing time trials for real races. Then you could earn new and better "racing" ships.

BAM!

Anyone versed in html feel like compiling that raw data dump into a web page?

I proprose the top 5 weekly and top 20 all-time scores be recorded per ship class (Valk, cent, bus, vult, etc.) for each track. Since the data doesn't include date, just the all time scores would be a start.

Also... can we please move the racetracks out of Sedina and close to the nation capitals?

top 5 'weekly' would be rough to do. Is the racestats_raw page dynamically updated in real time? or just close to real time.