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haiku
9th August 2010, 12:41 AM
I was wondering if any of you have specific starting strategies that you employ depending on the track, your position on the grid, and what ship you're using.

I race Icaras most of the time, which of course does not have great thrust. Up until recently, I would use the turbo start every time, head for the first SP or Pick-Up and hope for the best. However, it's become clear that on a lot of tracks this isn't necessarily the best strategy.

For example, on Anulpha Pass (rev), I just use normal starting acceleration and then let everyone zip past. It doesn't matter if I am first on the grid because anyone not using Icaras will beat me to that first pick-up, and then the chaos starts. So now, I just let everyone go ahead, then I crawl behind and have a better opportunity to get Turbos, Quakes, and missiles so I can creep back to the front of the grid (hopefully) while everyone stays in a cluster destroying each other.

Aside from Anulpha Pass Rev, this has also been useful for me on sol2 when there are more than 3 other ships racing.

Maybe there is no science to this and I'm just letting different versions of luck govern my experience, so I thought I would ask if anyone else has specific thinking on how they start certain races.

LurifaxFlux
9th August 2010, 02:47 AM
I don't use any special strategy, I just do a boost-start and hope for the best.
However, there are people who use a high thrust ship and go for all the pickups to prevent others from being able to shoot you, which is a bit lame IMO :P

Amorbis
9th August 2010, 12:14 PM
The start of the race is sometimes difficult in a Piranha, boost starts don't really do that much to help. There isn't much more you can do, I always aim for the weapons pad unless I'm at the back when a an early speed pad would be more beneficial.

I don't really put much thought into each track, if I did it would always go wrong as even if you're on the front of the grid a Piranha isn't guaranteed the first item pad.

blackwiggle
9th August 2010, 04:22 PM
I find tracks like Sebenco and Modesto are not good for getting pole position on, your either on the wrong side of the track for a good line into the first corner, plus you haven't built enough speed up before you have to air brake hard to take advantage of that pole.

Aeroracer
9th August 2010, 05:52 PM
depends with me..
if i am on vinetta i always go for the speed pad with a side shift as most players go for the weapon pad so i get enough time to get the next pad..

i sometimes sideshift on the start to get into a better position

i sometimes use a fast thrust ship if im playing a superior player and then go into pac-man mode and eat all the pads as i know i will lose even easier with a regular ship.

sometimes i go slow so i can get all the pads and go for a turbo br later

sometimes i let ship slow down just a little if i am playing against a pacman style player eating all the pads..

Dark_Phantom_89
9th August 2010, 06:41 PM
I don't really have a set strategy for when I start. I just try and reach a weapon pad first and then sideshift onto speed pads (if there are any.)

yeldar2097
9th August 2010, 08:14 PM
Pretend it's a Time Trial :nod

Apart from that I just try to take lines where I've learned that I get lag-rammed less often than if I take conventional lines.

AspenExcel
10th August 2010, 12:01 AM
I've heard all about your lag problems yeldar, hehe.^^ As for me I just head for the nearest barrel roll location as to gain a lead ahead of the pack, and hope I don't get hit by any weapons in the meantime. For the first 5 seconds of the race all the ships are usually ghosted for me so I can set myself in line.

Aeroracer
10th August 2010, 12:51 AM
@yeldar

so true

when i race i try to pretend its a time trial too and look far to the track and focus on my lines and route..only problem is my time trials are poor so i may need to practice a little :redface:

Nutcase:259
10th August 2010, 07:04 PM
I For the first 5 seconds of the race all the ships are usually ghosted for me so I can set myself in line.

^ wait. does this only happen to some people then? :cold

on online using AG systems i normally seem to get a good start (unless this is lag? :lol)

however on elite in single player im normally left behind regardless of whether i get a boost or not

Dark_Phantom_89
10th August 2010, 07:06 PM
I thought the ships being ghosted for the first 5 secs was normal?

yeldar2097
10th August 2010, 09:09 PM
It's supposed to be normal, but it's not.

KGB
11th August 2010, 10:46 AM
I've asked about ghosts at the start of the race before. On the slowest connection I had they were always ghosts. When I changed to a faster speed they then became solid at the start. I now have a faster speed and it seems to change race to race!

LurifaxFlux
11th August 2010, 11:27 AM
however on elite in single player im normally left behind regardless of whether i get a boost or not

The AI always gets a faster start than it is possible for a player to achieve.


About ships being ghosts at the start, I have a very good connection (100/100Mbit) and it seems pretty random for me, sometimes every ship (except me) is a ghost, but I think mostly one or two ships are solid, sometimes more, but I don't think there is any occasion of all ships being solid.