17.92 wit the D-Pad!

[QOORA]

GEEEZ!!!!! Yes, I did it!!!!!!!! I got under 18 seconds! on Porto Cora TT W3 SE and I did it wiv my ol' good Dual Shock2!!!!
Thx Assayeah... I don't know why but it happend about half an hour after I read your message in my box.
I am not quite sure... is that time good or those resulst in the tables are just old and it is nothing special??

[Lance]

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looks good to me.
but where is your racetime?
.

[QOORA]

My race time?? I don't know I just wanted to go under 18 seconds this time so I didn't even pay attention to the race time. I just go the first lap to get the best result and if it is bad after the first lap I just restart the trial and go again. I'll try to work on the race times as soon as I beat Al in Porto Cora lap times... I mean... if that's possible

[Lance]

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the first lap is usually not the fastest lap unless one is using the cheat of running back along the track before crossing the start line and taking a run up to get a moving start instead of a stationary start. a time achieved in that way does not count. if you are going for the fastest possible lap, you should be running the full race. who knows but what you may already be able to beat Al!
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[QOORA]

I know that the first lap is not the fastest one but I don't have much time to play the game so I don't even bother to go full races What is more, I don't use any cheats. I start normally with getting the boost by keeping my engine working so that the start is abrupt and sharp. That's all. I hope it is not considered as cheating? I guess I will try to follow your advice and go full races tomorrow because I really want to be first on Porto Cora.... and Hi-Fumii But I wonder if I can achieve it with the first lap... which, as U say, is not the fastest

[G'Kyl]

Hmmm, If all you do is start lap after lap then flying full races is the faster way to do so anyway, isn`t it? ;-) It should also help you get more consistent.
I even try not to restart races after hitting a wall or doing any other mistake, since this gives me a better overall feel of consistent flight, which in turn is good to get closer to the "zone" (funny that; I never even played zone mode *g*). Anyway, this is clearly nothing more than a personal preference.

Oh, and congrats to your great time, QOORA! :)

Ben

[Shem]

I do the same G'Kyl, I mean to restart every race after a close encounter with a wall (and I don't mean wall scraping). It's kinda annoying IMO....but it pays back with 5PL's in a row if everything goes well. But still, the most frustrating thing about flying Icaras (to me of course) is when I fly perfectly, fast, and all of sudden there is no acceleration anymore, though I kick her in the guts with full power. Of course there still is some hyperthrust to speed the machine up, but the shields do not last forever. Hopefully these kind of situations happen not as often as I'd fly in venom or vector (greetings to all who acctually beat the records in lower classes than phantom! ). Well anyways, congrats with your new record, and now, since you beat me, you can count on some real competition (i ain't gonna give up so easy). Cheers!

[infoxicated]

Incidentally, a single lap time is invalid if the rest of the race has not been completed.

i.e. you get a good time using up all your thrust on lap two, but get eliminated on lap three because you had no shields left, then your fastest time is invalid.

A time is only valid if it's viewable through the records option from the in game menu.

if you got eliminated then it wont be there...

[G'Kyl]

Right, that`s the other reason I don`t give up after one bad lap. I`d rather save one turbo and attempt a single lap instead of a race record. Lap records hardly happen when you`re on the two-turbos-a-lap strategy with the quirex, mind you. :) So there`s a chance to try beating new records on both fields.

Ben

[QOORA]

Yeah, I am aware of what U mean. Finishing the race after getting a good first lap is not a problem though. It is just the case that other laps have pathetic times around 30seconds or something like that coz I use the brakes and fly like a lady untill I get to the pit stop so as not to destroy the ship I don't simply care about times of other laps when I race for one best lap only. I will try to have all laps with time around 20 - 25 seconds when I will race for the whole race time
Oh, and one more thing. U don't need to use up Ur entire shield to get under 18. At least that's what I've noticed
As for trying to get the best lap time on the first lap or on any other I guess it is a matter of preference. If U try do it on Ur first lap it is much more difficult but still it can be done

PS At the moment I have much too work on my hands but next week when I have some more free time I will try to beat the first time in the table Geez, that's gonna be tough

[G'Kyl]

QOORA, you race for fast lap times and ignore race time completely, I like that! :-) Even though I developed a slight interest in decent race times due to the competition over the 2097 records, I also tend to look for THE perfect lap, not so much for the perfect race.

By the way, I just realized that we're on the WO3SE-board here, so I just wanted to add that I am of course aware of the fact "that two turbos per lap strategy" only applies to pre WO3-Wipeouts. :)

Ben

[QOORA]

Thats's true G'Kyl - I race for fast lap times and ignore race time completely at the moment When I know that I screwed up my first lap why should I continue the race?? It is nonsensical, because at the moment I only aim ta THE fastest lap and not THE race time. I guess we both think alike as far as THE best laps ar concerned
As soon as I manage to get the first time on Porto Cora (but will I???? I will try to get the best time for the whole race As simple as that
Oh, and I also want 2 achieve something on Hi - Fumii since I love that course

[G'Kyl]

My brother in mind! *g* Everybody here seems to aim race records (which isn't a bad thing, of course! :) ), so I find your attitude rather refreshing.
Anyway, maybe you should still try completing the race for all the reasons mentioned above. After all, having a flying start into a new lap certainly WILL make you gain faster times!

EDIT: Forgot something.

A time is only valid if it's viewable through the records option from the in game menu.

I do not mean to argue about this rule, Infox, but wouldn't it be OK to call any lap time achieved in the game, whether it appears in the record tables or not, valid? I mean, anyone who is able to do good enough on one lap to make it into the WOZ tables can surely finish the race without hitting a wall or badly bottoming out during the rest of the race (by keeping both shoulder buttons pressed if neccessary).

Ben

[xEik]

That's why I give no value to lap records. I've tried once or twice wasting races for the good of a single lap. Lap times can be lowered this way but I can't get to enjoy it.

Race times are the ones to be used for comparing pilots, specially with the drain shield turbo system in 3. In 2097, thogh, it is more even. You cannot prepare for a single lap (only maybe save a turbo until the start line in hope of getting more turbos during that same lap and using them).

[QOORA]

I do complete races if I have a very good first lap but it is just that I don't pay attention to the times of these laps As for Ur suggestions I think I'll try to fight for better time with the flying start but first I really want to prove myself that it's possible to get better time then 17.92 with a stationary start If I manage to do it... then I'll go in for a flying start

EDIT
Xeik - I don't agree wiv U... at least not completely Yes, race times are good and important but they are easier to achieve than one great lap. Why? It's simply because even U have only one lap wiv a little bit worse time U can still make up 4 it in the next lap. That's especially true 4 W3 SE. Yes, getting best race times takes more time than getting THE lap but is easier IMHO. At least I find it easier.
As for one great lap U need 2 put all effort and skill so that all elements of the lap go together and give U a satisfactory result. U screw up one moment and U can say Ur record good bye. That's frustrating. To get a fantastic lap time U must aim at perfection and to get a fantastic race time U need to aim at luck and consistency. I opt for perfection and that's why 4 the time being it is lap times that I am concerned wiv

[G'Kyl]

That's why I give no value to lap records. I've tried once or twice wasting races for the good of a single lap. Lap times can be lowered this way but I can't get to enjoy it.

Take Senna for example. He didn't have such a great quota of races driven/races won like Schumacher or others, yet he, being able to pack up all his skills for this one decisive lap, is still being remembered as the best qualifying driver ever. It's kinda like that for me. :)

Ben

[QOORA]

Xeik - read my edit in the above post

G'Kyl... we really are brothers in mind I go along with Ur vein of thinking

[xEik]

I prefer pilots like Mick Doohan. He would sometimes make a crap start. Pass in number 12 position after first lap. But he would show his superiority lap after lap and in less than ten laps you had him bitting the tyre of the pilot in first position. After twenty laps he was in first place having left the second pilot far behind eating dust.

I know I've cheered Alex Crivillé (Catalan pilot) when they were rivals. But I also know that Mick was the best of those two.

[G'Kyl]

Actually, watching real racing I also prefer the kind of pilots who are able to steadily improve on their position during the race, if only for the fact that these pilots usually deliver the most exciting of races. When playing Wipeout things tend to be a little different for me, though. Just don't ask me why this is so. ;)

Ben

[Lance]

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QOORA, you cannot make up for a mistake in one lap by doing better on the next lap; to achieve a RACE record requires your absolute best on EVery lap, not just one. if i make one mistake in a five lap Phantom class race, just one mistake, it costs me the race record. you try beating Arnaud or Al or Mano by making up for a mistake on one lap by doing better on the others. not going to happen. you must do the best you are capable of on every lap to equal or exceed their achievements. this is why most people regard overall race times as more important than lap times even though lap records often come in the same race as overall race records.

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as far as the validity of a time achieved by running only the first lap goes, it doesn't have any. the game is not structured that way and it will not even record the time. you cannot assume that you would be able to finish the race; you must finish the race to have a valid time. Wipeout is not a hillclimb nor a drag race. for those types of competition, it would be entirely valid to concentrate on that one completion of the track, but in Wipeout and all other circuit racing, there is more than one lap to be done. concentrating on only the first of the laps is just practice at getting a good start for the race; if you can do it during a race it counts, but if you can't, it doesn't. it may and probably is a lot of fun, but an incomplete race, which is what a first lap is, should not be entered as a record because it is not recorded in the game and there are no stats kept for it in the records tables, either.