Start Strategies

[haiku]

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]

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

[Amorbis]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Pretend it's a Time Trial

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]

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]

@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

[Nutcase:259]

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?

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

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

[Dark_Phantom_89]

I thought the ships being ghosted for the first 5 secs was normal?

[yeldar2097]

It's supposed to be normal, but it's not.

[KGB]

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]

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.