WELCOME!
Road Rally Racing (RRR) is an offshoot of the Buckyball Racing Club with a focus on racing ground vehicles through planetary outposts and (eventually) cities. Unlike traditional BRC races, RRR is a seasonal Championship event. Each season lasts 3 months with competing racers submitting times for six courses. At the end of the season, the champion is the racer with the shortest total time for all six courses.
OBJECTIVE
Each season, visit all six courses and race against the clock to get your best times.
DESCRIPTION
There is no "flavor" for a Champion-series event...it's racing for racing's sake. Go FAST! and do it skillfully. What should be noted, particularly if you are familiar with other BRC races, is that courses will generally be selected from heavier-G worlds than are typically used for long-distance "fliving" events.
SEASONS
Here are links to each season's event thread.
DECLARING INTENT TO RACE
Before racing a particular course, you are REQUIRED to declare your intent to race by posting in the thread for that season. You must make this declaration in advance of your attempt, which is to say, before you have deployed your vehicle, and you must start your run within an hour of the posted time. You cannot declare your intent more than 24 hours beforehand.
You may only have one "active" intent at a time, and you must take an hour break between the end of race attempt and another, so declared start times must be at least 2 hours apart. These races require a lot of focus are particularly grueling, and the event organiser doesn't want to see anyone over-exerting themselves.
To declare your intent, specify the following:
So my intent to race might look like:
6 COURSE SUBMISSIONS = 1 CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRY
To qualify for the Championship leaderboards you must race all 6 courses as a single unit. This is accomplished by requiring racers to declare and submit times for courses sequentially. While you can choose the order in which to attempt each course and submit times for them individually, once a time is submitted for a course you must move on to the next course of your choice until all 6 have been completed. The total time for those 6 submissions becomes your Championship entry time.
What you cannot do is repeatedly submit times for a course until you are happy with it. Once a time is submitted, it is locked in as a part of the current Championship entry attempt.
USING A NAVIGATOR
You are permitted to get real-time assistance while racing. A navigator will hover or fly above the course in a ship while you race the ground vehicle. It is the navigator's responsibility to remind you of course details, such as:
That being said, there is a downside to using a live navigator: you may experience a bug that amplifies damage to vehicles when other CMDRs are in the same instance. While you are allowed to repair your vehicle mid-race, you will have to decide for yourself if the benefit of a live navigator outweighs the additional damage you vehicle will take from his or her presence.
If you acquire a Navigator between the time of your declaration and the start of your run, DO NOT edit your declaration, as any edit to a declaration post will disqualify the run attempt. It will be sufficient to include the Navigator's info with your submission.
BEING A NAVIGATOR
Use of a navigator does not create a unique team; you are permitted to assist as many commanders as you desire. Just be as helpful as possible to each.
DISCORD
Visit the DISCORD server to chat with other racers and maybe find a navigator!
https://discord.gg/Fy6QtGJ
COLLECTING EVIDENCE
You must record your race attempts using video capture; screenshots will not suffice.
Start recording your video while still in your ship, and docked at the race course's location. Make sure that the station date matches your declaration date, and that the station time is at least as late as your declaration time, but by no more than 1-hour.
Deploy your vehicle and drive to the start line. Make sure to position your vehicle's front wheels behind the starting line by using headlook or the camera suite. Repair your vehicle if needed.
Once positioned and displaying a speed of 0, go when ready. The vehicle's HUD clock must be visible when you cross the start line, which is when your run start time is read. A running start is allowed for non-Versus runs!
Follow the route specified for that course, and don't stop recording until you've crossed the finish line and come to a complete stop.
It is recommended that if an hour has not passed since your declared start time, that you return to your ship and rerun as many times as possible within the 1-hour window of opportunity, then upload the fastest time from among those attempts.
RULES OF THE ROAD
The map provided for each course represents intent more than exact location. For example, when looping around Defence Turrets or Antenna Bases, the intent is to go around in the direction indicated, not to exactly follow the path of the line. When reading a map there are a couple of rules to follow to make sure you obey the course's intent.
SUBMITTING ENTRIES
For Road Rally Racing events, you will submit a Google form with the necessary information. Remember, you must submit the details of a declared run or plead a Did Not Finish before you can declare another run.
CLASSES
Classes differentiate the race based on the equipment being used. Although there is currently only one: the Scarab SRV, it is expected that future updates to the game will introduce new ground vehicles. While we will need to wait and see what any such new vehicles will bring to the game, they are likely to be sufficiently different to warrant making separate racing classes for each. Drivers will be allowed to compete in all classes.
DIVISIONS
Divisions differentiate the race based on the rules for racing. Each combination of class/division will have its own leader board for the season.
STANDARD
The Standard division is a solo event where you race against the clock, like most BRC events. Submitted times are used to create the leader board and determine the winner. Ties are broken based on order of submission, where sooner is better. The Standard division uses all the rules and submission requirements described above.
VERSUS
Rather than racing against the clock, in the Versus division racers compete against each other in live, head-to-head contests. The leader board is based on win ratios, with tie-breakers calculated using the win ratios of opponents. This division modifies the above rules and submission requirements as follows:
Racers must compete against a different opponent on every course. For each, you and your opponent must both declare an intent to race naming the other as the opponent. Both racers must specify the same starting time and whether they will line up on the left or right of the start line. Whoever posts their intent first gets their choice of starting position. Racers have one hour from their declared time to meet on the start line and begin their race.
When both racers are on the start line and video is recording, they must agree to the actual start time in text chat (not voice) at least a full minute prior to its passing. Either racer may abort the attempt by saying so in chat prior to the specified time's passing, unless doing so would prevent the racers from starting within their declared time's 1-hour window of opportunity. Note that a running start is not allowed during Versus competition.
Once the racers start, anything goes! Force your opponent into a wall while crossing in front of them; excute a PIT maneuver to take the lead; T-bone them when you cross paths during a loop; or ram them head-on during a figure-8!
Whoever completes the course first wins the matchup. Only the winner needs to submit video and details.
If desired, a racer may also declare (before racing) and submit a Versus run as their time for a Standard run.
BEAUTY SHOTS AND HOLO-ME
Leaderboards requires both a beauty shot of your vehicle, and a capture of your Holo-Me avatar. It's a good idea to prepare these before declaring your intent to race.
How To Take...
Upload both screenshots to imgur.com or other appropriate hosting service, then include links to them with your race declaration.
FAQ
Q: I'm confused by the restrictions on declaring intent. Why are they like that?
A: While you are allowed to run and submit the details of each course separately, you must run them consecutively. That is to say, you can only work to improve your total time for all 6 courses as a whole.
Q: Can you provide an example?
A: Imagine a season with 6 courses named A, B, C, D, E, and F. You choose to run course D first, and declare it. When done you have a choice: accept the time and choose another course to run, or; reject the time and submit a DNF so that you can re-declare for course D. If you submit the details, you cannot return to course D for the current attempt at the full season. However, after completing the season and submitting details for all 6 courses, you may attempt to improve on that total time by beginning a new attempt at the season.
Q: Is fliving permitted?
A: It is, but note Rules of the Road #1: no going over obstacles that are meant for you to go around.
Q: How can I tell exactly where a start line is?
A: It will always be some obvious feature: like the boundary between a structure's ramp and the terrain, or the crease between a ramp and the structure itself.
Q: What should I do if my wheels get stuck through a wall?
A: If you cannot get loose, you'll have to self-destruct, buy a new vehicle, and restart the run. Upload the video and submit a bug report.
Q: Am I allowed to use Hull Strength bonuses from SRV repairing before starting a race?
A: Yes, absolutely.
GOOD LUCK!
Drive fast, CMDR!
WELCOME!
Road Rally Racing (RRR) is an offshoot of the Buckyball Racing Club with a focus on racing ground vehicles through planetary outposts and (eventually) cities. Unlike traditional BRC races, RRR is a seasonal Championship event. Each season lasts 3 months with competing racers submitting times for six courses. At the end of the season, the champion is the racer with the shortest total time for all six courses.
OBJECTIVE
Each season, visit all six courses and race against the clock to get your best times.
DESCRIPTION
There is no "flavor" for a Champion-series event...it's racing for racing's sake. Go FAST! and do it skillfully. What should be noted, particularly if you are familiar with other BRC races, is that courses will generally be selected from heavier-G worlds than are typically used for long-distance "fliving" events.
SEASONS
Here are links to each season's event thread.
DECLARING INTENT TO RACE
Before racing a particular course, you are REQUIRED to declare your intent to race by posting in the thread for that season. You must make this declaration in advance of your attempt, which is to say, before you have deployed your vehicle, and you must start your run within an hour of the posted time. You cannot declare your intent more than 24 hours beforehand.
You may only have one "active" intent at a time, and you must take an hour break between the end of race attempt and another, so declared start times must be at least 2 hours apart. These races require a lot of focus are particularly grueling, and the event organiser doesn't want to see anyone over-exerting themselves.
To declare your intent, specify the following:
driver: CMDR Name
nav: Navigator's CMDR Name if using one (and their Forums Alias if applicable)
Course Name (Star System)
Vehicle Name (Vehicle Type)
Start Date / Time
nav: Navigator's CMDR Name if using one (and their Forums Alias if applicable)
Course Name (Star System)
Vehicle Name (Vehicle Type)
Start Date / Time
So my intent to race might look like:
driver: CMDR Jak (Jhyrryl)
nav: CMDR Bruski
Ceres Tarn (HR 1185)
Bug Buggy (Scarab SRV)
16 Oct 3303 05:00:00
nav: CMDR Bruski
Ceres Tarn (HR 1185)
Bug Buggy (Scarab SRV)
16 Oct 3303 05:00:00
6 COURSE SUBMISSIONS = 1 CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRY
To qualify for the Championship leaderboards you must race all 6 courses as a single unit. This is accomplished by requiring racers to declare and submit times for courses sequentially. While you can choose the order in which to attempt each course and submit times for them individually, once a time is submitted for a course you must move on to the next course of your choice until all 6 have been completed. The total time for those 6 submissions becomes your Championship entry time.
What you cannot do is repeatedly submit times for a course until you are happy with it. Once a time is submitted, it is locked in as a part of the current Championship entry attempt.
USING A NAVIGATOR
You are permitted to get real-time assistance while racing. A navigator will hover or fly above the course in a ship while you race the ground vehicle. It is the navigator's responsibility to remind you of course details, such as:
- where to turn;
- the direction to loop around an antenna or light post;
- jumps to make;
- the location of large rocks and other obstacles;
- et cetera.
That being said, there is a downside to using a live navigator: you may experience a bug that amplifies damage to vehicles when other CMDRs are in the same instance. While you are allowed to repair your vehicle mid-race, you will have to decide for yourself if the benefit of a live navigator outweighs the additional damage you vehicle will take from his or her presence.
If you acquire a Navigator between the time of your declaration and the start of your run, DO NOT edit your declaration, as any edit to a declaration post will disqualify the run attempt. It will be sufficient to include the Navigator's info with your submission.
BEING A NAVIGATOR
Use of a navigator does not create a unique team; you are permitted to assist as many commanders as you desire. Just be as helpful as possible to each.
DISCORD
Visit the DISCORD server to chat with other racers and maybe find a navigator!
https://discord.gg/Fy6QtGJ
COLLECTING EVIDENCE
You must record your race attempts using video capture; screenshots will not suffice.
Start recording your video while still in your ship, and docked at the race course's location. Make sure that the station date matches your declaration date, and that the station time is at least as late as your declaration time, but by no more than 1-hour.
Deploy your vehicle and drive to the start line. Make sure to position your vehicle's front wheels behind the starting line by using headlook or the camera suite. Repair your vehicle if needed.
Once positioned and displaying a speed of 0, go when ready. The vehicle's HUD clock must be visible when you cross the start line, which is when your run start time is read. A running start is allowed for non-Versus runs!
Follow the route specified for that course, and don't stop recording until you've crossed the finish line and come to a complete stop.
It is recommended that if an hour has not passed since your declared start time, that you return to your ship and rerun as many times as possible within the 1-hour window of opportunity, then upload the fastest time from among those attempts.
RULES OF THE ROAD
The map provided for each course represents intent more than exact location. For example, when looping around Defence Turrets or Antenna Bases, the intent is to go around in the direction indicated, not to exactly follow the path of the line. When reading a map there are a couple of rules to follow to make sure you obey the course's intent.
- When the line curves around an obstacle, going around is the intent. Jumping over the obstacle is not. For example, jumping over the corner of a landing pad structure is never the intent when the line clearly goes around.
- Likewise, when the line passes between obstacles, going between them is the intent, not around both. For example, a hairpin turn that goes through a small opening between two structures requires you to go between the structures; you can't execute a bigger hairpin that takes you around both.
- Orange lines indicate a significantly elevated pathway, as in, atop buildings. Take care not to fall.
- Lines on roadways intend for you to drive on the roadway. If you fall off a roadway (or building), get back on where you fell off. If you can't, double *back* to a location where you can; do not drive ahead to reconnect with the course in a way that has you skip a section of the roadway.
- Dotted lines mark sections of the course where you can route however you like to cross an area. Some "Storage Area" platforms will include examples of this, and it will be common on open terrain that lacks obstacles.
- Solid red arrows mark intended jumps. These are mostly on the map to make you aware of the obstacles before you reach them. Some "Storage Area" platforms and small single-ramp structures are the most likely places to find these.
- On some courses, arrows on the line will be different colors to help clarify rare situations where the course doubles back on itself, re-crosses the same location twice, or is otherwise complex in its criss-crossing.
SUBMITTING ENTRIES
For Road Rally Racing events, you will submit a Google form with the necessary information. Remember, you must submit the details of a declared run or plead a Did Not Finish before you can declare another run.
CLASSES
Classes differentiate the race based on the equipment being used. Although there is currently only one: the Scarab SRV, it is expected that future updates to the game will introduce new ground vehicles. While we will need to wait and see what any such new vehicles will bring to the game, they are likely to be sufficiently different to warrant making separate racing classes for each. Drivers will be allowed to compete in all classes.
DIVISIONS
Divisions differentiate the race based on the rules for racing. Each combination of class/division will have its own leader board for the season.
STANDARD
The Standard division is a solo event where you race against the clock, like most BRC events. Submitted times are used to create the leader board and determine the winner. Ties are broken based on order of submission, where sooner is better. The Standard division uses all the rules and submission requirements described above.
VERSUS
Rather than racing against the clock, in the Versus division racers compete against each other in live, head-to-head contests. The leader board is based on win ratios, with tie-breakers calculated using the win ratios of opponents. This division modifies the above rules and submission requirements as follows:
Racers must compete against a different opponent on every course. For each, you and your opponent must both declare an intent to race naming the other as the opponent. Both racers must specify the same starting time and whether they will line up on the left or right of the start line. Whoever posts their intent first gets their choice of starting position. Racers have one hour from their declared time to meet on the start line and begin their race.
When both racers are on the start line and video is recording, they must agree to the actual start time in text chat (not voice) at least a full minute prior to its passing. Either racer may abort the attempt by saying so in chat prior to the specified time's passing, unless doing so would prevent the racers from starting within their declared time's 1-hour window of opportunity. Note that a running start is not allowed during Versus competition.
Once the racers start, anything goes! Force your opponent into a wall while crossing in front of them; excute a PIT maneuver to take the lead; T-bone them when you cross paths during a loop; or ram them head-on during a figure-8!
Whoever completes the course first wins the matchup. Only the winner needs to submit video and details.
If desired, a racer may also declare (before racing) and submit a Versus run as their time for a Standard run.
BEAUTY SHOTS AND HOLO-ME
Leaderboards requires both a beauty shot of your vehicle, and a capture of your Holo-Me avatar. It's a good idea to prepare these before declaring your intent to race.
How To Take...
Beauty Shots
Holo-Me Shots
Alternately, use the Windows Snipping Tool to capture the images you need. Here's a video tutorial.
CONSOLE USERS
If you do not have the ability to edit your screenshots, send me a link to where you have uploaded them via Private Message and I'll be happy to do it for you.
- Open Station Services -> Livery;
- select your vehicle;
- navigate the menu to Paint Job;
- take a screenshot (F10);
- edit the image;
- crop down to a square centered on the vehicle;
- don't worry about the upper-right text;
- resize height to 150 pixels.
Holo-Me Shots
- Open Station Services;
- take a screenshot;
- edit the image;
- crop down to the avatar in the upper-right;
- resize height to 150 pixels.
Alternately, use the Windows Snipping Tool to capture the images you need. Here's a video tutorial.
CONSOLE USERS
If you do not have the ability to edit your screenshots, send me a link to where you have uploaded them via Private Message and I'll be happy to do it for you.
FAQ
Q: I'm confused by the restrictions on declaring intent. Why are they like that?
A: While you are allowed to run and submit the details of each course separately, you must run them consecutively. That is to say, you can only work to improve your total time for all 6 courses as a whole.
Q: Can you provide an example?
A: Imagine a season with 6 courses named A, B, C, D, E, and F. You choose to run course D first, and declare it. When done you have a choice: accept the time and choose another course to run, or; reject the time and submit a DNF so that you can re-declare for course D. If you submit the details, you cannot return to course D for the current attempt at the full season. However, after completing the season and submitting details for all 6 courses, you may attempt to improve on that total time by beginning a new attempt at the season.
Q: Is fliving permitted?
A: It is, but note Rules of the Road #1: no going over obstacles that are meant for you to go around.
Q: How can I tell exactly where a start line is?
A: It will always be some obvious feature: like the boundary between a structure's ramp and the terrain, or the crease between a ramp and the structure itself.
Q: What should I do if my wheels get stuck through a wall?
A: If you cannot get loose, you'll have to self-destruct, buy a new vehicle, and restart the run. Upload the video and submit a bug report.
Q: Am I allowed to use Hull Strength bonuses from SRV repairing before starting a race?
A: Yes, absolutely.
GOOD LUCK!
Drive fast, CMDR!
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