Public Servers :(

[Phil E]

So last night I had some free time for racing, and long-story short I noticed a public server running the public ILMS mod on Sebring with 2 people online and decided to jump in. The server was set for only the Vettes, which was fine by me, and the 2 guys seemed to be running pretty fast laps. After practicing a bit, they voted to start a race. The server was set for 45min, so I filled up the gas and got ready to run. We started with me following carefully in 3rd, but they wrecked each other in the one of the first corners. I was not involved, but then they voted a restart. Fine guys...just be careful. This time there is some minor offs in the initial turns, but I hang in third and everyone keeps going. The first place guys gaps the 2nd place guy, and I just stay in third as my tires start to come up to temp. Then 2nd place spins, and I start to close in on first. I get to within a sec or so behind him and pace him for a couple of laps, then he has an off and I'm in first. So far, sounds like pretty good racing, right?

We are maybe 10min into the 45min time when I assumed first. Initially it seemed like the guy I just passed gathered up his off and was going to make a run for me. But then I looked and he and the 3rd place guy are together, and I'm gaining on them. Hmmm. I round the corner and blast down the back straight and there they are, facing the wrong way, and suddenly I'm plowed into. Repeatedly.

What was the point? Did they give up because I was ahead, and decide it would be more fun to play demolision derby?

Makes me glad I do not generally have to put up with behavior like this because of CMS.

[Onita]

As crappy of an experience I am sure that was, your delivery of the story was fantastic, and quite hilarious.

It would be interesting to know about other people's experience with public servers. It was my frustration with them that led me to eventually find CMS.

[Mike Tribble]

Are you guys saying that there are OTHER servers besides CMS? Wow. what a revelation. Oh well maybe I'll look around sometime after I master all the subtleties of the ILMS mod.

[Joe Owens]

I have nearly always avoided public servers because they are most times setup badly and seem to attract the guys that would be more at home using NFS or other drive to win with no rules type of game.
The ILMS mod is on the other hand is made for the more mature sim racer looking for the near real thing without bearing the cost of real racing.

[Phil E]

Andrew

I have had mixed experience on public servers, and it really depends on the game and the mod. From bad to good, here they are.

rfactor: Mostly very bad, ie basically as Joe describes. I did have some good racing on public servers running the NAGT mod when it released, but not much else. I was hopeful the ILMS mod would attract a higher level of client.

GTR Evo: Very mixed. There are some really good, series racers that run on the public servers, and even some servers have online admins who keep it clean. On the other hand there are some wreckers on the public servers who do everything they can to ruin your day. A new culprit are some people have devised a ram-trick that give thier car higher HP and grip, and the server does not catch it. Seems to be a growing issue. I've heard that rfactor has a similiar cheat available.

GTR2: My only experience there has been with the Power&Glory mod, and knock on wood, I can report 100% satisfaction with the racers on the public servers. I think the fact it requires GTR2 and the GT Legends disk, or maybe the subject matter of old cars, but so far the drivers have been very mature in thier conduct.