How Much Is Too Much?

[DirtDriver]

Two weeks. We had some feedback after the first couple of challenges that a week is just not long enough. But this current challenge seems like it has been really long. Please post your thoughts about the optimal length for the tuning challenges.

Me, I say suck it up and do it in one week, but let's not do multiple tracks. One good track and the chance to run several good cars seems my preferred approach.

Ideas?

Edit: There is a poll thingy above me. Let's take her for a spin.

DD

[DirtDriver]

Hey, look! I'm winning!

DD

[Serial]

The "twist" is the only thing keeping these challenges from getting stale in 2 weeks.  We've gone over this at Exodus...1 weeks seems too short, but 2 weeks seems like a lifetime.  10.5 days maybe ?

Maybe 2 weeks is good if it has a twist, and possibly more than one track.  Otherwise, if it's 1 car, 1 track - make it 1 week.

[DirtDriver]

Ah, yes, the ole twist! I didn't think anyone cared, Serial. You have warmed the stiffening arteries of me ole heart.

DD

[Blooze]

I voted the one and one option.  I think there is a chicken and egg issue here with some of the things.  Was the challenge designed with them, or are they the result of trying to bail out a challenge that ran out of legs.

My regimine makes it hard for me to do too many things at a time - a short single purpose challenge on a monthly schedule suits my own personal world.

Yes, it is all about me...

 

[Big Mooing Cow]

I'd say generally one week, one track.  This challenge has been fun, but I've completely run out of gas on it.  Part of it is the length, and the other part is that I have been meaning to learn Suzuka for a long time, and this was a trial by fire in some of the hardest cars to drive in the game, so I burned a TON of laps trying to turn a good one.

I think a couple tracks in one week can be done, but I'd space them out more, or choose track combos that wouldn't stress people out too much, like NYC and Nissan, or MVS and Silverstone National, or two snake tracks.

I certainly might miss a challenge or two with the limit set to one week, but that's OK, really.  Can't race 'em all!

[Open2nd]

One week, one track.  I'm already sick of looking at Sebring Club. 

Ok, that isn't really the case.  I'm more tired of the way things are going within the game itself.  I'm going to take it easy on the hotlapping until the wipe is completed, as my times were just knocked out sometime today.  Anyways, I'll still be racing and testing cars, I'm just not going to get into anything too seriously.  The next week or two, I plan to just build my bankroll and keep my thumbs nimble.

Once things settle down with that silly wiping stuff, I'll probably hit the tracks harder, I'm just going to wait it out I suppose.  If anyone wants to run, don't hesitate to hit me up though, even if you're running Challenge Laps.  Sorry to steer this thing in a different direction, back to your regular programming.   

[Silent Flower]

One Week One Track sounds good to me, it kind of looses the spark after too long.

[Hekalite]

One week is a good length of time to run a challenge, but it is nice to have more time so more people can participate.  Sometimes life just gets in the way.  It does seem that a multi-track & multi-car challenge can get a little overwhelming. 

Maybe some sort of compromise.  If there are prizes awarded, then set a time limit for the prize (depending on the complexity of the challenge), but leave the scoreboard open for new times indefinitely.  I guess what I'm saying is that we could set an "end date" which allows us all to shift focus to something else, but don't lock the threads.  I have seen a lot of people over on FM.net come to the party late and feel as if they have missed something.  If someone wants to build out a B700 muscle car and run maple valley (challenge #1) and compare their time with what we have all put up there, why not let em post their time.

[Blooze]

...but leave the scoreboard open for new times indefinitely.  I guess what I'm saying is that we could set an "end date" which allows us all to shift focus to something else, but don't lock the threads. 

Going a bit OT here I suppose, but I agree whole heartedly with this.  I may want to take a shot at the current challenge almost indefinitely.  Kind of like Don Quixote tilting at windmills.  I could even make it part of my build regimine and would want to add my new car to the list of times, if for no other reason to see how far a am from Serial.

Leave the threads open and close them with an updated scoreboard.

[DirtDriver]

Actually, you guys are right on target. This is the kind of feedback and free thinking I am looking for.

DD

[Spiny Anteater]

Ok, I know it was me that suggested the 2 week idea back on FM.net, but I think we can all see that, even with the twist, this one did run out of steam a bit (although the tournament furore didn't help matters either). So I've added my cross to the one week/one track vote, although I did like Serial's idea of a 10 day challenge to help anyone struggling to get their times in before the deadline.

Speaking selfishly, I head off to the other end of the country some weekends to visit family and this eats up not only the weekend, but a couple of days either side of this as well which means I would struggle to give a complete account of myself in a week-long challenge. I don't know if this would affect anyone else, and as I said, that's speaking selfishly so please don't  think I'm trying to impose on other people  .

EDIT: Sorry, I had a complete attack of moronness and didn't see the 10 day option. I won't vote twice but sorry for messing up the poll. 

[DirtDriver]

Well, Spiny, I am leaning more and more toward the ten day thing myself. But Friday to Friday is actually 8 days. Posting the thing on Thursday evenings and running over the weekend to the following Friday might be just right!

We may be zeroing in on something here.

Oh, and don't think just because we go back to a one week format that there will be no twists. There are gonna be twists!

DD

[Big Mooing Cow]

I wonder if the amount of time we all need to zero in on a usable build/car will shrink as we get more familiar with the cars/parts/game?

Personally the first challenges sucked up TONS of time, because I was building tons of cars and playing with parts to create a fast car.  I knew the muscle cars, but I had never tried to build the fastest car possible, just a fun, fast car.

The most recent one took a long time for me because (as I think I said elsewhere earlier) I didn't know Suzuka well.  I had been meaning to do so for a long time, but this challenge came along first, and I cut my teeth learning the track with extremely difficult-to-drive cars like the Charger.  (Or at least difficult to drive CONSISTENTLY.)

Finally I spent a lot of time tuning speedway cars, because I have very little experience doing so.

Right now I have three B700 Z/28's, two Cudas, two Chargers, two Shelbys, and one of each of the others.  Given the variety of tracks we've run so far, I imagine I'll have at least one car that will run very well on any given track from here on out.

Of course, a lot of you guys spend a ton more time tweaking than me, so maybe the workload will never go down for some of us.

[DirtDriver]

The tuning time actually did go down for me this time. Most of my time was building because I started out with that monster Boss and when I went with lighter weight I could never catch it.

DD