How do you read CPs while racing?

[ScottyB 2,086]

Here is a very handy guide for those that haven't made many races or would like to compare how they make their tracks. It is pinned on this site but I'm sure it doesn't get read much. http://www.domesticbatterygta.com/topic/1127-guide-to-checkpoint-placement/

My question is, how do you read a CP during a race that you haven't done before? Do you use it as a rough guide of where to go and use the map to tell you the road or do you just generally know the area?

A lot of creators struggle with objectively viewing their race because they know the track and expect others to just know it. G, Snacks and I have been talking and giving feedback to each other's tracks and it has come up that everyone reads a track differently, whether you use props, CPs or prior track knowledge to be able to race it quickly the first time and not having to second guess where you need to go next.

Run through a track or 2 and have a think about how you read and use everything (props, CPs, prior track knowledge etc) to determine your speed and racing line and let me know.

[Lann 10,846]

I tend to use the cp as:

1. a indicator of where I am to drive, I don't want to have to look at the mini map.

2. A indicator of how tight of a turn I shall expect.

3. Finally when close enough I try and look at any props and what else there might be to decide where to go.

[G37 3,445]

He definitely helped me in understanding how to create races using checkpoints long ago, and where they should be/how they function.

 

Pretty true though, between myself, Snacks and Scotty we all "read" the same exact CP just a little bit differently. They seem to be a bit more literal than myself (fine tuning a CP a couple meters so it leans here or there) where as I'm a bit more fluid perhaps. 

 

When I look at a CP I merely use it as 2 indicators

- Where the track flows to next (road, dirt, where I need to turn my vehicle toward - having to look at the mini-map for the next CP is reserved for very certain and niche type races IMO)

- How severe a turn is (a proper creator takes that into context so the driver can prepare amply for it)

 

My mental process when driving (not that I'm that good) is simply that. I look through the CP so to speak, my attention is only partly on it and I try to prepare for that bend or corner by surveying the road/topography. Props IMO are meant to ENHANCE a track, not DETER you in anyway. Whether that's blocking off a roadway that might catch people out or guide you along a certain path or block some destructible objects like poles that can affect racers behind you or even protecting sidewalks from unfair surfing.

 

A lot of it like in a deathmatch is certainly knowledge of an area, where things jut out or things that may catch you out. Familiarity is certainly part of the battle. From my own personal experience, I think because of the way I read a CP it gives me a bit of an advantage (assuming a track is decently made) on the initial run. I usually perform very well, but given the opportunity to practice or have something on a number of laps our quicker racers will learn and improve immediately while my skills are a bit topped out at that point.

 

Here's me sort of "reading" Cps. Bit unfair as it's my own track, but I pretty much always approach things this way (specifically how I always turn the camera to get a sneak peak of the road I'm turning onto, not sure how many people do that)

 

Edited July 11, 2015 by G37

[LN-MLB 2,583]

Well, proper CP placement is crucial in most races and I don't want to have to look at the mini-map unless it's a long, Cannonball Run style race.  I get distracted enough when I look at the map and see yellow dots approaching, so if I have to use the map to rely on where to go next, I'm likely to become even more distracted and lose my position.  CPs that do not give a clear indication of which road you should take can easily ruin a race.  For example, there is one R* or R* Verified Sanchez race where the CP immediately projects you to go off-road and into a valley.  Not that I have an issue with going off-road, but the way it's laid out, the turn can be easily missed and if you have to rely on the map for that kind of information, it's not really a good sign in my opinion.

 

I'm not a pro-racer by any means--I'll never be the best and I'll never be the worst, but I tend to use them solely as where to go next and whether or not I should slow down, speed up, or prepare myself for a different type of terrain.  There are some roads and routes I know better than others, but as I have gotten older and am usually lacking sleep, I can barely remember the name of the race I'm in--let alone where a certain road will take me or whether or not it has curves or is a long straight.

 

So, I guess you could say that I use them to get from point A to point B and so on and so forth.

[Dodge 7,265]

I need to be able to trust the CPs to tell me what's coming next. That's how I design tracks. Making CPs visible from the previous is important as well as the correct amount of chevron and correct direction showing. 

 

That's my 2 cents. 

[no_snacks 3,345]

I tend to use the mini-map quite regularly, especially for tracks I've never raced on before.  

Therefore, the actual CP placement is more important for me than the direction or amount of chevrons inside the CP, although they are still very important and can stuff you up if they're wrong or misleading.

If a track has well place CP's, a driver will most likely rely on the mini-map less.  Of course there will always be tricky sections of a track where the mini-map comes in handy.

Sometimes a CP can be placed in roughly the right spot for a race to work, but moving it forward or backwards a couple metres, or left or right a couple metres, means the corner flows better and has a natural feel to it. 

Quite often, G, Scotty & myself will stop at a corner and discuss (even agonise) minute changes to a CP or prop.  In the meantime, LN will race on and steal the win.     

 

When I create a race, I always try to imagine the CP's without any chevrons inside.  

That way, when I place a CP on a corner, it's location alone should be enough to guide a driver in the right direction.

After the CP location is right, then I'll worry about making sure the correct amount of chevrons are showing and pointing in the right direction.  

That's something you can't always get right without placing too many CP's close together though.

[no_snacks 3,345]

Just getting back to Scotty's original question about how we read a CP.

 

Just ran a test race, and noticed I look at the CP location first.

If I'm still unsure where to go next, I'll then look for the chevrons.

I generally only look at the mini-map well before a corner, not actually at the corner.

 

If I quickly glanced at this CP at racing speed, I'd most likely turn left instead of right.  I probably wouldn't notice the right pointing chevrons because I wouldn't think I needed to bother even looking.

Other players may see the chevrons first, and turn right.  I'd probably rage quit at this point. 

[ScottyB 2,086]

I know that I am very fussy with CP placement but I believe that most people read them in a similar way, albeit subconsciously.

 

I could/should be able to race the track without seeing anything else. Hell, I think I could even complete a race with only seeing the CPs and no props or roads! Its a little extreme, but that's how important they are.

 

I aim to just touch/miss the inside of the CP with the outside of my car. For example, on a 90 degree left turn, I will spot the left most part of the CP and aim to cut it as much as possible which means the right side of my car will just touch it.

 

If the CP is too wide, or too far before or after the apex, then it throws out your approach. You may argue, why not just look at the road, mini map or props to guide you? I do do that as well, but that is a secondary thing. After all, if you’re not hitting CPs, you're not going to be winning are you?

 

Another way to say this is how Snacks said it. You should be able to know which way to go around a corner (straight, left or right) just by looking at the CP without any arrows in it. Your brain will subconsciously know which way to go.

 

The chevrons, or arrows inside the CP are the next thing I look at. They tell me how fast I can take the corner. They will automatically point to the next CP. The way you spin the cars in the creator is only for when you respawn. The Blue connecting line should virtually follow your racing line. You should be able to exit a corner facing the direction of the chevron without hitting any obstacles.

 

As you can see, CP placement is very important. Its impossible to remember every track, every corner and every stretch of road. So its very hard to race competitively the first time around (or even multiple times after depending on your memory) without good CP placement because you are constantly second guessing which road to take, or needing to look at the mini map to gauge how sharp the corner is and trying to recall if there are obstacles in the way.

 

Prop placement should only be used to enhance what the CPs are already showing you to do. They are also useful to block of light poles or to be placed on the apex as another guide to where your car should be.