Two-track development in leagues

I've discussed this with some of my league mates, and we're hoping version 2 might come up with a fix for this problem.  The problem is that iGP doesn't do much to disincentivize sacrificing one season to develop flat out for the next, then starting the process over.  One great year, one terrible year.  Unfortunately, the has lead to a situation where a number of competiors are fighting hard one season, then they wait out the next season while they start developing again for the following season.  I don't hold it against folks that do this.  The game allows it, and I can see the appeal in wanting to fight at the very front, even if its only every other season. 

I'm not sure exactly how to address it, but I can see a few key problems.  First, there isn't really a penalty for not developing at all for the current season and finishing poorly in the championship.  The bottom two teams get downgraded to Pro tier, of course, but this only happens if the league is full.  And since money isn't a problem, having a season of poor finishes won't hurt the team's finances.  Reworking the game's economy would help this, although I recognize that it would be a conplex job to reconcieve of the game's finances in a way that makes a significant difference.  I think it would be cool to have a developed in-game economy where the level of sponsorship is tied to the most recent championship finishing position.

Second, there isn't a penalty for flat-out next season development.  In this area, I think, we have an easy fix.  Just dial down the development advances for next season.  Say, for instance, that flat-out next season development might have a theoretical limit of 50% by the end of the season.  That way, folks could still get a jump on the next season, but it wouldn't be such a big advantage that it would be worth it to throw away the current season early in the campaign.  

I know that the development paths are being reworked for Version 2.  I'd love to see something like this (or something else!) that addresses this problem.  My league is finally hosting a bunch of active, fun managers to race with, and it's a shame to water down each season's competition because we've got teams discarding the current campaign in hopes of starting out on top for the following season. 

yes jordan i agree ive always had a good car one season and bad next season. But i wanted to be good in every season but the way the game is now if u have a balanced design so lets say u start every season with a 60 to 70% car design, there will always be a manager with a 100% designed car so by the time u catch up its to late to win the champonship. So as much as u want to be fairly competative both seasons with a balanced design its never going to work hence the only way is back to being very good 1 season and crap the next.

I agree. Some managers have 2+ teams which probably helps balance it out for them :P

Yeah, I'm not upset with you or anyone else in the league, Jason  :)   Our league is best I've played in.  It's the game design, and I'm hoping something can be done to change things.  

What a load of old tosh...

It's a piece of cake to get your car at 70%+ season after season... You just need to find out how to do it. ;)

If you are under Level 8 and in anything but Elite.. Then maybe.
Then you really shouldn't be allowed to get to 100% cars before Elites tbh... Hence why it's called Rookies and Pro's.

100% cars is not the winning formula BTW.. I start of every season 70% and above and I never take it over 98% by the end... and I have won many opening races against 100% cars..

This could be a new idea for Subscribed hosts of leagues.. The option of setting a max design % at the start of the new season.. Everyone can go above that but on opening day.. It puts you to the max that the league host has set..

I usually start the seasons focusing developing the next season's car to about 40% and then switch to the current year's car.  That usually ends with a 55% car for the begining of the following season and a high 90's or 100% car for this.  I see others do what you say, boucing from a high dev season to a low dev season while I balance mine out.  Though I don't find it a problem, they do because when they have a bad season, they give up and sometimes don't even attend the races, which is boring for me.

I support these ideas Jordan!

The thing is, a league running everyday and a league running three days per week experience different conditions for car development. Car design is set to a daily clock. All other development is set to a per race schedule. This means that the league racing everyday has a 17 day season, while the league racing three times per week has a 40 day season. Thus the everyday league can only increment their parts about 9 times per season (with the current every other day per part  rule in place) while the three day per week league can increment their parts 20 times. Thiis makes a big difference in how much one can develop their cars.

Simply tying car development to a per race schedule would make the experience of leagues with different length seasons the same and allow the everyday leagues out of their trap of good season/bad season.
It would also have the added incentive of encouraging race participation

I'd never really considered that, Leslie.  So, in leagues that don't race every day, the development race is kinda moot, since development occurs every day?

Actually it varies from one end of the spectrum to the other.  Once per week leagues almost always have 80% to 100% cars while daily leagues have to use one season with next season bias in order to get their cars up near 100% the following season. Three races per week is kind of the ideal situation near the middle of the two extremes.
Car development is not moot except in the once per week leagues. ( @ 119 day season length ) But at three races per week you can catch up to cars more developed than yours if you are willing to accept the sacrifice of next season beginning at a lower level. Or you can develop evenly and have your cars run between about 70% to 90% during a season and rely on other factors to get better race performance.