Suggested

Luck Factor

Just a brainstorm about 'Luck Factor'

I know we all want our work as a manager to be reflected as it is on results but, we can't forget about the "Luck Factor". And often, this Luck-Factor can make a game more interesting.
It's everywhere in F1 despite everyone tries to minimize it doing their job the best they can. This can also be a way to balance the game.

I'm not saying i want to see this Luck factor affecting races all the time but just to be present once in a while.
It's hard to see this luck factor at the moment and i know just a little bit of this could be interesting. Bad luck for one means good luck for others.
I see people entering the race, changing some options and leaving because, they are sure nothing strange it's going to happen.
Like it or not, it's present in real life and will improve the game realism.

Here, some options, feel free to add others.

1) - stall on race start, or when leaving the pits (maybe lose 2 seconds...)

2) - crash between cars fighting for position
A car going over the other for a long period of time can increase this possibility.
At the moment, we all Push harder or use Kers to defend our position, both cars become one big dot.
This can last just one second or ten long seconds, that could result in crashing, making the front or rear wing turn into a bad condition.

3) - unexpected part failure
This can also be affected by parts condition, chief designer's skills, push level, weather, etc.
Tyre blows up unexpectedly (more chances if those are too hot and you are pushing hard for long periods)
Kers wont work (affected for using kers for long periods of time for example)
Drs failure for one or two laps

4) [EDIT] -VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR is a better one
no need to add a dot on front
no need to line up cars.
(for example) 60seconds with all cars at medium speed. Maybe your tyres can cool down a little bit.
If you decide to pit on that moment, you don't lose many positions but you have to think fast to decide and assign fuel.)
Wont be that huge punishment for non-attending managers.
This can make a boring race to become an interesting one like in F1.
[END EDIT]

5) Driver's mistakes
For example: Gone wide, block wheels, etc.
This can be affected by push level, tyre condition and/or temp, driver age, health, and many driver's skills.

6)and lol but: Throw a slot machine to win design points to use the next race, or to double training effect for a day, or something.

I don't pretend this to have big effects during the race but, a little effect could be interesting.
(i know developers are working hard with this new version so, this is just to talk about luck and what managers think about it, i don't pretend to see any of this soon.) ;)

well luck has always been a much talked about topic when it comes to igp it would be great to see a day when this could be a thing as long as it doesnt seem to keep affecting the same team time and time again as that could become aggravating if they are doing things differently and still having it happen

I think kers should be enabled on all turns, as in F1 racing, after all of the acronym stands for 'energy recovery'.

I think luck needs to be present, but just a little touch. That moment, once in a while, when something unexpected happens and changes the race, or just a stint, a pitstop, the speed for a moment, something like that. Not to be present all the time, or every race, no, not at all.

The luck factor already exists, it gives more or less design at the start of a season ^^ More seriously those are interesting ideas but they aren't well suited for IGP, SC would penalize different strats and ruin races 10x more than real F1 when crashes/failures will be too much frustrating for a manager watching a race, this is an online game and it have to make compromises but I think the time lost in pits is possible like it was before.

@Joey: LOL at that first sentence.

but i really think those can be suited easily.

-SC NO, ok, maybe too much but, i'll change it for:
-VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR.
no need to add a dot on front
no need to line up cars.
(for example) 60seconds with all cars at medium speed, maybe cool tyres a little bit.
if you decide to pit on that moment, you don't lose many positions but you have to think fast to decide and assign fuel.) wow i love this one LOL
-Crashing/failures could mean you will lose 0.1 per lap until next pit, or from 0.5 to 2secs on the lap it happens, no big deal)

Yeah, a manager is online, barely scored a point all season, the other teams are 2 laps from pitting, this manager pulls his drivers in before they are caught behind the safety car, meanwhile the drivers ahead are stuck behind the safety car at a slow pace and this team that were a long way behind, in effect it has given a free pitstop over the other teams, suddenly on the lap before the stops, the safety car peels in and every team pits at the end of that lap except the manager on at that point.

yeah, it will play to some rather than others, but the system shouldn't punish those who were not around for those who were.

@Jason. I think the VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR idea is better. (check the post before your's or my original post, i removed Safety Car ;) )

Virtual safety car has shown in Formula 1 that it can be easily abused, it wouldn't be so much luck about taking advantage of someone elses misfortune. What of Jack added for example an animal running across the track or a tyre stack come loose and had to bring out a VSC, some teams could use that at an opportune moment to take a free pitstop and come out in front of their rivals.

and if teams are not allowed to pit under VSC all it will do is slow down the action without good reason.

we can't be so dramatic about that. i think the game needs more flexibility. more opportunities for slower cars during races. that's the reason of this idea.
i don't want to see a virtual safety car every race. when it appears, you can win or lose some time, just that.
want to be fair? well, no free pitstops, VSC will last 1.5laps so everyone has te opportunity to pit.