Jack
While this thread is not entirely organic, it's also constructive feedback aimed at improving the game and our community, which we absolutely welcome. It comes from the right place, and we appreciate that.
First, the new system has only been live for about a month, whereas the old system ran for 13 years. That old system had its benefits, which people have highlighted here, but it was also at the end of its lifespan. The new system, by comparison, is at v1.0. We fully expected to discover some issues only after seeing how thousands of people interact with it in practice, and in many ways it hasn't been completed yet. We’re committed to iterating and improving it over time.
Feedback point 1: New players feel isolated with no community interaction in sprint races.
We agree there’s a lot more we can do here, and this is probably the most valid criticism. This is the part which I mean is unfinished. Not everything we intend to rollout as part of this new system is live yet. The new community tab is still evolving, and Events (which will help bring the community together outside of leagues) haven’t launched. Our plan was always to add events, so please hold off on final judgments until we roll those out. We’re going to study all your feedback carefully and incorporate it into event design.
Feedback point 2: Leagues seeing fewer people joining
Leagues need 1/3 less managers to be full. You don’t need new recruits at the same rate as before to maintain similar levels of activity in each tier.
The data shows daily signups are at a four-year high, with more new, real players staying long enough to level up. While it might feel like fewer are joining leagues, that’s expected since they can’t dive straight in on day one anymore.
We’re also about to start active marketing for the first time in over four years, which should significantly boost new arrivals. Let’s see how that impacts league growth before drawing final conclusions.
Feedback point 3: Progress to level 10 is too slow and causes newcomers to quit.
Reaching level 10 can be done in 40 sprint races. Level 10 is 5000XP and you gain 125xp per Sprint Race where you finish in the top 50%. That can be achieved in ~6 hours without XP boosters, or closer to 3 hours with them. Leagues can be unlocked in a day in other words. Is that really too long to wait?
Feedback point 4: It feels like the system pushes players to spend money on tokens.
Some of the balancing quirks you’re seeing are not intended. I can appreciate some won't believe that, but we’ve been continuously tweaking those aspects since launch. If you’ve seen our
recent discussion on 2-car leagues, you’ll know we’re actively looking into balancing at the moment.
Feedback point 5: “There’s no mentorship system.”
You can invite a friend, share a Sprint lobby with them, and walk them through things in real time. If anything, it should be easier than it used to be. What exactly is the barrier? If it would help, we can look into enabling chat within Sprint races to make guidance and feedback easier.
Hello Jack, sorry for the delayed response. I appreciate you taking the time to respond to the community.
First of all, I’d like to clarify a few things: My intention with this thread in the forum is to improve the game, not to criticize the update. From my point of view,
the update is good—at least to a certain extent.
Jack
Feedback point 1: New players feel isolated with no community interaction in sprint races.
If I had to describe iGP in one word, I would say "leagues." I’ve been here since 2020, during the pandemic, and I was fascinated by the depth of the leagues. They are the heart of this game. Personally, I really enjoyed them, and after getting to know the community, I created my own league.
With this new system—which I do like—the Manager-League relationship has been broken. As a result, the best thing about iGP (leagues) doesn’t reach new players. Personally, I believe that any player who joins a game like this, based on Formula 1 racing, wants to compete in a championship. And honestly, from talking to rookies, they tell me the same thing. It’s completely natural—people want to race, earn points, and become champions.
I like the idea of events; I think they could bring life to Sprint Races. It’s an excellent opportunity. If I had the means to contribute to the game, my idea would be to create a rookie league—perhaps a competition every three days, weekly, or monthly. Rookies would earn points in Sprint Races, contributing to a rookie championship leaderboard, making it a competitive and very healthy system.
In conclusion, I believe we need to find a way to fix the Manager-League relationship, which is currently broken.
Jack
Feedback point 2: Leagues seeing fewer people joining
In my opinion, the lack of level 10 rookies is due to the long progression path. Completing around 20-30 sprint races should be enough for a rookie—ideally, by that point, they should already be in a league, competing with others. Another interesting option would be to lower the required level to 5, which I don’t see as a bad idea.
I personally enjoy the community and communication, and if the entry requirements for leagues were reduced, it would be a great advantage, allowing rookies to join leagues more quickly and keeping them engaged.
I think the marketing campaign is fantastic! I actively promote my own league on social media, and I believe this is a crucial and important step for the game’s growth.
Jack
Feedback point 3: Progress to level 10 is too slow and causes newcomers to quit.
Yes, it is long. When I talk to rookies who have reached level 10, they all say the same thing.
In this case, I want to help improve the game, so I came up with the idea of reaching out to all the rookies and gathering general feedback on their experience, so they can share their thoughts here. I will talk to them, and they will share their opinions.
Everything is for the betterment of the game.
Jack
Feedback point 5: “There’s no mentorship system.”
The invitation system in iGP follows the classic referral model, but mentorship is something entirely different. Here’s how the mentorship system works:
Volunteers sign up as mentors in the language of their choice.
New players can request mentorship and are shown a list of the highest-rated mentors. They get to choose whom they want to learn from.
A mentor can guide multiple rookies at the same time.
Once the rookie reaches a certain level, the mentorship ends.
Mentors can be rewarded with a badge on their manager profile, in-game money, tokens, or other incentives. However, the most important aspect is the symbolic recognition of their contribution.
The mentorship system offers significant advantages over the verified system. Instead of a rigid structure where new players must prove themselves before gaining full access to the game, mentorship creates a more engaging and personalized experience. It fosters a stronger sense of community, encourages player retention, and ensures that newcomers have direct guidance from experienced players. This system not only helps rookies integrate more smoothly but also rewards veteran managers who actively contribute to growing and improving the iGP community.