World Grand Prix Organization: OOC Discussion Thread

[Sorlovia]

Sounds like you all had a great time in WGP2! I was thinking about taking part but life got in the way and I forgot! Looking forward to WGPC19 though!

[The Sherpa Empire]

Some of us in NSSCRA were talking about having an NS Motorsports Discord, and well, here it is: https://discord.gg/U4eyRARZpp

WGPO people are welcome.

[Liventia]

It's almost that time of the year again, so here's a combined host bid for WGPC 19 and WGP2 Season 5, which I hope to run concurrently.

Here's how I envision things:

SIGNUP LENGTH: Two weeks from the start of signups for circuits and one week for WGP2 teams. One week for tyre manufacturers. Open signups for drivers. Signups for WGPC and WGP2 drivers and circuits will run concurrently.

DRIVERS: Anyone may enter a driver, male or female. Drivers do not need to be human, but for obvious reasons and as per the accepted convention, they should be humanoid and/or have the ability to drive. Each user may enter up to three drivers, with no limit on drivers from any given nation (3, 2+1, or 1+1+1) – but each nation may have no more than two drivers in either WGPC or WGP2.

TEAMS: WGPC teams will be invitation-only. 12 teams will be invited, for a final WGPC grid of 24 drivers. WGP2 team signups will be semi-open. What this means: Anyone may enter a team, but not every signup is guaranteed entry to the championship. Teams invited to WGPC may sign up for WGP2 separately. 12 teams will make up the WGP2 grid of 24 drivers.

ENGINES: All 12 WGPC teams will be invited to use their own powertrains including engines, or to use a WGPC Motorworks spec engine. WGP2 teams will use WGPC Motorworks spec engines, with the exception of teams that have previously competed in either WGPC or WGP2 which will be allowed to use their own engines, fixed at the same ratings as the spec engine.

TYRES: Users may enter up to one tyre manufacturer per user. This list will be reduced to a final selection of not more than five (5), from which the 12 WGPC teams will be asked to choose a supplier. A spec supplier will be chosen from these 5 manufacturers for WGP2, and all WGP2 teams will use the spec tyre with the exception of teams that have previously competed in either WGPC or WGP2 which will be allowed to use their own tyres, fixed at the same ratings as the spec tyres.

SEASON LENGTH: In WGPC, 10 to 12 championship events (tbd depending on schedule), 3 pre-season tests. In WGP2, 8 championship events, featuring both sprint and feature races as seen in Season 4.

CIRCUITS: Each user may enter up to two circuits, with a maximum of one per nation. Puppet nations must have previously competed in WGPC or WGP2 (with a driver, team, or circuit) to be eligible to enter a circuit. At most four WGP2 events will be held concurrently with a corresponding WGPC event; the other WGP2 races will be stand-alone. Circuits should be no shorter than 3 km and no longer than 7 km, except where the circuit has previously been used in WGPC or WGP2. No ovals, no real-life circuits.

QUALIFYING: All four types of qualifying will be offered to circuits, however at any WGP2 events held with a corresponding WGPC event, the WGP2 qualifying session will default to one-shot (even if another type is used for WGPC). The 107% qualifying rule will be in use in both WGPC and WGP2, with exemptions in case of bad weather. In WGP2, the start order for the sprint race will involve the top half of the grid reversed from the feature race finishing order.

POINTS SYSTEM: In WGPC, points for the top 10: 25-18-14-11-8-6-4-3-2-1 with a further point for the fastest lap in a race. Drivers must finish in the top 12 to qualify for the Fastest Lap point. In WGP2, feature races will award points for the top 10: 25-18-14-11-8-6-4-3-2-1; sprint races will award points for the top 8: 15-11-8-6-4-3-2-1. One point for the fastest lap in reach race, with no restriction on finishing order.

RACE WEEKEND: At each WGPC race "weekend", there will be a practice session, a qualifying session, and a race session. Each race will be run to WGPC-specification 305 km (rounded up to the fullest complete lap). At each WGP2 race "weekend" corresponding to a WGPC event, there will be a practice session, one-shot qualifying session, a feature race, and a sprint race; at other WGP2 events, there will be a practice session, qualifying session, feature race, and sprint race. Each sprint race will be run to 100 km, and each feature race will be run to 240 km, both rounded up to the fullest complete lap. Sprint and feature races will be scorinated on the same day.

CLASSIFICATION: Each driver must have completed 90% of the race winner's completed distance, rounded up to the fullest complete lap, to be classified as a race finisher and to earn points.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: Four official championships will be maintained: the WGPC Drivers Championship, WGPC Constructors Championship, WGP2 Drivers Championship, and WGP2 Teams Championship.

ROLEPLAYING: WGP2 and WGPC roleplays will count equally for both seasons, and as such there will be no limits on roleplaying. However, to aid the introduction to WGP2 for newer users, WGP2-only users will receive an increased amount of bonus for their RPs. RP bonus will be deprecating over time.

SCORINATION: The latest version of The Racing Scorinator, with mid-race information turned off.

Questions?

[Valentine Z]

Ahh, I will have to read the rest of the parts carefully, but for me, this is the most relevant part:

> Each nation may have no more than two drivers in either WGPC or WGP2.

Rookie questions, sorry.
- So does that mean 4 drivers max? 2 in WGPC, and 2 in WGP2? I just read that, my bad.
- This will also mean that a driver cannot join both WGPC and WGP2?

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

Might I check whether you plan for everything to be done in a single roleplaying thread?

[Lisander]

Two questions:
- Are you planning to have more than multiple test sessions in the same circuit, like Friday and Saturday test, just like last season?
- Would it be possible to have qualifying sprint races in WGPC this season? ¹

- This will also mean that a driver cannot join both WGPC and WGP2?

From ValZ question I got this one:
- Can drivers be promoted/demoted between WGP2 and WGPC throughout the season?²

¹:OOC, I really liked the Silverstone/Monza thing and I'd like to have this kind of double-header for an eventual return of Grand Prix de Lisander.
²: Maybe in a scheme similar to what happened before between RL F1 teams Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri.

[Tumbra]

Sounds good, Liv; I have full confidence in your abilities to run both series.

I echo Nimbus' question on whether both events will be held on the same thread; there's a concern, I think, that newer users (who might post shorter roleplays) might be drowned out by longer RPs posted by users participating in WGPC. I think it's understandable that there are no word limits this time, since both series are being scored concurrently; my only worry is that this defeats the purpose of WGP2 as a "testing ground/induction", per se, where the word limit was implemented to assure newcomers that they didn't need to write too much to gain bonus.

Very happy to see WGP2 reduced to eight events; ten was a bit too long, and I think near the end of the season there was a consensus that twenty events was a bit burn-outy.

Still, would be interesting to see this as an experiment; in the worst-case scenario, we return to normality in WGP2 S6/WGPC S20.

[Liventia]

This will also mean that a driver cannot join both WGPC and WGP2?

A driver may only be contracted to one team at one time. I would note that it should not be common or recurring for a driver to consistently drive in both formulae.

Can drivers be promoted/demoted between WGP2 and WGPC throughout the season?²

²: Maybe in a scheme similar to what happened before between RL F1 teams Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri.

Yes, but it would count as a driver change for both teams, and teams are limited in the number of driver changes they can make, as they have been the last few seasons.

Might I check whether you plan for everything to be done in a single roleplaying thread?

The original plan was to have it all in one single thread, but having considered it further, WGP2 and WGPC will be RPed and results presented in separate threads, both of which will count for the same pool of RP bonus.

Two questions:
- Are you planning to have more than multiple test sessions in the same circuit, like Friday and Saturday test, just like last season?
- Would it be possible to have qualifying sprint races in WGPC this season? ¹

¹:OOC, I really liked the Silverstone/Monza thing and I'd like to have this kind of double-header for an eventual return of Grand Prix de Lisander.

I presume you mean practice sessions, in which case no; just the one practice session at each circuit.
Would it be possible? It's possible, but not currently in the plan. Perhaps for a future season.

[Strike]

Are you planning single cutoff per race weekend across wgp2/wgpc?

IE: on a typical Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule

All RP's posted from Monday-Sunday count for a single cutoff which occurs sunday. However RPs are graded at scorination points on Friday/Saturday/Sunday so an RP posted Monday-Thursday will be graded prior to the friday/saturday scorination even though the final cutoff for the week isn't until sunday

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

I like this proposal, and looking forward to another WGP2 season.
I thought you did a great job Liv, and I enjoyed everything about my first time out.

Dual WGPC/WGP2 weekends open up some good RP angles as well.

[Liventia]

Are you planning single cutoff per race weekend across wgp2/wgpc?

IE: on a typical Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule

All RP's posted from Monday-Sunday count for a single cutoff which occurs sunday. However RPs are graded at scorination points on Friday/Saturday/Sunday so an RP posted Monday-Thursday will be graded prior to the friday/saturday scorination even though the final cutoff for the week isn't until sunday

Yes, I am planning cutoffs that would apply to both series at the same time. They'll work the same way as they have the last couple WGPC seasons, with multiple cutoffs per race weekend but all of them counting for the same weekend.

[The Licentian Isles]

I quite like the idea of running both simultaneously, and think it could add some interesting RP angles to have both series running at the same time. I am kind of on the fence at the minute regarding whether or not both should be in a single thread. On one hand, I definitely see the point that people have raised about WGP2 generally be more introductory, but I'm not sure I agree with the idea that larger posts will obligate newer users to write larger posts. Also, I think there's no reason that a new user wouldn't be able to jump straight into WGPC, and having the driver negotiations in one single thread would definitely be a positive in that regard, as it would allow them to show why their driver should be signed and give teams a wider pool. I also think that the increased bonus for WGP2-only competitors could be a good way to encourage those people.

Liv, a slightly different topic: do you have a timescale in mind for this starting? Obviously completely understand if not, I'm just curious!

[Liventia]

Liv, a slightly different topic: do you have a timescale in mind for this starting? Obviously completely understand if not, I'm just curious!

As soon as the bid is approved, signups will start, pretty much. The earlier the better, to allow for sufficient time to complete the season prior to the December holidays.

From there the schedule will be structured in such a way that the season will end no later than 19 December, although ideally earlier.

[Of Cy Young]

Can I join

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

Can I join

Should Liventia's bid succeed, you will be able to participate in the upcoming season, yes!

[Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland]

Does anyone have any tips/advice on motorsports RPing? My efforts thus far haven't been that successful and because of the unique collaborative aspect of this sport I don't want to let another user done. Those who maintain good RPing across an entire season, or build good stories despite a lot of middle/low ranking finishes, how do you keep the motivation going?

[Aboveland]

Does anyone have any tips/advice on motorsports RPing? My efforts thus far haven't been that successful and because of the unique collaborative aspect of this sport I don't want to let another user done. Those who maintain good RPing across an entire season, or build good stories despite a lot of middle/low ranking finishes, how do you keep the motivation going?

I mostly dabble in character RPs, as I did with Terho and Edvin and now with Janne and (to a far lesser extent) Antti. I find it tends to help for my characters to have clear objectives going into a season: do they want to win the title, are they hoping for solid points, do they have a team to build, etc; and along those lines I have been trying to avoid, in the past few years, centering their stories 100% on what happens in a race weekend. I don't remember what the general consensus around "keeping things relevant" was in WGPC, but it never hurts to have side-stories secondary to the pure racing aspect to give meaning to characters' objectives and motivations.

As for the staying motivated despite bad results bit, well... It's tough, but speaking on my experience last WGP2 season with Nykipiflugpuun Noortekoondis it definitely helped that I had envisioned a somewhat coherent backstory and end-goal for the team from the start. That helped me out in the sense that there was always a reason for the team's efforts and results: it wasn't just a matter of checking scores or results and seeing what I could come up with based on that. I admittedly haven't had terribly unsuccessful drivers before, but I think the principle of setting goals and working towards them would apply for individual drivers, too.

For what it's worth, I really enjoyed Harry Zoomtwat, from his characterization to the collaborative story you pulled off. Personally, and this is entirely based on my own experiences, I struggle to RP more than one driver at a time, as I always feel like I'm prioritizing one over the other. If maintaining motivation and drive across a whole season seems tricky, maybe scaling down your commitment from multiple drivers to just one could help.

[Diarcesia]

Those who maintain good RPing across an entire season, or build good stories despite a lot of middle/low ranking finishes, how do you keep the motivation going?

It's emotionally tough definitely, but there are a few choices available

1. If you have a character arc planned for your driver, proceed with it.
2. Watch a lot of mistakes and fails in F1, even the best have their bad days. Maybe your driver had one of those too.
3. Elaborate on your country's motorsports infrastructure.

[Hapilopper]

Just go out and have fun and build your characters. I feel like my strength on motorsports RP involves my characters. I know what Marty Lewis would do, I know what Chris Holmes or Drake Stevenson or Taylor Henderson would do, and I feel like this upcoming season I'll build up Rudy Edwards a little bit more. And if your guy fails at a race or in qualifying, have fun with it. There is no shame whatsoever in making your characters look like idiots or putting them in ridiculous situations. If it makes you laugh and it makes sense, go with it!

[Valentine Z]

I do a mix of character development and exposition - most of the time it involves the character practicing or doing something on the track, and other times I detail their R&R outside of the race.

Of one thing I will note as a rookie back in 2018, is not to use the scorination results too much. I'm not saying that they are to be disregarded because this is NS Sports after all, but you don't need to write huge paragraphs based on the very last details of the race data.

It's not wrong, but it will tire you out and wear you out very quickly. Find something you like doing, and then stick to it while revolving your character and writing around the race event.

Have fun, and hope to see you guys (both veterans and newcomers) when the signups hit!

[Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland]

To clarify about bad results, what I meant wasn't so much disappointment at losing, but rather, in WGPC/2, by halfway through the season it can be clear a driver won't be competing for the title. Even in World Cup qualfying, you're still earning KPBs once you're mathematically eliminated from qualifying. Maintaining motivation when there's zero chance of competing even with good results is the harder bit.

That said, thanks everyone for the thoughts! The overwhelming consensus seems to be to concentrate on character RP, and given I suck ass at that, there's clearly some work to do.

I'll let you get back to discussing Liventia's/any other bid now.

[TJUN-ia]

To clarify about bad results, what I meant wasn't so much disappointment at losing, but rather, in WGPC/2, by halfway through the season it can be clear a driver won't be competing for the title. Even in World Cup qualfying, you're still earning KPBs once you're mathematically eliminated from qualifying. Maintaining motivation when there's zero chance of competing even with good results is the harder bit.

That said, thanks everyone for the thoughts! The overwhelming consensus seems to be to concentrate on character RP, and given I suck ass at that, there's clearly some work to do.

I'll let you get back to discussing Liventia's/any other bid now.

As your teammate during that season, I can totally understand how you feel. It always seemed that no matter what I did with Batu, nothing was going his way. Of course, the only thing to blame is sheer luck, but it's easy to blame yourself if things don't go your way.

My only advice would be to do what you feel comfortable doing because stressing yourself over what works and what doesn't isn't fun at all and not particularly healthy either. No matter what you decide to write about, as long as you enjoy doing it then Margaret cannot hurt you.

God speed.

[Aboveland]

That said, thanks everyone for the thoughts! The overwhelming consensus seems to be to concentrate on character RP, and given I suck ass at that, there's clearly some work to do.

It's not strictly necessary though, Vilita usually makes newsletter-type posts and they fit right in to the WGPC.

[Strike]

That said, thanks everyone for the thoughts! The overwhelming consensus seems to be to concentrate on character RP, and given I suck ass at that, there's clearly some work to do.

It's not strictly necessary though, Vilita usually makes newsletter-type posts and they fit right in to the WGPC.

At least well enough to always finish in 2nd place.

[Valentine Z]

Also either don't min-max, or have two drivers with different stats to spread your luck and wealth.

I should have added in another driver, ahaha.