OT: F1 2006 Strategy Game

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 6:28 pm

BATracer is a browser based racing/management game that can be played for free. Don't know how long it will last online since it appears to have all the F1 2006 cars and drivers, and I doubt it has an official FIA license.

http://batracer.com/

Anyway, here is a description of it from another forum:

BATracer is a free browser-based racing strategy game. It's a bit like an "F1 manager" type game, BUT instead you play as a single DRIVER, setting up your car, defining your drive style, qualifying strategy and race strategy. Playing as a driver is fairly unique because this introduces teamwork with your team mate(s).

The races are finely modelled and can be very exciting, with commentary, graphs and maps

I just registered for it and it looks pretty cool, but I have not figured it out yet. It appears that you can create private games for 10-22 players. I think you need to have teams of two. Don't know if anyone here would be interested in trying it out, but I went ahead and setup a DSP game. Here is the link to join this game once you have registered from the batracer.com main page:

http://batracer.com/-cj?&D&318

ID: 318
Game Name: DSP F1 2006 Challenge
Password: superior

Don't pick a team yet. Depending on how many people may be interested, we may need to just have some kind of lottery to pick teams. We could also just leave out Ferrari, McLaren, and Renault as options. That might make it a little more even.

Again, I really don't know anything about this game yet, but it looks like it could be pretty cool and I figured there may be some foks here interested as well. Just let me know and we will figure out some lottery to pick teams.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 6:35 pm

I'll check this out when I get home. Sounds cool.

I just don't want to be Super Aguri...

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 6:37 pm

I hear ya Dave, here is the description of the team from within the game:

[ Select: Super Aguri ]
Super Aguri F1 SA05. Honda RA806E V8 engine. Bridgestone tyres. Estimated budget: 85m GBP.

All new team! Lot's of passion but painfully slow 4 year old cars coupled to one of the best engines. Warning: game is extra hard driving this car! 12 setup parameters.
www.saf1.jp

sfz_T-car · Post by **sfz_T-car** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 6:53 pm

Dave wrote:I'll check this out when I get home. Sounds cool.

I just don't want to be Super Aguri...

<------ In.

If anybody wants to be Midland, I'll kick their a**es.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:09 pm

I'll take Williams if no one else wants them. My favorite team.

Take care,
PK

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:03 pm

Don, I'd heard about BATracer returning via F1Gamers.com a couple of weeks ago and I was going to sign up for a league there, but I don't really understand how it works. Would I have to haul my Transatlantic arse online at the same time as everyone else to take part?

I wouldn't mind a go at this, but I don't want to sign up to anything purely because I don't understand it and I didn't find the answers I was looking for anywhere on the site.

Gangrel · Post by **Gangrel** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:59 am

I'm in.

Simo: I used to play this a few years ago. Basically, you log on each day, whenenver you want. You put in the setup for your car, send it out to run practice laps, tweak setups, etc. Then a day later is qualifying, and you do it again. If i remember correctly, for the races you enter in your strategy, and the race is run on a certain day, but no one intervenes.

So, short version, you don't have to be on at the same time as everybody else, just for a few minutes each day a race is going on.......

mixdj1 · Post by **mixdj1** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:39 am

I'm in. I'll take Honda if we end up getting to pick our team.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 11:26 am

I just registered. I'll partner at the Honda team if thats cool.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 11:44 am

I reg'd as well, what the heck, give it a shot. You know me, I'm a loyal CORPORATE WHORE: I'll take Red Bull. Unless we do something random, which would be fine.

Very curious to see how this functions.

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 11:58 am

Ok, so we have 9 so far. All we need is one more. I guess if everyone is cool with picking on our own (leaving Ferrari, Renault, and McLaren out of the mix), here is what we have so far:

Honda Racing
mixdj1
Gurantsu

Red Bull Racing
Zeppo
Open

Williams F1 Cosworth
pk500
Open

Super Aguri F1
sfz_T-car
DChaps

Panasonic Toyota Racing
Open
Open

BMW Sauber
Open
Open

Midland F1
Open
Open

Scuderia Toro Rosso
Open
Open

I will team up with sfz at Super Aguri if that is ok.
Dave, Simo, Gangrel - go ahead and pick a team. I guess we should try to fill out the teams first. If everyone is cool with the above, go ahead and pick your team within the game.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 12:20 pm

Honda team is created!

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 12:29 pm

I'll join "Team Corporate Whore" with Zeppo if he doesn't mind.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 12:38 pm

Dave wrote:I'll join "Team Corporate Whore" with Zeppo if he doesn't mind.

Just understand that as a loyal Red Bull corporate whore, you are now a fan of Red Bull NY Soccer Club in the MLS!! And Red Bull Salzburg, too.

Welcome to Red Bull.

Let's go get 'em, Bulls!

BTW Don; so it appears there are special tools available if you donate some minimum sum (less that $20). I wonder if we are having rules prohibiting this? Some of the tools seem to help with teammates, as you can see your teammates setup info and such right next to yours. Of course, there's private team chat as well so we can exchange info the old fashioned way.

I'm not sure I want to spend $20 for this, though that doesn't seem like a lot to pay if it turns out to be really fun and we do several seasons. But I know in the heat of competition, it will be tempting to get access to those extra tools, even if they turn out to be bunk!

We need a memo on this from the DSPFA head office.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 12:47 pm

I want in. I know nothing about racing, but this looks like fun.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:34 pm

Do we have an interloper? Seymor Butts for the Sauber team??

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:38 pm

Seymour Butts is me. Not really an interloper.

mixdj1 · Post by **mixdj1** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:08 pm

OK, I just finished my practice laps. This thing is awesome. Thanks for setting this up Don!

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:13 pm

Yes, a little FIY: You get 7 practice laps, which I guess you can run any time before qualifying. I saw Seymour and Mixer had posted some times, so I started messing around.

The setup options are great, with little adjustment suggetions, and as you test the setups, it gets easier to fine tune. Very cool. It would be extra cool to use some kind of chat with a teammate while practicing, maybe more could be larned that way, I don't know. Very curious to see how qualifying goes!

sfz_T-car · Post by **sfz_T-car** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:24 pm

Is there a timetable for this thing?

I don't have time at work to mess around but I don't want to miss the practice and qualifying windows and end up at the back of the grid. Strange as that may be for the SA05.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:41 pm

Wow, this thing is pretty cool. I'm currently topping the speed charts with a 1:32:813.

A neat thing I noticed is that you can load your teammates setup. Also, you can load the setup for any specific lap you've done.

Very neat setup, and it won't take all day to mess with it.

If we need more drivers I may have a buddy who would like this. He's not a DSPer, so I'll defer to the powers that be to decide if they want him in.

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:41 pm

In. Jordan were always my favourites but I can't bring myself to care about MF1, so Williams are promoted to number one status.

We can practice now, then? Better give that a whirl, see if I can make sense of things. Does qualifying start as soon as 10 people sign up, does Don have to give the go-ahead, or...what?

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:49 pm

Zeppo wrote:BTW Don; so it appears there are special tools available if you donate some minimum sum (less that $20). I wonder if we are having rules prohibiting this? Some of the tools seem to help with teammates, as you can see your teammates setup info and such right next to yours. Of course, there's private team chat as well so we can exchange info the old fashioned way.

I'm not sure I want to spend $20 for this, though that doesn't seem like a lot to pay if it turns out to be really fun and we do several seasons. But I know in the heat of competition, it will be tempting to get access to those extra tools, even if they turn out to be bunk!

We need a memo on this from the DSPFA head office.

Yeah, I would say let's keep it at the free version level for now. If this turns out to be pretty cool, then maybe we can do another one with the extra tools.

Not sure about the timeframes sfz, but I think you have 24 hours.

DChaps · Post by **DChaps** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 3:03 pm

GB_Simo wrote:We can practice now, then? Better give that a whirl, see if I can make sense of things. Does qualifying start as soon as 10 people sign up, does Don have to give the go-ahead, or...what?

From the admin screen it is telling me:

There are 6 players in this game. You need 4 more players to start the game. The maximum number of players is 22. Competitor signup now commences! When the required number of competitors are present the game will begin.

It does allow for 7 practice laps at this point, but the game has not officially started yet. I think it will start automatically once we have everyone on board.[/quote][/code]

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 3:08 pm

Gurantsu wrote: Also, you can load the setup for any specific lap you've done.

How do you do that? Do you select the lap from the giant list, or can you bring up a list of just your own laps?

The teammate setup load is pretty cool (dave I've used all my runs, and the quick-lap setup is what I have set right now; am using soft tires, but those quicker cars are on hard apparently, maybe I made a mistake? We can discuss pit strats. in the team chat over there).

I say, the more the merrier, bring in your friend.