I’ve gotten some excellent replies so, and Forza Horizon is definitely a different beast altogether from Forza Motorsport, so I thought I’d ask the same question here:
What is considered good and bad racing behavior?
Because of the much narrower tracks and off-road nature of many of the courses, I assume contact and such is much less of an offense. What rules are different from Forza Motorsport and what rules are similar?
Contact happens, but there is a difference between taking a corner off road somewhere, hitting an unseen bump and taping someone and flying down the road at a wall, slamming into another racer to slow and turn and continuing with your race. Some contact is bound to happen on Horizon. Aggressive, intentional, and repeated contact is not ok.
Every Xbox One console sold comes standard with the base headset. Sure people refuse to use them because “it’s not a turtle beach” or “the game audio doesn’t come through” but really, they have one. USE IT! It’s amazing how using the headset can change your entire experience online, and you might meet some interesting people.
It’s a little different with the environment but like in Motorsport, if you’re coming up on someone in a corner and you’re behind them, let them have their line and then pass them. If you’re coming into the corner slightly ahead hold your line and then stay where you are - if they’re pass they will go around and there is less confusion. If you know the quicker racer is coming up behind you just hold your line and let them make the move - if you start to bob and weave that’s when accidents happen.
On that note, if you do move out of someone’s way or give way for a corner, make sure you’re not moving into someone’s path or directly into them. Make one move and then hold your line, don’t do the whole bob and weave thing to block someone.
I’ve had it happen a few times in Horizon 2 where I’ve DNF’d the entire field. It may sound cool, but it’s really not and it doesn’t make people feel like they want to stay in the lobby with you - especially when playing in a room mostly full of randoms. There will always be that one person who may DNF here or there but try to give other players time. I try to keep an eye on the “behind m” indicator but if you’re a over a checkpoint ahead it does not work. You can ask people what % of the race they are at, you can look behind you and slow down near the end, or even sit at he finish until you see a car appearing and then roll across the line. As was mentioned for FM6 a win is a win but DNF’ing half a lobby is a loss for you cause they won’t want to play with you if they don’t feel they can have a good time. Competition is good, getting destroyed over and over and over again I’d look for a new lobby too.
Be courteous over the headset. If you must talk to someone at home, mute it. I don’t want to hear your family screaming at each other in the background and what not and neither does anyone else.
For me, proper racing etiquette is not just how you drive, when surrounded by other players, but also what cars you use. I can just say that I don’t like it if people always use AWD swapped 250gto’s, maserati 300s’s, daytona’s, dodge dart’s, alfa stradale’s, 458 speciale’s or cars that are stockwise 4WD and op like the veneno or the subaru impreza '05.
The second major issue is that nobody drives a s-bend like a s because the checkpoints allow you to go full speed through the middle. Always cutting corners through the dirt is not proper racing etiquette for me, similar to wallriding, which is quite popular in online racing,
Another thing i have to mention is that poeple that are behind you in a corner brake later, just to be able to be on your inside and then push you out. When i still manage to keep my line, i will try to push them besides the checkpoint on the inside, which i believe is what they should get for their dirty driving style.
Sorry for the missing capital letters, my phone is set to german.
If I understand correctly, you say it is improper or poor racing etiquette to use cars that you know will do well and win? This isn’t Motorsport, it’s Horizon and I hate to say but many rally cars are AWD for a reason. Seeing as that is what this could be most compared to isn’t it obvious why the obvious choice is AWD? I wouldn’t necessarily say that the '05 Subaru is overpowered because that isn’t the case. Really, Subaru has simply made a car far superior to the other choices in the given class - and it’s not all to do with power. Most of it has to do with chassis and suspension tuning which allows you to hold a faster average speed across the race.
Even of race tracks, depending on the size of the S-Bend it is raced in an attempt to straighten out the line as much as possible. I again fail to understand how finding and using the optimal racing line is poor etiquette. These aren’t the streets of your local mountainside where you can go fast but must stay between the lines - this is an off-road race and if you’re not using the best racing line you’re not going to be the fastest. There are also no dirty laps here - this would be better suited for the Motorsport thread about etiquette.
Your last point, pushing people out of checkpoints now that I would say is poor etiquette. If someone is coming faster than you, or takes you on the inside and does so without contact and you go on to try and push them out of the checkpoint that’s just poor sportsmanship. If they’re faster, they don’t contact you, and they are able to pass you and keep going then let them keep racing and work on increasing your speed and your racing line. That said, if someone intentionally comes up faster, doesn’t brake and uses your car as a brake and turn-assist then that isn’t right either.
Your post sounds like it’s less about etiquette and more about personal preference.
I agree, if the options there to swap cars to AWD then ill use it, it greatly helps online. Also just making a car AWD isnt going to make you win, its about speed and how you upgrade which can make a difference. Also Horizon is about getting from one checkpoint to the next, if a shortcut is available like there are many to use then I’ll use it, I race to win. I sometimes use cars which I know aren’t the best such as my Mercedes G65 and SUV’s but still end up winning because the competition take turns too fast and ram each other xD
I think it’s the case that AWD seems like a crutch - you don’t have to worry much about throttle control, are likely less spinning out and you escape the pack early, saving time and speed. But you can’t take corners as fast as a RWD and if you drive against a very good RWD-driver, you’re going to have a hard time.
It only gets worse when those guys brag about how good they are and how much the other players suck afterwards. And I’ve to admit that I get angry if someone drives an AWD-swapped car and sports an arrogant “You can’t beat me, bro!”-attitude. Because I can tell from my experiences that they mostly win because they don’t have to fight through the carnage at the start and when you catch up to them, you discover that they are not that good.
But the issue with cutting corners is simply that it’s not entirely clear if it’s okay or not. I cut corners as well (provided I understand correctly what it is) because many players do it and there is nothing to prevent you from doing it, for example heavy obstacles. Of course I don’t take huge shortcuts through the field, but if there’s a 90°-turn and a small stretch of grass on the inside (think of those dirt roads), I drive over the grass.
As long as there is no general consensus that cutting corners is a bad thing in Horizon 2 (I don’t cut in Motorsport), or alternatively an agreement among the players in a lobby, I’ll continue to cut corners. Sorry.
And finally, I have my own reasons to not use a headset in a lobby full of strangers. But I tend to send some drivers messages, often saying thanks for intense races, especially if they won in the last seconds.
I maybe expect a bit much of my opponents, but it was just my opinion on what i would like them to act like if i could choose.
I just have to say wallriding > 4WD > shortcutting.
Finding out, how to shortcut a s-bend is definetly something, that does not take any skill.
And using a 4WD swapped car, is(in my opinion) something, that does not help your to improve your driving skills, but makes you end up in much better positions by simply being(in most cases) much better than the RWD car at the same PI, considering controlability and stats(not always).
Aditionally, I have to mention that the '05 Subaru just has a too low stock PI, like some other cars. You can easily see that by comparing the different impreza models.
In any car whether AWD or RWD it still takes skill to know how to take the turns properly without losing too much speed. When you’re up against skilled people it can be difference between coming first and a lower position. I use AWD because it helps the car more stable through the turns, reduces wheelspin and there are many good people online so it will help there too. Ive used RWD before but then most people will pass you and then its normally a crashfest to get to the front again with people blocking/ramming you left right and centre. Id rather have an AWD car so I can get in front at the start easy as the first turn is one where people 99% of the time crash. Rather not have to go through all that and have a nice time racing, each to their own though.
I really understand you and don’t have problems, when i race guys that think so. But for me the race was boring if i stay first from start to end and only see the others in my rear view mirror.
I will just keep on trying and maybe one day, I’ll pass a '05 subaru in the last corner
Do not use the walls in corners as turning blocks.
Do not use other racers as walls in corners as turning blocks.
IF it’s a long distance destination, and you are way ahead, stay on the same path as the group. Someone or some people losing 5k in XP will make them rage for the rest of the series.
If you are racing with your crew in a Public RT, team racing is encouraged. Team bully racing is not. IE: one team mate gets way out front while the others play road block or linebacker on your car.
Do not just sit on the brakes at the start of a race. The rest of us all launch, you should too. Sitting there to slow up the person(s) behind you is a level 6 richard move.
Like PPi says, use your mic! Racing games are FULL of gear heads from all over the world. Heck, I am part of a car forum, and we all play together, because of the gear head thing.
I say all this and try to execute it as much as possible. I will also say that if someone or some people are attempting to take their liberties on my crew or me…I will be the enforcer. It’s my nature.
Yea I get what you mean, but if im in a lobby with less skilled people I dont really fight for first and use something like a Merc G65 lol :p, but even then ive won alot of races as it pulls fairly well out of corners and haha I never used the Scooby or Evo in either of the Horizons much are they’re pretty common (but effective if built properly)
Yea it can be a beast in S class too, seen a few high levelled people win easily, same in the R34 Skyline.
But yea the Bus and Transit are awesome lol, I have a SSV but I usually forget to use it lol as the time ends up going quick so I choose the Range rover or G65 as theyre the closest, but Ive seen people say those types of cars are ineffective and only used for ramming etc, which I disagree with entirely. I even have an A class Escalade which I thought would be rubbish but it does surprisingly well for its weight
^ Yea when people try to ram you its funny. I had someone in a Lotus Eleven which weighs what like 500KG’s? trying to ram me in a 4000LB Merc G65 LOL he slowed down way more than I did xD great feeling.
I hate to say it, but anyone who rams somebody off the road at a turn doesn’t deserve to play multiplayer. It’s amazing how much you can ruin somebody’s race by driving aggressively.
