Being intentionally rammed in corners is one of the biggest annoyances in online racing. There are numerous complaints about it on this forum and some people even ask for online racing without collisions. Following a racing etiquette and finding a fair way past your opponent is a big part of motorsports and should be a part of this game. Thus, I suggest the following:
- A detection if you are about to get rammed from behind or T-boned. This could e.g. be a speed difference of 30 mph. The best values probably need to be determined experimentally and need to be different for every class.
- If ramming is detected, one of 2 penalties could happen:
- The victim gets quickly ghosted. The offender will just drive through the victim and off the road, probably hit the wall and get a slow down penalty. To prevent abuse like ghosting happening on a straight, it should only be active in corners or while/after braking.
- The victim will behave “like a rock”. He will not be pushed around or even into the wall. This will slow down the attacker. Additionally, the attacker could get a slow-down penalty or a -10% malus to the car’s horsepower on repeat offences.
My suggestions will add artificial interferences to online racing. But after we get used to it, I hope it will lead to a better racing etiquette and fair wheel-to-wheel racing that still allows the trading of some paint.