Invalidated lap

[Terry Rock]

I know this is not really a Reiza issue but one associated with the original PCars.
Anybody have an explanation for why if you go off track during a lap but prior to reaching start/finish, the next lap is also invalidated?
It seems a bit strange.
I'd expect only the lap you are currently on to be invalidated due to not being a 'clean' one...not the next one.

 

[mungopark]

As you have already mentioned, it seems to be a "heritage" of the Project Cars games. If you go off track in last sector, next lap does not count, too.

 

[Terry Rock]

Really stupid way of doing things...and I realize it is not Reiza's fault but SMS'.
Who is going to run a whole lap of a circuit, when you know it is invalid even before it starts?
More likely you'll pull into the pits and end the session....then start a new one.

 

[Denis Betty]

Only thing that comes to mind for me, is that (at some tracks) you can gain exit speed from the last corner, by deliberately running wide on entry. This will give you more speed down the S/F straight and enable you to post an unfair/illegal time. Perhaps it's just a way to stop cheaters? I'm pretty confident that without this last sector rule, somebody would use this cheat to boost their standing on leader boards and even in quali for a race. Just my opinion of course.

 

[R8pilot]

This bugs me too.

I rarely race against AI cars, I mostly just do practice laps at the Nurburgring. I freaking HATE that banner that pops up and lingers for far too long telling me that a wheel wound up half an inch on the grass for 0.1 second. Yeah, I know, I know! You don't have to rub my nose in it like a dog that made a mistake on the kitchen floor (and it apparently can't be turned off).

But then, even worse, depending on where it occurred, it invalidates the NEXT lap too! And now it's like 7 minutes until the lap after that. Grrr!

 

[RedBull48]

I have seen this in other games too. I play a lot of F1 20xx games and if you run wide in sector 3 it also invalidates the next lap. As Denis has mentioned I believe it's so you can't gain an unfair speed advantage by running wide / cutting a corner in the penultimate turn.

 

[Terry Rock]

I'll have to go back and confirm if it is just the last sector only.
I still believe if it is done for the purpose of removing any time 'advantage', it should be done on the last corner...maybe two, before starting a new lap.
As to the banner popping up and staying there for an inordinate amount of time? ...Yeah! that is another one of my peeves.
It stays displayed for far too long and is too big. A simple flash and out of the driver's view would suffice.

 

[BillGuy]

I'll have to go back and confirm if it is just the last sector only.
I still believe if it is done for the purpose of removing any time 'advantage', it should be done on the last corner...maybe two, before starting a new lap.

A little while ago Reiza actually did reduce the size of the “zone” that gets your subsequent lap nullified. It used to be the anywhere in the entire final sector but they made an effort to shrink it. I don’t recall which specific update it was, but Reiza mentioned it in the release notes when the change was implemented.

One objective bug that’s related to this overall mechanism is the display of incremental times in the HUD.
[Lap A] You run wide near the end invalidating this lap and the entire following lap.
[Lap B] Invalidated due to the end of Lap A. No incrementals displayed. OK, fine. It’s invalidated anyways.
[Lap C] Valid lap, but sector 1 and sector 2 incrementals are often not displayed. Only the whole lap at completion.

I don’t think this happens every single time but it definitely occurs somewhat often for me.

 

[duck2205]

I know this is not really a Reiza issue but one associated with the original PCars.
Anybody have an explanation for why if you go off track during a lap but prior to reaching start/finish, the next lap is also invalidated?
It seems a bit strange.
I'd expect only the lap you are currently on to be invalidated due to not being a 'clean' one...not the next one.

Usually it's because of a possible advantage gained. For example, in Catalunya, you can take the old layout to skip the chicane and gain a huge speed advantage entering the main straight. That's why they invalidate both, no matter the tracks.

 

[gamma123152]

Only thing that comes to mind for me, is that (at some tracks) you can gain exit speed from the last corner, by deliberately running wide on entry. This will give you more speed down the S/F straight and enable you to post an unfair/illegal time. Perhaps it's just a way to stop cheaters? I'm pretty confident that without this last sector rule, somebody would use this cheat to boost their standing on leader boards and even in quali for a race. Just my opinion of course.

No this is not just your opinion. This is the exact reason for it and you explained it greatly. Without this rule most time trail times/qualis would be incorrect. So it's a mandatory feature of the game.