The Leader's Advantage AI Bug

[Shovas]

Is anyone familiar with the scenario where the player/AI has an advantage over the other player/AIs if they're ahead?

What I mean is if I start in 2nd, the 1st AI is strong until I pass them. After I pass them they drop off by seconds in a single lap.

This also applies to AI in the lead if you don't catch up quick enough from further back in the field. I've seen Youtubers like Emptybox comment on this while racing: You need to catch up in a hurry or else the leaders just take off and are uncatchable for the rest of the race.

Is there a way to battle this?

 

[David Wright]

Personally I think this bug is a myth. The AI qualify quicker than they race. I presume this is to make the game more interesting, otherwise you would have to get pole to win and winning from pole is a little dull. So if you qualify second you will be quicker than the AI and will leave them behind. I'm not sure what the "sweet" spot is on the grid in order to be able to win, but if you are too far down the grid then you are not quick enough and you won't catch the lead car.

 

[Shovas]

I've tested this exact issue too many times to not be convinced it a real thing. Mind you, I'm running HQ Cars and Tracks, HQ AI, and some other mods that may be affecting AI driving behaviour. All the same, it feels akin to rubber-banding AI in other driving games, meaning it feels like they up the AI speed to give you a competitive race.

In my latest race for example I qualified 4th (AI 106), gained 1st within the first lap, but certainly wasn't much faster, and then proceeeded to make up a 5-6 second lead.

There's another behaviour: Half way through that race one of the AI gained all 5-6 seconds back and raced me 0.5-1.5s behind the rest of the way. I've experienced that one a lot, too.