Racing Live Racing Strategy Guide
Racing Overview
Racing Live has one of the most misunderstood fighting (racing) systems among the Storm 8 games. It is very important to understand the way the system works in order to play the game successfully.
There are several factors taken into account in a race:
- Crew Size: Number of crew members brought into the race by each player.
- Cars: Number of cars brought into the race by each player.
- Car Parts: The attack or defense point value of the car parts used on each car brought into the race.
- Skills: The speed (attack) or handling (defense) skill points of the respective players.
- Luck: A random chance factor just to keep things interesting.
How it Works
(1) Player Level / Crew Size
The first consideration is the player's level. This constrains the number of potential crew members that can be used to 5 per level.
Example: I am level 10 with 80 crew members, I can only use up to 50 crew members. The extra members are not taken into consideration.
(2) Cars Owned
EVERY crew member MUST have a car. If you do not have at least 1 car for each allowable crew member, then crew members without cars are NOT used.
Example (continued): Even though I can use up to 50 crew members, I only have 40 cars. This means that only 40 crew members are actually utilized.
(3) Car Parts
The number of car parts used in the race is constrained by the number of cars used in the race. It does not matter how many crew members you potentially could have used. The only consideration is how many cars are used.
Further complicating things, each and every car can be equipped with 1 of every item regardless of category. You are NOT limited to 1 performance, 1 handling and 1 extra part per car. Every car can use up to 1 of every existing car part that you own.
The only exceptions are Stage 1 Turbo Kit/Stage II Supercharger/Stage III Twin Turbo and Dual Exhaust/Performance Exhaust. Only 1 Turbo/Supercharger and 1 Exhaust type can be used per car.
Example (continued): I own 50 Cold Air Intake, 35 Stage 1 Turbo Kit, 12 Upgraded ECU, 8 Performance Exhaust, 5 Nitrous System. I will end up racing with 40 Cold Air Intake, 35 Stage 1 Turbo Kit, 12 Upgraded ECU, 8 Performance Exhaust, 5 Nitrous System for a total of 90 enhancements. Note that even though I have 50 Cold Air Intake and can use 50 Crew Members, only 40 are actually used as I only own 40 cars.
You can see this in action by playing with the Racing Live Spreadsheet.
Racing Live Payouts
Relative to income, the payouts from beating another player are disproportionately large in Racing Live. For example, at level 35, the maximum that you can win by successfully attacking another player is $35,842. This is equivalent to the income from more than 3 Beach-Side Mansions (the highest income property available at that level). This exacerbates the already brutal income/upkeep ratio that exists in the game.
Personally, I think the system needs to be changed but, as it stands, it is recommended to either have high defense (handling) or make sure you bank your cash.
Racing Process
Attacking and defending follow essentially the same calculation process. The only difference being whether speed (attacker) or handling (defender) points from cars/car parts are used.
Attacking
In order to initiate an attack against another player, you must have at least 1 focus point and a minimum of 27 integrity points.
A successful attack generally earns you anywhere from 2 to 5 experience points. Additionally, if your opponent has any unbanked cash, you can earn up to ~1100 * their current character level. A failed attack results in 0 experience but you do not lose any cash.
Defending
As long as you have 27 integrity or higher, you can be attacked by another player.
A successful defense generally earns you 1 to 2 experience points. You can not earn money by defending. If you lose against an attacker, you can lose up to ~1100 * your current character level in unbanked cash.
Calculating Race Results
Although the exact racing formula is unknown, it can be approximated by understanding each of the factors involved in a race.
Definitions:
- Attack/Defense Points: The total attack/defense point value of the cars and car parts that you utilize in a race.
- Skill Points: Your character's current attack (speed) or defense (handling) skill points.
- Total Attack/Defense Score: The calculated total point value based upon your attack/defense points and skill points.
Total Defense Score = Defense Points * (a % of your Defense Skill Points)
Crew Size/Cars
The number of cars that you can use is constrained by the number of crew members that you can utilize (5 crew members per level). Remember, every crew member MUST have a car or they are not used.
Car/Car Parts and Attack/Defense Points
You can use up to 1 car per crew member and 1 of every car part per car. Each of these cars/car parts has an attack and defense point value that is used to calculate your total attack or defense points in a race.
- Attack: Used to calculate your Attack points when Attacking
- Defense: Used to calculate your Defense points when Defending
This calculated attack or defense point value largely determines the outcome of a race. The player with the higher value will usually win.
Skills
Your character's current attack (speed) and defense (handling) skill points also play a role in races. Only your speed skill is used when attacking and only your handling skill is used when defending. Keep in mind that the skills of your crew members do not matter.
While the exact formula is unknown, my testing has shown that your skill points serve as a multiplier to your total attack or defense points in a race.
Luck
While the results of most races are fairly predictable once you understand how attack points and skills are calculated, there is still some randomness involved. It is not uncommon to win 3 races in a row against an opponent and then lose the next one (all other factors unchanged). This "luck" tends to play a greater role when the two players are closely matched.
Opponent Selection
To keep things fair, you can generally only race against players that are similar to you in level and crew size. This restriction does not apply to cars, car parts and skill points. Also, both players must have a minimum of 27 integrity in order for a race to take place.
Attacking
When attacking, you have a significant advantage because you can choose your opponent. By looking at their crew size, cars and car parts, you can predetermine the outcome of most races.
Generally, the attack process begins through the Race button on the home screen. This brings up a list of randomly selected opponents that are similar to you in level and crew size (for exceptions, see Open Season). Each of the opponents has their crew size listed and their name can be clicked on to view their profile. This profile screen contains a list of all their cars and car parts.
By analyzing this information and comparing it to your own, you should already have a good idea if you can defeat them in a race.
Defending
When defending, you can only rely upon having a high total defensive score. Any cash that is not in the bank can be lost if you lose.
Open Season
At the higher levels, you may suddenly see your race list populated with players that fall out of the normal restricted range. This occurs because there are fewer players at the higher levels and the game automatically extends the range of available opponents in order to populate the list. While this may seem unfair, it is a part of the game and occurs because you have leveled faster than the majority of other players.
When this occurs, it is recommended that you maximize your crew size and cars.
Strategy Tips
These are some general tips based upon my own experiences:
Crew Size
There is no advantage at the earlier levels to having a larger crew. As long as there are enough players of similar level, you will only be competing against other players with similar crew sizes. Limiting crew size makes sense because it is much cheaper to buy cars and car parts for a smaller crew than a larger one. This also results in reduced upkeep costs and an increased income stream.
The effectiveness of this strategy at your current level can be seen by looking at your race list. If the players on the race list all have the same crew size (or less) than yourself, then it should be safe to proceed. However, if you see that most opponents have a larger crew size, then you should increase your crew size to at least match theirs.
I personally like to start with 9 crew members and only increase the number if absolutely necessary. Remember that building a large income stream - especially at the higher levels - is critical to your long term success.
Skill Points
In my experience, skill points can play a significant role in a race. If your strategy is to focus on building income or camping at the earlier levels, I would recommend allocating a greater percentage of your skill points to defense. This will allow you to fend off most attackers even if they have a superior attack score.
Cars
Make sure you have at least 1 car for every crew member. Personally, I try to loot my cars through completing street jobs (Mitsubishi Eclipse and Police Cruiser). If you need to buy cars, the Mini Cooper offers the best value in terms of upkeep vs attack/defense points (at least until level 40+). Having a fancy car makes no difference when it comes to calculating race results - only the points matter.
Car Parts
Until absolutely necessary, I only buy car parts that have no upkeep. Make sure that you have 1 of each car part for each car. For upkeep items, buy car parts that offer the best upkeep/attack or upkeep/defense ratio depending upon your needs.
