![]() Just as when designing new parts for your cars, with one eye on the demands of upcoming tracks, mucking about with the rules is all about giving your particular set of tools the greatest possible chance of victory. There are loads of different regulations for each of the three racing divisions and at the end of a season, you can exert influence to try and have them changed to suit your style, your drivers, and your designs, Whether that means locking down parts so they can't be custom-built, or changing rules around refueling or qualification. One of Motorsport Manager's best features is the changing nature of those rules though, and the way that you can influence them to make as uneven a playing field as possible. Failures add time and rushing through the pits is one of several risk/reward systems in the game, the most notable being the use of components that bend the rules and might see punishments doled out if the authorities detect them post-race.īecause I grew up reading 2000AD, I fear the law, so my cars are always built strictly within the rules. You can also refuel and repair components that have become degraded, and then when you've seen how long all of your orders will take to implement, you can decide whether to rush the pit stop or take it slow and safe. Here you can change tires based on the weather (current and forecast), as well as the condition of current tires and overall race strategy. When you do the latter, a pit planning screen pops up and the race pauses in the background. Your input is limited to changing race tactics for the two drivers on your team, adjusting both their fuel burn rate and how hard they push their tires, and calling for pit stops. The tracks and surroundings are presented handsomely, and there are plenty of ways to keep track of the action, either simply by watching or by looking at data feeds. Jumping straight into a race does make your options seem very limited though. The limited control you're given on an actual race day makes dealing with a poor finish seem impossible, but as soon as you head to the main menu when the race is run, you're introduced to everything you need to improve things next time around. As you switch out tires to deal with a scripted downpour mid-way through that first race and handle a final pitstop in the final third, when the tutorial has left you to figure things out for yourself, you're probably going to see your drivers slipping to the back of the pack. That's a minor gripe, though worth noting because it creates one final barrier to entry. ![]() Denying the player the ability even to balance their car on that first outing dooms them to a somewhat tedious opening ten minutes or so, that has ended in disappointment every time I've tried it. Essential though it may be for newcomers, the tutorial fluffs its first lines, forcing you to play through an entire race before introducing the planning and preparation that make up most of the game. It leads you through the first couple of races with a great deal of assistance, and teaches the basics of scouting new drivers, handling the egos of the ones you already have on your books, and upgrading both your cars and your headquarters. If, like me, you only have a passing knowledge of the way a real life motorsport team functions, you'll be thankful for the in-depth tutorial. ![]() Achieving that goal will take you down a long, hard road. Whether you're fine-tuning the balance of a car during practice laps, building new parts to improve a crucial component, or hiring staff to work with drivers and their vehicles, the ultimate goal is to put the best possible person in the best possible car on the day of a race. Sure, your drivers will punch above their weight from time to time, but most of the work is done before a race begins. How can I use the limited tools at my disposal to beat the odds? Motorsport Manager discourages that kind of approach – instead, it's about figuring out precisely what your tools are capable of and ensuring they fulfill, rather than exceeding, their potential. That's the key phrase - 'win against the odds' - because it's precisely what I often strive for when playing games that have elements of tactics and strategy to them. This is a game in which to choose your fights carefully and to celebrate every small victory rather than pushing for the big win against the odds. If he can maintain his current pace, he should be able to finish fourth and while I'd prefer a podium finish, a season of work has taught me that Motorsport Manager does not reward over-ambition. There are six laps to go and Mustafa El Sadat, my best hope, is in fourth place, and far enough behind the three leaders that it doesn't seem sensible to adopt an aggressive strategy. The sponsors won't pay out if at least one of my two drivers doesn't finish in the top six.
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