The third installment:
Did the original designers intend for the movement Tim suggests?I agree that this issue is not about a rule disagreement, but an interpretation of the rules, and I'll address this at the end of this post.
There are two rules that come into play on movement:
Last sentence of
AH '77 rule 3.2: Cars must always move forward, either straight or diagonally and may change lanes at any time.
Ant the first part of
AH '77 rule 3.4: Cars may never move horizontally, ...
But first, I'd like to provide my interpretation of the rules in terms that show the actions on the track.
Terms:LANE A lane is a continuous set of spaces that are straight in front of one another.
ROW Cars are considered to be in the same row when the front edges of their spaces line up. (Redscape GP rule 14.)
A corollary of this rule is: A row consists of two or more spaces whose front edges line up?
(Does anyone disagree with the phrasing of the corollary?)
FORWARD A forward move is a move from the current space into an adjoining space in the next available row towards the finish line.
STRAIGHT A straight move is a forward move in the same lane.
DIAGONAL A diagonal move is a forward move into a different lane.
HORIZONTAL A Horizontal move is a move from the current space into a space in the same row.
This movement is not forward and is not allowed!In affect this set of definitions only provides a few options for every move. Movement is either straight or diagonal. If a car is in the right lane, the car can move straight or diagonally left. If the car is in the left lane, the car can move straight or diagonally right. If the car is in a center lane, the car can move straight, diagonally right, or diagonally left. In the case where the track transitions from 3 to 2 or 2 to 3 lanes there are tracks where only a single move is available. (See example below.)
This is the way that I originally interpreted the rules some 35 years ago and how I have played the game since. These definitions are supported by Grand Prix-cision racing (a online version of Speed Circuit developed by Robert Lattore) and they match the movement provided in the game. This was an excellent program, unfortunately Rob quit supporting it. Here is a link to a site on the game and the game is available for download:
http://cryhavocgames.net/GrandPrixcisionRacing.htmSo let's ask ourselves a question. Do these definitions fit the AH rules?
Yes Horizontal movement is prohibited, all move options are forward either straight or diagonal, and you
may change lanes at any time.For any math junkies out there, straight moves could be called vertical moves to put the moves into geometry terms. So a straight or vertical move is along the Y axis (e.g. X=0 where Y is greater than 0), horizontal moves are along the X axis (e.g. Y=0), and diagonal moves have a positive Y value with any X value. (e.g. Y=|X| or Y=|2X| or |Y=X/2|).
This set of definitions can be applied to any of the examples I have provided and they will work quite nicely, allowing a car to follow the arrow or take the chicane at 80 miles an hour without using a wear point.
I'd like to revisit a simple example and apply the above definitions to the movement in this particular corner.
Before I start, I do want to provide one more rule from the WBC 2014 Rule Definitions from the April 2010 section.
Rows: I've clarified that when determining what spaces are in the same row in a corner, the important part is that the spaces share a front edge. So in a basic corner with 1 space in the inside lane and 2 spaces in the outside lane, the second space outside and only space inside are considered to be in the same lane. The first outside space is in a lane by itself. This is important for determining crash involvement.
(I believe that there are typos in this statement and should read as follows: "...the second space outside and the only space inside are considered to be in the same row (not lane). The first outside space is in a row (not lane) by itself." )
(Lane does not make sense to me, does anyone see this differently?)
Movement example:Pic
Car A – This space has only one option which is moving straight.
Car B – This space has two options to move straight into space E or diagonally left into space D.
(Space D is in the inside lane, while space B is in the second or middle lane.)
(Note: space D and E are in two different rows, see WBC rule clarification above.)
Car C – This space has only one option which is moving diagonally left into space E.
(Changing from the 3rd to the 2nd lane.)
Car D or F – These spaces have two options moving either straight into the space in the outside lane to catch the arrow, or diagonally right to take the space on the inside lane.
Car E – This space has two options to move straight into space F or to move diagonally left into space D.
(Keep in mind that space D and F are in the same row, and E is in a row by itself. See WBC rule clarification above.)
Chris, this brings me to the point where I believe the rules have been interpreted differently. You mention horizontal, and while that may be in question, I believe the real issue is in how we interpret diagonal.
I don't think the disagreement is about what the rules say, but more of an interpretation of what horizontal movement means. The way I was taught the game, you just can't move horizontally. You must always move forward, and that means either the space in front of you, or the space diagonal in front if the rows line up. And the rules as written confirm that interpretation pretty conclusively.
I understand that this is the way you were taught, but I would challenge this part of the statement: “the space diagonal in front if the rows line up”. This is the fundamental difference in our interpretations. The rules do not state if the rows line up, but once that statement is added to the definition of diagonal, then there are tracks that do not work, you may
not change lanes at any time, and options in turns are limited instead of letting drivers make decisions to break or swerve and spend wear point(s).
I believe that my definitions above fit
allthe rules and clearly explain the movement options available. While I understand the way you were taught and have played the game is different, my opinion is that it takes an addition to the rules as they are written. I’m pretty sure you will disagree, but I think this definition is the heart of all the discussion.
Before I stop, I want to go back to the corner above and set up a scenario as to why I think it is important to allow lane changes in the corner. Chris is in the lead coming to the corner and is 2 spaces away from the corner with Mike and Fabio on his outside in the same row. I am lined up in the row behind the three of you. We all go 80 MPH in the corner. Chris moves through the corner spending 1 wear point and takes the line. Mike, who is low on wear points, decides to take the outside corner and ends up on the last row of the corner on the outside 80 space.
Here’s where it gets interesting. In your interpretation, Fabio has two options, move through the 60 corner and take the inside lane next to you spending 1 wear or pull into the 80 outside corner behind Mike and spend 1 wear slamming on the brakes. In my interpretation there is a third option. Fabio can take the outside corner at 80 and then dive to the inside of Mike spending 1 wear point. Now Fabio has the slipstream option on you and the inside on Mike. And what could be more important has hung me in the outside corner going 80. I shake my fist angrily at Fabio! Now that is racing!
There are definitely two interpretations of the rules, and I will support the decision made by the group. I feel that the set of definitions I have provided lets the racing be decided on the track and not by a rule. (This is my opinion.) I would challenge everyone to try my definitions on a couple of tracks to see if there are any issues.
And with this lengthy post, I rest my case.