Race Strategy?

[wan]

#1388

What did you find works best? Let the cars go at first so they get all the bullet holes, then catch up? Or rather try to turbo your way out of their reach?

I have the vague impression that the cars race differently depending on how you’re doing. Like, if you’re lagging behind (for instance being 1 lap down because you cut a corner) they suddenly seem to stop racing hard. If instead you get too much advance, everyone suddenly seem to have a better speed boost than you.

So far my strategy is to just try to keep a decent position, while driving as clean as possible, and keep enough boost to overtake in the final corners.

I’m not having much success though so I can’t tell what’s best yet.

[Tijn]

#1390

The strategy I’m using now is to not waste too much money on mines and stuff, but rather upgrade your car itself, so you can start competing at the higher levels.

I mostly try to stay away from the initial chaos and indeed lag behind a bit, so I don’t get as much damage. Once everyone’s out of bullets, I just try to race as hard & clean as possible to get ahead. That seems to work quite well so far.

I’m not sure if the AI is indeed responding to your current position, but that could well be the case!

[Mgoddard]

#1392

I have yet to find a way to “catch up” to the group after making a single mistake on a turn. Without purchasing upgrades is there any way to have a descent finish if you are lagging behind? I’m on medium difficulty.

[wan]

#1395

Mgoddard: After playing some more, I feel like the early game is the hardest part. Once you have some upgrades it gets much easier, until then it’s a matter of being extra careful to avoid collisions (they slow you a lot) & waiting for the others to make mistakes.

[Tijn]

#1400

And don’t forget to use the speed boost!

[AngryDinosaur]

#1405

The speed boost definitely helps although I’m still not very good. I’ve just watched a speed run on YouTube, they made it look so easy!

[AngryDinosaur]

#1406

Happy days. Now I have some money and upgrades I am definitely finding the game easier. I’m currently rank 15. Getting better. I should be in single figures by next week.

[DavidN]

#1412

Yes, once you get over the hump of moving away from your original Volkswagen from about 1947 the game gets easier, if I remember right 🙂

My own strategy was what Wan mentioned – to hang back at the start and let the other cars beat each other up for a bit, then go for the easy kill at the back so that you guarantee yourself at least a bit of income from finishing in 3rd place. The racing mechanics never really seemed like they had a whole lot of depth to me, beyond “hold forward and try not to crash on the corners”, so it’s hard to talk about tactics for driving apart from learning the courses as you go.

[DavidN]

#1413

I started it up again and played much longer than I’d intended… which is probably a good sign 🙂 I forgot another tactic that I discovered in my earlier exploration of the game – I find that it’s worth moving up to Medium difficulty earlier than the game recommends (it asks you for the level 3 car, but it won’t actually stop you if you try again after getting the warning). The prize money is much more worthwhile, even if you only finish in third.

[rnlf]

#1452

Yeah, lagging behind and let everyone else empty their mags is a good tactic. I try to go for the kills afterwards. Depending on the race difficulty, you get up to six laps to destroy everyone else. That gives you the prize money for the race + a bonus from your “sponsor”, the grim reaper 🙂

I also noticed, that the AI drives differently based on how you drive. In one race I was trying to stay behind to only pick up the wrenches because I was out of money and had a badly damaged car. But the opponents never got very far ahead despite me driving deliberately slow.

But when you race for 1st place, they suddenly are very strong o_O

[toasty]

#1489

I also found lagging behind until all the bullets are spent to be a useful strategy. After that, depending on how well equipped I was, I’d either try to accelerate past the group (the speed boost comes in handy here, as do the mines) and win, or just clean them up.

My favourite move was to turbo into the back or side of a car, sandwiching it between my spikes and a wall. Muahaha… Also I quite enjoyed turboing in front of a car and laying a mine right on their nose. Good times ^^

The prize money from destroying other vehicles is pretty good ($4000 towards the end), but you can get even better money for winning without damage ($6000). Once I realised this I started relying more on the turbo (and mines).

@DavidN wow, I had no idea you could still compete in the harder races with the first few cars. That could have been super useful.

[rnlf]

#1496

Toasty, you can also combine these!
In one race I got $4000 for destroying them all, $6000 for finishing without damage, whatever the price money for winning was ($3000, I think, medium tier race?) and $12000 for the hitman mission I got in that round 😀