Im not going to put this onto the homepage news just yet, but over the last couple of days i've been working on a fairly basic stats/records page.
Its obviously relatively empty for the time being, were only 4 rounds in so there isnt much to work with, but the majority of the records will be dynamically generated when you view the page, however some will have to be worked out manually because they're a little too messy, though i'll definately be trying to do them dynamicly, thats for sure!
At the moment, whats showing is what i've got. Team stats are a little trickier, the stats come directly from stored MPR data, it just requires a different type of info request than ive used before creating this page, JoshDF mentioned it a while back to me and i hadnt had chance to look into it, but i stumbled upon it while trying to find a simple way of getting an answer, and this method is used as part of things and it could drasticly reduce some of the code dotted around the site where ive had to write messy code to do something simple.
If anyone can think of something to add in there, let me know, some of the stats i may go deeper with, so as well as showing the single 'top' answer, give the option of seeing all, so you'd have Most Wins, and the option of seeing the top 10, or maybe even all winners. Getting all winners is just as easy as who has the most.
I'll also look to add a tooltip to explain the record, in places where its not that obvious exactly what it means, just for clarity's sake.
Just a quick reminder to everyone, please get your all skins uploaded to your account by tonight so i can finish this aspect of the site, a lot of my time is wasted doing them 'one by one', time which is being spread pretty thin on quite a few aspects of the series which im already working on but havent announced yet.
Just a short notice to our users, there have been multiple cases where users who already have an account have just created a new one, which makes it very hard for us to keep track of, and can result in your LFSPS account being connected to a unused login.
To help ensure this doesnt happen, i've added a simple registration check, where you can do an interactive check to see if you already have an account, before letting you continue on to create a new account.
Also, it needs bringing to peoples attention that the LFS Pro Series website and forum do NOT share the same login details, these require 2 different accounts. Registration to the forum isnt essential at this stage, but we would advise people taking part do register before the season starts up.
Lastly, and most importantly, If you have been included in the list of drivers to take part in the series, you MUST have an account, it isnt optional because you wont be able to log in and book into a round without an account.
Once you are registered it can take upto 6hrs before its connected to your entry into the season, once you can log in and access the user area please upload your helmet skin straight away, and series race skins once they are completed, and have them uploaded before the 10th of Feb.
The helmet skin is required to create each users helmet graphic, and a GTR skin is needed for rendering purposes, so these are a priority.
There are places available on the reserve list, where suitable applications will be accepted. All racers are required to register if they havent already, registering will give you access to the User Area & Booking In Area which all racers will need access to. Skins are required to be completed with the LFSPS Skinning Templates which can be found in the media area, and uploaded via the User Area by the 10th of Feb, 2 days before the first round.
Round 1 takes place on Thurs 12th Feb at 19:00UTC, so we'll look forward to seeing everyone there.
With the LFS Pro Series website finally being launched in an official capacity today, we can begin to explain some of the new areas within the site, some are limited to the racers taking part in the series, while other areas are open to everyone.
The website is a key component of the series, it pulls the results directly from the race replays, instantly calculates the results, assigns the points for the specific race held, and then makes it all available for you to view. Infact, the only thing it cant do is race, and thats where you guys come into it!
Heres a run-down of the different areas of the site...
Public Areas:
Ignoring the fairly obvious areas like News & Updates and Calendar etc, there are some more advanced sections. Media Area - In this section you'll be able to download all the hi-res skins submitted to the series just before the first round. Users will be able to upload their race skins to the site, and then the site rounds them all up and puts them into seperate skin packs (GTR, NGT... etc) to make it easier for the people racing and downloading the race replays with hi-res skins. The 2nd section offers links to all the replays files, the second its uploaded onto the site and parsed, the site lists it and makes it available to download. We aim to put the files onto the site within around 2-3min of each individual session finishing. The 3rd and final section is the skinning files, the logos, race plates and sun visors. We should have official skinning templates available soon with all the relevent on a transparent layer for you to apply straight onto your skins to save you time. Series Information - This menu hides 3 sections within it, Rules, About LFSPS, and Contact Us, in here theres plenty of information about the series, exactly what you'd want in the Series Information section! LFS PS Remote - We've embedded the LFS Remote application into our site, connected directly to the series LFS server. With this we've also made some additional details about the drivers involved accessable so you can check out their info while watching them drive.
Areas which may disappear during different parts of the season... Season Sign-Up Area - This section of the site is only accessible while applications are being accepted, in here it explains most of the information you'll want to know before signing up, it also includes seperate forms for individual drivers and team applications, there isnt much information required from applicants, just enough to start with, and upon your acceptance into the series you'll be required to give a couple more details. Driver & Team Info - This section has had a bit of a redesign since the test season, and will only appear when the driver line-up is confirmed for the current season, in here you'll find some details about teams and their line-up, and individual drivers have a seperate section too. All include the usual driver information and stats from the current and previous seasons. As more seasons pass, additional stats will be added. Standings - This is another area which is only displayed when there is something to display, so as soon as there are points on the board, this section will appear. We now have both Driver Standings and Team Standings in 1 page, under 4 tabs - Basic Driver Standings, Round by Round Drivers Standings, and likewise for the Team Standings. Each time the page is refreshed you're getting 100% live calculations, this ensures your getting the latest information straight from our databases. Nowhere in the db does it hold a value which it shows without it having calculated each person & team race-by-race beforehand! Additionally, the standings looks at the race penalties for each round (time/lap based), and even filters that into the equation, we never alter the original MPR based data. Results Area - This section also only displays when there are results in the db, with seperate layouts for qualifying results in a grid format, and a traditional race result row format, the results are colourfully presented and also include any penalties issued to drivers for that race. In here you can also find a new feature, race comments. After the race drivers will be able to leave comments about the session, this should add some colour to the site, with some amusing excuses and the odd play-by-play on impressive results expected
Driver Only Areas: Booking In Area - Drivers taking part in the series will be able to access the Booking In area of the site. The booking in area is similar to check-in when boarding a flight, 7 days before the round you'll be emailed by the site saying booking in is now open, this gives you 5 days to confirm you'll be racing, or unable to attend the round. You'll also receive an email when there is just 24hrs left for booking in, to remind anyone who's forgotten etc. When booking in closes, any places remaining can be applied for by drivers on a reserves list, they'll have 24hrs to express their interest, and the best applicants will be selected and informed about 30-40hrs before the race takes place.
We may extend the deadlines at the start of new seasons if feedback suggests its easier to remember and allow the replacement drivers additional practice time rather than being short notice. User Area - This section of the site will allow you to enter some additional race details, enter race session comments, submit incident complaints, upload your skins, and check your booking in status for the next round.
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