Welcome to Gaia! ::

1. Introduction

"Cyber Formula is Formula racing of the future. Race cars are equipped with computer support systems called 'Cyber Systems' which allow humans to drive at speeds that had previously been unable to be reached on human senses alone. As such CF cars are super high tech machines that require a previously unheard of symbiotic relationship between driver, machine, and team. Unlike most motor sports, Cyber Formula cars are able to not only race normal road and circuit courses, but long distance survival races, offroad races in any climate, and high speed banked circuits that will test the ability of the driver to withstand an incredible amount of G Forces."

The Cyber Formula Spirits Game is a racing simulation game that allows users to create a racing team which will compete in a racing season played entirely on the NS Forum. Players will be responsible for creating a team, hiring staff, designing their cars, signing drivers, make race day car setup decision, engage in mini games, and roll their races to win the overall season.

There are a myriad of choices available to you as you embark on this journey. What kind of staff will you hire? Will you sign a veteran or rookie driver? Will you design your car to be a high speed machine, a technical cornering machine, an offroad specialist, or a number of other variations? Then when you finally create your team and having it run on all cylinders, can you make the correct race day setups for your car to have it perform at its maximum potential? Will you be able to win the mini games that will give your team an edge on race day? How lucky will you be on your dice rolls as you directly influence how your cars do during a race?

You will decisions will guide the prosperity of your team. Good luck!!

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2. Starting a Team

First thing is first, in order to play CFS, you must create a Team. Pick a Name for your Team. When you decide on a Team Name simply add the name into the registry forum and I will add your team to the CF team roster. Optional things you can supply at this stage are your team’s Primary and Secondary colors. I will reject any color schemes that are too close to an existing team. You can also PM me or add an image to your registration post of your team logo. The logo SHOULD be exactly 125x125 in size or it will be resized.

All start up teams will begin with $35,000 dollars. This money can ONLY be sued to hire Staff and Drivers. Any unused money will either go toward bonus points in your car (See Section 4) or towards the final tally in the Owner’s Championship.

You should note that every team will field TWO cars per race. While you will share staff between your two teams, you will have to sign 2 drivers.

You can enter the CFS season at ANY time so even if the season has already started, feel free to jump in. If there are more than 11 Teams during the season, only the top 11 teams during Qualifying will be able to compete on race day.

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3. Hiring Staff

For all Owners, the first step after naming your team is to hire your staff. Staff will not be ranked, but you can see how the team they were on the season before did. You will notice that this will not necessarily indicate how good a person is since they could have been the weak link on a good team, but that is the risk involved. You should also know that each staff member will have a morale level. If the morale is high they will gain bonuses in their stats. However if Morale is low, then expect their stats to decrease. Some people will naturally work better with others and good Team Managers can help boost morale when it is taking a dip.


The 4 Staff members you will hire are as follows;

A. Car Designer
B. Team Manager
C. Chief Mechanic
D. Cyber Systems Programmer


A. Car Designer
Probably the most important staff member you will hire is your Car Designer. Each Car Designer has a certain type of car they specialize in. By choosing your Car Designer, you will essentially choose your initial Car type. Will you choose a Car Designer who specializes in a traditional engine high speed machine, an experimental specialist, suspension system expert, or something completely different? Your Car Designer will determine just how high you can raise the different stats in your car. They will also be in charge of Chassis maintainance during the season and a during a race.

B. Team Manager
The Team manager is the Quarterback for your team on and off race day. He coordinates everything in Pit Row and ensures all members of your staff are working at their best and that your driver is driving to his full potential. The better your Team Manager, the better your team will function together. A team Manager has the potential to raise the stats of everyone on the team. Better managers will have better effects.

C. Chief Mechanic
The Chief Mechanic is responsible in making sure your cars are running perfectly and problem free. It is a fact that cars will break down during races. The better your CM, the less chance your car will run into problems. During the season, your CM will be in charge of the engine and suspension systems.

D. Cyber Systems Programmer
CS Programmers are essential members of Cyber Formula teams. They ensure that your car’s cyber system is running up to speed with no problems. They are also the liaison between most cyber systems and their drivers. Good CS Progs will ensure less Cyber Systems and Boost System breakdowns.


Staff Members are hired on a yearly basis and are paid in full up front. Simply PM your offer of how much per race you want to hire the staff member for and I will reply with their response. You can fire and rehire new Staff Members at any point on a CF season. Fired Staff will return the portion of their salary for the races they will not appear in. Keep in mind that team shakeups can be seen negatively if you fire a well liked staff member even if they were not performing up to your expectations.

You will notice all available staff will have an expected pay scale rating. This is what that particular staff member feels they are worth and not what they are actually worth. Pay scale explained as follows...

Scale A: $8,000-$10,000+ / Season
Scale B: $5,000-$7,000 / Season
Scale C: $1,000-$4,000 / Season
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4. Car Design

CF Cars are broken down into 4 different parts which you will customize as you see fit. Each part is important to the performance of your car. You will begin the game with a bare bones car. The stats and potential will be determined by your initial car designer, so be sure to hire one that will fit your idea of what kind of car you wish to have. You will not be able to begin customizing your car until you hire a Car Designer!!

Unlike in Season 32, all cars will begin with 26 points to spread to any stat they want. You can begin the season with as many as 3 bonus points by exchanging any money you have left over from hiring staff. It will cost $2000 per Point.

All teams will be eligible for a Version Up Package. This is a one time 10 point bonus as you get to rebuild your car with all points accumulated up to that point along with the additional 12 points. To unlock the Version Up Package, you must correctly guess the answer of the Season 33 Twenty Question Mini-game.

You can also gain a point every even numbered race by successfully passing the Car Bonus Challenge.


Here are the 5 parts of a Cyber Formula car and what they mean to your car’s performance. All ratings begin at 1 and go up from there.

A. Chassis (1-10)
You will name your Chassis and this will in turn be the name of your car. If you win the Version Up Package, you will upgrade their chassis and you will then make a new name for your second car. Chassis are important because your Car Designer will make a Chassis template that will place restrictions on where you can place points on your car. Your Chassis also determines two things; One, how durable your car is and Two, how strong the car is Offroad.

B. Engine (1-10)
Your engine determines the speed of your car.

C. Suspension (1-10)
Your suspension determines how strong your car is in cornering.

D. Cyber System (1-10)
Your Cyber System determines how well you car will run during less than ideal conditions and is also responsible for managing the boost system (short term speed enhancers) for your car.

E. Boost System (1-10)
Your boost system determines how many boosts you have during a race. A boost will allow a car to double it’s maximum speed for one turn only.


Finally your cars will also have what is called the Wear Rating. This Rating will determine just how well your cars will function at their full potential. As cars wear down, their performance will drop. Cars will gain 1 point of Wear for Tuesday Free Practice, 2 points of Wear for Qualifying.

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5. Signing Drivers

You will have to sign two drivers for each of the two cars you will field per race. Despite all your best staff hiring and then designing the best possible car you can, your drivers are the ones who are will be competing in the qualifiers and races and as such they are the single most important decision you can make about your team. A word to the wise, if you need to skimp on money let it be on your staff and not your driver. You should also know that Drivers, like Staff will have a morale rating and that their performance on the track will be influenced by it.

The Driver’s Lounge will feature a short bio of each driver and how they have fared in past seasons to give you an idea of what they are like. You should note that Driver performance is dynamic and will change over the course of the season. Drivers might start the season hot and end cold or vice versa. Will you sign an established grizzled Veteran Driver? What about a younger driver who seems to carry some potential? Or will you go for an entirely untested Rookie driver who may be the next best thing or might simply suck? The choice is up to you.


Driver Type
Drivers will also be categorized this season into one of four types; Technician (a driver who relies on game plans and precise driving), Speed Demon (A driver who makes their living at high speeds), Spirit (A driver who uses courage and untapped talent), Ace (The best of the best). This will determine their strengths and also their weaknesses. The types are arranged in a rock-paper-scissor pattern. Technicians have an advantage over Speed Demons who have the advantage over Spirits, who have the advantage over Technicians. Aces are so skilled, they have an advantage over all types except for rare moments when a Spirit can overcome them.


Special Skills
Some Drivers have special skills or moves that they can use during a race to their advantage. Any known skills known by a driver will be listed in their bio. You should note that some drivers who have no special skill may gain one during the season.


Signing a Driver
To sign a driver you will have to make a contract offer to the driver. Each offer is split into money per race, number of seasons, and special bonuses.

A. The Money per race is pretty much self explanatory. You will notice all available Drivers will have an expected pay scale rating. This is what that particular driver feels they are worth and not what they are actually worth. Pay scale explained as follows...

Scale A: $8,000-$10,000 / Season
Scale B: $5,000-7,000 / Season
Scale C: $1,000-$4,000/Season

B. Number of seasons is the number of CF seasons you are signing the driver for. While you can fire a Driver at any time, you will still be responsible for up to 50% of the driver’s total contract. Younger Drivers tend to favor short term deals where older drivers favor longer ones… although this may not always be the case. You can currently sign Drivers for up to a maximum of three years.

C. Special Bonuses include things such a signing bonus in which you offer X amount of dollars up front to entice a driver to sign with you, a no release clause which means you cannot fire a driver unless he agrees to it, or any other special clause which you can add to sign a driver for less money than you are willing to pay.

Barring a special contract, drivers can be fired at any time. However, you will still be responsible for up to 50% of a driver’s total contract. If a driver retires or dies during the course of a season, the rest of their contract is considered to be null and void.


Once you have decided on a contract offer you can send it to me via PM. You will receive a response indicating if the driver has accepted the contract or if they rejected it. If the driver rejected the offer, he will usually give you an indication of why so you can update your offer if you wish.

When you sign two drivers, you will finally be ready to race in the Cyber Formula season.

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6. Sponsorships

Sponsorships are companies that enlist your team to help advertise their products. Each team will have a total of four available sponsorships; Main, Secondary and Pledge. The Main sponsor is as can be imagined the company with the biggest ad on the car on the hood and top of the car. Secondary ads are located at the sides and Pledges will get a small ad on the rear of the car.

Sponsors will pay your team money if your cars reach certain milepoints that they set out. Bigger sponsors will require higher demands like winning races, but they will also pay you a lot more money. Smaller sponsors are less demanding and appropriately enough, less rewarding.

Sponsors will however frown highly on having their company name dragged through the mud whether it be through bad performance or controversy of any kind on or off the track. If you do not stay within a minimum performance, your sponsors will drop you and your rep as a team will take a hit. It will become harder to sign bigger sponsors and you will have to work up your trust once again.

You will win money from sponsors per race if you meet their requirements for a pay out. Sponsors will also pay a one time huge season bonus if you meet their season requirements. The money you win through sponsors and races will go toward winning the Owner’s Championship.

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7. The World Grand Prix

The Cyber Formula season, called the World Grand Prix, consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, held usually on purpose-built circuits, and in a few cases on closed city streets, off road circuits, or long distance survival races. The results of each race are combined to determine two annual World Championships, one for drivers and one for constructors (Points are tallied from both drivers of a team).

The number of Grands Prix held in a season has varied over the years. Only seven races comprised the inaugural CF season; over the years the calendar has expanded up to 10 Grands Prix. Traditionally, each nation has hosted a single grands prix that carries the name of the country.

The sports governing body FICCY (Federation International Cruise du Cyber Formula) awards points to the top six drivers and their respective teams of a grand prix on a 10-6-4-3-2-1 basis (the race winner receives ten points, the first runner-up six, and so on). The winner of the two annual championships are the driver and the team who have accumulated the most points at the end of the season. If any drivers and/or teams have the exact amount of points and are both competing for the driver and/or team championships, the driver and/or team who has won more Grand Prix races during the course of the season is declared the winner.

There is also a third Championship up for grabs in Season 33 and that is the Owner’s Championship. The winner of this Championship will be the player who is able to win the highest amount of money during the season. This will include left over money from hiring, money won during races, and money paid out by sponsors for fulfilling requirements of the sponsorship.

As the Owner of your team you will be responsible for a number of things during the course of the World Grand Prix.
1. You can fire and hire new staff and drivers. New Drivers will occasionally show up to be signed in the Driver’s lounge even after a season has started. You may be able to snag a deal by grabbing such a driver later in the season.
2. You will have to decide how to build you car and then how to upgrade it as you win points to add to your car build.
3. You will have to decide what sponsorships to take for your team. Sponsors are companies who will have their logos on your car. You will be paid money by the sponsor as long as you meet their guidelines. Better Sponsors will have higher payouts, but they will have higher demands for those pay outs. Be forewarned though that sponsors will drop you and leave your rep in shambles if you do not meet some minimum standards.

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8. Race Week

A CF Grands Prix event spans an entire week, beginning with free practices on Monday and Tuesday. After these practice sessions, a qualifying session is held on Wednesday. There is then one final Tune Up Session on Thursday before the actual race day on Friday.


Free Practices (Monday & Tuesday)
Each team is allowed to run their cars for three sessions on Monday and three again on Tuesday. Players will have the chance here to test various car setups to determine which would be the ideal setup for the race day. Having a proper setup ensures faster performance, but also more reliability of the machine itself. Note that while you will get two times, one for each of your drivers, they are both running the same setup at the same time. This is done to show you the difference in ability between your two drivers.

The Car Setup Mini Game
This minigame is similar to a game of hangman. Each setting is limited to a category which is listed below. On both Monday and Tuesday you will get to guess a set number of letters which is equal to the average score of your Pit Crew team. If you can correctly guess the word in each category you will have perfect settings for Qualifying and the Race. If you cannot guess the correct word, then you will be penalized on your race performance depending on the percentage of letters discovered in each word. Deadlines to send in letters will be by midnight the day of the event. So any letters for the Monday Free Practice session will have to be sent in by the end of Sunday.

Settings and their respective Hangman Categories
Gear Box: Anime/Manga
Suspension: Music
Wheels: Movies
Boost System: Video Game/Internet
Cyber System: Television


Qualifying Session (Wednesday)
Each Team will run three time trials on the circuit. The cars will be given their starting grid positions depending on their fastest time trial. The car with the fastest time will line up in Pole Position with the second fastest in Position 2 and so on. Note that if there are more than 11 teams in any given season, only the top 11 teams (both team driver's combines times) will field their cars on Race Day.

Qualifying Mini Game
Teams will roll three movement rolls for each of their cars for each Qualifying their cars run in. Adjustments will be made to the movement according to the circuit. (Example: A turning technical circuit may require three Turn penalties to be done to the total rolled) teams will be ranked on the grid depending on how they rolled. Any team which cannot roll will have the full three sessions auto rolled. All Qualifying rolls and setting words to be guessed will be required by the end of Tuesday. Any team that does not post rolls by the time I start tabulating times, will have their rolls automated.


Tune Up Session (Thursday)
Each team can run two more additional practice runs on Thursday to fine tune their settings if they wish. As the cars have already gone through a rigorous time trial, Tune up runs tend to put more wear on the car then the practice runs earlier in the week. However if you have not nailed down a perfect setting yet, this is your team's last chance to do so. This basically continues the Free practice Minigame from earlier in the week if you have not correctly guessed the words. You will get another set of letters to guess for the Tune Up Sessions. All letters for the Tune Up Sessions are due by the end of Wednesday.


Race Day (Friday)
The race begins with a warm-up formation lap, after which the cars assemble on the starting grid in the order they qualified.

A light system above the track then signals the start of the race. Circuit Races are a little over 305 kilometres (190 miles) long and usually last about ninety minutes. Off-road Circuits tend to take a little longer due to the slower speeds. Long Distance survival races are almost three to five times longer than closed circuit races. Racers must take two or three pit stops over the course of a race. How long they remain in a pit will be determined by the average score of the Pit Crew.

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9. Detailed Race Day Instructions

Overview
The Race Day encompasses the actual running of the Grands Prix. The cars will all line up on the grid in the order of their Qualifying times. The race will then begin for a set nuimber of laps or distance in accordance to that particular GPX. Cars will wear down the most during the actual race day as compared to all other days. Points will be awarded to the top 6 finishers in the GPX. Prize money will be awarded to all racers depending on the order in which they finished. Those who do not finish the race will be ranked according to how far they managed to go into the race.


Wear
Your machines will incur up to 5 Points of Wear for a normal circuit race and up to 8 Points of Wear for an Offroad race. You will also incur 10 Points of Wear for a Crash. Any time you retire from a race due to car malfunction, you will still incur the full race worth of Wear.


Rolling the Race
Each Team Owner will be responsible for rolling out their race. In order to keep the race at a manageable level I will break up the race into chunks. Players will be able to track the progress of the race after each set of rolls is tabulated with a display of the placing on the track. Any players who cannot participate on race day will be allowed to preroll for their cars. You should be aware that car performance will go down

The rolls will consist of a set of 20 Movement rolls, 20 Driver Rolls, and any Cyber System Rerolls that you decide to make per chunk of rolls. You will also decide how many boosts to use. Lastly, you must decide the pace of your cars between Aggressive, Standard, or Conservative. An aggressive pace will greatly increase the chances of machine malfunction, but will add a point to your rolls. A standard pace has no modifiers. Conservative pace will substantially lower the chances of car malfunction, but you will suffer a minus one to your rolls. To make the rolls, simply make a post in the Race Thread and use the Dice BBCode.

To make things easier for me please just follow the following form.
Movement Rolls:
Driver Rolls:
CS Rolls:
Boosts:
Pace: