Zwift Chat

[bridgy]

It’s very odd isn’t it juhal? Even after all this time I find it strange.

They don’t use power ups in the premier league races just the lower divisions. It’s not really for me. I’d rather just say ‘let the best man win’. Rather than “I hope I get a aero boost at the best time so I can beat the best man!’ if that makes sense. But I think zwift have the opposite opinion. At the top in the premier league they have the level playing field. Lower down the divisions they want everyone to go home with a medal of some sort.

They do actually use PUs in many of the premier league or elite races - the difference is that everyone gets the same PU and so the only variable is when exactly they choose to use it.

I like the idea of PUs in races myself, although - as usual with Zwift the actual implementation could be a lot better. Some PU's on some courses make ALL the difference and that's not right, particularly whe some get the good one and others don't. (which is why they all have the same in the elite races)

But in principle I quite like the "gamification" side of it - adding a bit of tactical thinking to how and when a PU is used for instance. This comes down to how much you see Zwift as a computer game on a bike, vs something that should be a direct reflection of real life riding/racing though I suppose. I see it very much as a hybrid of the two with it's own "game skills" likie mastering efficient drafting etc. and I see PUs as part of the game play and I like that (within reason)

 

[CXRAndy]

That's not how it works Andy - the extra draft just allows you to go faster, not have it easier (if you're doing it properly)

The number displayed in percentage rises the faster you go. I was getting 150% draft when we going at 29-30mph and around 110% 26-27mph. Now how much extra power required to ride in the draft at 29mphcompared to 26mph is the question

 

[JuhaL]

Zwift wake up lot of some talk and it's nice to change thoughts in a good spirit with no offense, despite of different opinions. It's good that people find Zwift or other indoor softwares to take care of themselves.

 

[alex_cycles]

Zwift wake up lot of some talk and it's nice to change thoughts in a good spirit with no offense, despite of different opinions. It's good that people find Zwift or other indoor softwares to take care of themselves.

I treat Zwift as a video game that helps me with my fitness. Someone got really annoyed with me on FB last week for calling it a game.
"No. It's eSports"
Yeah. OK mate. Whatever floats your boat.

I quite like the powerups, but also like the fact there's a choice of different sorts of races with and without them.
Mind you. Last week on sprinter's playgound I kept getting the ghost, which is bloody useless most of the time

 

[bridgy]

The number displayed in percentage rises the faster you go. I was getting 150% draft when we going at 29-30mph and around 110% 26-27mph. Now how much extra power required to ride in the draft at 29mphcompared to 26mph is the question

I know there's more draft at higher speed but that's not really the point.

The point is, in a faster TTT, you're at a relatively higher power when sat in the draft (at faster speed) than you would be in a slower TTT. The pace/power on the front is higher, and the pace/power back in the draft is higher. The draft % is higher as well of course which simply allows you to stay on at that higher speed, not have more rest/recovery (again, if you're doing it properly).

So I'm not disputing that there's more draft at higher speed, just your assertion that the higher draft allows you to recover better. It doesn't because it's all relative to the other factors like maintaining that speed that gives the higher draft in the first place

 

[JuhaL]

I quite like the powerups, but also like the fact there's a choice of different sorts of races with and without them.
Mind you. Last week on sprinter's playgound I kept getting the ghost, which is bloody useless most of the time

That ghost powerup can be useful when I feel that I have done something stupid or something silly happens to me on Zwift and I hope that ground would swallow me, those moments ghost powerup can be useful . If people are happy with powerups then let them allow to use them, it's not away from me.

 

[alex_cycles]

That ghost powerup can be useful when I feel that I have done something stupid or something silly happens to me on Zwift and I hope that ground would swallow me, those moments ghost powerup can be useful . If people are happy with powerups then let them allow to use them, it's not away from me.

I think they are a bit pointless on solo rides though, except for practice.
If you prefer to get more XP you can switch to a TT bike and get 10XP for every arch instead of a powerup.

 

[JuhaL]

I think they are a bit pointless on solo rides though, except for practice.
If you prefer to get more XP you can switch to a TT bike and get 10XP for every arch instead of a powerup.

We'll see when the Zwift release giant powerup what takes away all the room from the road to take over for 10-20 second to enlarge your avatar.

 

[<Tommy>]

This comes down to how much you see Zwift as a computer game on a bike, vs something that should be a direct reflection of real life riding/racing though I suppose. I see it very much as a hybrid of the two with it's own "game skills" likie mastering efficient drafting etc. and I see PUs as part of the game play and I like that (within reason)

I’m not sure about the distinction there really. I know what you’re saying in general. And lots of people like them so I can’t see them going anywhere so I accept it. But I dont think it comes down to how much you want it to be realistic to the real world. I’m under no illusions that zwift is a video simulator. I think it’s more the random nature of them. One Guy gets a feather , the other gets and aero boost. That random event will potentially play a factor in who finishes first. That’s the bit I find odd. If everyone is getting the same power up as you say sometimes happens a in the premier league then at least it’s a level playing field. If not then it’s just basically giving the weaker guy a chance at a leg up.

 

[<Tommy>]

I’m my daughters sports day a couple of years ago they staggered the kids so the fastest gave a time or distance advantages to the slowest depending on the event distance. Despite my daughter having asthma she’s unbelievably quick and also also smash long distances. I say unbelievably because I have no idea where she gets it from!

Anyway, in a straight race she beats all the girls and all but one of the boys across the 100 all the way to 400 meters in her year. But because of the time or distance handicaps she got she got one podium in 1 event out of 3.

The parents of the kids who got the charity handicap and got medals all looked proud as punch. To be honest my daughter didn’t give a shoot, so I took her for a milk shake and we just laughed about it. Good luck to them really… I think some people are happy to live in denial. And zwift know this as well as anyone. The rest of us just laugh and take it for what it is.

This year they reverted back to running the races normally. Different result but same conclusion. Me and my daughter going for a milk shake and laughing and joking. But this time she had 3 gold medals around her neck 👍

 

[alex_cycles]

I’m my daughters sports day a couple of years ago they staggered the kids so the fastest gave a time or distance advantages to the slowest depending on the event distance. Despite my daughter having asthma she’s unbelievably quick and also also smash long distances. I say unbelievably because I have no idea where she gets it from!

Anyway, in a straight race she beats all the girls and all but one of the boys across the 100 all the way to 400 meters in her year. But because of the time or distance handicaps she got she got one podium in 1 event out of 3.

The parents of the kids who got the charity handicap and got medals all looked proud as punch. To be honest my daughter didn’t give a shoot, so I took her for a milk shake and we just laughed about it. Good luck to them really… I think some people are happy to live in denial. And zwift know this as well as anyone. The rest of us just laugh and take it for what it is.

This year they reverted back to running the races normally. Different result but same conclusion. Me and my daughter going for a milk shake and laughing and joking. But this time she had 3 gold medals around her neck 👍

Not very good preparation for life, really is it? I think kids are more resilient than they're given credit for.
Bit like those people you see sometimes on talent shows whose mother told them they could sing. Sometimes it's kinder to tell the truth instead of letting people think they're good at something when they're REALLY not

 

[bridgy]

I’m not sure about the distinction there really. I know what you’re saying in general. And lots of people like them so I can’t see them going anywhere so I accept it. But I dont think it comes down to how much you want it to be realistic to the real world. I’m under no illusions that zwift is a video simulator. I think it’s more the random nature of them. One Guy gets a feather , the other gets and aero boost. That random event will potentially play a factor in who finishes first. That’s the bit I find odd. If everyone is getting the same power up as you say sometimes happens a in the premier league then at least it’s a level playing field. If not then it’s just basically giving the weaker guy a chance at a leg up.

Yeah fair enough, I think I was responding to the suggestion as I read it (maybe wrongly) that PUs had no place at all in Zwift racing because they were inherently wrong. I did acknowledge that the way they're currently implemented can be less than ideal and the random unfairness you pointed out was the kind of thing I meant. If they can be used to add some "game" element and be used tactically without being stupidly unfair I think in principle they'd be good though.

 

[Peter Salt]

I'm personally on the fence when it comes to powerups. That said, races without them are really fun - I seem to remember the ZRL 'finals' last year didn't have them - it really made a difference. FRR also doesn't have them, and even goes further with assigning everyone the same bike frame.

 

[bridgy]

I’m my daughters sports day a couple of years ago they staggered the kids so the fastest gave a time or distance advantages to the slowest depending on the event distance. Despite my daughter having asthma she’s unbelievably quick and also also smash long distances. I say unbelievably because I have no idea where she gets it from!

Anyway, in a straight race she beats all the girls and all but one of the boys across the 100 all the way to 400 meters in her year. But because of the time or distance handicaps she got she got one podium in 1 event out of 3.

The parents of the kids who got the charity handicap and got medals all looked proud as punch. To be honest my daughter didn’t give a shoot, so I took her for a milk shake and we just laughed about it. Good luck to them really… I think some people are happy to live in denial. And zwift know this as well as anyone. The rest of us just laugh and take it for what it is.

This year they reverted back to running the races normally. Different result but same conclusion. Me and my daughter going for a milk shake and laughing and joking. But this time she had 3 gold medals around her neck 👍

Don't get me started on school sports!

Oh OK then...

Similar story with my son at primary school when he was around your daughter's age - running/sports was the only thing he was really good at but sports day was basically designed to be non-competitive so he didn't even get a chance to be good at that - annoyed the hell out of me and still does!

I don't think young kids who don't like sport should be forced to compete and be humiliated or anything of course, but don't take away all real competitive sport completely. Funnily enough it's only sport they seem reluctant to reward success at - if you do better than everyone else in a maths test they're quite happy to call that student out in assembly/give out certificates etc (quite rightly). But if the only thing you're good at in primary school is running fast - forget it!

/rant over

 

[CXRAndy]

I'm firmly a believer in winners and losers in sports- other aspects too, but lets stick to sports.

Your daughter should have won all the sprint events Tommy, having started the race with equal distance or start times.

I cant abide this everyone is a winner ethos-life isn't like that, children need to learn that this for all facets of life, work, friends and sports etc.

Some are better than others-suck it up, accept and get on with what you're good at.