[Pasha Paterson]

No, this will not be just another thread in which I complain about incident penalties in general. 
We have all had the experience of entering a race, getting hit by another driver, and losing positions in the overall championship because of that incident penalty. That is, to put it mildly, frustrating. But AC's server output related to incidents and contact is fairly rudimentary, and SRS's system for adjudicating those incidents in an automated fashion (without requiring the efforts of human race controllers) makes sense given what is possible with the limited data set offered by the server.
However we do host certain series --- TT Cup, Leon TCR, Primera, for example --- where the racing is expected to be close, and minor car contact is practically unavoidable. This is what is meant by the adage "rubbing is racing".  In these series, I would contend that it doesn't make as much sense to deduct three championship points from each of these drivers' scores, just because they happened to rub fenders in a corner. In most cases that is more than the difference between two positions gained on track! And when we watch these races in the real world, they are often marked by door-to-door battles where paint is liberally traded.
I know that we can't have a system as sophisticated as the one in iRacing, where a minor contact is noted as "0x" whereas major damage-causing contact can be up to "4x"... yet. (I'm hoping to do some research on this using AC server telemetry, and perhaps find a better solution.) But we might be able to make a change that accounts for the differences in contact in general.
What if the multiplier for incident points -> penalty points were adjustable in SRS's scoring algorithm? For a normal race, leave it at 3x (where it is now); for a touring car race, adjust it downward to 1x; for a "masters" race or any other series where you really, really want to penalize contact severely, raise it to 5x. Such a variable penalty multiplier would allow drivers to have closer, more exciting battles on track without having to worry about being knocked completely out of a championship because of unavoidable contact, while still discouraging everyone from overdoing it.   I think a ceiling of 20 incidents is still high enough that people who are simply engaged in close racing still won't be in danger of going over, and anyone who does go over 20 incidents in a race still needs to go cool off for a while.  
Nothing can replace the judgment of human marshals, but I think this change might release some of the tension, and avoid some of the frustration, that comes with entering the series where the action on track gets a bit more intense.

[simracingsystem]

because it goes against the systems philosophy.

In simracing, rubbing is not racing, specially in AC, where a minor contact can shoot you towards the unkown.

As for frustration, people need to deal with the risk, it's an important part of the sport.

[Pasha Paterson]

Point taken and understood. Thanks!

[James Blint]

It can be frustrating in some cases but i think it's also the best way to improve the way you race over time. I would say even for beginners in real racing it would be a fantastic way of learning how to battle properly, give space, anticipate what others do, also for your own driving to be able to modulate your braking points, race off lines, and generally being accustomed to think and drive at the same time. With the system it's clear it forces you to race cleanly around others or every battle for position will end in tears. Sometimes it's better to give up positions to avoid inc, especially at the start of races (furthermore in 1h races), if you have the race pace you ll get it back anyway. When everybody respects that, while still racing hard but fair, it feels awesome.



We could have died like ten times in those opening laps (last GT3 champ), but we didn't mostly because of the inc system and nobody did stupid moves.

Same here, total respect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqJUGPQjh0M


To me the inc system is way more tough than what is in iracing, if you have contact, you only minus the rating you gain but not the points for the actual race or the championship. Here you can loose a champ just for a contact and It's the best way to simulate the fear of crashing in a sim (you or the cars). So of course that would be even better if it could detect who's at fault (when it's very clear) or how hard the contact is (we all know how AC is with physics), but i like think it also makes you reflect on your own driving to just think you should avoid any contact, and that it's not always "others" fault when bad things keep on happening, it can't be.

[Sergio Mendez]

Damage 100% could be a way. If you know a small hit can damage your car, you must be more careful. I’ve took part in some raceroom’s events and drivers were very careful and smooth.

[Pasha Paterson]

James your argument is on point if you assume that everyone is going to care about the championship. Unfortunately there are drivers who seem to care for very little beyond the noses of their own cars, and they are perfectly happy to ruin someone else's championship with contact because they just don't care.

[James Blint]

I know that, past the front row that is generally good at close racing, then comes traffic...and there nobody really cares. It can be nerve wrecking when you need a certain result, preferably without any inc, and have to dodge half a grid for 1h. It's an "experience' you can only have in simracing.

[Russell Sobie]

Damage 100% could be a way. If you know a small hit can damage your car, you must be more careful. I’ve took part in some raceroom’s events  and drivers were very careful and smooth.

I think this has been proven to be the opposite of helpful to people who are actually trying to be careful who want to continue racing. Drivers who are careless will continue to be careless regardless of the damage percentage. People who dive bomb or similar aren't dive bombing because they think they'll be fine due to damage being set at 60%, it's because they are bad drivers.

60% at least means that incidents don't ruin the entire 40-90 minutes for anyone involved.

[Maciek Sobczak]

IMO such change would only encourage drivers who use others as "apex cushions" or "divebomb restrictors" anyway. And probably force others to do the same as to not be disadvantaged.

[Tolo Ribas]

Hi everyone
I tell you my opinion with an example:
I am currently running in the Ginetta series and this past week the following has happened to me ........ every time I try to train to have a fast enough lap and a good race pace and try to qualify, I get a grill position on the thirteenth place + - ...well then start the race and if it is not the first corner is the second anyone in a hurry and impatiend sends me out of the track without trying to ody advance cleanly or respecting anything ...... that makes me every time I receive a penalty that I do not deserve and on top I lose positions and the result is to be delayed in the race and add few points in it.
Well, I have changed tactics:Now I don't participate in the qualification session ,I start the race in last position and I do not enter the initial battle and I am advancing adversaries who are making mistakes .......I finish the race in a higher position than before or equal but with more points, and less angry ....... but ......... and how funny is that ????
Something would have to change in the system of penalties to be more fair ......... I already know that this is a free server and that all too well is that we can run races every day and at all hours but if I have decided to run in this way and I think I am not the only one, something is wrong ...