The new version of PCM is just perfect in the gameplay wise (atleast almost), the only thing needed to improve is the manager part.
but i am a bit confused about the mountain climbing in this version though.
If you have a CG Contender, with 2-3 helpers in the big hills and mountains.
What is a good "dot rate" to set at your Helpers.
I know its all about when you decide to attack and increase the pace to get rid of most of your leaders rivals.
But is there a "golden rule" how to determain the dot %.
Like if:
A helper has +77 MO then set the dot % to 75-85
or ?
Hope you guys know what i mean Edited by breezer on 14-07-2011 15:07
from experience it all depends on fitness and form etc. there is not a set % for the dot button. you will need to keep an eye of your position in the group on the climb and what damage you are doing to the group and to your helpers. you may need to keep doing little adjustments i.e start with 75% then put it down to 72% then up to 82% etc etc
Unless I missed it that video doesn't show any use of the "dot". He mainly stays on "stay w/group" and occasionally goes to "Relay".
I too haven't figured out how to best make use of the options (dot, relay, attack, counter) when in the mountains. Like PCM10, I find it difficult to create a gap in the mountains whether attacking or trying to pull away slowly with "dot". "Stay w/Group" seems to work better in PCM11 than in all previous versions, now that it also takes into account your rider's set Effort. In previous versions, you'd loose all bars quickly if you "stayed w/group" while going up a mountain, you had to switch riders to "dot". So, I like that feature, but I haven't been successful at creating gaps yet.
I think the most important information is the heart rate because this depends on how good and how fit your rider is. Try to adjust the effort slider so that the heart rate does not go into the red (172-179).
So breezer, what petz_e is saying is that when you set a helper to "dot" to set the pace up a climb, it really depends on how fit/strong your help is. Set the "dot" to something beween 70 and 80 perhaps and monitor his heartrate and bars. If his heart rate seems stable and does jump into the 180's, then increase a bit. But, if his heart rate goes into the upper 170's or higer, then he's not going to last very long at his current rate/speed.
I still havent find a balance between the use of Attack, Dot, counter-Attack and "stay in group".
Because if you want to take use of the riders acc stats (ie. Contador), my guess would be an attack for a short period, so he dosnt loose all his energy, but still gets a gap, then use the dot and fine tune it from there..
Acceleration stat helps in finishes/sprints only I thought. Attacks are useless in Mountains, no point trying and wasting energy.
Easiest way is to go at the front with Dot 75 at the start of the climb, if you are going faster than peleton, lower the effort. If you staying near the top, stay with that effort and if you are moving back, set the effort higher.
Clsoer the finish, the pace is getting up so keep the eye on it and see, if you rider starts dropping increase the dot and so on.
You can attack on 1.5km, but I usually get onto strong rider's wheel and outsprint him in last 200 metres. This is in the online ladder, where every rider has eqaul stats.
In single player, the concept is similar. Try to be at the top of peleton when the climb starts and keep there. You can them easily expriment with the effot you need on dot.
Edited by Alakagom on 14-07-2011 18:06
Even on 11 ? Because whe i play, i just take place in 2nd psition and put him on 99% and then he stays there for the rest of the climb and loses less energy
Please don't get fooled by the name 'acceleration' stat.
Most evidence around shows that it merely defines how quickly your riders will run out of red. A higher acceleration stat does not mean that he accelerates fast than other riders do. It still is favorable to have a high acceleration though, meaning you can either attack longer, or more often if you don't use the complete red bar.
And I fully agree with what's been said above. Heart rate is everything. Keep your eye on that parameter and that parameter only. Whatever setting it takes (dot, relay, stay in group), as long as your rider keeps a decent heart rate he will maintain his yellow bar an be able to last his pace forever.
As soon as you start accepting higher heart rates (170+) your yellow bar will start to decline, which is not a bad thing in itself. It is just a matter of choice.
On a short climb, with flat terrain afterwards you might accept the emptying of the yellow bar in order to recuperate afterwards. At the end of a stage you might also accept it and aim to finish with an empty yellow bar just as you cross the finish line. In that case, adjust the effort in order to finish your yellow bar at the finish line.
If in any situation your rider does not keep up with your ambitions and runs out of his yellow bar before the top of the mountain, it's just not your day. The combination of the pace set by the opponents, the rider's (climbing) stats and the form of the day all influence this process.
In short: keep your eye on the heart rate to influence how fast you'll eat up your yellow bar...
