Am I the only one experiencing some unreal results when racing individual time trials? I've always simulated the ITT's, but I decided to race a few to get a grib of it because I've recently started a career with GC riders - I usually play puncheurs. With Samuel Sanchez and Igor Anton I managed to win and finish 3rd respectively in the Spanish Championship (ITT). Is this solely a result of their decent form (87 both), or is it simply too easy to achieve great results when time-trialing? Sanchez has a decent TT skill (76) but Anton (68) lost 6 minutes when simulating the ITT of Tour of Switzerland... For the record, Contador finished 2nd and Carlos Barredo 4th.
On flat TT's it's ok but I can say the problem for a TT with any hill or climb or downhill in it.
The AI is the problem as it's programmed to use the green bar evenly over the distance of the TT. So in 1km of descent and 1km of a climb in the same TT the same green energy is used up, which is a huge problem as it's so inefficient. Of course there is some randomness at the end where the AI chooses whether to leave some green left of his rider or use it up before the line or time it perfectly. That is why you can make an easy win with someone like Velazco against Vinokourov because the game design for the TT is tbh terrible.
This is also why when stage makers make these lovely mountain TT's with descents and lots of stuff etc etc ... it's a really nice stage but because of the AI when I get it in a career it completely ruins races for me. I hope stage maker understand if you want make mountain TT then it has to be consistent all the way (for instance you are climbing the whole way).
Edited by Rammus on 18-08-2011 13:51
It's a real shame. Makes it extremely easy to gain an advantage in any Grand Tour. I think I'll just simulate the ITT's from now on. The hilly ones, that is.
The hilly ITTs are definitely fucked up. The prologue in the Vuelta a AndalucÃa is specially hilarious, as it's difficult not to end with your 8 riders in the top 8, whatever their prologue stat is, providing they don't suck too much in the hills.
