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Like every competition, HOF2.5 has rules that have to be obeyed. The availability of editors is great for the solo-players out there, but a nightmare for directors of racing leagues! Thanks to Rene Smit, it is now possible to verify any form of cheating or accidental misconfiguration by using the GP2LAP-software. Below you can read what is allowed and how you can make sure that you're driving legal.

I understand that it doesn't make things easier, but a competition only makes sense if we make absolutely sure that everyone is racing under the same conditions.
   
HOF2.5 Declaration of Intent:

   

Maybe it's a good idea to first look at what HOF2.5 would like to represent. What is the general spirit of the series?

If there is one thing that you have to remember, it is that this is a friendly competition between enthusiastic GP2-lovers. There's nothing to gain or to lose. Certainly no money, the death of fairplay! I hope all drivers race to improve and to gain the honest respect of the other contenders.

HOF2.5 does, maybe surprisingly, NOT aim to bring together the absolute fastest keyboard GP2 laptimes at all cost! Rather, I would like it to become a source for the most skilled driving performances. If I would like to impress the simracing community with the most spectacular times at all cost, then I would not ban qualifying times, slipstreaming, shortcutting of chicanes and slow-motion driving. The driver with most skill should top the tables, it's as simple as that.
   
The rules:

   

There are 3 areas of concern that we have to address:

1. Making sure that all settings in GP2 are legal.

2. Behaviour on the track and correct procedure to log your performance for inclusion in the HOF2.5 charts.

3. Issues concerning the use of new tracks.

1. Editable GP2-settings
Since there are many editors out there to edit GP2.exe, we have to make sure that everyone uses a game with the same performance settings. Basically, you race with the values of the original installation. Only exception being that you can fix the value for horsepower.
  
A detailed list for those who know their editing-stuff:
  • BHP (horsepower) of the player's car shouldn't be more than 780. This is the maximum value in practice. Note that some editors display this as 780. Once in the game, 0 to 7 BHP is subtracted from this. You are allowed to FIX the BHP value at 780 with GP2Edit if you want!
  • The weight of the player's car as displayed by GP2Edit (no fuel) should always be 1313 lbs or 596 kg.
  • Cargrip factor as displayed by GP2Edit should be 198.
  • Don't alter the default damage values.
  • Don't alter the Polar Momentum of Inertia and Downforce via the Quick 'n Dirty editor.
  • Don't use alternative carshapes as they can change collision detection (make the car wider or narrower)

 
Quick guide to ensure a legal GP2.exe:
  1. Install a fresh full copy of GP2 (shouldn't be a problem with today's HD sizes)
  2. Apply only cosmetical changes like car-textures, drivernames.... Watch out with carsets since they sometimes change the performance of the player's car! Also don't change the carshape as it can influence the actual simulated size of the car!
  3. Use GP2Edit to fix the BHP-value in practice at 780 if you want.

 

 

2. Session-setup and behaviour on track
Once you're ready to get behind the wheel, keep these rules and advice in mind. They are meant to ban other potentially beneficial tricks, kamikaze tactics, behaviour against the spirit of the league and possible wrong actions that make your laps illegal. Many of these will be signalled by GP2LAP in HOF2.5-mode.

You must follow these guidelines or your laptimes will not be accepted.
  
  • Always start GP2 by means of GP2LAP, and make sure that you use the most recent version of GP2LAP and HOF2LAP. Without this, necessary laptime details might be missing and times will not be accepted!
  • Although you typically don't have to submit them in addition to the authcode, you must keep the replays of your laps available at home. If you can not send the replay on request, your laptime will be removed.
  • Always drive in practice any circuit-mode with no other cars on the track to avoid slipstreaming. This also excludes linked play via modem.
  • Use a steering wheel or analogue joystick to drive (digital brakes are allowed to be used though). For digital driving with either keyboard, digital joystick or gamepad you must join the original digital HOF2.5.
  • All changes in car-setup are allowed within the limits of the game.
  • F4 (indestructability) may not be used at any time!
  • Processor Occupancy(PO): in order to avoid slowmo, laps will only be legal as long as the average PO was at most 90 and the PO was at most 5 s above 100. If your testlaps show PO-values that are too high, lower framerate and/or details settings or take a look at some tips on the slowmo page.
  • Stay on the track, don't shortcut chicanes (GP2LAP damages your car if you do)
  • If you apply the tip of "preparing" a saved game which you can start your hotlaps from, instead of starting from the pits each time, you have to keep two things in mind:
    1. You are not allowed to save this game behind the last slow corner. In other words: the last slow corner before you start a timed lap is just as important as any section of the lap itself.
    2. You may only start from a saved game that was saved while GP2LAP was running (a GP2lap-extended game).
  

3. Issues concerning new tracks
The use of new tracks makes things much more interesting, but also complicates matters. Always make sure about these 3 points. Both the Trackswitcher and GP2lap in HOF2.5-mode will assist in these matters.
  
  1. Only use the tracks provided on this webpage. Don't download elsewhere since there are tracks with the same name around, or newer/older versions.
  2. Do not edit the *.dat trackfiles (original and new) in any way. Tracks contain tiretype, tirewear, fuel-consumption, "black flag"-zones....
  3. Make sure that you use the new tracks in the correct, mandatory trackslot.  
  
   

What you need submit for a laptime to be included

Either:

1. Attatch the saved replay(s) of the lap(s) to an e-mail and send to me here

2. or save the authentication codes(s) produced by HOF2lap in any format(codes only, all lap details or whatever is easiest for you) to a text file and attatch that to an e-mail and send to me here.

Although you typically don't have to submit them in addition to the authcode, you must keep the replays of your laps available at home. If you can not send the replay on request, your laptime will be removed. All top 5 position laps will be required for checking, and some others may be checked randomly.

 
Cheating?

   

All of the rules mentioned above are 100% verifiable. Either via the authentication code or by watching the replay on a legal GP2 setup.

When new variables are found that influence performance, they will be added to upgrades of GP2LAP and HOF2LAP. These new versions will immediately become mandatory at that point.

This verification system is 99.5% secure. Since there's nothing to gain in this competition, I reckon there won't be any superhackers spending valuable time trying to get around it... In any case, cheaters can pack their bags as soon as they get caught!