Starts every Thursday at 10:30 PM ET (7:30 PM PT) (@ 145 Swatch Internet Time)
Runs until people get tired (usually 12 AM - 1 AM ET, 9 PM – 10 PM PT)
Since November 2009, we’ve been running a combination of silly and serious races using one of the most accessible racing sims available. Every Thursday night, it’s not about crushing rivals or being a dominant force of motorsport; rather, it’s about enjoying races that are unexpected, challenging, and just plain fun.
It’s worked for over six years without fail, so I think we’ve got something special here.
There was a hiatus through Forza Horizon 3 as regular attendance dwindled down in numbers and the same may apply for FM7 eventually, but we'll go as long as there are enough attendees for it to make sense.
Do you like racing cars? Do you like doing silly stuff with cars? Do you want to do any or all of that with the Giant Bomb community? If so, you should join us.
Hosted by @sushix (SushiXXX on Xbox Live).
How to Join
- Follow my gamertag, SushiXXX. You should be able to do this without needing my permission on the Xbox One or Xbox app on Windows. It will also make my Drivatar more likely to join your career races. I apologize in advance.
- A little bit different to the past - this time around when I start up the private lobby around 10:30 PM EST, anyone who's following me will be able to automatically join the lobby through my profile. This will save me the trouble of spamming out invites. If you're ready to play just hop in; sometimes the 'Join Game' option takes a little while to show up, in which case you can ask me for an invite to possibly expedite the process.
- We'll race. You'll have fun, hopefully.
Two additional notes to keep in mind:
- Occasionally I might be unavailable or late, so someone else will host during those weeks. We’ll try to keep track of that in this thread, but it may slip through the cracks at times.
- If you aren’t joining right at 10:30, there may be a delay inviting you in. You can send me a message to alert me you want in, but please be patient, as we’re probably in the middle of a 5-15 minute race. And as mentioned, players can just join through my profile now as long as there is room in the lobby.
What To Expect
While we mostly race during Race Night – hence the name – we do have a few other game modes we've created over the years that are fun.
Some of these games include:
- JELLY RACING: Collection of legit pro tunes created by yours truly; studies have shown Jelly car racing increases driving proficiency by 500%.
- CLUNKER PUSHING: Requires teams of two, so only in smaller lobbies. One person is a clunker, an already-slow car with 75% of their horsepower and some of their grip taken away. The other person is a pusher, a faster vehicle with no such handicaps. First clunker to make it to the finish wins. It's like Cat & Mouse, except more awesome. Typically done on a track with big hills, because there’s a sick comedy in tiny cars rolling back down large hills they couldn’t ascend.
- VIRUS TAG: One person starts as 'it'. When another person is tagged, he or she also becomes it. Repeat until everyone has been tagged and we all curse over whomever we “let” win. Hopefully heats will work properly in Forza 7.
- FLAGPOLE RACING: One person is a flagpole. Everyone else is racing. Every time you encounter the flagpole, regardless of where it is on the track, you have to drive a circle around it before continuing on. The flagpole may move between laps.
- HATEFEST: Don’t ask. It’s better you discover the terror yourself.
- CAR SOCCER: Someday....
Expect the unexpected. I am always willing to try new things out, provided there's a good way for determining a winner in-game. With the new League features yet to come in FM7, we'll see what new possibilities are available.
The Rules
Our standards are pretty simple, much like Giant Bomb's rules: Don't be a dick. So far, we haven't had any major issues with this, but allow me to elaborate with suggestions that will greatly help everyone's experience:
Don't intentionally crash others during races.
Forza Motorsport 7 is not nearly as full-contact as Forza Horizon 3. Accidents will happen with high speeds and limited space, but please don’t slam into other players, and be mindful to give appropriate space when battling.
This rule doesn’t apply to any of the weird event ideas we come up with, like clunker pushing or flagpole racing. Generally, though, if a race isn’t designed to involve contact and we haven’t explicitly stated the race is full-contact, please avoid hitting other cars.
If you do end up blatantly taking someone out by accident and advance your position as a result, it's considered good manners to give them the spot back. This doesn't always mean stopping on track, which we've learned can be rather dangerous, but if you see the person you crashed in your rear-view mirror driving at speed again, slowing down and letting them pass is a nice gesture.
Calling ‘Gran Turismo’ before using somebody’s car to make a turn may be FIA regulations, but it’s not cool in Forza Motorsport. Don’t do it.
Be mindful of the voice chat.
With up to 24 people, there’s a potential for a frightening amount of voice chat, and I don’t think party chat works with those numbers. Do keep in mind that sometimes I'll ask for race suggestions or someone will try to explain game modes to newbies in the lobby. Chattering over this sort of stuff only delays the fun times and gets annoying. Don't delay the fun times!
In addition, if someone's headset is acting up, most especially with echoes or high-pitched squeals, we may ask you to try and fix it ASAP, since that almost completely prevents us from communicating with one another. It's highly frustrating. Usually, unplugging or muting the headset until you can deal with it is a good temporary fix if you're in the midst of racing when this crops up.
Oh, and don't snap in TV if it's going to blare through your headset. That's just annoying.
Other Things You Should Know
If you want to join, JOIN.
Don't mull over whether you're good enough or not. Our fields are full of people with widely varying skills, and as long as you're willing to understand that racing's not always about finishing first, but finishing well, you should have a great time with us. You won’t be cast out because you’re placing last all the time. On the contrary! We want you to practice and learn. Mastering this racing stuff is a pretty amazing feeling.
If you're worried about crashing one of us accidentally, let me just say that we're all used to how online racing typically goes. We can avoid your spinning car with brakes aflame, so don't worry about that either.
We don't mind if you're late.
As long as we have open spots (and we will have open spots with lobbies of this size), we're looking for people until the end of Race Night. If you can only make it to Race Night an hour in, then you're good. Get in here.
You don’t need a racing wheel.
Seriously, Vinny, it’s cool. This isn’t iRacing, so controllers are supported very well. I’ve always used a controller for Forza, and it’s worked fine thus far. Not having a wheel won’t put you at a horrendous disadvantage, trust me.
You don't need any cars or DLC, but having a car for each class would be nice.
The car suggestion is for your own enjoyment, as earning less money from rental cars is rarely fun. And while no DLC will be required to attend Race Night, most of us are voluntary members of the "Cult of Greenawalt" and are VIP with season passes. Most cars can be rented to take part in races.
Have fun! That's what we're here for.
You might hear some of the long-time regulars make reference to things like Stanica the Danica Fanica or the Lamborghini Pizza Club, but don’t worry about that. You’ll catch on soon enough.
Seriously, just enjoy yourself.
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