dirt-rally-pace-notes

This repository collects transcriptions of DiRT Rally [2.0] pace notes, contributions welcome - see below.

The pace note system can help rally beginners to better understand the co-driver calls. The pace note transcriptions enable co-op playing where one player drives the car and the other acts as the co-driver reading the notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRZHE8-c-_c

The goal is to provide the game's pace notes as accurately as possible in a concise notation that people can read quickly and adapt to their needs or translate. In order to read the pace notes you should first take a look at the notation system below.

This project started after the release of the original DiRT Rally. It has been updated for DiRT Rally 2.0.

This is how the differences in DR2 are given.

Understanding pace notes

You should read this blog entry by the guy that reads the pace notes for the original DiRT Rally.

System

There doesn't seem to be an official notation, so this one mostly inspired the following (simplified) notation.

Corners

The notation is (very close to) the "Six Fastest" system as explained here.

In ascending severity: x6, x5, x4, x3, x2, x1, SQx, HPx, ACx where x is either l or r.

DR2 puts the number first. Also, the severity changes. E.g., l5 would now be 6l: flat, 6x, 5x, 4x, 3x, 2x, 1x, sqX, open-hpX, hpX. To cover the same spectrum, a previous 6 is now called flat, and acute corners become hairpins.

Corners can be long or hlong (half long), some are immediate.

DR2 corners can be short, long, verylong, extralong, or extraextralong. Many are unseen, some sudden.

They can tighten to a higher severity, >, or open to a lesser one, <.

In DR2 it is also called if the road opens or tightens through a corner.
DR2 will call out if a corner benefits from an early or late turn-in/apex, or if it continues past a given way point.

Road geometry

The road can be open or tight, form dents or (long) crests.

DR2 calls out dips instead of dents.

Crests are often followed by a jmp (jump), which might only happen at certain speeds: jmp?.
Crests/jumps can be particularly small or big.
Bad camber means a section or corner that requires a certain line and perhaps less speed.
bmp denotes bumpy sections.

Car placement

Drivers can be advised to stay in the middle of the road or left or right of the middle: keepm, keepl, keepr.
In corners, calls are made to keepin or even cut the corner.

DR2 sometimes suggests a small-cut or a big-cut.

dontcut means to stay clear of the inside, keepout advises an outside line through a corner.
line means taking a sequence of one or more corners straight.

Road boundaries

gates, posts, tunnels, bridges require the driver to stay off the edge of the road.
rocks, logs, ditches, banks can be placed on the inside, outside, or exit of a corner: -in, -out, -exit. This is often combined with a placement call.
(Tight) chicanes ask for a specific speed and car placement, depending on a -left or -right entry.
laybys can offer more space to one side of the road, but might also mean less space due to parked cars.
bales are used to artificially tighten a corner.

Change in road characteristics

The next section can go [up] or [down](hill), it [opens] and [narrows].
A [water] splash might require to switch on the windscreen wipers, while [grid]s can jerk the steering wheel.
The road can be covered by [ice] patches. For longer sections, calls are made when [ice]-starts or -clears.

DR2 distinguishes [snow] from ice. It also calls out the transition to [gravel], [tarmac], and [cobble].

Orientation

Junction, turn, and crossroads denote segments where the driver must take care not to take the wrong way.

Note succession

/ (over, past, for, through) connects different characteristics that occur simultaneously.
Quick successions of stage characteristics are indicated by simple enumerations in a single line.
Otherwise, a number is used representing distance between characteristics in meters: 60, 80, 100, 130, 150, 200, 300, 400

Driver attention

Caution is advised by !.
This can be combined with advice of slowing or braking.
deceptive warns the driver, e.g. not to succumb to a wrong way.
finish ends the stage and pace notes.

In DR2, the pace notes continue until the driver is to stop.

Contribute

Feel free to submit your own transcriptions, following the requirements below:

• record or find the replay of a single stage in DiRT Rally [2.0] from the head, dash, or chase camera using the English speaking co-driver
• write down the complete pace notes using the notation above in a text file, e.g. Dirt-Rally-Monaco-Route-de-Turini.txt
• if needed, upload the replay and make it accessible (e.g. on YouTube)
• send the text file along with the replay link to soong.construction.dev+gh@gmail.com

Some further hints:

• if needed, you can extend the system (but name & describe the extensions in the mail you send)
• when transcribing from a video platform like YouTube, lowering the video playback speed can be a big help
• fast "world record" runs through a stage make it particularly hard to get all the co-driver calls
• try and use replays with a proper flow, i.e. no crashes or resets of the car

Remainder

You might also be interested in https://github.com/soong-construction/dirt-rally-time-recorder.