Tech reset got me fired :(

[chriskessel]

About 5 seasons in or so, I'm really starting to roll and finally win a couple races. The season ends and there's a tech reset, putting all values back to the very low (~30-50) values you start with in season 1. I don't have the greatest drivers, they're ok, but I had built up a nice car.

Short story, I couldn't remotely place as well as I did the previous season and got fires. Really pissed me off, I have no idea what I could do to have prepared for such an event. Felt really arbitrary and somewhat pointless.

Is this a random event or something that happens after every X seasons?

[Jacques]

Happens when parts hit a threshold. In WMC it's about 3000, on two/several parts. Doesn't have to be you triggering it either.

[Fritz]

Generally you get an email the previous season letting you know that the next one will have the reset. It seems like most people don't really pay attention to most emails as you're not the first I've heard of who completely missed it. But ideally, you'd be aware and start planning for the change, chose safe chairman championship position expectation, stop developing parts (before reset as the progress likely won't matter), etc.

As far as I know, the reset still keeps the teams in their relative ranks so if you had 5th best parts, you should be around that level post reset.

[Brian]

It's far from abitrary and pointless. It brings the field closer together, and allows the teams that were far behind a chance to jump everyone else.

[Inardesco]

I don't really see it as a reset, more like new regulations that force everyone to redevelop again.

[Ohayoghurt]

Originally posted by chriskessel:

I have no idea what I could do to have prepared for such an event.

Replace those 'ok' drivers with better ones to take advantage of the fact that you and the AI now have fairly equal cars?

Ok, I know that's easier said than done. But at the very least, you learn to optimise your team and performances better than the AI can usually manage after a few seasons of playing this game. So the new regulations should've helped you get out of the ERS, but poor luck and timing caught you out this time.

Just remember the upper limits for each series in the future that triggers this event (ERS 900, APSC 1550, WMC 2850, GTCS 1150, IGTC 2150).

[Inardesco]

I just had a reset in WMC and it's fun to see how the development goes. One race you're ahead, next race the AI is ahead. It's quite fun imo.

[Waggy]

Originally posted by chriskessel:

Really ♥♥♥♥♥♥ me off, I have no idea what I could do to have prepared for such an event. Felt really arbitrary and somewhat pointless.

Unexpected bad things happen to everybody.

Always have a cash reserve for emergencies. If you had a cash reserve you'd be able to afford breaking driver contracts or developing parts.

You can't take a loan in this game so keep a few million in your cash account.

[chriskessel]

You can go negative.

I got caught out because I was building my infrastructure. Cars, HQ, building a great cash flow. That had gotten me to 3rd place and I was going to really move on drivers and a killer car and get 1st. The reset killed my big car advantage and I couldn't keep up fast enough with parts to avoid getting fired.

Knowing about the reset now, I could plan for it, but it completely ruined a good game I had going in what felt like a completely arbitrary event :(. Frankly, I haven't had the urge to play again since. It'd been a difficult game (using Flaming Red's mod) and getting smacked down on the cusp of many hours of work really took the joy out of it.

[XShortestStrawX]

Originally posted by chriskessel:

You can go negative.

I got caught out because I was building my infrastructure. Cars, HQ, building a great cash flow. That had gotten me to 3rd place and I was going to really move on drivers and a killer car and get 1st. The reset killed my big car advantage and I couldn't keep up fast enough with parts to avoid getting fired.

Knowing about the reset now, I could plan for it, but it completely ruined a good game I had going in what felt like a completely arbitrary event :(. Frankly, I haven't had the urge to play again since. It'd been a difficult game (using Flaming Red's mod) and getting smacked down on the cusp of many hours of work really took the joy out of it.

That's disappointing to hear. I just started my second season and hope this doesn't catch me off guard in the future. What happens after you're fired? Do you just have to start a new game?

[Fritz]

Just read your emails carefully, especially ones from Ernie. If you have a vague idea what value the reset triggers on, you can pay extra attention for that email around then. Once it comes, set things in order because next season, you will want to be pumping out parts faster than ever before. Then, if you round up the season (after the reset) with some highly improved risky parts, you're practically set. Next season, you'll most likely be leading the pack.

I believe if you get fired you just become a "free agent" so to speak and can try to swoop in on some other team that has a manager in hot water (kinda like where you would've been before being let go). Then it's up to you if you want to plan revenge against your former team and see them crushed into dust or make yourself attractive again so you can go back at a later date.