is there a way to manipulate traffic in default settings? I can restart the race or even the game as often as I want, but the traffic stays consistently the same in default settings. Like exact same cars start at exact same positions (but will take different turns etc).

But when I compare runs, for example in Hold On Tight https://www.speedrun.com/midtown2/SF_Blitz_Hold_On_Tight#Default_race_settings , this run is not beatable for me, because I always(!) get the same car stuck RIGHT in front of my car (even closer than in 2nd place run). Doing that turn around it costs too much time to make up, it's more than half a second that I lose. The actual WR can start pretty confidently, there is a car there but enough space to navigate around.

This also applies to a ton of other tracks by the way and I wonder if anyone else experiences that traffic stays the same no matter how often one restarts.

How are these different traffic situations possible?

Hmm, yeah this is an interesting problem. I get a similar traffic spawn to you and bangerra (2nd place) where I actively have to swerve before I even get started.

I tried troubleshooting every way I can think of. Similar to you, I restarted/reloaded the race and shut down my game and reloaded it. I also tried completing other races before coming back to this one and tried switching cars and then returning to the GTR-1 since the traffic behave differently depending on the vehicle. I tried changing the colour of the GTR-1, changing the traffic conditions below or above the default conditions, completing the race, and then returning to default with no positive results. I even tried restarting my computer entirely. I don't know what influences the traffic spawns and It's interesting because amongst the 4 existing times there's two distinct starting traffic patterns.

It doesn't even seem to depend on the release region of the game. For instance, chiefsguide of Turkey and Mhmd_FVC (the mod) from the USA have the same traffic spawn.

Now, while I've been hunting the 'all crash course' records I noticed like you did that the traffic spawn-in is the same but the routing is not always the exactly the same.

Unless someone here knows something about the underlying code of the game or more info, I don't think there's very much that can be done about the traffic spawns. Maybe this will start to put more of a focus on the traffic-less modified race settings category for races where different traffic spawns impact the individual level runs.

I've figured it out. The traffic spawn on amateur settings is different than the traffic spawn on professional settings. Chiefsguide's record is on professional settings.

This is actually important as hell. That means there should be a distinction I believe, as I feel like some runs on Amateur could be absolutely invalidated by Professional's different traffic settings and vice versa.

Should there be separate categories? Default Settings Amateur / Default Settings Professional?

I think traffic patterns are generated using the traffic density bar, which is why there are always the same cars at the beginning of the level. Once the level starts, I think every car makes turns on every crossroad based on a random number. I'm pretty sure that the number is chosen using a function that, given a seed, will give a "random" number each time the function is used. Usually, the seed is set using the time, so I think that if you set the time in your computer to a specific date and time, cars will always follow the same path (while normally they tend to do different things even though in the same level). But traffic patterns don't use the random function to be generated, that's why there's always the same traffic when you start a level. About "Amateur Race Settings" and "Professional Race Settings". Making a distinction using ARS and PRS would be better than just using "Default race settings" but only for a few levels. For example, the only difference in "The Knowledge" between ARS and PRS is the time given to complete the level, which is irrelevant in a speedrun. I don't know how many levels have substantial differences between the two settings, so I don't think we really need to distinguish them

You write that traffic is generated using the traffic density bar. Are you implying that the WRs in SF Blitz: Hold On Tight are not using default settings? Or does it depend on your installation? Because at the very start of the race the traffic looks completely different for different players on this track.

At the start of the race of Hold On Tight: WR run (chiefguide): yellow car in front of your car 2d place (bangerra): brown car in front of your car 3rd place (grkmkprl): white car in front of your car 4th place (Mhmd_FVC): yellow car in front of your car (exactly same as WR run)

And I personally get a greenish car on default settings (amateur), and it's one that I cant manouvre around at the start without hitting him. This start scenario isnt contained in the submitted runs.

https://imgur.com/a/nKuzkkz I took some screenshots of the differences. I also tried a density that is in between ARS and PRS and it seems to be the case that you get. I can't explain why there's a white car in grkmkprl's run, I tried different densities but I never get the same traffic. Maybe the traffic depends also on something else like the version of the game but, without looking into the code, it's difficult to have a right answer.

This is the case that I get, using amateur default settings. greenish car right in front of me. https://imgur.com/a/lEMRWNL

Can you take a screenshot of the level using PRS? I want to see if also that one is different

Here is professional settings. Different traffic. This car is larger but stays a little farther away from my starting position. https://imgur.com/a/zeNSqfg

Uhm, it may depend on the version of the game or even on the operating system. What is your os? I'll send you (as private message) a link to download another version of the game. I can't put it here due to forum rules. Can you tell me if the traffic is the same as mine or if nothing changes?

Tried for 2 hours to get that version running, even installing dgvoodoo on it after failing to run as is. Doesn't seem to run on my system so far.

It is strange, on my computer the game works even without dgvoodoo (even if it is rather slow).

I'm sorry I only answered now, but I was busy in the last few days