Hi Everyone,

After a recent discussion regarding adding a category. It is become clear that there exists no clear standard for people to submit a new category to this game.

Currently, when you want to request a category, you just submit a forum post and I or Ben will look at it and give our thoughts along with others and weight if it’s a category that should be added. If people respond favourably to it and we think its valid. We will add it. Otherwise, the request may (if not enough interest is gauged or the category has massive issues or is not needed/wanted) be rejected or shelved.

Following with the existing standard, to submit a valid request, you must have 2 clear things to start with. A forum post and 2 runs of the category that are independent of other possible runs. The runs can be created after the forum post is submitted, but if 2 runs are not posted in the forum post. The category will not be considered.

In the interest of not cluttering the leader boards with categories that no one runs your requested category must have two submitted runs from two different people that do not overlap with an existing run. For example, requesting heist ILs. The runs must be submitted independent of a full run to count.

This is to see if at least two people have an interest in kickstarting a category. After that you may submit your runs as part of a series of runs like normal. (If the category gets added. This rule will be lifted.)

Regarding the forum post while not completely required (It will help the discussion if done) Please list the pros and cons to the category and any issues it may have in the present or future. If you do not do it, someone eventually will. Below are some rules regarding submitting a category.

The category must not be too specific. Heist ILs are boarding on that specific part, but to give an example. Heist Preps for Doomsday would be too specific to request. Its ok to debate if a category is or is not too specific and since it can be a grey area. It is important to make your case clear.

No minigames, free mode missions or arbitrary categories. Arbitrary categories include examples like "Driving around SA motorway in the fastest time" or "Drive up Mt Chiliad" Minigames include things like golf, tennis, arm wrestling or arcade games. Free mode missions include free mode events, business restock/selling or other free mode related stuff. If the free mode event is part of a bigger run, it is allowed. I.E doomsday prep stuff

The category must have a distinct start and end point. A distinct start can either be a lobby a notification or popup appears on screen. A distinct end, this can be "Mission passed", "Finished" or something along the lines.

I should point out that there are going to be special cases. But these rules will exist to make you think about the category before submitting it. Please do submit it as a forum post and a discussion can be had. The only hard rule is that 2 runs rule. If your post does not contain that, the category will not be added.

Thank you for your time, and if you have any questions about this. Please feel free to post them here.

As for there being potentially hundreds of races, I don't see why you would have to add all of them, and not just the most popular ones requested based on some yet to be determined criteria.

Here are some examples of tracks for which people have already posted their best laps. Sure, GTAO is not mainly about racing. But more people hotlap and post their results in GTA than in many racing games that are solely about racing. As you can see, the WR (of all the times recorded on video at least) for some of the races are very optimized.

Open Wheel - Abridged

Open Wheel - Height of Society

Land Race - Dockyard

If you were to add races as ILs, I'd propose to use the in-game lap time as the timer, since that seems to be what the existing GTAO racing community mainly cares about. This isn't new on this site anyway, the leaderboard for Assetto Corsa already works this way, based on in-game lap times. (https://www.speedrun.com/assetto_corsa/)

The main problem as I see it is most of these people are not speedrunners, and won't bother to create an account on here and submit them rather than just post them on Youtube. If those people's times can't be added without them making an account on here then whatever, don't add the races I guess.

But the argument that the car is all that matters in racing is not a a very valid one when all runs of missions where the Oppressor MkII can be used were made obsolete overnight when that vehicle was released, pretty much regardless of what route they were using before the DLC.

With regards to adding the races of a certain type as a group, then I retract that idea, since I agree nobody would run it and me having the top time just because nobody else bothered would be pretty lame. It was just something I came up with in the moment without thinking it through.

You've posted in the wrong thread, can you move this post over to your thread and i'll address it there