"Based on the skill of your designer and how many developers you have assigned to the research project, the level will slowly increase until it reaches the skill of the head designer"
Taken right from the release from Frank. Stats will only reach that of the head designer but will take time as you need to increase research level first. To stop teams from signing a superb designer for a season and building a superb car right away.
Somewhere I remember Frank saying the research level was combination of designer (other designers later on when we are familiar with the concept), number of people assigned to it and past knowledge. So I guess it is possible to exceed your designer's rating.
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I wrote this at exactly the same time as Robert's. I would go with what he says At the moment though, as we are being eased into this, I understand that we are all at or near the designer's level.
Judging by my scout reports my parts are above my designer's level. But those were originally designed before this research thing. Or maybe my scout was just wrong. But anyway, has Pitwall become the quest for the best designer?
Pitwall has always been the quest for the best designer at the cheapest price. The best drivers, and mechanic help too, probably actually in that order, Designer > Driver > Mechanic
I think Frank is trying to remove the aspect of Best designer as the end all by adding this as it will come down to Very good designer with a very good design team over a period of time so having the best designer doesn't mean having the best design right away so if you cannot lock up that best designer long term then there is no benefit having that top designer.
That is true in a sense Robert yes, your design team will develop in the background and they will influence the designs just as much as the designer. Hopefully switching to a better designer in the future will not upset the balance too much as the design team will be well developed at the time.
my decision to pay my new designer 1.5m as basic might have been a bad one then - especially as i want to keep my current one as well for another cool 700k (yes he wants more money after just accepting another new contract!)
Daniel, Time will only tell since the idea was also to get us to make tough decisions on staff. I am paying one of the best drivers in the game $1 million per week and should have him locked up until he decides to retire. Is this a smart move? I don't have that answer yet but I think it was the right choice at the time since I am pushing to move to division 1 either this season or next.
I have also focused on my design team with a Very Good designer and two other very good designers as junior staff as I want to understand the effects that these guys might have on my designs.
At the moment though, as we are being eased into this, I understand that we are all at or near the designer's level.
