Board Game Arena

FYI: I've played both the f2f Formula De (first release) and Formula D (first release).

So we've been running a season of 9 tracks (not using the built in BGA session capability) and 3 of us have run many seasons from f2f versions and we know when you race, you sometimes get bumps and sometime you lose a car.

That said, the game is much more NASCAR than F1 now.

The way rub checks are triggered is a lot more common than what the Formula D rules and I think even beyond the Formula D rules. I think there's some extra changes put in by BGA developers (who claim they don't make home rules... yet in these areas, I think they have).

Example:
Car 1 gets into 1-corner and ends up at slot 3 in the corner on the inside.
Car 2 gets into the same corner at the slot 2 in the middle inside.
They have a reciprocal rub checks.

Then Car 3 roles in on the outside, and drops directly in front of the car 2 without any other activity (like braking or such). Car 3 then sits in just in front of Car-2.
This triggers a role with Car 2 and Car 3. (and the reciprocal)
Car2 and Car3 may have also have face a rub check. (I don't recall). (and they would then do a reciprocal check)

HOWEVER, here's the insanity:
Car 4 comes on the inside and ends up (on the dot, no braking) behind Car-2 in slot-2 on the inside. This boxes Car 4 with the inside wall, Car-1 in front of Car-4, and Car-2 in the middle lane.
This triggers Car-4 vs. Car-1 (expected) and the reciprocal check, triggers Car-4 and Car-3 (expected) and the reciprocal check, and then the thing that is insane: Car-2 is in middle lane and Car-3 is in front of Car-2 and somehow, through the two other cars (Car-1 and Car-2), Car-4 triggers a rub check (and its reciprocal) when there is no slot to slot contact on the map.

SO: The above is (to me) either a bug or a change that BGA devs made. I cannot see any way that two cars that are NOT adjacent in any way on the map should produce a rub check for those two cars. THAT needs to fixed.

Nowadays, I'm seeing 13-17 body damages on a 3 lap race by people who know the game and don't ram up the guy behind them. Of the last race (Flaming Man GP), 5 cars were body-damaged out and largely because of way more checks than the Formula De or D f2f games.

I think if you watch good, experienced players and that run carefully but tight, you are going to see a lot more body damages and debris and a lot more DNFs where they would not have in the original f2f games. It reminds me more of NASCAR than F1 when I see that.

If this is a bug, I will report it. But right now, it might just be the programming intention and that I think isn't a bug but it may need revisited.

Thoughts?

kaladorn wrote: ↑16 March 2026, 20:51 I think there's some extra changes put in by BGA developers (who claim they don't make home rules... yet in these areas, I think they have).

I think it’s important to note that, aside from bugs of course, BGA devs didn’t just put in whatever changes they like. The game publisher, for reasons we may never know, insisted on a bunch of changes to the game that are not in the rules for the physical game. You can see the full list at the end of the BGA how-to-play doc. So yes, there are quite a few changes, but I’m not sure you can call them home(brew) rules…

kaladorn wrote: ↑16 March 2026, 20:51 Then Car 3 roles in on the outside, and drops directly in front of the car 2 without any other activity (like braking or such). Car 3 then sits in just in front of Car-2.
This triggers a role with Car 2 and Car 3. (and the reciprocal)

Do you have the table number to inform? This excerpt of Car 3 roll already seems off. If a car stops right in front of another, it shouldn't require a collision check between the 2 cars. I suggest you report it to the Developer, stating the Move Number of the occurrence(s).

BarnardsStar wrote: ↑17 March 2026, 16:51 The game publisher, for reasons we may never know, insisted on a bunch of changes to the game that are not in the rules for the physical game.

It's clearly stated it's the formula D masters rules that have been used for a very long time now in this official annual tournament, and probably in many other tournaments.

That being said, these rules should be optionnal.