Chocobo Racing Impressions/Questions

[Greylynx]

I thought I would share my experience with Chocobo Racing and hopefully others will do the same.

I decided to give it a try with my Blue Female (A bit Deficient/Poor/A Bit Deficient/Poor) with Gallop and Auto Regen. I am nowhere near done raising her (as her stats can attest to) but I just wanted to see how racing worked. The race I entered had 4 contestants (including me). You can view the attributes of the other chocos before the race, and I saw there were 2 yellows, a black, and a blue. One of the yellows had average strength, so I figured that would be the winner. You can also set jockey orders and chocobo equiment (presumably purchased with "chocobucks").

After a short cutscene the race began. It started neck and neck, but by the end I was well ahead of the others and I won the race. I thought that was pretty odd.... unless this is finally a clear instance of Gallop and Auto-Regen working? I won 500gil, which I was disappointed with because I thought I would win chocobucks. Now I am not really sure how you gets those.

The thing thats really odd however, is once I entered the race, it began right away. So either:

1) The other 3 contestants were waiting for me to enter, or
2) You are not racing in real time against the other players, in other words, while I was racing against other peoples chocos (which was clear to me from viewing their stats), it was not the same "race" they witnessed.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Next time I race I will carefully note all the stats/abilities on the other chocobos to see if I can determine what factors are in play (i.e. abilities....)

[raidenn]

Re: Chocobo Racing Impressions/Questions

I made 500 gil myself in the first race but ended up always last in the last few races. I guess theres no control over how to play this free races except for that option in the beginning wether you want to Sprint, Pace or Spurt in the race.

How do you make Chocobucks? By winning the free races?
Also, if the results always show you as the last one or at least 2nd to the last always, how do you improve your Chocobo's attributes and abilities when its already fully grown?

[eticket109]

Re: Chocobo Racing Impressions/Questions

It seems like abilities outweigh stats. My wife won all but one of her races last night. Her chocobo is ABD in STR and SS in END but has Gallop and Canter unlocked. She was beating chocos with First Class stats but no abilities. Though the FC S/E with Gallop and Canter wiped the floor with her. lol

[Omniblast]

Re: Chocobo Racing Impressions/Questions

1st race, won with 500 gil
2nd race, won with 1500 gil and 3 chocobucks
3rd race, 3rd place with 1500 gil and 3 chocobucks

Below Average, Poor, First Class, Above Average
with Burrow and Bore rofl.

Yes it's a digging chocobo, not ment for races.

[Slip]

Re: Chocobo Racing Impressions/Questions

The thing thats really odd however, is once I entered the race, it began right away. So either:

1) The other 3 contestants were waiting for me to enter, or
2) You are not racing in real time against the other players, in other words, while I was racing against other peoples chocos (which was clear to me from viewing their stats), it was not the same "race" they witnessed.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Next time I race I will carefully note all the stats/abilities on the other chocobos to see if I can determine what factors are in play (i.e. abilities....)

I think they said in the release notes that the current choco races are all Player vs NPC. The Player vs Player ones are due out in the Fall.

As for my results:

Registered my current chocobo ("Meteorstrike": First Class, First Class, Poor, Poor, No Abilities yet) and got in my first race last night.

4x total birds. Each of the others were set to a different strategy. I opted for Sprint to test out how well my First Class stamina would hold up.

The race announcer gave the names for the first 3 riders but left off the mithra who was on the 4th choco. Off they went and Meteorstrike took a commanding early lead, and held it through the entire race. Even the choco that was set to "Final Burst of Speed" didn't come close. Won 500 gil for that.

This morning I tried another race and this time it was against a field of 6 chocos. Again the announcer only gave the names for the first 3 (with commentary from Sakura, the choco-chick). This time round I opted for "Keep Pace". Once again Meteorstrike was out in the lead from early on and held the lead the whole way through. Got 1,000 gil for that run.

So far I've only been offered one "Official Race" selection and then a "Rerun" selection this morning. It seems like Free runs (to build up chocobucks) aren't an option yet.

I'm also curious what I did different from Omniblast that he scored 50% more gil and 3 chocobucks on the 2nd race? I'm racing out of Windurst but I'm guessing that shouldn't make a difference.

[Greylynx]

Re: Chocobo Racing Impressions/Questions

I think they said in the release notes that the current choco races are all Player vs NPC. The Player vs Player ones are due out in the Fall.

Yeah your right, I guess SE was just trying to make the other contestants "look" like other players and their chocobos. Good news is I have more time to finish raising my current bird before I race against other players.

Thanks for the info on how to get chocobucks, seems that the first race doesn't have any as a prize but the later ones do. Guess I'll have to race some more when I get home.

[Omniblast]

Re: Chocobo Racing Impressions/Questions

Slip,

I'm not sure either what I did differently, I used no items and had no equipment either.
The only thing I can think of is Discernment is First Class. Does that help it that much? I really doubt it.

Can anyone else race a high Discernment Chocobo to see if they get more gil or chocobucks with them?

[Aksannyi]

Re: Chocobo Racing Impressions/Questions

I haven't tried it yet, but maybe that was part of the reason Teleports from Whitegate were so slow while I was attempting to make some easy gil ... everyone was busy participating in Chocobo racing.

[CruzMissile]

Re: Chocobo Racing Impressions/Questions

i did a but of chocobo racing today

my chocobo "BlazingFury" (Impressive/substandard/poor/poor)

did the 3 novice races with 4/6/8 or something like that.. after u "Beat" (get 3rd or higher) then u get to do the free runs, each time u enter a free run u pay incrementally more.

highest gil prize i got was 1000 gil,
highest chocobuck prize was 3

first offical race after novice is challenge vs the chocobo that challenges u during breeding, that race costs 3 chocobucks

apparently, chocobucks can buy items used to train your chocobo, such as greens/pastes/worms etc, not acutal usuable race items, which sucks.

i think discernment plays a large factor, cause my chocobo would blow everyone outta the water for 2/3rds of the race then fade down the stretch, even when i chose "final spurt" (except the one time i faced a first class chocobo, it had the race won by halfway)

its fun though, i find myself yelling at the screen. Go faster! don't let it catch up! no don't slow down!

I'm waiting to see a chocobo "accident" though... maybe i can try and cause one..... and gysahl bombs don't do the trick, they just slow the birds down

[Ayrlie]

Re: Chocobo Racing Impressions/Questions

gallop and canter override those negative effects just about everytime. speed apples just make them uncatchable.

note they only have average endurance. . . if only one of our raised chocobos had gallop

I got a new raising plan with my mule

[Takira]

Re: Chocobo Racing Impressions/Questions

Hmm My mule has a high int and disc bird with poor physical stats. He knows Canter and Gallop. May have to do some testing on this.

[Takira]

Re: Chocobo Racing Impressions/Questions

Been using my main's previous bird, DameDiamant, who has first class str and end and poor dis and rec. She has done well so far. Tonight I plan to register my mule's bird with canter and gallop and see if there is a different in prize money and where he places. That bird was mainly raised for breeding purposes and everyone who has used a chococard from him, their chick inherited gallop. My fiance should have a new egg today to raise and hoping it inherited both abilities but one will be good.

[Takira]

Re: Chocobo Racing Impressions/Questions

I registered and raced my mule's bird last night and it won the first race.

Stats:
STR - poor
END- poor
DIS - Impressive
REC - Better than Average
Knows Gallop and Canter

I set the jockey instructions to final spurt since his physical stats are bottom barrel and had the jockey use a speed apple.

I still have more research on this because my main's bird had First class physical stats, poor mental stats and no abilities and has been doing well in most races.

Takira