Competition & AI Tech Update: November 2022 Recap

Racing
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Hey Zwifters!

Welcome back to another edition of our Competition & AI Tech update. This one will cover the progress we have made for the month of November.

This update will be a bit lighter in content compared to the previous ones, as recent posts have been for two month periods due to a lack of regular posting cadence on my part. November is also the first of the US holiday months, and folks have started to take some well-deserved time off.

The goal is to provide insight as to what we are working on surrounding competition and what’s on deck in the coming months.

The post will cover these sections:

  • What can you expect in the next release?
  • What is Zwift working on now?
  • What is the status of feedback the community provided?

As always, we welcome your feedback on this post! To make sure we capture it all in this moment in time, we will be auto-closing the post 11 days from the original post date, on Friday 16 Dec 2022.

Let’s get into it!

What can you expect from the next release?

Zwift version 1.32 will largely include some subtle improvements to the experience of dropping in on a RoboPacer or another Zwifter from the home screen. Additionally, we will be continuing our testing of Pack Dynamics 4 after version 1.32. Version 1.33 will have some great stuff!, so keep your eyes on the horizon.

What is Zwift working on now?

  • Scoring: we are steadily working toward the first major milestone in the Scoring project’s timeline, which is being able to begin testing with events. Before that can happen, we have many loose ends to connect and tie up, as this project is built on a large technical foundation that will afford us freedom in the future to make changes quickly during testing and in response to community feedback. We will have posts in the coming weeks with more detail, so stay tuned!

  • Category Enforcement: Following discussion and input from our community in recent weeks, we have designed, built, and will soon implement detailed power data on the Zwifter profile. It will first appear on your Zwifter profile at Zwift.com and will shortly thereafter be followed by implementation on Zwift Companion. Once it is released, you will be able to see what your current values for FTP, Critical Power, and MAP/VO2 are as well as your recommended minimum category based on that data. We have no plans to put it on ZwiftPower for the moment.

  • HoloReplay: Currently, we are working allowing Zwifters to ride against their HoloReplays for entire routes. We are also working on quality of life improvements for the user interface to give you more easily identifiable information about what segments you can expect to see a HoloReplay spawn during your ride. We will also make it easier to understand which PR or recent completion time will spawn a HoloReplay. We’ll have more information on that for you soon!

  • Competitive Experiences - Pack Dynamics V4: We have implemented new tweaks based on community feedback following successful tests of Pack Dynamics V4. We will continue testing following the release of game version 1.32 in a similar fashion. Keep your eyes on the forum for the announcement posts!

What is the status of feedback the community provided?

  • Backlog : It’s on our radar and some work has been done
  • Discovery : Early in the development process
  • In Progress : It’s actively being worked on
  • Done : Released

Improving Fairness in Competition

  • Category Enforcement: implement UI on the Zwifter profile to show what the current power thresholds are - In Progress
  • Scoring & Categorization: allow race results to have a score - In Progress
  • Scoring & Categorization: allow Zwifters to participate in test events and give feedback - In Discovery
  • Scoring & Categorization: allow scored results to influence overall ranking progression - In Discovery

AI Tech

  • HoloReplay: implement recording, retention, and playback of PR data from non free ride activities - Done :white_check_mark:
  • HoloReplay: implement recording, data retention, and data playback for entire routes - In Progress
  • HoloReplay - UI improvements: show at the start and end of a segment when a HoloReplay will spawn/despawn - In Progress
  • HoloReplay - UI improvements: add more information to minimap - In Progress
  • HoloReplay - UI improvements: add more information to segment leaderboards - In Progress
  • HoloReplay - Visual improvements: spawn a HoloReplay to wait for the Zwifter at the start of a segment - In Progress
  • HoloReplay: allow Zwifters to ride against one another’s Replay - In Discovery
  • HoloReplay: Zwift Companion UI component - In Discovery
  • RoboPacers: Implement a handcycle Pacer - In Discovery

Competitive Experiences

  • Pack Dynamics V4 - In Progress

Bugs

A note for bugs: this update is from a limited perspective, and will not always be representative of everything affecting events, segment results, etc. These bodies of work focus most directly on competitive events, Pace Partners, and the future of competition at Zwift.

  • RoboPacer: drops multiplier stuck at 2X instead of 2.5X - Done :white_check_mark: (1.32 release)

  • Category Enforcement: not all text appears correcntly when joining a category enforced event - Done :white_check_mark:

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Good update, thanks. Comms goes a long way. Excited for the PD4 testing.

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What if we in iTT races could get the HoloReplay of the current leader? I normally find iTT boring, but with this feature I would probably push more.

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One thing that was discussed earlier was Zwift’s dynamics slowing people down on corners. Is that still the plan? If so: is it targeted for this release, or in progress for another release?

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We’ve been talking about things like this a lot for the future. It will come eventually I think, just not sure to what extent at the moment. It won’t be around for the first iteration I don’t think, but glad to see you’re thinking about what you’d like to see out of it.

Autobraking? It’s coming, just not 100% sure when at the moment. Like I mentioned before, I know it’s being worked on and I’ve seen it in some builds here at the office.

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Woo hoo!

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Regarding pack dynamics, as it’s a bit unclear – will there be some amount of change with default pack dynamics in 1.32, or is this only saying that 1.32 will allow further testing of changes to pack dynamics (in special events)?

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Hi John @Wannie,
From what I have seen on other posts, there will be no change to the default dynamics at this stage and - to use your wording:

From what I understand, the 1.32 update will introduce a few tweaks, which will be tested in specific events in order to collect more community feedback.

I’m sure it will be made very clear when Pack Dynamics v4 is ready to be introduced across the platform… but before that point I’d expect more event tests, then maybe rolling out PD v4 to a single map, before it being launched across zwift as a whole. :+1:

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That’s what I thought initially, but for this sentence, which could be read that there will be some default changes implemented from the prior testing that are rolling out. Not sure…

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This next sentence answer your question.

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This is correct, yes. PD4 will eventually be rolled out to all of Zwift, but first we need to test it to ensure it feels right. Testing is done in specific events - typically accompanied by a forum post - so we can collect feedback.

Nothing is getting rolled out with 1.32 across the board, just changes to further test.

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That’s why the annoying bugs kept unfixed.

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Zwiftcruiser approves of this update.
Zwiftcruiser profile

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5 words, you’ve changed dude.

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Sarcasm, maybe? :thinking:

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No, actually not. (Bet you didn’t see that coming. :smile:)

I just wanted to signal that there is a reason for my “absence” and that I’m not a born troublemaker. As long as the key issue, in my Watopia, is addressed - and it seems to be - then I’m happy and have nothing to complain about. Things take time, that’s understandable (within reason). And a stepwise approach to this - test just the concept of points at all first - is sound, don’t do anything rash. I like it!

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Would it be curt of me to suggest that identifying cheating & exploits, dealing with reported riders & giving the community confidence in a fair system probably should make it onto that list somewhere…

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Got another related update for you all: Coming Soon - Critical Power Information in Zwift Profile

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Thanks for letting us know Flint!