I have just started running in Zwift recently. I’m located in Australia and due to the World’s time clock it’s fairly sparse on most of the running tracks/routes. Most of the group runs are held at Northern Hemisphere times so they aren’t exactly a good time to run for me.
I’d just like to throw it out there but it’d be great to have more running partners to help encourage me to improve my efforts. If I could choose from a “my best time avatar” to a “just in front” avatar. I’m not sure but running by myself isn’t much fun at all (unless I’m focused on a training run).
This is a wonderful idea! The zavatar would only be visible to it’s real counterpart. It need-not even be human.
I’d be happy with a floaty sign.
Or, Mr. T.
I voted this up tho I only do the Zwift cycling. This is a great idea for all Zwift users though I do sympathise as I dont see many runners on Zwift to keep you company.
Agree that everyone should be able to ‘ghost’. I wonder if they are working on set speed, set wattage, or pick a file (best case scenario and already being done in the virtual world.) Pick a file would be simple to apply to running.
However, Mayfield says it isn’t around the corner. So, maybe a december kind of goal or 2020? He didn’t make it sound like it is almost ready to show.
Right. In the last ZwiftCast interview, he cited storage of ride files as one of the issues to consider. If someone wants a bot to mimic some past ride, Zwift has to have the file of that past ride.
Maybe the same consideration is behind the fact that we get only 30 days of PRs stored in Zwift – maybe after 30 days Zwift deletes those segment records.
Strava and others have solved storage issues, so we hope Zwift can too.
Storage is cheap. I did some quick (very rough) numbers and without boring you with details, I assumed 100 courses needed storage, 1m active users, and used a 2hr ride fit file and came to around $700usd per month.
Zwift could simply store the fastest ride/run per course and use that as the benchmark. Maybe offer multiple version storage as premium so you could pick which date you want to race.
Playing back a ft file would be relatively simple given that data is ultimately what is used to show you other participants anyway (I’m sure its slightly harder than that, but not much).
Zwift already store your .fit file https://my.zwift.com/. I think the issue is more than just storage. The files need to be ranked and marked , like fastest for each lap of each route in every world. then also for every sprint and KOM.
Then do you really wan to chase your ghost that was riding in a race with a lot of drafting.
Gerrie:
I haven’t used the third party ghost feature. Could you point me to a how-to, or give us a description? (My Zwift account is connected with zwiftgps)
I had previously posted a request for zombie runners that would help provide pacing. The user would enters the paces the zombie would run throughout the race. The user would adjust the speed of the treadmill inorder to follow. Currently I only use the stats component of Zwift (displayed on the Companion app). The race visuals are mild distraction.
Dean… I’m not sure that Zwift wants to do “ANYTHING” for the real users of the game anymore mate. It’s a massive shame really as I’ve steered numerous people onto the game and they lose interest within 2 months or a little more and cancel their subscriptions.
Hope fully one day the user numbers will plummet and they’ll have to stop sitting on their hands and make the game more lively with interesting runs/trails experiences along the way to reaching your goals.
At the moment even a “BOT” is too hrd for their programmers to implement - that’s pretty sad.
I do like the idea, but there is such a big gap between the B and C category, would be nice to have something in the middle there around 5:45 - 5:50/km. But something is better than nothing
Alton Able is an A category runner who will keep a spirited pace of 14.6kph/9.1mph (4:07/km, 6:36/mi) around the Dust in the Wind route.
Billie Benoit is a B category runner and loves the Big Loop route, targeting a speed of 11.9kph/7.4mph (05:03/km, 08:06/mi).
Cara Cadence is a C category runner holding a speed of 9kph/5.6mph (06:40/km, 10:43/mi) around the Sands & Sequoias route.
Dax Diesel is a D category runner who feels most at home on Jon’s Route at a conversational 7.2kph/4.5mph (08:20/km, 13:24/mi).
