7 laps NOT 3

[mimarsp]

Perhaps it was(is) artistic license, or the need to keep a player's continued interest in a PC Game's play but...
it seems to me through ongoing personal research of the topic, and an abundance of historical opinion that...
The Chariot races were 7 circuits (laps) NOT 3.

Any ideas/comments as to how many laps will occur in Ancient Arenas:Chariots??

[RobearGWJ]

A little more research will show you that the 7 lap figure holds for Rome, for a period of time, but later the races were shortened by various emperors to fit in more races per day. The Greeks had standardized on 12 as the Olympic standard, but there were other numbers depending on the event. The Romans ended up doing likewise, changing the number of laps for various reasons. The number of chariots also varied widely, and even though the Quadriga was a Roman standard, there were races run with up to 10 horses on a team, as an exhibition.

Note that no two Circuses in the Empire were anywhere near identical. The Greek Olympic straights were 780m long, but the Circus Maximus is much shorter, and other tracks varied, so it makes sense that race lengths could vary.

I strongly suspect that the design of the new game will carry over many of the features of the excellent Qvadriga, including the variability in number of teams, number of laps and other elements that add interest to the game as well as being plausibly historical. I'm really looking forward to this one.

[mimarsp]

RobearGWJ,
Thank you very much for your reply, and the enlightenment you have provided. I often thought that there MUST have been more variety in actual ancient arenas than is displayed in this simple yet marvelous game.
Considering the scope of such events; the length and breadth of the Empire, the time frame of hundreds of years, the amount of monies involved, the size, style, and opulence of the arenas, and of course the adulation to heroes from their adoring fans. I often make comparisons to our MODERN pro sports. Ever suppose that back then, the fans may have engaged in..."Roll Calls", created "WAVES" in the stands, or had "tail gate" style feasts pre and post races? I think it quite possible and even probable that they DID!
I do hope that as you've posted, the devs will include many of your prior suggestions (I've read most of your OLD stuff in this forum), {including the variability in number of teams, number of laps and other elements that add interest to the game as well as being plausibly historical }. I too await the new title.

P.S. wouldn't it be cool if they had a 3-D "WAVE" going on in the 'Circus' during a big race?

[RobearGWJ]

I suspect that that sort of thing would have been described at least once over the many hundreds of years the races occurred. Still, it may be unremarked. I'm not a specialist in Roman sports by any means; who knows what has been found? I just go by the reading I've done.

Still, it makes me wonder about the social dynamics and origins of "The Wave". One thing I found is that it originated in Mexico in 1968, and involves standing while throwing one's hands in the air. According to a plate cited in the Wiki page on Chironomia (gestural meanings) from 1674, that position indicates a desire that someone take things seriously - rather like our "throwing our hands up in disgust", so since it still has similar meaning today, maybe it had that meaning a lot earlier. But I don't know. Since we don't know what it mean to the Romans, well... We can't be sure whether it would even be socially palatable to them. I'd view it as unlikely. We can be pretty sure they shouted, they threw things at the drivers, catcalled, etc. That's worked into Qvadriga in an interesting way.