Phil,
I didn't see anyone comment here but your spot of already owning a lot of analog cars is a distinct position that would make an impact on your choice. I raced at a commercial track (analog) and never really got into it far enough to collect many cars. So, when I decided to get into a home track the only reason I made the decision to spend a lot of time and money was to try digital. I would NOT have gotten back into the hobby, building an analog track. I think with your large collection of cars I would create a dual system, where you have the digital system installed as well as analog. This way you could still run all your un-chipped cars and slowly chip or buy new digital stuff.
The lane change feature is neat but what I really found to be so cool with digital (and did NOT anticipate) was how much fun it is to follow close behind the guy in front of you. On my current track, passing is NOT completed right at the lane change section like the promo videos would have you think. If you know you are coming up on another, slower, car. You change lanes a lap or more before the actual pass occurs. There are big curves, and places where one car is faster than another, so you generally position yourself into the opposite lane and then pass where the speed and position is right.
I have thought of adding analog functionality, mostly to make it so we could buy cars, and drop them on the track and go. I hate having to spend $30 or more on a car and then another $22 on the chip, and then shoehorn it into the new car. But, when I thought of the fun we have with the digital, features, I think "I would hate to loose the ability to follow, have a single cross-over, run more cars at one time than the number of slots, loose the option to merge two or more slots into one".
Good topic and I'm sure the debate will never end.
Jim
I didn't see anyone comment here but your spot of already owning a lot of analog cars is a distinct position that would make an impact on your choice. I raced at a commercial track (analog) and never really got into it far enough to collect many cars. So, when I decided to get into a home track the only reason I made the decision to spend a lot of time and money was to try digital. I would NOT have gotten back into the hobby, building an analog track. I think with your large collection of cars I would create a dual system, where you have the digital system installed as well as analog. This way you could still run all your un-chipped cars and slowly chip or buy new digital stuff.
The lane change feature is neat but what I really found to be so cool with digital (and did NOT anticipate) was how much fun it is to follow close behind the guy in front of you. On my current track, passing is NOT completed right at the lane change section like the promo videos would have you think. If you know you are coming up on another, slower, car. You change lanes a lap or more before the actual pass occurs. There are big curves, and places where one car is faster than another, so you generally position yourself into the opposite lane and then pass where the speed and position is right.
I have thought of adding analog functionality, mostly to make it so we could buy cars, and drop them on the track and go. I hate having to spend $30 or more on a car and then another $22 on the chip, and then shoehorn it into the new car. But, when I thought of the fun we have with the digital, features, I think "I would hate to loose the ability to follow, have a single cross-over, run more cars at one time than the number of slots, loose the option to merge two or more slots into one".
Good topic and I'm sure the debate will never end.
Jim
