B-Spec Points was a feature used in Gran Turismo 4, as a measure of difficulty between the player's AI-controlled car and the AI opponent cars in Simulation Mode. In each race entered in B-Spec Mode, there is a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 200 B-Spec Points available to be won.
What Are B-Spec Points
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B-Spec Points are used to improve the player-controlled AI driver's skill. There are 4 areas where the AI driver can be improved, visible on the player card in the Home Garage:
- B-Spec Skill - displays a total of the B-Spec Points awarded across all races it was used in, has a maximum value of 10,000
- Machine Skill - displays the car handling ability and error recovery of the AI driver, has a maximum value of 100
- Course Skill - displays the ability of the AI driver to properly follow the racing line on the track, has a maximum value of 100
- Battle Skill - displays the ability of the AI driver to correctly overtake opponents, and retain composure when being overtaken, has a maximum value of 100
A perfect B-Spec driver will have a total of 10000/100/100/100
Earning PointsEdit
Points are awarded as the player-controlled AI completes races. The "B-Spec Skill" statistic can only be increased as Points are won from winning races, whereas the other 3 skill areas will improve even if the AI does not win, albeit much more slowly. Points are awarded along the same lines as A-Spec Points, where they are dependent on vehicle performance areas, such as power-to-weight ratio and the type of tyres used.
How B-Spec Points WorkEdit
The points represent the collection of a smaller unit. The exact size of the unit is still unknown.
There are two major classifications of B-spec Points. There are 7000 points often referred to as "Floating" Points and 3000 points as "Track" Points - not be confused with the "Course" Points, a particular type of Track Point. The Track Points are divided evenly between the 4 major power classes on 58 different tracks.
Floating Points can be collected from any track. Points collected on one track can take away from the point total available in the race on the next track. Eventually the points run out on all tracks. Some tracks are more generous with different types of Floating Points, but the difference is not known. The Nurburgring can eventually provide all possible Floating Points, but sometimes the points trickle in fairly slowly. A different track might provide all remaining Floating Points in a single race. Most tracks will only provide some, but not all of the Floating Points available to that subclass.
Two types of Floating Points have been defined: There are 4666.17 "Machine" Points, and 2333.83 "Floating Battle" Points - not to be confused with "Track Battle" Points, a type of Track Point. It's possible to collect only the Machine Points by driving in Practice or Photo Mode on tracks without Track Points. Even Rally tracks can provide some Machine Points. The numbers here don't provide much practical information other than to hint at the general distribution of Floating Points. Just two or three good races are likely to collect all possible Floating Battle Points, so many of the later races are used to slowly collect as few more Machine Points.
Machine Points contribute 100% of the Machine Skill, and will also contribute a total Course Skill of 70. Floating Battle Points provide a total Battle Skill of 70
Two types of Track Points have been defined: 2000 Course Points, and 1000 Track Battle Points. Again, it's possible to collect the only Course Points by practicing without racing, but it's not a practical method. The 2000 Course Points will contribute another 20 to Course Skill. The 1000 Track Battle Points contribute the final 10 to Course Skill, and 30 to Battle Skill.
