July Development Roadmap Released for rFactor 2!

[Paul Jeffrey]

Studio 397 have revealed their latest 'development roadmap' detailing the future of the rFactor 2 simulation, as planned during the month of July.

With development pushing ahead at full steam, Studio397 have revealed what the future looks like for rFactor2 in the coming weeks and months..


Competition
As we previously announced, McLaren’s World’s Fastest Gamer starts soon, and we are really excited that rFactor 2 was chosen as the flagship qualifying platform. This competition aligns with the overall competition structure that we are currently building, allowing tournament style events that extend all the way to a license progression system. Our competition platform will be unique in many ways: we will have our own structured competition and, in addition, support the community. We actively believe in the strength of our community to run outstanding events, both online and onsite. Specifically, APIs will be made available to allow sanctioned leagues/competitions to integrate with our overall structure, providing visibility and consistency. We are also developing our license structure based on an overall percentage rating and a system that penalizes drivers for off-track or bad driving by giving time penalties instead of relying on an independent safety rating.

Content
We have some even more exciting news: it’s no secret that we are releasing a McLaren GT car. And now, we are pleased to announce that it will be….drum roll please… the awesome McLaren 650s GT3!

This McLaren will be used in the World’s Fastest Gamer competition and will be available for you all as a paid item in our upcoming item store at the start of August. We’re really excited to launch with this car, which was developed in close cooperation with McLaren. But that’s not all! This car will also be part of a soon-to-be-released wider pack, reaffirming our ambition to align our content! What a tease!

Many of you saw our rendition of Zandvoort at the Max Verstappen days. Since then, we have optimised and further enhanced the track. Like the McLaren above, Zandvoort will be used in the World’s Fastest Gamer competition and will be released as a free addition. Check out some screens below!

Additionally, we are working on some new significant track projects and will share more in the next couple of months.
DX11

Ever since the beginning of the year, we’ve showed you the evolution of our DX11 graphics engine. Right now, we’re close to the point where we are happy enough with the visuals and performance of this engine to soon switch it to become the default. We will keep the DX9 engine around as an option for a little while longer, at least until we’ve rolled out the new overlays (see below). This also does not mean we are done developing the engine. We still have many bigger and smaller improvements to make it look better, and we will keep pushing those out in the upcoming months. At this point, we would also like to thank everybody who actively participated in our open beta. Your input was very helpful and allowed us to improve the whole engine, and VR mode, a lot quicker and better.

UI
Not only are we putting the final touches on our in-game user interface, as you have read above, we are also about to roll out the first parts of the new competition infrastructure, which will fit right in with the new UI. To show you some of the last details we are currently working on, we’ve captured two details of the UI, starting with the calibration screen for your wheel and pedals. As you know, you could always calibrate axes visually, but when specifying the ranges of motion and the deadzones, you had to physically move your wheel or pedal in the right position to set such a limit. Now we’ve included not only the exact numbers, but you can also directly edit them to fine tune them exactly the way you want without having to mess around with text files.

A second detail we’d like to show is what we’ve done with the garage setup screens. There was already a way to compare, and we made that a bit smarter, but we also added a quick way for you to see what changes you made to the current setup compared with the one you saved last. In the shot, you see two gear ratios that have an orange font. Those are ratios you’ve changed. That way you can quickly get an overview. It’s little things like this we are still tweaking. We know it’s taking a bit longer than you, and we, anticipated, but the wait is almost over!

Physics
One of the things we have been working on over the last few months is our tyre model. You may have noticed some changes in the latest version of the Radical, and you will also see them in the upcoming McLaren. These updates reflect our work on improving accurate tyre fidelity. We have a number of tyre updates underway, making one of the best tyre models in consumer racing simulation even better.

Overlays
We have been working hard to create a solution for overlays. As you know, we aren’t great fans of rendering over rFactor 2 screens as this can cause issues that become hard for us to resolve. We have built a solution using HTML. Shortly, we will be allowing 3rd parties to develop their own overlays, not just for broadcast, but for in-game HUDS through an API.

Misc
For those of you who don’t know, this year’s Sim Expo will be held on the 16/17th September at Nurburgring – another great chance for all of sim racing to come together. We will be there, of course, showcasing some cool future features and content, so make sure you pop by!


rFactor 2 can be purchased from the Steam platform right now and is available exclusively for PC.

Check out the rFactor 2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment for all the latest news and discussion with regards to the simulation. You can take part in lively debates with fellow rFactor 2 fans and take part in some great Club and League racing events..! Head over to the forum now and share the love this simulation so very much deserves...

Happy with the new roadmap update? Looking forward to seeing the changes filter through to the sim? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Rick Lopes]

no i'm just pointing out the fact that your argument from a logic standpoint is flawed...
you're assuming i'm wrong by taking a statistical point of view

a little bit like usa... trump got the most votes
does not mean that the majority of americans are right/chose well

 

[Rick Lopes]

good ridance to all
i'm done with this conversation

 

[Szymon Olizarowicz]

No doubt about the fact that a well optimized game will give you more fps. Still a 960 with a triple screen is kinda wrong, in fact there are not many people complaining about this.
EDIT: You will also find out soon that almost no game is actually optimized.

This is some great revisionist history right there. RF2 has ALWAYS been slammed for truly horrific performance. In fact the most common reason cited on this website, as to why people were excited for dx11, was the hope for better performance. Most of us assumed that prehistoric dx9 was causing problems. Sadly, it seems that dx11 implementation is far from ideal compared to something like iracing, which offered an instant FPS boost.

Also it's so weird to see some people saying 'just upgrade' or even resorting to calling a PC with 960 Gtx (something that would be on par with high end equipment back when rf2 was released) a potato. It's a game that even after recent changes still looks like something released pre-2010 and runs like arse. It should run on a f****** MacBook at this point.

You can change the studio in charge of rf2, but you can't change its retarded fan base.

 

[BhZ]

This is some great revisionist history right there. RF2 has ALWAYS been slammed for truly horrific performance. In fact the most common reason cited on this website, as to why people were excited for dx11, was the hope for better performance. Most of us assumed that prehistoric dx9 was causing problems. Sadly, it seems that dx11 implementation is far from ideal compared to something like iracing, which offered an instant FPS boost.

Also it's so weird to see some people saying 'just upgrade' or even resorting to calling a PC with 960 Gtx (something that would be on par with high end equipment back when rf2 was released) a potato. It's a game that even after recent changes still looks like something released pre-2010 and runs like arse. It should run on a f****** MacBook at this point.

You can change the studio in charge of rf2, but you can't change its retarded fan base.

Never said "just upgrade". I said that a 960 for a triple screen is risky. The upgrade to dx11 is not finished yet, so i'd say it's a bit early to say what's best.

 

[John-Eric Saxén]

AC on my Laptop is optimized.And Dx11 title too.
So i can't understand where the problem is... In developing?
Wrong configuration?wrong Windows Version,wrong driver?
Don't get me wrong i love this game but not at the moment.... Too much confusion.
And it's not always the user and the PC and the hardware that is cheap excuse.

Few people actually understand what optimization means. Different games run with different FPS, not because they are necessarily less "optimized", but because the engine works in different way. DX11 is just a small part of it.

For example, rF2 has dynamic 24/7 lighting and fully dynamic sky from dry to rain, AC hasn't. rF2 engine supports night lighting with multiple light sources, AC doesn't. I may be wrong, but I doubt rF2 DX11 version is going to see some huge gains in performance from here on. Mostly because it's fully dynamic which makes it more advanced, and partly because it's still using DX9 shaders that all mods rely on, which they can't easily get rid of. It's more complex than you think, there is no magic wand optimization I'm afraid.

 

[Martin Vindis]

I don't mind paying for good content but I afraid this is going to split the already small community. A lot of ppl don't like paying for stuff, even if it would be 1p.

How is this going to work exactly? Let's say I buy the 650S and there is a server running the 650S and another paid car. Will the I have to buy both cars to be able to enter the server or can I have both cars installed but only drive the one I bought?

 

[Emery]

Let's say I buy the 650S and there is a server running the 650S and another paid car. Will the I have to buy both cars to be able to enter the server or can I have both cars installed but only drive the one I bought?

Let's see... AMS, Raceroom, &, as I recall, pCARS all manage to let you join a server in that case. AC is the only one which doesn't.

At this point Studio 397 hasn't even opened the storefront, so until that happens and/or they provide more info, we're just going to have to wait to find out which way they're going to go. We don't even know if they'll sell content ala carte or as packs or both.

 

[randMracer]

Nice stolen, ripped content from a competing developer, flaunting it around on here.
No wonder Studio 397 doesn't have to announce new content for rFactor 2, because it is littered with stolen content from other titles, I've even seen that car and some kunos tracks plastered all over their website, and they have done nothing to stop it from happening, it just shows they have nothing but pure disrespect for competing developers, like slightly mad studios, kunos and even Reiza.

good ridance to all
i'm done with this conversation

Good...thank you. It was getting ridiculous. This entire post has turned to
Is everybody drunk tonite or something? It amazes me how a simple post about a development roadmap can turn into such a pissing contest!

 

[Crash T Dummy]

So, we're finally coming across paid DLCs... What about those of us who bought the lifetime access to online license? Will this benefit us in any way?

You get a company that is prepared to spend time and money to develop a Sim, that you enjoy playing.

 

[MarcG]

Studio397 will be looking into ways for people to race against paid DLC even if they don't own it themself, whether this comes from the start or not remains to be seen though, it may come later.

 

[TzZyO]

I have nothing against paid DLC, after all, i buy it in the game for as long as it is interesting, however this point you touched the signing of lifetime access is something to think about, like many I also acquired a lifetime version. However it should not change anything because the signature was still present in the hands of ISI, as soon as Studio 397 took the development to itself it canceled this aspect, therefore I believe that we will not have any benefit on this subject

Neither have I. Actually, bought quite a lot of those DLC so far. It's just that I'm not entirely happy with my money being treated that way. If I paid it, I need to get at least something from this.

You get a company that is prepared to spend time and money to develop a Sim, that you enjoy playing.

And your point is? Let's start with that I wasn't asked if I actually want any other entity but ISI to continue working on the title. Except ISI handled this in a way you'd expect from those "one-time EA developers" on Steam: grab the cash, poke the code a little, grow bored of it, quit it. So much for "lifetime"...

I don't mind Studio 397 getting something in return for their work. In fact, I hope they'll come up with yet more content, payware or otherwise. But I still think ISI owes us one. If I knew they were going to ditch it like this, I wouldn't pay for that premium license. Simply because I don't think they deserve my support acting like that. I would have paid just for the sim itself though, since it is a great sim.
After all, you know what's taking others' money via the means of disinformation called...

 

[PaulH]

Like many others I too was not happy when they ditched the lifetime licence, but what studio 397 is doing for this Sim is excellent, DX11 is a game changer for me, rF2 is right up there now looks wise(tracks still need a bit of love).
So I think what I paid for the lifetime licence has more than been repaid with the updates & still more to come
Now the big question is "price" for this DLC, how do you price 1 car?
Expensive like iRacing?
Raceroom prices are ok..ish
Will be interesting to see how they price this new Mclaren

 

[leseb64]

in that case you should be right...
like all the other guys that mocked galileu (for example)... when he said what he said
and vr is another issue... there's no comparison

Troll of the year...

 

[osyres]

Neither have I. Actually, bought quite a lot of those DLC so far. It's just that I'm not entirely happy with my money being treated that way. If I paid it, I need to get at least something from this.


And your point is? Let's start with that I wasn't asked if I actually want any other entity but ISI to continue working on the title. Except ISI handled this in a way you'd expect from those "one-time EA developers" on Steam: grab the cash, poke the code a little, grow bored of it, quit it. So much for "lifetime"...

I don't mind Studio 397 getting something in return for their work. In fact, I hope they'll come up with yet more content, payware or otherwise. But I still think ISI owes us one. If I knew they were going to ditch it like this, I wouldn't pay for that premium license. Simply because I don't think they deserve my support acting like that. I would have paid just for the sim itself though, since it is a great sim.
After all, you know what's taking others' money via the means of disinformation called...

U paid life time to isi not to studio397. I would call it unlucky

 

[Steve Bird]

I've not got a problem with DLC as long as it's in line with AC kind of pricing.

 

[Marc Collins]

Does anyone know what were the changes in the Radical tyre physics?
Is there a changelog?

"You may have noticed some changes in the latest version of the Radical, and you will also see them in the upcoming McLaren."

I haven't read anything that specifies, but I hope it's not what is causing the grainy and rough FFB for so many people.

 

[Marc Collins]

hey i dont mean to put anyone down if they cant afford an upgrade or anything but when most people moan about something and hundreds of others dont then is it not possible its your own pc's configuration? it may not be but it usually is in my experience.

also my pc is now 3 years old, i saved and saved until i could buy the best pc i could at the time, ended up with a 4790k, 16gb ram and a gtx980 and ssd drive, if people can spend the money on all the sims going and other games then surely they can put a bit aside to upgrade their pc when its needed. even buying 2nd hand stuff can be huge upgrades to many.

@Rick Lopes whats sad about my post?, its the truth and factual, im deffo starting to think your just moaning for the sake of moaning, if your saying you bought a pc a year ago and it struggles then im sorry but your no good at setting up a pc or whatever games and programs you run, like i just said mines 3 years old and runs these games flawlessly with mostly max setting with 1080p and triples.

For the 50,000th time, why argue about specs and whose computer is better or who should upgrade? Whether you like it or not, @Rick Lopes is behaving properly in the forum by comparing rF2 and other sims on his own rig with the same expectations for each. The only people who should be responding are ones with similar 3-screen set-ups who CAN run rF2 and AC at similar frame rates with similar settings in 3-screen mode. Then we might conclude there is something wrong with his configuration. Sorry to butt in, but these ridiculous non-factual arguments get annoying quickly when you are a veteran of sim racing forums. Provide facts and examples if you want to prove that rF2 DX11 is well optimized.

 

[Marc Collins]

This is some great revisionist history right there. RF2 has ALWAYS been slammed for truly horrific performance. In fact the most common reason cited on this website, as to why people were excited for dx11, was the hope for better performance. Most of us assumed that prehistoric dx9 was causing problems. Sadly, it seems that dx11 implementation is far from ideal compared to something like iracing, which offered an instant FPS boost.

This is the point most relevant to me. rF2 has always been the worst performing--arguably because it was the richest sim with the oldest graphics engine. The common sense expectation was that if you fixed the supposed bottleneck of that old engine that we were all discussing ad nauseum for 5 years, you'd end up with the same great sim, but with better performance. Not quite there yet based on objective comparisons of rF2 DX9 and DX11 running on the same machine and rF2 DX11 compared to iRacing or AC or other comparable titles on the same machine.

I'm OK if S397 wants to advertise that rF2 is so amazing and advanced that it can't run at similar FPS to other titles. They can then try to defend that position as they like. Right now, we are 3 months past the date when we were told (at the time S397 took over) we would have a working DX11 version of the title. We still have no new UI and the content that has been released has had issues similar to what we experienced from ISI for the five years previously.

I would be a lot more excited about the new paid content announcements if the platform itself was finished and polished. It seems that other titles that had an acceptable platform before selling content did well (iRacing, AC), while those that did not have only become successful after fixing most of the basic problems (R3E). rF2 was already on life support at the time S397 took over last year, so I hope they have deep pockets.

 

[Will Mazeo]

I don't mind paying for good content but I afraid this is going to split the already small community. A lot of ppl don't like paying for stuff, even if it would be 1p.

How is this going to work exactly? Let's say I buy the 650S and there is a server running the 650S and another paid car. Will the I have to buy both cars to be able to enter the server or can I have both cars installed but only drive the one I bought?

They said in Discord they'll not split the userbase. So I guess in the worst scenario you'll need to own the car you wanna drive, not the whole pack

 

[David Turnbull]

For the 50,000th time, why argue about specs and whose computer is better or who should upgrade? Whether you like it or not, @Rick Lopes is behaving properly in the forum by comparing rF2 and other sims on his own rig with the same expectations for each. The only people who should be responding are ones with similar 3-screen set-ups who CAN run rF2 and AC at similar frame rates with similar settings in 3-screen mode. Then we might conclude there is something wrong with his configuration. Sorry to butt in, but these ridiculous non-factual arguments get annoying quickly when you are a veteran of sim racing forums. Provide facts and examples if you want to prove that rF2 DX11 is well optimized.

how can you have the same expectations for each when one (rf2) is still in beta dx11, if you think a beta should be compared to 2 games that one of was built on dx11 and the other has money to burn to get it updated quickly then theres something wrong and your not understanding what a beta is.

rick seems like any other troll/hater/game basher, nobody could say anything that would make him think hey it might be my system or maybe my graphics card is a bit on the underpowered side for triples with rf2 dx11, because it clearly is, he can run it all around medium and get decent framerates but he probably choses to go max settings all the time and then complain it doesnt work right with a 4 year old graphics card.