F1 2017 More F1 2017 Research and Development System Info Revealed

Paul Jeffrey · Aug 9, 2017

Codemasters have released a little more information with regards to the completely overhauled Research and Development system in F1 2017.

Building on from the previous R&D elements of Formula One 2016, the new title promises to contain yet more expansions to the development and testing elements of the career portion of the title. With new track tests to undertake, and a massively expanded list of parts, developments and impacts on your car performance, F1 2017 looks set to take the off track element of Grand Prix racing to a completely new level with the new title.

To help understand exactly what has gone into the new career mode, Codemasters released a short interview with F1 2017 Games Designer, Steven Embling:

How long have you worked at Codemasters, and how did you get into the gaming industry?

I’ve been at Codemasters for a little over 5 years now. I had a background in competitive gaming, where I competed in racing games in various tournaments. I have been fortunate enough to win some fantastic prizes along the way, and for a while even had a fully professional salaried position for a Championship Gaming Series team back in the 2007/8 period. I also studied a Master’s degree in Computer Games Design at Staffordshire University so joining a racing studio in a design role seemed like the obvious destination. There were some short term temporary positions between university and entering my current role, including a short stint in our very own QA department.

As an Experienced Games Designer on F1 2017, what elements of the game are you responsible for?

As with all the F1 titles my role is roughly 50% vehicle handling and 50% game design. A primary focus for me this year is the massive expansion to the R&D system. I feel like this feature is almost tailor-made for my specific skill-set as it involves lots of car handling work to ensure the performance traits give the intended effect as the cars upgrade, but also plenty of balancing considerations including all the factors that translate to player progression rates.

So, tell us more about R&D. It was a big part of F1 2016, so what’s changing?

It’s a huge expansion on what we did for 2016 in pretty much every way. The first consideration was “how do we increase the lifespan of the feature but maintain the player’s interest and interaction?” Crucially, the key is LOTS more upgrades (approximately four times the amount of 2016), a non-linear progression structure, which encourages players to think carefully about their short and long term goals, and much more detailed information about your own team’s performance status and how that relates to the rest of the field.

And what will this mean for the player?

There’ll be a massive wow factor when the player is introduced to the R&D tree for the first time. They’ll also notice there are four distinct departments: Powertrain, Chassis, Aerodynamics and Durability – each with their own sets of upgrades. Depending on the team, the priority is likely to be different, but for those who don’t want to think about it too much there is a ‘recommend upgrade’ button to get a suggestion based on the team’s existing attributes.

There is an interesting strategic element also, as many of these departments have competencies that can be enhanced through use of the same pool of currency (Resource Points). A player can chose to enhance the Efficiency of a department’s facilities and all future upgrades from that department will cost less Resource Points to develop. Players can also choose to improve the Quality Control to lower the chance of upgrade failures, which when these occur would cost the player more Resource Points and time as the upgrade needs sending back for some final tweaks before it can be fitted to the car. The trade off being that upgrading these department competencies will set the team up well going forward, but may lose some ground in the development race during that season.

And finally, what are you most excited for the community to see in F1 2017?

Due to the scale of the new R&D system I’m very much looking forward to hearing people’s reactions, not just straight off, but when players are several seasons into their careers as well. I also think the classic content provides some additional variety, which is always exciting. We have some truly amazing and heavily requested cars in our line up!

Just in case you missed it earlier, check out the F1 2017 Career Trailer article and video HERE.

Missed the earlier gameplay trailers? Check them out below:

Because everyone loves a good trailer, right?

Oh and just in case you missed it, here are all the cars coming to the game as part of the 'Classic Content' in F1 2017:

1988 McLaren MP4/4
1991 McLaren MP4/6
1992 Williams FW14B
1995 Ferrari 412 T2
1996 Williams FW18
1998 McLaren MP4-13
2002 Ferrari F2002
2004 Ferrari F2004
2006 Renault R26
2007 Ferrari F2007
2008 McLaren MP4-23
2010 Red Bull Racing RB6

Formula One 2017 will be released for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on August 25th.

The Formula One 2017 sub forum here at RaceDepartment is the place to be for all the latest news and discussions regarding the latest of the Formula One franchise of officially licenced games. Check in to keep track of the news and join in the discussion, and be sure to check out our racing club once the game releases to the public later this year!

Do you like the sound of the new career R&D features coming to F1 2017? How do you rate the mix of career features and track gameplay in the F1 series of games? Do you like the cut scenes and various tasks needing to be undertaken? Let us know in the comments section below!

Jayblue · Aug 9, 2017

The new R&D section looks great and for players who enjoy the career mode should be a huge bonus. However with two weeks or so to go now until the game launches I would like to get a picture of how the game actually plays. After all they can make the off track portion of the game brilliant but if the on track experience is lacking then ultimately it counts for little.

Coffer · Aug 10, 2017

Jamie Blewitt said:
The new R&D section looks great and for players who enjoy the career mode should be a huge bonus. However with two weeks or so to go now until the game launches I would like to get a picture of how the game actually plays. After all they can make the off track portion of the game brilliant but if the on track experience is lacking then ultimately it counts for little.

Check Aarava's channel. He's just posted a 25-minute highlight video from a 50% race done by David Greco on Ultimate (110%, ie the maximum) at Suzuka.

It's pretty okay, but it doesn't look very different from 2016. What I've noticed so far is that the collisions are way better (with it being much easier to bang wheels with the AI), but the AI itself is almost no different from before, being much too eager and attacking in absolutely every corner where they have the chance to do so (they never back out of making moves into 130R if they get even a tiny portion of their nose in). Looking at some of the AI's lines and behavioral choices, it unfortunately looks like it may have partially received the 2014 treatment, as it has an extremely hard time overtaking and is more of a moving obstacle (as opposed to a real opponent) than it was in 2016.

Judging from Greco's driving, I'd also wager the AI is still a touch too slow like it was in 2016, as he's pretty cautious and slow and does not really push the boundaries of the car (rather surprising for a known alien).

Comparing it to a stream done by SimRacingPaddock on Project Cars 2, it definitely looks like F1 2017 has much fewer outright bugs and problems with the physics as of right now, which is a good sign.

Jamie Blewitt said:
ultimately it counts for little

I reckon it means a lot actually, as the biggest problem with actual simracing titles right now is the fact that they have no experience to speak of besides the actual on-track one. Getting this right is very important for the longevity of the game.

Jayblue · Aug 10, 2017

Thanks for posting up the video link, the gameplay looks solid and it's nice to see that while the car has much more grip than last year it will still slide around a little.

Coffer · Aug 10, 2017

Jamie Blewitt said:
Thanks for posting up the video link, the gameplay looks solid and it's nice to see that while the car has much more grip than last year it will still slide around a little.

Yeah, it looks promising. I really don't like the idea of the 2017 cars as the lack of grip, particularly in slow corners, was a big reason why I liked the 2016 game's feel way more than that of any pure sim out there, but it looks like the 2017 game doesn't go overkill like AMS does (with its Formula Ultimate cars) and still allows for some nice slides. Seeing Greco do some small ones every now and then was enough to convince me to preorder. It looks like they got around the fact that they're not simulating the MGU-K&H effects like the SF15-T does in AC pretty nicely through the handling model, which is good to see.

Ricardo Rey · Aug 10, 2017

I've never tried the series except 2010 on PS3. This makes me want to give it a try on my PC.

Boby Kim · Aug 11, 2017

I wonder, with the poor physics engine CM is using, how all these R&D features will translate into car behaviour...the vast majority play with joypad.

Rob · Aug 11, 2017

I'm not a career guy (because they force you to run realistic instead of equal, which does little for league practice), but this is good stuff. And a great interview. Whatever the shortcomings, the Codies have created a level of realism that is unmatched (visual wise, and effect wise) and unrivaled in the gaming world. I realize they only have one series in their crosshairs (and their wallet) but they really have nailed everything they tackle. Sure, I could whine about the lack of wheel controls, but that's very explainable, since Microsoft limits your options on the console. And, sadly, this is a game that considers both, which waters down the PC version, on the one hand, but, on the other, produces a game that could eventually unite the two.

Boby Kim said:
I wonder, with the poor physics engine CM is using, how all these R&D features will translate into car behaviour...the vast majority play with joypad.

Give it a chance. While I agree with you (and your implied point that console players necessary cause a dumbing down of gameplay physics), things are changing. SMS did this (@Ian Bell...you will forever get the "revolutionary" award on the console) and others are taking note. In fact, the Codies have already united the two (PC/Console) with DiRT Rally (whatever you think of DiRT4). So, it stands to reason that they can do it with F1. While I can confirm they have not quite yet gotten there, I also can confirm that if you like DiRT Rally, you are going to love F1 2017.

If pCARS2 is as promised, you will have three games (DiRT Rally, F1 2017 and pCARS2) that are virtually indistinguishable from console to PC (other than the extras, which most would agree, are extras).