RaceRoom Update Deployed - VR Improvements, an IndyCar and Some Data Displays

[Paul Jeffrey]

Sector3 Studios have today released a new update to RaceRoom Racing Experience, adding significant VR improvements, a range of new data displays to some of the cars and many other fixes and improvements to the title.

The sizable new build update released today by Sector3 Studios adds quite a few interesting new features and fixes for RaceRoom Racing Experience, including the long awaited update to data displays on a selection of vehicles in game. Although not all cars have received this enhancement, Sector3 are looking to roll this out across a wider range of cars during future patches. Today we see new displays for the Bentley, FRR2, McLaren MP4 12 C, Tatuus F4, all the DTM cars and the TC1 specification World Touring Cars (with the exception of the Lada Granta).

Other highlights from today's release include a selection of fixes and improvements to the online experience found within RaceRoom, including a fix for the bug where player shadows for drivers who have left the server remain on track after they depart.

Furthermore Sector3 have released their second pass at Virtual Reality support, vastly improving the VR experience within RaceRoom Racing Experience resulting in considerable improvements to performance when running under VR and adding a number of improvements to the overall experience.

On the content front Sector3 have made available the IndyCar inspired Formula RaceRoom US to the in game store. The high performance, high downforce American open wheel machine will be available for 349 vRP and comes with 20 unique liveries. You can watch the release trailer below:

You can read the full update changelog below:

Game:

• Shared Memory: Added information on upcoming flag system, updated minor version number. Flag system is currently awaiting UI implementation and made unavailable to players.
• Shared Memory: Changed how tire wear is reported so it matches the tire wear text in data displays (1.0-0.0 range when tire wear was between 1.0-0.94).
• Added support for starting the game on any detected screen. The option resides in General Video Settings. Fullscreen changes are only applying after a game restart.
• Fixed an issue with updating a profile avatar with the game in fullscreen where the dialogue box would appear behind the game
• Added a possible fix for a rare case where only the car shadow of a car would be rendered after switching focus from car to car or from camera set to another
• Implemented Reputation System that will run and track player incidents. This is in alpha stage and we’re gathering data in the background. Nothing will be visible for players just yet.
• Fixed bug where opponents session data sometimes caused championship files to be broken due to conflicting ids.
• Fixed so the game doesn't crash when trying to load championships affected by the bug above.
• Fixed issue with game window using the wrong style when going from fullscreen to windowed in a resolution that's lower than the default resolution.
• Fixed a menu issue with percentage stepper buttons not being enabled when switching from minimum<->maximum allowed values.
• Broadcast : Fixed a case where camera selection requests were resulting in the game cycling through cameras instead.
• Added an upper deadzone setting for the throttle axis in advanced controller settings.
• Fixed an issue with DRS getting disabled before the race ends in timed based race sessions.
• Fixed an issue where the race was starting without the player if Race Monitor was clicked instead of “Drive” at race start.
• Fixed an issue where the DRS wing animation would remain deployed after the race.
• Fixed an issue where on certain tracks the result timing was showing A.I. cars doing an extra lap.
• Made lap times go invalid if player is speeding in the pitlane, so you can’t get fastest lap that way. New HUD overlay to signal it. (Stowe Long is a good example of where pitlane could be exploited to shortcut the first chicane)
• Fixed a crash that happened in Single Player championships if the player clicked the pit preset button and then the continue to next race button before game entered the pit preset menu.

Multiplayer:

• Fixed the issue where a player's contact shadow was being left on the track after disconnecting from the server.
• Fixed an issue where a time penalty for a non performed drivethrough had no effect on results.
• Various fixes to some inconsistencies that was occurring on certain IPv4 to IPv6 mappings.
• Fixed issue with MP results taking a long time to arrive when running a dedi locally where backend communication fails.
• Fixed issue with DRS animation not working in race sessions for opponent cars.
• Fixed so multiplayer replays are now marked as such in the Media Hub.

VR:

• Rendering through coupled draw calls to improve performance while also taking care of the issue reported that objects and cars would appear 2D from time to time.
• Multi-threaded some of the rendering to improve performance
• Added three bindable keys to modify the user’s headset translations multiplier, which alters in-game head movement and eye-to-eye distance. Default value is 0.9.
• Fixed an issue where the Startup Argument that was set for RaceRoom in the Steam client wasn’t being used when launching game from an external link. (ie a competition webpage)
• Shortened the distance at which lower poly car models are used.
• Temporarily disabled the rendering of particle clouds. They’re bugged at the moment in VR.

Sounds, Cameras, Physics & AI:

• Fixed a bug where H-pattern gearbox cars would receive delays for both up and downshifts.
• Fixed TV cameras at the bridge and gantry areas for Nordschleife Tourist layout
• Cars no longer hover a few cm above the track
• Formula RaceRoom 2 and Formula RaceRoom US have a special pitting system allowing them to perform fast pitstops
• Reduced bigly the probability of stress induced mistakes by AI’s
• Fixed an issue where AI’s were accumulating stress by being followed by an opponent in the pitlane.
• AI’s now ignore cars in the pitlane entrance lane if they’re not on it themselves.
• Improved AI navigation in the pitlane.
• Fixed an issue where AI would never start a qualifying lap around Nordschleife 24H when fuel multipliers were enabled.
• Fixed so only damaged AI or AI’s on their inlap will use the Nordschleife VLN / 24H pitlane entrance by the start/finish straight
• Fixed an issue where an AI going back to garage during a practice or qualifying session would never go out on track again
• Fixed AI using up their P2P in the beginning of a race without saving them
• Many more AI code tweaks to improve awareness
• Formula Raceroom 3 : Improved the blending of the sound samples
• Turbo cars : unloaded turbo pressure increased to deliver a better boost from a standing start.
  
• Laguna Seca : Tweaks to AI lines
• Mid Ohio GP and Chicane : Tweaks to AI lines
• Moscow : added TV camera sets
• Suzuka GP : Tweaks to AI lines

Art:

• Bentley Continental GT3 : added data display
• DTM cars : added data display
• Formula RaceRoom 2 : added data display
• McLaren MP4 12 C : added data display
• Tatuus F4 : added data display
• WTCC TC1 cars : added data display (except Lada Granta)
• Hockenheim : Smoothed out bumps
• Laguna Seca : Smoothed out bumps, audience update, updates and tweaks
• Lausitzring : Smoothed out bumps, audience update, fix to vegetation
• Monza : Smoothed out bumps, updated the track to match 2016 season
• Norisring : Smoothed out bumps
• Nuerburgring : Smoothed out bumps
• Sachsenring : Smoothed out bumps
• Sonoma : Smoothed out bumps
• Zandvoort : Smoothed out bumps

Portal & Backend:

• Made optimizations to code handling content in portal.
• Implemented individual car packs system which includes all liveries of a car. Livery packs will roll in very soon.
• Changed so the livery clusters show how many liveries there are in total and how many you own in parenthesis.
• Added so the essential packs that are purchased show date of purchase when hovering over them.
• Added so we show prices in real currency based on player currency preference.
• Changed so cars in which there are still liveries to purchase, the car does not appear as fully owned in store.

Additionally the new update has added several pieces of locked content to the game due for release at a later date. The new build now includes the McLaren 650s GT3, BMW M6 and Swedish race tracks Anderstorp, Karlskoga and Mantorp Park. As is usually the case this content will be locked away from players whilst final testing and improvements are made prior to a release over the next few weeks.

If you are interested in the future development plans for RaceRoom Racing Experience you might want to check out our recent article found HERE and also take a look at a recent interview we held with Sector3 Studios CEO Chris Speed HERE. Just in case you have been living under a rock in recent weeks you might want to take a look at an interview regarding the upcoming GTR3 title we held back in January, detailing some interesting insights into the future development of this new racing game HERE.

RaceRoom Racing Experience is a free to play racing simulation for Windows PC by Sector3 Studios. Additional content can be purchased from the in game RaceRoom store.

Here at RaceDepartment we do club racing. We do club racing very well indeed. If you feel the need for an online fix then please head over to our RaceRoom Racing Experience League and Club Racing forum to have a look what we have on offer and sign up for an event - all skills and experiences welcomed.

If you don't want to get involved in the racing action then head on over to the RaceRoom Racing Experience sub forum to catch up with all the latest news and discussions regarding the game, download a mod or two or just simply hang out with like minded individuals. All here at RaceDepartment.com!

Have you tried the new patch yet? What do you think of the game so far? Looking forward to the new content? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[UMC 22]

A per car setting would be nice, or just moving the gear type selection from controls to vehicle options, like the auto clutch. Half the time I don't know which gear type I should be using anyway...

 

[tlsmikey]

Anyone else in VR having trouble using the menus in online competitions? Seems like the pointer doesn't line up with where the game thinks it really is.

 

[rkives]

Love the new VR and the Indycar! Is there something I am missing regarding "auto clutch" I have it "off" and the Indycar seems to ignore this setting. A match transmission to specific controller option would be a welcomed update.

 

[J-F Chardon]

"auto clutch" I have it "off" and the Indycar seems to ignore this setting.

Correct. Recently we made it impossible to disable automatic clutching for sequential gearboxes.

 

[ionONE1]

Is it normal that the driver/wheel animation only covers 90° max each side (just got my VR) ?

 

[Christian Moreau]

Is it normal that the driver/wheel animation only covers 90° max each side (just got my VR) ?

Yes, only select vehicles are using the updated driver model that allows for more than 90 degrees of rotation. All the open wheelers support the new driver model while most of the GTs do not, bar the Bentley which is the most recent.

 

[MarcG]

Fully agree. For touring cars the AI is brilliant and i can't imagine it much better. But with Formula cars, it doesn't work. Just like in real life you couldn't drive F1 or Indycars with the same style you are used to in GT3 or SuperV8. I guess the problem is the game just uses one style of AI.
They should code two sets of AI, using the current one for touring cars, and coding a more cautious, contact avoiding AI for open wheelers

I agree they need to do something for different types of Racing, that's been an issue in other games (RF2 included) for a long time now but no Dev has really taken it by the scruff of the neck and done anything.

Unfortunately the main issue with R3Es AI is its restrictiveness, aside from changing Skill Level/Adaptive we have absolutely no other control on how they race against us, I have "wished" in their forum for more features in this area as I feel for a better offline experience this is very much needed.

 

[azkaratevil]

Correct. Recently we made it impossible to disable automatic clutching for sequential gearboxes.

You should make another difficulty called "Free" or something similar where the game allows you to switch on/off TC,ABS, H-shifter, Auto-Clutch, brake assist, to set the car as you want and let the "Get Real" set the cars as they are in reality

 

[jkoppenhaver]

I can't get my new Oculus Rift to work. Can't center the image and while I can load menus OK, when I get into the actual race or practice, I get a double image. I have to close one eye to be able to see the track, etc. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? Also, it sets the video resolution to 1220/960. Won't allow me to change it. I would really appreciate some help. Assetto Corsa and pCars work great with the Rift.

 

[Marc Collins]

I would really like to try out R3E now that it has had so many updates. I have always appreciated that it has the best track artistry of any of the GMotor-based sims. Two quick questions, though, that are peculiar to this title for me:

1) How do you switch between sequential and H-pattern shifting. I have both defined in the controller settings, but it seems to only allow H-pattern. Can't find where the option or setting is to select which one you want, which hopefully is car-specific.

2) I am getting brake pedal rumble on my Fanatec pedals. No other sim gives this, nor do I see where to turn it off. It's a silly affectation that I would just like to get rid of.

Otherwise the FFB seems reasonable, though I am not sure if I have it set optimally. Advice for a Fanatec CSW v1.0 welcome. Sounds are great. Graphics are great. Just the controller-related issues...

Thanks in advance for any help.

Are these fixed yet? I really want to buy a bunch of content and enjoy the amazing tracks in this sim, but just can't with these two major annoyances.

 

[UMC 22]

@Marc Collins

1) Go to Control Settings => Advanced Settings. Right at the top you will see the option, H Pattern Shift on/off. You can set manual/automatic clutch in Vehicle Settings.

2) I'm afraid I can't help you there as I only have modded G27 pedals. I don't see any options for pedal feedback anywhere in R3E. Can't it be disabled in the pedal's own settings somewhere?

 

[Brandon Wright]

2) Can't it be disabled in the pedal's own settings somewhere?

Not that I'm aware of, not many options in the pedal profiler.

 

[Marc Collins]

@Marc Collins

1) Go to Control Settings => Advanced Settings. Right at the top you will see the option, H Pattern Shift on/off. You can set manual/automatic clutch in Vehicle Settings.

2) I'm afraid I can't help you there as I only have modded G27 pedals. I don't see any options for pedal feedback anywhere in R3E. Can't it be disabled in the pedal's own settings somewhere?

Thanks, Ross. The issue is to have it assigned to the vehicle, like most other sims have it. Not that you have to go into general Advanced Settings that apply universally every time you switch to a vehicle with a different shifter type.

And again, for the pedals, we need a setting specific for this sim, not one that affects every piece of software on the computer.

 

[Brandon Wright]

Thanks, Ross. The issue is to have it assigned to the vehicle, like most other sims have it. Not that you have to go into general Advanced Settings that apply universally every time you switch to a vehicle with a different shifter type.

I have different controller profiles, one for paddle, one for sequential, one for h-gate, and I just choose which one I want to use before I get in the car. Takes like five seconds.

 

[Marc Collins]

I have different controller profiles, one for paddle, one for sequential, one for h-gate, and I just choose which one I want to use before I get in the car. Takes like five seconds.

Yep, I used to do that ten years ago with the original rFactor. We've moved past that time wasting. If R3E was the only decent sim available, I would obviously accept the tedium. Don't have to now with so many choices. No others require this silly manual back and forth assignment.

And it's not the 15 seconds or so, it's the annoyance when you forget to do it because R3E is the only sim that makes you do this step. Then it is a much longer waste of time and aggravation to back out and re-do.

It's my peeve. I realize most others won't care that much. If they did, the programming would have already been completed to fix it.

 

[Brandon Wright]

Yep, I used to do that ten years ago with the original rFactor. We've moved past that time wasting. If R3E was the only decent sim available, I would obviously accept the tedium. Don't have to now with so many choices. No others require this silly manual back and forth assignment.

And it's not the 15 seconds or so, it's the annoyance when you forget to do it because R3E is the only sim that makes you do this step. Then it is a much longer waste of time and aggravation.

It's my peeve. I realize most others won't care that much. If they did, the programming would have already been completed to fix it.

What you're really saying is we've moved into a time where players are unwilling to spend a few seconds to change a setting. It's five seconds, hardly a waste of time if it fixes the issue. And you can change it from the pause menu so if you forget it only takes five seconds to fix. So, a solution is there and readily available if you're willing to exert a very tiny amount of effort. Sure, it would be better if it handled it automatically but it is what it is and not something to be bothered about IMO.

 

[UMC 22]

I have to agree with Brandon. To miss out on a sim like R3E because of such a minor "issue" is a little sad, to be honest. But I would also agree that people in general are getting lazier and simply want everything done for them. That's not a personal dig at you, it's just the way society is these days. To each their own, so enjoy your other sims.

 

[natedogg1867]

1) How do you switch between sequential and H-pattern shifting. I have both defined in the controller settings, but it seems to only allow H-pattern. Can't find where the option or setting is to select which one you want, which hopefully is car-specific.

Doesnt really need to be fixed from a functionality perspective. You just go into the menu and change the setting when you want to H-shift.

From a usability perspective, it could be made more apparent than hiding this setting 3 menus deep. (Options>Controller settings>Advanced settings)

2) I am getting brake pedal rumble on my Fanatec pedals. No other sim gives this, nor do I see where to turn it off. It's a silly affectation that I would just like to get rid of.

Go to:
C:\Users\"yourname"\Documents\My Games\SimBin\RaceRoom Racing Experience\UserData\ControlSet

set all values:

FFB pedal throttle vibe zero magnitude="0.00" // Throttle pedal vibration at 0rpm (reference point)
FFB pedal throttle vibe slope="0.00"
FFB pedal throttle slip vibe="0.00" // Throttle pedal vibration on tire slip
FFB pedal brake slip vibe="0.00" // Brake pedal vibration on front tire slip
FFB pedal brake vibe slope="0.00" // Slope for brake pedal vibration based on speed and braking %

From here. Numerous people have reported this works and is satisfactory.

So, the option does exist, you just need to make some .ini tweaks. Yay isi-engine games

 

[Marc Collins]

Doesnt really need to be fixed from a functionality perspective. You just go into the menu and change the setting when you want to H-shift.

From a usability perspective, it could be made more apparent than hiding this setting 3 menus deep. (Options>Controller settings>Advanced settings)



Go to:
C:\Users\"yourname"\Documents\My Games\SimBin\RaceRoom Racing Experience\UserData\ControlSet

set all values:

FFB pedal throttle vibe zero magnitude="0.00" // Throttle pedal vibration at 0rpm (reference point)
FFB pedal throttle vibe slope="0.00"
FFB pedal throttle slip vibe="0.00" // Throttle pedal vibration on tire slip
FFB pedal brake slip vibe="0.00" // Brake pedal vibration on front tire slip
FFB pedal brake vibe slope="0.00" // Slope for brake pedal vibration based on speed and braking %

From here. Numerous people have reported this works and is satisfactory.

So, the option does exist, you just need to make some .ini tweaks. Yay isi-engine games

Thanks for the helpful suggestion re: the brake vibration. Mine is already set to those same settings

Nothing to do with throttle. However, you would think those brake settings would eliminate it, but they don't on mine. I am am very familiar with ISI .ini files for 10 years. My first thought was to go in there and poke around.

Is there any trick to making sure your own custom controller profile is selected? Do you have to manually load it every time you play (unlike all the other ISI-based titles)? Maybe mine is not loaded or loading?

 

[Marc Collins]

OK, I went back and reloaded my profile; checked every mapping twice; confirmed those values were still zeroed-out in the .ini file and Yah!!! I have banished the brake pedal vibe. No idea why it didn't work previously when I tried multiple times over a year and a half. Perseverance.

OK, now, could someone point me to the wheel-specific optimal FFB settings? Way too much clipping with what I have now, but way too many settings to spend a week testing every combination. I am looking for the most realistic/raw settings possible with no aids, non-linearity, etc. If I can get those set, I might just be ready to buy-in to a large swath of content! I have a Fanatec CSW, though I presume there are suggested settings for all reasonably popular wheels.

Thank to those trying to help me despite my reluctance. It's just a limited amount of time to spend on sims. I can afford the $ to buy, but I cannot afford the hours to fiddle when I already have invested fiddling time and attention into too many other sims. But I love the Sector 3 track artistry and am curious about all the other rave reviews of the recent improvement in AI and finally getting flag rules and other essentials. Better late than never!