rF2: Sebring 'Talk n Drive' + Developer Interview

[Paul Jeffrey]

Check out our latest 'Talk 'n' Drive' video of the new rFactor 2 laserscanned Sebring, and developer interview with Marcel Offermans…

The release of Sebring as a new official DLC for rFactor 2 has got plenty of gamers excited in the sim racing world, with the track representing a very first laserscanned location for rFactor 2 and a significant step up in quality over previous content releases for the simulation.

With the circuit having now been in the public domain for a few days, we thought it a good time to have a go ourselves, share our experiences and have a chat with one of the men behind the magic, Studio 397's very own, Marcel Offermans…


RD: Congratulations on the release of Sebring! What does it mean to you and the team bringing the first laserscanned circuit to the sim?

MO: Thank you very much. This release obviously means a lot for us for a couple of reasons. First of all, because we wanted to bring popular and iconic tracks to rFactor 2. Secondly, because we knew we wanted to step up to bring a highly accurately built track based on a very precise laser scan. The unique challenge we had was how to combine that with the dynamics of our realroad system. We ended up building a very detailed road mesh that is used both for all physics calculations and for the visualisation: What you see is what you get!

RD: Does the Sebring release mark the first of more laserscanned content coming to the sim in future?

MO: Certainly! We have already licensed the next track, and this upcoming week we will start production. We're going to keep the name a secret for now, but it's safe to say we will be building more tracks of this quality.

RD: On to the track itself, what decision making process did you go through when choosing Sebring as a circuit to bring to rF2?

MO: There were many different factors that led us to choose Sebring as the first track.
We were looking for an iconic track, and obviously one that suited the cars we were developing. Another factor was the licensing discussions, and it turned out that Sebring was a great partner to work with, which helped us a lot, allowing us track time a few weeks before the 2018 12 hour event. Finally, we were looking for a track that would really showcase the details that a laser scan bring, and there is probably no better place than Sebring to do that, with all its cracks and bumps.

RD: Some people have questioned the price of this DLC, stating it is perhaps a touch high compared to some other simulations. What do you have to say in response to those comments?

MO: We set out and succeeded in creating a track that is of the highest standard, matching or beating tracks in the other simulations out there in terms of detail both on and around the track. We priced the track to match that quality and ended up being neither the cheapest nor the most expensive. Obviously everybody is entitled to their own opinion. We listen to those opinions and respect them and I'm not going to argue with people about that. I sometimes do wonder how people manage to spend thousands of euros on their rigs and computer hardware and expect the software to be so much cheaper.

RD: New GT cars, new tyre model improvements, Sebring, LMP2, LMP3, VR improvements, performance improvements… the list of upgrades to rF2 have been significant of late. Can you share some ideas of what is next in line for rF2, short and longer term?

MO: We are obviously still working hard on bringing our new UI and competition system, and those are two items that are really at the top of our list right now. Obviously the team will also keep bringing improvements wherever we can, both in terms of physics and graphics. Our car team is working on several new and free McLaren cars that will be used for the McLaren Shadow Project competition, as well as a couple of cars that will be part of our next pack. Our track team as I said is just starting on a new track, and we are in the final phases of production and testing for both Botniaring and Zandvoort. The latter will include no less than five layouts. Both will be free.

RD: S397 are heading for your 2nd year anniversary since taking over rF2, are you where you expected to be in the development cycle, and what would you say has been the biggest challenge encountered so far?

MO: Our second anniversary is coming up indeed at the SimRacing Expo in September. In terms of the development cycle I think we've addressed some of the core issues we saw. We have a much nicer and faster, DX11 based graphics engine with VR support. Big licenses for cars, such as being the first to have the BMW M8 GTE, and tracks, providing what we believe to be the best laserscanned version of Sebring in any sim, as well as a host of free content is pretty much on track and we're still ramping up there. Where we are a bit behind on our schedule is on the new UI and competition infrastructure. We're building on a lot of existing components, but still it is a lot of work and we probably underestimated that a bit. Our biggest challenge definitely has been to balance all the amazing opportunities we've had in the past two years!

rFactor 2 is available exclusively for PC from Steam now.

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...

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Enjoying Sebring? Happy with the progress of rF2 so far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!​

 

[Boby Kim]

@John-Eric Saxén, thanks for the headsup. I will continue to troll, just because you ask it so nice.
The whole DX11 thing was and is still a waste of time and energy. Better have high res textures in DX9 than low res textures in DX11.
The early GTR3 pack felt very floaty, like R3E cars. So i was not happy at all with S397 at that point. They updated the tires and the FFB, released a very good endurance pack plus Sebring. And that are the first DLC's im enjoying since S397 start working on rF2. I hope they continue releasing circuits as im absolutely done with the rF1 mods
Hopefully you are happy now and if not, please put me in your ignore list. Cheers

 

[Deleted member 99238]

RF2 is still very far from the implementation of the change of day and night, the weather, the interface implemented in PC2. What ACC, GTR3 are you talking about?

 

[Case_]

Big expectations are the main source of our big disappointments. For next time I suggest 0 expectations.

Easier said than done, though. I had no real expectations for the track at first, I have my fair share of issues with rF2 (I've said many times it is the sim giving me most grief and it's true), so I don't tend to get too excited for anything related to it (well, I'd like to think I generally don't get too excited about announced stuff, but that's certainly debatable). But you can only read so many "wow, by far the best track in simracing, it's just incredible!" comments and see only so many videos praising it before it affects you. Or I should say me, rather, because obviously anyone can come and point out that it doesn't affect *him*, and I won't be able to argue that.

Regarding the price.. Why is it, that nobody that is complaining over the price (or is skeptical), puts on the suitable number? What would be acceptable price? I mean.. Imola, Hockenheim and Adelaide DLCs for Automobilista cost €6 each. Why is €9 such a problem? Would it be less of a problem, if the price would be €6?

Honestly, I can't really answer that. I guess I have some sort of vague limit of what I am willing to spare for a track or car in a sim on a general basis, due to my limited budget, and it gets harder and harder for me to justify the expense the higher the price is, even if it is technically a few euro (though if you think about it in percents, going from 6€ to 9€ is not insignificant, it's just that the absolute value is relatively low still). It's also a question of a perceived "bang for your buck" ratio, which is of course entirely subjective as well. But mostly, it's that limit of what I find acceptable to spare on top of the sim's value in my day to day spending that defines this - this is the reason I don't do iRacing much, even though I'd like to, because it is simply way too expensive for me (and when I mention that it's not OK for me to spend 15-18 bucks on a track or car, I generally get told that it's a good thing, because it keeps people like me off the service, or that it's incredibly cheap compared to real racing, which I think is as irrelevant as you can get). I also didn't get the Formule E car or track for this very reason - I simply couldn't justify the cost for what you get, even if it still technically is "pennies" (well, at least for most). And that's also the reason you will find me on both sides of the fence at times - sometimes defending a price someone considers too high (for example when it comes to the price of the premium membership here at RD), and sometimes criticizing the prices for being a bit too high, like in this case. And to answer your question - yes, if the track was 6 euro, I would've probably bought it the moment it came out. I know it's "just" 3 euro difference, but...somehow it is also all the difference in the world. Funny how that works (seriously, it is kinda funny - or sad, depending how you look at it).

Note, though, that I certainly didn't say it is "such a problem". It's not, as evidenced by the fact that I still bought the track. I kinda regret I did, sure, for various reasons, but I did buy it. I just said I feel it's still on the pricier side of things, as I simply can get more bang for my buck elsewhere. I absolutely get many reasons why the track might be more expensive than what some other sims offer, but that doesn't change the simple fact it is simply more expensive.

And, to be fair, like others in this thread, I wasn't all that happy about that "you spend thousands of euros on hardware and then cry about spending a few euros on a track" comment (paraphrasing here). I think it's a bit unfortunate for a developer to say this to his customers. It comes off a bit elitist or even condescending. Yes, some people spend a lot of money on their rigs. And some don't, and likely not because they wouldn't want to. It's frustrating enough to be forced (not a great word, but can't think of a better one) to make do with modest equipment side by side with people who literally do spend thousands of euros on theirs and it's not a big deal for them at all, the last thing I need is the developer "mocking" me for thinking the cost of the track in question might be on the high side. Now I do understand the sentiment, I understand what he's trying to say, but the fact that it's a bit unfair/unfortunate to say this to us and a bit of a strawman argument still stands. You're basically saying you think your customers are rich enough to the point where they shouldn't even be bothered by any smaller expenses. I wish that was the case. And since we're talking about a product that should be very much interested in growing its customer base as much as possible, instead of limiting it...well, like I said, a bit unfortunate IMO.

(Apologies for the novel, but that's just how I am when I try to describe something fairly complex... )

 

[gianlucaP]

NVMe provides more throughput, it does nothing to improve loading times, not even for Windows. Installing on SSD doesn't really have much impact on rF2 loading times from my experience. If you achieve 1:35 on Sebring, I guess you didn't add any AI cars. The 8 CPU cores is probably what helps you most.

I took those times in practice mode with 12 cars if I remember well.
The SSD doesn't make things super fast, but in my case is definitely faster than two mechanical hard drives configured in Stripe (raid 0 speed).

 

[Dirk Steffen]

It is truly depressing to see what a bunch of sour, negative persons are consistently highjacking every single thread were a possibility of badmouthing the fact that a product or service …

(that needs extensive equipment, skills, studying, professional production work and often enough licensing agreements with running costs of business as paying labour, workspace rent, energy, depreciation of gear, travel expenses, … the list goes on and on)

… does not only cost money to be offered to customers but also that involved people who are willing to take the risk to run a business in a very, very competitive environment out of a passion with NON GUARANTIED financial gain or even job security are putting up with this tainted part of a community who I knew were passionate and enthusiastic lovers of RACING.

It makes me feel nauseous to stumble through such threads and I feel truly sorry for the people who actually have gotten their arse away from the internet, have taken a risk and HAVE DELIVERED. This is sickening.

You know what just because of the truly despicable attitude of some of the bitter, non-doers around, I headed over to the Steam shop website and purchased the track for the absolutely LAUGHABLE amount of ~10 EUR as it costs in my part of the world. I won't be having a chance to run it any time soon as I am busy with work, the little sim racing I can still do and HAVING TO TYPE THIS freaking post but it makes me feel good to have supported with a tiny little effort a team of DO-ERS and MAKERS and RACING FANS.

Get your arse off the keyboard and do do something good today, help an elderly lady over the street, ride your bike to work once a week, say your loved once how much they mean to you, write something nice to someone on the internet because it makes them feel better.

#hadToGetThatBitOffMyChestThere

 

[Gasper Zupan]

@Martin Fiala I did not want to drag you alone into the "price thing". I am sorry if it came out as that's what was my intention. I was just thinking out loud and asking myself a question.. why €3 makes such a difference for one to buy or not to buy this nicely done track?
I can easily believe that software devs find it hard to imagine how it's not a problem for someone to pay (hypothetically speaking) €200 for used G27 and on the other hand not willing to pay €9 for high standard track. But that someone would then buy this same track for €6 or at -30% on sale. It just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Ami_M3]

I think you are being unnecessarily confrontational. Frankly 99% of the response for this track has been positive and I haven't seen much trolling. Heck someone like @Boby Kim who used to only post troll comments on rF2 section now says this track is awesome. If the 1% think it's too expensive, let them think so. IMO as long as the quality matches with the price, as it does with Sebring, there's no reason to complain. But there will never be 100% positive feedback no matter what the price.

I don't know where the 99% number came from, but yes, the response has been positive among those that actually purchased the track. Of those that purchased the track, most say it's worth every penny. Yet, there are people however, (and I'd say more than 1%, but who knows, I may be wrong about the actual number) that didn't buy Sebring and complain the track is not worth it. Fine, vote with your wallet, don't buy and move on.

Now, when I talk about trolls, I'm not talking about this thread in particular obviously. Read some other threads, and you'll see some people bashing rF2 while pumping other sim(s) on regular basis. It's a little tiring.

If you think I'm being confrontational towards those trolls, then I'm guilty as charged. I wish they moved on and let rF2 fans enjoy it. Try to post something derogatory on AC forum about Kunos/AC/ACC and see how far that will take you. Yet it's ok to do it here, on rF2 section

 

[Jason Mullin]

Easier said than done, though. I had no real expectations for the track at first, I have my fair share of issues with rF2 (I've said many times it is the sim giving me most grief and it's true), so I don't tend to get too excited for anything related to it (well, I'd like to think I generally don't get too excited about announced stuff, but that's certainly debatable). But you can only read so many "wow, by far the best track in simracing, it's just incredible!" comments and see only so many videos praising it before it affects you. Or I should say me, rather, because obviously anyone can come and point out that it doesn't affect *him*, and I won't be able to argue that.



Honestly, I can't really answer that. I guess I have some sort of vague limit of what I am willing to spare for a track or car in a sim on a general basis, due to my limited budget, and it gets harder and harder for me to justify the expense the higher the price is, even if it is technically a few euro (though if you think about it in percents, going from 6€ to 9€ is not insignificant, it's just that the absolute value is relatively low still). It's also a question of a perceived "bang for your buck" ratio, which is of course entirely subjective as well. But mostly, it's that limit of what I find acceptable to spare on top of the sim's value in my day to day spending that defines this - this is the reason I don't do iRacing much, even though I'd like to, because it is simply way too expensive for me (and when I mention that it's not OK for me to spend 15-18 bucks on a track or car, I generally get told that it's a good thing, because it keeps people like me off the service, or that it's incredibly cheap compared to real racing, which I think is as irrelevant as you can get). I also didn't get the Formule E car or track for this very reason - I simply couldn't justify the cost for what you get, even if it still technically is "pennies" (well, at least for most). And that's also the reason you will find me on both sides of the fence at times - sometimes defending a price someone considers too high (for example when it comes to the price of the premium membership here at RD), and sometimes criticizing the prices for being a bit too high, like in this case. And to answer your question - yes, if the track was 6 euro, I would've probably bought it the moment it came out. I know it's "just" 3 euro difference, but...somehow it is also all the difference in the world. Funny how that works (seriously, it is kinda funny - or sad, depending how you look at it).

Note, though, that I certainly didn't say it is "such a problem". It's not, as evidenced by the fact that I still bought the track. I kinda regret I did, sure, for various reasons, but I did buy it. I just said I feel it's still on the pricier side of things, as I simply can get more bang for my buck elsewhere. I absolutely get many reasons why the track might be more expensive than what some other sims offer, but that doesn't change the simple fact it is simply more expensive.

And, to be fair, like others in this thread, I wasn't all that happy about that "you spend thousands of euros on hardware and then cry about spending a few euros on a track" comment (paraphrasing here). I think it's a bit unfortunate for a developer to say this to his customers. It comes off a bit elitist or even condescending. Yes, some people spend a lot of money on their rigs. And some don't, and likely not because they wouldn't want to. It's frustrating enough to be forced (not a great word, but can't think of a better one) to make do with modest equipment side by side with people who literally do spend thousands of euros on theirs and it's not a big deal for them at all, the last thing I need is the developer "mocking" me for thinking the cost of the track in question might be on the high side. Now I do understand the sentiment, I understand what he's trying to say, but the fact that it's a bit unfair/unfortunate to say this to us and a bit of a strawman argument still stands. You're basically saying you think your customers are rich enough to the point where they shouldn't even be bothered by any smaller expenses. I wish that was the case. And since we're talking about a product that should be very much interested in growing its customer base as much as possible, instead of limiting it...well, like I said, a bit unfortunate IMO.

(Apologies for the novel, but that's just how I am when I try to describe something fairly complex... )

I see nothing complex here.

You have issues with rF2, a limited budget, and believe Marcels comment was condescending.

I have multiplayer issues with rF2, I wish there were populated quick races, I have a limited budget, and I agree with Marcels comment largely because it's true.

 

[Sim Strata]

Studio 39wotsit are really trying hard. I really like their commitment. But I just don't get on with RF2, I find it behaves strangely fiziks wise during some micro moments mid corner and I just can't identify what it is.

 

[MeNoMoney]

One small issue I have with the track is that the AI is crashing very regularly in the first lap. A lot of races have a safety car in lap 1 and when you race short races (e.g. 5 laps) that means you only have until lap 4-5 before the safety car goes into the pit. So most of the time I just restart the race and hope no big lap 1 AI crashes happen the next time.

Pretty much same issue for me. Tried AI race 5 times, but always AI crash, All AI cars pullover ontrack and stop??, yellow flag warning, States pits open and follow pace car. I did that for 2 laps, then carried on racing. Finished only to be told been disqualified. So, gave up on it. Gutted.
Decided to buy and try Sebring and give RF2 another try. Loved the new scanned track untill the AI Race issues. Even with my throttle pedal only showing 70% max. Which only happens in RF2.

 

[MPortnoy]

Man, this site lacks moderation. One troll hijacking the whole thread, how is this even allowed?
One this is having freedom of expression and completely different one is having no life

 

[Ami_M3]

snip...

And, to be fair, like others in this thread, I wasn't all that happy about that "you spend thousands of euros on hardware and then cry about spending a few euros on a track" comment (paraphrasing here). I think it's a bit unfortunate for a developer to say this to his customers. It comes off a bit elitist or even condescending. Yes, some people spend a lot of money on their rigs. And some don't, and likely not because they wouldn't want to. It's frustrating enough to be forced (not a great word, but can't think of a better one) to make do with modest equipment side by side with people who literally do spend thousands of euros on theirs and it's not a big deal for them at all, the last thing I need is the developer "mocking" me for thinking the cost of the track in question might be on the high side. Now I do understand the sentiment, I understand what he's trying to say, but the fact that it's a bit unfair/unfortunate to say this to us and a bit of a strawman argument still stands. You're basically saying you think your customers are rich enough to the point where they shouldn't even be bothered by any smaller expenses. I wish that was the case. And since we're talking about a product that should be very much interested in growing its customer base as much as possible, instead of limiting it...well, like I said, a bit unfortunate IMO.

(Apologies for the novel, but that's just how I am when I try to describe something fairly complex... )

I agree with Marcel's comment and don't think he was condescending at all.
I could name at least one developer that can be quite condescending and elitist and he has a huge following. Marcel seems like a really modest and genuine guy. Sometimes written word can be misinterpreted though, but I honestly think he meant no harm.

 

[Mark Brunner]

It is amazing for such a niche genre to have this much crap going on. I would like to think the majority of us enjoy the incredible number of titles we have access to. I could not imagine if I was forced to only play AC: Hot lap simulator every day (JK but that is primarily what I do in that game), or my only multiplayer option be iRacing.

Kudos to S397, they definitely have hit a few home runs as of late and they really needed some "wins" after the first year being a bit bumpy. But 2018 has really been a good year for them!

Just amazing that I can go drive AC, iRacing, RRE, RF2 all with (now) great VR experience! Each title brings something unique to the genre and to think we have ACC and other titles on the horizon to look forward to. This is the best time to be into sim racing I feel!

I think there is always room for suggestion, constructive criticism but I would say some comments here go well beyond that. (really up to the moderation of the site but I feel they let things go on too long here) A lot of the same people beating a dead horse.

 

[123rem]

I liked this video and went to buy the GT3 cars and the track. Almost $30. Forget it.

 

[Case_]

@Martin Fiala I did not want to drag you alone into the "price thing". I am sorry if it came out as that's what was my intention.

No worries. That's entirely on me I think. Partly because I sometimes take things I have fairly strong feelings about a bit more personal than I probably should, and partly also because I have a tendency to play the devils advocate in discussions and get personally involved a bit too much than I probably should

(Also, internet sadly is often not the right place for nuanced reasonable discussion, it tends to go to the extremes rather quickly, sadly. Of which I'm of course often part of, even though that never is my original intention.)

 

[Damage Inc]

What will the new UI bring when you are playing? Same options in another skin.
Not worthwhile to wait for.

I hate the current GUI, and seeing as I regularly play other sims it's a sticking point for me personally. Although I do fire up RF2 from time to time, I'm waiting for the final piece of the jigsaw before I put more money into it. Personally hoping for something more like AMS's. Too many games not enough time doesn't help.

 

[Damage Inc]

Why are you even on this forum ,as all you do is complain and on rf2..and quite frankly am sick of all your negative comments ....just go back to your simcade PC2 which you seem to like so much..

Yeah nice one. Complain about someone shitting on your fave sim by shitting on a rival sim...classy

 

[Alex Townsend]

I liked this video and went to buy the GT3 cars and the track. Almost $30. Forget it.

So this was you telling us your thought process?
You could have kept that one to yourself and we wouldn't have minded, honest

 

[Kenny Paton]

Okay time to move along, if you don't like or enjoy the game then go and play one that you do.
Treat this as a first and only warning.

 

[Oldzeb]

Enjoying Sebring? Happy with the progress of rF2 so far?

if people remember more about the subject...