rFactor 2 Formula E DLC Preview and Marcel Offermans Interview

Paul Jeffrey · Nov 22, 2017

Studio 397 have released a new preview video of the upcoming Formula E content for rFactor 2, and we sit with head man Marcel Offermans to discuss what Formula E means to the simulation...

Love it or loathe it, Formula E is very quickly forcing itself into the racing limelight following a seemingly endless number of manufacturers flocking to the all electric single seater racing series in recent months. Brainchild of Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag, the FIA supported Formula E series has made a steady start in life as it looks to break into the wider motorsport consciousness of fans brought up on the sounds and smells of the combustion engine.

Running electric power and featuring some high profile drivers, the series has really stepped up a gear towards the end of the previous season and the build up to the opening round of 2017/18, confirming top level manufacturers such as Porsche, Mercedes, BMW and Audi all in recent months, some very experience World Endurance Championship calibre drivers and an already established line up of works teams and well sorted privateer entries..

As a marker of the level of popularity the series now seems to have achieved, Studio 397 have taken their relationship with the controversial championship to the next level with confirmation that a new DLC is on the way to rFactor 2, bringing all the cars, teams and drivers of the category to the incredible rFactor 2 simulator. Below you can check out the preview video and catch up on our brief interview with the head of Studio 397, Marcel Offermans;

RD: So Marcel, Formula E? What attracted you to the series and made you think the cars and tracks would be a good match for rFactor 2?

MO: There are a lot of things that attracted us to Formula E to be honest. For one it is definitely a rising star, attracting more top drivers, teams and manufacturers in record time than any other series. It does a lot of things right in terms of engagement and leveraging its unique capabilities. It also early on recognized the value of esports and the synergy that comes from close collaboration, which is why we're so proud to be able to work with them to bring their series to the leading platform in terms of simulation: rFactor 2!

RD: You have the first official licence to fully recreate the series as a whole, how close is the technical partnership between S397 and Formula E, what sort of involvement have they allowed the studio to enjoy?

MO: We have had the opportunity to work with Formula E very closely over the last couple of months, and continue to do so. This means for example that we get highly accurate CAD designs of their tracks including all the barriers they install and several other aspects like ambient sounds. For the cars we have worked with both Formula E, teams and manufacturers to get the correct physics, 3D and sound data.

RD: So will you be replicating the full grid in this new pack, and which season will it cover?

MO: The pack will come with the cars, teams and drivers of the upcoming 2018 season that starts at Hong Kong in the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd of December.

RD: And how about tracks? I see the pack will come with Hong Kong, will we be seeing more from the Formula E schedule over time?

MO: Yes, we anticipate to bring more tracks over time. We don't have a specific timeline yet.

RD: rF2 is a very advanced simulation, how have you found the challenges of modelling a rather unique form of racing compared to the usual combustion engine cars seen traditionally in the sim?

MO: Obviously a Formula E race is different from your typical race with cars that use combustion engines. During a race you are allowed to use two cars and each race is very tactical because you need to manage the available power so you can make it to the end. We have obviously simulated the electric engine and these aspects and like in the real races you will typically use the maximum available power and downforce during qualification and for the race switch to a setup with minimum downforce and slightly less power. During the race you can constantly adjust your "regeneration" settings, giving you the option to either regenerate more energy when braking and as a consequence brake a little less efficient or regenerate less and have a shorter braking distance. When battling other cars on the track, that can become very tricky and also a lot of fun, as we've already found in private testing.

RD: Obvious question but one probably most popular.. when and how much?!?!

MO: The how much question we will reveal when we release the pack. The "when" is easier: this will be out before the season opener, so next week!

So there you have it folks, Formula E is coming to rFactor 2 next week! Stay tuned for more as and when it becomes available..

rFactor 2 is a PC exclusive racing simulation available worldwide via the Steam network.

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...

Excited to see Formula E cars coming to rFactor 2? Do you think the series will transfer well to simulation racing? Looking forward to seeing more quality Studio 397 DLC content? Let us know in the comments section below!

Deleted member 130869 · Nov 23, 2017

So the different drivetrain solutions will also be done for each team? Will the helmets be proper driver helmets with suits, or will they be the default rF2 ones? What's the timeline for tracks and will they be included in the pack?

I'm not a fan of the series but would consider driving in a league. The uncertainty of the tracks is a worrysome aspect:
"RD: And how about tracks? I see the pack will come with Hong Kong, will we be seeing more from the Formula E schedule over time?
MO: Yes, we anticipate to bring more tracks over time. We don't have a specific timeline yet."

Kari Kranck · Nov 23, 2017

Thanks for us helping follow and drive with kitchen aid's kendwood hoover will be biggest sponsor's

Shap · Nov 23, 2017

Marcel Offermans said:
Not exactly. Zandvoort had just started production as a 3PA track when Studio 397 started and was being done by @Richard Hessels ... During the project we decided we did want to officially license the track, which meant we needed to release it under Studio 397's flag. Richard is a busy man, working on a lot of track projects, so we have to respect he's taking his time to finish the track.

Our track team at the moment consists of three people.

Dude I love that you guys bring Formula E to a current sim. Dankjewel

Boby Kim · Nov 24, 2017

For the next car developmemt maybe an electric selfdriven car is an option?

MPortnoy · Nov 24, 2017

Boby Kim said:
For the next car developmemt maybe an electric selfdriven car is an option?

Or perhaps you'd prefer ISI back in charge and get no updates at all??

Mercedes is leaving DTM to join FE, Audi left WEC to join FE and now Porsche....that must mean something.
As crap as the series might look to petrolheads like most of us, I call it innovation that S397 is being the first to license it and only see positives coming from it.

John-Eric Saxén · Nov 24, 2017

Boby Kim said:
For the next car developmemt maybe an electric selfdriven car is an option?

It's a bit ironic that sim racers are against electric cars when they are themselves stuck driving electric cars, cars powered by their PC. And self-driven is an existing feature, press "I" for AI to take control of your car.

Terry Rock · Nov 24, 2017

I'll give them 'props' for trying something...anything, to renew people's interest in RF2.
This bid reminds me of when General Motors cast off Saab years ago.
They were some good 'players' there as well....Spyker, etc...
They're the 'Marcels' of today.
They tried lots of things and it still couldn't seem to raise it's head above water.
Saab seems all but dead now...except for those of us who knew it's value and can't seem to let go.
Hopefully RF2 can avoid that fate with Studio397 becoming the 'NEVS' of it.

Nick Hill · Nov 24, 2017

jonelsorel said:
Did I read the whole articles? Yes, I did. Do you also think or look beyond them? Remember, you're not obliged or contracted to stop that at their limits. Especially when global warming is the biggest systemic lie of the 20th century. And if you're really generally interested in truth, dig and discern even beyond these other two. Nothing is a question of lack of information these days.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/...rst-scientific-scandal-of-our-generation.html

https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welco...ww.google.ro/&referrer=https://www.google.ro/

I would like to be able to pretend I'm surprised to see "climategate" still being brought up, but I'm really not.

This isn't a game - it's not my politics vs your politics, let's see who's the winner. We're all in this together and we'll all lose together if we don't find a bit more collective courage and imagination.

jonelsorel · Nov 24, 2017

So climategate is a fabrication? Interesting.

"Together" is just an illusion, or conclusion when you draw the line and look at sales figures. And yes, I agree that a sim should definitely mimic the direction the industry is taking, and recreate wheel-less, smart, self-driven cars. This way it (the sim) can become much more accessible to the masses given that you will no longer have to buy a wheel to enjoy it. Formula E might be a cornerstone for future profit.

And some of the readers of this fine webpage should probably take this opportunity to capitalize on the processing power that stands on their shoulders and think a bit further than the label. An electric car is only as "clean" as the fuel you use to charge it, that is if you can stay blind at the fact that its production alone is much more damaging to the environment than the production of a petrol car (might want to ponder just on the lithium-ion batteries, for a minute). And just to put things into further perspective, animal farming generates much more "damaging" greenhouse gases than ALL transportation (naval, air, road) put together, says the UN in a 400 page report.

https://www.wired.com/2016/03/teslas-electric-cars-might-not-green-think/

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...ollution-says-top-uk-adviser-prof-frank-kelly

http://www.independent.co.uk/enviro...ging-to-planet-than-co2-from-cars-427843.html

millen · Nov 24, 2017

Will be fun to try these on actual race tracks. maybe.

Andy_J · Nov 24, 2017

millen said:
Will be fun to try these on actual race tracks. maybe.

Why don't you just fire up your latest race sim and turn the volume right down? Treat it as a demo.

TobiasR · Nov 24, 2017

btw, rF2 is a good candidate for steam award's "Labor of Love" award.

Ricoow · Nov 24, 2017

Can we drive these like madmen too?

Amanda · Nov 24, 2017

Emerson Meyer said:
Are you trying to compare laser scanned Nordschleife with Hong Kong? Really?

FE tracks will also be laser scanned, as far as I know.

iRacing also takes months to develop a track. I think it was 3-4 months for the Circuit of the Americas.

Any 3D modeler knows this: while there may be a software to "kinda" translate what the laser-scan data produced to real 3D meshes, it's far from perfect and most of the work is done from the ground up, little by little. That takes time. A lot of it.
For a smaller studio like S397 I think it's perfectly OK to release the tracks one by one.

Emerson Meyer said:
About Codemasters, at least you know ALL the tracks are there, for the whole season.

Yet their SPA is not very good and has pretty much the same meshes since 2010.

Emerson Meyer said:
After all then, we are talking about just one car, single class... and the "promise" that sometime, eventually, maybe, another track will come to life.

That's not the promise, at all. Go back and read the OP again.

Emerson Meyer said:
By the way, the game is not free...by the "new standards" we have paid almost $100...what for?

30 dollars for the base game, and 15 for 5 cars? That's a great deal for what is objectively the most complete simulator out there.

Now compare it to iRacing, where can you get with 45USD (including the monthly submission/subscription fee)? A very expensive sim with a flawed tyre model, no rain, etc.

Damage Inc · Nov 24, 2017

underwhelmed if I'm honest, crap cars, crap tracks. I mean there's no decent full V8 Supercars or BTCC or SGT series in a sim and we get this? What's wrong with the world?

Lino Carreira · Nov 24, 2017

AmarildoJr said:
FE tracks will also be laser scanned, as far as I know.

iRacing also takes months to develop a track. I think it was 3-4 months for the Circuit of the Americas.

Any 3D modeler knows this: while there may be a software to "kinda" translate what the laser-scan data produced to real 3D meshes, it's far from perfect and most of the work is done from the ground up, little by little. That takes time. A lot of it.
For a smaller studio like S397 I think it's perfectly OK to release the tracks one by one.

Yet their SPA is not very good and has pretty much the same meshes since 2010.

That's not the promise, at all. Go back and read the OP again.

30 dollars for the base game, and 15 for 5 cars? That's a great deal for what is objectively the most complete simulator out there.

Now compare it to iRacing, where can you get with 45USD (including the monthly submission/subscription fee)? A very expensive sim with a flawed tyre model, still on DirectX9, no rain, etc.