RaceRoom | New Cars, New Track, Welcome to the Drivers Pack!

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December 2022 will see the light of a new DLC pack called "The Drivers Pack". 4 new cars to the sim and a beauty of a new French circuit are coming to RaceRoom.

According to the release statement, "Everything happens more quickly in a racecar. Everything is more exciting. But everything is less forgiving."

Now what they mean by that is when you open up your RaceRoom installation with the premium pack installed, you can jump into Group C cars at the top of their game as well as modern GT1s and Formula Cars. But for a beginner, that is not necessarily the best way to go.

While they claim this pack is not officially a Beginner Pack, its content will aim to serve as such.

The included cars will be:
  • Mazda MX-5
  • 2 Crosslés
  • Praga R1
The included track will be:
  • Circuit de Charade

The Cars​

Now while you will probably not need an introduction to the Mazda MX-5, which has been serving as the rookie car in iRacing for a while now, you will probably not have heard of Crosslé or maybe even the Praga R1.

Crosslé is a company, much like Lola Cars was. Producing cars specifically for racing. They produced cars for many national British as well as international series including Formula Ford, Formula 5000, Formula Two and Formula Junior.

With their cars, they served as an entry into single-seater racing for many great names including Nigel Mansell, John Watson and Eddie Irvine.

Now, the 2 Crosslés that seem to be included in this pack might be the Crosslé 19F Formula Two as well as the Crosslé 9S.

Last but definitely not least, the Praga R1. You might know this car from the Britcar Endurance Championship and it having been driven there by YouTuber Jimmy Broadbent in 2021. The Czech-built car is now making its way to RaceRoom.

Circuit de Charade​

Directly connected to Crosslé, as it hosts their driving school is Circuit de Charade, a former F1 as well as Motorcycle Grand Prix venue. Though the original 8.055 km track will most likely not be included in favour of the more modern 3.975 km circuit, that doesn't deter from the challenge this twisty track in the French mountains provides.

The circuit currently mostly hosts track days as well as historic racing events. Therefore, it will be very interesting to see how actual race cars traverse the track.

What do you think about this release? Let us know in the comments down below!
About author
Julian Strasser
Motorsports and Maker-stuff enthusiast. Part time jack-of-all-trades. Owner of tracc.eu, a sim racing-related service provider and its racing community.

Comments

Being stuck with DX9 because you can't update the entire graphics engine is one thing, but being unable to generate realistic dashes even after all these years because they are implemented in some obscure language that no one can parse because they guy who did the original dashes left is just sad.
couldn't have said it better myself, i have said the exact same thing in the past
 
Truly novel content, (meaning not another GT3 or other car that's been done to death), I am very much looking forward to the Crossles and the tracks. Mark this down, I bet the Crossle sport racer is the secret star of this pack!
I agree 100%, RRE shines when it brings something other sims do not present. The mx5 is not my cup of tea, I really don't like its design, but it is well known for providing intense races.

Charade... I've learned about this track thanks to this video :
I had a lot of fun driving around this track in GTR2. It is an original and a great one, suitable to many categories, good choice Raceroom.
 
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However I tried some short races and I was very surprised by the AI, bashing you off the track, braking very early while having insane traction and acceleration mid corner and corner exit. In this pack the MX-5 and esp. the Praga raised my attention, but if I want to race them with crap AI I have AC for that :D Not sure what others' recent experience is with the AI but I was under the impression that it should be great but I didn't enjoy my short testing time with them at all.
For transparency, my existing opinions on the AI are based on a moderate number of races with free content and watching others race with it.

While I'd say they race "aggressively" and aren't afraid to "rub paint" or "bang doors" or "crowd you" touring-car style, I can appreciate how someone might feel this is "bashing off the track" depending on their personal preferences. There are types of cars where this style of racing is 100% inappropriate (e.g. multiclass endurance) but for touring car and cup car races (e.g. DTM, Group A) it is not out of place, in my opinion.

The insane braking and traction is not something I've experienced myself. But it's the sort of thing that can happen when AI running on simplified physics (like any isiMotor-based title) are turned up to a high level. And I am slow :roflmao: so I race on lower AI strength percentages. Your comment reminded me of a video by @Austin Ogonoski complaining about AI hyper-grip moments and other AI problems in RaceRoom a while ago in the not-Indycars ( ;) ) at Indianapolis GP and Assen:


Upon rewatching the video, I noticed that Austin observes that the AI do not slipstream well. That's a shame. That will almost certainly get in the way of good AI racing with the MX-5s. :(
 
being unable to generate realistic dashes even after all these years because they are implemented in some obscure language that no one can parse because they guy who did the original dashes left is just sad.
Is that the inside scoop about why the same peculiar (and, in my opinion, low quality) dashes from RR cars years ago are always reused? That's fascinating.
 
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I agree 100%, RRE shines when it brings something other sims do not present. The mx5 is not my cup of tea, I really don't like its design, but it is well known for providing intense races.

Charade... I've learned about this track thanks to this video :
I had a lot of fun driving around this track in GTR2. It is an original and a great one, suitable to many categories, good choice Raceroom.
FYI, this video is not in Charade but in the Mas du Clos, another great french track ;)
 
For transparency, my existing opinions on the AI are based on a moderate number of races with free content and watching others race with it.

While I'd say they race "aggressively" and aren't afraid to "rub paint" or "bang doors" or "crowd you" touring-car style, I can appreciate how someone might feel this is "bashing off the track" depending on their personal preferences. There are types of cars where this style of racing is 100% inappropriate (e.g. multiclass endurance) but for touring car and cup car races (e.g. DTM, Group A) it is not out of place, in my opinion.

The insane braking and traction is not something I've experienced myself. But it's the sort of thing that can happen when AI running on simplified physics (like any isiMotor-based title) are turned up to a high level. And I am slow :roflmao: so I race on lower AI strength percentages. Your comment reminded me of a video by @Austin Ogonoski complaining about AI hyper-grip moments and other AI problems in RaceRoom a while ago in the not-Indycars ( ;) ) at Indianapolis GP and Assen:


Upon rewatching the video, I noticed that Austin observes that the AI do not slipstream well. That's a shame. That will almost certainly get in the way of good AI racing with the MX-5s. :(
Yesterday I did a bit more testing, reduced their strength a little bit (still 100+) and tweaked my setup to be less understeery on the same track I tested before (GT3s at Slovakiaring) and I had a better experience and the grip levels felt more "fair". They are still way too early on the brakes which can get expolited but they sometimes do a good job at switchbacking at least.

Then I ran very short WTCR races at Sonoma and Norisring and the AI were quite crazy, going 5-6 wide after the start causing pileup, lots of incidents, cars hitting walls, getting stuck in barriers. As you said, for touring cars it can be considered "fine-ish", but not ideal for much more.

I will still keep it installed, I am very interested in the Praga (with the Goldie livery of course :) ) But if they botch the dash display too much it might get rage-uninstalled again despite finally running well in Vulkan :D
 
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Is that the inside scoop about why the same peculiar (and, in my opinion, low quality) dashes from RR cars years ago are always reused? That's fascinating.
yup that's the truth

even part time modders have more pride in their work than to release the garbage looking crap raceroom puts out
 
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Another Track that will not see any Rotation in Ranked Servers whats ever for some reason they love using the same 3 Tracks in a Rotation
 
There is a Praga trailer out and the dash sucks, one of the base dashes with changed aspect ratio so the numbers have strange proportions. Hard pass... Too damn bad. Simracing is all about immersion for me. This breaks it...008-praga-r1r.jpgUntitled.jpg
 
Ah you're right! My confusion! So I don't remember Charade :D I know I had the mod for GTR2 but I have not used it that much. Indeed, not my type of track with GTs. It should be fun with classic cars though.
Can't wait to try the Nissan R90CK or Fabcar 935 at Charade! :D

FeltHat surely did hundreds of laps there with the Greenwood Corvette already!! :confused:
 
There is a Praga trailer out and the dash sucks, one of the base dashes with changed aspect ratio so the numbers have strange proportions. Hard pass... Too damn bad. Simracing is all about immersion for me. This breaks it...View attachment 620379View attachment 620380
Indeed all the Dashes look alike, it's a shame. Graphics engine? There are gray areas about the true capabilities of this graphics engine that have gone unaddressed for years. As a reminder, Race 07 had rain. I like Raceroom but the developers don't communicate enough about it :(
 
Another Track that will not see any Rotation in Ranked Servers whats ever for some reason they love using the same 3 Tracks in a Rotation
In that respect, Raceroom is stacked against those who regularly purchase content.
Their strategy is to suck in new players who can immediately participate in the free content. Some of who get carried away with the variety and quickly purchase vrp only to realize they will rarely get a chance to use certain combo's in ranked multiplayer.

Raceroom desperately needs more concurrent users in the ranked servers to survive. A critical mass of players is a must unless single player or organized league races are your thing.

I must admit, though, I like the look of Circuit de Charade.

 
Premium
Hi guys, you will call me an AC fanboy i am sure but i have a problem with raceroom. Why are we supposed to get excited about one track and four cars. You can acquire that on any given hour in any afternoon on AC and from what i experienced from the Basic game that i bought not exactly superior in any aspect and not cheap either i might add. Despite its age, AC just seems to get better and better. Please educate me . Am i missing something?
 
and from what i experienced from the Basic game that i bought not exactly superior in any aspect and not cheap either

Games that solely rely on microtransactions are never cheap.
I wish Kw studios would stop that predatory nonsense and just sell the game and occasionally add DLC.
Raceroom advocates are fine with it, so nothing changes.
Each to their own, I guess.
 
I recently reinstalled R3E because the newest DXVK version finally works with it giving smooth stutterless performance on my system without graphics artifacts.

However I tried some short races and I was very surprised by the AI, bashing you off the track, braking very early while having insane traction and acceleration mid corner and corner exit. In this pack the MX-5 and esp. the Praga raised my attention, but if I want to race them with crap AI I have AC for that :D Not sure what others' recent experience is with the AI but I was under the impression that it should be great but I didn't enjoy my short testing time with them at all. And the dashes, as MJQT mentioned, don't even get me started... :D
thing about the ai is this ;
start with ai set to say 104 ;
30ish ai
...just do a practice session ; look at the times if your in the mid pack ie ; 10-20th then this is where your ai needs to be set ....
little by little most tracks are set to an ai level based on a few aspects ;

104% is set by ;
real life time
alien time
An old guy sat in a caravan doing laps ;
If the old guy gets to within x of the time that is 104% in game
x , depends on lap length ; type of track etc

once a new car is released , as the leaderboards fill up and more data is available they may get retweaked if necessary


Andi
 
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