iRacing Adds Virtual Workshop, Pay To Fix Crashed Cars

Damaged cars in iRacing now need fixing at the Virtual Workshop.png
In the latest update, iRacing has introduced lasting damage for cars. Pay other players to repair crashed vehicles at the new Virtual Workshop.

Image Credit: iRacing

Driving standards in simracing have often been a hot topic of discussion. When you can't get hurt from a crash and crash damage costs you no more than a bit of ego, players tend to make moves they wouldn't dream of doing in the real world.

For many years, iRacing has been at the forefront of the driving standards battle. Its Safety Rating system has been copied in several other ranking systems and certainly plays on many drivers' minds. But at times, players still feel free to send a risky move up the inside for a lowly position.

But now, the online racing service is taking an extra measure to limit the amount of accidents on its servers. Official races will now implement a feature called 'lasting damage.' Aiming to deter foolish moves this April and inspire players to take things more easily, the game will remember the damage caused to each car. The same damaged parts from a previous session will be kept for future races and practice sessions.

Don't worry though, iRacing has a plan to help you out. Much like the real world, player must now send their damaged vehicles to the so-called "Virtual Workshop" where their cars will get a make over. Furthermore, this new feature will add a new game mode for the title. iRacers will get the chance to open their own Virtual Workshops in a bid to earn credits to use in-game.

Pay or be paid​

Virtual Workshops allow iRacers to earn in game credits.png

With this new game dynamic, iRacing allows players to earn Credits. Set yourself up as one of many mechanics and get a virtual workshop from which you can repair other players' cars.

The details of how one will fix cars is as yet unclear. But as RaceDepartment understands it, iRacing has followed a similar route to the newly released Apex Point and Car Mechanic Simulator. Players will reportedly remove individual parts, check their damage levels and either replace them, fix them or leave them as they are. Better still, they can do all this in VR for a truly immersive racing mechanic experience.

By fixing race cars, virtual workshop owners can earn up to $2 per car. For those that would rather race than sit in a garage, crashed cars can cost up to $5 in the case of a totally wrecked vehicle. However, minor bumps will certainly cost a lot less.

A long time in the works​

Releasing in April 2023, this new feature has reportedly been in development for a long time. In fact, the development team seems to suggest that the New Damage Model in which cars break apart more realistically was created for this purpose.

"We have always pushed ourselves to make our virtual race tracks safer," says the release statement. "It is of the upmost importance to us that our users have the most entertaining experiences possible on our service and we believe this new pair of features will help to do just that. We have been working on this ever since the introduction of our New Damage Model and are excited to see the community's economy thrive."

It's true that when your money is on the line, it affects how you drive. We often see this from amateur racing drivers coming into the real-world sport. And now, it seems iRacers will think twice before sending their car into a wall.

Do you think this new feature is a good move for iRacing?
About author
Angus Martin
Motorsport gets my blood pumping more than anything else. Be it physical or virtual, I'm down to bang doors.

Comments

Premium
All jokes aside, there was a hardcore mode in netKar Pro, in which all repairs were done in real time. Bent steering rod? See you 20 minutes later! There were servers that used this feature. :D
 
Premium
Also heard they add pay what you want for their content.
 
I crashed my car just for the fun of getting to pay more for the game.

Seriously though, something I would love to see featured in a game someday (or is it featured in any game already?) is cars having lifespan, individual race history etc. where you can really start to form a relationship with that piece of machinery. I think this was the idea behind a very old game that never came to be, Racing Legends by the West brothers. Even back in the day, in Gran Turismo, you got to take your car to the car wash, which I think was one of the small things that added character to that game.
 
Will Iracing also pay for hospitalization or funeral expenses?

I jokingly posted in my IMC '67 thread that I used to work on a USB device that had electrodes connected to the player's body and sending out unpleasant electric shocks if crashing the car, all in order to encourage a more realistic driving behavour. What I do have implemented though in the game's career option, is that if you crash your car, you'll be in the risk of not being allowed to participate in the next race/races or even have to start your lifelong game career all over again if you die in the accident. The level of injuries are being measured by how many of your car's wheels that gets detached in the crash, one wheel = not being able to participate in the next race, two wheels = the rest of the season, three or four wheels = death.

le_mans_67_crash.jpg
 
There is no mention of how iracing itself takes a cut here for this exciting new feature, e.g. 30% of $2, are you sure this is a real feature???
Ofcourse it is.
And iRacing will slowly raize the fee they take every time you get the repair members to fix your car.
:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:
 
Just another way to milk their fanbase...

And another way to turn people off of the entire product...

Sort out the track cuts and grass exploits... Then worry about catching up to the competitions more realistic damage models...
 
I heard the best esports players once they retire wil be employed by the ODA (Online Drivers Association) and be sent to players houses to beat them up with a lug wrench if they crash too hard.

Unless they upgrade their motion rigs with new industrial rgade hydraulics, then their hardware will take care of providing injuries.
 
Just another way to milk their fanbase...

And another way to turn people off of the entire product...

Sort out the track cuts and grass exploits... Then worry about catching up to the competitions more realistic damage models...
Congratulations. There is always one. :roflmao::laugh::whistling:
 
Premium
So does this mean only rich kids are gonna play skittles with the field?

I edited this mere seconds after posting, announcing that "yeah, I was got" but it looks like the postmaster was in the toilet... or in my sleepy haste I failed to do it properly :sleep:
 
Premium
I crashed my car just for the fun of getting to pay more for the game.

Seriously though, something I would love to see featured in a game someday (or is it featured in any game already?) is cars having lifespan, individual race history etc. where you can really start to form a relationship with that piece of machinery. I think this was the idea behind a very old game that never came to be, Racing Legends by the West brothers. Even back in the day, in Gran Turismo, you got to take your car to the car wash, which I think was one of the small things that added character to that game.
Yeah, the car doesn't get dirty now (as far as I've seen) so to get you to use the feature Car Wash PD offer a Platinum Cup for 10 car washes... Ohh really, that is scraping the barrel for something to achieve.
However, years ago I remember thinking that my car that had won so many races should be worth more than the paltry standard price for a used car, I had a Cerbera that had over 100 wins at Grand Valley 300, I loved that car (I learned to change gear with that)

But I've always said (mainly to that invisible person in my brain) that if you have to pay for your mistakes you learn to make less of them, where time and (in game) money got used.
I'd definitely enjoy having this as an optional feature, as I love straight panels at the end of a race.
 

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