Build 218 Released

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Update 14 (Build 218) Changelog (May 20, 2013):
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KNOWN ISSUES ON RELEASE:
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- Modders tracks may need a very minor update if they don’t already have Vertex Alpha at 99.99%, to trigger the billboarding without the side-effect of transparency.
- Possible MP lag/stutter when player disconnects
- Possible alt-tab crash (we have not been able to recreate yet)
- Wet Weather transparency issues, fixed in upcoming (short timeframe) build
See knownissues.txt for more

GRAPHICS:
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- Fixed problem where particles were mis-aligned across viewports in multiview
- Fixed a problem where side views could become un-synced with center view in multiview
- Fixed a shadow-related bug if shaders were initially compiled by showroom
- Fixed several issues with showroom when used with non-HDR mode
- Improved monitor replay view in multiview
- Fixed some overlay bugs in instant replay in multiview
- Changed render order of side views in multiview to fix lagging problem
- Improved rain look
- Re-enabled wet skids
- Fixed a bug causing inconsistent fog among channels in multiview
- Fixed a bug loading default HDR profile
- Fixed uncoordinated rain drops in multiview mode
- Improvements to fullscreen showroom display in widescreen and multiview modes
- Fix for multiview shadow error when tree wind is 0
- Fixed a bug with re-initializing letterbox manager
- Improved instant replay overlays in multiview mode
- Fixed a bug when switching to a non-multiview res, where multiview was still being used
- Fixed replays in multiview mode
- Restrict mem bar display to realtime only
- Fix location of reflection map display in multiview mode
- Fixed a bug with fire being non-alpha

PLUGINS:
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- Finally finished the V05 interface of internals plugin by adding calls to handle a lost and reset device. Note: any plugins that ignored our warning that V05 was a work-in-progress will crash.
- Improved the places where we call the plugins’ InitScreen() and UninitScreen() functions.
- Added ignition/starter state to plugin telemetry data.
- Made changes to allow plugins to draw in the options.
- Added UI location (main/loading/monitor/on-track) and UI page to plugin ScreenInfo structure.

PHYSICS:
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- Fixed downforce calculation in draft: BodyDraftLiftMult and DiffuserDraftLiftMult were accidentally negated. Wings and fenders already worked correctly. Regardless, some vehicles may need to be slightly re-tuned for behavior in the draft.
- Improved the automatic collision hull generation for front and rear wings.
- If re-attaching a wheel, fix to re-attach the relevant suspension bits as well.
- Small improvement in collision response.

SOUNDS:
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- Reduced maximum volume passed into sound library because too many sounds at full resulted in distortion. Similarly, the maximum player and opponent volume ratios in the options is now 100% rather than 200%. Users may need to readjust settings or speaker/headphone volume to compensate.
- Computed player and opponent volumes on the fly so UI options would take effect immediately, and be correct for who is controlling the vehicle.
- Added the ability to set vehicle sound attenuation variables separately for inside vs. outside sounds.
- Automatically upgrade trackside sound effects to use exponential attenuation if they are still using old attenuation; also consolidated the related PLR file attenuation variables.
- Ambient sound effects can now use exponential attenuation like the vehicles do.

FEATURES:
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- Added a PLR file option “Temporary Replay Keys” which allows the instant replay arrow keys to act permanently rather than temporary. The default remains temporary.
- In replay, space key now toggles between play and stop.

GAMEPLAY:
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- Increased component/mod verify level from None to Normal
- Using additional criterion to differentiate between cmps with same name/version

UI / HUD / Options:
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- Playerfile variable “Auto Install Uninstalled Content In Packages Directory”, if set to 1 will auto install all uninstalled content in packages directory on start up of regular game (not dedicated server)(default is 0).
- Added plrfile option for transparency AA (defaulted to On)
- Fixes for various showroom problems.
- Added a “download in progress” button that only appears when we have a component download in progress.
- Added PLR file option “Start Engine” for whether you want it automatically started
- Fixed vehicle labels in monitor
- Fixed mp lobby issue were the UI would show the incorrect session name in the server description scroll box
- Fixed bug where HUD relative tach would use the deafult 10,000rpm maximum value instead of the real car value if the car’s cockpick tach was set up not to be relative.
- Corner damage states in HUD now represent body and/or suspension damage.
- Turn off time acceleration when moving to another session.
- When loading default or scripted weather data, set to sunny if file not found (instead of old way of leaving weather state as whatever it was before….usually rainy)

MODDING / PUBLIC DEV
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- Fixed a ModMgr bug which prevented a mod made from updated cmp(s) from installing against existing full (non-updated) cmp(s)
- Fixed a ModMgr bug reporting MAS file sizes of upated cmps
- Fixed a ModMgr bug with availability of updated mods/cmps
- Component/Mod names now limited to 32 bytes
- Ambient Sounds are not movable with arrow keys + left ctrl. Fixed bug where Start Skill, Wet Speed, & Corner Caution RCD parameters would not save from editor. AIW path lateral position now moves X10 as far with right ctrl down + arrow.
- Added justification info to text items that can be added to HUD.
- fixed HUD value range for TVOP_tachNeedleAbsoluteMax in HUD editor (-1 means relative rpm gauge {max is determined by car setup}, any other non-zero number means that’s the top range of the rpm HUD gauge)
- Now allow custome needle names for speedometer, tachometer, and boost meter (all used to be hardcoded to “needle.tga”)
- Added ability to remove yellow flag to puppet master mode.

BUG FIXES / OPTIMIZATIONS:
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- Fix for broken replay display in triple head mode.
- Also fixed a possible deadlock when trying to resume a race from replay.
- Stopped resetting the camera to the starting driving view when toggling fullscreen in replay.
- Fixed an intermittent crash if you were a pending driver and the weekend was restarted.

AI:
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- Fixed bug where after changing mod, some AI cars would be unable to load the correct RCD file thus resulting in very bad driving.
- Attempts to make AI that are running wide notice and do something about it before smashing full speed into buildings next to the road…(historics on spa).
- Minor adjustment to some driver RCD editor to keep some parameters within meaningful bounds.
- Adjusted algorithm related to RCD parameter “UnderSteerEffectOnLineMulti”, so that AI looks at more immediate road curve to determine if he is sliding out (in order to adjust driving line out to maintain useful front wheel grip levels). Recommended range for this parameter is 0.50 (most sensitive to front wheel grip lose) to about 1.5 (less sensitive). default is still 1.0.
- Added a new playerfile parameter “AI Logic Override” that can disable specific AI behaviors using a bit field. Currently only one behavior is toggle-able: use of the “blocking” line….which is disabled when this parameter is set to 1.

MULTIPLAYER:
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- Fixed Mod download that failed to complete would prevent future successful attempt to install
- Offer only actual mods, not multicmps, as choices to start a dedicated server.
- Changed it so clients joining during the race session will now load cars in the garage whose drivers have left; this is a precursor to being able to rejoin race sessions after a disconnect. A positive side effect of the fix is that we can now have more than 32 AIs in multiplayer (if the mod, track, and network settings allow). A negative side effect is that a player converted to AI doesn’t exit until a new track is loaded; for example, you can leave or get disconnected during a race, only to rejoin and see a duplicate of yourself driving around as an AI if the weekend was restarted. That will be addressed in the near future.
- Attempt fix for driver swap “name confusion”.

http://rfactor.net/web/rf2/rf2dl/
 
I'm guessing there is no updated from 198 to 218, so are people just doing one full install again?

ISI said on their website that the update version will only be possible from now on via the auto-updater. Not sure if it works already, have been reading it doesn't yet work. In the past the autoupdater has always been later available than the manual downloads.

So if you don't want to do a re-install you have to wait untill the autoupdater works, otherwise you have to do a re-install, which is recommended anyway for this build. See this post for the reason:
http://www.racedepartment.com/forum...e-soon-a-little-personal-advise-to-all.69521/
 
All I did:

1) Backup PLR file, not to replace the new one just to note what changes I made
2) use the Uninstall from the rfactor2 folder
3) Manually delete whats left behind in that folder
4) installed 218 Lite version
5) Install all the packages I wanted, ISI and unofficial content
6) p;ay the game = job done!
 
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Reactions: tjc
When I uninstalled my game the packages folder remained at it's place. To be sure I made a backups of my packages folder, and than deleted the files/directories that were left, and than made a fresh install and installed everything again. If you left the packages folder in place, you should check the folder if it's still there. If there in place, you probably need to re-install it with the modmanager.
 
The sounds in replay took a couple steps backwards IMO. The overall car sounds are way too quiet, even the crowd is louder than a whole pack of cars. The player car volume is much lower than the rest of the cars - missing the option to boost volume above 100% already. It would make more sense to have a slider to lower other cars volume from track-side, why would you want your car quieter than the others in replays?:confused:

Overall, I feel that the in-car sounds are very good except for some out-of-balance backfire sounds. The reverb still pops in and out in any mode except Stereo. I assume that will be fixed at some point.

Overall, seems to be a good build with the exception of the sound issues.
 
SOUNDS:
————————
- Reduced maximum volume passed into sound library because too many sounds at full resulted in distortion. Similarly, the maximum player and opponent volume ratios in the options is now 100% rather than 200%. Users may need to readjust settings or speaker/headphone volume to compensate.
- Computed player and opponent volumes on the fly so UI options would take effect immediately, and be correct for who is controlling the vehicle.
- Added the ability to set vehicle sound attenuation variables separately for inside vs. outside sounds.
- Automatically upgrade trackside sound effects to use exponential attenuation if they are still using old attenuation; also consolidated the related PLR file attenuation variables.
- Ambient sound effects can now use exponential attenuation like the vehicles do.
 
They have reduced the non v-synch stuttering I had before. I can now turn v-synch off and get much better frame rates.

It still drops frames regularly when there are other cars around but it is better. Mirrors seem to have a big impact on frame rate so they are off.

I think the cars are a bit more skittish at the front. Just tried the GT-R at Mills and then with the old build, and it felt a tiny bit more stable in the old build. Might be the frame-rate though as I have it capped using one of the v-synch options in the .plr file, and un-capped in the new. Or, the old build wasn't running on a Green track.

Edit: it's the lack of v-synch causing the issue. Game runs better than before, stutter wise, but still has an inconsistent feel so I'm back to .plr v-synch (but not) option.
 

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