Enduracers Interview

Paul Jeffrey

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Enduracers V1.00 Release.jpg

EnduRacers Modding Team and Gentlemen Racers have released the highly anticipated Version 1.00 of their Endurance Series modification for rFactor 2, adding an epic selection of LMP2 and GT2 specification cars to the rFactor 2 simulation.

The new release brings ten new cars and over 400 paint schemes added to the simulation, across three categories of racing and including such legendary endurance brands as Aston Martin, Porsche, Ferrari, Ligier and Lola represented by some of the most iconic endurance racing machines from the last dozen years of racing. With the initial release featuring some vehicles now replaced by newer generation technology, the development team have promised work is underway behind the scenes to add newer vehicles into the mod at a later date. "We want the mod core to be playable since the first release with homogenic classes to allow online races and championships. This is why for example we are including in the first release "old" models like the Ferrari F430 and the Porsche 997, with a choice to develop physics based on GTE regulations instead of GT2" say the team, so it looks like bigger and better things are still to come to this genuinely outstanding modification.

The much anticipated first release of Endurance Series V1.00 contains the following vehicles:

  • GTC - Flat6 GT3
  • GTE - Aston Martin V8 Vantage
  • GTE - BMW M3 E92
  • GTE - Corvette C6.R ZR1
  • GTE - Ferrari F430 GT
  • GTE - Flat6 RSR
  • P2 - Ligier JSP2
  • P2 - Lola Coupe
  • P2 - Oreca 03
  • P2 - Zytek

To mark the first build release of the Endurance Series mod, RaceDepartment have sat down with EnduRacers @klo-che to discuss what goes on behind the scenes in one of the most prominent modding teams currently working on content for rFactor 2.

RD
: Congratulations on the much anticipated release of Enduracers V1.00. You must be very relieved to have reached this stage?

ER: Yes ! First of all we would like to thank all simracers of the huge amount of positive feedbacks we received, it's very rewarding and gives us motivation to "end the job as good as possible". It has been a long work of development, to adapt all cars to rFactor2 new features, to build the fresh new models, to adjust the mod to the new build features as long as we were working on it.

Building a MOD 100% from scratch requires thousand of work hours, on our free time, a lot of communication between the team members, and a rigourous organisation. We have happy with current build 1.00 result in all domains, even if we would like some better results, on the graphic domain in particular, and we count on the build 2.00 and the rFactor2 recent change of hands to help us to improve that.

One word more, people often do a mistake, talking about our MODs. EnduRacers is the name of our team, and Endurance Series rF2 is the name of the mod, not the contrary.

RD: How many people have been working behind the scenes on this release?

ER: The current EnduRacers team is made with 2 people in charge of 3D modeling, 1 people in charge of cars textures, 1 member working on the rFactor2 export and fine tuning, 1 for the car skins, 1 person focused on the sounds, 1 person for R&D, and 2 members in charge of media management. Together with us, the Gentlemen Racers league is in charge of the car physics, with a complete team in charge of physics development and beta testing. In addition, we receive external help on some domains. We in addition are cooperating with URD Modding Team, with some exchange agreements based on graphic models. Building a mod like that is a huge amount of work and needs to lot of people working together with the same target, almost like a company.

RD: What technology is included in the mod, CPM tyres / chassis flex etc?

ER: The mod includes almost all rFactor2 new features in terms of graphics (dynamic reflects & shadows, deformable tires,...), in terms of sounds (in particular reverbs) and physics (like chassis flex). We are planning to test and maybe add in the mod other features such as dynamic dirt for graphics, or CPM tyres for physics. It's all in works, but it doesn't mean it will be added in the end.

RD: How long to do you plan to support Enduracers v1? Will the mod receive addon content and updates to the latest tech release by Studio397?

ER: We are planning a the Endurance Series build 2.00 as add-on content. The build will add to the mod the Oreca 05 and the Corvette C7.R (courtesy and property of URD Modding Team). Other cars announcement may be done during the build development. About Studio397, we are in particular keeping on eye on their progress on the upcoming DX11 engine, to improve the game graphics which is its current weakness.

RD: What is next on Enduracers plans? Will you be working on another series for rF2?

ER: We have no plans after the Endurance Series rF2 build 2.00 release. First of all, our team members have less and less free time. The simracing community has changed, in particular when new platforms came, and the ambient has changed. It's less friendly than some years ago, and some people have forgotten that in the end all this is done for free as a hobby. It's less motivating than before. To finish with, we have a small professional activity in parallel for some manufacturers & teams simulators.

RD: Briefly, can you describe how much work goes into creating something like this, and what motivates your team to build something from scratch for rF2?

ER: The amount of work to build a mod like that is huge. For your example, as we work on our free time, if you want to build a car from scratch (3D job, UV mapping, all textures with high level of detail, ingame exportation, sounds, physics, tests,...) is at least 6 month of work, if you want to do things in details. So when you build a multicars mod, it's very huge. In addition, you have to spend several weeks in testing, reworking, validation and so on. As you can see, we never release beta version or unfinished products. We have dozens of people available for test & feedback, in particular within the Gentlemen Racers dev team. It's years of job that we have achieved.

All Enduracers & GR members are pure fans of endurance racing and the famous LM24. Even some of us are working for, or part of the ACO team. It's what motivate us, creating the virtual reproductions of the cars we see at Le Mans. It is what has always motivated us since the creation of our team.

We would like to thank RaceDepartment for the focus on our MOD and team. We hope you will enjoy the Endurance Series build 1.00, and are already meeting you for the build 2.00!

Enduracers V1.00 Release 2.jpg


MOD - FEATURES
Graphics

  • High fidelity 3D models, with high definition cockpits.
  • Hundred's of real paints reproduced for each cars.
  • Highly improved car materials, reflections, lightnings and shadings.
  • Animated car driver, with high definition 3D Helmet.
  • Cars details with backfire, headlights with lens flares, deformable tyres.
  • Specific mod UI, to be downloaded and installed separately.
Physics
  • Accurate car physics, created in collaboration with Gentlemen Racers physics team, with help from real teams and drivers.
  • Up to date rF2 physics features for all cars.
Sounds
  • Accurate and detailed sounds for all cars and engines.
  • Up to date rF2 sounds features for all cars

WORK IN PROGRESS (not included in build 1.00)

  • Dynamic dirt on cars.
  • Tire new CPM model.
  • Damage fine tuning (Not correctly yet implemented in rF2).
  • Animated wipers in cockpit (Not correctly yet implemented in rF2).
  • Heat effects.
  • FuelMixture.

Enduracers V1.00 Release 4.jpg



EnduRacers Version 1.00 is available to download now. Check out the rFactor 2 downloads section here and keep an eye out on the EnduRacers website for more information about projects from the team.

The rFactor 2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment is the place to go for all the latest news and discussions regarding the rFactor 2 simulation. We are placing a bit of a focus on the EnduRacers V1.00 mod in the coming weeks, so check out our League and Club Racing forum for some top quality events with this excellent new mod. As well as racing and news, we also host some of the best mods for rFactor 2 in our downloads section, head over and take a look at some of the content, skins, apps and mods available for the game today.

Enduracers V1.00 Release 3.jpg Enduracers V1.00 Release 4.jpg Enduracers V1.00 Release 5.jpg Enduracers V1.00 Release 6.jpg Enduracers V1.00 Release 7.jpg Enduracers V1.00 Release 8.jpg

Have you tried the EnduRacers V1.00 mod for rFactor 2 yet? What do you think of the work done by EnduRacers Modding Team and Gentlemen Racers? Let us know in the comments section below!
 
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It didn't feel like rF1 to me, for example, I already ported one car from EEC GT3 to rF2 and it really felt like Automobilista with a better FFB. But Enduracers? Not really, it does feel different (and I'm a lot slower there :D )
 
Thanks Enduracers, I'm really liking the mod. I'm actually racing the P2 cars - normally I don't prefer these cars and just stick to GT.

So much to race (series!) in rF2 (Endurance Series, URD EGT/PX/DTM, APEX GT3, R.Megane World Trophy, Celica IMSA GTO, Historic Eve/Spark, Camaro Cup, Nascar, V8 Supercars, ...) so little time! And then there's R3E, I need to retire ;)
 
Yes it is. And IMO if you are an endurance fan you should only buy this mod for rF2 since it's the only sim that will give you a proper experience on this kind of race
I do only occasionally run the URD modded cars in Assetto Corsa (I have the EGT and PX mods for Assetto Corsa, which simulate the endurance racing classes of GTE and LMP1+2).
… occasionally only because I am enjoying racing GT3 class (which is very well covered by Kunos cars) and currently the vintage Porsche racers so much that the URD cars get little use.

Lets state this:
If you are a fan of endurance racing and have any interest in these classes of racing cars then at all means you should get at the very least the PX mod (currently in development and a pre release can be purchases and used).
The LMP1 hybrid cars are absolutely astonishing and there is no other way to run the Porsche 919 hybrid, Audi R18 hybrid and Nissan LMP1 hybrid on this quality level currently.
There is also a model of the 2016 Toyota LMP1 hybrid in development - I hope it is pre released soon!

It is a must have for anyone into this type of racing. Granted, currently the mod is not without issues but the developer is really working hard and updates are coming regularly with constant improvements (this is especially important with Assetto Corsa and its regular behavior of breaking sound effects of mod cars with AC updates).

The quality of the cars is not on Kunos extremely high level but way above average when it comes to mod cars and well worth the small cost in my opinion.
Unfortunately the multi class racing against AI in Assetto Corsa does not work properly (faster cars simply get stuck behind slower cars and create pile ups) - I am actually so keen not getting this multi class racing working that I probably will get the URD packages for RF2 as well at some point.
Is the URD prototype mod released now? I saw "PX rFactor2 Pre-order" on their website and assumed it wasn't ready yet.
If I'm for example only interested in GT class, will I be able to join servers that run both prototype and GT if I only bought EGT mod?
Thanks.
 
The PX is available as beta when you buy it, so for example the Toyota is still WIP and other cars improved from time to time but it is enough for some good online and offline races already.
Don't know how rF2 behaves when you don't have a car in the pack, no idea if it will cause mismatch or just load the temporary car
 
No, you'll need the content that is use by the server.
The PX is available as beta when you buy it, so for example the Toyota is still WIP and other cars improved from time to time but it is enough for some good online and offline races already.
Don't know how rF2 behaves when you don't have a car in the pack, no idea if it will cause mismatch or just load the temporary car
Thanks. The packs are still a bit more expensive than I am willing to pay with a happy face (especially when I probably will purcahse for both RF2 and AC), but I guess people are meant to spend some money on stuff at the end of year.
 
I do only occasionally run the URD modded cars in Assetto Corsa (I have the EGT and PX mods for Assetto Corsa, which simulate the endurance racing classes of GTE and LMP1+2).
… occasionally only because I am enjoying racing GT3 class (which is very well covered by Kunos cars) and currently the vintage Porsche racers so much that the URD cars get little use.

Lets state this:
If you are a fan of endurance racing and have any interest in these classes of racing cars then at all means you should get at the very least the PX mod (currently in development and a pre release can be purchases and used).
The LMP1 hybrid cars are absolutely astonishing and there is no other way to run the Porsche 919 hybrid, Audi R18 hybrid and Nissan LMP1 hybrid on this quality level currently.
There is also a model of the 2016 Toyota LMP1 hybrid in development - I hope it is pre released soon!

It is a must have for anyone into this type of racing. Granted, currently the mod is not without issues but the developer is really working hard and updates are coming regularly with constant improvements (this is especially important with Assetto Corsa and its regular behavior of breaking sound effects of mod cars with AC updates).

The quality of the cars is not on Kunos extremely high level but way above average when it comes to mod cars and well worth the small cost in my opinion.
Unfortunately the multi class racing against AI in Assetto Corsa does not work properly (faster cars simply get stuck behind slower cars and create pile ups) - I am actually so keen not getting this multi class racing working that I probably will get the URD packages for RF2 as well at some point.

Couldn't agree more
 
Yes it is. And IMO if you are an endurance fan you should only buy this mod for rF2 since it's the only sim that will give you a proper experience on this kind of race
I may agree, even though the only URD mod I have in both AC and rF2 is the T5 (DTM). I'm not a fan of the AC T5 mod but love it in rF2. I'm hesitant to buy the URD EGT and PX for AC as it may not feel like they do in rF2. In addition, it's hard to beat the AI in rF2.
 
It's mainly because of features, only GTR2 and rF2 can give you a real endurance feeling with weather and day/night cycle, specially those 24 hour races so you can save and resume at some point, it's a shame sims aren't advancing as they should :thumbsdown:
 
I may agree, even though the only URD mod I have in both AC and rF2 is the T5 (DTM). I'm not a fan of the AC T5 mod but love it in rF2. I'm hesitant to buy the URD EGT and PX for AC as it may not feel like they do in rF2. In addition, it's hard to beat the AI in rF2.
I have the URD EGT and PX for AC the Revlution_v6( Rebllion R-One) and Darche PX1(Porsche 919 Hybrid) are the cars i drive the most in AC. To me it was definitely worth the money but i do not have rfactor 2 so i cannot compare the mod between rfactor 2 and Assetto Corsa.
 
You see, this is what they mean about it not being worth it anymore.

Tragic.

I think the probem is that too many people are on the forums trashing things, and not enough people are on the forums liking things (because they are using those things!!!)

So, I dropped by for some reason and I want to say thank you,thank you,thank you to Enduracers and Gentlemen Racers for this mod. I'm loving it, and I'm hosting an Endurance championship as well
 
WOW!:D Never thought i could start such a "fire" with one simple post... everyone who knows me should know that i'm not like this...
Well..now about the truth... I'm really thanking the guys from Enduracers. It's a great mod.. eventhough i'm still a bit disappointed... even though after such a big announcement would be a bit more than this. Tested it with he whole crew and cars seem to hover over the ground and are feeling like hovering. Settings don't matter for this. about 13 people confirmed this problem. It also feels a bit floaty, FFB wise... i hope this get's fixed as well as the rather bad graphics of the mod including the skins and it will be a Great mod! and to the guys who said show something of rf1... i even have screens from RDLMS S3 with the enduracers mod on rF1 ;) Here's an example:
9242828_orig.jpg

9216341_orig.jpg
38130_orig.jpg

For me this looks just better than rF2 :p

Edit:
Just made a screen in rF2... Sebring with Enduracers...:
juYhdjJ.jpg

(rF2 Maxed out settings) I mean yeah, it's a ported track so don't whatch that BUT where is the difference between the cars appart of the livery? and what looks better? :p
 
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