How Do YOU Decide Which Cars/Tracks to Buy in iRacing?

[newbert]

With the wide variety of cars and tracks available on iRacing, I'm just wondering what the general thought process is in buying cars and tracks?

For example, I'm currently in mid D-class and enjoy both AI and multiplayer racing. I'm leaning towards purchasing the Skippy2000 since it's now available for AI. But then, if I want to race the Skippy in a season, how do I research which specific tracks I'd need?

Right now the only series I'm running is Mazda MX-5. The tracks it uses are all included with basic membership.

But assuming I want to "graduate" to something else, how would YOU decide what to purchase?

Thanks!
Bert

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

I suppose their business model is sound, no more no less, which is fine by me. The longer they stay in business, the longer I can use their services.

 

[Rob Every]

You really think charging people all that money just to play does not make the people that run it very well off?

If not you are living in dream world, it is a model designed for profit primarily and for gameplay and other things later.

 

[BrunoBæ]

At least you can say that iRacing was upfront when they launched a game where you had to subscribe monthly to be allowed to use it.
All other profitable SW companies have gone that way too - because thats where the money is.
Or they have adopted a semi-subscription strategy by trying to make you dependent of their mandatory "update" packs.

CatsAreTheWorstDogs: But you are right in your assumption that such strategies is probably not purely altruistic.

 

[maelstrom]

What gives you this idea? I'd bet that none of the Simracing companies developing for the PC would be classed as filthy rich, more in the camp of making enough to pay staff and keep developing content.

It's hard to find actual numbers, but it was claimed a few years ago that there were 50,000 active members. If you assume that the average monthly subscription is about $5 (incl tax), that's $250,000 per month! Hardly just "enough to pay staff and keep developing content". Or is there something I'm missing? Most sim devs would kill for that sort of income.

 

[Rob Every]

Exactly and the issues surrounding the game still exist.

yes it is very good, but for a very niche market, some aspects of it are very poorly done others are done brilliantly.

It did not suit me, and even if it did, I disagree witht he payment model so would not play it anyway.

 

[Danny O'Neill]

just my 2$,
I do like it and enjoy it especially since they introduced the ai, I also think the vr is very well implemented, it just seems to run without having to spent ages fiddling with the settings.
I've been a member on and off for a few years, I like to dip my toe in and out, but this year the wife bought me a years subscription for christmas.
So I thought i'd give it a bit more time and really try to make the most of the game. But as im still a rookie I find that I'm struggling to find the time it takes to practice and learn the tracks and all the cars, then there's the new content to buy, cars and especially the tracks.
Just to do the mazda mx 5 cup there are 12 (I think) tracks of which I have probably have two, each of these tracks cost around $15 which is around £13 so that's an extra $150 = £130 on top of the years sub then it's beginning to get a little costly and out of my range, even if I do pay for the extra content once I progress to the next season I then have to shell out again for more content that I'll need for the next season.
It's a pity because as I've said earlier I really do like it for its simplicity in its setting up, start it up and race no other fiddling compared to say ACC.
Anyway as I said just my thoughts guys.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

Spent about 500 - 700 Euros the first two years; now, in year 8, I just pay the sub since the stuff I need gets paid for by the participation credit. But I agree, the first two years are definitely costly. However, having 300 players sign into a Skip Barber race makes for extremely well matched races, so far this season the online competition has been awesome.

 

[BrunoBæ]

some aspects of it are very poorly done others are done brilliantly.

Spot on.
Just a pity that the (few) aspects that is poorly done is the most urgent ones for some.

 

[JE20]

Is there a Google doc or anything similar which has all the series that are offered and all the tracks/cars required for each series along with prices? That would be helpful as you could look at which series have the most overlapping tracks and target purchases on those tracks over time. I'm not a member but am considering it and so I'm not sure if tracks for each series change from season to season..

 

[JE20]

just my 2$,
I do like it and enjoy it especially since they introduced the ai, I also think the vr is very well implemented, it just seems to run without having to spent ages fiddling with the settings.
I've been a member on and off for a few years, I like to dip my toe in and out, but this year the wife bought me a years subscription for christmas.
So I thought i'd give it a bit more time and really try to make the most of the game. But as im still a rookie I find that I'm struggling to find the time it takes to practice and learn the tracks and all the cars, then there's the new content to buy, cars and especially the tracks.
Just to do the mazda mx 5 cup there are 12 (I think) tracks of which I have probably have two, each of these tracks cost around $15 which is around £13 so that's an extra $150 = £130 on top of the years sub then it's beginning to get a little costly and out of my range, even if I do pay for the extra content once I progress to the next season I then have to shell out again for more content that I'll need for the next season.
It's a pity because as I've said earlier I really do like it for its simplicity in its setting up, start it up and race no other fiddling compared to say ACC.
Anyway as I said just my thoughts guys.

I am considering getting ACC, what is fiddly about setting up races in it? Do you mean both online races as well as races against the AI are fiddly to set up? Apologies if these are obvious questions, but I've never played it before!

 

[JE20]

This is all about having fun. So everyone should do what works for them.

For me the money wasn't an issue and I simply got the cars that the main series were running. Initially that was a Ferrari 488 GT3 then a BMW GTE and the Porsche Cup car. Then I backfilled all the tracks I needed for the season. I also got a VRS premium subscription $99/yr to learn how to race each track since I have a lot to learn and that has helped me learn how to drive each track more competitively.

For someone who wants to learn how to drive competitively there are not many options.

What is a VRS premium subscription?

 

[RCHeliguy]

What is a VRS premium subscription?

About $100 for a year.

 

[Kurupt CDN]

Is there a Google doc or anything similar which has all the series that are offered and all the tracks/cars required for each series along with prices? That would be helpful as you could look at which series have the most overlapping tracks and target purchases on those tracks over time. I'm not a member but am considering it and so I'm not sure if tracks for each series change from season to season..

Yes, a week or so before each season iracing releases the upcoming schedule picked by the community.
Cars $11.95
Tracks $14.95

 

[Kurupt CDN]

that's $250,000 per month! Hardly just "enough to pay staff and keep developing content". Or is there something I'm missing? Most sim devs would kill for that sort of income.

Over 80+ laser scanned tracks...some of which, rumor has it cost up to $100k, the cars are all laser scanned...no idea on cost?

Flying a team to a destination to scan and takes photos is a hell of lot more expensive than sitting at desk using info from Google
(I am aware some tracks scanned data is available online)

Paying for Rent, equipment, travel cost, development time, employees salaries, licenses etc....I am sure there team is larger than most sim racing dev teams.
The part most people forget is how expensive running there servers must be.
I'd put money on it a large portion of your subscription goes towards the server cost, and where they make there money comes from content.
For a newcomer to iracing, getting the content you need IS expensive at first, yes.
But also doesn't mean the devs are making a wack of cash.
For instance, I just got into ovals this season and spent about a $150 to race in 3 series. Sounds expensive from the consumer side but isint a hell of alot from the buisness side.

The whole active members thing I truly question and could be completely wrong in my assumption. They say there are over 100k active members, yet the most I've seen online is of recent is 15k.
I would expect to see more people online regularly if they were active?
I've always assumed it was just the amount of people who have made accounts...similar to Pcars bragging about a 1 million copy sales but the daily peak is 2k at best.
If my assumption is correct regarding active accounts that $250k estimate would be much less.

I am not saying they do or don't get paid well?
But I feel one of the reasons it's made it through some rough times is the help that they are backed by a billionaire who enjoys racing.

Fellow cofounder John Henry is the principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club; he’s also an avid simracer and the co-owner of a leading NASCAR team, Roush Fenway Racing.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

If I remember correctly, an active member is someone who has joined an online event in the past three months. I may be wrong, though. If not everyone plays daily and if we consider there are three hotspots of players playing at roughly the same time (Aus/NZ/Japan/Korea - Europe - the Americas), I would consider 100,00 active members showing up as 15,000 players on a European night quite likely. Would be interesting what a maths guy would say.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

What is a VRS premium subscription?

It's a driving school you have to pay for. They offer setups and tutorials and analyzing tools. I used to profit from them handing out free setups for the Fort GT3 as hardly anyone plays it anymore. Those were really spot on. But since I usually run fixed setup series atm, I am not a customer, RCHeliguy is, though

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

I am considering getting ACC, what is fiddly about setting up races in it? Do you mean both online races as well as races against the AI are fiddly to set up? Apologies if these are obvious questions, but I've never played it before!

Setting up races against AI is very straightforward. You can either do one of the scripted events where the race length and pit stops and stuff are set like the real world events, or you can do what I do, set up your own race weekend with loads of parameters. It is done in about 3min. and works very well. Just don't set weather to changeable unless you are really good at playing in wet conditions. I lose about 4 secs a lap to the fast AI the moment the rain starts and this ruins every race. If I set a rainy race, I set the AI to less competent and everything is fine.

 

[JE20]

About $100 for a year.

I meant what is VRS?

Edit: I just saw Eckhart's explanation.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

Is there a Google doc or anything similar which has all the series that are offered and all the tracks/cars required for each series along with prices? That would be helpful as you could look at which series have the most overlapping tracks and target purchases on those tracks over time. I'm not a member but am considering it and so I'm not sure if tracks for each series change from season to season..

The communities vote on the schedules so there is quite a lot of overlap. Find the current schedule attached here. Be warned though, I spent about 700-800 Euros in my first two years to get everything going because one progresses rather quickly. However, once a certain saturation is reached (I own about 40% or so of content, 25% of that lies idle, mainly because I lost interest or couldn't deal with the difficulty, the rest is used) you basically only pay the yearly subscription and maybe 15 Euros or so on top, so roughly 10 Euros a month. I've been doing this for eight years and I can only recommend the service if you want hassle free online fun whenever you want.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

I meant what is VRS?

read my post a little above this one, #36 in this thread