New era of e-motorsport

[Slawomir Judek]

Without a doubt we are going to face soon one of the biggest changes in simracing history. Actually, the history isn't that long because simracing games with multiplayer mode have been on the market from not more than 20 years.

The release of Rfactor 2 and Assetto Corsa gives us, without a doubt, new opportunities in terms of gameplay, tyre model, physics, immersion and many other aspects directly or indirectly related to the motor sport. The question is: do the people really want to move forward in terms of difficulty, realism, immersion and complexity of all the proccess and things which are present now and would be even more difficult in the future?

Before I write down my thoughts I would like to highlight that I would like to see at least one serie which does everything possible to be as close to the reality as possible. The best situation would be if something similar to the FIA would be created (an organisation where there would be several different series like open wheelers, touring cars, GT cars and so on). All my thoughts are related to this one serie or virtual FIA organisation, not to all series, leagues etc.!

Things related to gameplay

Will we see drivers who behave like in real life or at least closer to the reality? What I mean is the end of ESC button and crashes mainly. All rules we have in real life serie could be implemented to the game as well, for instance speeding in pitlane = penalty, heavy crash = end of a session or very long repair and so on. The main issue in my opinion is that drivers are carefree because if they crash heavily they press a button and can start again from the pits. It's impossible to have 100% realism (lack of g-forces, etc.) but there should be a possibilty to get as close to it as possible.

Things related to motor sport

In my opinion e-sport could be something similar to what we have in real life. What I mean by that is there should be sponsors and money involved in e-sport. Of course, not amount of money we have in real life but at least decent sums of money for teams, drivers, race engineers, etc. Thus quality of driving, broadcasting and all other things could be much better. I repeat again, it wouldn't be for all. Only for those who treat simracing very seriously and I think for amateurs only. I mean amateurs and pro drivers shouldn't race together. So, the point is money. It's not a secret that when money is involved people behave differently. However, I think it could be good for everybody because it could create new possibilities in simracing.

 

[Marco Bijl]

Edited your post to have the standard layout and format.

Further its a nice thought. I am not sure I fully agree, and do have some doubts in relation to the money part.
First, we have that already. Take IRacing for instance. No ownership of a game, just a license to drive. Pay for that, and you can. Pay a lot actually, if you want to keep up with everything.
Result however is NOT a crashfree and esc free game. Sure, people tent to drive a bit more careful perhaps, but its not as bright as your thoughts make it seem.
Further, its no secret that, if money is involved, people will come who have no bindings to simracing, don't care about the "sport/hobby", and just see dollar signs. Investors, people who just want to get rich, the kind of people you do NOT want to have around if you are looking for quality, which is what you are if I understand all right.

Last, I think that what it is you are looking for, is present in the major communities. Leagues driven on sites as RD, (but there are more around who have decent/good standards) have a total different kind of drivers around. There, it gets much more professional. The communitie owners/admins are the inspecting authority, who can create an evironment you are looking for.

In terms of public, online racing. I think you are never going to get what you describe there. I do not think that is what you should want either, as I think there are a lot of people there who enjoy what they do. Its a step up to the "real" sim racing imo.

 

[Slawomir Judek]

Thanks Marco for the respond.

First, we have that already. Take IRacing for instance. No ownership of a game, just a license to drive. Pay for that, and you can. Pay a lot actually, if you want to keep up with everything.
Result however is NOT a crashfree and esc free game. Sure, people tent to drive a bit more careful perhaps, but its not as bright as your thoughts make it seem.

You understood me wrong. I wanted to say that teams sign contracts with drivers, race engineers etc. and pay them. Teams are looking for sponsors who give money and have a good place for advertise its products. And so on. I'm not talking about a membership.

Further, its no secret that, if money is involved, people will come who have no bindings to simracing, don't care about the "sport/hobby", and just see dollar signs.

Still the most important factor is a driver. What serious team would like to have a driver with no bindings to simracing who only wants to get rich?

In terms of public, online racing. I think you are never going to get what you describe there. I do not think that is what you should want either, as I think there are a lot of people there who enjoy what they do. Its a step up to the "real" sim racing imo.

I don't even want to "touch" public, on-line racing. Magiority of people treats it as a game, and it's fine. I don't want to participate in such a race, though. I just want to have another, smaller and more hermetic (I hope I used the proper word) association. It could live its own life.

 

[Mickael Folcher]

The problem is actually you can be one of the best driver/team in the world, if you don't use some dirty tips (or no realistic at all) with the settings of the wheel/game/computer, you can't win a top level.

The best solution is a competition in LAN with computer and steering wheels gived by partners and nothing coming from a member of a team.

And that's not for today or tomorrow.

 

[Marco Bijl]

You understood me wrong. I wanted to say that teams sign contracts with drivers, race engineers etc. and pay them. Teams are looking for sponsors who give money and have a good place for advertise its products. And so on. I'm not talking about a membership.

Have you seen the STC? There are teams there, who have had official driver presentations on race tracks. Official teams, with official team drivers, and official team sponsers.
However, as in for example soccer, this is just for the elite in the game. Only those few (21 just about per country of thousends of soccer players) make it to the national team. The majority, like you and me I think, are just doing it on a just=have-fun level.

Still the most important factor is a driver. What serious team would like to have a driver with no bindings to simracing who only wants to get rich?

Eh, if he is really good, I think just about any team with a strong desire to win. Serious can be interpreted in many ways....

I don't even want to "touch" public, on-line racing. Magiority of people treats it as a game, and it's fine. I don't want to participate in such a race, though. I just want to have another, smaller and more hermetic (I hope I used the proper word) association. It could live its own life.

[/quote]
To me, the public driving is indeed (to stick with the soccer example), the guys in the neigbourhoud, kicking some balls against the garage door on the parking. The bottom level of the game.


So, in fact, all you ask for is already there. But as in real life sports, the top is for the best of the best only....

The problem is actually you can be one of the best driver/team in the world, if you don't use some dirty tips (or no realistic at all) with the settings of the wheel/game/computer, you can't win a top level.

The best solution is a competition in LAN with computer and steering wheels gived by partners and nothing coming from a member of a team.

And that's not for today or tomorrow.

I disagree strongly there. I know a lot of people who are really fast and on top level, who just do their thing. Nothing sneaky, nothing dirty, they are just unbelievable fast. Yes, with a lot of money you can buy a very good simulater setup, but I also know people who litterlay drive circles around me on track, with a game pad. They just have talent

 

[Mickael Folcher]

And I talk about top level. I know what I'm talking about.

 

[Miroslav Davidovic]

The Idea itself of something like a virtual FIA is great IMO but it would require an enormous amount of work lol. (even without money involved and sponsors)

But benefits would be great, like some general rules for each series and class (race length, racing rules and so on) and independent leagues could apply to those rules or not.
The best guys of those leagues could fight then for an "virtual international" title.

There are sure more benefits but like I said a hell of a work lol.

 

[Xavier de Carvalho]

I like the idea of a Sim-Racing governing body, it will make things a lot more organized etc. As a team-owner, i must say sponsorship does sound nice, but you have to think about what we are being paid for, is it really worth it for a company to sponsor a sim-racing team at this given moment in time? We (the teams) haven't got much to gain from sponsorship at the moment, we can't use money to develop our cars or build fancy facilities etc. The only things that can be sponsored to the teams at the moment are things like: Wheels, Sim-Rigs, Websites, Skins, Sims, and maybe entrance into paid leagues. You see there is very little to gain from team sponsorship right now, but i can definitely see the need for team sponsorship becoming more and more in the future. Sim-Racing just needs to grow a little more.

 

[Marco Bijl]

Well, I still have my reservations with a FIA like organization. Let me try to explain why.

Current situation.
At the moment, there are a lot of communities like Racedepartment around. All those places host different events, with in some cases different rules as well. In basics, each community can be seen as the FIA in real life, for their own community, and their own races. So, as here on RD, you have a basic set of rules that go for each championship, a basic way of setting up a league or string of events, and a basic way of communication. Now details might differ per league or event, but the general idea is the same for all. Controlled, as you requested.

Proposed situation.
All those sites are still here, however, they all have to comply with the VirtualFIA rules. So, no more difference in race formats and lengts. Most probably, a seperation will occur, between "official" VFIA sites, and non-VFIA's.

Now, in the current situation, you can look for the community that suits you best, and join there. That way, you have your controlled instatute (the site owners/staff), who can make the basic outlines. The outlines are known to you, and you agree to them, as you choose this site to be part of.
In the proposed situation, it's the VFIA way, or the Highway. So, if you are NOT driving at top level (as about 99% of all virtual drivers does), you are still forced to comply there. In the end, this will cause people to give up, quit, and go to a bar and drink themself as drunk as.. well, you know what I mean .

Simracing itself should be open to all and everyone IMO. With the current setup
(Public racing - Just fun,
Community racing - For those who take it serious,
STC or FSR like leagues - For the pro's)
there is something for all.

I am not hoping for another controlling instance, that totally destroys the fun in a certain form of sports.

 

[Xavier de Carvalho]

I agree with you Marco Bijl, the governing body would probably cause a few problems. Like I said though, Sim-Racing needs to grow just a little bit more before all this stuff is really needed. At the moment, what we have works.

 

[Miroslav Davidovic]

The only things that can be sponsored to the teams at the moment are things like: Wheels, Sim-Rigs, Websites, Skins, Sims, and maybe entrance into paid leagues.

TBH that would be more than enough for me.

In the proposed situation, it's the VFIA way, or the Highway. So, if you are NOT driving at top level (as about 99% of all virtual drivers does), you are still forced to comply there. In the end, this will cause people to give up, quit, and go to a bar and drink themself as drunk as.. well, you know what I mean .

Simracing itself should be open to all and everyone IMO. With the current setup
(Public racing - Just fun,
Community racing - For those who take it serious,
STC or FSR like leagues - For the pro's)

I think alone the fact that you mention that already now shows that there would also be a place for people which don't take it that serious. Like in real live where we have amateur series or gentlemen drivers.
Public races would stay I think, there is no way to force people not to do that.
Also I think there would be enough leagues which would also run their own rules.

The biggest problem which I see here with a vFIA is the amount of needed work and the human nature.
We as humans often have different opinions and we sim racers even more so.
I am sure after a time because of that the vFIA would split up into more tiny organizations like in real live in boxing. At the end we would have more or less the same like we have now but with some kind of official titles I think.

Non then less it would be cool to have it.
It would be a nice promotion for sim racing in general.