RaceRoom | Porsche, BMW, Ningbo International & New Features!

[Paul Jeffrey]

A large new update for RaceRoom Racing Experience has been deployed - and it contains plenty of new content and feature improvements - including amongst others a first iteration of daylight progression within the system.

Surprise! The new December build update of RaceRoom Racing Experience contains more than a few new feature enhancements for the title when it dropped earlier today - with new time of day effects, a fresh look for car setup screens, various physics and AI changes and plenty more besides!

Of course the new build release is exciting stuff in its own right, however today also marks the release of some interesting new pieces of content, namely the already previewed Porsche Pack DLC #3, a nice new GT4 car from BMW, the BMW M1 Group 4 machine, the WTCR hosting Ningbo International Speedpark circuit and a free Nürburgring Grand Prix Fast Chicane layout update for owners of the circuit!

Update details:

Download size = 4.5 GB
Client version = 0.9.0.911
Client BuildID = 4480845
Dedicated server version = 56.0.1058
Dedicated server BuildID = 4480917

New content:

• GTR4 car class - Added BMW M4 GT4
• GTR4 car class - Added Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport
• GTR3 car class - Added Porsche 911 GT3 R (2019)
• Group 4 car class - Added BMW M1 Group 4
• Added a new car class - Porsche Motorsport GT2 Supersportscar, with the Porsche GT2 RS Clubsport
• Tracks - Added Ningbo International Speedpark with 5 layouts
• Tracks - Added new layout: Nürburgring Grand Prix Fast Chicane, free for all owners of the track.

Features:

• Added a first iteration of daylight progression, from morning to evening. A multiplier is available to set progression from x0 (static sun), up to x25.
• Sun position is now astronomically accurate for each of our tracks as per a typical summer solstice day.
• Dedicated server - Added possibility to set a "Message of the Day" that all players will be presented with upon joining. The message can be dismissed by pressing the brake, or leaving the pitlane. The message can be formatted using very basic html tags.
• Damage overhaul - The old settings separating Visual and Mechanical damage have been merged into just one Damage setting which can have the following values:
  - Off (cars will not take any damage)
  - Limited (this is equivalent to having both mechanical and visual damage enabled before today's update)
  - Full (Suspension can get damaged, and tyres can have flat spots after lock-ups)
• Damage model - New deformations and systems for detachables parts, cracks in windshields, etc.
• Damage model - Tyres can now get punctured from collisions or from driving off track, and the probabilities of getting a puncture increase with the wear.
• Car Setup Menu - One of our goals is to modernize the user interface and the first menu that we decided to tackle is the car setup. It is reflecting the future look and feel of the RaceRoom interface as we head into 2020.
  It is divided in three areas, the left will display some telemetry data from your last laps, the center has all the possible changes sorted into tabs, and the right side is dedicated to display helper texts and the steering settings.
• Force Feedback - Added Pneumatic Trail to the physics engine, which results in self-centering forces on corner exits.
• Force Feedback - Added Stationary Friction effects
• Global AI behavioral improvements, with car specific tweaks using a self-learning algorithm.
• Sounds - Improvements to tyre sounds (skid and scrub).
• Added an option to display opponents of other classes in the HUD position bar
• Added an option to force the HUD track map to remain static and not rotate with the player's car orientation
• Added an option to show or hide the chat messages in Multiplayer
• Added extra bindigs for Shift Up and Shift Down, allowing to mix paddles and a sequential shifter

Content updates:

• DTM 1992 - Updated physics ( Details @ Sector3 forums )
• Touring Classics - Updated physics ( Details @ Sector3 forums )
• GTR3 - Updated physics ( Details @ Sector3 forums )
• GTR4 - Updated physics ( Details @ Sector3 forums )
• Hillclimb Icons - Updated physics ( Details @ Sector3 forums )
• BMW M1 Procar - Updated physics ( Details @ Sector3 forums )
• Performance index values of all car classes have been readjusted (DTM 1992 and Touring Classics are no longer merged)
• Brands Hatch - Updated curbs, advertisement, vegetation
• Gelleråsen Arena - The last turn has been modified, but the starting grid is still located on the old stretch.
• Knutstorp - Updated with 2019 modifications
• Macau - Improved performance
• Mantorp - Updated with 2019 modifications

Fixes:

• Dedicated server no longer loses its settings when the IP address of the hosting machine changes.
• Loads of bug fixes and improvements overall

RaceRoom Racing Experience is available now exclusively on PC.


Want to learn more about the tips and tricks of RaceRoom Racing Experience? Ask a question to our awesome sim racing community at the RaceRoom Racing Experience sub forum here at RaceDepartment.

 

[2stains]

My heart skipped a beat when i read Brands Hatch update, but no, its still only the Indy track

Edit: Nice update, all the same.

There are some screenshots over in S3 forum showing the GP circuit! Apparently it wasn't possible to get the camera there previously.

 

[UMC 22]

I've deleted all my presets but the FFB just feels dead to me, there is no indication of loss of grip even though I can hear the tyres squealing. I think something must be wrong because this can't be what they wanted me to experience. This is with a TS300.

I think you're right about something being wrong (on your end), because I have the same wheel and the FFB feels better than ever since the patch. I didn't delete anything (because there's no need to), I just created a new profile to get the sims defaults for the T300. It felt pretty good. Made a few minor tweaks. Now it feels great.

The game also seems to run much more poorly after the update. I specifically race in VR and it would rarely glitch for me, but now it happens quite often.

I don't know what your specs are, but there has been no change in VR performance since the patch for me. It ran perfectly smooth with 20 AI on the grid at various tracks. That's on a 1060.

 

[Case_]

I've deleted all my presets but the FFB just feels dead to me, there is no indication of loss of grip even though I can hear the tyres squealing. I think something must be wrong because this can't be what they wanted me to experience. This is with a TS300.

The feeling of grip is somewhat sub-optimal with the new default T300 preset, at least when I compare it to the settings I was using before. But I'm pretty sure it's exactly as intended. Should be possible to dial it back, but it would take some time, so I didn't bother yet, because time is something I've been sorely lacking lately.

 

[M D Gourley]

Can somebody please make a video of Ningbo?

Not quite a Video, but some screenshots might help. Trying out 92 DTM on Ningbo Full Circuit.
FFB and the Physics car feel has definitely improved on my TS XW Racer ...well for the 92 DTM cars anyway as I was totally enjoying myself with these cars for a number of hours, so have not tried anything else...lol
The only nit pick for me personally would be the lack of contrast in the game graphics compared to others Sims I have....an in Game 'Gamma' would be nice...or I could just go into the nVidia Control Panel and Adjust Desktop Colour settings

....possibly the only thing I can see to fix would be the golf ball size rubber balls on the Track edges.

 

[EsxPaul]

What are the guys using DD wheels doing, seeing as there isn't a named "preset" one to choose?

I'm guessing we just have to make a new "default" profile and reassign all of the functions

 

[Craig Dunkley]

To be honest I was a little disappointed about the 911 GT3 R (2019) ..but not anymore, I have fallen in love again. I bought the whole lot including the track, I went with premium membership and do not regret it one bit.

Certainly a superb update

 

[UMC 22]

The only nit pick for me personally would be the lack of contrast in the game graphics compared to others Sims I have....an in Game 'Gamma' would be nice...

@M D Gourley, There is a way of tweaking brightness and contrast in R3E, but not from within the game. You edit a couple of values in the graphics settings file instead. Details here. Make sure you use something like Notepad+ so you can see the line numbers.

What are the guys using DD wheels doing, seeing as there isn't a named "preset" one to choose?

When I started R3E the first time after patching, there were a host of DD wheel presets in my controller profiles. Was this not the same for everybody? (I deleted them since I don't have a DD wheel.)

 

[dreamer al]

There are some screenshots over in S3 forum showing the GP circuit! Apparently it wasn't possible to get the camera there previously.

I tried to bash my car through the GP track area......no luck...lol. Seriously, I do not know why S3 does not include the GP version track - very frustrating.

 

[UMC 22]

Seriously, I do not know why S3 does not include the GP version track - very frustrating.

Probably licensing. Indy was included because it was part of the official DTM season. Releasing the full version would likely require a different license. Perhaps Brands want too much money for it, or perhaps someone else already has exclusive rights to the track.

 

[EsxPaul]

Thanks @Ross Garland I'm still waiting for the update to download so hopefully there will a Simucube preset waiting for me.

 

[deadsilence001]

Very very nice update! Just tried a 10 lap race around Imola with GT3s at 105% difficulty and I was really glad to see the AI improvements about awareness (no more punts on turn 1 lap 1) and physics, they are more believable when following them. I will do more tests next week but you can feel the differences in physics and FFB in a couple laps. Very good job Sector3! Think I’ll buy Ningbo soon

 

[Robes]

I think you're right about something being wrong (on your end), because I have the same wheel and the FFB feels better than ever since the patch. I didn't delete anything (because there's no need to), I just created a new profile to get the sims defaults for the T300. It felt pretty good. Made a few minor tweaks. Now it feels great.


I don't know what your specs are, but there has been no change in VR performance since the patch for me. It ran perfectly smooth with 20 AI on the grid at various tracks. That's on a 1060.

I have a 2070S! Was perfect before but now something isn't right. Same with the FFB, I even turned up the understeer setting to 50% but I still didn't get the feeling of losing grip.

 

[avenger82]

That's a nice surprise. Does anyone know when rest of Porsche DLC will be released?

 

[Will Mazeo]

Do S3 developers answer here? Would like to know if they plan to get rid of ghost cars in online racing (at least as an option)

 

[Bert Austen]

Great update this , it's a lot harder to drive now .... more realistic

 

[thepharcyde]

Probably licensing. Indy was included because it was part of the official DTM season. Releasing the full version would likely require a different license. Perhaps Brands want too much money for it, or perhaps someone else already has exclusive rights to the track.

Maybe they could add unfixable bug, where at 12:00 locked time the barriers are removed .

 

[David Faraday]

To those with t300, make sure everything is at 100 in your TM setup. Add 30 damper in game. Keep other settings as default. You have to adjust the ffb multiplier per car to feel right. For example try 1.9x on the gt3 AMG. Once you get the feeling of steering weight correct for a car you feel the understeer as quite a subtle effect. It's not dropping off a wall like it used to. It's very natural. For reference I'm a tester at S3 and we've been working on these settings really hard, once you get dialled in its really good. Lots of new information on the S3 forums.

 

[Ciccina2016]

To those with t300, make sure everything is at 100 in your TM setup. Add 30 damper in game. Keep other settings as default. You have to adjust the ffb multiplier per car to feel right. For example try 1.9x on the gt3 AMG. Once you get the feeling of steering weight correct for a car you feel the understeer as quite a subtle effect. It's not dropping off a wall like it used to. It's very natural. For reference I'm a tester at S3 and we've been working on these settings really hard, once you get dialled in its really good. Lots of new information on the S3 forums.

What about Ts-pc settings? Is the same?

 

[bgil66]

I have a TS-PC and guess I'm easily pleased. Just updated the sim, didn't touch anything and away I went felt great.

 

[UMC 22]

That's a nice surprise. Does anyone know when rest of Porsche DLC will be released?

Early next year is what we've been told.

Do S3 developers answer here? Would like to know if they plan to get rid of ghost cars in online racing (at least as an option)

They do sometimes, though you're more likely to get a response from them on the official forums.

That said, what do you mean by ghost cars? That sounds like people getting slow-down penalties for cutting the track to me, in which case they will not be removed. You can't just have cars disappearing and reappearing when they're serving a penalty.