RaceRoom Racing Experience January Update Released

[Paul Jeffrey]

Sector3 Studios have today deployed a new update to RaceRoom Racing Experience, adding plenty of nice fixes and improvements to the in game AI.

Although we've had one or two hotfix updates already in the new calendar year, today marks the first major build release for RaceRoom Racing Experience in 2018, and the developers appear to have been hard at work over the festive season brining yet more improvements to the multiplayer experience and the all important game AI - rapidly developing into one of the finer examples of artificial intelligence in the sim racing marketplace.

Of course the most prominent news from the latest update will be the release of the Road America circuit (more details HERE), however one shouldn't be too quick to overlook the importance of some of the features in the change log below. Despite the intentions of Sector3 to take a more active approach to online competitions in the years ahead, the Swedish developers are doing a very impressive job of building what is turning out to be a rather impressive AI experience, improving considerably over previous editions back in early 2017 and before, making RaceRoom a very strong contender for one of the most robust single player experiences in sim racing today..


January 2018 Change Log:

• Multiplayer - Garage assignment should now result in a lot less spawning inside several other cars.
• Multiplayer - Fixed for a second time the gear selection that resets on starting grid after everyone is ready (aka “the Franconen bug”)
• Multiplayer - Fixed a case where a close finish between two players with latency (ping) higher than the gap between their cars would result in one of them not registering the race finish and allowed one more lap.
• AI - Further improved spatial awareness
• AI - AI cars now embark varying amount of fuel in practice and qualify sessions.
• AI - Improved their pitstop strategy decisions (starting fuel, number of stops)
• AI - AI drivers now have a random performance factor to avoid having always the same AI’s winning most championships.
• AI - Nordschleife Tourist AI cars finishing a lap now longer remain idle in the parking area.
• Thrustmaster - Updated API version / Added support for leds and automated the fetching of the wheel range
• Removed the Pitstop cancel button if the player is in the pitlane to prevent mistakes.
• Pit menu navigation - “Menu Up” and “Menu Down” commands no longer wrap vertically
• Further improved performance when changing values on the car setup screen.

Sound, Physics & AI:

• Porsche 911 GT3 R - External sounds improvements
• Porsche Cayman GT4 CS - Reduced lift off oversteer (engine braking)
• GTR3 Car class - BOP adjustments. Leaderboards were cleared.
• WTCC 16/17 - More stability in the rear, reduced braking power. Also reduced the domination of Citroen by AI.
• Audi TT cup - AI has been slowed down
• Ford GT1 - Gearbox is now properly marked as sequential
• Saleen S7R - Gearbox is now properly marked as sequential
• Formula RaceRoom 2 - Now has a maximum steerlock
• Zandvoort - AI strength adjusted

Art:

• Chevrolet Daytona Prototype - Fixed a very bright cockpit when looking at a certain LOD level of the car
• Porsche 991 GT3 Cup - Fixed missing labels / texture on the steering wheel

For more from the new Road America release, don't forget to check out our reveal article and exclusive gameplay footage HERE.

RaceRoom Racing Experience is available exclusively to PC on a free to play platform with additional content available at a further cost.

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Have you tried the new update yet? What are your impressions of the latest AI revisions? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Neils on Wheels]

Further improved spatial awareness
I'm hoping this resolve my issue, will splash out on the Porsches & new track if so.

 

[T04STY]

Does anyone know what did change on which cars?

 

[Andy_J]

I already did a quick stint on RA and the AI did seem to more aware and not just suicidal on me. More testing req'd from me I think.

 

[M-Bimmer]

We’re all spoiled brats thanks to sector 3

 

[Paul Bennett]

AI good in WTC , still it bit rough in DTM but at least you can race now. RRE back on the menu

 

[dave kirk]

I love the FX-17 and I am quite fast with it, I typically have to set the AI to around 110-115% depending on the track, the is this means in certain places they are just faster and as a result, the first 2 laps of a race in this car are a shunt fest, ramming into the back of me all the time

 

[Neils on Wheels]

I already did a quick stint on RA and the AI did seem to more aware and not just suicidal on me. More testing req'd from me I think.

Ai still psychotic for me, i give up with it.

 

[Steve Worrell]

Realistic mechanical damage.... why does this not exist in this sim....

 

[UMC 22]

Realistic mechanical damage.... why does this not exist in this sim....

I expect because there are more important things to be working on. I wonder if we'll ever see a patch release thread where people talk about the patch, instead of posting their personal wishlists of what could/should/would have been in there?

 

[Paul Bennett]

For adaptive AI delete this file it will reset on start up, I found this at Sector 3 forum,

Documents\My Games\SimBin\RaceRoom Racing Experience\UserData\Player1

aiadaptation.xml.

 

[Emerson Meyer]

Realistic mechanical damage is overrated...

 

[RufGTI]

I like the changes that come with this update but nethertheless in general I'm not satified with how the sim developed through the last 2-3 years. Of course we've got enough new cars and tracks (in my opinion) but there has been a huge lack of new ideas. Of course changing a game that is in development for years isn't easy but Assetto Corsa or even rF2 have shown what's possible in such a long time. Where's the offline multiclass racing, where's the iRacing-like mode announced over a year ago with nothing to be revealed yet, what about GTR3/UE4? I really like the SimBin/Sector 3 guys with the Race series being my first sim but R3E with it's infinitely long Beta status is never going to be my favourite.

 

[UMC 22]

Where's the offline multiclass racing, where's the iRacing-like mode announced over a year ago with nothing to be revealed yet, what about GTR3/UE4?

Perhaps you need to keep more up to date with the latest news? Two of those things are being worked on and are due fairly soon. GTR3 is not S3 and therefore not their responsibility to talk about. UE4 was mentioned recently, but as something that "may" happen, not "definitely will".

 

[T04STY]

Perhaps you need to keep more up to date with the latest news? Two of those things are being worked on and are due fairly soon. GTR3 is not S3 and therefore not their responsibility to talk about. UE4 was mentioned recently, but as something that "may" happen, not "definitely will".

And multiclass offline is in the final steps and a ranking system like iracing will come pretty soon, too. It even was officially announced on RSR.

 

[Davy Jones]

And multiclass offline is in the final steps and a ranking system like iracing will come pretty soon, too. It even was officially announced on RSR.

Yes, I think in Georg Ortner's preview of Road America on YouTube he ran a multiclass race against AI. I had not known this was coming, will be a nice feature

 

[Nick Gregory]

Did a couple of races with the AI. I did not die once, so that's some real improvement. They still should not be toyed with as they will stick their nose in if you give them an inch.

 

[Vangelis Parginos]

These are the changes at the gt3 class

Audi R8 LMS - Add power
Audi R8 LMS Ultra - Add power
Bentley Continental - Small downforce increase front
BMW M6 - Improved low end power, and reduced downforce
BMW Z4 - Add power
Chevrolet Camaro - Reduce weight
Corvette C6 Z06.R - Increase drag, small decrease downforce, reduce power
Corvette C7 GT3-R - reduce power
Ford GT - Less rear, more front downforce
McLaren 650S - Add power
McLaren MP4-12C - Add power
Mercedes SLS - Reduce power
Nissan GTR - Reduce power
P4-5 - Add power
Porsche GT3R - Reduced power
RUF RT12R - Reduced power

Posted by Alex Hodgkinson at sector3 forums.

 

[PsyaNyde]

Ahh man me corvette's had a kickin', lol

 

[Erik Frisen]

Love the update! My top patch note is "AI - AI drivers now have a random performance factor to avoid having always the same AI’s winning most championships"
The AI is best in class to me. I've run a few DTM championships with 1hr races and I've had such amazing battles with AI. Also the best for multiplayer league racing. Definitely my number one for racing. My only complaint with raceroom is the older physics like GTR-X drive like a boat. But all the newish content drives wonderfully.