rF2 January Update Details Plenty of Interesting Details for the Future

[Paul Jeffrey]

Leaving it to the very last minute once again, Studio 397 have released an interesting insight into the world of the immediate future for rFactor 2.

Forming part of a monthly community update from the Dutch development team, Januarys ‘Development Roadmap’ posting contains plenty of interesting details that should pique the interest of many within the sim racing community.

Those in the know are sure to acknowledge rF2 has come a long way in the graphics department over the last 12 months, although plenty is still to do if they wish to rival their immediate sim racing rivals, and it appears that the ambitious development team have now started to turn some much needed attention to increasing the performance of the simulation – something that is sure to be well received by many players who’ve suffered from inconsistent framerates and occasional micro stutter since moving over to DX11 early last year.

Welcome as the new desire to find more horsepower from under the hood is, Studio397 are also very much aware of the need to continue expanding the library of content and features available in the simulation, a piece of software that historically has relied on community made mod content to flesh out the different series and tracks of the title. As we continue to push on into 2018, S397 have confirmed the first piece of free content to be added to the sim will be a digital version of the Portland International Raceway, set to debut in rFactor 2 later this year. Unlike the latest Formula E and GT3 Power Pack DLC, Portland will be added to the simulation for no additional cost – which is a nice touch and shows S397 remain committed to expanding the core simulation offering whilst simultaneously moving into the paid DLC marketplace for the larger scale releases.

Other points of interest from the roadmap include hints towards more laser scanned circuits in future, updates to the in game HUD options (a vast improvement too!) and other interesting developments centred around the world of racing karts…

You can read the full roadmap release below:

Welcome to the January 2018 roadmap. We’re really excited about what this year will bring. Our internal roadmap has been setup and it features lots of cool content, updates and technical improvements. So let’s get started!

Welcome to rFactor 2 trailer
First of all, we have a brand new trailer for rFactor 2. We hope you like it! (see top of post)

Performance
We’ve had a lot of feedback from some of our users about the graphics performance of the simulation. Over the last months we have improved the fidelity of the DX11 graphics a lot, but partially due to the fact that we still had to support the DX9 engine for every update, we did not yet take full advantage of some of the things DX11 could do. When investigating some of the reports we got, we decided it was time to start making some fundamental improvements to the engine. We are still working on that, but internal builds are looking promising, so we hope to have more news about that soon.

Content

With the release of our GT3 Power Pack and our Formula E Energize Pack last year we are looking forward to bringing you great car and track content this year. With that we are pleased to announce that we have signed a license with Portland International Raceway which will be released for free later this year and ahead of the labor day race. The track has an incredible history having been developed out of the remnants of the City of Vanport. At 1.97 miles, the track has hosted several senior racing events most notably Champ Car and Indycar with the lap record by the late Justin Wilson of 57.597.

We are also working at completing the promised update to the Zandvoort track, adding the latest resurfacing changes as well as a change to one of the turns that was done before the last DTM race. Our expectation is to have that done somewhere towards the end of the first quarter and we will keep you informed about its progress.

HUD
Our updated HUD is currently in final testing and will be added in the next code update we are going to release. Last month we already talked a bit about some of the new data we’ve made available, and this is probably a good time to talk a bit about the new HUD design. As we already said it is still based on our existing technology, but we’ve redesigned it from scratch to look more modern. This means we designed it for the screen resolution that is currently used, and updated the font to conform to our new styling. We have tried to go for a HUD that features all the data, but with the least possible duplication. The most important things remain on screen all the time, some lesser needed data is available in the different pages of the multi-function display (MFD). On top of that we have tried to ensure that the data we display is accurate enough for people to use when driving. Some highlights include the new “deltabest” bar and digital display at the top, as well as the fuel left and fuel used on the last lap indications at the bottom of the screen. The screenshot is still a work in progress, so some details might still change, but this will give you an impression on what we’re testing now.

KartSim
In a couple of weeks from now, KartSim will release a consumer version of their content on Steam. All of it will run inside rFactor 2 and can be mixed and matched with our other content. The majority of that content will be paid, however they are also looking at doing a free indoor track. KartSim will include the x30 kart models and three laser (Lidar) scanned kart tracks: Paul Fletcher International Circuit, Buckmore Park International Circuit and Glan Y Gors Championship Circuit. This pack will be around 20 euros. There will also be a version geared to the professional karting market (KartSim Pro) which includes more tracks and karts and includes and entry into the British eSports Karting Championship. It will cost 395 UK Pounds plus VAT and will only be available via KartSim.

Third Party Support
As we have spoken about in the past, we are ready to support third parties that wish to publish items via our store with the official licenses and agreements in place. Please do contact us via Discord or start a conversation with us on the forum for more information.

Laser Scanning
Finally, we are proud to announce that a few days ago we have successfully scanned our first track with professional LIDAR equipment. We’ll keep you guys in suspense a little bit longer about which track this will be, but needless to say we are very excited to work with such data to produce a very accurate rendition of this track.

rFactor 2 is available exclusively for PC from Steam now.

Check out the rFactor 2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment for all the latest news and discussion with regards to the simulation. You can take part in lively debates with fellow rFactor 2 fans and take part in some great Club and League racing events..! Head over to the forum now and share the love this simulation so very much deserves...

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Do you like the sound of the contents from this latest roadmap? What of the announced content / improvements are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[DaVeX↯]

explain why rF2 to you is only worth 12€!

Personal tastes I think, nothing we can do...

 

[SunBro]

I expected much more from the hud but... to be honest... anything is better than the "coming to you straight from 2005" hud we have now.

 

[Terry Rock]

Improvements from S397 for those willing to continue with RF2 are welcomed.
They have to make money to continue development and pay workers so prices reflect that.
I personally hate what ISI did.
They asked those of us who were on a regular year-by-year subscription to commit to lifetime then handed it over to somebody else to finish.
I paid for multiplayer through the life of the sim.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to join a multiplayer race in almost a year.
It's absolutely fu**ed up.
Where are the servers I paid for by virtue of a lifetime membership?

 

[John-Eric Saxén]

Improvements from S397 for those willing to continue with RF2 are welcomed.
They have to make money to continue development and pay workers so prices reflect that.
I personally hate what ISI did.
They asked those of us who were on a regular year-by-year subscription to commit to lifetime then handed it over to somebody else to finish.
I paid for multiplayer through the life of the sim.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to join a multiplayer race in almost a year.
It's absolutely fu**ed up.
Where are the servers I paid for by virtue of a lifetime membership?

Lifetime is just a metaphor, it only means you won't have to pay a yearly sum to play it. There is no such thing as "lifetime" in gaming industry unless we talk about a cat's or dog's life. In fact rF2 has been supported for six years now, which is probaly three times longer than the average game.

 

[Terry Rock]

Lifetime is just a metaphor, it only means you won't have to pay a yearly sum to play it. There is no such thing as "lifetime" in gaming industry unless we talk about a cat's or dog's life. In fact rF2 has been supported for six years now, which is probaly three times longer than the average game.

We can go around and around in circles with folks making excuses.
The bottom line is, we were asked to pay a lifetime subscription for the ability to use multiplayer for the duration of Rfactor2's existence.
That is not happening for me.
Rfactor2... regardless of who's continuing its develop, is still Rfactor2.
It's not some other game.
I'm not into bullsh*t specifics or lying to myself.
Some folks may do that....I don't.

 

[gianlucaP]

ì

 

[Emery]

It may seem ludicrous but there are plenty of people still on Windows XP, often times it's the "over 50" crowd who built their PCs over a decade ago and rarely upgrade, maybe getting a graphics card instead of full rebuild.

Hey, hey, hey! Go easy there on this old man!

[At least I'm on Windows 10 and the PC build dates from 2011-12 with a GTX 1080]

 

[DaVeX↯]

Lifetime...no progress...etc etc
Well, let's see it this way...you have it on Steam, someday when it will reach a good state you will play it and like it...no matter if civilization as we know will be dead in the meantime...

 

[2stains]

It can look surprisingly good and immersive maxed out at 4K / 60 fps (Uber graphics card required alert) and even can sometimes give Project Cars 2 a run for its money (and rF2 has less aliasing). But it's true that lighting / coloring choice may not please everyone as it seems to rely quite a bit on post processing effects and something similar to Reshade.

rF2 looks quite a bit better than pC2 in VR!
The clarity at distance is a clear winner for rF2 and the less aliasing and jaggies make rF2 just look so much better also.
Not sure what SMS did wrong with pC2 but it's visuals are just horrible.
Bring on performance improvements and rF2 settings will be able to go higher making it look even better.

 

[Alex72]

I expected much more from the hud but... to be honest... anything is better than the "coming to you straight from 2005" hud we have now.

You are a beta tester and have seen the new UI that isnt released yet?

 

[SunBro]

View attachment 233550

You are a beta tester and have seen the new UI that isnt released yet?

Nope. I just made a quick judgement from that hud screenshot. It looks clean but not modern.

 

[hitm4k3r]

We can go around and around in circles with folks making excuses.
The bottom line is, we were asked to pay a lifetime subscription for the ability to use multiplayer for the duration of Rfactor2's existence.
That is not happening for me.
Rfactor2... regardless of who's continuing its develop, is still Rfactor2.
It's not some other game.
I'm not into bullsh*t specifics or lying to myself.
Some folks may do that....I don't.

And you are still able to use the rF2 multiplayer or am I missing something? I understand what you are trying to say, but the argument that people lost something in the process of moving away from the subscription based model and towards Steam only is only true for very very few people - for those who missed the deadlines wich were set pretty fair tbh. If you bought the product for 80 euros at the beginning of the beta and lost touch with the development for several years it's bad luck.

A developer will certainly not please everyone with such desicions but in the grand scheme of things it's a necessary evil so that the majority of users benefits in the long perspective. I payed for lifetime aswell and I am glad that they did what they did. Supporting one version of a game on a single platform like Steam has only advantages compared to the previous system.

 

[Steve Bird]

I can see this becoming a wallet fest...............

Third Party Support
As we have spoken about in the past, we are ready to support third parties that wish to publish items via our store with the official licenses and agreements in place. Please do contact us via Discord or start a conversation with us on the forum for more information.

 

[hitm4k3r]

I can see this becoming a wallet fest...............

Third Party Support
As we have spoken about in the past, we are ready to support third parties that wish to publish items via our store with the official licenses and agreements in place. Please do contact us via Discord or start a conversation with us on the forum for more information.

And how is this a problem for you if you still have the choice to vote with your wallet? Have you ever invested hundreds of hours to create something and share it with other people? I did so and I can totaly understand if other people decide for themself to to get a little reward for their effort. Modding isn't cheap and most people have no idea how much effort is involved. A year subscription for 3DS max costs something like 2000 Euro. Now add to that the costs for Photoshop, research material and the manhours spend you get an idea how lucky we are to get as much content for free as we do. And people still think that they are in a position to demand something from modders

 

[DND]

I can see this becoming a wallet fest.............

I don't disagree however if it controls the quality of the content I am in favor of reasonably priced DLC from third party that is 'approved' by Studio 397. But just turning the mod community loose to begin charging for content would be a disaster.

 

[SunBro]

I cannot wait for the possibilities the third party support will bring. AC thrives with mods, with a little incentive for the modders, RF2 can too.

 

[David Wright]

I cannot wait for the possibilities the third party support will bring. AC thrives with mods, with a little incentive for the modders, RF2 can too.

I honestly think that ship has sailed. Rf2 had a huge head start. It launched about 18 months before AC. It had a large rF1 modding community already established, while NetKar Pro had a tiny modding community. And yet AC has become the primary racing sim mod platform.

 

[Steve Bird]

And how is this a problem for you if you still have the choice to vote with your wallet? Have you ever invested hundreds of hours to create something and share it with other people? I did so and I can totaly understand if other people decide for themself to to get a little reward for their effort. Modding isn't cheap and most people have no idea how much effort is involved. A year subscription for 3DS max costs something like 2000 Euro. Now add to that the costs for Photoshop, research material and the manhours spend you get an idea how lucky we are to get as much content for free as we do. And people still think that they are in a position to demand something from modders

Wow, now I feel like a 2 year old being told off ffs. And yes, I have invested 1000's of hours, in the past, developing maps for games like CS. Why did I do it? Because I enjoyed it. I haven't got a problem with modders being paid for producing good quality mods as long as they're reasonably priced and good quality. However, I feel that the modding community will eventually disappear and the multiplayer aspect will be diluted even more as some people will have the DLC mods and some not. Its hard enough getting a server with more than 10 players on at the moment as it is. Excuse me if you thought that I was saying that modders shouldn't be rewarded for their efforts but it will still be a wallet fest as time goes by and free mods will eventually be a rarity.

On another note, I'm sure that every modding team has a paid subscription to 3DMax rather than using a hooky copy they got off some torrent site

 

[Terry Rock]

And you are still able to use the rF2 multiplayer or am I missing something? I understand what you are trying to say, but the argument that people lost something in the process of moving away from the subscription based model and towards Steam only is only true for very very few people - for those who missed the deadlines wich were set pretty fair tbh. If you bought the product for 80 euros at the beginning of the beta and lost touch with the development for several years it's bad luck.

A developer will certainly not please everyone with such desicions but in the grand scheme of things it's a necessary evil so that the majority of users benefits in the long perspective. I payed for lifetime aswell and I am glad that they did what they did. Supporting one version of a game on a single platform like Steam has only advantages compared to the previous system.

Is this the slow class?
I've already said in numerous post that I have not been able to join multiplayer in almost a year.
I've even gone as far as to point it out in a video demonstration other people's servers, because none of the official ones seem to be listed.

Where are the dedicated S397 or ISI servers with the official content I already own, you know... the ones I supposedly paid to access effortlessly with my 'lifetime' subscription?

 

[John-Eric Saxén]

Is this the slow class?
I've already said in numerous post that I have not been able to join multiplayer.
I've even gone as far as to point it out in a video demonstration.
Where are the dedicated S397 or ISI servers with the content I already own...you know, the ones I can join effortlessly?

They were present a few months ago but taken down. I suspect because they were virtually 100% of the time empty, so was no point in having them there. League racing is where rF2 multiplayer is alive, you can forget pick-up racing. I haven't been able to enjoy pick-up multiplayer racing with rF2 since 2013.