rF2: Reiza DLC Updated and New Fanatec DD Wheel Profiles Released

Paul Jeffrey · Apr 30, 2019

rFactor 2 has been updated once again, this time focussing on the new Reiza Bundle DLC package of cars and tracks, plus the addition of new profiles for the latest Fanatec Direct Drive wheels.

We recently posted an article sharing some insight into the future development plans of the Reiza Bundle DLC, and at the time the Brazilian studio commented that a substantial update to the rFactor 2 content was in the works. A few short days later, that update is now live and available to download the next time you fire up your rFactor 2 installation.

Of the new content update, Reiza have spent plenty of time adding further refinements to what is already a very solid first release for the sim. Highlights from the latest build include AI improvements and audio upgrades, some enhanced visuals and a whole lot more besides. You can check out the update notes at the foot of this article.

In other rFactor 2 news, Studio 397 have taken the opportunity to release a very small update to the software that adds two new controller profiles for players to select. Supporting the brand new Direct Drive wheel range from Fanatec, the inclusion of these default profiles are indeed a very quick response from 397, and will doubtless be highly welcomed by owners of this new hardware.

Reiza Bundle DLC Update Notes:

Tracks:

Revised AIWs for all tracks in the Bundle to correct specific issues in AI performance and behaviour
Fixed problem with VIR, Imola and Ibarra exporting that could lead to road / curb texture sorting issues through the windshield of certain cars

Cars:

Upscaled skins to 4k for all cars in the Bundle (except F-Vee) & added regions to customize different type of materials
Adjusted lock range to a minimum of 10deg, and reduced default setting for slightly slower steering ratio in all cars
Adjusted Max Steering torque in all cars to reduce FFB clipping closer to rF2 standards
Adjusted default setup for all cars for a slightly more comfortable out of the box handling
Applied S397 latest sound effect samples and settings for wind, road, rumble, tyre scrub & skid to bring it closer to rF2´s standard
Adjusted engine volume levels for player and opponents to bring it closer to rF2´s current standard
Added some relevant information to default setup notes
Adjusted AI performance for better consistency accross all cars
Reduced mirror resolution to rF2´s current standard for improved cockpit performance
Adjusted head physics and cockpit vibration to rF2 current standards
Switched off previously working mirrors from external view on some cars

F-Vee

Fixed missing front suspension from cockpit view
Reduced steering rotation to 720deg

Metalmoro AJR

Added HARD tyre compound option
Fixed Chevy V8 engine startup sound
Adjusted Honda Turbo engine performance
Fixed missing front suspension in - showroom

Puma GTE

Corrected tire diameter;
Tuned engine for slightly more power
Reduced steering rotation to 720deg
Fixed showroom shadows

Puma P052

Fixed showroom reflection glow
Fixed excessive glow from brake lights
Fixed z-fighting in mirrors when running lower graphical settings
Fixed showroom shadows

MCR S2000

Fixed transparent unlit LEDs when running lower graphical settings

rFactor 2 is available exclusively for PC.

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Ghoults · May 4, 2019

Spinelli said:
Yes, adjustable is needed especially for those with wheels with little lock but I meant the default ratios.

Because it being car specific setting it makes perfect sense to have it in the car setup (if this is what this is about??). For that reason one might never need to change the setting for single seaters but if some car has really slow steering ratios then for that car that someone might want to change it to make it drivable. Having it there in setup is pretty optimal solution as it is quick to setup and check when loading and saving setups or having a quick glance before going to track. The rf2 approach is not ideal with the numbers used but in principle it is good.

Amount of lock is one reason to change the steering to be quicker. Most consumer wheels before the t300 and like were not quick enough to rotate so for that reason you may want to reduce the steering ratios so your wheel can keep up. Older fanatec, logitech and thrustmaster wheels have no hope catching a slide on their own in a car with something like 16:1 steer boxes and above for example. DD wheels can do it effortlessly and modern consumer wheels probably can do it really well too. Some people may also have just one wheel that is formula style rim which is really bad if you need to shift hands to get through slow corners.

Spinelli · May 7, 2019

Ghoults said:
Because it being car specific setting it makes perfect sense to have it in the car setup (if this is what this is about??). For that reason one might never need to change the setting for single seaters but if some car has really slow steering ratios then for that car that someone might want to change it to make it drivable. Having it there in setup is pretty optimal solution as it is quick to setup and check when loading and saving setups or having a quick glance before going to track. The rf2 approach is not ideal with the numbers used but in principle it is good.

Amount of lock is one reason to change the steering to be quicker. Most consumer wheels before the t300 and like were not quick enough to rotate so for that reason you may want to reduce the steering ratios so your wheel can keep up. Older fanatec, logitech and thrustmaster wheels have no hope catching a slide on their own in a car with something like 16:1 steer boxes and above for example. DD wheels can do it effortlessly and modern consumer wheels probably can do it really well too. Some people may also have just one wheel that is formula style rim which is really bad if you need to shift hands to get through slow corners.

I'm not really sure what you're trying to say. All I was talking about was default steering ratios. I never said there shouldn't be an option to change the ratios or that it shouldn't be in the car setup screen or any of the things you're talking about. I know that some people with slower wheels or wheels with little lock may want a faster ratio. I know/understand every thing you're talking about.- it's pretty basic stuff (I've been simracing and real racing for 15-20 years). All I'm saying is there should be no need for the default ratios to keep changing.

P.S. The whole slow wheel & and correcting slides is a partial myth that people like to go on about in simracing land. You shouldn't need the insanely over-abrupt acceleration and top-speed of a DD wheel to save a slide. If you do, then the game-makers need to work on their physics engine (over the limit behavior is pretty unrealistic in most hardcore sims). Real life wheels help a bit but if you rely on them then you will spin. It's the driver that needs to put in the effort to correct the steering. The massively unrealistically over-powered centering force of DD wheels is not realistic and deceives many simracers into believing that in real life you need some ridiculously over-powered, over-accelerative force in order to save slides when this couldn't be further from the truth. If oversteer physics were refined in most sims, the acceleration and speed of most non-DD wheels should be enough to save the vast majority of slides as it's about driver input not "automatic wheel rotation" that is most important.

Mr.Mints_Taboo · May 7, 2019

I know this is an rFactor 2 discussion but...

In the iRacing forum, the "past the limit" physics of the tyre model were being discussed, and a DD wheel user defended the tyre model when used with a DD wheel.
(https://www.racedepartment.com/thre...ge-model-improvements-new-video.167979/page-2) tlsmikey

It seems to me there is a distinct crossover with these two threads...as a t300 user, I would be interested to hear some other opinions on the correlation between DD, tyre models, over steer, countersteer, etc...

grmblfx · May 7, 2019

Mr.Mints_Taboo said:
I know this is an rFactor 2 discussion but...

In the iRacing forum, the "past the limit" physics of the tyre model were being discussed, and a DD wheel user defended the tyre model when used with a DD wheel.
(https://www.racedepartment.com/thre...ge-model-improvements-new-video.167979/page-2) tlsmikey

It seems to me there is a distinct crossover with these two threads...as a t300 user, I would be interested to hear some other opinions on the correlation between DD, tyre models, over steer, countersteer, etc...

You really? ...
ACC has an option to lower the forces by 50% using a DD wheel...
As to be real here : limiting the physics by 50% doesn’t equal doing the real thing....
Being forced to use half of the mathematical right value doesn’t shake your point a bit?
Simracers....

Mr.Mints_Taboo · May 7, 2019

grmblfx said:
You really? ...
ACC has an option to lower the forces by 50% using a DD wheel...
As to be real here : limiting the physics by 50% doesn’t equal doing the real thing....
Being forced to use half of the mathematical right value doesn’t shake your point a bit?
Simracers....

Sorry, but I don't understand what you are saying?
I haven't tried a DD Wheel, but from a post above, I get the feeling that it has a strong return-to-centre force, which in turn helps when the car starts to slide, so reducing the forces would be counter productive. My experience of iRacing is that once the car starts to slide, it is too late to save; do direct drive wheels mitigate this sudden transition from driver to passenger?

Many people claim that iracing physics are the most realistic.
Many people claim that iracing physics are the least realistic.

Is it possible that they are all correct, depending on the hardware used?

If Iracing had Rfactor physics, I would play it almost exclusively.

Ghoults · May 8, 2019

Spinelli said:
P.S. The whole slow wheel & and correcting slides is a partial myth that people like to go on about in simracing land. You shouldn't need the insanely over-abrupt acceleration and top-speed of a DD wheel to save a slide. If you do, then the game-makers need to work on their physics engine (over the limit behavior is pretty unrealistic in most hardcore sims). Real life wheels help a bit but if you rely on them then you will spin. It's the driver that needs to put in the effort to correct the steering. The massively unrealistically over-powered centering force of DD wheels is not realistic and deceives many simracers into believing that in real life you need some ridiculously over-powered, over-accelerative force in order to save slides when this couldn't be further from the truth. If oversteer physics were refined in most sims, the acceleration and speed of most non-DD wheels should be enough to save the vast majority of slides as it's about driver input not "automatic wheel rotation" that is most important.

It is not a myth. I really did mention it just for the sake of completeness and a valid possible reason why it is not optimal to not run 900 or 1080 degs on some older wheels. Which is why the steering ratio is useful setup parameter for those people. The effect of too slow wheel is not very big but it does make small difference. The slower the wheel the slower it both reacts and rotates. As shown in the video if the wheel is slow it does not rotate enough to counter steer on own its like most real cars will do. That wheel rotation is caused by suspension parameters such as caster, kpi angle and scrub radius while also affected by the load on the tire and the tire grip (plus power steering, ackerman, toe-in/out..).

In the end all this just means that with something like G25 when you need to make fast countersteering movements you are constantly fighting the wheel as it wants to turn slower than you even when it is turning as fast as it can. A modern wheel or dd wheel can turn even faster than your hands. The more rotation you use for a car the more of a hindrance the (sometimes unrealistic) slowness of the wheel becomes. A dd wheel or even something like thrustmaster t500 can do those transitions on its own. In a sense it is moot point as one should not really let the wheel correct itself when racing by taking hands off the wheel or even wait for the ffb signal before steering into the tank slapper as it is too late then. I'd think the biggest effect is felt if you try to drift a car and you need to transition from one slide to another. With a slow wheel like g25 that transition is completely reliant on how fast you can turn the wheel whereas with dd or modern ffb wheel the wheel itself is fast enough to do it on its own if the driver initiates and controls the rotation.

In the end I mentioned the slowness of the older wheels just as one reason why someone might want to make the steering rack quicker. Steering wheels have come along way since the g25 but there are also many old and very entry levels wheels that people use and for them the steering ratio is a good and useful setup option to have.

Ace King · May 8, 2019

The high-end wheels don't make you faster as far as lap times go but they do improve your consistency.

I used a G25 for near 7 years and did my fastest lap times at my favorites, Monza and Sebring then 4 months ago i purchased a modern Thrustmaster TX-XW Racer with Sparco wheel that provides more torque than the T500 but my lap times are suffering from 1/2 to 1 second when compared with my G25.

Perhaps, the Sparco's larger wheel diameter of 12.2 inches /31 cm with considerably stronger FFB/Torque is hindering my reaction times a little and with more track time this will no longer be the case!

Spinelli · May 8, 2019

Ghoults said:
It is not a myth. I really did mention it just for the sake of completeness and a valid possible reason why it is not optimal to not run 900 or 1080 degs on some older wheels. Which is why the steering ratio is useful setup parameter for those people. The effect of too slow wheel is not very big but it does make small difference. The slower the wheel the slower it both reacts and rotates. As shown in the video if the wheel is slow it does not rotate enough to counter steer on own its like most real cars will do. That wheel rotation is caused by suspension parameters such as caster, kpi angle and scrub radius while also affected by the load on the tire and the tire grip (plus power steering, ackerman, toe-in/out..).

In the end all this just means that with something like G25 when you need to make fast countersteering movements you are constantly fighting the wheel as it wants to turn slower than you even when it is turning as fast as it can. A modern wheel or dd wheel can turn even faster than your hands. The more rotation you use for a car the more of a hindrance the (sometimes unrealistic) slowness of the wheel becomes. A dd wheel or even something like thrustmaster t500 can do those transitions on its own. In a sense it is moot point as one should not really let the wheel correct itself when racing by taking hands off the wheel or even wait for the ffb signal before steering into the tank slapper as it is too late then. I'd think the biggest effect is felt if you try to drift a car and you need to transition from one slide to another. With a slow wheel like g25 that transition is completely reliant on how fast you can turn the wheel whereas with dd or modern ffb wheel the wheel itself is fast enough to do it on its own if the driver initiates and controls the rotation.

In the end I mentioned the slowness of the older wheels just as one reason why someone might want to make the steering rack quicker. Steering wheels have come along way since the g25 but there are also many old and very entry levels wheels that people use and for them the steering ratio is a good and useful setup option to have.

Yes, and the wheel spinning faster than the drivet and accelerating so abruptly and with so much force and speed like DD wheels is extremely unrealistic the vast majority of the time. In real life, the driver has to correct a slide, the wheel doesn't automatically drive the car like DD wheels often do in sims.

Even if you set your DD wheel to relatively low amounts of power like, let's say, 7 Nm, there's still a way disproportionately high amount of "centering spring" / S.A.T. / "opposite lock" force.