preamble
you can see the effect the devs are having on the title.
I did go into the player jsn file in visual studio actually and edit the settings since they took them away and set everything to highest, including sun-clouds shadows thing, and also ai mistakes. Racing is really good anyway. Their level disparity is ..4 I made it but I put anti anistrophic-filtering to 16x and turned on the smoke over the body-emmiter setting now it looks great in replays iirc, and shadows-sun setting true occlusion/ambient thing, you will see them accuracy in this bit is not important, and one detail setting to its highest.... until i see a glitch I will keep them on like that. Even turned back on Fxaa which I could not get on prior.
This is a kind of 'state of the sim' type post, my user experience, though you already know my conclusion! lol Its probably the best overall sim by a fair margin, while not being the best in graphics, i know lol i know that is deceiving [shrug]
I went and got from a linked site here in the post, melbourne, mexico, sochi, and bacu, bahrain, others tracks, there is a big difference between a 2013 track and those, even if I agree the latest s397 tracks I have them all are the literal best.
I am talking driving the new cars updated cars on such HQ tracks. While I agree snetterton is not the best looking some tracks like that and for example Poznan are simply too good not to use.
now edited to include my findings on my work and also my tentative recommendations for some things to move forward, its not bad at all.
I will also make a new home screen for the when we are in the cockpit, with existing assets if possible and menu transparency or opaqueness
- the racing in rf2 is probably the best there is by a fraction or so or even more depending; at least from what I have seen of most of the sims, cars crash out and the AI offers up a challenge enough, and the physics of crashes and spins is thrilling to dodge.
- eg merc gt3 at silverstone international layout - an easy layout for ai if there ever was one and its fast, high traction control and default mostly, my ffb is 95, its a solid experience of simming; lets be honest and say that race room, ams2, ac could not match that (but the clever modder still mods it and does very well as its not being developed and I like AC), and the driving even has iracing beat and acc its staring down or beating depending on your philosophy but its no different to acc in the main. rf2 is the goods.
-- I mention Acc now because some compare its more modern look and consider rf2 old-hat.
- the blue flag mechanic in the sim is just fantastic I have always liked it. There is nothing I would take away from the sim. But the boxes on the setup screen do I think need to be in a grid and not accessed off screen, drivetrain if you do not use higher levels of resolution maybe is off screen. small problem, but mostly I would re use existing items as I say in the final section of what I would change in terms of flow and information density. for experience.
- crew chief does help with the game/ info/ immersion as it does with all sims
- I like how with plus and minus on the keypad I can go forward and backwards through any car - its a great 2010 design holistically which games do not aspire to do/be any more. I will say other things from that era in menu's before long, so its good with the bad. Menu is fine for me, but I know in the cockpit it can be more fresh.
An example - Sebring and Nürburgring and Monza, Spa they are different as in they have life, and others, atmosphere, but other tracks do not. So this is not a major turn off for me, but it lead me into a multitude of thoughts. Of course the location, colour pallette and atmosphere/assets at sebring are top notch and the track has all those bumps and long sweeping turns, and probably a fresh sea air smell, against a skyline, so its a perfect storm of things.
- for spa endurance it has that long pit lane which is awesome and the track is nicely done (as is the 1986 version I used from steam just a few art tree hicups but whatever its green) so indeed spa comes up well.
What needs to happen is to have the pre cockpit and at-cockpit interface 'carry-on' that life. Sebring in particular almost feels like a sunny track day and you smell the grass and the fuel and oil.
To get the marussia f1 round Nürburgring its a good setup system, its always been good yes it does have quirks, its easy in rf2, preload at 45, power 20 coast 28. Its not perfect but it goes well and is always easy to adjust in RF2. I personally ignore the quirks but they do irk some people.
1. Premise of all sims
Meaning - its really simple if this becomes too long. - RF2 due to its peak-great in simmming tires and physics, each track you drive - eg snetterton - on other sims like AMS2, its not good - RF2 just blows away the field, to make each track and car (provided its a top tier car and not a bad mod) makes the track exceptional. Raceroom no offence is really good and AM2 not on occasion is fine, AC can be really good, and ACC is really good, but rFactor2 just makes each track exceptional. Misano using the 650 Mclaren was good in ACC and AC/ Rf2. But in Rf2 the physics and tires simply lend themselves to so much more, at Thruxton you need to be in the RSS F1's in AC, in RF2 - anything. And you get so much more dynamism and variation out of the runs. The 'in-between' moments that other sims cannot reach, means if you come in hot, (and tbh all sims got better the past year) it will do more in Rf2 than in any other sim, even AC/ACC. The actual 'movement' of the car and feel is just leaps and bounds better. Sure ACC may have the most accurate model etc, when it comes to balance of performance or whatever but the movement in RF2 is just a class above. I know the latest M-engineering Gt3 (forget actual name) is an absolute firebrand to drive in ACC, but I simply get more pleasure out of Rf2 no matter how good and to not take away from ACC. Painstakingly so I write that - but in RF2 the model of the driving is almost unbeatable. It does fast, slow, turning, braking, all the nuance, which the other engines do not get so close to.
That is the source of what I am about to write, when we know a lot of sims bring enjoyment to people, some are accurate etc, they all have a value and this is no detraction of them.
So not meaning anything.
2 Tracks and feel, then cars
First take a look at the kind of development I am referencing
Some cars need 70 ffb and some 90 I found. even 75. I mean you can't look past Okayama track and the f1 pro for example. Heck of a drive.
Just fired up fr2 after several months, maybe 6 months or more. I curated both my car and track list to only the best ones. Though the page reference above is ages old, only now after more development that new changes can be stacked onto those things and all car models updated etc. But the recent ffb changes and the advent of the formula pro, and bmw m4 DTM are perhaps the most telling, even the marussia drives better than ever and the ffb feels so good now - this is a sim you can def feel the tires better than all the others.
I use btw simhub when playing the game and I found a app called ffbGauge from online somewhere to use with it and Rf2, to dial in the ffb, which is almost always down to 92 for my wheel personally, a tx, direct drive next year when the market sorts itself out. Only 1 or 2 cars had to go down to 85 and cars like McLaren 650's at first I went down to 81 ( it all feels like a car should with braking and accel and ffb tightening etc better than other titles depending on car the effect is more of less its good), but still heavy, >>
<< I do not mind a bit of clipping once in a while, just seldom as long as it all lines up in the end overall; - but at Misano (and I compared with ACC) circuit [ valencia circuit] richado tolmo from that site (a good one) with lots of twists you get to see the ffb more and to drive properly: so if at 75/76 it was really good at Misano, then even 69 felt the best probably as its a belt it it can get warm and change the application! <<< but 71 seemed the best and in line with ACC And ACC probably even borrowed the rf2 feel recently haha. the reason - by the time I got to snetterton the longer bends meant that from 71 it would clip much less at 69 without being super weak (suppose 65 is ideal, well for this TX its too weak)
--- the only thing at Misano is to move the brakes forward on your dial to about 54/53 -obviously a best set up car will reduce the toll of the ffb forces.
as a weaker wheel that is fine to have clipping under heavy breaking in the middle of the breaking, I think. The formula Renault I had to turn up to 110 on my wheel. Its nice - but I had to take it off the game via steam as it may not have been updated; for me the Renault did not have enough downforce - so I am describing any blemishes and I would much rather just drive another car in RF2 not to say its a totally horrible car may be
note: i tried the f1 renault one more time. I needed to put ffb at 130-140 and reduce toe in on front, reduce front camber to 3.0 from 3.4 iirc, then I increased the preload to .5 iirc that made a big change but did't want to upset handling did that at end... b4 I increased wing right up for front, and reduce tire pressure and it grips more, move brakes forward a little but back end is not dialled in, but much better, this was at okayama, its not bad but obviously its not been updated I would say and seems an error in the setup files may be, so it stays on but I may not use it. With all those its nice.
- compare with the mp4 that I only reduce sway bar front by 1 down for okayama for a fast edit (i am also not interested in the low tire pressure glitch - I think people way over state this, so much)
- i should race more on monza and spa, i know, but also, I like to make sure the rubbering-in is not green so on all runs no matter the track I do a practice - then finish session- then qualify, then finish session and race where possible. I find I do not need to resort to tire glitches to get enjoyment or satisfaction.
Notwithstanding the pruning I was doing in RF2, its clear it can beat out the other titles and grow its audience, surely.
- i do not mind the 1986 tracks from steam, will mention others but like full S397 tracks most of all.
- A real cool track is lester like in forza and AC, someone did up that track but you can get it in Rf2.
I found several tracks here but by no means did I use this website to install more than 3 tracks, coix from this webpage was a good surprise - I actually went through my whole car and track list and pruned it substantially, leaving only the best. Sochi is another good track from the link below. Plenty of good ones there, and that guy on steam by the ODB person.
https://simracing-gp.net/rFactor2/tracks <- A good list of tracks, and did not see them all but pulled a few I knew of from there, including sochi which is not the best track surface but makes up for it with its good looks; its a good circuit though.
But about the original premise of the post.
- I said to myself "But can it beat the others?" (not forgetting its pedigree, I mean as a total game) Then I drove willow springs with the f1 pro. It could. I do not like bad graphics tracks but willows is desert, and riverside is another that is passable but turns into great in the engine. Most new and game-original tracks are good. I am just saying I have standards and despite its age RF2 can exceed those. Its how an artist uses an asset. I deleted many tracks in my time. Knutstorp is one that uses old assets well, too. Most tracks its not even needed to be debated. I just do not install those and I still have plenty of tracks. Some tracks which are bare in real life like road america - its bare in game, and that is fine as all the things are in their spots (lilski map I think?) or Virginia.
- another example is that I deleted the AC Cars section of the game (I like how you can do this from the steam workshop and in game too) but it had to go to maintain standards.
Now, despite that, others may not do that but overall this is literally still the best sim going, ams2, raceroom, AC, it beats them all imho since the latest updates. Forget the menu its ok. Only Rf2 and ACC sit at the top of tree, its quite obvious. With your fave tracks in AC and cars, for example 488 Ferrari on mod-fantasy Ottowa USA (lol) track. It gets up there, but usually nothing comes close to rf2.
I am just saying here I had forgotten or I didn't get around to rf2, but it makes you see how lousy some other titles are, not for want of trying, mind you, but also if rf2 does not kick-on from here then it is missing out on a fantastic opportunity. edit: it could wipe the floor with the other titles (not ACC as those two work well together i.e rf2/acc is a good combo). Its very close to cutting edge on every check-box. They just have to want to tick them. They should. The cars that they get the goods on from manufacturers are wonderful to drive, it is a cut above. They may not be the most popular but they are more accurate you can immediately tell when you step down to something. I got the new F1 car, and while a mock-up its a cut above the RSS car in AC.
I also have the marussia f1 and others (I abstained from the gt3 ferrari 488 as I like the GTE most), I am just stating they should do something with rf2 in the consumer field more. The new f1 pro is a testament to this.
Why anyone would want to drive anything above the m4 BMW (which is basically a DTM and not a GT3, which is good, as per above) and the marussia f1, f1 pro and the tatauus and norma, for example is beyond me. Its rf2 (those) then an immediate step down. Those on Monza and similar, like Spa or reiza tracks, and other high quality, its a hands down win.
I fail to see why this is not capitalized on more. More marketing may be is needed at this juncture to say "er, hey look, AC and AMS2 lol naff, a step down, come to rf2" and similar. But they may need some graphical work or a occlusion or smoothing to the tracks like in raceroom. Its the only old thing on some tracks.
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To give you an idea of how I operate my list, I for example uninstalled bathurst from ISI, yes and uninstalled the Hell boy version after a look (to maintain a standard, tbh the madness engine Bathurst is the best in AMS2 though that game is not very good at all)... and on the flip side as much as I like the rf2 cars and all the car packs and tracks (and I will get karts before long wanted to handle this list).
I had installed the S 397 Nissan GTR 500, while not kosher, is still a great drive and you would hope is on point enough - it used to be 'good enough' not anymore, its on notice (note i put the ffb for it back to 100 and its really good again, esp at sebring. But I won't be deleting it, like the one from AC (Siro something from RSS or someone) its an exciting drive. Its such a playstation-era kid-gamer type car. Most remember the grey import nissans r32s ect. Same vein. Bit even at 110 FFB levels you can tell its not an updated car/recent, its a bit loose and does not drive like others.
^>> At least its solid and chunky and scrapes across the asphalt at Sebring at 110FFB, and its a blast, so while its not as meaty, its still very chuncky and I like it a lot.
15 cars in one pack? ASR F1 pack? Deleted in total too, if you do not have the marussia from the studio already, you need that - but I also get far more enjoyment and simming out of the other f1/2/etc cars in Rf2 than from any mods
I think Rf2 has all bases covered now basically ( i know the pro f1 is a fantasy car, but its legit in many facets)
I have maintained highest level of quality in tracks surface bar a couple (eg sochi and melbourne and other f1-rips... and tracks in looks, and also cars, I think less is more. Still got a lot of tracks.
Not to say I do not drive all the cars that came with the game or the dlc packs, or ignore mod tracks. I have tracks like Mills park (and its many variations of loops) and I drive the ISI 2012 there a lot. All the cars are worth a drive - its a testament to the quality of the game.
I make this post because its simply unfeasible to (once you dial in the ffb for each car) to even go back and play AC much, or AMS2 at all, such is the regard of where I place RF2 in the list of race sims. At the top along with ACC, and while I do not drive the GT3s in RF2 as much, they still do really well. An example is I like the new company ????-> M- engineering gt3 in ACC, so I race that, however, such is the way RF2 is, I think is loses out on nothing by comparison.
Take the Nissan GT500 mod for example, you can drift it a little around a corner at sebring, a nice little slide, well it comes off good. And the sound and ffb and whatnot is all together.
- They can work on graphics, work on persistence of elements of the game/sim and all the little nit-picks people have, and they will be in a lot better place to go to the next level with the sim, for another 10 years
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How I drive -
I map the brake balance to the turn-knob on the wheel I have. I map traction control to the keyboard, and I map drs to a button, I do not have a look behind function that is accessible. I have cameras on cycle with c and v keys, I map field of view to keys, and ai to i; and when I want to 'really drive' lol of course I hop in the car, but also on the sim I actually put it into automatic.... (except things like Reiza Metalmorrow's or Norma, those type of things I use manual, f1-f8 changes settings, its just a press away) see...it lets me focus on more things, faster, to go over tracks and whatnot but I leave damage on. If I am doing a legit race I will change gears. I will however often but not always change down a gear or otherwise change down gears early depending on the situation, and make the auto box work just to change up or mix/n-match. This is how I am judging/driving the cars, but I also love the sound of holding onto a gear. I also map anti lock brakes; and if it let me on more cars I would map the sway bar for at least the front.
I also think the f1 pro is basically the best car in sim racing. Best-better? I don't know but I think its the best in general.
I will use traction control at silverstone international layout in the Mercedes GT3 at 4 or 5. So I am changing things as I drive, for example I may not like the 488 Ferrari with traction control 3 after driving the Nissan, and I have it at 4-7, usually 5 or 6 unless I am trying to catch up or something then even at sebring I would put it down to 2, so thats for sebring this is, so I like to be able to adjust these things; if I can get a car to drive good I will and it may seem like kids-gloves but I get some quick times. So I can be quick when fresh, but I am not perfect at picking great cars in these sims, but Rf2 is out in front imho overall.
The truth is I think nothing comes close to the cream of Rfactor2. They need to keep developing it.
You can tell RF2 is out in front any way through all the fuzz simply by the crash physics, there is that little slide and speed up at the end often, when the inertia catches up to give it the extra 'puff' at the end, rf2 does so many little things well; the driving is chunky like you are rolling a tire, and the inputs are natural, its such a good sim.
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what it could do
- I would think to bring the underlying things to the fore
a new tire widget if possible, combined like in ams2, or such, tire degradation in this sim is so good, and I think it needs to be on the minds of people more. I personally map it to the 8 numerical pad key so all those functions are right there and they are useful, I just think a widget or some such would be more cohesive.
And cohesion is where RF2 when done right will get a solid blitz of the field I think.
- May be it takes the form of another screen-overlay or something you can cycle through. In rf2 the key mapping is intuitive and I use ins/del, pageup/pagedown, keypad, then c/v for camera, q/a/s/d/w for seat movement.
An overlay in my mind may be the way to go like in the madness engine but not sure of coding for that.
- graphics obviously is being done, and I mentioned occlusion and applying light blurring and all those things - think black desert for its looks you take off the camera filer and the background gets sharp and blurry and bad
- sounds is possible but its probably engine limits and work needed, I think the sound in the game is adequate, but obviously from a commercial perspective it seems like sometimes unless its whizz-bang people do not want to get hyped for it, like I said I think the sounds are ok, which means not bad, I am not worried about the sound.
A few of these things would tease out more gameplay, and may be they are working on multiplayer not sure, but with r-room and iracing may be not the place to start.
- in indeed there are other underlying things to be brought to the fore, may they be done so. I think its a 2010 concept in a 2020 skin, but I know they hired workers now, and I think they can do such things, and bring it up to modern.
- there is a lot more I think they know they can do which I do not know, this is just my gameplay with zero knowledge of anything else; and knowing a lot is done spot-on.
- no sound in pre-drive screen, should be hearing the engine straight away, I think more continuity could be had for the sim. And menu music prior to being in the cockpit. for example.
- so while I feel the sim sits nicely in an engineering perspective where you do not need things to work first up, I think first impression, continuity, immersion of sound and feel in menu's pre drive is needed,
it sounds nit picky but its merely just window dressing. and cohesion.
to me Rf2 is something you look at with a car from the outside where it does not need to feel good, but what it needs is the "sit inside the car feel" so its more ready and waiting. grease and steel tools versus leather seats and creature comforts - which we know the general public are suckers for the "experience" at a football game or car yard, race track, home theatre etc.
- it probably needs an internal ffb meter, using sim hub is ok but finding that one guys meter was not easy and its lol 10 frames a second as its not the full version of simhub.
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cohesive screen change for first presented cockpit
i felt the camera box got in the way and it could literally go full screen if it does not disappear. but also event info should be included in the screen first as default as its such a great (but hidden feature)
The camera should be the pit lane like most other sims do but not raceroom. So in lieu of that it may need more immersion.
- after menu music, and cohesive screens, existing menu system is ok, but then to the cockpit.
engine noise playing, screen transparency overlay. music has stopped of course to be replaced by the engine.
its no secret 1000 people play either project cars 2 or ams2 (barely any in ams2), and 3k play ACC, AC is a different beast that would be left behind if not for the one great modder.
- to that end it could stand to have 'event info' with the dots going round the track map being the primary thing seen at first impression instead of camera, to have sound of engine playing, and even having this transparently over-viewed or otherwise all seen on the screen while the cockpit is showing.
but if not this existing screen then just do away with the camera (to hide the graphics and show more info), lap times etc as it is when event info is up....so a re-working of the screen, this alone would make a huge difference to be presented with it first
Its a principle of design I am calling "present first" and that should hold up.
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That does not mean its bad, I have stated numerous times I think its the best sim going, knowing no sim is perfect, Rf2 is way out in front. Its so blatant. 488 at sebring, formula pro at spa, lol, its a no contest for actual driving and feel, (when you consider even in ACC those are fantasy vehicles, come on they are... ) and I now see they have the things in place, so they are making the right moves.
you can see the effect the devs are having on the title.
I did go into the player jsn file in visual studio actually and edit the settings since they took them away and set everything to highest, including sun-clouds shadows thing, and also ai mistakes. Racing is really good anyway. Their level disparity is ..4 I made it but I put anti anistrophic-filtering to 16x and turned on the smoke over the body-emmiter setting now it looks great in replays iirc, and shadows-sun setting true occlusion/ambient thing, you will see them accuracy in this bit is not important, and one detail setting to its highest.... until i see a glitch I will keep them on like that. Even turned back on Fxaa which I could not get on prior.
This is a kind of 'state of the sim' type post, my user experience, though you already know my conclusion! lol Its probably the best overall sim by a fair margin, while not being the best in graphics, i know lol i know that is deceiving [shrug]
I went and got from a linked site here in the post, melbourne, mexico, sochi, and bacu, bahrain, others tracks, there is a big difference between a 2013 track and those, even if I agree the latest s397 tracks I have them all are the literal best.
I am talking driving the new cars updated cars on such HQ tracks. While I agree snetterton is not the best looking some tracks like that and for example Poznan are simply too good not to use.
now edited to include my findings on my work and also my tentative recommendations for some things to move forward, its not bad at all.
I will also make a new home screen for the when we are in the cockpit, with existing assets if possible and menu transparency or opaqueness
- the racing in rf2 is probably the best there is by a fraction or so or even more depending; at least from what I have seen of most of the sims, cars crash out and the AI offers up a challenge enough, and the physics of crashes and spins is thrilling to dodge.
- eg merc gt3 at silverstone international layout - an easy layout for ai if there ever was one and its fast, high traction control and default mostly, my ffb is 95, its a solid experience of simming; lets be honest and say that race room, ams2, ac could not match that (but the clever modder still mods it and does very well as its not being developed and I like AC), and the driving even has iracing beat and acc its staring down or beating depending on your philosophy but its no different to acc in the main. rf2 is the goods.
-- I mention Acc now because some compare its more modern look and consider rf2 old-hat.
- the blue flag mechanic in the sim is just fantastic I have always liked it. There is nothing I would take away from the sim. But the boxes on the setup screen do I think need to be in a grid and not accessed off screen, drivetrain if you do not use higher levels of resolution maybe is off screen. small problem, but mostly I would re use existing items as I say in the final section of what I would change in terms of flow and information density. for experience.
- crew chief does help with the game/ info/ immersion as it does with all sims
- I like how with plus and minus on the keypad I can go forward and backwards through any car - its a great 2010 design holistically which games do not aspire to do/be any more. I will say other things from that era in menu's before long, so its good with the bad. Menu is fine for me, but I know in the cockpit it can be more fresh.
An example - Sebring and Nürburgring and Monza, Spa they are different as in they have life, and others, atmosphere, but other tracks do not. So this is not a major turn off for me, but it lead me into a multitude of thoughts. Of course the location, colour pallette and atmosphere/assets at sebring are top notch and the track has all those bumps and long sweeping turns, and probably a fresh sea air smell, against a skyline, so its a perfect storm of things.
- for spa endurance it has that long pit lane which is awesome and the track is nicely done (as is the 1986 version I used from steam just a few art tree hicups but whatever its green) so indeed spa comes up well.
What needs to happen is to have the pre cockpit and at-cockpit interface 'carry-on' that life. Sebring in particular almost feels like a sunny track day and you smell the grass and the fuel and oil.
To get the marussia f1 round Nürburgring its a good setup system, its always been good yes it does have quirks, its easy in rf2, preload at 45, power 20 coast 28. Its not perfect but it goes well and is always easy to adjust in RF2. I personally ignore the quirks but they do irk some people.
1. Premise of all sims
Meaning - its really simple if this becomes too long. - RF2 due to its peak-great in simmming tires and physics, each track you drive - eg snetterton - on other sims like AMS2, its not good - RF2 just blows away the field, to make each track and car (provided its a top tier car and not a bad mod) makes the track exceptional. Raceroom no offence is really good and AM2 not on occasion is fine, AC can be really good, and ACC is really good, but rFactor2 just makes each track exceptional. Misano using the 650 Mclaren was good in ACC and AC/ Rf2. But in Rf2 the physics and tires simply lend themselves to so much more, at Thruxton you need to be in the RSS F1's in AC, in RF2 - anything. And you get so much more dynamism and variation out of the runs. The 'in-between' moments that other sims cannot reach, means if you come in hot, (and tbh all sims got better the past year) it will do more in Rf2 than in any other sim, even AC/ACC. The actual 'movement' of the car and feel is just leaps and bounds better. Sure ACC may have the most accurate model etc, when it comes to balance of performance or whatever but the movement in RF2 is just a class above. I know the latest M-engineering Gt3 (forget actual name) is an absolute firebrand to drive in ACC, but I simply get more pleasure out of Rf2 no matter how good and to not take away from ACC. Painstakingly so I write that - but in RF2 the model of the driving is almost unbeatable. It does fast, slow, turning, braking, all the nuance, which the other engines do not get so close to.
That is the source of what I am about to write, when we know a lot of sims bring enjoyment to people, some are accurate etc, they all have a value and this is no detraction of them.
So not meaning anything.
2 Tracks and feel, then cars
First take a look at the kind of development I am referencing
Some cars need 70 ffb and some 90 I found. even 75. I mean you can't look past Okayama track and the f1 pro for example. Heck of a drive.
Just fired up fr2 after several months, maybe 6 months or more. I curated both my car and track list to only the best ones. Though the page reference above is ages old, only now after more development that new changes can be stacked onto those things and all car models updated etc. But the recent ffb changes and the advent of the formula pro, and bmw m4 DTM are perhaps the most telling, even the marussia drives better than ever and the ffb feels so good now - this is a sim you can def feel the tires better than all the others.
I use btw simhub when playing the game and I found a app called ffbGauge from online somewhere to use with it and Rf2, to dial in the ffb, which is almost always down to 92 for my wheel personally, a tx, direct drive next year when the market sorts itself out. Only 1 or 2 cars had to go down to 85 and cars like McLaren 650's at first I went down to 81 ( it all feels like a car should with braking and accel and ffb tightening etc better than other titles depending on car the effect is more of less its good), but still heavy, >>
<< I do not mind a bit of clipping once in a while, just seldom as long as it all lines up in the end overall; - but at Misano (and I compared with ACC) circuit [ valencia circuit] richado tolmo from that site (a good one) with lots of twists you get to see the ffb more and to drive properly: so if at 75/76 it was really good at Misano, then even 69 felt the best probably as its a belt it it can get warm and change the application! <<< but 71 seemed the best and in line with ACC And ACC probably even borrowed the rf2 feel recently haha. the reason - by the time I got to snetterton the longer bends meant that from 71 it would clip much less at 69 without being super weak (suppose 65 is ideal, well for this TX its too weak)
--- the only thing at Misano is to move the brakes forward on your dial to about 54/53 -obviously a best set up car will reduce the toll of the ffb forces.
as a weaker wheel that is fine to have clipping under heavy breaking in the middle of the breaking, I think. The formula Renault I had to turn up to 110 on my wheel. Its nice - but I had to take it off the game via steam as it may not have been updated; for me the Renault did not have enough downforce - so I am describing any blemishes and I would much rather just drive another car in RF2 not to say its a totally horrible car may be
note: i tried the f1 renault one more time. I needed to put ffb at 130-140 and reduce toe in on front, reduce front camber to 3.0 from 3.4 iirc, then I increased the preload to .5 iirc that made a big change but did't want to upset handling did that at end... b4 I increased wing right up for front, and reduce tire pressure and it grips more, move brakes forward a little but back end is not dialled in, but much better, this was at okayama, its not bad but obviously its not been updated I would say and seems an error in the setup files may be, so it stays on but I may not use it. With all those its nice.
- compare with the mp4 that I only reduce sway bar front by 1 down for okayama for a fast edit (i am also not interested in the low tire pressure glitch - I think people way over state this, so much)
- i should race more on monza and spa, i know, but also, I like to make sure the rubbering-in is not green so on all runs no matter the track I do a practice - then finish session- then qualify, then finish session and race where possible. I find I do not need to resort to tire glitches to get enjoyment or satisfaction.
Notwithstanding the pruning I was doing in RF2, its clear it can beat out the other titles and grow its audience, surely.
- i do not mind the 1986 tracks from steam, will mention others but like full S397 tracks most of all.
- A real cool track is lester like in forza and AC, someone did up that track but you can get it in Rf2.
I found several tracks here but by no means did I use this website to install more than 3 tracks, coix from this webpage was a good surprise - I actually went through my whole car and track list and pruned it substantially, leaving only the best. Sochi is another good track from the link below. Plenty of good ones there, and that guy on steam by the ODB person.
https://simracing-gp.net/rFactor2/tracks <- A good list of tracks, and did not see them all but pulled a few I knew of from there, including sochi which is not the best track surface but makes up for it with its good looks; its a good circuit though.
But about the original premise of the post.
- I said to myself "But can it beat the others?" (not forgetting its pedigree, I mean as a total game) Then I drove willow springs with the f1 pro. It could. I do not like bad graphics tracks but willows is desert, and riverside is another that is passable but turns into great in the engine. Most new and game-original tracks are good. I am just saying I have standards and despite its age RF2 can exceed those. Its how an artist uses an asset. I deleted many tracks in my time. Knutstorp is one that uses old assets well, too. Most tracks its not even needed to be debated. I just do not install those and I still have plenty of tracks. Some tracks which are bare in real life like road america - its bare in game, and that is fine as all the things are in their spots (lilski map I think?) or Virginia.
- another example is that I deleted the AC Cars section of the game (I like how you can do this from the steam workshop and in game too) but it had to go to maintain standards.
Now, despite that, others may not do that but overall this is literally still the best sim going, ams2, raceroom, AC, it beats them all imho since the latest updates. Forget the menu its ok. Only Rf2 and ACC sit at the top of tree, its quite obvious. With your fave tracks in AC and cars, for example 488 Ferrari on mod-fantasy Ottowa USA (lol) track. It gets up there, but usually nothing comes close to rf2.
I am just saying here I had forgotten or I didn't get around to rf2, but it makes you see how lousy some other titles are, not for want of trying, mind you, but also if rf2 does not kick-on from here then it is missing out on a fantastic opportunity. edit: it could wipe the floor with the other titles (not ACC as those two work well together i.e rf2/acc is a good combo). Its very close to cutting edge on every check-box. They just have to want to tick them. They should. The cars that they get the goods on from manufacturers are wonderful to drive, it is a cut above. They may not be the most popular but they are more accurate you can immediately tell when you step down to something. I got the new F1 car, and while a mock-up its a cut above the RSS car in AC.
I also have the marussia f1 and others (I abstained from the gt3 ferrari 488 as I like the GTE most), I am just stating they should do something with rf2 in the consumer field more. The new f1 pro is a testament to this.
Why anyone would want to drive anything above the m4 BMW (which is basically a DTM and not a GT3, which is good, as per above) and the marussia f1, f1 pro and the tatauus and norma, for example is beyond me. Its rf2 (those) then an immediate step down. Those on Monza and similar, like Spa or reiza tracks, and other high quality, its a hands down win.
I fail to see why this is not capitalized on more. More marketing may be is needed at this juncture to say "er, hey look, AC and AMS2 lol naff, a step down, come to rf2" and similar. But they may need some graphical work or a occlusion or smoothing to the tracks like in raceroom. Its the only old thing on some tracks.
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To give you an idea of how I operate my list, I for example uninstalled bathurst from ISI, yes and uninstalled the Hell boy version after a look (to maintain a standard, tbh the madness engine Bathurst is the best in AMS2 though that game is not very good at all)... and on the flip side as much as I like the rf2 cars and all the car packs and tracks (and I will get karts before long wanted to handle this list).
I had installed the S 397 Nissan GTR 500, while not kosher, is still a great drive and you would hope is on point enough - it used to be 'good enough' not anymore, its on notice (note i put the ffb for it back to 100 and its really good again, esp at sebring. But I won't be deleting it, like the one from AC (Siro something from RSS or someone) its an exciting drive. Its such a playstation-era kid-gamer type car. Most remember the grey import nissans r32s ect. Same vein. Bit even at 110 FFB levels you can tell its not an updated car/recent, its a bit loose and does not drive like others.
^>> At least its solid and chunky and scrapes across the asphalt at Sebring at 110FFB, and its a blast, so while its not as meaty, its still very chuncky and I like it a lot.
15 cars in one pack? ASR F1 pack? Deleted in total too, if you do not have the marussia from the studio already, you need that - but I also get far more enjoyment and simming out of the other f1/2/etc cars in Rf2 than from any mods
I think Rf2 has all bases covered now basically ( i know the pro f1 is a fantasy car, but its legit in many facets)
I have maintained highest level of quality in tracks surface bar a couple (eg sochi and melbourne and other f1-rips... and tracks in looks, and also cars, I think less is more. Still got a lot of tracks.
Not to say I do not drive all the cars that came with the game or the dlc packs, or ignore mod tracks. I have tracks like Mills park (and its many variations of loops) and I drive the ISI 2012 there a lot. All the cars are worth a drive - its a testament to the quality of the game.
I make this post because its simply unfeasible to (once you dial in the ffb for each car) to even go back and play AC much, or AMS2 at all, such is the regard of where I place RF2 in the list of race sims. At the top along with ACC, and while I do not drive the GT3s in RF2 as much, they still do really well. An example is I like the new company ????-> M- engineering gt3 in ACC, so I race that, however, such is the way RF2 is, I think is loses out on nothing by comparison.
Take the Nissan GT500 mod for example, you can drift it a little around a corner at sebring, a nice little slide, well it comes off good. And the sound and ffb and whatnot is all together.
- They can work on graphics, work on persistence of elements of the game/sim and all the little nit-picks people have, and they will be in a lot better place to go to the next level with the sim, for another 10 years
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How I drive -
I map the brake balance to the turn-knob on the wheel I have. I map traction control to the keyboard, and I map drs to a button, I do not have a look behind function that is accessible. I have cameras on cycle with c and v keys, I map field of view to keys, and ai to i; and when I want to 'really drive' lol of course I hop in the car, but also on the sim I actually put it into automatic.... (except things like Reiza Metalmorrow's or Norma, those type of things I use manual, f1-f8 changes settings, its just a press away) see...it lets me focus on more things, faster, to go over tracks and whatnot but I leave damage on. If I am doing a legit race I will change gears. I will however often but not always change down a gear or otherwise change down gears early depending on the situation, and make the auto box work just to change up or mix/n-match. This is how I am judging/driving the cars, but I also love the sound of holding onto a gear. I also map anti lock brakes; and if it let me on more cars I would map the sway bar for at least the front.
I also think the f1 pro is basically the best car in sim racing. Best-better? I don't know but I think its the best in general.
I will use traction control at silverstone international layout in the Mercedes GT3 at 4 or 5. So I am changing things as I drive, for example I may not like the 488 Ferrari with traction control 3 after driving the Nissan, and I have it at 4-7, usually 5 or 6 unless I am trying to catch up or something then even at sebring I would put it down to 2, so thats for sebring this is, so I like to be able to adjust these things; if I can get a car to drive good I will and it may seem like kids-gloves but I get some quick times. So I can be quick when fresh, but I am not perfect at picking great cars in these sims, but Rf2 is out in front imho overall.
The truth is I think nothing comes close to the cream of Rfactor2. They need to keep developing it.
You can tell RF2 is out in front any way through all the fuzz simply by the crash physics, there is that little slide and speed up at the end often, when the inertia catches up to give it the extra 'puff' at the end, rf2 does so many little things well; the driving is chunky like you are rolling a tire, and the inputs are natural, its such a good sim.
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what it could do
- I would think to bring the underlying things to the fore
a new tire widget if possible, combined like in ams2, or such, tire degradation in this sim is so good, and I think it needs to be on the minds of people more. I personally map it to the 8 numerical pad key so all those functions are right there and they are useful, I just think a widget or some such would be more cohesive.
And cohesion is where RF2 when done right will get a solid blitz of the field I think.
- May be it takes the form of another screen-overlay or something you can cycle through. In rf2 the key mapping is intuitive and I use ins/del, pageup/pagedown, keypad, then c/v for camera, q/a/s/d/w for seat movement.
An overlay in my mind may be the way to go like in the madness engine but not sure of coding for that.
- graphics obviously is being done, and I mentioned occlusion and applying light blurring and all those things - think black desert for its looks you take off the camera filer and the background gets sharp and blurry and bad
- sounds is possible but its probably engine limits and work needed, I think the sound in the game is adequate, but obviously from a commercial perspective it seems like sometimes unless its whizz-bang people do not want to get hyped for it, like I said I think the sounds are ok, which means not bad, I am not worried about the sound.
A few of these things would tease out more gameplay, and may be they are working on multiplayer not sure, but with r-room and iracing may be not the place to start.
- in indeed there are other underlying things to be brought to the fore, may they be done so. I think its a 2010 concept in a 2020 skin, but I know they hired workers now, and I think they can do such things, and bring it up to modern.
- there is a lot more I think they know they can do which I do not know, this is just my gameplay with zero knowledge of anything else; and knowing a lot is done spot-on.
- no sound in pre-drive screen, should be hearing the engine straight away, I think more continuity could be had for the sim. And menu music prior to being in the cockpit. for example.
- so while I feel the sim sits nicely in an engineering perspective where you do not need things to work first up, I think first impression, continuity, immersion of sound and feel in menu's pre drive is needed,
it sounds nit picky but its merely just window dressing. and cohesion.
to me Rf2 is something you look at with a car from the outside where it does not need to feel good, but what it needs is the "sit inside the car feel" so its more ready and waiting. grease and steel tools versus leather seats and creature comforts - which we know the general public are suckers for the "experience" at a football game or car yard, race track, home theatre etc.
- it probably needs an internal ffb meter, using sim hub is ok but finding that one guys meter was not easy and its lol 10 frames a second as its not the full version of simhub.
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cohesive screen change for first presented cockpit
i felt the camera box got in the way and it could literally go full screen if it does not disappear. but also event info should be included in the screen first as default as its such a great (but hidden feature)
The camera should be the pit lane like most other sims do but not raceroom. So in lieu of that it may need more immersion.
- after menu music, and cohesive screens, existing menu system is ok, but then to the cockpit.
engine noise playing, screen transparency overlay. music has stopped of course to be replaced by the engine.
its no secret 1000 people play either project cars 2 or ams2 (barely any in ams2), and 3k play ACC, AC is a different beast that would be left behind if not for the one great modder.
- to that end it could stand to have 'event info' with the dots going round the track map being the primary thing seen at first impression instead of camera, to have sound of engine playing, and even having this transparently over-viewed or otherwise all seen on the screen while the cockpit is showing.
but if not this existing screen then just do away with the camera (to hide the graphics and show more info), lap times etc as it is when event info is up....so a re-working of the screen, this alone would make a huge difference to be presented with it first
Its a principle of design I am calling "present first" and that should hold up.
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That does not mean its bad, I have stated numerous times I think its the best sim going, knowing no sim is perfect, Rf2 is way out in front. Its so blatant. 488 at sebring, formula pro at spa, lol, its a no contest for actual driving and feel, (when you consider even in ACC those are fantasy vehicles, come on they are... ) and I now see they have the things in place, so they are making the right moves.
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