rFactor 2 | Nürburgring Nordschleife PBR Update, GT3 AI BOP And New Build Released

[Paul Jeffrey]

Studio 397 released an array of new updates to rFactor 2 yesterday, with considerable improvements having been brought to the Nürburgring Nordschleife among other changes.

• Nürburgring Nordschleife PBR Update.
• GT3 AI Balance of Performance.
• New Build Release.

Busy times for rFactor 2 fans! New build updates to the core simulation, the epic Nürburgring Nordschleife and Grand Prix Circuit and GT3 AI BOP changes were all released to the simulation yesterday.

The new build.

Latest Build Update Notes:

• Fixed some cars showing all white in the showroom
• Fixed cars showing in the list that shouldn't be there at server join
• Fixed chrome material not working in the showroom
• Fixed an issue that could cause a client to load an old version of a track when joining at server join

NEW UI Only

• Added real descriptions for cars and tracks in the content selection list

The Nürburgring update.

Nürburgring Nordschleife Update Notes:

• Comprehensive & Extensive PBR Update to the entire Circuit
• New Textures for Roads & Terrain
• New Features on Roads such as dust and improved real road dynamics
• Reworked outer terrain materials
• Reviewed trees and treeline objects, materials and placement
• All new crowds
• Reviewed night-lighting
• Further optimisation pass
• Added "Grand Prix No Chicane" Layout
• Added Support for up to 90 vehicles on Nords layouts using GP pits.
• Added New Support Vehicles
• Various General Fixes
• Extended white line on layouts using the GP pit exit so cars can merge safely further down
• Moved tire barriers in that slightly blocked pit entry transition on 24H layout

The GT3 AI BOP Update

Aston Martin Vantage GT3 2019 v1.77

• AI: More forward downforce

Audi R8LMS GT3 2019 v1.51

• AI: Added slightly more grip

Bentley Continental GT3 2020 v1.11

• Adjustments to aerodynamics to reduce excessive front lift.
• Fine tuned to ride height sensitivity.
• Fixed cams
• Updated brake disc materials
• Adjusted cokcpit AO
• Fixed shadow in showroom
• AI: Added grip, especially front end

Callaway Corvette GT3 2017 v2.91

• Fixed wet tires starting temp
• Adjusted collision mesh
• Adjusted lower LODs (removed endurance light covers)

Ferrari 488 GT3 2020 v1.29

• Fixed onboard cam clipping the curbs
• Adjusted bonnet cam
• Fixed clipping TV cams
• Adjusted rev lights on the rev limiter

Ferrari 488 GTE 2020 v1.83

• Fixed onboard cam clipping the curbs
• Adjusted bonnet cam
• Fixed clipping TV cams
• Adjusted rev lights on the rev limiter
• AI: Slightly improved pace

McLaren 650S GT3 2017 v2.77

• AI: Reduced understeer

Mercedes AMG GT3 2017 v2.87

• AI: Reduced spinning in certain situations
• AI: Reduced understeer
• Adjusted collsion mesh

Porsche 911 GT3 R v1.69

• Added speedo to dash

Radical RXC GT3 2017 v2.77

• AI: Slightly slowed down

Original Source: Studio 397

rFactor 2 is available now exclusively on PC.

Want to know how to get the best from the simulation? Head over to the RaceDepartment rF2 sub forum and open up a new thread today - let our epic community be your guide!

 

[GuitarTech]

@GuitarTech

GtX 1080
I7 9700K
Ram 16 Go 4000 Mhz
rift s

Works pretty good

Nurburgring combined
90 cars
10 class (approx 35 different cars
Clouds + 02:30 PM
No rain
No timescale
6 AI visible

Nvidia control panel : max texture quality + lod negative bias CLAMP
AA level 5
Circuit detail + cockpit detail + texture detail MAX ULTRA

ALL the rest deactivated or low

I made a compromise : deactivate mirrors.

Supersampling 169% (correspond to 1.3 pixel per... On oculus debug tool
I use open Composite not steam vr.

FIRST LAP 9 MIN
Some stuttering especially first 3 minutes.
Then good performance.

I prefer to make qualif but works with race.

Good image quality.

Thanks for the tips
I've decided to make a few compromises, and only race in daylight. As soon as it's dark, my fps falls into a dark pit.
Till Studio397 ( or more likely if, I'm not holding my breath ), fixes it so that it's possible to drive with a full field in VR, I'll have to confine my 24hr endurance racing to tracks that they haven't broken yet, like LeMans, Sebring, Spa etc
Nords is now a mess: the janky shadows and textures that chase after you down the track, what the f*ck is that all about? Didn't anybody beta test it?
They've managed to break something that wasn't even broken in the first place, what were they thinking? Why, just why? As if there weren't enough more urgent things to do......
How about fixing some of the bugs that've been in the game since the beginning of time, like the full-course yellow joke, for example?
And how many more years is the UI going to be in beta? They have God knows enough things to do, without breaking something that wasn't even broken. How about fixing all, or some of, the things that ARE broken?
With the right vision, and a development plan, rF2 could be the standard by which other Sims are measured, but somehow they're just stumbling along without a plan. They seem to have really dropped the ball somehow....shame

 

[banfy211]

I confirm my previous post, works perfectly from 7h30 am to 8pm, High details , AA2, PProcess3, SS 350%, 60 hz Odyssey+. Solid 60fps, 2070s ryzen 3600.
But I agree , with those settings, outside of day light, it drop to 30fps. Should be fine lowering settings adjustments. AC does better is that regards.

 

[Frodesa]

I am getting horrible framrates now. Something is wrong.

 

[Tarmac Terrorist]

Performance is better for me than the old track altbought some details seem more simplified and shadows have been cut down, great for the fps though (not that that's so much of a problem now that the POTATO has evolved into a SWEET POTATO! V happy to have the No Chicane GP! Now if there's one thing they could add which would make it perfect it would be the tourist layout like in AC, would love that, drove out of the car park (which is modelled in RF2, you can see it all there when you drive past) and get your lap times from the beginning, rather than having to undertake the longest outlap ever. Sure it would make for some packed online trackday servers aswell, that would be awesome! Go on S397, open up that car park and do it!

 

[Wilko Jones]

I really enjoyed the new looks of Nurburgring. It really drew me in when I ran a few practice laps. So far, so good. Now to see if I will have the same FPS problems that others are having, cause having the track all to myself, the grand potato PC didn't stutter once.

My rig consists of...
Ryzen 3600
16GB DDR4
GTX 1070
And the parts to make them work.

 

[GuitarTech]

I really enjoyed the new looks of Nurburgring. It really drew me in when I ran a few practice laps. So far, so good. Now to see if I will have the same FPS problems that others are having, cause having the track all to myself, the grand potato PC didn't stutter once.

My rig consists of...
Ryzen 3600
16GB DDR4
GTX 1070
And the parts to make them work.

I think the people like me who've been having problems are using VR. In normal pancake mode it looks amazing and runs well too. I'm running 60 cars and full everything, and getting up to130fps, never under 75.
But VR? Forget it. With my system it won't run with anything other than daylight. Dawn/dusk and during the night it is undriveable, with only around 30fps.
Until it's fixed I've given up trying to run VR, back to pancake mode for me
I'm having to learn all the tracks again, I haven't driven pancake mode for over two years, and the driving view ist completely different to VR

 

[Michael Rudolf]

I think the people like me who've been having problems are using VR. In normal pancake mode it looks amazing and runs well too. I'm running 60 cars and full everything, and getting up to130fps, never under 75.
But VR? Forget it. With my system it won't run with anything other than daylight. Dawn/dusk and during the night it is undriveable, with only around 30fps.
Until it's fixed I've given up trying to run VR, back to pancake mode for me
I'm having to learn all the tracks again, I haven't driven pancake mode for over two years, and the driving view ist completely different to VR

I'm not using VR but I do have big FPS issues when running a 20 car grid of GT3 cars. FPS will drop to 30.
i7 8700K overclocked
16GB DDR4
GTX 1080 TI 11G

 

[avenger82]

Thanks for the tips
I've decided to make a few compromises, and only race in daylight. As soon as it's dark, my fps falls into a dark pit.
Till Studio397 ( or more likely if, I'm not holding my breath ), fixes it so that it's possible to drive with a full field in VR, I'll have to confine my 24hr endurance racing to tracks that they haven't broken yet, like LeMans, Sebring, Spa etc
Nords is now a mess: the janky shadows and textures that chase after you down the track, what the f*ck is that all about? Didn't anybody beta test it?
They've managed to break something that wasn't even broken in the first place, what were they thinking? Why, just why? As if there weren't enough more urgent things to do......
How about fixing some of the bugs that've been in the game since the beginning of time, like the full-course yellow joke, for example?
And how many more years is the UI going to be in beta? They have God knows enough things to do, without breaking something that wasn't even broken. How about fixing all, or some of, the things that ARE broken?
With the right vision, and a development plan, rF2 could be the standard by which other Sims are measured, but somehow they're just stumbling along without a plan. They seem to have really dropped the ball somehow....shame

I agree why update something that's already great, when there are so many things broken. I don't notice much further graphical improvement TBH. At least I don't have performance issues.

 

[BazzaLB]

I bought the GT3 car pack being as it was half price for halloween. I already had a couple of GT3's but the price of the pack meant I could top up the collection for far less money than individual car pricing.

I have to say, there is something about rf2 and its FFB / handling that just clicks with me (there are exceptions of course). I love it! There are cars in other sims I also find great and thoroughly enjoy (including AMS2), but I always navigate back to rf2.

I decided to just setup my VR for hot lapping (adding AI has quite a detrimental effect of Frame Timing) so I have the graphics looking great on my Vive Pro with no stutter. Just burning around the Nurburgring Grand Prix circuit in all the different GT3's is fantastic fun. The Ferrari 488 GT3 looks absolutely gorgeous in the cockpit and the lighting on the circuit just feels right to me. I can't get ACC to run very well in VR without motion smoothing which I generally steer clear of (Pity because I think the AI in ACC isn't too bad - unlike AMS2 AI which I absolutely loathe), but even with that, rf2 holds its own I think.

I even bought S397 Monaco today against my better judgement, but it looks great and having been there quite a number of times (not during race weekend), I just love the place. As an Aussie (Melbourne) I missed my European summer holidays this year so a touch of Monaco in VR was a nice reminder.

 

[Tarmac Terrorist]

I bought the GT3 car pack being as it was half price for halloween. I already had a couple of GT3's but the price of the pack meant I could top up the collection for far less money than individual car pricing.

I have to say, there is something about rf2 and its FFB / handling that just clicks with me (there are exceptions of course). I love it! There are cars in other sims I also find great and thoroughly enjoy (including AMS2), but I always navigate back to rf2.

I decided to just setup my VR for hot lapping (adding AI has quite a detrimental effect of Frame Timing) so I have the graphics looking great on my Vive Pro with no stutter. Just burning around the Nurburgring Grand Prix circuit in all the different GT3's is fantastic fun. The Ferrari 488 GT3 looks absolutely gorgeous in the cockpit and the lighting on the circuit just feels right to me. I can't get ACC to run very well in VR without motion smoothing which I generally steer clear of (Pity because I think the AI in ACC isn't too bad - unlike AMS2 AI which I absolutely loathe), but even with that, rf2 holds its own I think.

I even bought S397 Monaco today against my better judgement, but it looks great and having been there quite a number of times (not during race weekend), I just love the place. As an Aussie (Melbourne) I missed my European summer holidays this year so a touch of Monaco in VR was a nice reminder.

In'nt great! Come back to this one every time! Btw, how are you finding Monaco? I've got everything apart from this track, only reason i never bought it is because i heard about the A.I. issues around this track (GT3's and GTE's hitting walls every time). I know Mr TopSecret did some aiw work on the track and was hoping S397 would work with him and his aiw files, but as far as i know they never updated its issues, i'd buy it in a heartbeat if i knew the A.I. were good there.

 

[BazzaLB]

In'nt great! Come back to this one every time! Btw, how are you finding Monaco? I've got everything apart from this track, only reason i never bought it is because i heard about the A.I. issues around this track (GT3's and GTE's hitting walls every time). I know Mr TopSecret did some aiw work on the track and was hoping S397 would work with him and his aiw files, but as far as i know they never updated its issues, i'd buy it in a heartbeat if i knew the A.I. were good there.

I'm only hotlapping Monaco. I never saw any AI perform well at Monaco in any sim so didn't have any expectations other than to hot lap. I setup my graphics with that in mind so they look the best in VR without the CPU sapping AI adding to the mix.

 

[cagivariver]

It runs really horrible. I cant even get it over 40 fps on Nords when Sebring runs on 80 fps.

Nords in rf2 is the worst purchase I ever bought in rf2, it ran terribly to the point I rarely use it.

Found the issue: It seemed like mod cars should not be added on this track. Took the BTCC NGTC mod out of the grid, managed to get 30 to 60fps on Endurance layout now. They do need to optimise on the track more though.

I share everything, I can't even load the track and I can't even run at the Nurburgring, while with high tracks everything works well. I am desperate and I hope someone can help me.

 

[GuitarTech]

I can't drive in VR in rF2 at all, unless I reduce all of the settings to a point where it looks like something from 20 years ago. In pancake mode I can turn everything up to max, and it runs, and looks wonderful. Le Man's, 60 cars, night etc, I'm getting between 80 and 140 fps. Butter smooth.
VR? Forget it.
I understand that it's difficult to optimise such an old game engine, all the modern features have been brutally nailed on to what is, in effect, a 15 year old game engine.
I love fF2: If I thought it would solve the problem with VR by buying a 3 Series card instead of my 1080 I'd buy one as soon as they're available, but from what I can see, it's so badly optimized that that wouldn't help. I'm loath to drop €900 on a 3080 and then find that it still runs like shite.
Funnily enough, R3E, which has basically the same game engine, runs perfectly well with my 1080. And AMS 2 is fantastic, PC2 as well, but they're much more modern game engines designed for VR from the start, I understand that.
Because rF2 is my favorite sim, due to the driving physics, the force feedback, and just the general feel of immersion, I'm loath to abandon it because of the VR problems, so I drive it in pancake mode.
I've resigned myself to the fact that Studio397 isn't going to address the VR problem any time soon, how long is it going to take them anyway when they've taken 3 years just to do the new UI, which is still in beta after all this time?
You couldn't make it up, other developers design a whole new game engine in 3 years...
Although I love rF2, I'm slowly beginning to lose patience with it. There are bugs and "features" in rF2 that should've been sorted years ago. All they seem to be interested in is making money by selling realitivly over-priced DLC which is then supposed to be able to run in what is basically a bug-ridden ISI moto hack.
I'm hoping that AMS2 is going to progress to the point where the physics and FF are on a par with rF2 and that their version of the Nordschleife arrives soon.
Then Spa later in the year, and maybe Le Mans some day, and then it'll become harder and harder to justify rF2.
I've supported them from the start, I've bought ll the DLC, except for Formula milk float. But their time is slowly running out, it's been 3 years now, or maybe 4?
How much time do they need to bring it up to a standard where they can compete with Sims like AMS2 or ACC?

 

[Tarmac Terrorist]

I can't drive in VR in rF2 at all, unless I reduce all of the settings to a point where it looks like something from 20 years ago. In pancake mode I can turn everything up to max, and it runs, and looks wonderful. Le Man's, 60 cars, night etc, I'm getting between 80 and 140 fps. Butter smooth.
VR? Forget it.
I understand that it's difficult to optimise such an old game engine, all the modern features have been brutally nailed on to what is, in effect, a 15 year old game engine.
I love fF2: If I thought it would solve the problem with VR by buying a 3 Series card instead of my 1080 I'd buy one as soon as they're available, but from what I can see, it's so badly optimized that that wouldn't help. I'm loath to drop €900 on a 3080 and then find that it still runs like shite.
Funnily enough, R3E, which has basically the same game engine, runs perfectly well with my 1080. And AMS 2 is fantastic, PC2 as well, but they're much more modern game engines designed for VR from the start, I understand that.
Because rF2 is my favorite sim, due to the driving physics, the force feedback, and just the general feel of immersion, I'm loath to abandon it because of the VR problems, so I drive it in pancake mode.
I've resigned myself to the fact that Studio397 isn't going to address the VR problem any time soon, how long is it going to take them anyway when they've taken 3 years just to do the new UI, which is still in beta after all this time?
You couldn't make it up, other developers design a whole new game engine in 3 years...
Although I love rF2, I'm slowly beginning to lose patience with it. There are bugs and "features" in rF2 that should've been sorted years ago. All they seem to be interested in is making money by selling realitivly over-priced DLC which is then supposed to be able to run in what is basically a bug-ridden ISI moto hack.
I'm hoping that AMS2 is going to progress to the point where the physics and FF are on a par with rF2 and that their version of the Nordschleife arrives soon.
Then Spa later in the year, and maybe Le Mans some day, and then it'll become harder and harder to justify rF2.
I've supported them from the start, I've bought ll the DLC, except for Formula milk float. But their time is slowly running out, it's been 3 years now, or maybe 4?
How much time do they need to bring it up to a standard where they can compete with Sims like AMS2 or ACC?

What VR headset are you using? I am running Rfactor 2 at max settings with between 20 & 30 cars on track at the most demanding tracks on my screen and its butter smooth, also run it at same levels on a Pimax VR headset, massive FOV, high res, butter smooth! Now granted I am the happy owner of a RTX2070 super (which i worked my ass off for), but its not that far away from the 1080, plus my very good friend Pete runs at max settings on his Oculus rift using a 1080 ti, which is much closer to your card.
I do find all it takes is a few wrong settings between your nvidia control pannel and your headset software and all of a sudden you've got a stutter fest, amazing what a few clicks can do! What headset are you using? I very much hope you can get it sorted as your machine may me reasonably well capable of running a good vr experience, and its a shame you've not got that seeing as its your favorite sim, as it is mine.
Maybe Pete and I could help.

 

[Tarmac Terrorist]

I can't drive in VR in rF2 at all, unless I reduce all of the settings to a point where it looks like something from 20 years ago. In pancake mode I can turn everything up to max, and it runs, and looks wonderful. Le Man's, 60 cars, night etc, I'm getting between 80 and 140 fps. Butter smooth.
VR? Forget it.
I understand that it's difficult to optimise such an old game engine, all the modern features have been brutally nailed on to what is, in effect, a 15 year old game engine.
I love fF2: If I thought it would solve the problem with VR by buying a 3 Series card instead of my 1080 I'd buy one as soon as they're available, but from what I can see, it's so badly optimized that that wouldn't help. I'm loath to drop €900 on a 3080 and then find that it still runs like shite.
Funnily enough, R3E, which has basically the same game engine, runs perfectly well with my 1080. And AMS 2 is fantastic, PC2 as well, but they're much more modern game engines designed for VR from the start, I understand that.
Because rF2 is my favorite sim, due to the driving physics, the force feedback, and just the general feel of immersion, I'm loath to abandon it because of the VR problems, so I drive it in pancake mode.
I've resigned myself to the fact that Studio397 isn't going to address the VR problem any time soon, how long is it going to take them anyway when they've taken 3 years just to do the new UI, which is still in beta after all this time?
You couldn't make it up, other developers design a whole new game engine in 3 years...
Although I love rF2, I'm slowly beginning to lose patience with it. There are bugs and "features" in rF2 that should've been sorted years ago. All they seem to be interested in is making money by selling realitivly over-priced DLC which is then supposed to be able to run in what is basically a bug-ridden ISI moto hack.
I'm hoping that AMS2 is going to progress to the point where the physics and FF are on a par with rF2 and that their version of the Nordschleife arrives soon.
Then Spa later in the year, and maybe Le Mans some day, and then it'll become harder and harder to justify rF2.
I've supported them from the start, I've bought ll the DLC, except for Formula milk float. But their time is slowly running out, it's been 3 years now, or maybe 4?
How much time do they need to bring it up to a standard where they can compete with Sims like AMS2 or ACC?

What VR headset are you using? I am running Rfactor 2 at max settings with between 20 & 30 cars on track at the most demanding tracks on my screen and its butter smooth, also run it at same levels on a Pimax VR headset, massive FOV, high res, butter smooth! Now granted I am the happy owner of a RTX2070 super (which i worked my ass off for), but its not that far away from the 1080, plus my very good friend Pete runs at max settings on his Oculus rift using a 1080 ti, which is much closer to your card.
I do find all it takes is a few wrong settings between your nvidia control pannel and your headset software and all of a sudden you've got a stutter fest, amazing what a few clicks can do! What headset are you using? I very much hope you can get it sorted as your machine may me reasonably well capable of running a good vr experience, and its a shame you've not got that seeing as its your favorite sim, as it is mine.
Maybe Pete and I could help.

Also, just found this thread, maybe there is some information there that can help you, especially some of the Nvidia control panel options stuff:

Rfactor2 The VR thread -settings & tips

With everything being relative, it all depend of what we compare with and what are the expectations. I know that my GPU can give me better vr because I...

forum.studio-397.com

 

[GuitarTech]

What VR headset are you using? I am running Rfactor 2 at max settings with between 20 & 30 cars on track at the most demanding tracks on my screen and its butter smooth, also run it at same levels on a Pimax VR headset, massive FOV, high res, butter smooth! Now granted I am the happy owner of a RTX2070 super (which i worked my ass off for), but its not that far away from the 1080, plus my very good friend Pete runs at max settings on his Oculus rift using a 1080 ti, which is much closer to your card.
I do find all it takes is a few wrong settings between your nvidia control pannel and your headset software and all of a sudden you've got a stutter fest, amazing what a few clicks can do! What headset are you using? I very much hope you can get it sorted as your machine may me reasonably well capable of running a good vr experience, and its a shame you've not got that seeing as its your favorite sim, as it is mine.
Maybe Pete and I could help.

Thanks for your helpful answer I'm using a Rift S, using an i9 @ 4.6Ghz, an MSI 1080 Video card, with 32Gb RAM, all on a Gigabyte MB.
Until Studio397 "optimized" the Nordschleife, I was driving VR in rF2 without problems. I don't know what's gone wrong, maybe I've set something up wrong, or maybe the latest Nvidia drivers have broken it. All the other sims run fine, I don't understand what's going on. Something is broken, but what?

 

[hotak]

I'm on a ryzen5 2600X + AMD 5700XT and it runs smooth on my oculus CV1, didn't notice any major difference in latest build. Very surprised R3E runs better for you: Never managed to make it get even 45FPS in VR on my config...

 

[GuitarTech]

I'm on a ryzen5 2600X + AMD 5700XT and it runs smooth on my oculus CV1, didn't notice any major difference in latest build. Very surprised R3E runs better for you: Never managed to make it get even 45FPS in VR on my config...

I'll admit, It's been a while since I used R3E, but it used to run very well when I used it. I'll try it tonight when I get home to see if it still runs like it did when I last used it. Maybe that's broken too now?
My main sims are rF2 of course, and AMS2. AMS2 runs fine as it is, I don't have to play about with anything at all. All the sliders to max, and then go racing. If I could get rF2 to run properly in VR without it looking so crap, due to having to turn absolutely everything down, I'd be a happy camper.
I'm not expecting it to run at the same settings as with pancake mode, but what's the point of driving in rF2 with only 10 cars in Le Mans, and only in daylight with good weather? Rather defeats the point. I'll try some more tweaks tonight, I must be doing something wrong if other people are happy using VR...

 

[hotak]

AMS2/pCars have a more modern engine with native VR support, but for me rfactor runs perfectly at medium details and still quite smooth even when maxed out (but some mod track/cars can be very bad when maxed)

 

[azqa]

@GuitarTech

At least by curiosity try my settings in page 3.

Just if you run less than 30 AI, activate mirrors and perhaps 9 AI visible.

But try exactly mthe settings precisely one time.