rFactor 2 | New Build Update And First Competition System Blog Posting

Paul Jeffrey

Premium
Studio 397 have deployed a new build update for rFactor 2 alongside giving users more insight into how development is progressing for their in built Competition System within the title.
  • New build release now available.
  • Competition System specific changes released.
  • Update on future progress.
rf2 3.jpg


Plenty of work is happening behind the scenes at Studio 397 these last couple of days, as hot off the heels from the recent GTE content update of Wednesday afternoon, the Dutch studio have now deployed a new build to rFactor 2 as well as giving players some insight into how the new Competition System within the title has been developing, and what comes next.

As part of a new regular series of insights into the system development, this is a welcome first attempt to ensure the community remain up to speed and engaged with the latest functionality to be added to the rFactor 2 title.

Build update change log notes:
  • Fixed an issue with software vsync not strictly adhering to the actual limit in the UI.
  • Several improvements to VR rendering in the UI that should eliminate the flickering people saw.
  • Added a missing error prompt in dev mode if some file was missing.
  • Changed a timeout value when interacting with Steam to not give up as easily.

Competition System Blog Post | Week 1 in full:

Hello and welcome to a new series of blog entries. These are not intended to replace the monthly roadmap, but give more in depth updates specifically on the competition system.

Two weeks ago we launched the first competition, using the Tatuus FT-60 car at a selection of free tracks. A week later we added our paid GTE cars running on a combination of free and paid tracks. This allowed us to both test the subscription to free content as well as the process we added to calculate the cheapest combination of bundles to get you the paid content needed to compete.

The response so far has been really good. Thousands have signed up and raced in over 500 splits, and although not all elements of the system have been deployed yet, we’ve seen some good racing and had a lot of valuable feedback from the community.

In the first two weeks we mainly focused on making sure the system runs smoothly and the user experience is good. Initially we encountered and fixed some scalability issues. We also discovered that there are some issues with people having installed upgrades to our content that interfere with our series definitions. We are looking into adding code that will try to analyze the components and their upgrades you have installed and and report back on the root causes of why certain content won’t work. Overall, we’ve made an effort on both Discord and our forum to support users that ran into issues, and we’ve seen others in the community helping each other out.
By now people should be able to get into sessions without problem and we added extra servers as well as adjusted the session timings to ensure we could meet with the demand. To give you some insights, we were running 20 servers and in some cases the sessions were too close together, so servers did not have enough time to reconfigure and be ready. We’ve learned a lot on how to better tune the system as a whole.

In the update we have deployed today we have fixed a lot of minor issues we encountered in the backend. We also fixed some duplicate entries that entered the system, so this might affect some of the existing standings. Messages we present to you if something does still go wrong should now offer better advice on what to do going forward.

rF2 1.jpg



The GTE series now runs with fixed upgrades as defined in those cars. We have deployed an update to all GTE cars, with other cars to follow, that allows us to make sure people only run with the “Le Mans” aero package on that track and nowhere else and our competition servers have been upgraded to enforce that.

We have also released an rFactor 2 build update, fixing some of the reported issues with the new UI and VR, as well as some tweaks that will improve the competition system experience. In general we are focusing on making sure everybody can smoothly run these new builds.

In the upcoming week we will focus more on bringing you quality of life improvements to the front-end based on your feedback. There are a lot of screens where we can add little details to give you a better insight. Our goal is basically to make sure the system is rock solid before we take the next steps.

rf2 2.jpg



So what are some of these next steps? Obviously, when these two competitions end, we want to present new ones. In those we will be again experimenting with some new formats as we test some of the flexibility of the system. To elaborate a bit on that, we can define per competition what kind of sessions we want to run in events, how long events last, how we decide splits and grids and how points are handed out. We will also add some variation in the session formats, such as private qualification sessions with fixed conditions to create a more equal playing field. We’ve also had a few questions on if we could also run sessions where a race is directly preceded by a qualification session. Yes we can. And it’s something we will definitely try out going forward.

Obviously our next big step is the introduction of a stewarding system that will encourage safe driving. During the development phase we’ve developed quite a few ideas in this area, as well as studied what other similar simulations are doing. We expect to try out some different systems in the upcoming months and are looking forward to your feedback.

Also, to make this blog more interactive, we encourage you to send us any questions you want to see answered and we will pick and answer the most frequently asked ones. Enjoy the races and stay safe!



Original Source: Studio 397

rFactor 2 is available now exclusively on PC.

Got questions? Our community have answers! Check out the rFactor 2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment for a great way to engage with your fellow fans of the simulation.

rf2 4.jpg
 
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4 years to build a UI that, when released seems to be largely 'problematic', within a week a User jumps on and, in their own time, begins making changes that are beginning to turn this into a functional UI.

So now rf2 have top5ecret to fix AIW and Cselt to fix the UI; S397 starting to run their game like Bethesda?

I don't think S397 have the luxury to function like this. Although RF2 has the best drive feel the rest of it, the UI/AI/Flag rules/jsons are beyond sub-par. No, no other game (RRE/AC/IR/AMS) has the drive-feel/ffb of RF2, but it's good enough in those games that the better online/UI/AI makes it an easy choice to to not play/pay RF2.
 
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You only realize how messed up the whole rf2 system is when you start running your own server. Setting it up took me 8 hours. Thank God there are helpful guys on Discord. Then, it took us about an hour one evening to figure out which content works for us, 3 friends, to not have errors on joining. Since server had multiple GTE cars and other classes so we can leave after finish and pick a different car for next race, next drive menu would only present 1 car, the one that we drove last. Only after all 3 of us left, we would get the full car list. Not to mention always appearing Yellow Lego Car bug in practice.
And one of us had to re-join 3 times to be even visible on track for other players. These bugs are so consistent, we have gotten used to them and know what to do. There are probably some 3 page long instructions somewhere to rocket science your way around them, but is that how a "realistic competition focused endurance sim etc" should be?
I'm surprised the Le Mans event could even happen in this bug hive.
Not that we don't enjoy it when it works, it's awesome. But clunky system and glitches are time consuming.
 
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You only realize how messed up the whole rf2 system is when you start running your own server. Setting it up took me 8 hours. Thank God there are helpful guys on Discord. Then, it took us about an hour one evening to figure out which content works for us, 3 friends, to not have errors on joining. Since server had multiple GTE cars and other classes so we can leave after finish and pick a different car for next race, next drive menu would only present 1 car, the one that we drove last. Only after all 3 of us left, we would get the full car list. Not to mention always appearing Yellow Lego Car bug in practice.
And one of us had to re-join 3 times to be even visible on track for other players. These bugs are so consistent, we have gotten used to them and know what to do. There are probably some 3 page long instructions somewhere to rocket science your way around them, but is that how a "realistic competition focused endurance sim etc" should be?
I'm surprised the Le Mans event could even happen in this bug hive.
Not that we don't enjoy it when it works, it's awesome. But clunky system and glitches are time consuming.

Oh boy that doesnt sound good. I am about to see if I can manage to get at server up and running on my own PC so I can race a friend online. Can you point me towards a good idiot proof guide somewhere. Or tell me what traps not to fall in? I have done it with succes in AC and ACC but RF2 is another story I suspect...
 
How could it be possible that we still have that complicated system for the packages ??!
Finding an online race where you have all the packages updated and ready to run is still a massiv pain in the ass !!!
(not even talking about the UI wich is very good looking, but not easy to use at all...)

(And maybe one day, we won't have to wait half a day to load a track with 20 cars... but that's in a far futur I guess !)
 
You only realize how messed up the whole rf2 system is when you start running your own server. Setting it up took me 8 hours. Thank God there are helpful guys on Discord. Then, it took us about an hour one evening to figure out which content works for us, 3 friends, to not have errors on joining. Since server had multiple GTE cars and other classes so we can leave after finish and pick a different car for next race, next drive menu would only present 1 car, the one that we drove last. Only after all 3 of us left, we would get the full car list. Not to mention always appearing Yellow Lego Car bug in practice.
And one of us had to re-join 3 times to be even visible on track for other players. These bugs are so consistent, we have gotten used to them and know what to do. There are probably some 3 page long instructions somewhere to rocket science your way around them, but is that how a "realistic competition focused endurance sim etc" should be?
I'm surprised the Le Mans event could even happen in this bug hive.
Not that we don't enjoy it when it works, it's awesome. But clunky system and glitches are time consuming.

Sorry, but setting up a new server after one year without rf2 racing took me arround 30min, because i had to change the whool server files and content, it took me another 5min to create Mod for server an change some things in player.JSON and on the firewall in front of the server. Than ist runs perfect and the whole team (8 driver) spend 3 houers driving without any problems. You can search for TVR, GTE and GT3 at Spa.
 
Oh boy that doesnt sound good. I am about to see if I can manage to get at server up and running on my own PC so I can race a friend online. Can you point me towards a good idiot proof guide somewhere. Or tell me what traps not to fall in? I have done it with succes in AC and ACC but RF2 is another story I suspect...
Follow the instructions to the word and it takes moments to setup a dedicated server ( downloading the content takes the time)
 
i can add and install .rfcmp packages in the new UI but i cannot uninstall them

Ok,that was the last time useing the "new UI".Backt to the all working OLD UI AS LONG AS IT IS THERE.

When will RF2 be buried for good:sick:?Only the FFB is still alive:thumbsup:
Better to be on the hype train for AMS2 as on the snail track of RF2....
 
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Overrated sim, I've supported them for years and bought all DLC but the devs and fanboys can't take constructive criticism because I apparently don't have an undergrad in coding/programming so I'm irrelevant /s.

Other sims like AMS2 are catching up fast, sound better and gradually handle better. ACC is not far off.

I'll give my money to smaller dedicated teams who listen to their investors.

Like always (I should copy/paste that :)):
As long as you are into GTE/LMP racing, it's just nonsense to try ACC instead. It does not work at all. So it is as far off as a game could be. Do I whine because of that? No. I just use every sim for what it offers. Not for what it does not.
 
I recently installed rf2 again since my last drive was around 2017 or 18. Thats the 3rd UI i believe because people always complained of the 90s look. Honestly i couldn't care less, it was functional and easy to setup a race or join a multiplayer session. I just wanted to try out some of the content i liked and was kinda trapped in this new ui for half an hour just to setup a testdrive. Seems i completely lost all my hope for rf2, what a disastrous development process in all those years. It was way ahead of the competition with the ffb, realroad, weather and now only ffb feel is left, because the competition got already everything except the ffb feel and the advanced tire model which is part of the feel.
 
Haven’t played rFactor2 for a while, mainly because I can’t seem to get VR to work well (more a criticism of me) plus I struggle with the new UI as I’ve been spoilt with the ease of use of AC/CM, ACC & AMS2 - but this has prompted me to take another look.
 
i can add and install .rfcmp packages in the new UI but i cannot uninstall them

Had the same. Somehow it seams that a rfmod is required. When creating 1 (just add a random track/car to it) and install fixed the issue. After that i could uninstall/delete packages again.

Still its not what you want as a user to create extra stuff via the modmanager.exe

So hope after reporting it in the discord it will be fixed at some point.
 
Haven’t played rFactor2 for a while, mainly because I can’t seem to get VR to work well (more a criticism of me) plus I struggle with the new UI as I’ve been spoilt with the ease of use of AC/CM, ACC & AMS2 - but this has prompted me to take another look.

Not played RF2 in a while, but certainly never struggled with getting VR to work. What issues you having?
 
Not played RF2 in a while, but certainly never struggled with getting VR to work. What issues you having?
The issue is laziness mostly. And the fact I don’t have enough time for sim racing these days.

I’ve tried a few settings here and there, but when I go to race it doesn’t ever look that great (comparatively to other sims) or I get really sudden and inconsistent frame rates, which make my head spin.

So because I haven’t got that much time to play around and test (plus the aforementioned laziness) I just think “time is short, let’s play AC instead” (which I’ve got working really well in VR)

Therefore it’s not really the sims fault, more my time-strangled bone idleness. I really need to blank out a good few hours to sit down and make it work, because I really enjoy it on the flat screen.
 

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