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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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.
The Studio 397 / rFactor forums have a VR thread worth checking out but, I find the title runs very nicely (replays not so much though) and the recent lighting updates can be stunning (evening to night transitions). Not sure I've experienced anything more immersive in VR although, RaceRoom like audio could do wonders.
 
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...

I recently was able to setup a dedicated server to race a friend using this guide fairly quickly. Note that I am using the old UI as the new one crashes to the desktop with a C++ Runtime Error on startup.

The only issue I've encountered so far is that when you add cars by default, after launching the server, in the config screen it adds some filters and not others. So some cars wouldn't work and you get booted out if you select them. You can subsequently relaunch the server and add the missing filters to enable the car to work, but adding certain filters crashes the app for some reason. So i took me a bit of trial and error but once configured it's been stable.

 
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I recently was able to setup a dedicated server to race a friend using this guide fairly quickly. Note that I am using the old UI as the new one crashes to the desktop with a C++ Runtime Error on startup.

The only issue I've encountered so far is that when you add cars by default, after launching the server, in the config screen it adds some filters and not others. So some cars wouldn't work and you get booted out if you select them. You can subsequently relaunch the server and add the missing filters to enable the car to work, but adding certain filters crashes the app for some reason. So i took me a bit of trial and error but once configured it's been stable.


Yes I have tried this guide and I get the server running and my buddy can join it. But I can only start it up when Steam is not running - if I start it while Steam is running it starts up RF2 in steam. Meaning I cannot start the actual game myself. If I start the server without Steam running the server can still start and it works. But as soon as I then start up RF2 afterwards both the server and RF2 crashes. Dont know what to do from here. I will try with old UI and see if it makes a difference. Thanks anyway ! :thumbsup:
 
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 !)
I would be the last one to claim that the new UI is perfect and finished, but getting into quick pickup racing has improved significantly with the competition system and that's what this article is all about. And surprise suprise, packages are part of that system and it works rather smooth if you aren't running a N64 in Siberia. Or to make it more simple for you: what would be your clever alternative? Having people collect bits and pieces of mods here and there on RD or in the forum to have their mods up to date and ready to join? How we did it a decade ago? Good luck with that.

I tested the Tatuus and GTE comps and it was nicely automated and great to see how smooth the subscribing, updating and joining worked, atleast for me. There have been isses with people pending open sessions, but I think problems are to be expected at this point. For people with a good internet connection and fast PCs it should work pretty good allready. I subsrcibed to the Tatuus competition wich set the current mod from all cars and tracks to the specific comp mod and I could start practicing right away with all the proper tracklayouts listed. Very nice. After practicing I joined the server wich was easy as the races are scheduled. If they manage to smoothen the edges of this system and expand on it'll be a success and help getting people on the servers for sure.

All I can say is, that I was contrary to the new UI pleasently surprised to see how easy it is to get into scheduled online pick up races in rF2 for once. Now please bring the UI up to the same standard.
 
Not played RF2 in a while, but certainly never struggled with getting VR to work. What issues you having?
The Studio 397 / rFactor forums have a VR thread worth checking out but, I find the title runs very nicely (replays not so much though) and the recent lighting updates can be stunning (evening to night transitions). Not sure I've experienced anything more immersive in VR although, RaceRoom like audio could do wonders.

Well, I sat down this evening and made a few quick tweaks and gave it a go - it was pretty much perfect, so I'm very happy with that!! I thought I'd be sat there hours fiddling about, but it took me longer trying to get my CSW 2.5 detected. I did upgrade my CPU last year, not sure if that has a bearing on things but I'm not sure I've used rF2 since then?!?

So as this was the first time I've used it in a long time I didn't know quite what to expect but I was very pleasantly surprised.

The graphics in VR are now great and I like the look of the UI, it's still quite cumbersome to use but I managed to set up a multi-class race fairly easily. The FFB is as excellent as ever as is the driving experience, I suddenly remember why I used to play it so much now - it's like getting a whole new game.
 
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[GER]
rFactor 2 ist zu einer Baustelle Landschaft geworden. Studio 397 hat einiges gutes gemacht aber nichts fertig gemacht. Es macht langsam einfach kein Spaß mehr. Die UI in VR ist immer noch mangelhaft auf einer Bildschirmauflösung von 2560x1080, die GT3's sind Kaputt gemacht worden.
Die Neue UI ist einfach eine Katastrophe. Hat nichts mit Bedienfreundlichkeit zutun.
Vielleicht sollten die Entwickler lieber an einen rF3 arbeiten.

[Google Trans - ENG]
rFactor 2 has become a building site landscape. Studio 397 did some good things but didn't finish anything. It's just not fun anymore. The UI in VR is still poor on a screen resolution of 2560x1080, the GT3's have been broken.
The new UI is just a disaster. Has nothing to do with ease of use.
Maybe the developers should work on an rF3 instead.
 
I tip my hat to the rF2 guys - in my book, they are the true die hards within our hobby. No, really. I'm not trolling, I really think this.

First off, I truly believe rF2 has the most authentic physics of any home sim out there. It's the only thing us mouth breathers can get our grubby mitts on that comes close to what you'd find in a professional team's setup.

But that's just the type of the iceberg. To enjoy the game at even a casual level takes such an intimate familiarity with the setup and configuration of the sim itself, it's staggering. I can tell you it's cost prohibitive for me. There are too many other (admittedly inferior) sims out there that are more or less plug and play for me to justify the effort. I'd rather be lapping in an OK sim than configuring a great sim. Sorry.

Also, I'm a professional software developer so, yes, I do know how to use a text editor. Several of them.

I've recently got into real life club racing, I see some parallels. If I ever added up how many *actual* on track hours I could reasonably expect in a year, I would probably fall into a depression. It's single digits, by a long shot I'm sure. But I have to put a lot of dollars and hours into it to unlock those few hours of fun. I do it because it's really, REALLY fun - the "value proposition" works out for me. I suspect many of the rF2 jockeys see things much the same.
 
Not sure if rF2 has the most sophisticated sim-model. I have serious doubts tbh when I see all the issues with tires, dirty air model etc. Perhaps it's not related to the model itself, rather to the "modders"....not sure. But seems there is a lack in someone who can really pushes physics and ai and/or is allowed to work on that.

Hope a wonder will happen and bug fixing, improving of physics model, sound improvements etc. is part of daily work at S397. Don't get me wrong, they are really nice guys, I like them but the results in so many areas have already dropped back to what is standard in this industry that it's really hard to keep on playing.
 
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