rFactor 2 | New Build Update and Indianapolis PBR Released

Paul Jeffrey

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Studio 397 have today released a new build to the rFactor 2 racing simulation, alongside a new PBR shader update and refresh of the popular Indianapolis Motor Speedway circuit within the sim.
  • Indianapolis 2020 V1.06 released.
  • New build update addresses the first pass of fixes and optimizations.
  • Build update available as opt in release candidate.
rF2 Indy Update 3.jpg


Studio 397 have today released both a new build update to the core rFactor 2 simulation, alongside the much anticipated refresh of the classic Indianapolis Motor Speedway Steam Workshop circuit for the title.

In terms of the build update, the new release today adds a number of fixes and quality of life improvements to the title - the most recent build in what the Dutch development team have promised is the start of a concerted effort to address many of the outstanding issues within the simulation.

Build Update Notes
  • We’ve removed the Max 2012 plugins as they no longer work, and provided the last working Max 2017 plugins. We have no intention to upgrade them any longer as we can’t get these versions of Max any more to test. Furthermore, we urge the modding community to upgrade to current Max versions.
  • Fixed: Reflection mapper in Scene Viewer, so it renders from the same point as the user sees.
  • Fixed: Bind a mouse click to any input control.
  • Fixed: Issues with showroom performance.
  • Fixed: Missing error prompt when textures are missing from content.
  • Fixed: Issue with a white screen you get when you try to assign a control.
  • Fixed: Visible damage sometimes corrupting car bodies, to properly fix the hotfix that temporarily disabled the visible damage.
  • Fixed: Issue where clouds could show similar corruption as car bodies.
  • Fixed: Showroom Upgrades not displaying which require MAS Files.
  • Fixed: Glitch where “the lights would suddenly go off” when transitioning from light to dark at dusk.
  • Fixed: Exploit where you could still set the FE car to use 250kW in the setup in a race when that setting is reserved for “attack mode”.
  • Fixed: Overlays would not correctly follow the attack mode countdown timing.
  • AIW Editor: Added new line smoothing option, and added soft selection for manual adjustments.
  • Added an internal option to the player.json to turn off multi-threading in the UI. Defaults to “on”.
  • Added code support so we can detect a disabled Steam overlay, to warn you about why a shopping cart won’t show up.
  • Changed how a dedicated server shuts down when asked so it no longer crashes with a non-zero return code.
  • Pausing sessions in a dedicated server will now only pause the first one.
  • Increased an internal timeout when talking to Steam to give it more time before we give up or retry.
  • Scene Viewer Changes: Moved Web UI Port to 5396 by default and added support for up to 128 scenes in configuration file
In a change from the normal procedures with build releases, this new update will be available to players as a special 'Release Candidate' branch of rFactor 2 - meaning the current public version of the simulation remains unchanged, and platers can choose to 'opt in' to this new update right-clicking rFactor 2 in your Steam library, and selecting ‘Properties – betas – release-candidate’.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Update

rF2 Indy Update 4.jpg

rF2 Indy Update 2.jpg


In other rFactor 2 news, the studio have also deployed a new update to the free Indianapolis Motor Speedway circuit, adding a wide range of improvements to one of the older circuits within the simulation.

You can check out the changes in the latest build notes below:
  • Update of 2013 Release to 2020.
  • Replaced 2013 layout with modern equivalent
  • Full PBR Conversion of all assets
  • Replaced Crowds with new assets
  • Replaced Marshals with new assets
  • Added Pitlane Props (Pit Stands, Fuelling Rigs, Pit Markers)
  • Added accurate background nightlighting
  • Added Advertisements
  • Added building at Road Course S1
  • Improved various assets such as armco barriers
  • AI Updates to 2007 GP and Modern GP layouts.
  • Various other improvements and tweaks




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 Indy Update 6.jpg
rF2 Indy Update 7.jpg
 
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Are you using the release-candidate build, while the server is using the stable build? Or vice versa?
Are you using the release-candidate build, while the server is using the stable build? Or vice versa?

I dont know. It just auto updated and now I cant join any. As far as I'm aware you can only join the same version?

Have just checked and its not using it, so may need to, still would think it would be classed as a different version on the server list?
 
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You may be right. Does that mean it's a beta of a public beta? What's the point or am I missing something?
There no longer exists a PUBLIC BETA. The Web based UI that was in Beta for the past year is now the default UI. You have 3 choices when you open the beta tab in Steam. The top option is NONE. That is the current version of the web based UI. Next is the OLD UI option which will no longer receive any further updates. Finally there is the Release Candidate. This is what will be the next current version once testing feedback is received.
1613014972749.png
 
It looks better in the dark... Not to be a negative Nancy, but I can't into rF2 partly because of the subpar track textures. The cars look darn good, but there is lighting weirdness and track textures that compare woefully to AMS1. In the top photo, the grass looks recycled and the blocks look as simple as can be. The picture of the front straight looks cartoony, there is little photorealism compared to PC2, AC, heck, even RRRE. Am I the only one who still feels this way? I know people love the physics, but I just think that this game is further behind in usability and presentation than the other sims are in physics.

That is why I only drive in this game, not take any screenshots despite it has some really great cars.

The textures are horrible in most cases with the free cams control to be even worse. One can get great screenshots with this game, it takes more effort.
 
It looks better in the dark... Not to be a negative Nancy, but I can't into rF2 partly because of the subpar track textures. The cars look darn good, but there is lighting weirdness and track textures that compare woefully to AMS1. In the top photo, the grass looks recycled and the blocks look as simple as can be. The picture of the front straight looks cartoony, there is little photorealism compared to PC2, AC, heck, even RRRE. Am I the only one who still feels this way? I know people love the physics, but I just think that this game is further behind in usability and presentation than the other sims are in physics.
Haven't tried this new Indy yet, but I have no problems with their recent tracks. I really like their new asphalt shader. In my opinion PC2 is way over the top with their messy roads full of skidmarks, R3E looks... old, AC is really track dependent but rF2 CAN look better with their newest tracks, especially with the up to date PBR tracks (older tracks on the other hand are mostly plain bad for today's standards). On the other hand, for my eyes, the cars can look off, especially older ones without PBR, even a bit older paid content. If all cars had the quality of the C8R, especially the cockpit and a proper dash display with proper fonts, I would be happy.
 
At one stage rf2 was my go to Sim but I have barely put an hour on it in the last year. People always rave about the amazing physics but there are so many obvious neglected areas in the Sim that it no longer interests me. I want the full package not just one aspect that is good while everything else isn't. I have the utmost respect for how the developers have moved it forwards from the ISI days but I assume the team is too small to take big steps at a time. The screenshots of the new Indy actually don't look any better to me and look like a game from a decade ago. Maybe it looks better when racing but I doubt I will find out until the game has moved forward a lot more, so maybe in a few years.
 
How the track looks is largely affected by time of day / weather. I can look dull or awesome depending on that combo. This is true for most racing sims offering 24h day cycle and weather. Sim that have baked lighting (AC, R3E) have it so it always looks good since it never changes.
Both Assetto Corsa and R3E feature a dynamic time of day, so they don't use baked lighting.
 
How can i use the old ui

From Steam, in the rFactor2 BETAS tab you can select "old-ui". But wouldn't you prefer the latest version where you can drive in VR with a big black box surrounding your view? Or be forced to load your favourite MP server when you never play online and all the other non-essential fluff (including bugs) that their updates provide? Would you really want to miss out on all that?
 
The new version from Indy is a bad joke, looks awful. And I see the new UI still can't remember what video settings my system has from one session to another, I love having to set the graphic options every time I start the frickin' game. But what the hell, the old UI couldn't remember them either :thumbsdown:
And the player names bug hasn't been fixed either. And the FCY bug, and the flickering when changing pages in the UI. And, and, and......
One step forward, two steps back..As Derek from Vice Grip Garage would say: will it ever run?...probably not....:D
 
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