rFactor 2: Progress? Progress!

[Tom]

Bram Hengeveld submitted a new blog post:

rFactor 2: Progress? Progress!

ISI announced today that they're still making progress but it's slower than expected and not working out as well as they'd like it to be. Gjon Camaj shared some details with the community on ISIForums.net.

Its been a while since our last update so I wanted provide some info on our progress. We were expecting to release an update many weeks ago but I asked that it include an auto skin transfer feature that had some...​

Continue reading the Original Blog Post​

 

[Knut Omdal Tveito]

IIRC they have also planned to simulate loose surfaces so that the sand and gravel etc deforms around the wheel. That would give a very soft feel as expected. As it is now it is just a very bumpy and very rigid surface when you go off track.

 

[Alberto Casado]

Understandable, but would it not have been better to have a tarmac-like (smooth) off-track meanwhile until a proper surface is simulated? Or just wavy.

What where they thinking when they put a spiky off-road that is basically incompatible with the most popular wheel models of the market? It is just plainly unnecessary.

 

[Flawl3ssVctry]

such is the nature of software development

 

[t.o.]

I for one am glad that they're developing the FFB for "high-end" wheels. Let the guys who spent the money get there money's worth and just put in alternate dumbed down models for the masses.

 

[Craig Stevenson]

With a business model like that I would expect RF2 to be last thing ISI ever make

The logical thing for ISI to have done would have been to develop as usual for the Mid-market wheels like G25\27 and then maybe a PRO version add-on or something for the High-end stuff.

 

[GallardoGT]

Wow that screenshot looks fresh and fruity

 

[RichardHessels]

Well going off track and get hammered by your steering wheel has nothing to do with FFB that comes from the steeringrack.
I basically just a spike waveform that get kicked in.
To mask the non excisting offtrack tire bahaviour.
I have driven a lot of real cars offroad, the softer soil is making the feedback much less compared to driving the road.
Much less friction between the surface and the tire.
But yet in rF2 you get a extreme canned vibration effect that somehow can't be altered without numbing all the FFB.
Every now and than i fire it up.. and leave it after 15 minutes.
Somehow after the first oohhh.. with the 60's cars the interest went down a lot.
Also the really bad performance compared to the subpar graphics for a 2012 title did not do it any good.
pCars looks much better and gives much better framerates too, especially at my triple monitor setup.
So there is still a lot off work to do for the ISI boys.
In the end i guess the modded content will make the difference.
Like it did with rF1.

 

[Jamie Shorting]

Yeah if you're just looking for dumbed down modders physics, pCars is probably the way to go.

 

[RichardHessels]

Yeah if you're just looking for dumbed down modders physics, pCars is probably the way to go.

pCars is not even beta yet, the new tire model still needs to be fully implemented.
rFactor is already in a beta state for a year.
Mostly beta's wont really alter much anymore compared to final product.
I really hope rF2 becomes the best sim out there.
But still not really impressed by the package as it is now.

 

[Jari Vinnari]

I have driven pCars and in my opinion in its current form rF2 has better car handling and specially FFB while pCars have clear advantage in graphics. 60´s formulas, Nissan´s and Renaults just feels better than rest of the simulators I have driven. Hey...but thats just me but the only opinion (in games) that really matters is your own.

Im eagerly waiting for pCars to mature but there isnt any guarantee that its physics or rF2´s graphics get substantially better when they are released.

 

[Alberto Casado]

I have some contempt for RF2, but if pcars is the answer we are definitely doomed.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

by Richard Hessels: "Every now and than i fire it up.. and leave it after 15 minutes.
Somehow after the first oohhh.. with the 60′s cars the interest went down a lot.
Also the really bad performance compared to the subpar graphics for a 2012 title did not do it any good.
pCars looks much better ...
So there is still a lot off work to do for the ISI boys.
In the end i guess the modded content will make the difference.
Like it did with rF1."
150% my idea, atm PCars has a long way to go considering the feel but it looks really really nice. rF2 will be fine in about two years, once the finished product is out and the modders have fully kicked in, atm I do sth. like 15 mins every three months to check if it's still on my harddrive and to cry at the god-awful graphics, once they match the feel of a Skip Barber Formula Ford at Lime Rock, they will have me hooked, until then iRacing rules.

 

[Terry Rock]

Why are people still complaining about this simulation's time frame? I don't get it.
Would it be nice to get progress updates ahead of all the complaints? Yes. BUT..they've never done that in any previous release. This is not a new trend.
We all knew it was a beta when we bought in. We all knew it would take time to finish.
The kind of innovation being implemented in rF2 is unprecedented.
There are going to be issues and delays, simply because it has never been attempted before.
ISI have already stated that the simulation will not be just another merry-go-round style (ala...Codemasters) re-released every year at full cost. It'll cost $12 for service and updates. A bargain, if I ever saw one.
They're building a base platform which they plan to improve every year until it can't be improved upon any longer. That should be good enough if you want as close to perfection as possible.
Why are guys still complaining about the time it takes to go 'gold'?
What will that do?
Will the product somehow miraculously transform into exactly what you want, once they say the word? No.
If you bought into the beta early, (IMSMC...You have 18 months once it goes gold and 12 months for later purchase).
Enjoy the darn thing and stop complaining.
Whatever time you get to drive it up to 'gold/final' release + the 12 or 18 months afterward, is worth the price of admission.

 

[Shawdad]

Personally, i'd rather have a higher quality product later than an inferior product now.