United Racing Design, abandoned?

[Bez]

Has there been any updates for the EGT/T5 since last year? Also when were the last updates for the JT5 and PX? the emails seem to have gone quiet.

 

[Emery]

Last word was URD is waiting for DX11 to be finalized before more updates to any rF2 products.

 

[Bez]

ahh thanks for the heads up Emery! I was worried they'd stopped updating the cars as I've also not had an update for the AC EGT pack since last year.

 

[Dirk Steffen]

Yes it has been very quiet around URD for some time now :-(
I was wondering the same have the URD EGT + PX mods for AC and do enjoy them but was thinking about adding them for rF2 now that DX11 works pretty well.

What is the best channel for any news around URD - is the mail newsletter the only source? Is there any regular updates on social media?

 

[Deleted member 130869]

I don't know how their Assetto side operates, there was one person who put the content in game. I don't know how well or not the car's settings and the game-specific details translated. On the rF2 side, it slowed down because they have done contract work that took time away. Then there are the delayed game updates, where people are waiting for specifics and new parameters to be defined, and only update content once.

 

[Andy_J]

I contacted them by Facebook two weeks ago and no response. This is the trouble with pay mods and a game that gets updated frequently. The mod guys are not keeping them up to date even though you have paid for them.
I'm talking about their AC pay mods, not RF2. But principle the same.

 

[TobiasR]

I contacted them by Facebook two weeks ago and no response. This is the trouble with pay mods and a game that gets updated frequently. The mod guys are not keeping them up to date even though you have paid for them.

Like some others have said, I think URD does some work for Studio 397 and AC directly, but I'm not 100% positive on that. Kinda sucks that the updates have dwindled, as I've been curious about the Toyota P1 in rF2 for a while now.

 

[vee10]

Yep paid for content and then disappear. Even if they have something better to do, some communication with your customers would be nice.

 

[MarcG]

Ales has always responded very quickly to my e-mails and he's constantly in the RF2 Discord channel, I'm sure if it's an urgent matter he'll help so no harm asking there.

 

[manc0ntr0]

As far as I know, they are working to Studio 397

 

[Andy_J]

I suppose we can take this as a warning about buying pay mods from these little mod teams. They take the money but do not follow up with essential updates. Buyer beware with pay mods from now. Caveat Emptor

 

[Dirk Steffen]

I suppose we can take this as a warning about buying pay mods from these little mod teams. They take the money but do not follow up with essential updates. Buyer beware with pay mods from now. Caveat Emptor

Wrong.

I have bought the EGT mod for Assetto Corsa and an early access into the incomplete PX mod (LMP1 + LMP2).

Both mods had very, very modest prices (I spend more on a coffee when I am out than on either of these).

Both of them have provided me very much enjoyment and are regularly used.

I am very happy I bought them and wouldn't do it any other way if I had the choice.
If someone would offer me a full refund on both, I would politely decline.

I knew very well what I can or cannot expect when buying both. Sure it would have been nice if the PX mod would have been finished (especially with the Toyota LMP1 car not released but touted to be part of the later mod).

On the contrary, I am actually thinking about buying these two same mods also for rFactor 2, now that rF 2 becomes more and more interesting as well (I absolutely love endurance and GT racing).

Small businesses do need support from the community.
Without businesses as URD the community would be left with only Russian rip modders with questionable quality conversions of cars from Forza, Grid, pCars, … you name it.

I rather support a small business who builds solid content from the ground up and pay a fair price for their service, knowing they neither can be expected to have the capacity nor budget to upkeep their mods as bigger business have.

Keeping unsupported mods in functional shape these days is trivial enough should there ever be an issue (like fixing the sound of that - mind you: free to download then - URD Mercedes CLR LM).

What I would wish could be improved though from URD side is communication.
Have a blog post now and then. Have a clear message to long time followers.

The false-socialist notion of all racing simulator mods have to be free for charge or have no right to exist when sold as a pay-content with shaming every single hard working content creator who asks for a fair and modest price for their work is in my opinion outrageous. This unfortunately crops up now and then in the sim racing community and is just wrong.

Would you work for free?

When you buy a carrot or a car or a house or a license for digital content, you go into the transaction well informed and with realistic expectations. Do that with pay-mods and you will be happy to buy, used and enjoy or be happy to decide against buying it.

 

[Andy_J]

The false-socialist notion of all racing simulator mods have to be free for charge or have no right to exist when sold as a pay-content with shaming every single hard working content creator who asks for a fair and modest price for their work is in my opinion outrageous. This unfortunately crops up now and then in the sim racing community and is just wrong.
Would you work for free?

What a load of silly drivel and bullcrap.

I paid for my pay mods, why can't I use them? I have nothing against pay mods but when you are charged for a mod you should expect them to work. You obviously don't understand. If it was free there is no complaint to make but these are not free.
I'll ask you this; if you purchase a mod for AC and after one week, AC is updated and the mod no longer works would you think that is acceptable?
If a modder wants to sell his work, he needs to be able to offer a reasonable warranty for at least the expected life of the sim it's intended for, ie until the sim is no longer updated.

And if pay mods are to be a feature of the modern sim, then these money grabbing people had better get used to the customer having a valid complaint.
I think I liked it better when those hard working content creators did it for the love, the admiration and the good of our hobby. And hardly hard working in the real context of things. My Dad served in the military for years and then worked down the pit for 30 years. That was hard fricken work man.

 

[MarcG]

Was the PX paid for? I can't remember, all I know is I paid for the DTM & EGT mod also for the price of a coffee and I've fully enjoyed them since. Think I even got an AC mod from URD but can't recall exactly, any way the point is its incredible how peoples perceptions change as soon as money is exchanged, no matter how small the cost. If the URD mods were free they'd be labelled as one of the best Mod Groups in town, charge a little bit of cash (and we're talking LITTLE) mixed with delays and lack of communication and suddenly they're the Devil.

Sure the latest trend is to release Monthly Roadmaps by Devs, do Mods teams need to do this? Only if they have something to say each month then yeah perhaps, otherwise a post every now and then would suffice and I do agree that URD could perhaps enlighten the doubters a bit more with regards to that.

What you must remember also is that you don't know URDs business, they may well be working with Kunos/S397/Reiza/Whoever, or have some other Private Work going on that is more important than feeding the lives of a few angry sim racers - again communication could be better to let them know this but that's URDs choice, not every Mod team has to follow a stringent path of communication, not even ISI did that! Sure we paid for these Mods, so maybe there is an argument to wanting more News as said above, but they certainly don't have to if they don't want too, no matter how frustrating that may be for you.

At the end of the day it's up to you if you wish to support these mod teams, have a gripe then ask for a refund - simple, getting your knickers in a twist over a few $$$ then at least you've now learnt the lesson to not support these kind of Mod teams in the future.
Personally I support them just as Kunos, Reiza and to a smaller extent Studio397 all came from a Modding background so whether they ask for cash in exchange of their work or not I like to help them in their quest to make a living out of their hobby.

To end, it's sad enough we have people in this community of keyboard warriors whining about DLC for £5.99 whilst they're sat behind their £300 steering wheel, £350 GPU, £500 VR HMD, £200 Pedals (the list goes on)...but please in future, if you think paying for a Mod Teams work might not be worth it then do us all a favour and don't buy it...as ever the choice is yours.

 

[Andy_J]

Absolutely no point in a discussion unreasonable people who support paid mods that don't work any more. It's the principle here, not the cash amount.

 

[MarcG]

Absolutely no point in a discussion unreasonable people who support paid mods that don't work any more. It's the principle here, not the cash amount.

I last used URD mods yesterday, they worked fine. If it's the principle then again you have learnt your lesson to never buy anything from URD again haven't you?!

 

[Dirk Steffen]

Absolutely no point in a discussion unreasonable people who support paid mods that don't work any more. It's the principle here, not the cash amount.

Andy, you are aware that your comment is providing false information to readers of this forum?

All URD mods I have purchased over time have always been maintained by URD and worked since their release.
Whenever Kunos has issued an update to Assetto Corsa that would break functionality of mods (ALL mods mind you, usually in form of broken sounds) URD has first provided at shortest notice an email to all paying customers, informing them about the change of Assetto Corsa and about if and how that change interacts with the URD mod - also a projected time has been given when a hot fix will be made available.
The moment a hot fix or an update to the mod has become available all paying customers would receive an email with change log and download link with instructions.

These hot fixes and updates have ALWAYS been provided at shortest times (usually within days).

The EGT and PX mod have never been broken or unusable as long as I have used them, always maintained and updated to keep them fully functioning to this day.

Here is another very positive aspect:
Paying customers have received from time to time even surprises from URD - for example have we seen a complete free of charge car in development by URD as free content.

Honestly to say, all that has been more than anyone can reasonably expect from the very low cost of either mod.

I also find your notion about your father's worth of work to be value superior to the work of content creators questionable and disrespectful.

 

[Andy_J]

Andy, you are aware that your comment is providing false information to readers of this forum?
I don't, I have not rec'd any update lately for my mods nor have I rec'd any answer to my requests.

The moment a hot fix or an update to the mod has become available all paying customers would receive an email with change log and download link with instructions.
I used to get that. Read above.

These hot fixes and updates have ALWAYS been provided at shortest times (usually within days).
Really, where are they now?

Honestly to say, all that has been more than anyone can reasonably expect from the very low cost of either mod.
Like I said it's the principle. I was never against pay mods but I think I'll change my mind and just enjoy those who do things for the passion. Just look at what the mod community did and does for Nascar Racing 2003.

I also find your notion about your father's worth of work to be value superior to the work of content creators questionable and disrespectful.

Do you? Well I don't. Content creating? Don't make me laugh. Just comparing their so called "hard work" is a bloody cheek. Yes, you have convinced me that pay mods are now bad news. I have officially changed my mind. I don't recommend anyone to spend their hard earned cash on pay mods, stick to those made passionately by the community for the community.

 

[Emery]

Absolutely no point in a discussion unreasonable people who support paid mods that don't work any more. It's the principle here, not the cash amount.

Sorry, but the URD mods work in rF2. You can definitely still use them. If you're complaining that they aren't yet DX11 compliant, well... DX11 is still beta and thus your complaint is moot.

 

[Andy_J]

I last used URD mods yesterday, they worked fine. If it's the principle then again you have learnt your lesson to never buy anything from URD again haven't you?!

Yes I have.