Updated News on RFactor2

Ross Balfour · May 29, 2011

First, let me start by apologizing for the lack of updates recently--Luc and I have been buried in the construction of the latest, and what should be final, initial-release track for rF2. I've built a version of this track before (never released) and it about put me in my artistic grave. No, I'm not going to tell you what it is--this one is a surprise but I'll give you a couple of hints though:

1) This track is a monster to build for a full team, let alone an environment art team of two. But Luc and I have it under control now and are making good progress...

2) This is another historic track, so it's not the typical, modern design...

So, other than this work, Luc and I had another pass on the other tracks (still a couple left to do) to add some more things, clean up some issues, etc. There's still a bit more we'd LIKE to do, but if we had to ship today I'm happy with the base art.

If you've read the Q&A that Tim put up today, one of the items that should be of interest visually is the question about post effects. We have good first passes for HDR and SSAO, but we won't be showing anything of them until we have something we're happy with, and have Bloom working in tandem with HDR. Honestly, the main graphic feature the newer titles have over us right now are the post effects (look at some of the titles with those effects turned off and you'll see what I mean). I feel our geometry usage and texturing are up to par, and once we have these effects in place I think we'll have a really good looking sim. And the beauty is that we're going to add and add to rF2, so I'm not worried about what we may not have initially--it'll get there...

There's not much to talk about other than that--all our time has really been consumed by this last track and other odds and ends, and the programmers have been busy adding and refining features. Speaking of which, the new tire model is really amazing, to be quite honest. I have a VERY hard time now driving with the old model--it just doesn't feel nearly as good. I think rF2's claim to fame is going to be the way it feels to drive and race, in my opinion....

Erik Tveit · May 29, 2011

Nords anyone?

Ross Balfour · May 29, 2011

Erik Tveit said:
Nords anyone?

That's what I thought, but then it would be a difficult contest against the GT5 and Simbin Nords track's that already exist. I predict Monaco - hence the announcement today

Luis Baquedano · May 29, 2011

I'm with Erik ... it could be Nordschleife; not the present layout but the historic one, I mean that from the 70s. "This is another historic track, so it's not the typical, modern design..."

It would be great.