Why does ISI need mirrors to distribute official game content?

Bram

Founder & Administrator
Staff
Premium
Sorry to sound negative but I find it weird that official content needs to be distributed via community mirror links. Especially considering we've paid a fair amount of money for online support.

Why are official cars and tracks not included in the auto-updater so we can update our entire game with the click of one button?

Instead i need to crawl through a dozen of (extremely slow loading) ISI forum and website pages to find all the new content that is released.

I absolutely love the way this game is heading when it comes to driving, physics and features but I expected a more easy way to distribute and install the content as its not user friendly at all.

I thought this was all included in the lifetime subscription I purchased. Rent one proper streaming server for a couple of hundred euros a month and the problem is solved.
 
You make a good point. I can only assume they did not included in the auto updater because not everyone wants every car track installed if I read the ISI forums, where a lot of people complained they had to install everything.
But I can imagine they could make an option in the autoupdater where you select which components you do want to be updated, I would like that idea too. But if I read the forums correctly they will stick with this concept for the coming period, have not read any plans they will change this, at least not shared with public if they do have plans. They might have a feature in the future, where you can see when you start Rfactor2 that there is an update, but you probably still need to download it from their website.
 
They don't need to save on bandwidth or server costs, they are a commercial company and game distributor. Now they rely on good willing community websites that offer their expensive bandwidth for them. Makes no sense to me.

I fully agree that not everybody wants to download all the content but a simple checkbox system with radio buttons could give the end user the choice what to download and what not.

Don't like to compare games but when it comes to updating they really have to take a look at iRacing or even Simsync for that matter. Simple one-click install thingies that take away so much frustration.
 
It should be more easy to see if there are updates or even to autoupdate them, as it is the new standard for most games. I personally don't have trouble with it, but thats because I don't know any better as I don't play any other games and in the past this was normal, or even more work. Rfactor1 was for me a disaster, Rfactor2 is for me an improvement already on Rfactor1. And on top of that I read their forums daily, which makes it a lot easier for me, but should not be nescesary for a game. A lot of the new games however are now so userfriendly, that it becomes a standard for most people, and when it's not it's only normal that people experience it as "not so userfriendly" and rfactor2 will loose customers with it.
Personally I find it ok to go to an website for updates, that is with more software I own the case, and if they give a heads up within Rfactor2 that says they have an update on their website, it's like most of the software I own, and in my view a normal userfriendly service.
A tip for people who don't want to read the forums or download page all the time for updates, check development corner, over there every update is sorted by date, so it makes it more easy for you to see what has been updated since the last time you played the game.
http://rfactor.net/web/rf2/devscorner/
 
I am finding this all terribly frustrating after having to do a new install

Most of the content does not open properly when you download it for instance

I tried to download Mills, and a car earlier and every time it says Windows can not find a program to open the file with, and you just lose it whether you save or open.

I tried both times, but you only get one chance and then the file is gone, and IE is so rubbish it doesn't remember the download.

As I have said elsewhere the admin in this game is pathetic. They really should be a little more reasonable, not everyone is a geek who understands everything about file locations and the like.

It makes it even more complex having two locations for EVERYTHING, why one arth is that necessary when every other game works fine without it
 
I am finding this all terribly frustrating after having to do a new install

Most of the content does not open properly when you download it for instance

I tried to download Mills, and a car earlier and every time it says Windows can not find a program to open the file with, and you just lose it whether you save or open.

I tried both times, but you only get one chance and then the file is gone, and IE is so rubbish it doesn't remember the download.

As I have said elsewhere the admin in this game is pathetic. They really should be a little more reasonable, not everyone is a geek who understands everything about file locations and the like.

It makes it even more complex having two locations for EVERYTHING, why one arth is that necessary when every other game works fine without it

Hey Rob, I never encounterd the problem you have with downloading, but I am using Chrome. That is strange behavior from IE, not sure if it's ISI's fault on this one. IE should not delete your file if there is no program to open it with. Try Chrome or reinstall IE, perhaps that helps.
Opening the file when downloading will never work for your info, as you must relocate it to a different location packages after downloading (or you must save it directly to correct location) and use the modmanager, within Rfactor2.

Not sure what you mean with the 2 locations, if it is the transition from series packaging (they did that for testing purposes), to single component releases, that problem solves itself in real short time, only 3 components need to be released as single component.
Rfactor 2 does make 2 locations when you install the components, one in the installed folder (which you never have to look at), and one in player settings, where you can put your skins, setups etc. Not a software programmer so no idea what I say is true, but I can imagine that is done because of this software being able to mod and edit stuff, so it is seperated and won't get messed up with each other and it's more easy to save your setups etc when re-installing for example. But I agree it's not easy and can be quit frustrating if you are not experienced with it:)
 
Rob if i understand correctly you downloaded Mills Metro and could not open the file.You don't need to nor can you open the file just simply drop it into your packages folder and install it in mod manager or even from inside the game itself.All content is installed in this manor.Once you learn the mod manager witch is not complicated at all it is really a breeze to install and update things.
 
From Day One, one of the things mentioned to include in the Launcher was a "Mod Checklist" section where you could download and update Official content, ISI (Gjon iirc) commented on various threads about this idea but nothing has been done to incorporate it.
Now that (finally) cars & tracks are being released as single components then maybe the time has come to bounce this issue (start a new thread on their forums) as I agree its sooooo backwards that we have to visit a website to download official content when theres a Launcher program sitting there which could be used perfectly for just that.

Someone said it above, ISI are making a simulator but forgetting usability, just look at the UI!!
 
It is still in Beta they cant do everything all at once.I think we all forget sometimes how much work it all is and they don't have all that many people to share the work load at ISI.I think all things that are logical such as "mod checklist" will be done in time but for now i would rather see them concentrate on getting more content into the game and getting the physics,features,graphics of the game refined to a gold state.For me personally i don't find it that big a hassle to download content and install it.It only takes a couple of minutes and i can get everything i need from just a couple of sources.:)
 
It is still in Beta they cant do everything all at once.I think we all forget sometimes how much work it all is and they don't have all that many people to share the work load at ISI.I think all things that are logical such as "mod checklist" will be done in time but for now i would rather see them concentrate on getting more content into the game and getting the physics,features,graphics of the game refined to a gold state.For me personally i don't find it that big a hassle to download content and install it.It only takes a couple of minutes and i can get everything i need from just a couple of sources.:)

No...its not and has'nt been since ISI removed that title at the start of this year, since then and now its in "constant development" and thats for 5 years of its life or whenever ISI stop supporting it.
Fact is this game is in a releasable state as ISI have said themselves, they're just not marketing it yet though (probably waiting to get the last Mods made into Component form).

Sure it takes a lot of work and time to do it all, granted, but even the simplest changes needed have still not been done since the game came out in Beta in Jan 2012, that's what worries me, they dont seem to have a basic floor plan of the project. Almost a "lets just dive in and wing it along the way" instead of a steady "lets get the basic structure right first then add more stuff". Look at the recent Spray inclusion in the last build for a great example, chucked in as an addition to the game without fully testing first.
 
Bram Hengeveld

looks ISI have been listenig;)
quote from ISI staff Jonathon LeFaive:
"HTTPS is currently unsupported for component downloads, but will be in the future." Only not sure if this is also for the autoupdater, or when you are joining an online session, and it downloads the missing ISI tracks only in that case. EDIT: reading it more carefully, it looks they are talking about the servers who host events, not the autoupdater. Well still hope they will implement it one day.
 
Have to see about that. I mean, take the games we have running here, which are older then lets say 1 or 2 years. How much default (stock) content is being used? Mostly its user build (which in the case of rfactor2 is WAY better and nicer then the stock content), and that will not be taken into the auto update. So I really doubt the benefits of it.

Only system where it is working perfectly is IRacing, and there you only have stock content. So, all content is being updated over the auto update feature. As rf2 has a totally different idea behind it, I really doubt the benefits.

IMO they have made it impossible to be user friendly with the concept they choose. Not in a million years, not in any setting or with any technical update. Its a game for more experienced computer users. Not saying I like that, but thats how I see it now.

I mean, most people wouldn't be able to play anything online, if it wasn't for sites as RD where the action is offered, and the mods are provided and help is available.
 

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