Latest Roadmap Update - July 2021

has anyone ever complained about the helmet model, I don't think so. I think we have other Problems or not?

 

@Paul Jeffrey

+1 for physics tyres and Ai updates.

It really is getting beyond a joke now.
rF2 is loosing players over it.

 

One thing is for sure, rF2 is the most bashed software I have seen.

The bashing is excessive, of course, but there are many problems.

One of the problems that we never talk about is the very poor communication of S397 :

Regarding the roadmaps, which as I said, are improved thanks to Paul, we learn too little about rF2.

Hell, could there be a (written) roadmap communication, just telling us what S397 hopes to make available to users in 2021, the first 6 months of 2022, and the second half of 2022 ?

Let us have an idea of where rF2 leads.

As an avid fan, even a very diligent one, I know next to nothing.

The little that I know is quite worrying IMO : graphics graphics, UI Ui, multi multi, esport esport.

PHYSICS ????? AI ????? RACING RULES ???? LOADING TIMES ????? ALL 55 S397 UPDATE IN TERM OF PHYSICS (+ GRAPHICS AND SOUNDS) ???? SOUND ENGINE ????? BETTER SETTING THE WEATHER AND REALROAD ???? RAIN PHYSICS ???? MORE DIVERSIFIED CAR CONTENT ????? MAY BE THE WAY THE FFB IS MANAGED CAN BE IMPROVED (min torque, ingame clipping tool, 100% multi ffb = no software clipping,....) ??? OOPTIMIZATION OF GRAPHICS ENGINE PERFORMANCE WITH PRIORITY OVER VISUAL IMPROVEMENT (BETTER VR OPTIMISATION). Etc etc etc etc etc.

We know nothing, nothing, nothing.

Also, fantastic things have been done by S397, some non-exhaustive examples: the quality of the car and laser track content, the graphics engine becomes really beautiful, .................

 

Yes, by frequently looking at steamcharts I also can see that players numbers are more on slowly decreasign side, and it has been so for a long time.

I think the main reason for that is that new UI is not exactly clicking on as well as it should be, and as it could be if it was better designed. Competition system is not exactly a miracle, I had time to try it once, and for some reason I could join (I hope next time I will somehow). The lack of core most important software improvements is not exactly pulling anyone back to rF2 too, and lack of positive mentioning doesn't make as much new players. It would be so awesome if instead of making improvements step by step very slowly, leaps would be done, but I think we should be realistic - it won't, lets just be glad rF2 keeps on getting better and not worse. Last but not least, I think rF2 is typically played more by more serious people, less kids, and this type of people has less time for games, I myself found myself very busy this summer, besides that it is a time of the year when people are spending more time outside, at least here in northern hemisphere.

P.S. just forgot, the wave of Covid19 players is just backing off too, I suppose.

Everything adds up. Personally despite all the justified complaints about development not being as we wish for, I think rF2 is underappreciated.

 

I have to agree there has been very little that actually affects the racing in rF2, or improved it. There are so many very important things that affect the racing a lot, that aren't simulated yet.

 

Is S397 not reading these forums and seeing what their core audience wants?

 

They do read, and they probably have a VERY good idea what we here have been aching for, but they also prioritize what they can accomplish, along with what improvements will lead to further improvements. i.e. DX11>PBR/IBL>SSR

 

what about the new BMW GT3 ? I prefer a new track but if the old GT3s have no interior update, I will buy this new one with the last PBR and new Helmet !

 

Please, make a proper offline racing.

25 minutes, Mugello, i30 by Tommy78, AI Limiter 1% (i want gaps):



Result: A fucking train. Close races are fun sometimes, but if i want gaps i don't want 90% of the cars in less than 10 seconds.

Always the same since 2012. (A mistake, not 2012, since rFactor 1)

With Assetto Corsa and Content Manager is quite simple, opponent level and a % margin. Easier than edit talent files or other stuff.

 

Hello everyone,

We do indeed read these forums, every single day (hence the reply on a Saturday!) and yes, we are also acutely aware of many of the things people want to see added to the title - don't forget, we too are sim racing enthusiasts and rFactor 2 fans, so in part we share many of your frustrations.

Quite frankly, we are probably the smallest of the sim racing developers in active development today, and for that reason, it is just so incredibly important that we carefully prioritize when and what we do in terms of development of rFactor 2. These priorities can be influenced by factors such as capacity, complexity of the task, urgency of the issue (for game breaking bugs etc), business considerations, long term goals and about a thousand other things.

What does this mean in the simplest terms - we can't do everything all at once, and often we have to focus on aspects of the title that don't suit everyone's tastes, and even then it might take longer than we initially thought or hoped.

As I put in the roadmap, we originally decided to work on the visual aspect of the title first, a development that remains ongoing, and yes, working on new physics features etc would certainly be something people want to see, and we want to do - however these are set for a little further down the line just yet.

About graphics, for those of you who've been around rF2 for a number of years, imagine the uproar if we still had 2015 level graphics

We are working incredibly hard, incredibly long hours and to the best of our ability to bring every little bit of potential we can to rFactor 2. We've got to keep the lights on so to speak, and one way to do that is the way the simulation looks - a platform for people to race together online, and regular and interesting content to keep the simulation fresh and appealing to new players. Does this mean we don't care about physics and features? ABSOLUTELY NOT! We care a great deal, we are bursting in fact to maximize these areas, and we will, it just might take a little longer than we all would like.

Keep the faith, enjoy what we've got and continue to do, and strap in for an exiting and hopefully rewarding journey ahead.

(apologies for a rushed post - a ton of family have just turned up for a minor gathering, so I'm trying to say hello to everyone, fuss the dog, calm our little one and get ready to have some food all while typing ! LOL)

 

Thank you for your time and answer.
Have a nice weekend S397!

 

Maybe this is the point where the graphics have come to todays standards, and its time to move over to the next weakest part of the sim.

 

This is the best roadmap for a long time. Thank you Paul for a great qualifying post, reminding us that the guys at S397 love this title too, but RF2 is a massive piece of software and it simply takes time to do what needs to be done.

 

Which is?

 

Strong argument ..

 

Anything else than graphics

 

The weakest point is definitely the user experience, but that's not what interests me personally.

I would say that the three main points are in order :

1) Physics as a whole
2) Offline.
(It should be noted that a very large part of what could be done for offline could probably be used in one way or another for multiplayer [the reverse is much less true]).
3) Update mainly physics but also graphics and sounds of all 55 S397 cars.

Other points are important, but these are the most important IMO.

 

Definitely graphics is truly respectable now, I think it would always keep on having space to improve, and I guess there might be people dedicated to graphics side maybe ? I haven't played rF2 for few weeks, and I was very impressed where it got.

1. Clouds are clearly more alive, more detail. Not HDRi real sky or volumetric madness, but I think it is nice and nicer.
2. I like what was done with rain fall, it looks a bit less sharp, and IMO it is more realistic than strangely well defined dense rain fall. Looks like S397 is winning on looks and on performance by doing this. SSR is awesome, I am glad that nw my goodwood mod has road reflections full, without doing anything (just have to fix UV scaling somehow lol). Rain is good looking.
3. I am not certain, but are now shadows gone in overcast weather ? It seemed so from runs I did today, and in my mind this is massive improvement.
4. Godrays beautiful and natural and goes well with autoexposure, IMO very well adjusted.

This graphics engine can become truly sexy.

 

Agree graphics can be very very good, "realistic".

The graphics team has been doing an excellent job for 1 year in particular.

But for me updating the clouds is not a success.

Before they were very slightly pixelated but it was not visible while driving.
Now they are all smooth, and look less detailed to me, which is a real problem.

Then, we do not have the slightest impression of volume.

Finally there is a problem that has never been reported :
Light clouds now corresponds to partially cloudy, partially cloudy corresponds to mostly cloudy, mostly cloudy corresponds to overcast (to schematize).

Really the cloud update is a missed opportunity. And yes there is a kind of ambient occlusion which attenuates more or less strongly the shadows according to the clouds.

 

Maybe it is so. I am not exactly sure about clouds themselves, but the way whole sky is detailed I find it better. When you focus on them, they do seem just a little bit flat while driving, but I suppose it can not be different unless it is totally fake sky overlay not actually interacting with the scene, or if it is crazy complex 3D detailed volumetric clouds with all the shadows and specular effects physically true in the scene.

As much as I have played today I was happy with skies, this was more outstanding one in my mind. It is good to me.