rf2 graphics quality expectations

I know you are not comparing Minecraft to rF2, the light shader in that game has so many issues it isn't even funny.

 

No questions about that, but the effects with custom shaders are more convincing. At least things are not 100% washed at midday.

 

Is photo-realism is a must? Or ISI can come up with their own style of graphics. like wut rf1 has done.

 

For serious simulator I think it is. This is not Mario Kart or Wacky Wheels. rFactor1 tries to be photorealistic as well, as much as the old tech allows.

 

I think rf1 is a 'texture' dependant to be good looking. Now its shaders i.e. tree shaders wud be different than a car paint.

 

I felt that I couldn't hold back my thoughts on this topic any longer.

Yes, graphics is important. Nothing sells better than good graphics, and the developers need to pay their bills too
If a game looks mediocre, potential new gamers might not even bother getting it, I think.

I think that in order to get realistic graphics, you need to have realistic looking lighting. The bells and whistles just help to achieve a little bit more realistic experience. pCars lighting looks much better than rf2 for some reason, it feels more natural.

Currently, rF2 graphics engine contains quite a few buggy features. For example, realtime environment mapping. You can't see it very well on racing cars with fancy liveries (but on glossy road cars, yes), but sometimes there is missing grass (or even worse, only the road is reflected) or other details, lighting is weird etc.
Also, what's up with these static mesh based headlight/taillight glows seen on ISI content? It's 2013, we should at least have particle based light glows, just like the custom shader I created for rFactor1.

Anyway, if the current graphics features are fixed and finalized correctly, then I thing rF2 will look good enough to graphically compete with other sims!

 

Have you seen professional simulators?

For a serious simulator, physics come first, graphics second, period.
(And that is why I am not surprised why pCars drives as it does)

 

There isn't "what comes first and what second" as graphics and physics are usually developed by different people. It has to be complete package, and I feel that rF2 graphics are not up to its physics. Similarly as pCARS physics are not up to its graphics.

 

You are missing the point.

For example, and I don't know this exactly of course, but I wouldn't be surprised if the coding department of ISI consists of 10 people, and the visuals department only 3. These numbers are probably totally incorrect, but the ratio might be in the ballpark.

A company has to make money, ISI has the reputation of good physics, but it still isn't a 300 employees company which can cover the overhead of having 200 artists building only cars or parts of those. Same for programmers.

This stuff isn't as easy as you think, choices need to be made. That choice should be physics if you are talking about serious simulators.

 

If only we could take pCARS graphics, rF2 physics, Euro Truck Simulator gameplay (just drive on public roads for long distances) and content from all recent NFS games, that would make a killer *driving* game, heheh Just kidding.

 

In a perfect world...

 

1. Doesn't matter if it's Java, C++, DirectX or OpenGL.
2. Lighting programming in Minecraft is not in any way better than rF2. Actually, it's the same algorithm, that is also used in pCARS and Assetto Corsa. Only lighting settings are different.
3. Doesn't matter if it's a single person or not. When there are multiple programmers, it's usually just one of them that programs graphics. Unless it's a big team.

Actually, making graphics engine like the one in Minecraft requires, like 5-10% of work, comparing to regular game engines. Having so much less work, you can spend some more time adding eye candy and it will seem like you made more progress.

 

this only happens for the first few days. The game "beautiful" was abandoned after a few days.

The "game" that conveys feelings and emotions is used for years.

look at the need for speed saga and now at pcars (is the same engine) how many versions (one for year) nice to eye but without driving feeling.

 

First few days yes but they sold far more copys in those first few days than anybody with good physics in years. You can even do another game just a year after it and it will be again sold more than all other "real" sims togethere.

Eye is that buys first and this will never change and just becase of that AC is something many are waiting for and ISI is loosing customers right now. People will get used to there physics even if its not the best for some, even if the game will be streched down and missing stuff on V1 release, people want candy look.

 

And that is exactly what is wrong. How many people don't even know the awesomness of a proper sim and keep driving arcadisch codemasters, forza or gran turismo games thinking it is the most awesome thing there is....

 

Its not wrong, its the fun people want! Most of them prefer quick/close races and simple physics and good look.
Rf2 needs to get better. Few are here talking about grafics not important but mayority wants to get it better and it should be done soon, maybe for ISI it should go up on the list right now. As clearly visible most of customers can live with many things missing in a game but grafics is something they need.

 

It's the fun those kind of people apparently want, but if you are a fan of racing, how the hell can you not want to have proper physics above on rails arcade crap? That just doesn't make sense to me...

 

Personally, I'm not a fan of racing. But I am a fan of accurate driving/racing physics. My quick fun consists of taking my favorite car (sporty street car usually) out for a few laps around awesome circuits or road courses. I don't care, if my driving sucks, I just want to enjoy the car!

 

What offers me superb real physics if i cant use it actually? Many cant spend money on proper wheel, not even talking about a complete sim rig that you could actually enjoy it and that is why console and arcade games are big hit. They look great, they drive arcadish but they do offer the fun.
Rf2 does offer the fun, it could even for people that prefer archadish physics but its missing the grafics and more and more people prefer less real physics and more fun plus great looks.

 

I still think they are creating a game for hardcore sim fans. Yes I said hardcore sim fans.
And I just can say I am totaly happy they are going this way.
I want to be worried if I am on the clean or dirty side of the grid at the start.
I don't worry if the car infront looks photorealistic or not honestly.
I think there are enough people which think the same way.
rF2 was never going to be a bigseller. Why would they create a sim if they wanted it to be that?

There are enough companies which create games people here are at the GFX thread are screaming for.
I want exactly this what rF2 provides or is going to provide. The pure sim as hardcore as it can be nowadays with all these features it has. Of course there are people which want all of that. But they just don't get it yet. They have to get over it.

The GFX are going to be better, if this is not enough for some it just isn't. It's quite simple.
And don't tell me AC shows it can be done. These two development teams are about the same size and AC lacks of features which rF2 has. And I think those features need a lot of time for to develop them. I also think there is a reason why Tim said ISI is years ahead of some other developers in some terms. And this is true.

As you can see there are lot of games out there with awesome GFX. pCars, Forza, Codemasters games, GT and what not.
Those games have their customers and rF2 has it's customers.
When the GFX improve with time those people are going to play rF2 also again but honestly I am quite happy to know that I race in a league or just in a random race with people which think the same way I do.

We can talk about the things we are interessted in a race. When to pit, which strategy we take, the current grip on track, temps, weather, grid place, all these things which make racing for me interessting and intensive in a race.
I want the game to force me to care about my driving style. To care if I flatspot the tires or not.
To force me to adopt to different situations and not just to drive like a terminator on wheels and after 20 laps to say:" Oh yes, ther is tire degradation, I should change my tires."
Not my safety rating or irating nor the GFX nor my best lap yesterday cuz today it's different.