New build is fabulous.. still horrible online though

So the new build is absolutely brilliant, no denying that. I ran a clio race at lime rock, evening into night, and was just blown away by it. The other cars raced impressively cleanly, aware of my line relative to theirs, and the graphics were mind-blowingly good (I'm lucky enough to be able to max everything out and get a good framerate, my old machine was less lucky). But still, the online side continues to frustrate. Really one wonders what the solution is, but there is really no pick-up multiplayer for this game, and when the competition is iRacing, that's a bad thing. Come on, get multiplayer right, because this sim is amazing, and with the right multiplayer it would be perfect.

 

What are your actual suggestions to get right? If you want a fully served solution like iRacing, that's simply not possible for our pricing. Nice post though, so I'd appreciate ideas, I do read everyone's ideas.

 

Tbh if it's not possible at your pricing then perhaps you need to look at the pricing. I think you may underestimate what people will pay for good sim-racing (see iRacing). What really causes major issues is the mod setup, where clicking on any online race leads to failure to download mods. Might I suggest a 2-approach system where we keep the existing method for mods, but add a 'mod-maker-needs-his/her-ego-stroked' option which will maybe pop up some advertising blurb about the creator, or whatever other process they want the user to go through, in a mini-browser window, before downloading, so that the mod makers get whatever it is they want (some might want to charge for instance) and the drivers get what they want. This is all back of an envelope stuff though, I'm sure smarter guys out there will come up with better ideas. I don't mean to urinate on your chips, but the lack of quality onilne didn't do much for netkar pro (brilliant sim) and could well have the same impact here on what is obviously an excellent sim (physics are superb, tracks are impressive for non-laser scanned albeit non-official ones are variable, graphics are excellent). Seriously though, I like what you're doing, I just don't want to see that work go to waste.

 

I think the GetMod thing can be frustrating. For example today I tried to get on a server and was able to grab the mod - and while I had some of the content, I had to download something like four other tracks just to race on this one particular track. That's insane, by anyone's book. But I don't think it is the fault or issue with ISI, more that race hosts need to think more carefully about what gets packaged up for a mod for an online experience. Why when I race on one track do I need four others? I cannot be bothered to wait to download the rest so left the server. I think part of the key is keeping the race experience simple and tight and not overly complicating the mod.

Once you get over that bit though, the MP experience is fantastic. It might not quite meet the standards of iRacing, which is a service to behold in MP, but it certainly delivers a highly authentic, compelling and above all extremely exciting experience for online users, particularly in endurance. SimHQ Motorsports hosted the 12 Hours of Sebring in August - dozens of drivers and many more driver swaps. All behaved perfectly. Join a league and rF2 really comes into its own.

 

Hmm... here's my solution. Has worked every time!

1) Click on any server you'd like to join. Now there are two ways to your first rf2 multiplayer experience:
1a) You already have all the content needed for this server --> everything's fine, just wait for the lobby to load.
1b) You don't have all the content. No problem, just do the following:
2) You'll be presented with a list, content you have will be marked in white, that which you don't have in red.
3) Remember/write down the things in red. Or make a screenshot.
4) Close rf2
5) Go to places like rsrf.de or internationsimracing.com
6) Download what you need (the things in red)
7) Install them via rf2 mod manager.
8) Get back in multiplayer and click on the server
9) See 1a)
Addendum: You might click on the option to automatically download the missing content. That works fine with ISI content, I think. 3rd party mods is a different story, though. Better to download that manually.

Granted, this is not a 1-click-solution. Actually, it's a a-whole-bunch-of-clicks-solution. But it is not that hard and the multiplayer experience is worth the effort.

Because there might be a problem coming up when said race is over and the server changes over to the next circuit...?

 

[BOLD] Exactly my point - insane. Far, far too complicated. To get onto a server should require no more than three clicks.

 

But how many pickup racers would actually do that you think I3?
Because the nature of pickup racing is quick-connect and have fun, not chasing ducks every time you join a server.

Discussed many times already btw, here's the previous one:
http://isiforums.net/f/showthread.php/15739-ISI-s-marketing-duty-to-subscribers

 

ISI NEEDS at least one official server running their own content that's up 24/7. How hard/expensive can that be?

 

It really is absolutely insane. If you are new to rf2 and want to join an online server like meganes on essington. Its like a Big puzzle to get the tracks, cars, safetycar. I know i just tried today. A buddy of mine had renewed interest in the sim and i recommended him to get online. I almost wish i hadnt - we spend a couple of hours just searching and downloading all the tracks etc. If i hadnt been there he would have given up - seriously.

 

The ones that are serious about their hobby? Enthusiasts not shying away from five minutes of clicking? It's really not that complicated. At least I don't mind and I have a long history of racing on the Xbox360 (Forza Motorsport has a really nice pickup racing system - you'll never find anything like that in the rF-world).

 

But we cannot preach to the already converted. It's new users that are so important and anything which hints at complicating an already-new experience is wrong. The best step is to make mods as simple as possible.

 

Here's the point of the whole story.
People compare with iRacing, except there's no modding there, so it's easier to control things. ISI did things correctly with their own content, but it's harder to do for 3rd party mods, because of the lack of free hosting that can use this Get Mod function (see here).

 

Making it easier has to be a good thing right? This isn't the 90s where people want to spend their time trawling the net looking for stuff. Easier installation means more racers means you get more people to battle on track. Simples.

 

Of course iracing has it easier due to curating the content, not allowing mods, etc. I understand that rf2 is more android to iracing's ios, but somehow the community has to pull together to make it possible to support this game. Whether it's through ISI funding a cheap hosting service for the downloads, or through opening the API to allow for a web page to load in a mini-browser if a direct download isn't available, or something else entirely, it needs sorting. This game is AMAZING. We shouldn't let it go to waste.

 

@OP, how many servers did you join today?

sg333, how would you configure such an ISI server? i.e. what mod(s) and track(s)? Are you suggesting a single physical server but multiple logical servers, i.e. multiple sessions/rooms? Or just one room that cycles through various combos, etc.? You get the idea. How would you set it up if you had one?

I'm frustrated b/c often only seconds after someone joins my server someone else will join and then another. I admit my combos are more difficult b/c I select different and more challenging combos. But just to vent I am frustrate that people are complaining about online activity but they themselves are not getting online. Or maybe they are. Or maybe they can't find what they want. But just random complaints about online activity are frustrating b/c if these people would just join a ($%*)*#^#* server then others would be drawn and activity would double.

FWIW, those of you who want 10,000 people and 40 car grids at any combo of your whim should look elsewhere. Also FWIW, I recommend learning how to drive and then driving instead of being greedy and wanting everything without giving anything.

There I said it and I know I am probably not being fair but there is a lot of truth to what I am saying.

Edit - One more thing while I am on my rant . There are some TERRIBLE combos being run online. I'm not going to name names but I sure wish people would put more thought into the combos they run. And I am including championships in this also. Geez. Horrible. OK I feel better now.

 

If it had to be just one : cycle maybe 1 full day per car, cycling through ISI tracks, next day another car cycling through ISI tracks. Ideally, a different server for GT, open wheel, historic etc. It seems bizarre that ISI make a multiplayer racing sim but themselves offer no public servers for users.

EDIT:

I personally wont join someone else's random server because for all I know, its a group of friends racing who don't know how to password protect a server.

 

@Galaga - I tried most of the ones which weren't password-locked and had more than 0 people on.

re isi setting up servers: Personally I'd like to see a whole load of practice servers up (that's actually the best thing about iracing), public and unlocked, with regular races running on other instances. Whether it's one server or multiple is up to others.

You complain about people not joining servers with no-one on them.. perhaps they can't join for the same reasons as me? And frankly telling people to learn how to drive is just a random tangent, no idea where you're going with that. Neither fair nor helpful. You want to race people don't you? Get more people on here, they'll suck at first but given time they'll get better and be awesome to race with. Jeez.

 

I raced in iracing for a while, and what I liked was the no-pressure fun races that I could pick up at the top of every hour. Street stocks at Charlotte at 5pm? 5 mins practice, 5 min quals, race 20mins/X-laps

Simple, fun, and I knew any time i wanted to race there would be a pick-up-and-go at the top of every hour. Thats what I want from ISI. I dont want to be in a league where I need to be free Saturday week from 3pm-8pm (although, they have their place)

 

A radical solution would be maybe to allow only one car and one track in the vMods till they come up with a better system.
You'd maybe see a few more servers but at least the popular combos would be full I guess.
The cons are for sure not as big as the pros with such a solution.

Again see iRacing, they run one car/track combo a whole weak and it's really not a disaster.

I gave up on the online pick up racing with rF2 long time ago.
I check it often, see I need to download tracks which I in the first place don't have because I don't want to have them.
And sure as hell I will not visit whatever web page and download them just to be able to race on tracks I want to race.


2c

 

Define serious.....

For you it might be 100% everything and you are ok with additional tasks. others might be as serious but simply don't have the time whilst there are quite a few people whom simply have different views on things but still want to use rf2.

'Most serious' racers end up in leagues and communities anyways and all above issues are then gone right away.
Besides, being serious about simracing doesn't mean you automatically like having to do a bunch of stuff before you even get to leave the garage

My league doesn't do rf2 championships yet so I end up as a pickup racer on occasion, and no, I don't care for having to chase content. i'll move on to an easier server, or just quit. Not going to spend 30 minutes chasing content, join, and then end up with an empty server as everyone left already or drivers whom don't care for my safety

Luckily I already have most content installed, and that's maybe a good tip, take the time to regularly install the good stuff on forehand, avoid having to do it in the lobby.