RF2: "Little Areas" - Time for a Polish Up

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by MarcG, Oct 21, 2015.

  1. MarcG

    MarcG Registered

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    As many of you know I've been a long time self-confessed Fanboy of ISI (10 years and counting...) and whilst I've learnt in recent years to stop the childish whining about everything "wrong with RF2" (yes I was bad at times!), I've also learnt when to simply just accept things for what they are in the Sim Racing world in general (other titles included). This has helped me understand the whole Sim racing development process and at the same time given me a much better "just get on, race & enjoy" attitude when to comes to ignoring those minor bugs and grievances...after all, no game is Perfect!

    But now we're soon entering the world of Steam, for one I think this is a good move, anything that boosts ISIs reputation as a leader (amongst others) in the world of Sims is a good thing and of course for them there must be the financial benefit...which will filter down to us in the form of future development and who knows....maybe that V8Supercars Full Grid License eh Tim?! </EndDream> ;)
    Most of all for me though the potential increase in numbers will mean answering the same questions on the Forum over and over again regardless of how many Stickies or FAQs there are, and a recent post on lack of a Championship Mode in game got me thinking about where RF2 is lacking in the "Little Areas" that I myself have been pondering for so long....and now I believe it is time to express my thoughts on those areas.

    Before I go on, this is not some sort of "Open Letter" to ISI, I'm just merely expressing my feelings on what I regard as my most favourite game.....behind Elite: Dangerous....oh and FIFA....what I regard as my most favourite Sim racing game amongst other very good ones.
    If the Devs chose to read it then great, if they don't then fine, I'm not going to shove it down their throats! "So why post it at all then if you don't care that ISI might not read it?" - because it's a free forum and the Elite Servers are going down for maintenance soon alright?!

    UI:
    Lets start with the most common one that newbies notice, the UI, whilst it's not great it does the job for me and of course spending so much time in the game I'm totally used to it. What I still don't "get" though is that in 2015 we're forced to edit a text file (player.JSON) to change many of the options in game, particularly options that won't harm the "look" of RF2 but more help the player refine the game to his or her liking.
    I won't name them all as the point of this section is that I simply don't like the 1990s "edit a text file for changes - load the game - bugger, need a slight alteration - exit the game - edit the text file - load the game" process when a simple UI addition would suffice and save faffing about in notepad! Fair enough it saves from over-cluttering the UI and keeping things simple, but for me I miss having an "Advanced" Menu Screen with those options to quickly change on the fly.

    Race Weekend Options:
    We're moving forward in this area, the recent inclusion of the Qualifying Rules plug-in is great, but it's still lacking in the general aspect of what makes a great Race Weekend. As above we have the option to add more Practice Sessions in the player.JSON...so why not just add that into the game, Qualifying Rules in game - again faffing about in notepad. Multiple Races are another little thing that would add a further sense of a decent experience when mimicking your favourite series, Grid From Previous Race Finish, Random Grid for Race 3...that sorta thing.
    As has been wished for in the Wish List Forum many times the option to run on Used Tires and have a Set Allocation for an entire weekend, this helps the immersion when racing as you have to think about your tires (even) more, when to use them, when not too etc. Now all we do is quit back to the pits when we want a bit of fresh rubber! Of course this may fall into the "filesize" issue if saving a set of Used Tires is 100mb+ or something, but not knowing doesn't mean I can't mention it anyway!
    Qualifying on a Per Class Basis, doing a lot of Endurance style races I hate getting stuck behind a slower car across the top of the Mountain at Bathurst.

    In Game Championship:
    As said elsewhere I've become accustomed to using a 3rd party tool to create my own Championship which is alright, but again just like the player.JSON editing it's taking it away from the main game. Even the rF1 version in its basic form would do me for now, but having a more advanced Championship mode in game complete with a Class Points System, Points for Pole/Fastest Lap etc would add to the experience of playing a racing game, again it's the faffing around with loading log files outside the Sim then the game crashes because you forgot that Alt-Tab is dodgy (as it is with lots of games just for the record!) that becomes a little frustrating.
    Having it all there, in front of you a simple click away from a Race Weekend, that's what it should be like.

    Random Weather:
    Yeah, again, I know we can do this via a plug-in! But for those who remember the early days this was an option in game before the first Builds release and IIRC was taken out due to not working properly. That's fair enough, but it is just a "Little Area" that would be great to have if "fixed", just go to the Weather Screen and select "Random" then enter the Race Weekend not knowing what the hell you're gonna get, even add "Random but No Rain" so you don't know what Clouds/Temp/Wind/Humidity (when they work) you're gonna get but saved from any Wet races if you don't like that sorta thing.

    AI:
    What? AI? Surely even you MarcG with your vast knowledge and well known love affair with them you cannot find fault? Oh yes I can...lots actually but this is about the "Little Areas" so I won't name them all :) Whilst they are widely regarded as the "Best In The Business" there is one "Little Area" that would boost them into the next century.....PIT STRATEGIES :D
    Currently the only way to get them to pit when you "want" is to Multiply the Fuel/Tires or give them a set Setup individually <yawn that takes ages!>. What I'd like is a UI option for "Mandatory Pit Stops" where the AI know they simply have to pit regardless of what their own Tires/Fuel is like. It doesn't even have to be some sort of massive calculation where the AI need to know how much fuel to add, whether to stay on used tires etc, just something that forces them to Pit X number of times during a race.

    To finish I'm fully aware that ISI are a relatively small team when compared to the big guns in this genre, I'm also fully aware they make the whole rFactor franchise based on "mod-ability" with an eye on the community to make tools for us. Whilst that is great in soooo many ways (All Hail Lord Gerald!) it leaves me wanting a little more from ISI in these "Little Areas" I speak of, yes their strengths are Physics/Tires/AI and I'm fine with that, but I'd personally like to see a little more Polish around the minor features that make a great game greater, it shouldn't always be up to the community to "fill in the gaps" as it were.

    I'm also fully aware this is a Constantly Evolving Product that is nowhere near "finished" and that there is still a long way to go, but for me these "Little Areas" are merely things that - as a whole - would improve RF2 beyond belief for me so there's no harm in mentioning them :)

    Thanks for reading, now to race the AI at Bathurst until the Elite servers come back online!
     
  2. MaD_King

    MaD_King Registered

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    I will add some points to your list:
    1/ Damage deformation (like it was the case in rF1), because collision today are too excessive due of this limitation.
    We are working on Endurance mods, and this is part of realism, and today we lack of this to fine tune realistic damage/detach values :(

    2/ Rain : rendering in cockpit with the rain drops on windscreen and also progressive rain projection by wheels depending the speed of the car/wheel rotation and the type of tire used.

    3/ Dedicated server without the need to make rfmod to use several tracks, because, it's not possible to change options in the current prototype :(
     
  3. Nuno Lourenço

    Nuno Lourenço Registered

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    I could add some more, but, I won't because sometimes it looks like no one is reading this threads, but us! :(
     
  4. MaD_King

    MaD_King Registered

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    Now the game base is stable, perhaps it's time to polish and finish what is still in WIP ;), hope ISI read this, modders work for rF2 and need support like this to make quality for free ;)
     
  5. peterchen

    peterchen Registered

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    Yes Marc, so far I agree. Let me do my 2 cents on that:

    UI:
    Discussed many times and tell you what? - It works! Never got those people who said that UI is "outdated" or "ugly" or just "bad".
    It´s an evolution of rF1-UI and that is good! You find everything and what else should ISI do? The more options, the more difficult to place everything in order.
    So we come to advanced settings: In other discussions we concluded that editing txt-files is a good way to prevent newbies from doing stuff that could screw up theire game.
    However, to make something like an "advanced UI"-option would be a good solution!

    Race weekend:
    That should be indeed more intuitive, reasonable and clear/better arranged! Hoping for at least an ingame-championship (carreer-mode not even to mention here)
    that would be the time to also do a proper implementation in UI.

    (random) Weather:
    Just one sentence: If Noel can, why can´t ISI?? Yes, yes, I know: priorities.....for god´s sake pay Noel 1k dollars and implement it! :rolleyes:

    AI:
    Why class-dependent quali?? They will align themselfes if doing quali, so smaller classes will naturally be at back. No?
    My suggestion for improvement: Proper realisation of AI on what ground/material they drive (tarmac, grass, curbs.....) and calculating a reasonable reaction.

    Damage:
    Yes, would be nice! Seems to be the very last on ISI´s list (if it is even on it at all)------> too much coding for too less staff-members (like everything :eek: )

    Server/Multiplay:
    Wait what they do with steam-implementation and how this will work out I say.

    Personal wish (don´t beat me ISI):
    Please, please,please with sugar on top hire one more coder or at least artist for the money you make just now and with steam sales! *brakes down and cries*
     
  6. Adrianstealth

    Adrianstealth Registered

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    random weather & rain effects has my vote , as well as wet graphics ( drops on visor -even if visor is turned off / window screen )
     
  7. Will Mazeo

    Will Mazeo Registered

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    Eliminating the need to go to the player file would for sure be nice. There is no reason not to do it, no excuses
     
  8. MarcG

    MarcG Registered

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    1) By Advanced UI I mean items that newbies can't screw their game up with, so no major graphics options or anything like that, just the simple things that can be altered without affecting a huge area of the game.

    2) Read what I said again, real life series have Class Qualification.

    3) On Damage that is more of a Big area hence I didn't add it to me "Little Areas" list, same with Rain/Wet Weather as that is obliviously being worked on.
     
  9. Woodee

    Woodee Registered

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    Probably would have been better putting in wishlist forum?
     
  10. MarcG

    MarcG Registered

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    All those items are already there and some have been for years, this is more of a discussion point on my personal feelings towards the game, like I said I don't mind if ISI read it or not....I just felt like venting an opinion :)
     
  11. Emery

    Emery Registered

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    Damage is definitely a BIG area. All the models would need to be rebuilt again unless ISI managed to create a method that doesn't require a crumpled mesh.
     
  12. Spinelli

    Spinelli Banned

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    I'd focus on physics first since that is the ultimate priority and "tagline" of the game.

    While there are many moments which I find fantastic in the ISImotor (especially RF2) there are still particular moments/areas/situations of fundamental vehicle behaviour that, after many years, are still superior in Netkar Pro, Live For Speed, and Assetto Corsa. Many of these odd behaviour traits can be experienced while even playing very, very dated ISImotor games like ones even before rFactor 1.

    Of course for sales though, it's 75% graphics and 25% everything else combined.
     
  13. Jim Beam

    Jim Beam Registered

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  14. P.S.R.

    P.S.R. Registered

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    +1
     
  15. boblevieux

    boblevieux Registered

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    [​IMG]
     
  16. DurgeDriven

    DurgeDriven Banned

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    I started a "....Hypothetically what would you like to see in rF3 " thread a few years back.

    Got tarred and feathered, accused of thinking rF2 was not good enough, that ISI had a staff of 100's and was rolling in dough ??? lol .... and that was without any idea even discussed ! :( lol

    But here you are 4 years on wanting all this stuff improved in rF2 after the proverbial horse has bolted.

    Pot callin' the kettle black :p

    ---

    So when you want to have a rational discussion on ideas for rF3 concept ( or it's namesake ) .............. come and get me. lol ;) ....Call it a wishlist .........call it what you want.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 22, 2015
  17. MarcG

    MarcG Registered

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    HAH yeah forgot them good shout :D
     
  18. Denstjiro

    Denstjiro Registered

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    Yeah well if you talk so much like you do there is bound to be items you already mentioned. hence your little chuckle and a nice gratifying I-told-you-so but-no1-listens-to-me.

    Feelsgood.jpg DD?
     
  19. SRosswick

    SRosswick Registered

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    I don't want to sound too cynical but honestly the biggest 'polishing' feature I can think is the modder's responsibility not ISI.


    There are ENTIRELY too many tracks, both WIPs and released that use the Joesville Runabout map and info. It's a very simple thing to add and it's a very good way for a project to look either half-assed and unfinished, or seamless and finished product. Seriously.
     
  20. Nitrometh

    Nitrometh Registered

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    Yep. Sparks would look awesome. Maybe more tire smoke and cars which don't become transparent during burnout. Cheers

    Gesendet von meinem GT-I9301I mit Tapatalk
     

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