Quick question before I set up servers. Can people buy 1 car, f.ex. Porcshe gt3 and still race on a server that has cars they do not own? Like the rest of the gt3 cars? Like RaceRoom.
Cheers. I suspected as much. A shame really. Not that difficult thing to do since they are key bound.
I believe this is a limitation due to the open structure of rF2. When a person tries to enter a server the program checks to see if the client has the required content. If it does not it does not let the client connect. I recall also reading that this limitation may also have something to do with how rF2 DLC is implemented in steam. But I cant say for sure if this is the case. I agree that it would be great if a person was not required to have all content on a server to join, but it is unlikely to ever be implemented in rF2.
And even then it's not necessarily S397's fault, it's a carryover from when ISI owned it when it didn't have official DLC content.
Everything is S397's fault. Let us make some more topics about it all. Project AutomobiRacing 5 iS gOiNg To KILL rFaCtoR!!1 That being said... It would be a very clever thing to work out how to keep the lovely modable structure while being able to race the rest of the GTE pack while only buying and owning the Aston - for instance.
Simple solution, but not very elegant, raise the price of single cars to match the packages. Or even better, do NOT SELL single cars when a pack is available.
That only fixes a particular scenario. Someone can run a server with whatever cars they want, so owning a whole pack doesn't mean you have another. Hopefully this gets worked on in the future, anything is possible but we don't know how difficult it might be.
Maybe a transparent answer as to why they took the path they did. I honestly believe that the current packaging system for DLC will translate poorly to the upcoming competiton system.
This, considering the current system it doesnt make sense to sell single cars, especially in GT and Endurance packs. AC did fine forcing ppl to buy garbage cars in some packs, in that point rf2 packs are better since the cars complete each other (except for the 2 strong)
The packaging system in rF2 was created to allow for content not on the client PC to be downloaded prior to joining a given server. This was intended to limit the "File Mismatch" error so prevalent in rF1. The theory was pretty good but the implementation was not so much. Ultimately I think this packaging system may be the basis for why this limitation may not every be overcome in rF2...Maybe in rF3? or whatever future game S397 decides to develop with the code base of rF2 (Which they own outright; remember they bought rF2 lock, stock, and barrel from ISI)
It's clear that ISI began the path, but S397 are now in charge. The game already checks if you have paid the content before you can launch it. Anyone could download the content from anywhere, install it, and can't drive the car if he hasn't paid for it. Whould be possible to permit the download from the server and race against all the cars and that the game prevents to drive th cars that you don't own?
It's possible to allow racing online against cars not purchased, and would require rework of the packaging system as Marcel Offermans stated in the RD interview part 2 at https://www.racedepartment.com/threads/rfactor-2-the-big-interview-part-2.170417/
Sorry but when you've only free content, this system is not a real problem, you just have to dowload it (not important, it's free). With a paid content that become a problem. And paid content is not from ISI, is a S397 idea. And Aston GTE is a good example of what not to do