How Do You Race in rFactor 2?

Offline for the most part, but it hasn't always been that way.
A couple of former team mates from an earlier age introduced rFactor to me in 2007, in 2008 we did some league racing among some friends of that era, a few of them spent a small fortune on having some mods made for them. The internet wasn't exactly robust in those days....

2009 the novelty wore off for most of the gang. Started a couple of league series for a few years and still own the domain RFACTOR-LEAGUE.COM. Huge fun, but a lot of work, as an admin each race took about 4-5 hours of support. in 2012 ISI released rF2, bought 2 lifetime copies, and set aside sim racing for a few years.

2015 re-upped rF2 mostly for test purposes and it didn't take long before I was running a range of cars beyond my intended purpose. Pretty much remained offline. With rF1 Matchmaker it was quite a bit easier to find a compatible session, and Shoutbox in the Lobby was pretty helpful. rF2 shows less than half the available data needed to make a committed decision to join a server for more than a few wall banging laps. Like in the "old days" it helps to have a website with fast downloads speeds etc.

That said, I would very much enjoy joining a server when I know what mod, track, and some simple competition profiles like best lap time. Mods not on Steam Workshop need to be tagged. Than again I'm probably the only one who see it that way.

 

doesn't that describe the Comp System fairly accurately?

 

The new Comp System does furnish those features, the Server Panel for Hosted Servers does not. I registered for the LMP3/LeMans series and it shows at the scheduled times just doesn't let me join. At least I've got all the latest LeMans option cars & skins.

Its the casual competition that tends to lift most folks out of offline and into online, just not a very well built bridge.

 

I used to drive just by myself or against the AI. But since I did my first online race I can't race against against the computer anymore.

 

I spent many years racing AI and was always reluctant to race online. I was always concerned about ruining someone elses lap or race.
There is a lot more at stake racing real people as you cant just hit escape and restart a race when you do something stupid. It makes you a better driver.
I have had awsome fun racing AI but there is no comparison to racing online against real people.

 

Not everyone will agree, but I find the rF2 AI to be extremely bad and catastrophic, ESPECIALLY when race session.

This is why I adopted the above method, which I sometimes (rarely) decline on VIR grand, SPA, Le Mans or Bathurst for example.

In qualifying session, we see much less AI errors, especially with AI limiter = 0, AI mistake = 0, AI aggression = 0.

It's not perfect but the experience can be fantastic.

Multiclass, overtaking as in racing.... I often have the impression of racing even on qualif session.

And I am fairplay, when I am not good enough, I let the car (s) pass.

The problem with this way of playing is that it takes a lot of VRAM, RAM, and processor power. The CPU is OC easily, the RAM can be powerful and added at "reasonable" costs....
But VRAM involves spending on average more than 900 or 1000 euros minimum.....

 

Mostly practice session offline. Previously i was racing in CS, but now there is only 1-3 driver during each session so racing with one opponent is pointless, also some of the CS have huge amount of quali/practice sessions before the real race starts.

Do you have any suggestions how can i race like in normal online games/simulators ? I mean, for example i enter the room/lobby i wait for 10-20 players/drivers to join and the race starts ? Are there any servers like that (for example every 30min there is a race) Or at least something similar ?

 

absolute respect for people who use AI, BUT a robot that simulates a human, which also has a horrible level, I don't understand that people play with AI, it will never measure up to online pilots, it is also a Big mistake using 89 AI, it is not even seen in real races, except for some rallies ...
On the other hand, my pc cost less than 450 euros except the graphics card, left over to play in VR even more on 1 monitor, with a 1070 it was perfect with the OCULUST CV1 ... WITH THE 1080 IT I go with Pimax and great, that I only use 8 gigs of Ram ... except for the failure of the Steam vr or Rfactor on a momentary pitch that appeared to me like a month ago ... Very happy with a simple I5, no more is needed, I should add 8 more gigs of Ram , but until the same model is released again, it stays that way for now

 

rF2 offline.
Other sims, mostly offline.

Yes, online with real people is fun, but it is also highly likely that you will be dispatched into a barrier or rammed in the back for whatever reason.

This is especially prevalent the further down the 'splits' you go.

I love the racing, and setting up an offline race allows me to actually race and restart if needed, without the need to worry about the punt from behind, or the stupidity of outbraking myself.

I have young kids, sometimes I have to pause the game to sort them out. You can't do that online - I've lost a load of iRating before as I've had to quit because of this.

I think S397 don't realise how many people like offline racing, or that they could have THE best offline simulation- if they just put some resources into it.

 

I think its true.
They don't realise a huge part, perhaps and probably a majority of rF2 users are MAINLY (or 100%) offline users.

3 times in this thread people said that simracers with babys and young kids ALMOST can't play online : I confirm, 100% true.

I can only play at more than 11:00 PM + night. So.

 

As I can only play after 10pm, so I spend most of my time playing offline or digging through the files , I only sometimes play a coop with a friend, but he has less time than me .

But I think the AI of this game is amazing, digging through the files to really refine the way the AI behaves. How I miss putting an option to reduce the consumption of tires, because in cars that do not have fuel, it is almost impossible to make them stop in the pits, in shorter races , so I'm more in gt's.

I also miss a basic scoring system, I know it has a log analyzer, but it's not the same thing as having something already integrated into the game. Hope devs pay more attention to offline in the future.

 

pilAUTO, that you play 99% of the time with the AI does not mean that the rest also, and with the vote that I see, 50%, I think, perhaps, probably, it would be more correct, and you would have to ask yourself, of that 50%, how many would play online if they could ...
But I understand that if you don't have time, take advantage of those free moments to enjoy (in your own way) this game.
If this game only worked offline it would be dead a long time ago.

 

99% offline... 1% Online? I boot up Automoblista2 and find a lobby and do some laps.
Why not rFactor2 Online, I still use the old UI for performance issues, so no online for me.