I'll try to put it in very simple terms for the very smart people here. If you work in the public sphere, (obviously rF2 is already part of this in some way) you live from your community. And part of the public service is also the work to the outside world. This is called service, by the way. To keep one's loyal community up to date. Here, no one expects transparency with your trousers down. And if this does not happen, speculations and theses arise naturally out of oneself. A natural matter of course. But that's where MSG is somehow at a loss, which is no big surprise to me. I guess rF2 is now being stampeded in as it seems like a bottomless pit to many. Why not develop different spin-offs with their different catagories? It's a great business concept. There will hardly be any room for rF2. Constrictive counter-opinions without the usual tiring platitudes are welcome.
S397 and MSG employees have indicated (on Discord) that we'll see some exciting things happening on both LMU and rF2, and that projects like LMU are a huge boost for development (in comparison to just having rF2, implied). Demanding some statement here which holds no water anyway, about a game you paid not very much for (normal-game price, at worst) 3+ years ago and is now better in nearly all ways than what you bought (look, I'm just holding out on single-player because current AI bugs; but we know a fix is imminent), makes no sense to me. I never bought any service or stake in development (or its direction), or maybe I'm just a bit too dumb to work that out? Anyway, I hope LMU works out and does well, and stops the negativity directed at MSG and rF2 with it.
What is weird to me is that it has been over three weeks since the announcement of Le Mans Ultimate and there hasn't been hardly any official word about either title since. Sorry, that just seems strange to me. It seems like there would be some talk about the reaction of the fans that actually got to play the game at Le Mans, but there is hardly any talk about that. What is going on?
There are users who are real fans of rFactor 2 and who have bet since the beginning on its improvement, a bit not as a financial investment but an investment in the hope that this formidable standard provides the best driving experience. Some people don't like to use multiple simulations and prefer to focus entirely on the one they consider to be the most realistic. Moreover, not to mention the simulation itself, the official content but also the quality mods offer a diversified and essential experience. (((A very personal example : I am passionate about the endurance races of the Nurburgring, and I manage to achieve an exceptional experience. In my personal and specific case, the almost certain absence of Nordschleife in LMU is totally blocking because I spend at least 99% of the time on it, not to mention that the car content of LMU is incredibly reduced and even reductive in view of all the cars of races that could be simulated (WEC license principle, OK). The ideal would have been a booming rFactor 2 like in 2022, or in the worst case a replacement for rFactor 2 in the same spirit (rFactor 3 etc...). The idea of ultra-reduced licenses, unfavorable to the rFactor 2 user who has supported rFactor 2 for years, even 10 years, is very damaging, and frankly as a long-time user I don't think we are "respected" (IN QUOTES). Honestly we have no control over what will happen, but damn it we have the right to demand some PARTIAL (partial) details and clarification on the probable future of rFactor 2 (improvements/evolutions aspect + content). I did say partial, we are not asking for the moon and we are aware that there are legitimate company secrets, they cannot say everything, but they say everything they can say without put the rope around the neck. 9 years that I exclusively use rFactor 2, I have all 100% (100%) of the rFactor 2 content especially to support them (even the etrack beurkkkk), yes I am not the owner of the game... But serious, LMU had change a lot the situation, we has the right to obtain information. Serious.
@Lazza I keep saying it and doing it again. For me you are a developer with a second account. So under this psedonym you can understandably give what you normally could not. I don't see any negativity in what I have given. And if you think that this kind of communication is good, ok. I'm telling you no, it's definitely not. You know, I was never the most educated, but slowly the pieces of the puzzle are coming together. Maybe rF2 will still be used here and there as a test subject for upcoming spin-offs, but soon there will be LMU, BTCC, Indycar, GT3 etc. You want to drive x or y? Buy product x or y. You want to drive track x with y? Not possible for licensing reasons. For me, it smells very strongly like that. And this concept is nothing for me. A typical MSG strategic decision.
I think LMU is just a branch of the rF2 tree. It will be used apart from the main simulation because of marketing purposes only... No, rF2 will not die meanwhile... My 5 cents...
How are they going to develop 2 simulations at the same time? That's impossible. And what do you think will generate more cash? LMU or rF2? From a business perspective, RF2 is a bottomless pit.
Simulation is already developed, most probably they only needed to change/tweak some UI graphics to look like a different simulation. Also, LMU will allways be linked with rF2 development and it will be just a time window development, not a long term project... In terms of profit, in short time, LMU might have a temporary boost in sales, that's why i think it's a marketing product, which made them do it apart from the main simulation... Also i think MSG will have a dedicated team to do LMU, probably not messing with rF2 staff...
As @Rui Santos says, I'd expect LMU and BTCC sims to be branches off the rF2 tree. It makes no sense to develop something completely new - with a proviso that LMU isn't actually the base for rF3 of course. However, it does make sense to package rF2 differently and restrict the content to just DLC that can be purchased for that title. It would be easier ( just guessing here ) to remove the ability to add mods into rF2 and redesign the IU than start from scratch wouldn't it? This restriction hasn't hampered ACC much. BTCC and IndyCar ( and NASCAR ) could work the same way. Although I would have expected a "restricted" BTCC sim to have appeared first as most of the content is now available.
The great thing about rF2 is I can race BTCC at Laguna Seca, I can race IndyCar at Brands Hatch, I can race the Vanwall at Sebring.
Why make people take up more space on their hard drives with multiple games that basically use the same code base? That makes no sense to me.
I honestly don't think it would give you a good long term idea at all. There's a lot of content to build for the Le Mans title and while that's happening there may indeed be a slow down on rF2 content. You could then read into it that this is a forever thing, etc. But what if you're wrong and it's just a Le Mans thing? Or just a Le Mans thing until it sells and they can perhaps afford to pay for more artists to join S397 because of how Le Mans sells? Le Mans could honestly make S397 bigger and better - but perhaps after Le Mans. (I have no insider knowledge on this, but I expect a slowdown on content on rF2 and I guess if Le Mans sales work out, where money would go).
This is true but I'm not sure that disk space is something that ANY software company really considers when they create an application. Also if LMU, etc. ARE based on rF2 then the developers could handle that in code so it detects any existing install and adds just what is needed. I use some graphics design and publising software and each application "knows" that the other applications in the suite are installed so you only get the differences added. Also have to consider the number of new purchases of rF2. It's a niche product in a niche market. They get income from selling DLC but they need to generate more income from a NEW group of people... so LMU will appeal to a new market and generate new sales. It would be really nice if LMU was to be compatible with rF2 so those of us with rF2 installed could buy the new LMU DLC and have to work OK. How that might work with online racing is a different question though.
I have just bought rF2 on sale in Steam but looking at the cost for all DLCs (I am playing offline and online) and the relatively small amount of discounted DLC during this major Steam Sale, I am rethinking of going full for rF2… I may just wait for the release of LMU and its pricing and compare it to iRacing during their usual Black Friday Sale. I would however prefer to get LMU!!! (not an iRacing fan due to their outdated graphics and pricing system)
Usually, rF2´s DLC´s are on discount on their release time frame. In other words, when we get a content drop It´s usually with a discount. Either way, the 75% off of rF2 at present, and let´s say you bought the BTCC total pack, that would set you off at 37€. Pretty much the price of any triple A game now day´s.
By that I meant, lets say the next content drop Is more (still) BTCC related, then that´s a Indication that their still working on the BTCC series. Now let´s Imagen that the next content drop shows a "new" formula pro car with matching F1 tracks, well one would think that their paving a new direction and are focused on that, hence we would know what their working on besides LMU. -
