WTF?!!! In rFactor 1, I just launch the normal game, click "create room" or "create game" or "create server" or something like that, choose some rules, choose some session settings, choose a track, bam in-game with a server that anyone can see and join (as long as they have the track and car/cars, obviously). The rFactor 1 procedure is so quick and painless. It takes no longer than just setting yourself up in an offline game. In fact, it almost makes offline mode pointless because I could just create my game on a server, and then add A.I. and play as if I was playing offline anyways, all while having the bonus of anybody being able to join at anytime. This is what I still do when I play Formula Truck and Game Stock Car (both based on the rFactor 1 engine). I have had my own online rooms up and running a million times in rFactor 1 and other ISI engine based sims, and guess how many times I used the dedicated server EXE, or messed with any text editing...never, everything was all done in-game as if i was playing in a regular offline session. Creating rules, changing tracks, kicking players, restarting a sssion, etc. etc. all done from right inside the normal game. No having to run some servermode.exe version of the game, and no messing with text files. Just all in-game as if you were playing offline.
Yes - it would be nice if Assetto Corsa was this way - but it isn't, at present. It is early access still so maybe it will change in the future. Right now - you can't even create a server other than dedicated so you can't really play on your own server unless its on another machine and, in the case of IPv4 / NAT, not in your house most likely (without complicated routing stuff).
I have all the official ISI content just for the purpose to find some online company, but it appear that in european friendly timezones, most of the populated servers run third party content. I've nothing against third party content, but I have a slow connection, and while I can play without problem, I can't download a track in less than few hours. There is so much official content, that honestly there would be enough racing combinations to seldom be bored... if people would play them.
F3 Fanatics are currently running small rotations of 4-5 tracks and then Mr. Birtwell creates a new pack every so often (weekly? biweekly?). Auto download is enabled. The regulars are often as mystified with a new track as you are and the laptimes across the field have large spreads. I joined in last night on a fresh collection of tracks. Two that I didn't have auto-downloaded in 15 minutes or so. Didn't miss a lick of racing.
The new dedi UI isn't the default yet and my guess is a lot of people haven't even noticed that it is there. For those that may have missed, in the Launcher, click the advanced tab and then check the box that says "Start Dedicated Server prototype". That will give you the new UI with built in vmod tool.
It kicks you back to the GetMod screen where it lists all the missing content. It isn't a full disconnect. If you already have the content for the next session then it's seamless.
True Quake had this but it's hard to compare Quake to rFactor. First off, a map for quake is very small compared to a track in rF2 let alone a track and 10 different cars. Second, the bandwidth needed to host a Quake server is DRAMATICALLY less bandwidth than Quake did. Quake have the z,y,z gun selection, ammo level ect ect. rF2 has, like 100 variables that get sent over the network. These days people have servers with 400Mbit/400Mbit so it would be nice to have options to host within the game itself. But it is a lot of work for ISI to do when you consider there is already a fully functioning framework to host with dedicated filesharing services. Mediafire, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox. Almost all of them work in newer builds. If you really want to host localy from your Packages folder, run a simple webserver like this one: https://code.google.com/p/mongoose/
And still only a handful of people show up in public events organised by leagues......I don't think we can simply blame rf2 for what's going on.
The new method isn't finished yet. There are some options (some really basic options) that haven't been implemented in the new UI. So the work around is to edit the files after the fact.
Of course they do. The only consistent problem is that there are too few of them to implement desperately needed improvements in a timely manner. The risk is that by the time this issue and half a dozen other deal-killers get resolved, the majority of the world/sim racing community may have moved on.
Our league is busting at the seams. 65 "teams" registered with 2 - 5 drivers per team. Our first "test" race was 2 hours at Road Atlanta and 52 teams started. Our first real race is November 1.
I'm happy for you Noel. Our league is pretty much dead by now. despite numerous attempts, many formats, good access over the course of many builds. 1 championship just finished, I can understand FR3.5 is a tad too intimidating for the casual drivers out there but even with the less challenging combo's people don't seem interested at all in getting their teeth into something. The only times we can get full servers is when we got megane/mills type combo's going, instant profit, or a latest release/hype that dies out within 2 weeks. But that's only fair as that suits casual drivers and good on them. But boy is it a disappointment trying to get the more serious simmers to show up. tbh setting up a casual-server is not worth the effort, in the old days you would be able to recruit with it, people would always come back or stick around and some eventually slide into the league. With rf2 that's not happening at all. people join for 2 minutes, crash and go. and if they stick around for a session they will not be returning tomorrow or next week. So what's the point for a server owner/community to setup something valuable for casual drivers? If i'm remotely correct then it could imply a split into league servers whom can set things up as difficult as they want, their members will join anyways, and the quick-hosts whom might not know how to set things up. and you got a dead horse on your hands.
Live Racers servers should have been running the entire time. If you don't end up with a few hundred in every day I don't think we even deserve rF2. lol
DD running a dedicated casual rookie server for how many months now? is it occupied? I think so. kinda proves my point. one guy dedicating himself to casual drivers.... and I even think you still use 300tracks per vmod are you not Durge?
When I ran SRRS I used to run an open server during the week and only password it on race nights. It did bring in new members from time to time. But even in rF1's prime the traffic on our server was inconsistent. What I found was we only got lots of traffic on the servers when we picked a track that was newly released. Sometimes I would end up passwording it during the week because the Penis Boys couldn't keep their rage down which made it impossible for our members to practice. I think the main reason VEC is doing so well is we are doing endurance and we have a long track record of doing endurance and have an insane talent pool that sticks around season after season. This season was have a team with David Greco and Bruno Marques. Now we need Huttu. I bet that right now if someone started up a server running the NSX at Tiger it would be slammed. Both of those components are GetMod enabled so anyone would be able to join without a fuss.
I've seen some improvement... recently only downfall has been losing ISI servers (why is that btw?). Now entering servers isn't that hard anymore. But it isn't many times even decent because numbers are low too often. There usually are 1 or 2 occupied servers but too often they are password protected. Other that are open and even accessible don't have many drivers (I will usually stick around even if there are at least 3 drivers plus me, but that are often too much asked). We have so many wonderful cars in rf2 already but you see only 20% of them online... I just don't get it. Then I usually end up driving something that I didn't want but I can have fun nonetheless. I have tried many different leagues and even tried to run my own league. I've had ups and downs in feelings towards rf2 and it's online system. I stick around because I see hope and I can't admit that this great sim would end up forgotten because of what seems like easy to fix things... Patient needed?... I have some left. Sometimes because there isn't anything better out there.
Well that is great news, then join and switch of track will work exactly like in rF1. Hoping for full interface to be available in next build.
