New User: Graphics Seem Disappointing - Am I Missing Something

Hi All

I just installed rF2, and am severely underwhelmed by the car and track graphics, which barely better than the original rFactor. I recall the screenshots and videos which were posted having much better graphics, so I wonder if there are some graphics setup tricks of which I am unaware.

I have a GFX 760, and track textures, car textures, etc all set to full. Antialiasing is maxed, resolution is 1920x1200, but still the graphics seem like rF1 - especially in the post-race replay view. Is this just as good as it gets, or is there some miracle tweak that will change everything?

Thanks,
Sky

 

No, you aren't missing anything. The fact of the matter is that RF2 doesn't look as great as the rest of the racing sims available on the market. Since the beta went public, ISI have made some steps to improve it, with updated HDR models as well as vastly better car and circuit modelling, but there's still a lot to do.

It looks better in certain light than others. Early morning and early evening tend to make the sim shine, much like golden hour does in reality. It looks harsh at midday like reality too, but the HDR model still has a lot of work before it looks perfect. Certain content is better than others. Newer ISI content like Silverstone and the FR3.5 2014 look amazing. The Clio Cup car and earlier circuits, not so much.

ISI also don't seem bothered about implementing post-process effect like depth of field or post-process filters, so it looks awful in replays. Fortunately the physics, AI and dynamic tracks make up for it when driving

 

It's a matter of taste and perception I think. I've been in love with rF2's visuals since I started using it. It's a very different visual style to the other sims, and to me it has a much more natural look. Also much more living and breathing somehow without all that artificial polish that seems to be all the rave there days.

Running rF2 and rF1 back to back there is a world of difference to me.

Just my view on things.

 

Cockpit view is really good if you ask me. Lighting and immersion is really good, best in the business actually, but you are correct, the replay cams does look quite bad.
There is few threads about the topic and how to get desired results. It's been awhile (builds have come and gone) since I piddled with rF2 graphics, so I'm not going to be much help here in that aspect.

 

The single most important thing imo is setting the time 9 am or 5 pm or something like that depending on the track. Try silverstone at 5-6 pm with the Formula Renault 3.5 and it will look very good in cockpit view.

Also see this thread with another new user who had similar issue:

http://isiforums.net/f/showthread.php/22824-Graphics-settings-what-am-I-doing-wrong

 

I hope this tread helps, http://isiforums.net/f/showthread.p...e-Quality-Loss?p=324424&viewfull=1#post324424

 

Sure, it is subjective. But there's still a lot that needs improving. The HDR model sometimes spits out the wrong colours. Half the time I'm on a circuit (VLM Mid Ohio is one of the worse culprits) the tarmac has a green hue, there's clipping in the darks in the cockpit or on track at night, and the overall picture looks like it's had its values, especially the highlights) adjusted incorrectly. It's somehow too cold and too warm simultaneously. Maybe it's just me.

 

Track and car models are a lot better than original, that's not the problem, you better revisit rF1 if you think otherwise.

Best and only advice I can give, don't run tracks at daytime, run at 9 AM or 15 PM, that's pretty much only setting that makes a difference. Some tracks such as Interlagos look especially wrong in daytime, sadly there is no setting which will fix wrong lighting.

 

Or just set it at night so you can avoid the pain.

 

Yes it makes a world of difference. Look here - ONLY difference is time of day. I just took these a minute ago:

View attachment 15380

View attachment 15381

 

What game doesn't look better at those daytimes? It looks better mainly because it hides the awful lighting-colors at mid day, and because at those hours you have extra effects like asphalt reflection etc which is always nice.

 

Thanks!

 

OMFG it always about eye candy. its only 1 part of the sim and every1's 1st comment is the eye candy get a life, the rest of the sim leaves others for dead, so sick of reading and seeing things about it all the time by new players of the sim.

 

Thanks for the info, everyone - my disappointment was based mainly on the Replay view, since for the in-car stuff I was too busy to admire the view . I may try to pay more attention to that next time, if I can do it without crashing ...

 

Thanks for the link - so far my FR seems pretty good, but you never know when I'll need to boost it.

 

I'll quote this from someone else on another site as it made me laugh:

"Graphics are important to slow drivers...it gives them something to do... just like my grandma watches tv while knitting"

 

If you're into making movies with Replay then yeah it's not that great, but as for seat of the pants racing it can look amazing as said above at certain times of the day, Crofts is a good track to be at around 4pm

You can also say this 'til you're blue in the face "in everyday life the middle of the day is the most flat and dull part of the day visually speaking", replicate that into a driving sim and people moan & complain that it looks "flat and dull".....go figure!

 

Agree - so whats wrong with telling him that if he wants the sim to look better those are the daytimes that look better? He is new to the sim and asking for advice about the graphics.

 

Why so serious? Try and be a bit more welcoming mate......

I get the frustration but it was a genuine question and didn't seem loaded like they were trying to rip apart rfactor2. They're just looking for advice.

 

Aaaand the never ending debate about rf2 graphics continues..