A small comparison of how ISI technology evolved since the days of GTR2. I know GTR2 uses a modified engine, but still the majority of the code is still ISI's. In fact, some call GTR/GTR2/GTL/Race07 "rFactor with a new cars". Unfortunately I cannot use rFactor 1 as I don't own it. To me, GTR2 still feels more like a complete package than rFactor 2 for several reasons, even after all these years. Not only that, but it also feels more polished. Would you like to see rain, night, and other cars/tracks compared as well?
I think he was talking about ISI. I know they have another project called Rogue System (a space simulator). Probably they are focused in that simulator. They still are rFactor1 and rFPRO owners. They still have a lot of things to do.
GTR2 may be more "polished", because it was never a title with plans of continued development - on the contrary, it was a title featuring ONE specific race series (the 2003 and 2004 FIA GT Championship) and was at first not even intended to be "modable". Everything in GTR2 uses baked features, reflections, simplyfied tyres and physics etc. RFactor2 is an OPEN platform, and is basicly all the opposite to GTR2. I don't even get the point of the video, using a converted track, not suited to DX11 which the video doesn't even use, why ? And by looking at the looks alone, I'd go RF2 any day!
I miss these types of simulators were you bought them and they actually contained all tracks and cars of a race series, and not a few random cars with a few tracks only. Most (if not all) simulators nowadays don't have this. It's like buying a "football simulator" where you get Neymar from Brazil, Messi from Argentina, etc, and only 25% of the stadiums. It wouldn't be complete. Sure, it may accurately simulate the ball, but aside from this it would be a very empty simulator and no football fan would accept it. Yet for racing simulators (REAL racing sims) we seem to be fine with indefinite science projects that lack quite a bit of the simulation part. Good thing it ended up being. I would be terrible not having GTR2 moddable. And yet the handling and lap times are basically the same as with the advanced rFactor 2 qualities Enjoyment doesn't need a trillion parameters ( not saying a trillion parameters don't have their use, of course). Yet I never claimed otherwise. It was only to show the advancements in ISI technology. The only good Spa for rFactor 2. The track isn't DirectX 11 ready, but rFactor 2 was running on it.
"Off" as I really don't like the bloom on quite a few cars/tracks that aren't DirectX11 Ready yet. Even ISI/S397 tracks contain nonesense bloom like in the 100/50/etc meter boards and so on. Besides YEBIS on rFactor 2 can be quite taxing on the sim's performance.
From what I understood when it was announced, Michael Juliano left ISI to found DCI and start the development of Rogue System. Later there was an association with ISI in which they act as publishers. They may/have been collaborated in some way in the development, although I do not think so. The last thing that is known about ISI is that they work on a new car game that is not rFactor3. https://forum.studio-397.com/index.php?threads/rogue-system-finds-publishing-partner-in-isi.40922/
I have to thank rF1 for knowing tracks like the famous American like Road Atlanta, Road America, Sebring and so on, British tracks like Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, and lot others, like Brno, Lausitzring, Sachsenring, Zandvoort and much more other amazing real life tracks, i did not know from titles like GP1-4 oder DTM-Racer or so. I love rFactor for this spectrum of worldwide tracks, Geoff Crammond, Codemasters or EA-Sports for examples never had bring into their sims.
So you are comparing the games without useing all the new tech at hand just because it is taxing on your system or because you simply don't like it? Then what's the point of a comparison showing technical progress? How about comparing stuff like AI? As much as I like GTR2, people look at it trough their rose tinted glasses simply overseeing some very big shortcomings (atleast in my book) and whenever I fire it up I instantly notice that annoying stuff, like AI cheating in the rain, complete fantasy times and AI so incompetent that every race is a matter of luck. And I won't even discuss the obvious disatvantage when it comes to vehicle handling and FFB. How about a race comparing GTR2 at Estoril with rF2 at Estoril turning stuff to high? Anyway, the sim that you are looking for, will never exist nowadays because lisencing costs have raised alot compared to the times of GTR2 and looking at how Simbin went bankrupt after Race 07 and all the expansions, it seems that lisencing all the stuff didn't turn out too well. The closest you will get to your dream nowadays is WRC, Codemasters F1 games or Nascar Heat
I don't like the bloom on non-DX11 tracks/cars. Plus, cranking the filters to maximum is taxing on resources while not improving visuals that much. Why not? I just felt like comparing both, mainly to see track/car/lap differences. Graphics is something I'm not really interest in, though it's nice when good graphics are well implemented with good performance like on e.g. Crysis 2/3, or Assetto Corsa. The real "WOW" factor for me was how well Spa was built back in 2006. I don't believe they had laser-scanned the track, yet you can see how true to the real laser-scanned track it was. Blimey and SimBin were at their best back then. I didn't have the time for that, nor will I have for a few months. The same can be said about any simulator or any game, for that matter. All of them have huge shortcomings, and whenever you bring them up the "fans" will come biting. Yet I still thing GTR2 is a more complete experience than most simulators on the market today, if not all. Good physics, complete series (cars, tracks), night racing, rain, driving school, good sounds, AI can be refined by a simple patch, still drives great after 11 years, race engineer that talks to you. Sure, as with any game it still has shortcomings, but the up's certainly outweigh the down's for me, something which doesn't happen with rFactor 2. I don't think licensing was the problem, but a handful of other reasons, one being the split of the team and huge success Blimey (now Slightly Mad Studios) had developing games such as Need for Speed. F1 2017 is near the top on my purchase list, actually It's a game which is truly immersive in all senses, something which current simulators fails miserably to do at the most fundamental level, which is sad :/ I just wish they could all join forces and give consumers good and complete products, but that's probably not gonna happen any time soon.
I think nobody is denying that Simbin did a great job with GTR2 back in the day, but it is obviously that sims have progressed somewhere else for that matter and that focus shifted more towards other elemements (especialy phyiscs) and that the full experience had to take a step back, as lisencing costs for a whole series like FIA GT would not be feasible for any gamedev right now, atleast not for Kunos, ISI, Reiza or S397. Considering what a track lisence alone costs these days, you can have a wild guess what a full Blancpain GT game would cost. I boot up GTR2 once in a while but for me it is quite easily noticable where the games has aged badly and where not so much. Same as I don't understand the big nostalgia for GPL, because when I fire it up it is easily noticable where it lacks (not just talking graphics). The only option simmers have these days, is to fill their grids with mods, wich will surely not offer the same experience like F1 by codies next to the track, but it will offer a better experience on track. It comes all down to what you are looking for.
