Hello There's something I don't understand in those roadmap posts. The new UI has been discussed and shown for more than 2 years now, why isn't it simply made available? Wouldn't that be better for everyone, developers and users, to proceed with an Agile methodology, and provide new features now and then to get more feedback? Obviously there is enough features to cover the old confusing and ugly UI, and most probably a way to switch between the two. So why the big holding back and never-ending teasing?
https://forum.studio-397.com/index.php?threads/latest-roadmap-update-march-2019.62791/page-6 Read the comments regarding what is involved in rewriting a UI and that should give you some idea of why it has taken the small crew at S397 so long. If you find the present UI "confusing" some of those comments will probably melt your brain. To me, most of that computer programming stuff sounds like getting teeth extracted without anaesthesia would be less painful.
I'm sort of new with RF2 (full disclosure) with only about 60 hours in the past month albeit I've been sim racing for nearly 10 years, i.e. it is such an awesome sim compared to even the "greats" haha like iRacing and AC that I cannot get enough of it. And maybe I just got lucky to come on board with the likes of GTLM and GT3 on Sebring and now VIR and even Imola let alone just an amazing array of tracks FOR FREE like Road Atlanta and Chang and on and on. So with the absolutely awesome set of GTLM cars (even the brand new BMW M8) and these absolutely mind blowing tracks like Sebring and Imola that CLEARLY blow away iRacing, WHY is everyone complaining so much? What an AWESOME feeling and beautiful sim. So be patient on the UI. I am at the point of bliss with RF2 to be honest. Jeez....THANK YOU S397!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm asking a simple question (and not to you) and give a suggestion, I'm not sure what you are on about. Please let's keep on topic.
@Redglyph As you know from the roadmaps the UI is a complete rewrite. Although it's basically going to do the same things as the current one initially, it will have competition related stuff included in it. In any of the porting over of current features/options, and with the new competition stuff, if any one single thing changes in the online code (or parameters that determine what a client expects from a server, or vice versa), it becomes incompatible with the existing client and server. Yes, the initial screens were a long time ago, and I think everyone (including the devs) thought we would have a UI to use well before now. But they've obviously decided to do more with it, or encountered some issues with what they were planning and had to either change tack or work out a solution, and so it's taken longer. It's very unlikely there's a version they can use with the existing servers, so they need to have the basic features completely working before they can replace what we have (the last thing you'd want to do is have it basically replicating what we have, but actually taking away some features because they aren't done yet).
There was relatively very little teasing for UI, and competition system. Not sure what is the never ending teasing to you. I'd bet that there is enough feedback internally in S397. I'd suppose one of the main reasons for integrating new UI is better online mode implementation, and that most likely is not ready. As for example it was said in latest RM that they are just now working on letting us know if server has only AI, or there are players.... then competition systems, package managing................................................................ Current UI is not that much confusing and not that bad looking, though not the best.
It seems people are reading my question the wrong way, let's clarify that. That's precisely why I'm posting my question (and again, to someone involved in the development, not to the users who wouldn't be able to answer of course - I'm not here to start a debate or a rant of other users who don't like questions). The risk when releasing something "finished" is double. Firstly, one tend to add layers and layers of polish, and gets excited about all the possibilities once a good base of the code is done, then adds more features, then more ... and the definition of "finished" quickly gets out of proportions. And here, it looks a little bit like that. Secondly, it's hard to see at the beginning where one wants to go, there are indeed a lot of possibilities that present themselves before starting the development, and even more after. Then there is the big question of what the users give as feedback, since after all, they're the customers and give a good idea of whether other potential customers will like the product. There is also the complication of putting everything together at once in a massive update. Releasing in stages help keep those issues under control, and also makes it easier for the development process. I don't believe one moment they don't have a setting to switch from one UI to the other, otherwise how would they test it? Hence my suggestion.
@Redglyph I'll avoid replying at the moment because there'll be cross posting, but regarding the 'feedback' earlier - don't take it personally. This is your first thread but there's plenty of complaining elsewhere.
I don't think that testing and feedback is your motive. You just want to get it earlier and it is obvious. I am a modder and I know that 2/3 of testers are actually just early birds who can't wait. If it is not released just now means that it would just make things more complicated. I think it was said somewhere that it won't be released at one shot, and it will be evolving after initial release.
This is the case of "all or nothing". Because the way old UI was written and also gradual switching to completely different technology is not possible. Even if possible it wouldn't make sense from development perspective. Also the fear of neverending adding new features doesn't apply as apart from few new features this is a rewrite with existing backend. Yes, they have a "switch" from old to new UI but as you said it is for testing, not public ready.
Actually that's not the case (but feel free to think what you like, I don't mind other's opinions ). I'm a very casual rF2 user and I'm following its evolution from a distance. Even though I find the AI and physics very good - among other things, most of the current tracks tend to put me off. So it has nothing to do with that, I just thought that from a process point of view, and also from a communication point of view, this was looking awkward. If they relase it at some point and continue to make it evolve, it would indeed make more sense. Allowing more people to flip the switch now would certainly be beneficial, however. PS: if I really were a complaining type of guy, or impatient to get new updates, I think I'd have a long record of that since 2015...
The new UI has all the features the old 1 has they have said so & also said that part of the UI is finished. IMHO it will not be released until the competition side of it is complete for users to use & been tested. Then i would expect them to update with other features in the future.
Even if there was no response here, apparently that's what Marcel said in a recent RD interview. I quote: "[speaking of a possible beta] just to give everybody the opportunity to try it out, to play with it, to give their feedback. Because honestly we've been working on this for so long, based on what we think people wanna see, and wanna do, and [we want] feedback from you telling us what we should have done [and with a beta phase we can integrate such feedback]". So exactly what I said in my first post, but as hinted, it seems way too late for that feedback unfortunately. That's why long development without feedback or sound marketing analysis is dangerous, only big guys like Apple can have the luxury of thinking they don't need their customer's opinion because "they will tell them what they like".
And this confirms my other point (again), in November's roadmap: "In case you’re wondering how the public beta of the new UI is coming along, we are on schedule to release that mid-December. It will be released as an “opt-in” public beta on Steam, so you will need to enable it yourself and you can quickly switch between the two. Both versions will be fully multiplayer compatible." But even if it's late, it's good that they've finally decided to do that.
The whole point of the new UI project is that it'll be much, much easier to actually make changes to it compared to the current one.
Pat yourself on the back. What you surmised (without any proof) was correct. This actually became more clear last time, when they said the initial release wouldn't include the competition stuff.
