First of all it's finally here! And I love this sim. I hope during the beta process you'll find some ways to optimize this sim. What I've discovered so far - is that environment map takes too much fps even it's only player car on track, compared to other games (rbr for example) In RBR there was a thing like framerate for envmap changes, less framerate there - more framerate overall. Also I suggest you to make an option for optimizing the env map by ourselves - by choosing what we want to be reflected. For example, I'd be quite happy if the car reflected only sky, big buildings and treewalls (not single trees). Making this option would allow us to set up the sim more accurately and have a nice balance between eye-candy and performance.
I'm against making all configurable for end user. Scene creator is able to setup what is rendered into env map. Allowing end user to additionaly decide about it would cost a lot of work for dev team, inconsistent results for customers etc etc. ISI should work on optimization (if possible) but not on providing customization of every bit of rF2 to end user.
Cannot agree with you. Many other games from Flight Simulator to Skyrim have options like these. The racing simulator has to have as much options as possible - because it needs precise driving. in rf1 I always changed some stuff in SCN file, because sometimes the track makers thought that every single bush or grass needs to cast 512x512 dynamic shadow. But I didn't want to drive without shadows at all. So I edited the files - And I was getting online mismatches. So the precise options make much sense to me.
Yes I definitely agree that there has to be user control on all settings. For example, I cannot break down what "Special effects" contains, while I want to disable heat wave but not skidmarks/smoke. I already disabled all reflections, way too much performance kill but so little "fun".
IMO the racing sim must provide max possible features to move sim closer to reality. If you want to disable such features, means you want to do step backward. You don't want to disable some algorithms from physics engine, right? the same about gfx. rF2 provides a few levels of details which should be enough. If some modder screw the job, tell him, do not vote on this product etc Besides, I can imagine, next your request would be to save gfx details settings separately for each combination of cars and tracks At the end, being a developer I would spend time on optimizing engine to make disabling effects not needed, rather than work on tens of switches.
By your logic ISI should have enabled Env map forever, without abliity to turn it OFF. As it is a step backward. I, on the other side, suggest to keep it ON, but have more ways of tweaking. - so no steps backwards. By the way, nothing personal - I love your work on additional shaders guys. I hope you can implement some to rF2 then - the water shader and tree self-shading are brilliant.
