I think the only way that S397 could make the DLC content available to those who did not pay for it is to make rF2 a partially closed eco-system. The other sims that allow players to race against non-purchased DLC are R3E and Iracing. Both closed ecosystems. No modders can add their content to the game.
rF2 has been built from the ground up to be an open system, available to modders to build custom content. This is in direct opposition to what R3E and iRacing have done. This is not to say though that S397 needed to shut down modding to close or control the eco-system. But it would necessitate much stricter control over the content that is DLC and Payware. The modders requesting payment for their mods would have to submit the mod to S397 for inclusion under any DRM, Encryption, or other anti-pirating methodology.
Currently the only way for S397 to insure that no one can obtain their content is to lock it behind the Steam inventory system. URD (the only other non-S397/ISI payware) suffered from an inability to monitor and protect their content from pirating. URD content is purchased, used, and distributed on an "honor system". This means that any unscrupulous person can obtain a copy of the content without actually paying for it. S397 does not wish to have their content ripped wholesale and distributed to unpaying users.
All this need to control the DLC content raises some interesting possibilities with regard to how S397 continues to develop rF2.:
- They could continue in the direction they are currently on. They could simply say, "No racing against content you don't own." and carry on allowing modders to create content for free and telling the payware developers, "protect your own stuff."
- They could completely close the ecosystem and only allow content in that passed their standards. That content then becomes included in the protected content, thereby eliminating alot of what rF2 (and rF1) was built upon. This would also likely take them away from steam distribution as it would likely become more of an iRacing style sim as a service for online racing.
- They could try to build some sort of hybrid ecosystem whereby any paid DLC and Payware was protected through encryption or other similar technology. There would have to be some sort of check to allow for DL of the content to drive against but also be able to know if the user had actually purchased the content they would be driving.
With options 2 and 3 above the servers would have to be controlled by S397 in order to have this end to end protection of content. Indeed, this is what R3E and iRacing have done. AC has an open ecosystem and we see that they also do not allow for racing against content the driver does not own. PC2 has not yet released any of their DLC (As far as I know at the time of this post) and I dont own the game so I can't say if they have cracked this nut. But, they allow for users to create and host their own servers so I find it very unlikely any driver will be able to race against content they don't own.
In the end the closed system is completely against what rF1 and rF2 were created to be. It is unlikely that we will see a true iRacing competitor (In that they have the same ecosystem and completely controlled servers and race structure) from rF2. This is both a good and bad thing to me. I loved the simplicity and ease of use iRacing brought, but the physics, FFB, and most importantly content cost and subscription keep leading me back to rF2. iRacing needs a true competitor and I was hoping the improving rF2 would be that.
This is something that i am sure Marcel and his team have been trying to figure out. I certainly hope they get the right balance struck and we get to see the triumphant ascention to glory that this phenomenal sim deserves.