[REL] Road America 2016 v1.4

S

shiet

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Update 09.20.2017: Road America v1.4 update:

Changes:
- switched from 3D-trees to 2D-trees
- added the Bend version of the track
- improved performance with rearview mirror on
- shadow optimisations (higher performance)
- removed the shadows of spectators
- removed the shadows of most of the cars/RVs/trucks/tents - for the farther ones
- terrain geometry optimisations (less polygons)
- texture/material fixes/changes
- adjusted (narrower) red-yellow curbs
- improved/rounder road mesh in every corner
- adjusted terrain background picture
- terrain elevation changes
- adjusted camber in T8
- removed static skidmarks at various places
- rF2 material changes on walls/tirewalls
- removed bumps in carousel
- added bumps in certain spots on the track (before T1, at T2, before/at T12, before T14)
- added curb-road transition textures
- added 3D fence posts
- added small billboards around the track
- added an invisible collider around the track so your car can't fly out into the woods...
- fixed the Jumbotrons in rainy weather
- added animated TV workers
- increased the grip a tiny bit
- fixed cones and signs in night time
- other fixes/changes I can't recall...
- the performance improvement should be between +30-70% in DX11 mode compared to the original version of the track,
depending on the part of the day and the part of the track
- the AI needs improvements, next update

steam link: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=822332297


Here is Road America 2016 v1.0.

Things:
- I consider this a version 1.0 however I know there are things on the track I could improve but I won't have time in the next months. This track modding is like there is always something you can fix/do better on the track
- the track was made with 3D trees so the performance is low, you need a good PC
- despite my efforts the track doesn't look like how I wanted to look like because the game limits the maximum shadowcasting range: https://forum.studio-397.com/index.php?threads/gjed-vs-devmode-vs-rf2.53553/
- I spent much more time with the AI than on Mosport to make sure it's competitive but I couldn't figure out how to make it faster in the kink (turn 11). It's a very high speed corner and some cars just don't want to behave how I want it :D if you find that certain car/mod is slow in the kink then increase the AI strength, they will gain time mostly there by gaining grip. Cars which slow down too much in my experience: ISI Nissan GTR/Chevrolet GT2, Stockcar 2015. Obsiously I couldn't test all the mods. The URD and the Enduracers mods are good. :)
- this track was a one person project from start to finish. Thanks to hexagramme for the advices (AI) and Steve76 who made the racegroove mapping. Thanks for the testing Emery and Chris Lesperance
- if my time let me to do it I will make an update with the bend version (I couldn't finish this) and with billboard trees or X trees and some optimizations
- right now this is the best I can do

This is it for now, have fun!

http://www.mediafire.com/file/53bb7h1ahqzz70g/RoadAmerica2016_v1.0.rfcmp
https://www.dropbox.com/s/81de6oga740pmjc/RoadAmerica2016_v1.0.rfcmp



Original post: 10.16.2016:

Hi guys!

So right in the middle... :)

In August I started a new project called "roadmurica" and as you may noticed I didn't say a word about it except for some Hungarian fellas. :D Some of you may ask why would I do another Road America, we already have two? Well let's just say I was unhappy with them and because I can and because I wanted :) and that's the short story.

Until now I thought I shouldn't release the track because of the reasons I just described, you may think I'm an idiot for doing a third Road America while there are numerous tracks out there waiting for modding but in the recent days I changed my mind. I made it so I'm going to release it.

The project is at around phase 0.99 so almost ready, I'm waiting for a fellow forum member to polish the AIW and the CAM. The track is 95% scratch made by me, the another lets say 5% is ISI textures and ISI trackside objects (US trucks, cars etc) and some other trackside object from other xpacks.

On the sidenote: when I started the project I had an idea about how should this track look like and part of this "vision" was the more authentic looking trees, or maybe not the trees but the whole atmosphere. I don't like the billboard trees... so in the end I made 3D trees or something like that. One note: because of this the track is a GPU killer. Lowering the FSAA level doesn't help much, it's the shadows.

So that's it, here is a video:


If you like this track or Mosport and would like to see more projects from me (I have a few in my mind because I like this "job") please consider donating :), I need to learn 3ds max but with a job it's not easy.
 
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After my obnoxiously high number of laps on iRacing on this track, I do have to comment where you got it wrong:

1. There's a little bit of camber on the very inside of the corner and curb on the left-hander before the carrousel.

2. There isn't a two.

The track looks amazing. I think you may have just become my favourite track maker :D

Congrats on the great work.
 
Just watched the video again, and what amazes me most is, that i didn't noticed any popups or flickering textures. Especially objects which pop up in the distance are a great immersion killer for me. You see this a lot on mod tracks. But here you have done an amazing job with Road America, shiet.:cool:
 
Ernie said:
Just watched the video again, and what amazes me most is, that i didn't noticed any popups or flickering textures. Especially objects which pop up in the distance are a great immersion killer for me. You see this a lot on mod tracks. But here you have done an amazing job with Road America, shiet.:cool:
Click to expand...

Only the shadows popping up on all the trees in the distance. I'm just concerned with performance due to them.

(And giving a little bit of camber before the carousel would be great)
 
It looks awesome. But it would be even nicer if modders could work together to combine their efforts--either into an even better final product or just to cut the amount of time and effort spent, since we only need one version of each track....with amazing textures, amazing graphics, accurate track modelling, excellent AIW, etc. We usually end-up with at least one area deficient in a modded track. It's even more frustrating if combining the best features of two versions could produce an optimal version, but we end-up with two (or more) sub-optimal ones.

Maybe this one will be "perfect?" Hard to tell from the video if it's based on the version with the inaccurate hill between T1 and T2?

The most important thing is passion. If you love doing the work and producing a well-revered version spurs you on to make other tracks, then we all win in the end :)
 
Marc Collins said:
...But it would be even nicer if modders could work together to combine their efforts--either into an even better final product or just to cut the amount of time and effort spent, since we only need one version of each track...
Click to expand...

In theory, but it is not always the case that more bodies working on something=better result.
 
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