Glad to hear there are plans to improve online, can you tell us anything about them? On the plus side, online in RF2 is better than assetto corsa right now ;-) Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
I've spent the last two years on iRacing pretty much only racing in private leagues nearly every evening... It has wind, temperature and humidity. Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
I'm not experienced in your business but i think something what could change that was a more integrated social plattform like a expanded lobby or something. You need anything to get the people together. You know things have changed a lot, people like to have communication,chit chat etc. and a place to meet people to race again. Not only the software has still issues leaving people out, the rf community is strong. I wan't say oldscool but something like that, what makes it not easy for a newcomer who don't knows elitism. Not only the software needs to grow, the rf2 community needs to change also. Someone ingeniuos, the head of another projects asked me in the past whom they should sell the product when they would just listen to elitists and pro's who just want poor simulation without to offer something to the majority, when i was calling just for the technical and simulating aspect of the project. I suggest not listen to much to the community you have, those handfull people wan't get rf2 and ISI where it should be, but ignoring isn't a choice as well. If you want success you can't just do what you want ( not saying you don't listen ), sometimes it needs to adapt to the users intrests but not the wrong ones, driving you in the wrong direction maybe.
The lobby chat exists in rF1, it's another useful function that for some reason was removed from rF2. I talked with a friend recently who is a massive sim racing enthusiast since long. He likes to set up private servers on weekends to play with his friends, this he can all do with a few clicks in Race07/rFactor etc. With rF2, he got as far as starting the dedi from the launcher. The next thing, he comes to menu that asks "Select which game database to use for this server". Now this menu is normally empty if you haven't installed vmods, which don't come with stock game. This left him completely baffled. If the game was done user friendly he should at least be guided to a place where to build a vmod now, but he searched everywhere, on the official website etc, and couldn't find any instructions. As a last effort he called me, and I kindly explained to him that he has to start MAS2.exe, which is hidden under \Documents\rFactor2\Support\Tools, and that he as to run MAS2.exe each time he wants to race on new tracks/cars in multiplayer. Needless to say, had I not instructed him he would have given up out of frustration and contined to play rFactor/Race07 online. Now he plays rFactor2, but that took 2-3 calls to me to help him getting started.
With all due respect Guy, that's just silly. you did the same with rf1 when rf2 came out, all of a sudden rf1 was not a sim anymore and I recall stating that you would look down on rf2 as an arcade game once rf3 would be released. we don't use weather in our league for various reasons (and bugs) so I guess when using the same rf2 we are not simracers? Marking iracing and the rest as less-then speaks more about you wanting to be an elitists then it says something about those 'games'
Steam is for games and gamers, I don't expect and high end simulator to fly on that platform, it instead will receive tons of MEH! comment because it's not a game, it's not for everyone.
I dont know is this a propriate thread for it, but I'm not gonna start a new one for a simple question, so here goes. I'm sure for the aggressive marketing its an open date, but with a goal oriented view in mind, what is the marketing plan for rF2 when the software meets the demands for it? Are the engines being marketed to developers yet?
When I search games in Steam with keyword "simulator", I get 715 hits. Surely at least some of them are serious simulators. Btw, quote from a recent article: Once iRacing joins the fray, Steam will be the place to be for sim racers as only Reiza Studios will be the sole missing sim industry player to not be featured on Steam.
My point merely was, iRacing clearly sees some advantage with Steam as they started the Steam Greenlight process. It's interesting especially as they have built their own sophisticated web portal for years and all their races are run from that website, and yet they find value in moving to Steam, but ISI doesn't.
Understand. I did not deal with rf2 that intense, except from driving if it were possible because of the long-lasting performance problems generally and mainly AMD. Now I can drive it finally, therefore some details are not familiar to me, but I often read it mainly gives problems in the multiplayer application if needed. As I said I think it needs a better portal, outside, in game or a interactive web, the same time eliminating some of these problems and steam is perhaps not a bad start, perhaps the community should start there to think of modern and contemporary approach, and also from the perspective of the business. No one would take something away but most likely win. I personally do not mind, me it would be important to have young talents and driver. Where are the following driver come from if not from the console or elsewhere, and everyone is somewhere a beginner. If it makes someone fear young or inexperienced people might break something, is doing a enormous mistake. rf2 does not need to be hiden ! However, according to statement of ISI it anyway isn't on the plan.
AFAIK their plan is to use Steam just to have a presence there. Everything will still link back to their main site as will all sales.....if I understand them correctly. If memory serves they don't intend to actually sell anything on Steam, but embedd their ebsite within the steam interface....or something. I think this confusion and complication is one of the main reasons it's taken so long for iRacing to get there.
Now (today), rF1 is a simcade game. My point is, this is a moving target. And there are many levels of it. But a game with no rain, no realroad of any sort (even R07 & GTR2 had a static realroad layer) no flatspotting- how can it be considered a full sim in comparison? My point with the F1 games is that it is a game that simulates many parts of racing even rF2 doesn't, however it does not simulate a lot of stuff that rF2 does. It's a sliding scale and a moving target as each new gen of sims comes out. But when the F1 games have a tire model with many of the same features (or lack thereof) as AC, but adds in rain and the total weekend experience and tire management too- which is the more complete sim? Am i being elitist or completely objective? It seems that this moniker of "sim" is a more or less arbitrary tag. A game with no weather at all, no realroad, no flat spotting, a tire model that does not suffer thermal degradation and takes infinite abuse- this is a sim? How so? In 2005 when rF1 came out it was, but the bar has moved up. rF1 doesn't cut it anymore but if you take the same feature set and slap a pretty skin over it and all of a sudden you have a next gen sim? Features has to be part of the deal for anything to be considered a sim. It may feel like a sim, but what does that mean? I used to race rF1 all the time. But I was in a 45 min race at Norisring and one guy would use his handbrake to take the hairpin. In a 45 min race with no pit stop.. would a real driver do that? Hell no, so that game is not simulating real life. There were lots of examples from rF1/gmotor of gamesmanship rather than racecraft that made rF1/Simbin semi-sims, but the tech of the time being what it was made that sort of experience a sim. In 2014 the tech has advanced and with a better tire model we've come that much closer to driving how real racecar drivers drive and we get closer to simulating the real racing experience. The experience has moved the bar up. There's no real reason to not have rain in any case. But iRacing has a lot of oval racing and for ovals that is 100% accurate. Great ovals sim, but a road racing semi-sim. Sliding scales. AC has none of the above so how is it a sim at all? It's shiny and feels nice? It was a sim in 2005 when the bar was much lower, but in 2014 I don't think it can be considered as such. Race 07 looks worse but has marbles and rain- how is it not more a sim than AC? So what is a sim? All of the above? None of the above?
Sorry but I just did an online race on AC and I had to dodge two guys in a six lap race driving the wrong way on the track. rF2 doesn't need that crap. I've never seen such nonsense on rF2 and I'd like to keep it that way.
Something that attempts to simulate something...... As an aside, the term "simcade" needs to go off in to a corner and die quietly. It means literally nothing and the basis of it is made up of subjective criteria each individual decides personally, as you're proving. Fanboyism aside, I think it's insulting to call rF1, rF2, NKp, AC or iRacing anything other than simulators. Each one of them has teams behind them who believe they are providing an accurate simulation of motorsport, the results, again, are subjective. I believe that rFactor 2 is the best simulator there is, but there are legions who think that Assetto Corsa is. Anyway, this was about steam, not what a simulator is or is not.
I know enough people which would not be able to use what they want without steam, people who have no time to deal with complicated installation routines or configurations, thus, these people never use rf2, although these people would like to use but simply have no idea on pc because they have no time to learn and no interest to research weeks for information and than to run in any given complication with the application. The result they will give up with a lots of frustration about. rf2 is simply to complicated for simple pc user or gamer, thus it will always be for experienced people. I am also of the opinion the era of mods is almost done, the people looking for originality, licensed content and quality by the simulation of the respective vehicle. That does not mean mods are useless or bad but it will not change the popularity of rf2, at least it will not rewarding for ISI, and it is wrong to think only of themselves and his preferences as a community member of rf2.
According to your brilliant logic rF2 should be considered a simcade because iRacing has features that rF2 doesn't. Also you are giving so many importance to the rain when 90% of real races are in a dry tarmac... It's a nice feature but not the most important one, for example: On the iRacing F1 I can change the following: -Inerters -ARB preload -Brake bias at different brake pressures And while driving I can adjust this: - Entry/middle/exit differentials - Engine braking - Engine power - Fuel mixture - Throttle shaping I cannot do this in rFactor2 so I guess you will give me permission to call rFactor2 a simcade from now on... At the end iRacing, AC, rFactor2 they all have the same goal, be the most realistic sim with more or less success, but you cannot start calling them simcade because you are unable to appreciate or know the different features they offer.
Fair enough, you want to limit the potential reach of rF2 customers. That's one way of making online races cleaner, by making it as difficult as possible to buy/install product, so that only hardcore racers get racing. In the long run this sort of approach is dangerous, as it does not encourage new talents that are not hardcore simracers yet to join. If Assetto Corsa has, say 10 times more players online, then also their top talent will be higher than in rF2, due to wider participant pool. As is the case with GT Academy, be it arcade, the level of competition there is very high.
I've had a few AC races and every one of them clean, in rF1 I was taken out on the final turn of a league race when I was leading because the 2nd place twit could'nt stand finishing second....your point again?
