Managing Content for rFactor 2

[ethone]

Race series (or Mods) are a group of components with at least one car and track. Each has a unique ModID and can be tested online within the mod testing group while in development. Once it is complete, a Submit ID is generated and sent to the matchmaker. This submitted Mod now becomes available to the entire online community and is version controlled to eliminate mismatch problems.

Big question up front: Will we be able to keep mods from going all-public and keep them within a league environment for example?
I've done some minor and some major edits to others' tracks in the past for the sole purpose of using them with a league I was running. I obviously don't wish to publish those edited tracks to the general public, let alone claim credit for the creation of the entire track. Would just getting a ModID and adding the league members to my "mod testing group" allow me to run those edited tracks without releasing them into the wild?


The virtual components aspect of it isn't one I like much either if it means someone can create a mashup of others work for a "new" mod that's merely a collection. I didn't hold these in high regard when people started doing them for F1 2000 et al. and I haven't yet read a reason why they're necessary or even just benefitial to have.

[DeDios]

"Mods can be created from scratch or by combining existing components created by other content creators."

This is indeed a modders worst nightmare.
Would this not create a state where people would start considdering " Ripping " an ethical thing to do.
I would also think you would get an enormous amount of people who would start making cocktails of other peoples work, and call it mods.
Not that it would be the biggest crime on earth, but when you worked 3 years on a scratch build mod, it does make you think.

+1

[Flaux]

But isn't everything conected to the Modmakers ID??? So it would always lead to him? And he has to upload the changes!?

I don't think you can combine the different ID's...

[Uff]

I was wondering what will it happen if mod A is using part of mod B v1.0, then mod B gets updated to v1.1, but mod A still wants to use the informations from v1.0. Will this be possible or will mod A be automatically updated to use mod B v1.1?

[MaD_King]

It's the trackfilter we have now in rf1 guys....

You can say which tracks to use (ALL in most of the mods) but you need a minimum of one track to use the car so... Nothing really new here... just that trackfilter in the rfm...

I believe... :P

Yes sure, but, you add "I believe", and I just need a clear answer from ISI, not from the other user of ISI products, to avoid the "I believe, or I suppose" . Everybody is able to suppose, or believe, but we need confirmations, not speculations .

[Flaux]

I know I know, thats why I set that smiley behind it.

Let's wait and see what the staff has to say about it. Also Uff's scenario is nice.

[shum94]

More than one modders asked questions and still no answers were given. Throwing hey let's share content and not be precise about it is foolish.

Question is : will it be possible to lock a Mod so no one can touch it ?!

[Andy Miller]

More than one modders asked questions and still no answers were given. Throwing hey let's share content and not be precise about it is foolish.

Question is : will it be possible to lock a Mod so no one can touch it ?!

its also about 6 AM in the States...so why dont you wait until they actually wake up and go to work

[Dahie]

How dare they sleep!

I withhold judgment for now. I see conflict lines and I see potential and I'd rather go for change and potential than fear and wrong protectionism.

[fanlebowski]

i don't understand the ID system

- who will host the files ?

- how protect the mod during the developement ?

- Will ISI check the content to not have 10 versions of the same track ?

- Will we be able to make some "leagues mod" ?
for many reasons leagues need to make some modifications on released content

- will we be able to make a private access for a mod ?

Maybe i don't understand the idea here, but at this moment i see big issues for the leagues with this system.

[Gjon Camaj]

Out of curiosity--not trying to incite or imply anything with these questions: Who is the mod testing group? People at ISI? Users of the mod-maker's choosing? Anyone and everyone?

What do they test for? Can they reject a mod or only suggest changes?

I meant the mod team themselves during the creation and testing process, before its released. Content is never sent to ISI for evaluation or testing.

[Gjon Camaj]

There is nothing in this new system that makes it easier for people to falsely distribute content as their own. There is nothing in this new system that makes it harder to protect a mod. Because there are now persistent online accounts, addressing issues including banning people or not allowing them to create ModIDs is an option.

In single player you can still use the All Cars, All Tracks option to race anything on anywhere. In multiplayer however, you need to define what content makes up a mod so before someone joins, the system can determine if they have the required pieces. This is done using the Mod and Submit IDs.

The creation, hosting and maintenance of mods will continue to be solely in the hands of modders. It is never sent to ISI. We don’t evaluation, judge, or test it.

[LesiU]

So basicaly, we need SubmitID to be visible in the MatchMaker.
When we want to just have online sessions for testing purposes (so we don't want to be visible in the MM and use Direct IP connection method). We just need ModID?

What I noticed completly new, is that the package must contain cars AND at least one track.
Does it mean, we no longer be preparing packages just with cars, like we do for rFactor 1?


EDIT:
One more thing that might be important to some leagues.
With all respect to mod creators, sometimes it's neccesary for particular league to do some changes to a mod, for league needs.
How in that case it should be handled in rFactor 2?

[Nibo]

So if our league uses some car mod, and we race 10 event season, and we want to take 10 different tracks that are not included with this car, I (as admin) must create our own mod with this car and update it with needed track before every event? Its plausible. I don`t understand if this mod will be just an "ini" file with links to locations of this components or actual components themselves... Where is physical location of all this tracks and cars that are needed for our mod will be? Our rfactor2 server?

[doggod]

Will a modid automatically move to the newest version of a mod or
will a new mod id be created for the newer version
eg
ModA v1.0 id 12345
ModA v1.1 id ?

this will effect how virtual mods work
who supplies physics on the virtual mods or
can you only use the physics that shipped with the original mod
this would cause balancing issues for the virtual mod
assuming that permission can be got from the original authors

Or will it be part of the agreement when modders apply for a mod id
that they allow their mod (parts) to be used virtually

Is their is an agreement that needs to be held to, t's and c's when applying
for a mod id, if so when will it be available
like wise for someone wanting to create a virtual mod - t's and c's

Thinking some more it would seem to me that rFactor needs modids for its matchmaking to work
more that any mod group needs to request a mod id ?
That is assuming that their is another way to play online that doesn't involve matchmaking.

If i join a league do i still need to go through matchmaking ? matchmaking and leagues don't seem
compatible unless its just version checking, but if that why call it match making.

[Gjon Camaj]

So basicaly, we need SubmitID to be visible in the MatchMaker.
When we want to just have online sessions for testing purposes (so we don't want to be visible in the MM and use Direct IP connection method). We just need ModID?

What I noticed completly new, is that the package must contain cars AND at least one track.
Does it mean, we no longer be preparing packages just with cars, like we do for rFactor 1?

You can create car packs like before, but these are components. Unless you specify where you want to race, there is no way to determine that someone joining has the tracks properly installed.

Yes a SubmitID basically says you are done with this version and now open it up for anyone to race. While you are still working on it, its considered "In Development" and there is a special way to join these races open to the development team only. While its in development it doesn't not show up on the matchmaker.

[Gjon Camaj]

One more thing that might be important to some leagues.
With all respect to mod creators, sometimes it's neccesary for particular league to do some changes to a mod, for league needs.
How in that case it should be handled in rFactor 2?

Good question. To make effective changes to a mod, you need to create an update or a new mod, which can contain just your changes and a pointer to the original. This would be a new mod with virtual components.

[Gjon Camaj]

So if our league uses some car mod, and we race 10 event season, and we want to take 10 different tracks that are not included with this car, I (as admin) must create our own mod with this car and update it with needed track before every event? Its plausible. I don`t understand if this mod will be just an "ini" file with links to locations of this components or actual components themselves... Where is physical location of all this tracks and cars that are needed for our mod will be? Our rfactor2 server?

As a league admin, you will need to create a mod with the cars and tracks you wish to race. These can be the actual files or virtual links to pre-installed content.

[mclaren777]

This may be slightly off topic, but I just wanted to thank whoever made the OP graphic.

[LesiU]

You can create car packs like before, but these are components. Unless you specify where you want to race, there is no way to determine that someone joining has the tracks properly installed.

Yes a SubmitID basically says you are done with this version and now open it up for anyone to race. While you are still working on it, its considered "In Development" and there is a special way to join these races open to the development team only. While its in development it doesn't not show up on the matchmaker.

You mean "it does not show up"?

Thanks Gjon. I still do not fully understand how exactly that "car to track" matching works in practice. Do we actually have to pack it (like in a zip package) or it's just about matching a few components (cars, tracks, UI etc. but in their own physical zip packages) to form a new "package" ID but they all still are as separate packages to download?

Good question. To make effective changes to a mod, you need to create an update or a new mod, which can contain just your changes and a pointer to the original. This would be a new mod with virtual components.

Great! Well done.


EDIT:

As a league admin, you will need to create a mod with the cars and tracks you wish to race. These can be the actual files or virtual links to pre-installed content.

OK, that actually answers my question