rFactor 2 Developer Q&A

[JorgeANeto]

why? for to have same cars? i don't see any reason sorry.

Well, they could have the same name, same 3d Model, same skin textures, same DDS mapping and so on. But, I have to say, they won't have the same physical model. They can be the same cars only in a philosophical sense.

Drive some laps with Corvette C6R deliverd by GTR Evolution (Sinmbin) and right away do the same onboard of Enduracers C6R. I fell a yawning difference between them.

Considering the official content of RFactor 1, I'm quite confident ISI is able to do a C6R as good as Simbin or even better. With all respect to the modders, the modelling work is a piece-of-art but the physics definitely needs tons of polishing.

[LesiU]

Well, it depends on what you want to achieve... both groups (we can call SimBin a modding group, that do that stuff commercially, on their own) wanted to have a specific feeling of their physics and it looks like both got what they wanted.
I don't expect ISI have access to all important technical data of GT cars, so I also don't expect their physics will be top notch... but at least it would be nice to have proper susp geometry and some aero stuff... and of course tyres that are working as a racing tyre should.

[Tim Wheatley]

Will there be voice commands? For example, change the tires or fuel only, or any command to a mechanic?

Sorry if I double post an answer here (I can't remember where I got to and don't want to be going through the whole thread right now).

At the moment, no. Just Keyboard commands or possibly commands mapped out to buttons, etc.

[Tim Wheatley]

Hi,

I have developed MapPlugin and GID plugins for rFactor, soon I will release a new GID version.
Working with Telemetry Structure I think should be usefull to have some extra parameters in Telemetry structure.

1) A flag says rFactor is in Replay Mode and one for PAUSE mode
2) Info on StartingLight Synchronized. Actually it is a bit delayed. Startinglights infos are stored in struct ScoringInfoV2, that is refreshed about 2 times for second.
3) Full Path about AIW and GBC file loaded.
This is usefull, because mTrackMap ( stored in struct TelemInfoBase or in struct ScoringInfoBase) reports only trackname and this is a problem when you have multiple Layout of same track like Vallelunga. Differents layouts all named "valleleunga". In this scenario I cannot load correct AIW file.
4) Should be usefull some tracks parameters like Sector Length, and Track Length
5) If possible some cars parameters, like Weight, Engine wear, Brakes wear
6) About Best Laps.
float mBestSector1; // best sector 1
float mBestSector2; // best sector 2 (plus sector 1)
float mBestLapTime; // best lap time

Actually these parameters may be relative to different Laps, example.
at 5th lap I did mBestSector1
at 8th lap I did mBestLapTime
at 7th lap I did mBestSector2


Instead should be usefull to have sector times relative to Lap of BEST Time.
Example I do Track Best Lap at 10th laps, I would like to have
Sector1 time of 10th lap,
Sector2 time of 10th lap
Best Lap time of 10th lap.
These parameters are usefull to calculate Gaps ( Split times)

7) Should be usefull so set frequency refreshing rate of struct TelemInfoV2. Actually it is fixed about 2Hz.

What do you think about it?

Thanks in advance for your response,
Max.

Replays are in-progress. They will work quite differently from what I understand... The same person who did the huge majority of the tire model is doing it. So unfortunately can't give out much on that.

[Tim Wheatley]

The 2:27 minute video are blocking the wheel. Are there place will be visible as a flat spot? Whether it will be felt on the steering wheel?

Yes and yes.

[Tim Wheatley]

This would be an awesome addition; the ability to make a last second pit stop and shout "four tyres" would be awesome, rather than clumsily scroll through a menu list. I cant tell you how many times i crashed in pit lane in rF1 trying to make changes

I dont know if you can somehow leave the game open to this as a modding option?

Not actually sure on that. But I have seen free software which converts voice to key commands... I'm not sure how well it would do with the background noise (car engine, etc) but you can use the program to open programs via keyboard commands and then type letters, etc, directly. Maybe this could be used and mapped to the relevant kb commands. Something to think about anyway as I have seen a few queries on this now.

[Tim Wheatley]

Voice commands--just like voice communications there is third party software out there that can already do this very well. With that in mind, when compared to all the other things we have to get done, something like this would be much lower on the priority list. Now, what I can see (if not for release then for an update after that) would be quick commands (such as your "change all four"). That would then make the third party voice command software even more effective...

Just seen Scott said the same thing.

[Tim Wheatley]

On that topic, will it be possible for replays to display car information during the course of the replay? And online, could a driver get car information of another drivers car while watching that car?

You mean such as steering input, throttle, brake, gear? I asked for that... Not sure what will make it into the initial release at this point though.

[Tim Wheatley]

ISI Staff, thank-you for your input and answering of questions.


With regards to flat-spotting. Unsure if this has been asked or mentioned before so apologies if it has:
1. If the tyre has a flat spot, will the probability of locking up again be increased?
2. And more importantly, is the tyre damage model programmed so that the probability of flat spotting the tyre on the same flat spot area increased? This in turn will dramatically reduce tyre life with each lock-up event after the initial damage is incurred.

Obviously in real life, if there is a flat spot region on the tyre, each successive lock-up will 'find' the flat spot and the damage/wear of the area increases non-linearly (don't know about exponentially, but definitely greater than linearly).

MATLAB+simulink is a very powerful tool, it is common place in the aero industry and we use it extensively.

You mean as the tire rotates almost locked it would find that flat spot and not be able to rotate any longer? You would have to be braking almost perfectly for that to occur I would think, literally ounces of pedal pressure away from locking the wheel... As for whether the software can support that, I would think so, but I think it would be incredibly difficult to do it, real or software.

What I mean is that successive locks would not find the same spot if the tire is truly locked, as it would be not rotating. You would have to be on the edge of it. In which case I don't know... lol Flatspots are visual and physical, your grip on that area of the tire is reduced but whether it would work that way with successive flatspots I can't confirm for sure...

[Tim Wheatley]

Will the new tyre model be suitable for drifting? with the old one bigger drift angles and drifting was impossible.

Probably more so than the old one. I have quick hands though and could catch cars in rFactor 1 quite a lot (depends on the car more than rF1), but seem to have a better connection with rF2 than I had with rF1. I notice myself being able to hold slides more... Whether it's me, the software, the tire model, the car, I don't really know... I just know I'm having an easier time...

[Tim Wheatley]

i thoroughly enjoy rfactor and will probably purchase rf2 when there is more content than the original release and i hope i can purchase it on dvd and not just electronically!.

i have a query for the developers though. i am a gamepad user, i dont care how great using a wheel is and am sick of people saying i should be using a wheel, if i dont want to then i won't. will gamepads be better supported in rf2? in car steering wheels are turning left and right to full lock even with minimal input, will we get more progressive inputs?

the other thing is will rf2 have better arms? in rf steering wheels either turn without arms or turn with arms and the arms go through the car. some arms dont match up with bodies etc. i'm not sure if this is a mod or game issue but considering much older games than rf have good simulation of arms then i bloody well hope rf2 can! these are really my only gripes from rf, everything else is pretty sweet!

cheers

f1aussie

Digital inputs are on/off (100%/0%). If you use an analogue gamepad (with progressive input) then rF1 and rF2 can give you progressive output.

The arms look pretty good to me in rF2. You can adjust them a little bit for rotation, etc.

[Tim Wheatley]

F1Aussie, you should tweak analog input settings (I assume you use analog mini-joysticks on your pad) and you have such options already in rF 1.

+1

[Tim Wheatley]

Will there be any decent true-to-life 3-wide starts like in the Indy 500?

Definitely worth checking into. However, I believe only one race does this in one series? It's really up to the devs if they want to put the time in... But I'll mention it.

[Tim Wheatley]

Tim,
Thank you for this information. Just to be clear, I presently am able to set up an online race, with or without a password, and invite a group of drivers to join me in an evening of racing. Will I be able to do that in rF2?
Respectfully,
Randy

Yes, server software still exists, it's just launched and works a bit differently.

[Tim Wheatley]

where do u get info (data) for tyre model? a u testing real tyres, their behavior? (isi does). The tyre model will continue to develop after rf2 finished and be implemented as a patch for game?

There's plenty of sources for info available to the devs. rF2 will continue to grow after initial release, but the tire model will be there. Maybe some tweaks and additions to it later on.

[K Szczech]

Thanks for all the answers.

Definitely worth checking into. However, I believe only one race does this in one series? It's really up to the devs if they want to put the time in... But I'll mention it.

As for 3-wide starts it's not just about being 3-wide. In Indy 500 safety car pulls far away before leader starts picking up the pace. In rF leader would get EOLL penalty for not keeping up with safety car.
Another example - NASCAR forbids crossing lanes during double-file restarts. Even leader can be black-flagged if he crosses lanes before finish line, as it happened during this year's Daytona 500.
Last year in IndyCar about 4 drivers wasted their "push to pass" on race start, because cars were not properly lined-up and there was no green flag.
Paul Tracy nearly won Indy 500 once - he passed the leader but like 2 seconds later there was a FCY. Indy 500 rules stated that track order will revert to end of previous lap.
In NASCAR there can be a "competition yellow" on say, lap 50, and no refuelling is allowed before that lap.
And so on... Implementing all this would be insane and rules keep changing.

That's why I suggested a plugin interface for this on RSC forums, and here, on this forum: LINK

People would be able to write their own server-side plugins that ask rFactor for things like: "is that guy in pitlane?", "is safety car in pitlane?", "are these guys side by side?", "did that guy serve S&G?", "is that car out of control?", "is that car on track?". And the same plugin would tell rFactor: "Let safety car go on track now.", "let safety car accelerate to 130 mph now", "give that guy a DT penalty", "tell that guy to stay behind that guy" and so on.

So more less something like spotter interface, but server-side and related to race control.

Simply put - implementing various race rules would cost you time. You could stick to just basic race rules ("road", "road with rolling start" and "oval") and invest saved time on implementing such plugin interface. Not necessarily in initial release of rF 2

[Tim Wheatley]

That's interesting. Bringing up the same game again (lol) but what you're asking for sounds very similar to the modding plugins for Egosoft's games. It works very well there...

[ZeosPantera]

The arms look pretty good to me in rF2. You can adjust them a little bit for rotation, etc.

We all have real arms (I hope) their existence in-game is meaningless if using a FFB wheel to drive and not a gamepad.

[LesiU]

That doesn't mean, there shouldn't be any, even if that could be possible... you can always disable them in options :P

[TChapman500]

Just a question that came to mind. Sorry if it's already been asked before. On an oval course, if the programmed racing line (used by AI and in rF1, makes a visible groove) is on the bottom, but the line being used is on the top, will the line that's actually being used be the one with the most grip? I know that in the rain, the one that's used is dryer and has more grip, but what if you are already in dry weather?

And one more thing, how programmable are the racing flags? Can they be used the way that this page describes them being used for? Different leagues using the same flags for different things?