Actually, there were announced things, with release dates, that were postponed. Scirocco for instance was announced to be released on December 19th 2008 (a bit more than 1 year ago). Also, a patch was announced to early 2009 with bug fixes that would make it possible to release the car, while the patch was released only in October 2009, and still not making it possible to release Scirocco.
I understand all reasons the Devs give us for the delays. They are a very small team (several times smaller than the other developer teams for the other products), LFS is getting bigger in code and harder to handle, with very complex problems to solve, and just one brain thinking on it (while the other 2 brains are on content creation and web management), so I'm still surprised with the fact that they are still able to improve the sim, although I personally think that the progress may have lost some of the focus due to translation for numerous languages, support for multi monitor setups and things like outgauge that made the difference for a very small group of users (but again, personal opinion, and I know that the devs makes the sim their own way).
Of course it is frustrating when you get screenshots from 2003 on liveforspeed.net and don't see big visual upgrades on graphics engine comparing with 2009 screenshots (we are talking about a 6 years timeframe), or when you see blocked differentials being faster, or people using handbrakes on racing cars in order to beat WRs (don't even know if some racing cars even have handbrakes), and other physics exploits since the physics engine is already 1,5 years old, and the drivers have already even adapted their driving stile to suit the engine's exploits (specially for me, it's frustrating when I have to deviate from a real life driving technique in order to be competitive).
But then you think, it's just 1 brain working on it, you don't pay fees like on iRacing, S1+S2 content is reasonably cheap, so you don't get that much, but don't pay that much also. It still worth the money.
I believe that what makes people frustrated is because LFS was, for a period of time, the best simulator by far (mostly due to the big flaws of the other sims), the progress was fast, and with some details fixed (that look simple but are demanding to remake big parts of the software from scratch, like the tyres) and some sound and graphics improvements, could be again the best.
What I would suggest is to try it on another computer, so you can exclude any mainboard or USB controller error (whatever the error is from software or hardware). There is a small chance that the USB controller go crazy and stop to communicate with the wheel.
Try also to reduce the FF intensity in order to verify if the power supply is not causing this issue. Sometimes fast dips on the voltage can make the wheel electronics behave strangely.
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I only saw that this thread is old after replying. AFAIK Hugo had to buy a new wheel.
My mother in law is going to Hannover, Germany in 10 days for a 1 week business trip.
Since Logitech G27 or G25 are too expensive in my country (around 600 euros for the g25 on official stores, when they have it in stock, what is rare), I'm considering asking her to bring one to me, if the price worths the risk of being without guarantee (logitech's representative requires an invoice from a local store to validate the guarantee).
I would like to know where she can find it (street stores, no on-line stores since they usually don't deliver at hotels), and what is the average price.
I've read news stating that Massa did have a brain damage due to the accident (stated by doctors after the surgery), which extent is still to be confirmed by further examination.
I've read also that the part that flew to Massa's helmet was a spring from Barrichello suspension, with about 10cm x 5cm size and 1kg.
It's quite a shame that this kind of part of a car can break on a qualifying session. Looks like Brawn overlooked details on Barrichello's car assembly.
Anyway, let's hope that this brain damage is small and not permanent.
No, S1, S2 and S3 are stages. I'm not sure if S1 was released at alpha stage, since I knew it when it was on a beta stage.
There is no official reason why the devs released S2 alpha, but some speculates that they did that due to the fact that someone leaked a version meant to be exclusive for the beta testers, and then they officially released a alpha version (newer than the leaked one, that had big performance issues, and you don't need to care about).
I understand that the features that Scawen wants to implement to S2 reach the beta stage are a big step from what we have today, so I would not be surprised if we don't see S2 beta before 2010.
I'm not sure if the devs are working on S3, specially because S2 still have the "alpha" tag, meaning that there are still features to be implemented or improved until it achieves a beta stage (where they will only solve some bugs).
What kind of worries me is that even the bug reports section don't have replies from the devs, and there are still some annoying bugs that the devs didn't officially aknowledged (e.g., the bug with windows vista and power saving settings), that for the more experienced is just an annoying bug, but it may be a bigger issue for the first timers.
For now, I prefer to believe that the devs are making their best job on the way they decided to go with S2 (although there are things that I don't agree, e.g., I think that the new cars and combos should be left for S3 instead giving as bonus for S2, and finish S2 earlier, but this doesn't matter right now), as I think that they have a interest ($$) on finishing S2 and starting the S3 development. Most of us didn't pre-paid the S3 license, so I think that they have the interest on releasing it one day.
My only concearn about BrawnGP is the launch. Barrichello struggled again to launch his car on the pit stop exit (not counting the Australia's race, where his gearbox skipped to neutral on the launch), and Button had problems at the race start.
I don't know where the problem is, but they really need to figure out what is happening to prevent it from happening again.
The "effective" refresh rate, as well the frame rate, is half of the actual refresh rate/frame rate, because your brain is summing both images and converting to just one. So, a 120Hz screen will look like a 60Hz screen.
Even if you count on that the LCD backlight don't turns off on LCD screens (what makes 60Hz "flicker free", while you need at least 85Hz on a CRT), since the stereo google is "cutting" the image, it will flicker if you have anything less than 120Hz of refresh rate (a refresh rate over 160Hz would be recomendable).
But I'm quite curious about how the input lag / response time of the panels will affect the 3d viewing with stereo googles.
Experience itself doesn't make it happens. For the car development, it is very important to give to the engineers a good feedback about how the car is handling, and have good skills to setup the car. Barrichello is good on this, and worked a lot with Brawn on Ferrari's development (so, they have a good patnership) and specially on a season with limited tests, it's crucial to squeeze the car's potential soon.
And, although not the fastest driver, Barrichello can be fast and consistent when motivated. So it was not a bad choice for Honda.
As other user posted, it's an LFS issue with Vista, that I think that the devs may be interested, since it may harm the first timers' experience.
The solution posted is a workaround, and not a fix, since you need to disable the feature.
About bumping the thread, I think it's way better than opening a new thread for an old problem.... it proves that he used the search funcion, that should be used anytime you want to look a solution for a problem here in the forum. I didn't know the solution before I came to this topic (switched for windows vista 64 recently and thought that there was a problem with the videocard drivers).
system specs:
windows vista ultimate 64-bit SP1 with latest updates
radeon 4850 with catalyst 9.1 (with default settings)
Microsoft Sidewinder FF wheel
running LFS on full screen mode.
under windows xp, with the same driver version, this problem don't happens.
I can't dissagree with you. I was just pointing what the developers state when you are buying the license, and that they are not going against what they offered to us when we bought the license. And also stating that technically the devs released to us what they have promised regarding the S2 content.
I personally think that we would have an at least 70% drop on complainings about next patches if the "alpha" tag of LFS was removed.
People are complaining that they paid for S2 and it is still alpha, but as far as I remember, we have the following point:
What we pay is content (cars and tracks), and the stages (S1, S2, S3 and so on) are just about content (at least it was the original purpose, and it was clear on LFS website on the old days; today things looks a bit more mixed). Those who paid for S2 content have full access for it, and even got more content than anounced first (Formula BMW, and Scirocco when it's launched).
So, technically, we received (even more) what we paid for, and we can't complain for additional content.
The LFS core (physics, graphics, multiplayer systems and etc) is "free". Although nothing in real life is for free, and the licences pays for the core development also indirectly, the core part is what everyone have access without paying for, and is not directly linked with the stages.
The LFS core is on it's second stage of development, and the core is on an alpha stage. And to be fair, Scawen's standards for a final product is way higher than most software houses', because I personally think that, it may be called a finished product the way it is today although some features originally planned are not fully implemented.
So, although I still think that LFS needs improvements and new features, the arguments saying "we didn't get what we paid for" are not valid.
LFS is still built on directx 8, and most 5 years old gfx card should get some benefit, both in image quality and performance, if directx 9 instructions were used. So the image quality on LFS can be improved without limiting people to drive on it (I believe that most people here use directx 9 based cards at least).
And also there are always the image quality options to make it easier for older hardware.
We can't say exactly that LFS is aging, because I think that most multiplayer games don't age as far they have a flexible gameplay that allow to the users to reinvent it. But there is no doubt that we've been without big updates for a while.
I believe that some "simple" details can reinvent LFS, as happened previously with features implemented. Every time that a new feature appears there is a rush to see what is that, and the fun of LFS is refreshed. Among those "simple" details (simple under quotes because they are indeed difficult to implement properly), I could point the Scirocco with fixed setup, engine and brake temperature, and maybe a improvement on tyre model. Not counting other obvious features that LFS lacks today, like weather changes during the race.
I also hate those cartoonish graphics, but LFS deserved better graphics, although I wouldn't exchange a better physics for better graphics.
I installed yesterday the vista 64-bit on my computer.
I could get it detected without the drivers, but windows won't let me adjust the spring force from force feedback (that for LFS and other simulator needs to be disabled in order to work properly).
Once I installed the controller drivers (version 4.0 that I used on win xp 32 bit), it stopped to communicate with the computer (if I plug it on usb port, I even hear the sound indicating like you've plugged a broken or invalid device and it don't appear even on device manager. I suppose that it may be due to the software being made for 32-bit and the OS is 64-bit
Any tips ?
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I did additional tests, and with the original vista 64 drivers the wheel turns off the spring force (to return to the center) correctly and the forces on LFS are correctly applied, although not adjustable under windows control panel. Let's see if it continues working properly
Well, I personally would stick with V-Sync turned on if your system can sustain over 60 fps all the time.
There are basically two advantages on doing that:
1- You avoid texture tearing (as if the solid objects gets broken and separated). This allow you a better image quality on movements, and on LFS you are able to see more far objects with precision, what is better for braking point references.
2- You get a more fluid image. Specially on CRTs, you feel like if there is more than 60 fps. This is due to frame aliasing (the same effect that makes a wheel looks steady when turning when recorded).
I have a high sensivity to image changes. I can tell if a CRT is at 60Hz, 75Hz or 85Hz (and there is a noticeable difference between 75Hz and 85Hz for me), so some may not notice the effects I told above.
It would be good if there were an option to force to a tyre, or to force to change in pairs.
Once in a long race, I went to pits to refuel, and it changed only the front right tyre (on a counter-clockwise circuit), so I got 3 worn tyres and 1 brand new. The difference in tyre height was sufficient to make the car's handling on braking terrible, specially due to the differential.
I still had tyre to finish the race (since the race needed something like 105% of fuel, what forced the drivers to make a short splash and go, eventhough I set the tyre change to >90%, the front right tyre was just below that level), and hopefully I could manage to finish in 1st place. But surelly if I didn't manage to pull some difference to the 2nd, I would be in a big trouble for the last couple of laps.
Well, Campos_MIC and Hugo Luis swear that they are not provoking this bug by holding the gear up button, and they say it happens even with a fresh Windows installation and a "new" downloaded LFS, and they swear also that they are using no external programs that may cause this bug.
Can this be caused by an internet connection that is loosing packets, even though the ping times are below 70 ms?
But anyway, we can't forbid them from racing on Brazilian league or punish them if it's not their fault nor the causes for this bug are cleared on their cases.
This bug is preventing other drivers to get the slipstream from the "buggy" drivers, since it's easy to collide with the "jerking" cars when doing that (it happened me twice while I was trying to overtake Campos on first race of the league, what made me fall from 2nd place to 14th place). But those drivers can catch the other drivers the slipstream. We will have to find a way to keep the conditions even for all drivers until we get a fix for this issue.
Do you have any idea if this fix will be released on a smaller patch or if you will wait to release on a bigger patch ?
I ask that because it looks like there may be situations where the bug happens, maybe due to laggy connections or other factors that we simply don't know, and it's somehow interfering on brazilian league.
If it would be possible to release a fix for that before a higher physics change (since it's not a major change, I don't think that it would make mpr replays go out of sync, or other bigger issues on lfs), it would be very nice. And due to the auto-updater, I don't think it would be a big issue to release as smaller change with a fix for this bug, and maybe some other very small bugs, before big changes.
Judging by the video posted above, those speed hacks looks like to explore in some way the synchronization between the server and the client in time (making the server think that it's a high latency connection with unstable latency), since the car warps while it's gaining unfair speed (while during the curve it don't warps on the track). If the hack changed the parameters of the car, it would give some OOS error.
So, if a user uses it on corner exits, on a subtle way, he can justify the warps as a laggy connection, while cheating, and not altering the final speed on straights.
So, a good driver being smart can cheat without making other drivers suspect about it, at least for some time.
I believe that a way to fight it would be LFS monitor in some way the active processes in windows, and if any "known cheat process" is open, close LFS, or something like that to avoid ppl from using it. Or using another anti-cheat system like punkbuster.
And I also think that it can be a big issue on international racing events on LFS (like international leagues), since considerably latency is present specially when ppl from different continents are racing together.