This is something I thought about more than once. At the moment there are 524 demo racers online and 225 licensed racers online, just to make a point. Somehow this irritates me quite a bit.
Lets say the developers were to offer the current track BL1 and cars for free in a trial version for 30 days. When the trial is over, demo users would only be granted permission to race online with one car, for example the UF1 or maybe the XFG. During that 30 day trial period, the demo users would have had a decent chance to test out the game, and decide whether it is worth paying for. Be it semi or full license S1/S2.
The way I see it, demo users have far to many priviledges in this game, without ever paying and actually supporting the game/developers.
It is quite obvious that most of the demo users are more than happy with the current way this system functions. Lots of demo servers available, lost of users online, 3-4 cars to choose from and so fourth. So why bother paying for anything ever!?
Am I in the wrong here?
But I feel strongly that, they should be forced to pay, or have their demo options restricted heavily.
Well demo users have 2 cars one track how much do you want to restrict them beside it lol.
If some server features more than two cars and it have blackwood its mean its not demo server, unless i missed something like cheat or crack demo users cant use more than 2 cars.
S2 players also like to drive on blackwood from time to time.
Also why do you care so much about it if you want to support devs go buy some HiRes skins or T-shirt...
Just put yourself in place of typical demo user would you want to have such restrictions?
30 day trial of a demo game with 1 track, 2 layouts and 3 cars... Oh bummer...
I've been driving demo cars in Blackwood since S1 times, more frequently since 2008 and still have a lot to learn in this. 30 days probably won't be for a guy to keep a XFG on track for a whole 5 lap race with laptimes under 1:40.
Let the "demoers" squeeze the demo as they may want, than they will go for the S2... like I did.
another thing that would be really good is if the forum was to show you similar threads when you create your own. this way you should see less clone threads.
or if there was a search feature so that people could search for these threads before creating a clone. a better demo S2 Demo?
Neither of those are really what's being suggested here. The first one is an ex-demo'er begging for the XRT or FZ50 and the second one is suggesting that the demo is actually full-S2 but only for a month.
Both of those ideas are daft for different reasons, the idea in this thread is well... theoretically better but there's no real point. People will just create a new account and continue demo'ing.
if you search, you'll find that there is nothing in this thread that has not been talked about before. hense my post. but you've probs searched for yourself....haven't you?
Couldn't be bothered, but then I'm not the one who made this thread. I looked at the threads you linked to and saw they weren't really relevant to this specific suggestion. Also I can say that I *haven't* made a few threads because of that feature, so maybe that makes you happy.
I did actually search for similar threads, but didnt find anything that matched this(maybe I missed it). But my mistake if this has already been discussed previously..
Nevertheless, if I were on the developing team, I for sure would find a way the get rid of the many demo users that are exploiting LFS in a never ending fashion, with no actual intend of buying the game..
If demo users play but do not intend to pay for more its mean they dont find LFS worth paying there is nothing you can do there
If you going to limit them I afraid it would result in tons of new accounts the cons are there will be tons of junk data on servers and pool of the user names will be more and more limited with time as more and more names would be taken by the same demo users.
Also different ppl learn with different speed.
My PB on blackwood is still 1.37 a lot of ppl need more time than month to be able to compete with others and have any fun from racing cuz its no fun being last.
So cutting this time wouldn't do any good for the game IMO.
Also demo users still figure as active players which is shown as racers online you my consider its a cheating but for new ppl (Potential buyers) who visit lfs.net to check what kind of game it is, it would be first sign that game is not dying so its kinda help to make ppl decision if they want to invest their money in game with perspective.
And the last banning them from online after a month for example doesnt mean they stop playing you know CRACKS and stuff so basically doing anything would be a waste of time and effort.
Someone who doesn't want to buy a game and play as a demo user for years wont buy it just because his demo expires.
Demo restriction to a game that isn't even finished? Where is the world going? I agree with the others, none is gonna pay for a game just because their demo time is over. I'm a demo driver, yes, but I should be treated as a humanbeing too. You already have your own skins, many cars, tracks and leagues. We, the demo racers, only have 3 cars, one/two track(s) and there ain't that many leagues either.
So you've spent two years playing a demo which has two tracks, three cars and several leagues, and that you haven't paid for, and you feel like you are being looked down upon?
I feel for you. You downloaded an alpha release of a game and you're expected to pay? On top of all if you don't pay, you can only have 3 cars and 3 tracks(not even 3, but only 2 tracks and some parking lot). And like this isn't enough, but the developers don't even think of developing something more for the demo users. Yeah, all you get is nothing but updates on the main game engine. And it's so expensive.. It's yet an alpha release and you're supposed to spend like 24pounds on it, while a full finished game costs only like 60 bucks and you get everything it has, and the most important things: You can't expect any changes on it, because it is finished, therefore no surprises and no stupid updates. Yeah, LFS seems to suck in that matter.
Now on a serious note: Is there any other game with better demo support? I mean - giving people the right to even play online in their demo time. And if you want more demo leagues - Organize one yourself, instead of whining that no one else will do it for you. If you don't want to pay for the game - don't. But if you are going to whine that you have far too less content.. Man, I have to ask the same question you asked: Where is this world going? Also, I guess we laugh over you demo users for not having bought the game, or maybe we track you down and beat you, cause I don't get the "treated as a human being too" part.
And if no one is going to pay after their demo time is over, do you think that someone else would actually care about that(some S2 user, or even the devs)? I don't really support the suggestion from the OP, but posts like yours do push me in that direction.
Sorry now for not treating you like a human being in this post, but you were barking like a dog and you got me a little confused there.
So you're saying that LFS should do the same thing as all the others and not support demoplayers and become one of them? I'm completely happy with what I have at the moment, did I complain about that? No. And I'm not saying that demoplayers should have more stuff in the game, you've payed for it so you should have more stuff of course, I've payed for advances too, just not in LFS.
I'm complaining about people wanting to make a bigger gap between licenced and demoplayers. We don't have that much stuff on demo when compared to the licenced game and still you're wanting more benefits for yourself.
As for me not buying a licence, I could afford it (seriously, I could), but at the moment I have more important things to do than focus on a racing simulator. It's more of a investment issue, money is not the problem.
You know, I understand that LFS is made by only 3 persons, but the game is still developing reallyyyyy slow. Changes are coming every now. I'm not talking just on my behalf, but for a lot of people waiting for a new update for months is impossible. I personally would hire people from the community to help them. I'm sure there are many people here that could help Scavier with something, but they're not using them. However I'm not part of Scavier, and that is not their way of doing things.
And even paying for a game that has so few tracks and cars compared to others is not convincing for normal people. LFS is supported more by people who are interested in realism more than anything, other sims are taking away a big amount of players who are more interested in the fun part of racing. The big "problem" of LFS is that because it's based so much into realism, developing the game is much slower. However your statement is irrelevant: I'm sure rFactor is in many peoples mind a better investment, because it is changing due to all the mods. But I'm not gonna start comparing these games.
Giving players time to develop their driving with the demo creates much more professional drivers for S2 and S3. I for example have been very slow before this year when I came back to LFS. I was driving 1:16-1:18 before and now I've started to race more and more seriously and I am driving now low 1:14's at best and mostly mid 1:15's. I'm slowly getting better, and now for the first time I think I could even race against others in S2. Who would buy a game if they know they are not competitive?
I'd rather see LFS as a great meeting place for excellent racers than a money making soulless corporation (you get the idea) where Sebastian Vettels are driving against Karum Chandhoks
Yes, you did: "You already have your own skins, many cars, tracks and leagues. We, the demo racers, only have 3 cars, one/two track(s) and there ain't that many leagues either."
No, you didn't say it. You complained about it.
How am I wanting more benefits for myself? Where have I said that?
Excuse me, but imho having more important things to focus on does in one way mean that you can not afford it. It just depends on what exactly you mean by that.
So you don't yet have the full game, haven't paid a cent for it and you are complaining about development speed? I'm sorry but that brings me to the thought that it's going to be better for everyone if you just don't buy a license, because I can't imagine what you would do then, when an update gets delayed.
20 cars and 29 tracks(the word tracks is not the most appropriate to use here, but you sure do get the point). How is that a few? Also more cars and tracks are expected in the next update, so allow me to just keep myself off from commenting further.
Describe the part "fun part of racing". I hope you see where I'm heading here.
LFS has no problem. If someone does have a problem, then that's the people, who think exactly the same way as you do.
Which statement? Where have I even mentioned rFactor?
Also different people are allowed to have different tastes and opinions on things.
I, for example, did buy it and I knew I was not competitive. But in most of the servers people are being very welcoming to new players.
Hm, so LFS should be free then? It might not be soulless, but if you are such an excellent racer go and sign up for some demo race, where the winner gets a license. Oh, yeah, the tricky part is that you have to keep track of the forum, so you don't miss the sign up deadline. I don't get why the devs themselves would want to give away free licenses to people that can make good times on the game they have created.
a lot of ppl need more time than month to be able to compete with others and have any fun from racing cuz its no fun being last.
