The online racing simulator
Just a question: no web site updates?
2
(48 posts, closed, started )
From previous experiences I happen to know that the devs are always working on updates, are commited to the game and probably do more than you realise to keep it all going.

I also reckon they don't care what people complain about 24/7, since its their game and they can develop it how they want. Its their game, we just pay to play whatever they let us play.
LFS development seems as though it could really go on for years, but If you think of some really long running series, that's not unusual at all. Flight Sim is, what.. 20 years old? LFS is a child compared to that. Plus LFS simulates cars just as well (or better) than FS simulates airplanes, and the underlying physics is a lot more complex as well.

It's slow going. But that's the way it goes..
And the million dollar answer is...
...perception.

If LFS wasn't promoted as a work-in-progress, people wouldn't be expecting changes and improvements every now and then. They would be satisfied (or not) with the current state of the game and occasional additions in content and engine (graphics, physics, audio etc.) improvements would just make them happier. But since LFS is sold as a work-in-progress, people just want it all and they want it now. That's why Tetris has been popular for decades, while the concept is still the same. It is not expected to provide more, than it already does.

Now this brings me to another thing. Maybe the problem is the concept of LFS, which becomes boring and stereotypical after some time. But how come that the super-simple concept of Tetris is more successful than the super-complex concept of LFS? I simply don't know

Now let's get back to the perception. My suggestion is to change the promotion of the game from an un-finished alpha work-in-progress version, to an experimental racing simulator with an organic development life-cycle. In other words: what you see is what you get (plus you might even get more of it and better). Without the promise of future additions, people will be satisfied with what they've already got.

Greed, for the lack of a better word, is good.
Quote from DasBoeseC :Being greeted by a cheerfull

Merry Xmas

as most recent addition on the main page is a bit depressing.....

I couldn't agree more, it's all about perception, when new folk see this they will believe that no one cares about the website, let alone the game, whether it is true or not.
-
(Electrik Kar) DELETED by Electrik Kar
I have allways enjoyed LFS as a finished product because it is at least as good as any other.

Just consider an update as a gift and enjoy racing.

Sure I would welcome another track or an LMP-like car but it is not a disaster the game has not been updated for a while. Sometimes a bit of continuity is good.

But having "merry Christmass" as latest LFS-news is just bad PR.
We've had 20 test patches in the last couple of months, and Scawen has been pretty quiet for the past week or so. I'd venture to guess that the next big patch is getting quite close to release. The new replay system alone is worth the wait, and supporting Asian languages now will make things easier in the future. It's almost certain that Patch Z will have the new GTR interiors along with all of the test patch changes, so it should be a significant patch. When it comes out there will be more than enough stuff to post on the web site.

Having said that, I would kill for a new track and maybe a car or two.
#32 - th84
This thread/OP sure do look familiar.....
This Thread is not about the progress on LFS itself (but it will turn out like one of those threads anyway, I'm sure)... it's about the lack of actuallity on the website www.lfs.net when there are actually things to post.
Quote from Cue-Ball : It's almost certain that Patch Z will have the new GTR interiors along with all of the test patch changes, so it should be a significant patch.

I thought that it was almost certain that Patch Z will not contain the GTR interiors since Scawen said it will be a physics compatible patch...
Quote from Paranoid Android :I thought that it was almost certain that Patch Z will not contain the GTR interiors since Scawen said it will be a physics compatible patch...

Changing the interiors wouldn't affect the physics, would it? Just the graphics...
Quote from Paranoid Android :I thought that it was almost certain that Patch Z will not contain the GTR interiors since Scawen said it will be a physics compatible patch...

I don't remember Scawen saying that Z would be compatible, and in the test patch forum he even mentions changes to the way wheels are rendered to make them have less overhead. But, I haven't been on the forums in quite a while (prior to last week), so I might have missed that. If it's true, I'm going to be bummed, because I'm really looking forward to the new interiors.

Quote from dougie-lampkin :Changing the interiors wouldn't affect the physics, would it? Just the graphics...

Making any changes to the car/player models affects physics. Changing even a single polygon makes the patch incompatible.
Don't forget the mysterious new area of South City that is on the LFS Remote map...

I'm not really fussed about the pace of development. I'm a "League Whore" so there's always something to practice for, always someone to try to beat. I see LFS more as a means to compete rather than a game. In a sense it's a bit like a football pitch, which is a means to compete at football (or soccer if Forbin's reading this ).

Football hasn't really changed much at all in its fundamentals. Looking at the next "Premier League Patch" they've upped the number of substitutes from 5 to 7. Hardly earth shattering but I still can't wait for the new season to kick off.
Quote from three_jump :This Thread is not about the progress on LFS itself (but it will turn out like one of those threads anyway, I'm sure)... it's about the lack of actuallity on the website www.lfs.net when there are actually things to post.

yeah i must agree. That's why I'm finishing the analyser (see the analyser thread) after which i can also activate the hotlap OOS and HLVC checker that will automatically clear invlid hotlaps from the charts. Then i'll post a news about it on lfs.net.
Quote :Don't forget the mysterious new area of South City that is on the LFS Remote map...

Not sure about that, but there's a potential Westhill update on the way, going by a recent (I guess not so recent) interview.

Quote :I'm finishing the analyser (see the analyser thread)

Victor, that all looks great. I've been looking forward to a tool like this being included into LFS proper. Guess I better start getting out there and doing some new hotlaps!
Quote from three_jump :This Thread is not about the progress on LFS itself (but it will turn out like one of those threads anyway, I'm sure)... it's about the lack of actuallity on the website www.lfs.net when there are actually things to post.

Yep.....you got it.....I got it.....and several other people (for example Victor) got it as well.....but unfortunately not all (for example Tristan ).....

@Tristan - Just think about our 'complaint' this way: There have been by far more updates to the nK Pro website this year (2 - not even related to any development of the product) than to LFS' (0) - and I really do not believe for one second that this does reflect the actual development of the product.....
This makes nK Pro just 'appear' more alive than LFS.....
I know the OP was referring to web updates, but he was also suggesting general development too. My posts have been to people moaning about the lack of game updates, not web updates.

Maybe LFS should just remove the 'news' panel from the website, so it never actually needs updating, and just change the download links when a new patch comes out. Save petty moaning about a website not being updated even when there is nothing to actually update it with (Hotlap Analyser coming later).
Quote from tristancliffe :snip... Save petty moaning about a website not being updated...

I don't think moaning about it saying Merry Xmas in June is petty
#43 - Rob
I don't know why I am surprised, but it's always the same old threads on these forums. I've taken a long break from LFS and only visit the forums occasionally, but nothing here has changed, same people, same viewpoints, same arguments.

That the website hasn't been updated saves me a lot of time, I just load up and the main website and know that the forums will also be the same.

Games with a community feel generally suffer from players being deluded into thinking that they are as much a part of the development process as the developer. The truth is LFS will be developed how Scawen and co want and this will be done to their own schedule.

Rob
Quote from Karoti :I don't think moaning about it saying Merry Xmas in June is petty

What do you want them to update it with? "Today I went to the shop and bought a pint of milk and some rich tea biscuits, here's a picture"?

It'll be updated when there's something to put there
Quote from mythdat :What do you want them to update it with? "Today I went to the shop and bought a pint of milk and some rich tea biscuits, here's a picture"?

It'll be updated when there's something to put there

That's the point. There's been nothing since Christmas. The message could at least be edited so as not include Happy Christmas...
Sometimes it helps to watch the website first (before posting)

added Wed, June 4th, 2008 9:05
>NEW : Instant Hotlap Analyser at LFS World

http://www.lfs.net/




.
#47 - wien
Quote from dougie-lampkin :The message could at least be edited so as not include Happy Christmas...

See those dates at the top of the news posts? They enable you to deduce the date at which the post in question was made, thus eliminating any confusion you might experience from being told "Merry Christmas" in the middle of June.
OK, Victor has now updated the LFS main site so that's the end of this conversation.

Because of that I'll close the thread.

We are working towards Patch Z as quickly as possible which will have everything you can find in test patch Y20 and a bit more still to be added.
2
This thread is closed

Just a question: no web site updates?
(48 posts, closed, started )
FGED GREDG RDFGDR GSFDG