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Rfactor vs LFS
(1872 posts, started )
Quote from Gills4life :The thing that worries me is that modding groups have been creating rF2 mods using the original rF engine. How will they be able to take advantage of a new tyre model and whatnot while still using an older engine?

were thjose mod makers given access to the rfactor 2 engine?
More importantly, good lawd Racesimcentral just will not die will it?

Looks like rF2 will be at least worth buying.
Quote from Gills4life :The thing that worries me is that modding groups have been creating rF2 mods using the original rF engine. How will they be able to take advantage of a new tyre model and whatnot while still using an older engine?

The original tyre model in rF does not follow a mathematical approach like in LFS. It's based on tables. So that could simply mean that the new cars included in rF2 will have sensible numbers in their tables instead of the unrealistic/weird stuff they used in rF1.

I also read the devs seem to have been providing some sort of 'upgrade path' for old mods to become rF2. Without a thorough comprehension of how those things work, however, it's hard to tell what that actually means, and what are the consequences (i.e. will be the 'converted' content of inferior quality wrt 'native' rF2 mods?)

If Niels Heusinkveld is still reading LFSforum he would probably be the right person to clear things up.
Well when ISI said that they would be creating a new tyre model, I would have thought that would mean an overhaul of the actual model itself and not just putting in more sensible numbers into the same system used in rF1. If they had access to rF2 then that's fair enough, but I have heard that they're using the rF1 engine to create them.
As long as RF2 fixes the plastic tires and the really bad FFB, I'll probably buy it.
At least rfactor devs have told us that rfactor 2 will probably be released in 2010.
Quote from Gills4life :Well when ISI said that they would be creating a new tyre model,

TBH I've read about an "upgraded" tyre model, not an entirely new one, i.e. I would still expect it to be Pacejka based. Another option is they provide an algorithmically improved model which is backwards compatible. Or, since rFactor Pro has pluggable tyre models, rF2 could have e.g. two different selectable models.

I haven't found anything more substantial so far but I just started gathering info. If you have interesting links to read please post them.

Quote from Gills4life :but I have heard that they're using the rF1 engine to create them.

Seems likely, I found this on virtualR:

Quote from VirtualR :Gjon has also been giving some interesting new info via Twitter, announcing that rFactor 2’s tracks will have physically modelled bumps, dips and micro-deformations which can be modelled from scanned data, MAX script or by hand. Furthermore, it has also been confirmed that there will be the same modding tools for the community as with rFactor, giving every modder the best base to get their rFactor 2 mods started.

Quote from Whitmore :Seems LFS has also learnt from their "mistakes"

With "mistakes" I was referring to the deliberate choice of including unrealistic cars and FFB. The current tyre model in LFS has flaws and FFB is not state of art anymore, but they're still leaps and bounds better than the original stuff in rF1.

So it wouldn't be appropriate to say Scawen has learnt from his mistakes. If anything I'd say he's trying to raise the bar.
Quote from Gabkicks :At least rfactor devs have told us that rfactor 2 will probably be released in 2010.

Scawen told us that S3 will be released in 2009. It's like arguing in kindergarten: Who's daddy has the best SUV?
All about rFactor 2 in next Inside Sim Racing episode.
still havent really tried rf1
Quote from War :Scawen told us that S3 will be released in 2009.

Err...no?
Just a joke :duck:
Quote from AudiBG :Just a joke :duck:

That's what I did with that POS that came with my POS G25.
I love to play rfactor every once in a while, i always drive a couple of laps in a few different cars on a few different tracks.
rF has great atmosphere overall so that's why I play it from time to time as well... When I really need to feel like I'm inside of all that racing stuff. Warm-up laps, forming the grid... etc. Usually after some very good race in TV.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dlrF0V7ziE

^ around the 13 minutes mark there's Camaj talking about their approach towards development, and how the tyre model however needed to be "restructured".

BTW with all the talk about dynamic weather stuff, drying lines, different temperatures, different look due to changing lighting conditions... if this is out before iRacing (and the rest of it is up to scratch) there might be a bit of competition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrKzX-Tr6A0

^ here instead at 12 mins he says there will certainly be a way to convert mods but it won't be "drag and drop" "but it's not going to be a difficult thing for somebody who has a mod now that they're happy with". He also explains there will be some sort of versioning and dependency support which sounds a bit like the package managers in some linux distros.
As always, a 'modding platform' is only as good as the people who mod for it. If you don't know how to create nice textures and lighting, then a better graphics engine won't help. If you don't know how tires or engines work, a better physics engine won't help.

Everybody seems to think rFactor 1 is old and bad and the physics and graphics are out of date, but imo it hasn't at all been maximized yet. There just are too few tallented people involved. History shows that people seem to want 'new' and 'more' rather than learning how to actually get the most out of what they have!

There are plenty of areas where rFactor 2 should improve on 1, but with people lining up to convert the rFactor conversion of the F1c conversion of the SCGT conversion of a mod.....
ATC have been playing rfactor alot for a few weeks. the moods are great but there's so many of them.
so far, our fav is the AE86 (Corolla). it makes for a fun change when your driving a 6-7 year old xfg all the time
Quote from Niels Heusinkveld :
There are plenty of areas where rFactor 2 should improve on 1, but with people lining up to convert the rFactor conversion of the F1c conversion of the SCGT conversion of a mod.....

That's so sad and so true, but luckily there will still be a few good modders out there that will squeeze the rF2 engine.

With the current status of LFS, release of rF2 might be a huge nail in the coffin, but hopefully scavier proves me wrong. Anyway rF2 release date was set to Q2 2010 so we aren't that far from knowing
Quote from BurnOut69 :That's so sad and so true, but luckily there will still be a few good modders out there that will squeeze the rF2 engine.

With the current status of LFS, release of rF2 might be a huge nail in the coffin, but hopefully scavier proves me wrong. Anyway rF2 release date was set to Q2 2010 so we aren't that far from knowing

I fully agree with Niels; unless you know what you're doing in regard to the data input, no amount of engine "improvement" is going to help. The rF1 physics engine is actually already quite impressive if you have someone knowledgeable (i.e. Niels) input the data. I'm 100% sure the rF2 engine will be the same crap physics wise if you have the same modders insert their fantasy data into the engine, so rF2 definitely won't be the "nail in the coffin" for LFS, just like rF1, nKP and iRacing weren't either.

Actually the only way I could think of rF2 making a dent is the developers suddenly becoming tyre dynamics geniuses and implementing a tyre model that generates accurate behaviour from simple/abstract input that you basically can't get wrong, such as tyre dimensions and a generic selection of compounds. As soon as you allow anyone to touch the grip curves, load sensitivity and whatnot, you'll get an endless amount of mods with "tweaked" physics that "feel right" (to the modder) but are actually absolute nonsense. And even if the complex tyre settings were locked away, modders would find enough other areas where they could screw around (weight, inertia, downforce/lift, suspension design, etc.) and make their vehicle handle like a bobby car.
Quote from AndroidXP :I fully agree with Niels; unless you know what you're doing in regard to the data input, no amount of engine "improvement" is going to help. The rF1 physics engine is actually already quite impressive if you have someone knowledgeable (i.e. Niels) input the data. I'm 100% sure the rF2 engine will be the same crap physics wise if you have the same modders insert their fantasy data into the engine, so rF2 definitely won't be the "nail in the coffin" for LFS, just like rF1, nKP and iRacing weren't either.

Actually the only way I could think of rF2 making a dent is the developers suddenly becoming tyre dynamics geniuses and implementing a tyre model that generates accurate behaviour from simple/abstract input that you basically can't get wrong, such as tyre dimensions and a generic selection of compounds. As soon as you allow anyone to touch the grip curves, load sensitivity and whatnot, you'll get an endless amount of mods with "tweaked" physics that "feel right" (to the modder) but are actually absolute nonsense. And even if the complex tyre settings were locked away, modders would find enough other areas where they could screw around (weight, inertia, downforce/lift, suspension design, etc.) and make their vehicle handle like a bobby car.

That is the problem of modding: the tendencie to make something feel good, although not accurate at all...

rFactor has in did great mods but also some that are a complete fantasy. I tried an F1 one at my friend's and I was able to drive a Ferrari along Barcelona without a spin in my first try. So, it can't be accurate! Then there was the GP 79, which seamed to be pretty accurate.
Niels, thank you for joining the discussion. I do wonder however, how I should interpret your post

Garbage In Garbage Out is a paramount rule. Yet I would wonder: why bother with increased realism if all your customers just care about quantity and bling but no quality? It would seem silly to harp on those points.

From their past comments, I think ISI might set out to finally include good, realistic behaving cars right from the start, and that could set a big precedent and possibly start a shift of focus in the end users. There will be still a lot of offer for the "unsophisticated" palates, that's for sure.

As for your second remark, dynamic weather won't just be a graphics update, so maybe you were referring to something else? /me scratches head

Quote :History shows that people seem to want 'new' and 'more' rather than learning how to actually get the most out of what they have!

Right but that's when they're coming from not necessarily where they're heading towards. With a new, big player on the market putting a lot of emphasis on accuracy and realism, don't you think that ISI will want to secure and possibly increase their market share by fighting fire with fire?

PS: as for the comments regarding nails, coffins etc... the only one that can make coffins and drive nails in is Scawen himself. So can we please leave that out of the conversation? TIA.
Over 500 tracks to choose from............
Is it really too much to ask for an F1 track even if it is not a current rendition? Would LFS really be required to obtain licensing from track frames made with GPL's engine?

Rfactor vs LFS
(1872 posts, started )
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