Can't seem to get a decent race in the FOX or the TBOs around blackwood tonight - what is going on?

Normally there would be Redline Racing or a CTRA server but everywhere is deserted.

Is it time for an LFS Community Club night? Not that I have time to organise anything.

Fox now is lame.... and yes it had been decreasing in a while

I suppose you could take on the XRT at Blackwood in the demo.

Oh, no, hang on...

I don't drive in pickup races, so not sure really. Is everyone still driving FBM at SO Chicane? The lfsw stats don't seem to show a decline per se.

what do you expect? we humans can only hold an interest in a stagnating puddle for so long.

That would be different if scavier started pouring some fresh water into it full of colorful and highly detailed fish with nice tropical beach like decorations.

There's me thinking my lion-hunting homo-cannibalistic metaphor that I posted on www.gentlefoot.com just HAD to be the best LFS related metaphor for weeks and weeks.

And you beat me already.

All down to no new real content (Apart from FMB and an SO config since S2)

Things are very quiet down under now most nights. Only solution is S3 IMHO to bring new cars/tracks.

Quote from Woz :

All down to no new real content (Apart from FMB and an SO config since S2)

Things are very quiet down under now most nights. Only solution is S3 IMHO to bring new cars/tracks.

why not just S2 with new cars... not necesary S3 for new cars....
and to shut down all Cruise servers... like 90 ppl are there everyday.. filled 3 servers

Quote from chanoman315 :

why not just S2 with new cars... not necesary S3 for new cars....

Cars ain't the problem, it's the lack of tracks that is causing me to loose interest

Quote from The Moose :

Cars ain't the problem, it's the lack of tracks that is causing me to loose interest

me too... any new variations like Fernbay, it has variations and parts of track where you cant acces...like the mansion

Quote from The Moose :

Cars ain't the problem, it's the lack of tracks that is causing me to loose interest

Most pickup racers tend to race the same 3 or 4 cars/tracks. I've gotten used to pretty much all of the tracks forward/reverse through leagues, and I'm getting a bit bored with 'em, but...

I really think it's time the community were given the tools to make LFS tracks, but only ones of a high standard and approved by the devs get put into the the game.

I'm more than happy with the speed of development of the rest of the game, and have no problem with the selection of cars currently available. We need tracks.


ohh... and to answer GF's original question, yes, i think the number of racers is declining. It seems very quiet recently.

Personnaly, it's the sound that keep me away from lfs.

I like to way it tells you what the engine is doing, but i can't listen to that more than 5 minutes...

Don't know what everyone is complaining about. There's like 28 people on 8 racing servers....

Welcome to the North American LFS racer's world...

I also agree with the posters above, we need more tracks. The number of cars is ok.

We should have a system like the Skin download system. You can upload your 10 favorite tracks. If you host a race, you can choose any of the 10 tracks which is then downloaded by those that race on the server.

Maybe even make this track download system available as premium service like the high resolution skins.

I'm not interested is paying for hi res skins, but I would happily pay to download tracks to race on.

And like other games with user created tracks, the developers wouldn't be held responsible for the licensing of the tracks ah la rfactor or GTR2.

I'm actually about to buy rfactor just so I can race V8 Supercars around Bathurst. I'd be happy to race the GTR cars in LFS around Bathurst, or Imola, or Suzuka etc., but that simply isn't going to be happening in the near future.

I'm quite happy to put up with the inferior physics of rfactor, to get access to the greater range of tracks.

Quote from RatzMilk :

I also agree with the posters above, we need more tracks. The number of cars is ok.

We should have a system like the Skin download system. You can upload your 10 favorite tracks. If you host a race, you can choose any of the 10 tracks which is then downloaded by those that race on the server.

Maybe even make this track download system available as premium service like the high resolution skins.

I'm not interested is paying for hi res skins, but I would happily pay to download tracks to race on.

And like other games with user created tracks, the developers wouldn't be held responsible for the licensing of the tracks ah la rfactor or GTR2.

I'm actually about to buy rfactor just so I can race V8 Supercars around Bathurst. I'd be happy to race the GTR cars in LFS around Bathurst, or Imola, or Suzuka etc., but that simply isn't going to be happening in the near future.

I'm quite happy to put up with the inferior physics of rfactor, to get access to the greater range of tracks.

Its not as easy as that. The tracks need to be built. If all that will happen is that we have loads of rF tracks then BIG BIG -1 for modding. Most of those tracks are conversions of conversions.

We need tracks built and optimised for LFS from the ground up or its just pointless.

I like the quality of this thread, so i'll comment.

Having Scavier selecting the best tracks would be a good idea indeed! Maybe have only one 3rd party track on lfs per month? So you don't end up with loads of tracks that someone has to download. They allow a new track to be used for one month only?

And if there is no worthy tracks in a particular month, they can re-use a previously submitted one. (Making it more worthwhile for the creators of these 3rd party tracks)

Back on the subject of declining racers. I haven't noticed the decline personally, I had a six month break from LFS last year, and was stunned by the huge amount of servers that were being used at any one time.

I remember when there was only 20 populated. I've seen 120 of late!

hey, i still hang out on blackwoods online with my white XRG with gold rims!

I've grown bored with sim racing. Not so much because of lack of content but because every sim has massive physics flaws, even LFS, when it comes to tyres. Come on! That should be the first thing to get right on the list - it's, in most cases, your only contact with the road surface and so every force is translated through the tyres. Even if you get something else right, it goes down the drain by the time it is applied on the road.

More content would of course help too. But I think the existing content must be brought to S2 final standard first. I mean, every track with the quality of Blackwood and South City, good interiors for all cars, good driver models, etc. Of the tracks, Fern Bay is begging for improvements. Westhill is too. Kyoto needs some spectators and small improvements here and there but is otherwise fine. Aston is nearly what it should be too.

Do all that with a series of no-distractions physics improvements and you'll see online numbers sky rocket.

Sadly, if history is to repeat itself, the earliest we'll see physics improvements is in 9 months' time.

Quote from The Moose :

I really think it's time the community were given the tools to make LFS tracks, but only ones of a high standard and approved by the devs get put into the the game.

That's what they are going to do in ARCA Sim and that's what they should do in LFS.

I dont think a new layout would stimulate the LFS community. It's new environments with a few layouts within that'll make a big impact.

Quote from MR_B :

They allow a new track to be used for one month only?

There's no way I'd be interested in spending several weeks designing and building a track, only to have it removed after 4 weeks? Remember, you're not just talking about a racing track, but all the surrounding area, with buildings, vegetation, terrain, skyboxes....

To remove it after 4 weeks would be a complete waste of time, and I think it would stop most builders from contributing.

Quote from Fat-Alfie :

There's no way I'd be interested in spending several weeks designing and building a track, only to have it removed after 4 weeks? Remember, you're not just talking about a racing track, but all the surrounding area, with buildings, vegetation, terrain, skyboxes....

To remove it after 4 weeks would be a complete waste of time, and I think it would stop most builders from contributing.

I agree, if new tracks are created and accepted they should be long term

Looks like there were just below 500 racers online at peak hours during patch X. When patch Y was released there was an increase, obviously. Now we're back to to "normal", or perhaps a bit above.

As people state, it`s the current lack of new stuff that is getting people to lose interest.
Don`t get me wrong, the new SO and BL aswell as the new car is awesome, but we need something completely new and fresh. Why not finish that rallypack, or miami track as they called it back in a S1 interveiw

Other life events is why I'm not online much at the moment, only get about 2hrs a week to spare for LFS currently.
That is normally a Thursday evening here in Aus which is dead so I normally go online do a few laps in the LX6 occassionaly joined by one or two others then log off 30-60min later on average...

It is true, general interest is waning alot in LFS of late, it has been for a while.

While "we" do get new members, the amount of "old" members playing online has been declining for a while.

It is getting VERY tough to organise any racing leagues, because the interest for them and racing in general just doesn't seem to be there.

One of the main reasons for this I believe is the lack of combo's, we have been racing the same damn combo's for years and years, that and the slow development cycle.

I think the trend will continue, and the amount of players and races will dwindle over time, the "playing field" is moving faster than LFS's development, and it will only get worse, unless development time speeds up.

Personally, outside of the leagues we organise, and practicing for IGTC, I am finding it tough to get the motivation to race, I reckon in the last 3 months I have played "public" racing for probably less than 3 hours.

The combo's are boring, the physics engine still has the same flaws, the graphics are looking dated, the only thing that keeps me playing LFS at all is the people that play it, and the racing that can be found by playing these people, if that wasn't there, I would have moved away from LFS completely a while ago.

TBH, I am getting more FUN by picking up and playing Forza 2 for an hour, than I do picking up and playing public LFS racing, sad but true........