Title says it all....

I'm thinking about buying it for the F3 mod, it looks pretty cool. Any comments?

I suggest you try the rFactor dem... ok, forget it.

No.



Seriously, try the GTR/GTL demos, if you like the general feel (or lack thereof) of the ISI engine then go for it. If you find both demos undrivable, rFactor won't be much different.

i have tried the rFactor demo it was ok, no LFS but it was good.
GTL and GTR i own copies of, they're ok for playing once i a while.
I suppose what i really want to know is the F3 mod for rFactor worth €43?

I wouldnt bother Niki.

Dan,

i think u guys a right, i'll wait for netKarPro. any indication on a release date?

Apparently the end of this month.

Dan,

I have both, rFactor is good for a change and has some solid mods like the porsche cup, the GP2 mod and now the Lienz modthe rTrainer is excellent but it can be tempramental with stutters and needs a decent machine to make it look pretty. I always find myself playing LFS when I want to go online.

Nope, save your money for netKar PRO.

Definetely not, since you can get it with 35 euros.

If the money is an issue then my answer is definitely don't bother. None of the mods have made me think rFactor was worth buying as a mod platform, which is what it is as the standard content is pretty ropey. Even the 'official' Lienz mod is actually quite bad. I would best describe Lienz as hovercrafts with Sega rally graphics. It also has very noticeable popup, even with graphics settings on max.

You already have GTR and GTL, which are better graphically and 'feel' better, despite also using the ISI engine.

If F3 cars are your thing, I'd stick with LFS's FOX and hold out for nKpro, which looks promising.

If money is no object, then (given how much I've used it), rFactor would be a 'maybe' at best. I've tried going back to it each time a new mod or major patch was released and each time it's failed to convince me. The F3 mod was OK for a while, and Lime Rock Park is always good for a blast, but for a convincing immersive experience, LFS beats it hands down.

As for finding online games, rF is usually worse than LFS for finding a well populated race online. Despite some people's complaints (here in the USA) about LFS's lack of players, I can usually find a good race in LFS, even if it's not with a car or track combo of choice. As more mods are released for rF I think the players are spread more thinly, which is not a problem for LFS.

In short, my advice is save your cash....

Quote from Rob76 :

As for finding online games, rF is usually worse than LFS for finding a well populated race online.

Very true. Here's a snapshot of the rFactor server list at around midnight Pacific coast time (GMT-8).



There are a grand total of 12 players on 8 servers and 2 of those servers are private. Further, most of the servers that are available are running mods I either don't have or am not interested in installing.

Hi!

I have rFactor and i thought it was going to be great!

But no... When youre driving a F3 and youre about to spin, it doesnt feel like it.. In LFS, in a FOX you really feel when it starts to go sideways. But in rFactor, it's like driving on ice...

Quote from Rob76 :

Even the 'official' Lienz mod is actually quite bad. I would best describe Lienz as hovercrafts with Sega rally graphics. It also has very noticeable popup, even with graphics settings on max.

I got a SERIOUS bitch-slapping on the RSC forums because I said exactly that

Dan,

Quote from Bosse :

Hi!

I have rFactor and i thought it was going to be great!

But no... When youre driving a F3 and youre about to spin, it doesnt feel like it.. In LFS, in a FOX you really feel when it starts to go sideways. But in rFactor, it's like driving on ice...

but many people say the same about LFS...

me loves LFS, although my last session was on 11. march...

so save your money for S3 or another nice project...

rFactor is good for the mods coz the game kinda sucks, so i would say that it worth the 43€ for the Mods...

But GTL or GTR are better, also the new GTR2 will be amazing... wait for it.. atm i´m racing in GTR a lot coz i lost all my motivation to LFS and i really like the game..

based on what ive seen so far i think youre better off with netkar

decided to pre-pay for netKar... so i'll just sit tight till 10th April now....

OF course you should buy rFactor - I'm making my ProtoGP mod for it hehe (I know, I have no shame :P LOL )

Seriously though.. only YOU can answer that question. You should try and find someone near you with a good rig and rFactor (with mods) setup, and try it for yourself. Everyone has their own opinions.

Personally, rF is my favorite sim right now. The LFS physics have started to feel very rigid to me, and I don't think I'm getting enough feedback from the cars. I just plain HATE GTR and GTL, they are absolutely horrible IMHO. rFactor is great I think. But you need to figure out what feels better to you.

Also... how can people be saying NetKar Pro is better than rFactor? It's not even out yet, and the physics are completely different than any previous NetKar

Just upgraded my graphics card from an ATI Radeon 9000 to a 9600 Pro and the GTL demo now reboots as soon as I try to run it (previously slow fps, shader problems and CTDs when I tried the Jag) so it looks like rFactor is out of the question.

^^ So how should it run or does Starforce not like my PC?

Reinstalling the game should fix it, and I believe there's a starforce reinstaller on their site somewhere which should also do the job.

Just a small rant, I hate starforce more than I thought possible to hate a peice of software, it has the unique ability to make me want to break stuff in just a few seconds. When I spend my money on a game I want it to WORK, not go through some b**lshit copyprotection that half the time doesn't work right. E.g. Trackmania, great game - one of my favourites, I purchased a legal copy, and yet I use a pirate copy. Why? None of that starforce rubbish. It really screws around that much sometimes.

Anyway back on topic, I'd hold out for NetKar Pro definately, it looks worth the wait, I've still not purchased rFactor because I only race online, and it doesn't seem like a good platform for that.

Could someone take a screenshot of the multiplayer lobby at UK times? Is it any better or still as bad?

GTL, GTR and rFactor is one thing. LFS and NKP iks other thing.

Between them, the way the things are done and the way you feel the things are different.

Both groups (extrapolated tabulation X online calculation) give their level of imersion, both have particularities that give certain advantages against each other.

If you are an virtual driver enthusiast, like me, and if this little money is not a problem for yoiu, I suggest you to buy all, like me.

If money is the point, first, localize your preferences in one of those two groups above, and then save your money for GTR2 or NK-Pro.

A short guide to decide:

GTR:
Pro: real cars, real tracks, beautiful graphics, amazing sounds, great driving, live track, enourmous mod community.
Counter: slow loading, starfoce dependent, hardware eater, weak mp, off track menu.

NKP
Pro: hardcore physics, beautiful graphics, live cockpit, walk like doom, online race and car data, easy access on track menu (?).
Counter: one car type, 4 ficcional tracks, not really tested yet.

Quote from Speed Soro :

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...
...
NKP
Pro: hardcore physics, beautiful graphics, live cockpit, walk like doom, online race and car data, easy access on track menu (?).
Counter: one car type, 4 ficcional tracks, not really tested yet.

Quote from Speed Soro :

GTR:
Pro: real cars, real tracks, beautiful graphics, amazing sounds, great driving, live track, enourmous mod community.
Counter: slow loading, starfoce dependent, hardware eater, weak mp, off track menu.

NKP
Pro: hardcore physics, beautiful graphics, live cockpit, walk like doom, online race and car data, easy access on track menu (?).
Counter: one car type, 4 ficcional tracks, not really tested yet.

I'm not going to get into the real cars/tracks debate, and I agree that the cockpits are lovely. The sounds are okay - good for samples, but I hate the blending they used - ruins any addition immersion. Driving model is poo, and Simbin have admitted that GTR had major physics flaws in the GTR2 interviews, which amuses me. Live track is also rubbish. No matter where you drive on the track, or how many cars there are the 'marbles' appear in the same place and same amount. Cheap, poorly intergrated gimmick if you ask me. The cons are about right.

Not sure how much the pros and cons of nK can be discussed. We know it's got doom mode, but is that actually a pro or another cheap gimmick? We won't know til we've played it for a while. Graphics are good it seems (from static shots), without the cartooniness of rF, the overdone of most other sims, and isn't far off the bland reality of LFS (still the best racing sim graphics if you ask me, low res downloadable textures not withstanding). So before we get into pros and cons of nKP we need to do some proper driving. Not one hour, but more like a serious week or month of playing to see where it's strengths and weaknesses lie. I'm sure it won't 'feel' like LFS, but different isn't necessarily bad (though it was in GTR/GTL/rF). Lets wait and see shall we?