SWOT Analysis is a technique of assessing performance: Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats, Opportunties

LFS:

Strengths: Physics model is perfect, graphic performance is outstanding, large group of supporters
Weaknesses: Content, very little tracks and cars, slow moving development, graphics increasingly outdated
Opportunities: Embrace Mods (worked for Assetto Corsa)
Threats: AC, Project CARS, iRacing all offer superior product

My recommendations:

1. Open up LFS to modded tracks and cars immediately. Offer to purchase high-quality mods. Let fans work for you.

2. Shaders can be improved. Concentrate all graphical development on lighting. This is the key to competing with AC and Project CARS.

3. Online: Flood the online market with hop-in racing, LFS's best attribute. Encourage and promote servers across the world, with prizes for participants.

These suggestions are low cost, but with potentially massive returns.

Thoughts?

Well, while this is good post, it has been discussed to death in the past years.

I agree with your points and could add a bit more, but i guess i'm not finding discussion of this matter interesting anymore. ^^

I agree. However, as Kid has already noted, this discussion isn't going anywhere.

I'd highlight the leagues of LFS too. It's hard to get league racing going anymore.

"Thoughts?"

You never developed any bigger computer SW?

COUGH superior products how? LFS is the only racing simulator not tainted by marketing. That's the core reason why we liked LFS so much in the first place. It's a game with very defined roots and destination; driving experience. And I would argue that LFS corners the market on that front. Sure AC has pretty mods and stuff but that's not why alot of people prefer LFS over all these games. We don't get frisky over poly counts.

Also, personally I like the ability to join any server without having spending 20 minutes in chrome hunting down endless mods scattered around the web. LFS has integrity which is why LFS is superior.

Let the devs take their time and enjoy LFS for what it is.

Quote from pärtan :

COUGH superior products how? LFS is the only racing simulator not tainted by marketing. That's the core reason why we liked LFS so much in the first place. It's a game with very defined roots and destination; driving experience. And I would argue that LFS corners the market on that front. Sure AC has pretty mods and stuff but that's not why alot of people prefer LFS over all these games. We don't get frisky over poly counts.

Also, personally I like the ability to join any server without having spending 20 minutes in chrome hunting down endless mods scattered around the web. LFS has integrity which is why LFS is superior.

Let the devs take their time and enjoy LFS for what it is.

Well I agree on almost all points. My only disagreement is on driving experience, in other words I would love to drive the Nordschleife on LFS physics but never will. I would love to drive the 1991 McLaren F1 on LFS physics but never will. These are its limitations. Content, that's all.

It is in my opinion the greatest racing sim there is, and I've been here over 8 years now, but it needs more content.

Quote from petercollins :

Well I agree on almost all points. My only disagreement is on driving experience, in other words I would love to drive the Nordschleife on LFS physics but never will. I would love to drive the 1991 McLaren F1 on LFS physics but never will. These are its limitations. Content, that's all.

It is in my opinion the greatest racing sim there is, and I've been here over 8 years now, but it needs more content.

True, nordschleife would be amazing with the LFS engine. (or just any awesome windy mountain road).
But I definitely think that a sloppy mod system is the wrong way to go about it. On the bright side, westhill just got a massive update and rockingham just got released which means that the devs are starting to make and/or release content. This started back when out of nowhere, totally unexpected the open configurations were released. I like to think that rockingham is an experiment for the laser scanning process which might be used for other tracks and areas in the future. I also read somewhere that there are plans of an ingame track editor after S3 (i don't know if this is true)

Anyways, I prefer the current limited content which has a certain quality requirement over having a thousand amateurs pump out half assed content to ruin the game with.

It's not like you just model a 3D box and put it on LFS physics, and bam, you have McLaren F1. LFS does simulate the suspension, so you can add easily only cars with already simulated suspension types (others will be either compromised, or would require Scawen to add new type of suspension simulation).

I'm pretty sure the best dedicate modders would be able to go beyond whatever I find practical and (modding) fun, and prove me wrong, but "Content, that's all." is sort of over simplifying.

that's not an excuse for tracks.

Quote from Ped7g :

It's not like you just model a 3D box and put it on LFS physics, and bam, you have McLaren F1. LFS does simulate the suspension, so you can add easily only cars with already simulated suspension types (others will be either compromised, or would require Scawen to add new type of suspension simulation).

I'm pretty sure the best dedicate modders would be able to go beyond whatever I find practical and (modding) fun, and prove me wrong, but "Content, that's all." is sort of over simplifying.

LFS uses (i think) sophisticated ray cast suspension simulation. I don't think the implementation of this in different cars would be too difficult but people would still find ways to mess it up or use them incorrectly.

Types seen in LFS:
Double wishbone
Macpherson
torsion bar

To make many cars perfectly accurate require 3D suspension simulation, and LFS is limited to 2D, but usually the difference made is rather small.

Well.. after the tyres are done, maybe Scawen will love to extend his physics adventures and do full 3D volume/material mesh flex/forces calculations... ... or maybe he will not touch that physics thing for another 5y and work on shaders and graphics. I wonder which guess is closer to reality... just bump this thread after a decade or so.

I'd seriously hope it will be a graphics overhaul, and then car/track editor and finally only small physics, graphics and ergonomics improvements

Quote from pärtan :

Types seen in LFS:
Double wishbone
Macpherson
torsion bar

The type you're thinking of is labeled "trailing arm", but even this is a bit of a misnomer since there is no change in wheelbase length through the suspension travel. (not to be confused with semi-trailing arm which introduces dynamic camber and toe)

In LFS, the wheel motion for this suspension type is strictly up and down along a one-dimensional axis. The closest real-life analogue is a motorcycle fork with 0 degrees of rake (i.e. pointed straight down).

Long ago, before S1, all LFS cars had this type of suspension on all four corners.

http://en.lfsmanual.net/wiki/Technical_Reference#Suspension_Types

For the opportunities column:

"I've tried them all, and LFS is the closest to a real car" - if someone with both authority and popularity says that, a lot of people will listen. I'm thinking Ben Collins, Bottas, etc?

Verstappen has kinda done this in talking about testing passes on a public sim, but in that case it's tied to a specific set of real-world tracks that we don't have. We need to sell the feel more than the content.

Quote from petercollins :

SWOT Analysis is a technique of assessing performance: Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats, Opportunties

LFS:

Strengths: Physics model is perfect, graphic performance is outstanding, large group of supporters
Weaknesses: Content, very little tracks and cars, slow moving development, graphics increasingly outdated
Opportunities: Embrace Mods (worked for Assetto Corsa)
Threats: AC, Project CARS, iRacing all offer superior product

My recommendations:

1. Open up LFS to modded tracks and cars immediately. Offer to purchase high-quality mods. Let fans work for you.

2. Shaders can be improved. Concentrate all graphical development on lighting. This is the key to competing with AC and Project CARS.

3. Online: Flood the online market with hop-in racing, LFS's best attribute. Encourage and promote servers across the world, with prizes for participants.

These suggestions are low cost, but with potentially massive returns.

Thoughts?

The only thing that may be a problem or result with allowing mods is something that happens in assetto corsa and that is there are many good mods that just do not get used online.
Until the amount of people that race online increases it could negatively impact the amount of users per aerver that we currently see but I guess its a gamble that could go either way