rFactor 2 Q1 2023 update bevat Long Beach en een waslijst aan updates en fixes
| door Mark Scholten
Het uitstel van de eerste update van 2023 voor rFactor 2 is niet voor
niets geweest. Naast een aantal langverwachte fixes brengt deze update een aantal onverwachte vernieuwingen, een hybride BTCC bolide
en een lasergescande versie van Long Beach met zich mee. Nee, er zijn nog geen updates voor de online servers na de problemen met het Virtual Le Mans evenement, maar dat zou ook wel heel snel zijn. Ongetwijfeld volgen deze later dit jaar, er wordt door de ontwikkelaars al een tijdje gehint naar updates voor het competitiesysteem in Q2, maar dit is uiteraard niet bevestigd.
We nemen de
belangrijkste updates voor Q1 even met je door.
Racen tegen content die je niet bezit
Een van de grootste
problemen die veel potentiele spelers hebben met rFactor 2 komt voort
uit het ingewikkelde package systeem voor mods en updates. Online
servers maken gebruik van deze packages om te draaien en standaard
bevat een serverpackage alle content die deelnemers kunnen kiezen.
Dit is overigens nu nog steeds het geval. Om zo’n online server te
joinen, moest je alle content die op die specifieke server werd
gedraaid bezitten, anders kwam je er niet in.
Dit is nu eindelijk
aangepast in de Q1 update, waardoor je om een server te joinen alleen
maar de track en 1 van de wagens waarin wordt gereden hoeft te
bezitten. Je hoeft dus niet langer alle GT3 wagens te kopen als je
alleen de BMW of McLaren wilt rijden of alle auto’s uit elke klasse
als je een multiclass race joint. Wel moet je de missende content nog
downloaden, dus houdt er rekening mee dat je nog altijd flink wat
schijfruimte nodig hebt.
Photomode
Een
belangrijk deel van het plezier voor veel simracers is het kunnen
maken van mooie screenshots, en met de nieuwe updates aan de
camerasystemen in rFactor 2 moet dit helemaal goedkomen. Voornaamste
update is de toevoeging van een volwaardige Photo Mode en de
implementatie van motion blur, waardoor je foto’s er uitzonderlijk
goed uit komen te zien.
In VR is het
nu ook mogelijk om de videowalls naast de baan uit te zetten, die
waren met een headset op echt ongelofelijk afleidend. Verwacht er
geen performance winst mee te behalen, maar je wordt in ieder geval
niet meer afgeleid tijdens het rijden.
BTCC en hybride
ondersteuning
Geen hele lading
nieuwe auto’s in deze update, maar wel een enkele uitstekende
toevoeging in de vorm van de Honda Civic Type R. Deze wagen deed het
afgelopen jaar uitstekend in het BTCC kampioenschap, dus dit is een
uitstekende toevoeging om de lineup bijna compleet te maken.
Uiteraard zijn alle liveries van de deelnemende teams van 2021 en
2022 present en nu is er ook nog eens ondersteuning voor de
electrische motor en regeneratie hiervan tijdens het racen.
Long Beach
Een
van de meest aangevraagde tracks binnen de rFactor 2 community komt
eindelijk naar de simulator. Deze lasergescande versie van het
legendarische stratencircuit zit boordevol prachtige details en zal
het coureurs zeker niet makkelijk maken, welke raceklasse je ook
rijdt. Ongetwijfeld zal er vooral IndyCar worden gereden, maar de
nieuwe Stockcar 2018 updates zijn ook niet voor de poes, dus geef die
wagen ook zeker nog een kans.
Long Beach is ongekend gedetailleerd
BOP en nieuwe banden
voor GT3 klasse
De GT3’s in
rFactor 2 zijn al langer een kritiekpuntje voor veel simfanaten. De
oude banden zouden onrealistisch rijgedrag toestaan, en de balans
tussen de wagens was ook ver te zoeken. Tijd voor een forse update
dus en alle GT3 wagens zijn flink onder handen genomen. Nieuwe
balance of performance updates, een update naar het nieuwste
bandenmodel voor veel realistischer rijgedrag en als kers op de taart
een update aan de standaard setups van alle wagens, zodat je ook
redelijk mee kunt komen als je geen race engineer bent.
Volledige patchnotes
Wil je weten wat er precies allemaal in de patch en updates zit? Hieronder vindt je de volledige patchnotes:
Client: 10601581
Dedicated Server: 10601594
General
Track Limits: reduced sensitivity to switching paths, such as
near the pit lane entrance, and reduced strict penalty points for an
invalid pit lane to main path change from Drive Through to 1 point.
Vehicle option for brake repair in a pitstop
Added “+VR” command line option to launch the game using VR. Added new steam option when starting game.
Added
“Steam Matchmaking Broadcast” option to Multiplayer.json. This will
allow the server to be hidden from matchmaking. Current matchmaking
status will be shown on the Dedicated Server UI.
Reworked
controller and keyboard controls to default to a new, improved steering
sensitivity filter that simulates vehicle forces
Replaced
inaccessible steering rate configuration with steering aggression slider
to control how aggressively the new controller filter allows turn-in
Reworked
steering configuration page to replace wheel-only settings with
non-wheel relevant settings when a non-wheel device is in use
Reintroduced adjustable steering rates
Added selection for gamepad steering filters
Made both steering filters adjustable independently
Added
snappiness slider to steering rates configuration – 0% is original
behaviour, higher % is more snappy without having to increase steering
rates
Made new steering sensitivity filter more direct
Server keys are now machine independent and can be shared between any machines
Track Limits
Scale certain factors of scoring down when we go less than a third of the track width off track.
Fixed a rare possibility of cuts not being scored.
Added extra data to logging & ModDev Debug mode
Cinematics
Added soft blend when changing selected vehicle
Added ability to hold current camera
Added
ability to pause car tracking. Pressing the SHIFT key whilst this is
enabled will reset tracking to the closest point the tracking is paused
at.
Added camera group tracking for cars traveling close together, by default in race sessions only.
Allow
the previous laps S/F line camera to remain valid when using cycle
method. This allows for different cameras over the start finish line.
Reduced strength of shake effect on cameras with this enabled.
Allowed
zooming in / out / reset on TV Cameras with out any extra modes being
enabled. Optionally allowed this to persist after changing cameras.
Added acceleration and deceleration to Freelook for smoother movement.
Added the ability to load custom cameras from Userdata\Cameras
Added auto calculation of spectator camera directions to the nearest waypoint to the first activation location.
Photo Mode
Split out from Freelook camera adjustments (aperture, exposure, focus) options to a separate Photo Mode.
Photo
Mode allows configuration of visual settings, in addition to the usual
Freelook options. However is not available when driving.
UI accessible from replay screen, with full configuration options and key hints.
Renamed all controls to FreeMove/FreeLook/FreeLens as these are not accessible in the full Photo Mode.
Physics
New electric motor implementation (used for btcc cars) including
Electric Motor map
Added to onboard controls (not in gui yet)
Regeneration map
Added to onboard controls (not in gui yet)
Push to Pass map
Added to onboard controls (not in gui yet)
Plugin API updated to include physics output (also see plugin example):Battery chargetorquerpmmotor temperaturewater temperature (if applicable)motor state (inactive, propulsion, regenerate)
Battery charge
torque
rpm
motor temperature
water temperature (if applicable)
motor state (inactive, propulsion, regenerate)
Updated p2p system with new options to accommodate btcc:time limit per lapminimum gear activation requirementminimum time between activationsturn off when crossing start/finish
time limit per lap
minimum gear activation requirement
minimum time between activations
turn off when crossing start/finish
Fixed bug where SteeringInnerTable wasn’t always properly applied
Fixed bug with reading brake maps from hdv/engine files. It now reads definitions with less than 11 entries again.
Fixed visual steering lock mismatch at low speeds when using non-standard steering lock in the vehicle setup
Fixed temporary boost not taking into account session boost limit
Graphics
Improved visual progression of wet road with a more linear progression.
Added new IBL Water Shader which uses SSR for more accurate reflections.
Added motion blur.
Fixed various stutters with cloud movement in replays and online
Live TV Screens: Added option to disable, Fixed aspect ratio when running non 16:9 resolutions, Improved shader visually.
Forced use of high power GPU on devices with multiple GPUs (i.e. Laptops).
Tweaked PostFX profiles for more realistic depth of field on broadcast cameras
AI
Improved management of Driver fuel calculations, making sure that we only update when a fully valid lap has been completed.
Fixed error in default calculations which would mean with fuel scalars, AI would not add extra fuel to tank
Improved
logic for cars leaving pits in practice and qualifying sessions.
Encouraging AI to use up all laps, and making sure they attempt to set a
lap time in short sessions.
Fix for AI being prevented from passing when pitting in on a race lap
Fix for AI running into the back of other vehicles
HUD
Cockpit Display now shows Brake Bias correctly as the bias to the front in whole percent.
UI
Fixed being able to set race laps to below 2 in single player session settings.
Fixed the singleplayer quick event page layout being broken sometimes on page load.
Added new “Cinematic cameras” tab in Settings → Assign controls
This tab holds new cinematic settings along with previously existing assignable controls
Renamed “Cameras & seat” tab to “Driving cameras & seat” and re-organized the assignable controls
Made the hitbox for checkboxes in the content screen table slightly bigger
Fixed the ‘Default’ FOV setting showing as ‘9’ instead of ‘Default’
Corrected various camera control help tips
Package Management
New system to allow store items to be unsubscribed / resub scribed through the UI
Packages can be download in the background without blocking the UI
Packages in the content management are grouped by workshop or store item
The install UI can be minimized when downloading content
Package states now show as orange when an operation is in progress
Content you don’t own can now be installed from the content management page
On
the cars and tracks lists, greyed out cars and tracks that you do not
own and added a button to access the store page for that item
You can spectate on any race even if you don’t own anything assuming the content is installed
You can only race in cars that you own on tracks that you own
When joining a server cars you do not own will be grayed out
When
passenger swapping you can only ride as a passenger in vehicles you own
you should only be able to select those vehicles you own
Added information about required content to join the server on the join error page
Greyed out entries with cars you do not own in the spectate popup
Disabled “Resume” replay button for entries with car you do not own
Modding
Added PBR Debug Tool for Mod Dev and Scene Viewer. This allows artists to debug the component outputs of the PBR pipeline.
Added IBL Water Shader which uses SSR for reflections
Fixed occasional glitchy car tracking in camera editor
Updated ModDev to load RCD files from Vehicle folders
AI Editor Improvements:
Allow the removal of multiple paths in one go
More consistent AIW path adjustments
Fixed editing of pit paths wp positions
Fixed updating of path positions when editing waypoint positions
Added fuel to various ModDev debug screens (Driver and Vehicle screens)
Added new cockpit elements:BoostMotorTempDigitBatteryLevelDigitP2PActivationsThisLapP2PActiveTimeThisLapP2PACTIVE_LEDP2PAVAILABLE_LED
BoostMotorTempDigit
BatteryLevelDigit
P2PActivationsThisLap
P2PActiveTimeThisLap
P2PACTIVE_LED
P2PAVAILABLE_LED
Improved
ttool perfomance significantly. It’s now more than twice as fast. The
checksum will differ, but results are the virtually the same.
Known issues
Cancel updates button is unresponsive
Driver labels are sometimes out of position on screen or sort incorrectly with certain transparent objects
Motion blur is disabled for cockpit cameras
Booting
in offline mode can cause premium content to display as pending
uninstall in the content management screen, returning to online mode
restores the correct display
It is not possible to take a pit
stop when pitlanes without a boundary do not have a clear break in the
cut corridors between the pitlane and the main track.
All GT3 v3.55
New default setup
Now in GT3 folder in UI
BOP Updates
GT3 BOP
Aston Martin: 0 Audi 18: -5 kg Audi 19: -3 kg Bentley 2017: -5 kg Bentley 2020: +8 kg BMW M6: -5 kg BMW M4: +15 kg Callaway: +5 kg Ferrari: -5 kg Mercedes AMG: -30 kg McLaren 720: 0 McLaren 650: -5 kg Porsche 911: -5 kg Radical: None, awaiting fix
Dallara IR-18 v1.71
Slightly increased damping on suspension components for stability purposes
More differences between primary and alternate tires at road and street courses
Adjust grip on road course tires to improve overall balance
Added slightly more grip to short oval tires
Tweaked cooling properties on oval tires
Made display lit at night
Added P2P active LEDS to steering wheel
Fixed bump stop travels
Adjusted default oval setups
Corrected Indy 500 race boost
Corrected gear ratios for other ovals
Slight tweak to Short Track setups
Added AI specific setup for Gateway
Short track tyres run slightly cooler
Limited amount of wing that can be used on short ovals
Stock Car 2018 v2.31
Rear Windows Offset adjusted so they don’t disappear in cockpit view
8500 cockpit sound fix to prevent cutting out on long straights
Added new drivers to RCD
Added tires for North Wilkesboro Speedway
Stock Car 2018x v1.19
Updated 3D models
Updated liveries
Updated brake torque and aero package
Updated all default setups
Updated all tires
Adjusted horse power at rear wheels
Added new sounds for new sound engine
Added wiper for wet road course races
Added RCD talent file
Added new shaders to all objects
Improved AI
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) v1.05
Made AI faster
Made rims brighter at night
Slightly improved brake light glow
Added steering wheel to showroom
Fixed interior shadowcaster in showroom
Optimized textures
New gravel sounds
Fixed tire normal maps
BMW 330 BTCC v1.19
Added hybrid system to 2022 car
Added hybrid HUD for 2022 car
Small update on the exterior sounds, adding some more volume
Updated AO maps
Updated metal material
Ford Focus BTCC v1.33
Added hybrid system to 2022 car
Added hybrid HUD for 2022 car
Updated AO maps
Updated metal material
Hyundai i30 BTCC v1.37
Added hybrid system to 2022 car
Added hybrid HUD for 2022 car
Updated AO maps
Updated metal material
Infiniti Q50 v1.39
Added hybrid system to 2022 car
Added hybrid HUD for 2022 car
Updated AO maps
Updated metal material
Toyota Corolla BTCC V1.49
Added hybrid system to 2022 car
Added hybrid HUD for 2022 car
Updated AO maps
Updated metal material
Vauxhall Astra BTCC 1.03
Added hybrid system to 2022 car
Added hybrid HUD for 2022 car
Updated AO maps
Updated metal material
Vanwall Vandervell v1.17
Optimized shadow mesh
Updated car name in menu
New team name for 2023 liveries
Two additional settings for gearbox
Separated radiators and brake coolers
Updated logos texture near rear wheels
New AO map for car body
WEC and team sponsors for all liveries
Track Updates
Circuit d’Azure v1.23
Added SSR Water Shader
Updated Wet Weather Road Materials
Zandvoort v2.62
SSR Water Shader Update
Updated advertisements
Minor LOD Optimization
Portland v1.10
Track Limits review including fix for issues on last turn.
Fixed minor terrain gap
Fixed minor sound error
Fixed AI Clipping pit box when exiting rear paddock
SSR Water Shader Update
Minor LOD Optimization
World Wide Technology Raceway v1.11
Minor AIW fixes
Fixed pit out markers placement
Daytona v1.21
Reviewed Track Limits on Oval & RC
SSR Water Shader Update
Updated background mapper for water reflections
Fixed collision issues
Thruxton v1.07
Fixed overly spectator material resolution
Fixed an issue with a broadcast camera clip plane
Minor foliage fixes
Minor No Rain Zone Fix
Indianapolis v1.23
Fixed Safety Car Speeds
Monte Carlo 66 v2.12
Reviewed track limits
SSR Water Shader update
Minor tweaks to specular/ambient mapper configuration
Fixed various SCN/Visgroup warnings
Electric Docks v2.35
Fixed pit entry track limits issue which would make it cause problems with pit stops.