GT3 Challenges Pack Released for rFactor 2

[Paul Jeffrey]

Four of the five new GT3 cars for rFactor 2 have been released today!

Released just 24 hours after the final car reveal yesterday, the five vehicle 'GT3 Challengers' DLC for rFactor 2 is here! Although containing five cars, players will have to wait for a little while yet until we get access to the brand new 2019 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, that one is undergoing final manufacturer approval and hasn't quite managed to sneak into the pack ahead of the release deadline today.

Even without the Aston, the new car pack from Studio 397 is an incredibly impressive achievement and in my opinion at least, really showcases the exceptional potential of what is one of the finest racing simulations currently available. The new cars, the BMW M6, McLaren 720s, Audi R8 LMS and Porsche 911 GT3 R are quite literally the highest quality Studio 397 have released to date, and represent the first pieces of content to be developed with the much anticipated new materials shaders for the title.

Although joining the sim as a standalone DLC, the new cars have received suitable BOP settings to allow them to race competitively with the current crop of GT3 machines, meaning rFactor will have a very impressive collection of no less than 10 recent GT3 cars within the sim (plus the older Camaro GT3 from the ISI era).. not bad going in the space of just over one year..

For me, these new cars that form part of the 'GT3 Challengers' DLC are testament to the quality Studio 397 are capable of delivering, and could, quite possibly, be some of the finest content in sim racing....

The Studio 397 announcement notes:

With a great heritage in GT class racing, we are proud to announce the next pack released for rFactor 2 – The GT3 Challengers Pack. Featuring not just one, but two world firsts! GT represents much of what rFactor 2 stands for, and fits into our feature set of day/night transitions, weather and driver swaps. We hope you enjoy this pack that also features our latest graphic engine technology.

With our existing GT3 Pack and the Endurance Pack we now have 13 GT class cars that can race on track – add a couple of LMP’s and we have one of the most diverse grids in sim racing.

Once again we are proud to have great support from partners to help us make this happen.

Download on Steam right here!

Now let’s take a look at what’s in awesome pack!

McLaren 720s

To bring one of their new incredible cars onto race tracks, McLaren developed the stunning 720S GT3.

Modern design, impressive aerodynamics and years of experience in Motorsport should help this car to claim wins among several premier GT3 events in 2019.

Porsche 911 GT3 R

It probably wouldn’t be called motorsport if the iconic brand Porsche aren’t part of a class.

The 911 GT3 R is once again a very balanced, race-proven car by the German manufacturer, reinforcing their image as being amongst the highest rated contenders in a series.

Audi R8 LMS GT3

Considered as one of the all-time favourites, this midship RWD car by Audi has been competing in GT3 since the beginning, winning significant races around the globe for a variety of teams. A demanding but rewarding choice.

BMW M6 GT3

From the very start, the BMW M6 GT3 hit the grids all over the motorsport world and proved the V8 concept to the German manufacturer. Leading several Endurance events in different series and also claiming the 2018 FIA GT World Cup title, this car is a winner.


Aston Martin Vantage 2019

The second generation of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 is ready for some serious racing action. It will enter GT events in 2019 and beefs up the already stunning road version of the Vantage. With the prestige and expertise Aston Martin brings into racing, it’s a challenger you always have to keep an eye on.

*Please note this car will be released as part of the pack once approved


Final Notes
These cars are built with our new graphic technology, based on PBR lighting. We are converting more of our older content and yes, we are bringing more liveries to you shortly!

For painters, we are finalising the templates and the technology behind it, trust us, it will be a game changer for you! In the meantime, please read more on our December Roadmap here https://www.studio-397.com/2018/12/roadmap-update-december-2018/

rFactor 2 is available exclusively for PC from Steam now.

Check out the rFactor 2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment for all the latest news and discussion with regards to the simulation. You can take part in lively debates with fellow rFactor 2 fans and take part in some great Club and League racing events..! Head over to the forum now!

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[Peter Kerényi]

Yes, Sorry, I did those screen shots from a replay...here is the difference showing Dash numbers while in Race and then during Replay...
Audi cockpit Screen Shot taken during Race...
View attachment 282613
Audi cockpit screen shot during Replay...
View attachment 282614

All right, that's fair. But they still can't get the fonts right and e.g. in some Porsche screens posted here the information doesn't fit into the bracket. Those kinds of things are not what I expect from paid official content and I don't understand how manufacturers can give it a green light. (Interesting that the McLaren, which manufacturer they have close ties with, has super fonts).

To those who don't care, that's okay, but I care. When you get the hard 99% right and you can't deliver the little (seemingly trivial) details like these, it's such a bummer. And when it's a detail that's in front of your eyes and that you check multiple times a lap, it just takes away from the immersion. Either the developers don't care, or the platform is not flexible enough, which means the developers should work on it. If they care about MY money of course. If not, they are satisfied with what they have, simracing is (thankfully) quite a competitive market right now, there are alternatives. And all of them get the displays "more" right.

And to all commenters, I am not hating on rF2 & S397. It is simple criticism. I would be very happy if they fixed all their fonts in DLC cars, and I would probably buy every DLC, because they have some super licenses.

 

[Fanapryde]

...and you lost me

Well, I'm not part of Studio 397, but I read about the new shaders being used. If that is not the case, the cockpits still look much more 'real' than ACC's, which seem to come out of a comic book, flat, lifeless.

 

[makan]

They built new shaders for outside of the 4/5 cars, internals (cokpits) will update ASAP.
After that other cars/tracks.

 

[whip]

Well, I'm not part of Studio 397, but I read about the new shaders being used. If that is not the case, the cockpits still look much more 'real' than ACC's, which seem to come out of a comic book, flat, lifeless.

i'll take your opinion from now with a grain of salt, in fact after comparing them directly like this the rf2 ones look really really bad

 

[mr Sw1tchblade]

[QUOTE="comic book, flat, lifeless.[/QUOTE]
You are playing at ultra low graphic settings?
I can see outstanding work with materials in acc, and my cockpit is full 3d. Acc have problems with shadow model imho. And thats all.
In rf2 i can see only plastic and metal in my cockpit. And round parts have too much angles
I am not acc fanboy, but i thought 2019 is comming, not 2015.

 

[M D Gourley]

Loving this pack, especially around LeMans...unedited triple screen shots

 

[Fanapryde]

They built new shaders for outside of the 4/5 cars, internals (cokpits) will update ASAP.
After that other cars/tracks.

Ah, yes. But still the cockpits look better than the previous pack, which is why I thought it were the new shaders. So...more good thing to come.

i'll take your opinion from now with a grain of salt, in fact after comparing them directly like this the rf2 ones look really really bad

You are entitled to, I don't really care. I go by my own thoughts. I see what I see. ACC not supporting triple screens is obviously not helping either for that.

 

[Fanapryde]

You are playing at ultra low graphic settings?

Maybe I should try that. I have most settings on epic (GTX1080ti on triple 144Hz 1ms screens). Have you even looked at the rear view mirrors ? They were probably fine 10 years ago. But you probably don 't care ?

 

[Peter Kerényi]

Ah, yes. But still the cockpits look better than the previous pack, which is why I thought it were the new shaders. So...more good thing to come.

You are entitled to, I don't really care. I go by my own thoughts. I see what I see. ACC not supporting triple screens is obviously not helping either for that.

Well, if you are on triples with low FOV, you probably don't even need properly replicated data displays, because you don't see them. Still a valid criticism in my opinion (as well as your criticism of ACC not supporting triples, but that's an entirely different topic).

 

[Ami_M3]

i'll take your opinion from now with a grain of salt, in fact after comparing them directly like this the rf2 ones look really really bad

There is certainly room for improvement, but they don't look as bad as you posted. Here is how they look on my screen (image cropped of course, original res 2560x1600). They are compressed which may lower the quality a bit as well

 

[Peter Kerényi]

Maybe I should try that. I have most settings on epic (GTX1080ti on triple 144Hz 1ms screens). Have you even looked at the rear view mirrors ? They were probably fine 10 years ago. But you probably do 't care ?

Rear view mirrors and TAA are terrible in ACC. That is absolutely true. Still not the same topic. The cars are modelled right and with many little details. There is an .ini tweak that might improve texture quality in cockpit for you.

 

[Fanapryde]

Well, if you are on triples with low FOV, you probably don't even need properly replicated data displays, because you don't see them. Still a valid criticism in my opinion (as well as your criticism of ACC not supporting triples, but that's an entirely different topic).

I have a dedicated 'look up/down/left/right' stick on my wheel, so yes, I can take a glance at the dash if I need/feel to.

 

[Peter Kerényi]

There is certainly room for improvement, but they don't look as bad as you posted. Here is how they look on my screen (image cropped of course, original res 2560x1600)
View attachment 282627 View attachment 282628

It's not the resolution, but the fonts and the "Place 16/2..." kind of things.

 

[Peter Kerényi]

I have a dedicated 'look up/down/left/right' stick on my wheel, so yes, I can take a glance at the dash if I need/feel to.

If you don't care about authenticy (in such details) it would not be a "lose" for you if it was done right, but a "win" for us, who care about it. So I don't understand why are you trying to justify it looking not like IRL.

 

[Ami_M3]

While I don't doubt that the pack is great (and because of the two exclusives is a must buy), but this constant sh*tting on ACC makes me vomit. ACC is an early access title and it is promising, a bit unoptimized right now, but heading in the right direction. Both are good games with flaws.

Can you point me to posts in this thread where ACC is constantly bashed? This thread is about rF2 and nobody even mentioned ACC until post #11 when E304LIFE suggested that we have ACC for GT3, hence S397 shouldn't bother.

 

[mr Sw1tchblade]

Maybe I should try that. I have most settings on epic (GTX1080ti on triple 144Hz 1ms screens). Have you even looked at the rear view mirrors ? They were probably fine 10 years ago. But you probably don 't care ?

Yep mirrors suck in acc, i agree. I dont care untill its EA. And well since i bought it at the beginning of EA its cost me less than this dlc
Maybe price is a question of steam regional pricing model, idk. I am living outside EU.
But mirrors in rf2 have more angles than mirrors in pcars2 for example.
Rtx2080 ti, 2 monitors with eyetracker.

 

[whip]

There is certainly room for improvement, but they don't look as bad as you posted. Here is how they look on my screen (image cropped of course, original res 2560x1600). They are compressed which may lower the quality a bit as well
View attachment 282627 View attachment 282628

they look just as bad, but in higher resolution

 

[zand]

Tryed all GT3 cars around except for the iRacing ones and the S397's are just in a diferent league. Amazing feel! Well done! For sure there are room improvement in the little details and the cars deserve it!

 

[Ami_M3]

Yes, it is way more expensive. It costs a whopping 4 euro on average.

Martin, what are you trying to say? That neither is expensive or both are overpriced?

I think his point was that the pack is priced fairly, and R3E was used as comparison. I don't get why people complain S397 charges high prices for DLC, while SimBin does the same and gets away with it - yet they don't release free tracks nor cars like Studio 397 does. What gives?

 

[Radek Pawlaczek]

Current engine doesn't allow for more complex dashes. Currently they're based on bitmaps and they're rendered in pretty much same way like the games from, for example Super Nintendo. That's how you do the font (it's not taken from rF, I just googled it):

Notice how every symbol has exact same width and height.