iRacing Review

[OverTake.gg]

Bram Hengeveld submitted a new blog post:

iRacing Review

More than five years after its initial release, I feel it’s finally time to give iRacing the professional review treatment. Five years is more than enough time for one game to sort out all of its issues, the game costs several times more than your traditional boxed PC game available on the shelves at Best Buy, and deciding whether to take the plunge based on biased forum ramblings is never a good idea. Six hundred million laps later, it’s time to finally take a look at iRacing, and determine...

Continue reading the Original Blog Post

 

[Bakkster]

One final thing I thought of, what was the weather? The SRF isn't as susceptible, but the weather effects are pretty significant at the moment. I suggest default weather rather than 'realistic' (aka random) in case that was the cause.

 

[swervedriver]

My mini review;

Also the advertised "Race anytime" is not strictly true. Searching last night i could not find a race to join. And from what people and reviewers had told me it was this massively populated sim.... 1,300 people online is the most i have saw (granted most Yanks are probably only getting home from work when i log off).
And there are not that many people as active as i thought there was. Well fewer than 100k have signed up. A sign that costs are too high?
Why not make some free content to entice people in? I know they rely on the sub service so it's difficult.

The only two series where you can really "race anytime" are the Skip Barber and the GT3 challenge. One of the biggest reasons I tried out the GT3 series this season is that it was the only advanced-license series where I could get an official race in the early mornings (which is the only time I can drive). I would have loved to do the Dallara or the Lotus 79, but no one seems to drive those cars anymore.

Speaking of the GT3 series: it seems to have devolved into a demolition derby at all split levels. I've seen races where you can start from the pits and pick up ten places just by avoiding the cars spinning and pinballing around the track. I thought this was just a bottom-split thing (where I usually reside, due to my spectacularly average iRating), but top split drivers are complaining of it as well. The popularity of the series, combined with the massive grids and the rolling starts, are resulting in some amazing carnage race after race.

 

[Bakkster]

The popularity of the series, combined with the massive grids and the rolling starts, are resulting in some amazing carnage race after race.

Two things:
1) The more popular anything gets, the lower the standards (only dedicated drivers race the L79)
2) ABS makes people feel like superman into the corners

 

[swervedriver]

Two things:

2) ABS makes people feel like superman into the corners

I think this is the biggest issue. You can mash the brake pedal like a gorilla in this car without locking wheels (as long as you have the ABS turned up) which I think is giving some folks false ideas about their skill levels. It's one of the reasons I've gone back to racing the Skip; it punishes bad technique, where the RUF by design is relatively tolerant of ham-fisted driving.

 

[Bakkster]

I think this is the biggest issue. You can mash the brake pedal like a gorilla in this car without locking wheels (as long as you have the ABS turned up) which I think is giving some folks false ideas about their skill levels. It's one of the reasons I've gone back to racing the Skip; it punishes bad technique, where the RUF by design is relatively tolerant of ham-fisted driving.

It's one of the reasons the Mustang was so difficult to drive fast: it punishes bad technique, but only over the race distance. The SRF and Skippy both provide more immediate feedback that you've exceeded the limits and need to back off. All cars worth spending a season in before drivers move up the ladder, though sadly I think few do.

But that's why I've preferred the C-spec over the Track.

 

[swervedriver]

I'm starting to think more and more that the Skip may be the best overall series in iRacing. There's an official race nearly every hour of the day, the car is challenging to learn (and rewarding when you do), and the community is huge and well-organized. I've heard good things about the C-Spec series, but unfortunately the race schedule doesn't jibe with my free time.

 

[Kristóf Kerekes]

The C-Spec should/is on pair with the Skippy for sure, at least in competition. I don't like the 2 hour schedule aswell, but lately all I drove was Sports Cars so jumping into Single Seaters for the sake of competition would've been a bad idea, as I just started iRacing. I guess Skippy is the best example of a good rewarding car, which is easy to handle but hard to master, same goes to the C-Spec though. You might feel that you are quick here and there, but looking at the Stats, you might realize that you are almost 1 sec off the 1st place. I was satisfied with the RUF though, my opt is usually 0.2 or so off the WR, so I feel confident about it for my first ever season in iRacing. I'm gonna alien up for the next one, I hope.

As for GT3, I've only driven the Zandvoort week there, because I felt half-decent in there (well, I did in Interlagos too, but due to free time I had to pass that week, amazing track though). It was far better in my eyes than what people described that series. I had an incident free race at !Zandvoort, and for most of the race we were driving in 3 way trains, only being 0.1-0.2 off eachother. I'm totally unsure what happened at the back of the grid, a guy was swearing through the whole race which barely kept me away from concentrating. How do you even mute the voice chat with a button command?

I purchased Star Mazda a few weeks ago, cause my friend said it's a great way to grind iR and top splits are usually pretty close and exciting, but looks likew SM is just dead until the new tire model gets applied. It will surely be a great car, and one to consider a whole season with. It would be my great chance to jump back into Single Seaters, that's for sure.

Thats my 2 cents for the topic, as a newcomer. Keep on driving whatever comes to your mind and has enough attendance to be official.

 

[Bakkster]

How do you even mute the voice chat with a button command?

In the sim options, under controls (I think sound options) there's a spot to bind a key to 'mute driver'. Wait for them to talk, then press that key.

 

[Mundo]

I think the review on iracing is spot on. been there for long time and spent an extrordinarly large amount of change for it. And i must say the reviews of bias and not fairly moderated is true and valid.