KartSim Released for rFactor 2!

[Paul Jeffrey]

The new KartSim rFactor 2 collaboration is here, available to purchase in the rFactor 2 store and containing laserscanned tracks with more still to come..!

Although based on the rFactor 2 platform by Studio 397, KartSim is in fact an entirely independent project developed by the KartSim development team as an separate piece of content to the officially licenced Studio 397 DLC packs, such as the recent GT3 Power Pack and Formula E 'Energize' content.

Working closely with S397 and rFactor 2, KartSim is led by "karting insider" Tony Ifran and his development team. The first KartSim instalment contains three UK based laserscanned circuits in the form of the PF International, Buckmore Park and Glan Y Gores tracks, developed using laserscanning technology and promising to be potentially the most detailed recreation of these locations found anywhere in sim racing to date.

Running on these three tracks will be the fixed setup Iame Senior X30 UK and Rental Karts, both of which have been promised to be "meticulously designed working with partners on physics and drivers for performance and accuracy". The karts and tracks will form part of an initial offering within KartSim, with further content to follow in the weeks and months ahead...

For the unfamiliar, here is a brief description of the kart types to be found in KartSim at present:

Iame Senior X30 UK
The “X30 World” concept is based on the engine X30 125cc and it can be summarized in few words as “real Karting at hand”. Thanks to the characteristics of the engine of simplicity, immediate feeling, reliability, performance and ease of use, with the concept of X30 World, IAME offers a full program for Karting drivers from the year of their 13th birthday (with the correct MSA licence) with an engine that can virtually accompany them along the whole career.

Since the very first introduction on the markets, the X30 has quickly and constantly grown, in the beginning as an engine dedicated to regional series, up to commercial classes promoted under the name of “X30 Challenge”, then introduced as Federative class by federations willing to replace the unsuccessful international classes and recently landed at international level with a European Challenge and an International Final usually held in central Europe.

The success of the X30 categories, basically distinguished in X30 Junior, X30 Senior and X30 Master, comes from the stability and solidity of the engine and from IAME’s constant aim to provide detailed regulations and low management costs of both the vehicle and the race meetings. In 2013 the X30 is present in more than 15 countries and beside the commercial classes.

Rental Kart
The Rental Kart is a fixed gearing corporate kart using a 4 stroke engine for karters who enjoy karting as hobby. They’re equipped with night lights too so you can keep racing them 24/7!

rFactor 2 is available exclusively for PC from Steam now. KartSim can be purchased from the store page HERE.

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 and share the love this simulation so very much deserves...

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Have you tried the new DLC yet? What are your impressions? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[melanieuk]

Let's keep this thread for the kart mod feedback.

Off topic is a staple diet of ANY discussion, get use to it.

 

[Terry Rock]

Why don't you go and complain to the February roadmap thread? It's amusing that in the roadmap threads everyone seems to be praising rF2, but some random kart release thread (which is not even made by S397) is full of hate. Let's keep this thread for the kart mod feedback.

Don't go confusing hate with fact....and for the record, scroll to the top of this page.
It states "released for Rfactor2" so commenting about Rfactor2' direction or lack thereof, is not outside the norm.

 

[Sky]

i feel like i've got automobilista and its karts are ok-ish,and i can't see this looking like a massive leap forward, so i'll just wait until someone mods these tracks across.

at least the ams kart drivers are human shaped.

 

[GT VIRUS]

I found the package pretty underwhelming. The Rental is just terrible and will spin anywhere, anytime. The X30 is alright, but to me it was just too glued to the track. It's a bit like it has a diff in it, it's just doesn't respond on throttle like I would want, and was also extremely stable under brakes where a real kart gets rather skittish.

The tracks looked great, but were also 'flat'. I would not of believed they are laser scanned, as there is no life in the tracks. No bumps, no real variance in camber, just nothing. Feels like they are all freshly laid tarmac. This is a limitation of how rfactor 2 does it's tracks, but it's still very disappointing.

There are plenty of bugs/issues at the moment as well. The grid spreads out too far on the formation lap, with GYC never going green unless you skip it. The sidewalls of your opponents tyres appear invisible in VR, the kart model itself looks like it's in the wrong aspect ratio.

I'm not sure who this is really aimed at. The package is in general too simple for this to be overly useful to a real karter. The content is limited by the platform of choice.

 

[leseb64]

This is a limitation of how rfactor 2 does it's tracks, but it's still very disappointing.

it's a joke or you have a very bad FFB setting?

 

[vee10]

Refunded this. Massively disappointed on all levels after really looking forward to it. Looks below par, rental kart does not handle like any I have ever driven and my arse has spent some time in karts. Worse than what was already in the game and yet costs far too much. The money is not the problem I have wasted far more before but it is worse than what I already have in rf2 and ams etc.

AMS kart

RF2 Kart

Kartsim driven by E.T

 

[Kurupt CDN]

So as a fan of karting, should I get this or not? Not bothered about the money just want to know if it drives as it should.

For what it's worth.....which isin't much lol
I recently joined an indoor karting league and was talking to other drivers about which sims they used for Karts. General consensus was AMS but all agreed there karts are still off.

Talking to a coworker the other day who is a Rotax kart driver said his friend, also Rotax kart driver and former uk moto racer had recently picked up Kart Racing Pro sim and were raving about it as being the most realistic Kart sim for training atm.

BUT said the price was a bit steep for what you got atm.....believe it's roughly $50 cdn.

I mentioned this release to him which raised some interest, but not sure if he will jump on it any time soon. Were both kind of in the same boat when it comes to sims.....nice to own them all but with kids, work etc there's just not enough time to play them all so we just stick to one or 2 that interest/enjoy the most.

Personally I treat all sims as merely just video games to learn tracks as nothing on the market compares to the real thing so play what you enjoy

Edit: little late in responding and just saw you refunded it.

 

[Will Mazeo]

Refunded this. Massively disappointed on all levels after really looking forward to it. Looks below par, rental kart does not handle like any I have ever driven and my arse has spent some time in karts. Worse than what was already in the game and yet costs far too much. The money is not the problem I have wasted far more before but it is worse than what I already have in rf2 and ams etc.

AMS kart

RF2 Kart

Kartsim driven by E.T

nothing anormal in the driver model, they just made it more like a kid is driving (I dont get why tho)

 

[leseb64]

Refunded this. Massively disappointed on all levels after really looking forward to it. Looks below par, rental kart does not handle like any I have ever driven and my arse has spent some time in karts. Worse than what was already in the game and yet costs far too much. The money is not the problem I have wasted far more before but it is worse than what I already have in rf2 and ams etc.

AMS kart

RF2 Kart

Kartsim driven by E.T

 

[vee10]

View attachment 244069 View attachment 244070 View attachment 244072

I'm 6ft and 41 years old not a leprechaun. Why use that model? Do they have kids driving the GT3 pack? It just looks

 

[John-Eric Saxén]

Refunded this. Massively disappointed on all levels after really looking forward to it. Looks below par, rental kart does not handle like any I have ever driven and my arse has spent some time in karts. Worse than what was already in the game and yet costs far too much. The money is not the problem I have wasted far more before but it is worse than what I already have in rf2 and ams etc.

If your primary concern is how the driver looks, you are driving the wrong game. As I understood it, KartSim is the commercial version of a professional product used by real kart racers and karting industry. You can view some of the products they offer here. These pro simulators are rarely focusing on graphics because it makes no difference to actual driver training, especially something like driver model which you can't even see from the cockpit.

 

[vee10]

If your primary concern is how the driver looks, you are driving the wrong game. As I understood it, KartSim is the commercial version of a professional product used by real kart racers and karting industry. You can view some of the products they offer here. These pro simulators are rarely focusing on graphics because it makes no difference to actual driver training, especially something like driver model which you can't even see from the cockpit.

If you read what I wrote I said the kart does not handle like any kart I have ever driven in real life or in a game. The looks of the driver model are just the icing on the cake.

There is no way a rental kart behaves that way.

 

[leseb64]

I'm 6ft and 41 years old not a leprechaun. Why use that model? Do they have kids driving the GT3 pack? It just looks

karting of simkart are cadet / junior...

 

[Kurupt CDN]

You can view some of the products they offer here

Jesus.....you can buy (realism) a real Kart and 1 seasons race fees for cheaper than most there products!

Asides from the rich who would pay £10000 for a kart sim setup?
I payed $150 cdn for the real deal experience and got x10 45min enduro races in my indoor league lol

 

[leseb64]

i think,not real price!!

 

[Ville-Samuli Mutanen]

It's actually a bit disappointing they wanted to do it this way. 20€ for the DLC which pretty much is just a few puzzle pieces on the massive platform mess. Especially when rental kart drives terribly and X30 is some limited "consumer" version. I see it somehow arrogant.

Tracks are great and the X30 drives really good but everything else just stinks.

 

[Van GO!]

To add my two cents, as someone who owns an IRL kart (KT100, a bit less power than the X30), and also all the other kart sims, to me, it feels pretty good. I mean, the feild of kart sims is pretty weak compared to cars, but relatively, I think it's one of the best, right up there with AMS and Kart Racing Pro. Better in some ways. The thing about the brakes is, on a real kart, you are slamming on them. In most sims, it's much more gentle - it is going to feel different. Also, you always feel like you are going much much slower in a sim, because IRL karts have g's for days, and tons of vibe. I rode on a kart at my local track that vibrated my rear end so much that I had to check my underwear afterwards!

The big dissapointment with every car or kart sim that I have ever been on, is the homogenous road surface. I'm not just talking about bumps, I'm talking about slippery parts, damp parts, grooves, cracks, dust, debris, all that stuff. There seems to be an effort in the sim industry to get this right, but to me they are still far off.

All in all, as someone who really enjoys karts, I think it's great. And stop whining about the arms and necks!

 

[vee10]

To add my two cents, as someone who owns an IRL kart (KT100, a bit less power than the X30), and also all the other kart sims, to me, it feels pretty good. I mean, the feild of kart sims is pretty weak compared to cars, but relatively, I think it's one of the best, right up there with AMS and Kart Racing Pro. Better in some ways. The thing about the brakes is, on a real kart, you are slamming on them. In most sims, it's much more gentle - it is going to feel different. Also, you always feel like you are going much much slower in a sim, because IRL karts have g's for days, and tons of vibe. I rode on a kart at my local track that vibrated my rear end so much that I had to check my underwear afterwards!

The big dissapointment with every car or kart sim that I have ever been on, is the homogenous road surface. I'm not just talking about bumps, I'm talking about slippery parts, damp parts, grooves, cracks, dust, debris, all that stuff. There seems to be an effort in the sim industry to get this right, but to me they are still far off.

All in all, as someone who really enjoys karts, I think it's great. And stop whining about the arms and necks!

Interesting regarding your experience and I don't doubt the X30 gives a good impression of a real life kart, it did feel fine to me. The rental kart however did not, oversteer on corner exit especially at low speed corners in a rental kart is not something that happens on any surface be it indoor or outdoor. No one who just goes for some fun could drive them if that was what they handled like. So to me something has gone wrong somewhere in the transition to RF2, which does not inspire confidence in the product.

So what you are left with is 1 kart and 3 reasonable tracks track for £17.58! That is a lot of money for not much content, and I think it is pretty criminal really after we have all supported RF2 through it's very strained development. I have purchase the GT3 pack although that was heart leading head, was it really worth that much? Don't get me wrong I love RF2 and have done since I purchased it many years ago but I feel this has completely missed the target in just about every aspect,

To top it all because of the convoluted way you have to purchase it in RF2 means in 7 days I will have £17.58 in my steam wallet with nothing really to spend it on.

 

[Dethrone1427]

Personally once you get the setup right is an absolute blast, and I race rotax max 125cc. I've seen people moaning on Steam about understeer - It's all about balancing and directing the rear end with a gentle throttle pedal. It's an excellent addition in my opinion, I just hope they have more track additions over the coming months as there are some excellent kart circuits in the UK. Forest Edge please next!!!

Here is Forest Edge

 

[danraz3r]

With ams stock kart content is enought for me
And I can drive the superkart in every track...
From my point of view rf2 should focuse on improving other aspects like plugins and more tracks before some car dlc they are going for... Great sim with Great SLOW developing times!