Live For Speed | Latest Graphic Update Previews

[Paul Jeffrey]

The Live for Speed Development Team remain busy - previewing some further developments on the graphical side of the title at the South City circuit.

Live for Speed has been around for well, well, well over a decade now, but like any fine wine, the title continues to improve with age - especially now that the small development team have upped the ante in recent months as they look to bring a fresh lease of life to the ageing graphics within the simulation.

Reviewing the whole graphical aspect of the game, from the addition to day-to-night transition to significantly improved visuals, the latest preview from the ongoing development once again look rather tasty indeed..

From the latest LfS Development blog:

In our July progress report we talked about the realtime sky that allows day to night transitions and showed screenshots of the Kyoto track area. Since then, Eric has been working on South City and Scawen has continued with the lighting. More roads have been opened up and you can drive into the multistorey car parks. Road surfaces, fences, barriers, objects and various buildings have been updated. There is still a way to go but we would like to show you some of the changes so far.

With realistic brightness values, the difference between night and day is very extreme. For example a shot taken in street lighting may need around 4000 times the exposure of a daylight shot. To compare LFS with real photos we have a manual exposure mode with the same settings as a digital camera. In normal use, exposure and white balance are automatically controlled.

A bloom effect has been added for the High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode. This spreads the light out from the brightest points in the image, to simulate the similar effect that happens in a camera or your eyes. In game this helps bright lights or the sun to look a lot brighter.

Some recent updates: The sky is now generated on the graphics card, saving CPU time. The sky is updated more than twice per minute around sunset and sunrise. Sun brightness and colour is more accurate. Our shaders have been updated to allow better sky reflections on surfaces that are not perfectly smooth. Headlights now illuminate nearly all objects including other cars.

For further images from the latest blog posting, check out the original feature on the LFS website, HERE.


Live for Speed is available now on PC.

Got something to say about the title? Jump into the RaceDepartment Live for Speed sub forum and get the conversation started by posting a new thread today!

 

[Cote Dazur]

Nice to see improvements to LFS, they have a great VR implementation, very well optimized, the best real mirrors. The lack of real cars except for the Williams F1 and the BMW formula and the lack of real track except for one, limits my desire to visit LFS too often, but when I do I always have a good time. No bugs in that one. It is what it is, not fancy but feel true and immersive. I have all the licenses and I am glad to have spend the money.

 

[Dragon60]

This sim needs a significant improvement in FFB, nothing else. (maybe sound)

 

[Zainuluk]

This was the game that brought me back to sim racing in my adulthood after I stopped playing the like for Gran Turimso. Unfortunately there game out there that nearly everything better, apart from the rear view mirrors in VR.

 

[Zainuluk]

I think this IS the reason. He is just doing a passion, pet project that makes him happy (coding a technical challenge can be fun, I am a hobby programmer so I get it completely). Explains the lack of discounts also. He does not care if he earns more from volume at a lower price. He just leaves it as is and if there is more buyers, fine. If none, he at least did something of a legacy to tell his grand kids.

If this is the reason then I would do something that nobody else is doing. For example, Ray Tracing.

 

[flykas]

I wonder if they are also working on more content. With its versatile physics engine it could be very nice non-tarmac racing game/sim which can be played with gamepad. If they added more fun cross racing tracks and even rally tracks it would be unique MP experience. I think about something like wreckfest, but without emphasis on demolition and more complex driving.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

played it ages ago, got me into sim-playing after doing race driver codies titles before. made me pick up the simbin games and then rFactor and as these progressed and lfs stalled i lost track (no pun intended). one of the things i have on my bucket list for the ultimate rainy day: install it again and see what it was like.

 

[Jugulador]

Thoss graphics are not beautiful to the eyes... but the developers resilience is very beautiful to the heart.

 

[Jason Mullin]

Racing it right now, for the first time. Staggered this came from 2003. I love the way it looks and drives. The intro tests are fun.

 

[Alex72]

Correct me if I am wrong but as outdated as LFS is, it's still the only sim that has in-game auto import/export of 100% custom made skins as well as very convenient in-game setup sharing.

Always loved that function. Of course sometimes dudes came driving in cars with big boobies slapped all over them.

 

[Birddogg66]

wow i had forgotten about this title.

 

[Gerzson]

I've been following the development of LFS since august of 2002. This was the game that got me back into sim racing after a longer break. This is where I first enjoyed drifting, rallycrossing and fooling around with the physics.
Now, what LFS remained for me, is the go-to sim that I test my experimental hardware with, more so because it runs flawlessly on my 6-year old laptop with Intel graphics.

 

[passenger]

Thoss graphics are not beautiful to the eyes... but the developers resilience is very beautiful to the heart.

Here is a better example of how LFS graphics look. The grass, sky and even the tarmac
are very beautiful and realistic:

LFS: Latest Graphic Update Blog Post and Previews

The LFS Development Team have been showcasing the latest work on the big graphical update for the Live for Speed racing simulation. Still very much in the throws of performing what has all the signs of becoming a significant overhaul to this classic racing sim, the latest previews of which once...

www.racedepartment.com

 

[Sim Strata]

LFS has that unputdownable "just one more lap before bed" quality that nearly all other sims lack. The weight transfer and power on oversteer in the Westfield copy (LX6?) is just not something other sims seem to do as well. The Rear engined GT1 wannabe around the city is a truely visceral experience. The rallycross transitions from dirt to tarmac...oh man am I nerd or what!?!

 

[Helldriver]

It really needs a better sound engine. I still like to drive LFS, it has nice FFB with my OSW and also a good VR Support. I can live with bad graphics but the crappy engine sound kills it for me.

 

[ND4SPD Fan]

Live For Speed, that's a title I hadn't heard of in years.

 

[Ugur Akdag]

For me, LFS tire physics is awesome compared main titles. Still in development, although it is slow. LFS have good core elements. For example the user interface; one of its kind, setup adjustments easy to use and you can actually feel the difference when change something like tire pressure or ARB, stiffness, ride height etc..

Online racing is also another strong point of LFS. I remember the years of 2007 to 2009, CTRA days...
Well, maybe user profiles have changed since than but, spirit is still there.

When you enjoy and used to all these features and then when you try, say AC or worst, PCars, you understand that LFS is way beyond those sims. But not in "eye candy" department though. Well, once one LFS racer said "it's like kinder surprise egg vs real egg".

 

[aolas]

I can say, I drive most sims on regular basis (NR2003,RR3,iRacing,Race07,rf2,AMS,LFS) and i can say LFS is one of the best in VR
But is true that the development is slow so the sim title would be better to be changed : Live for the Turtle