Live for Speed Version 0.6T Released

[Paul Jeffrey]

Olden but golden racing simulation Live for Speed has been updated recently... check out the details and see what's been cooking behind the scenes...

Unbelievably Live for Speed released to the public on the 13th July 2003, some 15 years ago, and while many games have come and gone in that time, this plucky sim continues to find itself in receipt of regular player activity and updates - even receiving a patch to bring VR to the title in recent years - a technology that didn't exist when the game was first released!

Earlier this month another update dropped for the title, labelled build 0.6T, and again its a good one.. this time bringing plenty of improvements and updates to the game experience, all of which can be read about below:

Version 0.6T Update Notes:

Multiplayer:

• More robust method for connecting to the master server
• More informative error report for "Unknown file transfer error"
• FIX: Skin downloading now works with the protected website

Layout editor:

• New layout editor instructions: docs\Autocross.txt
• New cut / copy / paste system using standard keyboard shortcuts
• COPY (CTRL+C) toggles between real selection and copied selection
• Place objects (O) key is equivalent to PASTE followed by COPY
• Move objects (M) key is equivalent to CUT followed by PASTE
• UNDO (CTRL+Z) and REDO (CTRL+Y) functions are now included
• A green or yellow outline is drawn around the selected objects
• ALT key can be used to temporarily hide selected object outlines
• Original objects are shown with a grey outline after COPY pressed
• Editor buttons and keys affect real or copied selection - not both
• PGUP / PGDN can now be used to adjust Z value of selected objects
• C key now clears selected object type as well as selected objects
• It is now possible to set marshall circles to have zero diameter
• Objects and marshall circles can now be selected at the same time
• Multiple object rectangle select CTRL+drag with left mouse button
• Start position / checkpoints / finish line now in control section
• You can hold SHIFT to keep objects selected when exiting edit mode

Graphics:

• Slight reduction in some excessively bright driver models
• RAW files are no longer used and skies now use DDS textures
• Existing RAW files are converted the first time LFS is started
• Removed option to view sky in 16-bit colour

Interface:

• New URL for skin uploads lfs.net/skins
• Text message dialog now has variable width
• Clip mouse to screen is now CTRL+M as CTRL+C is used for copy
• Command /axsel to copy layout editor selection text to clipboard
• Most translations updated. Thank you translators!
• Free view camera position text command:
• Type /cp to copy a text camera position to the clipboard
• The resulting text can be saved in a text file, forum, etc. or into
• another instance of Live for Speed to reproduce the camera position

Commands:

• Improved processing of command line to be more flexible
• New command /settings=X.txt - uses X.txt instead of cfg.txt
• Command /settings must be the first on command line or in file
• Command /mp (join local host) can now be used on the command line

Misc:

• Live for Speed can now recover from a graphics driver error
• Textures are no longer reloaded when changing weather (faster)
• LFS starting in borderless window mode now goes to the same monitor
• New option "Display LFS logo in game" (not optional in demo mode)
• English file is no longer saved when LFS starts (can be deleted)
• New check for corrupted 3D models to avoid possible crash on load

VR:

• New commands to skip F8 menu /vr reset_headset and /vr use_relative

InSim:

• New value PMO_POSITION for IS_AXM packet to report a blank position
• New packet IS_CIM reports a connection's interface / editor mode
• New values PMO_SELECTION_REAL and PMO_MOVE_MODIFY for PMOFlags
• New values TTC_SEL_START and TTC_SEL_STOP for IS_TTC
• New value PMO_GET_Z for IS_AXM packet to report Z values
• New value PMO_AVOID_CHECK for PMO_ADD_OBJECTS avoids validity check
• UCID can be set in some IS_AXM packets by an external InSim program
• to make the resulting packets appear as if sent by an editing admin
• (PMO_ADD_OBJECTS / PMO_DEL_OBJECTS / PMO_CLEAR_ALL)

Four ways to get version 0.6T :

1) AUTO UPDATER - If you already have version 0.5V or later :
- Click on "Multiplayer" then "List of Hosts" in LFS and choose a download mirror.

2) MANUAL PATCH (1.6 MB) - If you already have version 0.6R or later :
- Click HERE and save the patch installer.
- You can run the patch installer from its download location or from your LFS folder.


3) MANUAL PATCH (135 MB) - If you already have version 0.6M or later :
- Click HERE and save the patch installer.
- You can run the patch installer from its download location or from your LFS folder.


4) FULL VERSION (496 MB) - If you are new to LFS or making a fresh installation.
- Click HERE to visit the download page and get the full version installer.


Like what you see here at RaceDepartment? Don't forget to like, subscribe and follow us on social media!





 
Do you still play Live for Speed? How to you think the title has aged in comparison to modern sims? Let us know in the comments section below!
​

 

[Raikku]

Now I just wonder that what on earth was my pw for LFS... or actually user too.

 

[Trebor901]

Still waiting for that Scirocco :|

Me and my friend were at school when we first discovered LFS and when the whole Scirocco fiasco occured we joked one of us would own a real one before LFS released theres and that was indeed the case, he had a scirocco for 3 years and still it never materialised lol

 

[Will Mazeo]

Scawen and Eric never wanted big money backers, they denied numerous licensing and sponsoring approaches over the years.
You could probably gift them a full race car or track model, and Eric would take it as an insult and give you a life time ban.

This is almost crossing the stupidity line if true. But well... to each his own.

 

[Gevatter]

So I downloaded the demo today and actually tried the game out for the first time since forever. Must have been 10 years I think. I didn't even remember playing it before until I saw the little car drop animation when you enter the garage.

The graphics are very dated of course, but for what it is the demo cars and the Blackwood track look alright. The handling is fine, it feels very natural and it's easy to get into. After two or three laps with the Formula BMW I was able to post consistent lap times.

What are the distinguishing features physics wise compared to ISImotor games or AC?

 

[robt100]

Originally (though im not sure if some is now done a little different) But all tyre physics calculations were done on-the-fly unlike I think all other sims which use lookup tables with values. Something like that anyway, I can't remember it very well I was reading it about 14 years ago

 

[gecco]

Oh man, LFS was such a tremendously good sim back in the day. It was so ahead of its time in terms of tire physics, and really dragged me into simracing.
LFS, I remember, was the first sim, that made me think "hey, that somehow feels like driving in my real car", so I immediately went and got me a, then new to market, Logitech 900° Driving force Pro wheel.
In the forthcoming years, I would spend whole nights doing nothing but short multiplayer races on Blackwood, South City, and Fern Bay, in all the quadzillions of possible configurations (rallycross, remember?) and then I could compare my own performance with my friends, and indeed every other LFS user, with the "LFS Desktop" website, which automatically recorded all your miles, all your laptimes, podiums gathered, victories, fuel burned, etc.. it was fantastic. I still have it on my PC, and still fire it up once or twice a year for good ol' times sake
For me, it is one of the three cornerstones of sim racing:
1.) GPL: The mother of all serious racing sims
2.) LFS: The first sim to tackle tire physics and vehicle dynamics properly
3.) AC: What I always wanted LFS to evolve into: real physics with real cars and real tracks

 

[Amanda]

When we get 1.0?

Little time after Half-Life 3 ships.

 

[OZ67]

Scawen was ahead of his time by Miles

West Brothers, HELLO !!

 

[T_rac3]

and really dragged me into simracing

Same here. Amazing sim in those days. I still have it installed and updated , but .... so many sims, so many cars, so many tracks SO LITTLE TIMEEEE

 

[Shigeno427]

It remains the only sim I've driven where FWD cars were actually fun to drive.

The feel of grip through the wheel is still so much more natural somehow and the feedback doesn't have to be learned, I think if you put someone new to sim racing in VR in LFS, they'd feel immediately at home.

 

[Ghoults]

What are the distinguishing features physics wise compared to ISImotor games or AC?

Physics wise lfs has been left behind. It might be still be fun to drive and it has some things like visual tire flex and flatspotting and some quirky things like wind affects the rim temperature of the tire but at the same time there is a long list of things it doesn't do. Downforce is not effected by ride height so no ground effects for example. This makes car setup of every race car unrealistic as things like front wings, floors, splitters and in some cars even the rear wings are affected by the ground clearence. The physics engine also does not do things like anti-squat/dive. It is a closed system though so I don't know exactly what physics parameters it has. Ac and rf are both moddable so at least all the physics parameters are available to be looked at so you have at least direct idea what you can control directly from the physics files.

The main thing lfs has over ac and rf is how simple it just works. Servers can change cars and tracks on a server without having to kick anyone out, users can change between any cars that are available on a server (and that list can be changed live) and the game has very nice programmable visual interface for server scripting that allows servers to create functionality that is not possible in any other sim (earning exp and credits, gambling, iracing style ratings etc..). You can start hosting a game by clicking a button in your game, the game has skin downloading, lfsworld.net, leaderboards... All this was available in 2005 so at one point in time it was truly revolutionary sim with ground breaking technologies. I think lfs was the first sim that you could only buy in the internet. And the first not specifically f1 sim that had a real licensed f1 car although I think rf1 followed pretty quickly afterwards.

The sim is just is not going anywhere. The recent release of the old unofficial version of the game with the lx8 as a standalone download as its own game with old physics was almost a slap in the face. All they needed to do was to spend couple of hours to add the car into the current version of the game. But no. They are just so stubborn and so out of touch. The game has been released in stages and each stage is 12£. First and second stages each had like 10 cars and 3 tracks. Stage 3 was just 1 track. 1 track for 12£ making it the most expensive dlc track in all of sim racing. They are just out of touch.

 

[Will Mazeo]

Physics wise lfs has been left behind. It might be still be fun to drive and it has some things like visual tire flex and flatspotting and some quirky things like wind affects the rim temperature of the tire but at the same time there is a long list of things it doesn't do. Downforce is not effected by ride height so no ground effects for example. This makes car setup of every race car unrealistic as things like front wings, floors, splitters and in some cars even the rear wings are affected by the ground clearence. The physics engine also does not do things like anti-squat/dive. It is a closed system though so I don't know exactly what physics parameters it has. Ac and rf are both moddable so at least all the physics parameters are available to be looked at so you have at least direct idea what you can control directly from the physics files.

The main thing lfs has over ac and rf is how simple it just works. Servers can change cars and tracks on a server without having to kick anyone out, users can change between any cars that are available on a server (and that list can be changed live) and the game has very nice programmable visual interface for server scripting that allows servers to create functionality that is not possible in any other sim (earning exp and credits, gambling, iracing style ratings etc..). You can start hosting a game by clicking a button in your game, the game has skin downloading, lfsworld.net, leaderboards... All this was available in 2005 so at one point in time it was truly revolutionary sim with ground breaking technologies. I think lfs was the first sim that you could only buy in the internet. And the first not specifically f1 sim that had a real licensed f1 car although I think rf1 followed pretty quickly afterwards.

The sim is just is not going anywhere. The recent release of the old unofficial version of the game with the lx8 as a standalone download as its own game with old physics was almost a slap in the face. All they needed to do was to spend couple of hours to add the car into the current version of the game. But no. They are just so stubborn and so out of touch. The game has been released in stages and each stage is 12£. First and second stages each had like 10 cars and 3 tracks. Stage 3 was just 1 track. 1 track for 12£ making it the most expensive dlc track in all of sim racing. They are just out of touch.

Hehe like I said other times simracing market is a mix of very weird dev choices
Doesn't take much (I dont mean literally, I know it would take mostly a lot of $$$) for someone to make a sim that will give all others in the market a very hard time. I think if I had the money to make this happen I would lol

 

[gecco]

@Ghoults
That sums it up nicely.
LFS, back in 2004 or 5, when S2 was released, was a truely revolutionary sim, but was then not further developed, at least not in the way the community has hoped it would be. Everyone acknowledged, what great potential lies within LFS, but sadly, the developers just had other plans.
Do you have any insight, why the Scirocco never was released?

 

[Ghoults]

@Ghoults
That sums it up nicely.
LFS, back in 2004 or 5, when S2 was released, was a truely revolutionary sim, but was then not further developed, at least not in the way the community has hoped it would be. Everyone acknowledged, what great potential lies within LFS, but sadly, the developers just had other plans.
Do you have any insight, why the Scirocco never was released?

I don't have any insights. My interpretation is that the reason is either sheer lazyness or something personal in their lives.

 

[Sim Strata]

I enjoy LFS for a quick blast whatever the GT racer is called around city. It is incredible in that regard, but lacking so much to make any proper timer investment worth it.

 

[shmafoozius]

I really liked LFS back then. It was this SIM which got me into SIM racing and made me buy more expensive hardware.

We should get some news on graphical updates somewhen in August (but knowing them, I would not bet on this). Looking at the current textures, the dated graphics engine is such a shame. Imagine how much better it would look with some modern shaders.

Just take a look at the curbs from the screenshot. There are some tracks in other modern racing games with less detail actually.

 

[aka2k]

This game should get a graphical revamp. Physics are still strong as it is. Maybe the devs could get a patreon account or something else to help fund the development and be relevant again.

 

[Fat-Alfie]

Surely those of us that paid for an S1 or S2 licence have already funded the development

 

[Lino Carreira]

West Brothers, HELLO !!

West brothers made renders, Scawen delivered till life hit him.... wont go into details because its a known story... i too dwelved on the West brothers forum and all we got where renders....

 

[FernandoAFM]

This could get a new life if we had a partnership with Automation, like BeamNG. It’d be really cool to drive my creations (or my dad’s, the real engineer ) in a racing sim!