rF2: The Big Interview - Submit Your Questions Here

[Paul Jeffrey]

We are soon going to interview Marcel Offermans, the head of Studio 397 and the rFactor 2 racing simulation, and we want your questions!

The last few months have seen a whirlwind of development and improvements for rFactor 2, with some significant changes to the simulation taking place as well as a number of high profile car and track licence announcements - not least of which is the legendary combination of the Nordschleife and Le Mans 24 Hour circuits coming to the title.

Following on from the successful Automobilista 2 interview, I'm looking to tour round all the major developers and have a word about how things are going in their respective simulations - starting with a discussion with Studio 397 and their rFactor 2 racing title.

In order to ensure we get to the bottom of the questions our community want to know, I'm asking you to submit your questions for Marcel in the comments section below, and I'll do my best to ask as many of them as possible when we have a discussion next week.

Feel free to submit a question about anything and everything you always wanted to know about rFactor 2 in the comments section below!

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[DesertFox0404]

For example, the ability to set how many cut warnings after a penalty, the ability to set which penalty for track limits abuses, a rework of the rolling start in order to make it bug-free, same with the safety car and so add new features like virtual safety car, slow zones (used in Le Mans and Nordschleife) code 60-80, double yellow flags, an automatic check about overtakes during a yellow flag and so on.

Overall a new Safety Car with ajustable features would be nice.

 

[Peddlebanger]

Although the graphics have improved with DX11, they still lack that umph that other sims have, do you have any plans to change the graphic engine for top range visual appeal ?

 

[kamackeris]

Will we ever get the AI to draft?

Thanks.

this, this, this and again this....when you see what reiza have done with their AI on this front, studio 397 really need to develop their AI and get them till at least their level. i don't race against the AI anymore because of this

 

[RichardHessels]

Djeez, if the 397 team need to answer all these question the new UI is delayed for another 2 months.

 

[Daniel Monteiro]

Great info but the problem is that S397 GT3 mods containing these files are encrypted. I wanted to fine tune AI settings with some cars in a attempt to improve their stability and BoP but hit a brick wall due to their encryption. Thanks, i will experiment with your settings in the decent STK World Series mod.

From what I have heard around, there is talk of the LMP3 Norma being used somewhere with different physics - what this entails, I do not know, but could it be that the encryption has already been cracked? Just rumours... Maybe you can add upgrades to cars to "change" their physics, and the encrytpion is still safe and sound; don't know.

So on that thought: why is encryption so important now, and why wasn't it before when other models were released? What does it say about the data used for the vehicles and how accurate/relevant it is (for either "old" and "new" content)?

 

[avenger82]

Why has Studio 397 never run 24/7 official servers in the game? I've often though that might give new players a clear and welcoming place to introduce them to the multiplayer. Will this change? And if so will your servers be focused on both racing and time trails?

I believe there are two official servers, but unfortunately often not populated.

 

[avenger82]

Another question about endurance racing (yes I know, I'm an endurance guy), are there also plans for historic Le Mans content like the Porsche 917K, 927, Mazda 787B or the legendary GT 1 class

There's decent Group C mod.

 

[avenger82]

Many sim racers praise the handling in RF2.What are the other unique features that should make me buy RF2?To me there is to much content that I can find elsewhere.
I have held off buying so far until the UI was sorted,It has taken so long that the game is quite expensive with all the new content.Is there plans for a packaged price with all new content?e.g.RF2019 package.

Base game is relatively quite cheap. DLCs are expensive, but periodically go on 50% sale. There are even DLC bundles with even better deal.

 

[Jason Mullin]

Seriously, when will they stop wasting their time on trying to fix RF2, when they should be putting all resources on starting to work on a completely new RF3 from the ground up.

I see alot of disagreement here, but It's not a bad question.

Has there been any discussion of a new rFactor in the future?

 

[Rui Santos]

Has there been any discussion of a new rFactor in the future?

Useless discution, they won't be putting so much effort into bringing rF2 to nowadays standards if they planned to start over creating a completely new simulator. rF2 is for some people the best sim experience outthere so i guess it makes no sense creating a new one. If eventually it comes in future (not sure if they own all the licencing necessary to do that) it will be after the next, i would say, 5/7 years. rF2 has a lot of potential not shown yet, but i trust Studio397 work...

 

[Jason Mullin]

I don't think that discussion would be useless, nor would they have to start from scratch as all the material S397 has brought forward is top notch and could be implemented into a fresh title in my opinion.

I also think many of us would agree the GT3/LMP cars are the among the best available, as is Sebring. Surely the upcoming Nordschleife/LeMans will be the same. The new UI could be ported as well.

S397 is the best at what they do and are deserving of the sort of hype AMS2 brings.
Don't get me wrong, I love what they're doing with rF2, I think they would make alot more money and increase our userbase with a fresh title announcement.

 

[Will Mazeo]

There is a lot of misunderstanding on the community whenever "new title' is mentioned, also weird that people believe on the "from scratch" part, but then propaganda from certain titles helped to create this myth.
If they ever made a new sim they wouldn't have to start from 0. They would simply update rF2 without needing to worry with previous content, that (IMO) would speed up development. And also IMO is something they should have done long ago, especially after they worked on the Gran Tour game.
rF2 was not made from scratch, AC wasnt either, and PCARS, and ACC, etc.

 

[Rui Santos]

I don't think that discussion would be useless, nor would they have to start from scratch as all the material S397 has brought forward is top notch and could be implemented into a fresh title in my opinion.

I also think many of us would agree the GT3/LMP cars are the among the best available, as is Sebring. Surely the upcoming Nordschleife/LeMans will be the same. The new UI could be ported as well.

S397 is the best at what they do and are deserving of the sort of hype AMS2 brings.
Don't get me wrong, I love what they're doing with rF2, I think they would make alot more money and increase our userbase with a fresh title announcement.

I wish... nothing like asking Marcel

 

[makan]

Marcel's respond to a similar discussion on rf2's discord:

 

[Denis Betty]

A new game would require a new set of licences. That would add to the cost I would think. If there is genuine intent to finish rF2 into a well rounded, bug free title, I think that would be my preference. I guess we all have our preference.

 

[azaralamouri]

1- Have the sim reached its limitation in terms of graphics?
2- New UI when?

 

[Denis Betty]

A new game would require a new set of licences. That would add to the cost I would think. If there is genuine intent to finish rF2 into a well rounded, bug free title, I think that would be my preference. I guess we all have our preference.

So my question to Marcel would be - Is there a genuine aim to go through the sim and address the long standing bugs and problems which give detractors of rF2/S397 so much ammunition to pour scorn on my favourite sim? At what point can we expect to see a concerted effort in this regard?
Thanks.

 

[Will Mazeo]

New sims have hype, hype usually cover the costs

Also it's not like the game had tons of licensed stuff before S397 took over

 

[Paul Jeffrey]

Hey folks, thank you all very much for your question submissions!

I'm pretty much ready now, so I'm going to go through these probably tomorrow, add a few of my own and get something together for Mr. O to respond to by later this week. Watch out, interview coming up soon

Thanks again,

P

 

[Philip00]

Will it possible in the future to edit AI pit window just like it was possible in rfactor with the gdb file?

There will be any implementation regarding AI tyre compound change?