Sim Discussion Monday - RaceRoom Racing Experience

[Paul Jeffrey]

Another working week on the horizon and to lighten the mood (probably), let's have ourselves a discussion about RaceRoom Racing Experience..

The sim with the silly name, RaceRoom Racing Experience has plenty of licenced racing content to offer players who can navigate their way through the occasionally confusing pricing and store structure.

If you do manage to find you way into the game itself then you are rewarded by a product that has come on leaps and bounds in recent years. With plenty of officially licenced racing series to be found (no road car nonsense here), a very robust and varied selection of greater and lesser known circuits and easily the best audio experience in the sim racing marketplace, RaceRoom and Sector3 Studios have pulled together a very compelling product for sim racers to enjoy.

With all that said, the core game experience does still lack in several fundamental areas before it can genuinely be considered a true racing simulation, to be frank that same accusation can be levelled at pretty much all the current crop of sims to varying degrees, and what it does it does very well indeed.

So in the spirit of sharing our collective experiences and knowledge can our community let us all know what we like / don't like about the sim, share any useful tips to get the most from the title, let us know what you'd like to see in the future and just generally shoot the breeze for a day or two about Sector3 Studios current racing simulation..


Mondays be like...

Image credits: M-Bimmer and TheReaper GT

 

[Nevini]

Not the best sim, GFX are a little dated.
However good online racing,absolutely love the leaderboard system.
VR support, the only way to race ;-D

 

[The Iron Wolf]

My favorite part about R3E is content. DTM Modern, DTM 1992, WTCC, GT2/GT3 all are really nice. Game is also very fun to play.

However, what keeps me away from this game is lack of damage (yes, there's some, but that's too little), flat spots, safety car, 24hr races and weather. I understand 24hr races/weather are probably not coming soon, if ever. But if S3 implements other things, I might be coming back. I really want R3E to succeed.

 

[Michel Forest]

It is a very good sim, in terms of the tracks and cars available, and I like it a lot. Be aware that it can get expensive and your best option is to wait a sale on Steam or buy a "pack". The AI can get too agressive at times, that is true. The only problem is that it is starting to feel a bit "dated" in terms of graphics and race options. The lack of weather options is a big minus for me, when it comes to run a realistic championship. This should be the next feature implemented in the game, but with so many different car models now part of the game, I wonder if they have the ressources to pull it off. Also, I have no idea why they got rid of the "experience" option in the menu, but it annoyed me a lot.

With games like "F1 2017" and "Project Cars 2" coming soon, I'm afraid I won't have much time for RRE in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Chobonator]

Took me a while to realise some cars were old physics and badly modeled from years ago, so wish i'd not purchased them.

And it drives the prices of the packs higher because they include all that old garbage, pretty shitty decision of them.

 

[MarcG]

I picked this up at the turn of the year thanks to the added VR Support, speaking of which that improved vastly from the first release and was very good last time I used it. I enjoyed my time racing in it but the Static Road (lack of a Dynamic Track) became a real turn off and then all the other little nuances started to become more apparent. Like the sudden ending of a race as you cross the S/F line is a total immersion breaker, the fiddly Pit Menu which in VR became a pain and other minor areas.

Overall the package is very good, good tracks with good series and a very decent AI, the purchasing system is "different" to say the least but I found it was ok for my needs. A decent Sim that I may return to one day when a Dynamic Surface is included, but until then I have little interest as other Sims pretty much cover what RRE offers and then more.

Maybe the Unreal Engine integration well be enough to bring me back...but by then we'll have GTR3 so I really wonder if RRE will survive on my SSD after that.

 

[Radek Pawlaczek]

Most things were already mentioned, like gorgeous sound, great selection of cars and tracks, lack of dynamic weather, time and track or the fact that it can get a bit expensive in a long time.

My biggest problem is probably tire model, which is way too simple compared to today's standards. There is not much going on regarding lockups, over or underdriving a car and overall dynamic. Also the way you loose and catch a grip is a bit too snappy, should be more progressing IMO, especially on corner exits in RWD cars. FWDs on the other hand are superb, especially Audi TT Cup with recently updated physics (well, maybe it's a bit too prone to losing rear in fast corners).

It's pretty crazy that they leave the old physics in some of the cars, though, and selling a DTM pack that includes all the old shitty stuff is dumb, but there is so much good in there.

I believe that all modern DTMs were updated to latest physics revision earlier this year. But this statement is true for WTCC Experience and partially for Legends Experience (DTM92 and Touring Classics are on old physics, but they don't feel that bad). Also, there is BMW M3 GT2 in Starter Pack for some reason.

 

[RWLemonade]

For experience i think RRE is one of the best, ive played them all.

Not only they working with DX9 engine, it looks way better then most, even the sound is impressive... isnt this is what sim racing is about... taking it to the extreme to give us something that is close to real...

Every sim is good in there own way.. now if someone can put them all togeather, that would be the ulitmate sim..

Still love it, racing to the max.

 

[apex11]

RaceRoom at present does seem to model a track in its best condition for racing, so not wet not green and not too cold. i'm fine with that, after all it is a computer game.
Variable weather and track conditions is great though but i can live with what RR has.
The topic of what people think is too forgiving or too much grip is always going to be divisive but at the end of the day cars like the current crop of GT3 cars over the last few years are Pro-Am cars so they are so user friendly and have that bane of the 'sim' world, DRIVER AIDS!!
So an accurate GT3 car has all sorts of AIDS that the sim world calls ARCADE, they are made for random old rich guys to fet into and drive around Spa but just slower than a Pro. But they aren't ever driving on black ice...

At its base level though i do track days and no one has ever pulled into the pits and said to me "Well on Monday I'm going to buy some tyres that are more slippy, I was taking those corners at the limit and they were griping...i need them to be slipping so i am feathering the throttle everywhere and i'm scared to depress the loud pedal even on the straights"

Also racing cars get better and 'easier' to drive the more you 'level up', so you step out of say a road standard Clio 182 on a track day and then get into the racing version ex Clio Cup car you will notice how much easier it all is to go faster....its sort of the point of racing cars and the modifications done to them to make them a race car.... someone who has only ever played RFactor will swear to you that its the opposite.
Even the old retro race cars were never designed to be rubbish at going round tracks! Grip isn't arcade, the balance of grip and power is the holy ruddy grail!

 

[Deleted member 99238]

Very nice lineup of cars, having "full" series is a big plus. Looks good enough, sounds great. But sadly I've never been able to find a good ffb for it. It's just lifeless rumbling lump to me.

I also do not like when my steering wheel rumbles due to excessive effects.
Try this setting that I use for my G27 to remove unnecessary clatter.

Do not pay attention to the value of the effects equal to zero, since the main effects you will still feel.

 

[Rob Milliken]

I wanted to try it so I got the free base game and then saw the pricing after about 30 min of trying to find out how to adjust my wheel and get the gpx up to something other than 600X800 I took the bmw out and that lasted about 30 min ..for me it was awful the view the tires ..it all seemed off for me ..lol but I'm spoiled with all the other sim's in 4k and the other titles for me out of the box did not leave me feeling confused as to why I can't change this or that .lol ..but it was the over all feel that turned me off .I know I didn't give it much of a chance but owning every other sim I refused to spend more $ on something I felt so/so about after the first hour or so .. & the AI that were in the race were ,well, terrible lol ! as for this >

Adaptive AI ..This sim is the only one that offers this option and should not be ignored, I have not tested it to any great length yet but have heard some good reports on it and my personal short tests have been positive.

It's simply not true ISI started this with rf2 and its quite a masterpiece as rf2's AI continually learn the more laps they do .. In fact rr3 sits on ISI's GMotor engine does it not ?
Anyway I'm glad ppl like it and I do sometimes see online races I would like to join but this sim's just not for me in this day & age of sim racing ..

 

[GTSpeedster]

RRE is just like a duck. Both do a little bit of everything. And both fail to excel at anything. Except for quacking sounds perhaps.

 

[Emery]

VR users will understand, LOL... I rarely play R3E anymore since it lacks triple screen support and I went to triples 2 years ago. Definitely am not purchasing new content until it has triple screen support.

I did enjoy the content back then. When '92 DTM was released, that finally drew me in. Probably should have picked up WTCC, but didn't. The tracks are well-crafted despite being DX9.

Tips for people on a tight budget: look at results and only buy one car for a series, but get all the tracks you want to race on when sales are on. Be patient for the sales!

If you're not on a tight budget, the "buy all content" price is reasonable.

 

[James Cook]

It's my favorite sim. If you are so inclined, you can look in RD's R3E forum for a love letter I wrote to this sim (titled something like "case for R3E as 'best' sim"), but to me it all comes down to the driving experience.

I hate to take the approach I'm about to take because I should be able to love R3E irrespective of other sims, but there is a sim currently on the market which I think makes a perfect counter-example to what I feel R3E gets so very right: rFactor2. As a piece of software, rF2 is incredibly impressive and I have a great deal of respect for it...but I rarely drive it. I have very little doubt that rF2 simulates a race car with a higher degree of mathematical accuracy than anything else you can run on a home PC rig. At the same time, I have a great deal of doubt that rF2 creates a compelling simulation of what it feels like to really race.

That to me is where R3E shines. Race cars are exquisitely engineered, highly tuned mechanical devices that exist solely for the purposes of being propelled around a race track at the highest speed possible. If you talk to a real race driver, they will tell you the cars feel like they *want* to be pushed - and the good drivers *do* push...and hard...because they trust the grip to be there. That's how I feel when I drive R3E more so than any other sim I've ever driven.

Honestly, I think the only 2 sims that have really had the guts to say that driving a car at speed should be more about "fun" than "difficult" while at the same time managing to not wade into arcade/simcade territory are R3E and AC. Those are the only 2 sims I've ever come across where if you asked me to "overdrive" a complete lap, I could do it...it would be an awful laptime of course, but I could get the car around the track. For my personal tastes, I just enjoy the feel of R3E a bit more than AC, so that is why I spend more time in the former (though I do love the wonderful variety of road cars and great visuals in AC).

As I said in my self-described "love letter" thread, no sim other than R3E has really created the "me and the car VS the track" feel for me (as opposed to the "me VS the car and the track" feel many/most other sims create).

I watched race 2 of this weekends DTM race at Zandvoort (a car/track combo I have lapped a lot in R3E). They do a great job of showing in car cam views (F1, please take note) where I could see the drivers wheel inputs as well as both feet working the pedals. I found myself thinking "yup, looks about right to me". These guys are going around the track in white knuckle fear of the next uncatchable slide...they are pushing those cars to the very edge of their performance potential (and doing it bumper to bumper, door to door an incredible % of the time).

GTR2 isn't legendary because of rain, day/night cycles, race school, full series, etc, etc. Those are all great features, but the bottom line is GTR2 is/was FUN. The cars are grippy as hell and a blast to throw around the track (but, again, not to the point you have to suspend your disbelief). R3E is GTR2s spiritual successor for me.

Oh, and R3E's sounds are awesome, too.

Great post.

 

[Emery]

I know I didn't give it much of a chance but owning every other sim I refused to spend more $ on something I felt so/so about after the first hour or so .. & the AI that were in the race were ,well, terrible lol ! as for this >
It's simply not true ISI started this with rf2 and its quite a masterpiece as rf2's AI continually learn the more laps they do ..

I believe you misunderstand what R3E's adaptive AI are supposed to do. Rather than AI learning better lines and/or better throttle/brake application (rFactor 2), adaptive AI are supposed to find the level to offer you competition rather than needing to adjust the difficulty slider. Whether R3E has been successful in that endeavor is a different story... I think most people would say the adaptive AI is not so adaptive, but it's also possible few give it enough time before becoming disgusted with it. I certainly didn't spend any time with it as it was always easier for me to just adjust the slider.

 

[St3fan]

From my experience the adaptive AI is very inconsistent, and I often have this pattern: in practice I rank low, in qualify I get pole, and then in race I can't keep up with them. Or I get the opposite pattern: I rank high in practice, get really low in qualify, and then smoke every AI in race (sometimes there is 1 AI car that can keep up with me but most of them are way far behind).

So I just use the static AI strength level now.

 

[Jebus]

I also do not like when my steering wheel rumbles due to excessive effects.
Try this setting that I use for my G27 to remove unnecessary clatter.

Do not pay attention to the value of the effects equal to zero, since the main effects you will still feel.

Thanks. But trust me I've tried that all. I have t500 btw.

I've come to conclusion that it's just something how the whole ffb is coded/built that doesn't suit for me. It's not a complete disaster, I could learn to live with it, but since some other sims gives close to perfect (to me) ffb out of the box I have no reason to try to get used to it.

 

[James Cook]

I believe you misunderstand what R3E's adaptive AI are supposed to do. Rather than AI learning better lines and/or better throttle/brake application (rFactor 2), adaptive AI are supposed to find the level to offer you competition rather than needing to adjust the difficulty slider. Whether R3E has been successful in that endeavor is a different story... I think most people would say the adaptive AI is not so adaptive, but it's also possible few give it enough time before becoming disgusted with it. I certainly didn't spend any time with it as it was always easier for me to just adjust the slider.

That's right, it finds the most appropriate difficulty level by benchmarking the player's pace against the AI. It works quite well but takes a lot of 'training' to get right.

Personally I don't use it as I've found a difficulty level that works for me.

 

[Sky]

i want to like it more, but i just don't get on with it for some reason.

 

[M-Bimmer]

Got these from a friend over a year ago (i believe there were like three things to change) but it made a huge difference so i still use these settings until today. Hope some of you find this useful.

T300rs wheel base






Already mentioned in my earlier post what i like about R3E but forget to mention why i got this game in the first place.
I'm a huge DTM fan like some of you guys so I started off with the DTM experience first (obviously ) but then ended up with the premium pack that was on sale during easter 2015 (if my memory serves me....)

Gladly last year i was able to load this baby on green hell Q2 16' (during the benz online championship/competition) and found out later that this was a bug (lucky me) since the DTM 2016 pack went on sale during Q4 .

 

[dabr1965]

lack of multi play offline. Not being able to save in single race mod if you wish to to an endurance race offline. Shuttering in multiplayer. crashing server which kicks you off a race. Other then that I love the game. The sounds, ffb.