Would You Recommend rfactor 2 ?

[2scoops]

Hi Everyone,
I've played Project Cars, too buggy at the moment. Just getting in to RaceRoom, which I really enjoy. But what about rfactor2. I want to race online more, not necessarily leagues but a lot a various classes to get variety in the cars you drive.
Would you recommend rfactor2 as a sim and also the popularity of online racing.

 

[David Ignjatovic]

Why cannot you just show data of the problem since its physics issue?

It's probably a FFB issue, I remember someone saying that even the DD wheels couldn't handle the "true" full signal.....

 

[Associat0r]

It's probably a FFB issue, I remember someone saying that even the DD wheels couldn't handle the "true" full signal.....

>Off-Topic removed>

 

[ronniej]

Given that R3E's physics engine is based on pMotor, it should be very capable with the right data, the same cannot be said for AC.


The only things about AC that are highly ranked are the presentation and HUD customizability, most of AC isn't even up to par with what we had more than a decade ago.


They aren't in the same league regarding simulation value (has to correlate with real data). AC's physics engine is fundamentally even simpler than R3E's.

You should voice your concerns directly to Kunos. >snip- Don't, just don't<

 

[AndrewBo]

Alright guys, well that was fun, but if it keeps up any longer those that choose to continue behaving the way they currently are ( posting Off-Topic etc. )will find themselves banned from replying to this thread.

 

[Lily Starfox]

I'm going to try the latest version soon, but are there any GT2 or GT3 cars?
These are among my favorites.
Also, any old cars? The Historix mod seems to have been abandoned...
Hillclimbs seem scarce too...

(not being off-topic, since it's a thread about recommending rFactor 2, so I'm just asking)

 

[Emery]

I'm going to try the latest version soon, but are there any GT2 or GT3 cars?
These are among my favorites.
Also, any old cars? The Historix mod seems to have been abandoned...
Hillclimbs seem scarce too...

(not being off-topic, since it's a thread about recommending rFactor 2, so I'm just asking)

Modern GT2 & GT3, yes.

Old sports cars/sedans, not so much, though there are Lola T70 and T280 and TT290 sportsracers. A 917 has appeared at times, but currently is back on the drawing board. Have seen a few one-offs as well, but they're not very good yet.

There's at least one server specializing in hillclimbs.

 

[Deleted member 130869]

I'm going to try the latest version soon, but are there any GT2 or GT3 cars?
These are among my favorites.
Also, any old cars? The Historix mod seems to have been abandoned...
Hillclimbs seem scarce too...

There is the ISI 2009 Corvette GT2, the 2013 (?) Camaro GT3, and currently a mod in development - but the current build is available - for the GT3 field, a mod for GTE which is paid but available, and lastly one with lots of promise which has GT but also LMP cars .... also in development.

There are hillclimb courses, usually Richard Burns Rally or rFactor 1 conversions. As Emery pointed out a Hillclimb server. But overall, it is what it is so your best bet is to try the demo to see how you feel and wait for content to actually be developed or released. That's what I like to recommend, that people try it for themselves instead of just relying on message boards. If you feel uncomfortable/unsure posting, feel free to Private Message any questions.

 

[Andy_J]

The Corvette GT2 is sublime. That and the Indycars are why I love RF2 offline. There are some GT class mods.

 

[Lily Starfox]

hmmm well ok I just tried it and spent a bit more than an hour in it, racing Toban with the 3 cars available, in sunny and rainy weather, and during the night too.
(which I appreciate IMMENSELY, since these features are not present in AC)

I set the graphics settings to full but it was still quite bad.
Trees seem flat.. Yeah I know we don't look at trees when we drive, but it's so bad it stands out...
Lighting seems similar to rFactor 1, which gives the game a constant overcast effect.
Props were quite detailed and realistic, no complaints about this.
Road is good and I appreciated the rain reflections.
Cars seem almost as good as its rivals, interiors are nice and convincing.
Overall, colors looked quite washed-out and I wish we had the possibility to configure our own filters
like in AC.

The sound doesn't seem as good as AC or R3E.
I felt like the Formula Renault sounded too "thin"... Same for the "Howston" car...
The Megane had a constant clicking sound which I have no idea where it came from...
Is it normal?
Rain sounded the same inside and outside the cars...

I HATED the Megane, couldn't do anything with it... Might be cos I'm not used to it,
but I ended up on the grass all the time... I don't understand how to handle that car... lol
I LOVED the Formula Renault though. Favorite car so far.
And I might get some hate, but frankly it handled 100% like the one in AC (a mod though).
So I'm not sure why people say it's very different. Both feel very good to me.
I did notice a little difference about this Renault... I think the acceleration was slower than in AC.
Maybe it's more realistic though? Not sure...

I liked how I could configure the display HUD, cameras and stuff.

ONE IMPORTANT NOTE!
Why are loading times so insanely painfully long?
Now I remember why I didn't try this game for 2 years... I see it didn't change after all this time...
I did notice something though...
I reloaded Toban one time with different settings and loading time was quicker...(30 seconds)
Then later I changed the textures and the loading time was again extremely long (5 minutes).
So I assume it's related to textures settings changes?
I have to say I have AC and loading times are VERY quick. I also tried Project CARS once and it was quite good as well. (I don't like this game, but I only mean it worked well, at least lol)
So I assume it's not my computer which is too weak.
And on a side note, rFactor 2 does work very well and smoothly though.
If only it didn't have these loading times...

Not sure what to add so far...
Oh yeah, can I try a mod in the demo?
I downloaded a track but I'm not sure it'll work...

Seriously though...
If these loading times don't improve, I don't see myself playing this game.
Such a little problem can totally destroy the experience...
I'm interested in some of the tracks and cars which have been released so far, but I'm not going to wait 5 minutes every time I load a track...

Oh yeah, one final thing. This game is useless with a gamepad. Wheel is mandatory.

Edit : forgot to say that not only I appreciated the rain, the effects on my driving was quite realistic, unlike many games. (Project cars, ugh...)
It might be the most realistic rain racing I saw so far.
It felt like what I do in real life... (with street cars though lol)

 

[Gijs van Elderen]

The Megane had a constant clicking sound which I have no idea where it came from...
Is it normal?

Not sure, but i think that's the sound of the traction control.
By default some driving aids are enabled.

This game is useless with a gamepad. Wheel is mandatory.

It's racing game. So yes.

But on the other hand @Nicolas Delamare is absolutly an alien with a controller. So it is possible.

these loading times

Track loading times are long first time. rF2 builds a shader cache based on your graphic settings. If you don't change graphic settings. Loading times will be a lot shorter.

 

[Andy_J]

Oh yeah, one final thing. This game is useless with a gamepad. Wheel is mandatory.

You tried it with a gamepad? No wheel? And the graphics look pretty darn good to me. On par with the others in my opinion. But it's the physics, dynamic track and the one thing you never mentioned that you will miss, the superb almost life like AI.
Your loss though.

 

[Deleted member 130869]

Only going to address your concerns as you seem pretty comfortable with the rest

I set the graphics settings to full but it was still quite bad.
Trees seem flat.. Yeah I know we don't look at trees when we drive, but it's so bad it stands out...

Overall, colors looked quite washed-out and I wish we had the possibility to configure our own filters
like in AC.

Yeah, there is missing depth. Grass and cement or asphalt too. You should see turn 1 at Lime Rock Park, it's a green wall . I actually sometimes miss my turning point due to that lack of depth and clarity in the rendering. Over time you do get used but every time you play something else, is a bit of a shock. I spent about 3 weeks without playing any games, then tried a couple. There was a severe immersion barrier when I reloaded rF2, it took a while to get used again. You need very specific content for it to be less impactful (Mores, Indianapolis, Atlanta Motorsports Park).

Lighting seems similar to rFactor 1, which gives the game a constant overcast effect.

It does feel overcast and lacking "life," rF1 was more vibrant but severely saturated. Plus the rF2 lighting cycle is better and the headlights aren't just a light texture.

The sound doesn't seem as good as AC or R3E.
I felt like the Formula Renault sounded too "thin"... Same for the "Howston" car...
The Megane had a constant clicking sound which I have no idea where it came from...
Is it normal?
Rain sounded the same inside and outside the cars...

To me the best sounding games are R3E and iRacing. R3E has very clear sounds for a lot of tidbits and it is immersive. iRacing usually has very good engine and curb sounds.

What happens a lot is the lower tones are not captured or replicated in the game. So while the 2014 Renault may be "thin" it is one of the best of the stock content. The Howston I think might be a mixed Corvette sample with noise on it. There certainly is a bit of digitized scrambled lower tones.

I HATED the Megane, couldn't do anything with it... Might be cos I'm not used to it,
but I ended up on the grass all the time... I don't understand how to handle that car... lol
I LOVED the Formula Renault though. Favorite car so far.
And I might get some hate, but frankly it handled 100% like the one in AC (a mod though).
So I'm not sure why people say it's very different. Both feel very good to me.
I did notice a little difference about this Renault... I think the acceleration was slower than in AC.
Maybe it's more realistic though? Not sure...

Some cars are built with compromises so you may have to counteract that with setup. I cannot speak to the Mégane. The F-Renault was my favorite rF2 car to drive, the DW12 used to share the top spot too. The F-Renault has a very sharp cockpit so it does help make it more pleasant to drive.

ONE IMPORTANT NOTE!
Why are loading times so insanely painfully long?
Now I remember why I didn't try this game for 2 years... I see it didn't change after all this time...
I did notice something though...
I reloaded Toban one time with different settings and loading time was quicker...(30 seconds)
Then later I changed the textures and the loading time was again extremely long (5 minutes).
So I assume it's related to textures settings changes?
Oh yeah, one final thing. This game is useless with a gamepad. Wheel is mandatory.

The loading times are relatively long, though yes, the initial loading times and then post-GFX tweaks are longer because of rebuilding shaders. Most of the visual work was done around the lighting, two years ago there was no persistent lighting so there was a mess of HDR profiles. The visuals are what they are. The AI is fine if you play on a track with a good AI path, otherwise just like anywhere else, you'll be frustrated. I tried to setup a race for about 35 minutes on Sunday night, a Spa conversion, but wasn't able to due to the way the AI path had not been done adequately. Most stock content is good for every kind of car. Some do have dive bombs or aggressive moves and some do struggle to not "lose it", like Historics on certain tracks, but you'll still be able to run side by side.

I don't know about gamepad but it should be playable with keyboard if you set steering assist and ABS to low. Maybe with gamepad you have to greatly reduce sensitivity or increase the deadzone. You'll have to play around to find out if these two changes can help.

 

[Lily Starfox]

Thanks for all the explanations.

Hmmm I downloaded Mills metro park from the launcher but it doesn't show in-game.
I'm afraid it means I'll have to buy the game to try it. lol

What happens a lot is the lower tones are not captured or replicated in the game. So while the 2014 Renault may be "thin" it is one of the best of the stock content. The Howston I think might be a mixed Corvette sample with noise on it. There certainly is a bit of digitized scrambled lower tones.

It's weird that the "lower tones" are not replicated...
I wonder if it'll ever change.
Well, using Fonsecker sound pack in AC kinda spoiled me though. lol
Believe me, it's reaaaally good. It really feels like being "in" the car.

the one thing you never mentioned that you will miss, the superb almost life like AI.

Oh and yes, I did notice the A.I. was WAY less annoying than in Assetto Corsa.
At least they didn't completely destroy my car when I was a bit too slow in the pits.
rFactor A.I. seems more polite.

 

[John-Eric Saxén]

Some of the cars do lack in low frequency yes, in particular the recently released Howston. This is not due to sound engine but because of not enough high quality sound samples. Sound samples cost money and time to get. Some of the latest ISI cars simply re-use existing samples, which doesn't always sound very good. Then again with other cars like FR3.5 and Nissan GTR in particular you can hear that they have paid to get a proper sample, very rich bass.

Loading times are longer on first load than some other games, but you should try iRacing Nordschleife before complaining too much . That track literally takes 5 minutes to load on my non-SSD hard drive, no rF2 track is nearly as bad.

 

[Jim Liak]

Cars seem almost as good as its rivals, interiors are nice and convincing.

Not actually (4K pic, from @Akis , click for maximum size, look at the awful textures and keep in mind that this is an official car).
Graphics is certainly not in par with other games, especially with AC.
Good thing that it drives so nice that you choose to forget about them.

 

[Lily Starfox]

That track literally takes 5 minutes to load on my non-SSD hard drive, no rF2 track is nearly as bad.

Wow well I wouldn't try iRacing cos it's too expensive for my taste but gee I wonder why it would take so long to load.
Nordschleife on AC looks INCREDIBLE especially since v1.5 and it doesn't take that long...
Hmmm maybe around 30 second... I forgot but it's not long enough so I didn't even count. ha ha

Graphics is certainly not in par with other games, especially with AC.

Well I admit that I never saw interiors as good as in AC.
I really feel comfortable in my cars in Assetto Corsa.
So much that I would live in them. ha ha
I wasn't "shocked" by rFactor 2 interiors so far though. They're ok for me.
Also, I assume that like in rFactor 1, maybe modded cars will look even better than the official ones, right?

Well...
I played one more hour and completely changed my mind about the Megane and now I love it.
It took me some time to "tame" it but now it's ok.

Another good thing I noticed only later is that the game loads VERY quickly...
(I mean, the time needed to reach the menu)
So it has long loading times but at least the startup is fast. lol
On my side, Assetto Corsa needs 5 MINUTES to reach the menu...
It might be cos I have installed 600+ cars though... (I really need to delete some of them...)
I wonder if it'll be the same in rFactor 2 and that loading time get worse as you install mods...

About loading times, I tried more tests and definitely they become ALMOST acceptable
the second time you load a track.

So the bottom line is, it means I only have one problem left, the graphics, I think.
Everything else seems ok.
It's too bad, really.

(Next goal : trying Automobilista.)

 

[Niki Đaković]

The mood in this thread has shifted for better. It's lovely to see. Someone actually enjoys something. Moners are finally cornered.

 

[Emery]

I wonder if it'll be the same in rFactor 2 and that loading time get worse as you install mods...

Loading time does increase with more mods installed, just like rF1 did. There are ways around this, by building virtual mods and only having one active while avoiding "All Tracks & Cars".

Typically, I'll be in a car/track combo for an hour or two, so a single long loading time is irrelevant.

 

[Qazdar Karim]

Wow well I wouldn't try iRacing cos it's too expensive for my taste but gee I wonder why it would take so long to load.
Nordschleife on AC looks INCREDIBLE especially since v1.5 and it doesn't take that long...
Hmmm maybe around 30 second... I forgot but it's not long enough so I didn't even count. ha ha


Well I admit that I never saw interiors as good as in AC.
I really feel comfortable in my cars in Assetto Corsa.
So much that I would live in them. ha ha
I wasn't "shocked" by rFactor 2 interiors so far though. They're ok for me.
Also, I assume that like in rFactor 1, maybe modded cars will look even better than the official ones, right?

Well...
I played one more hour and completely changed my mind about the Megane and now I love it.
It took me some time to "tame" it but now it's ok.

Another good thing I noticed only later is that the game loads VERY quickly...
(I mean, the time needed to reach the menu)
So it has long loading times but at least the startup is fast. lol
On my side, Assetto Corsa needs 5 MINUTES to reach the menu...
It might be cos I have installed 600+ cars though... (I really need to delete some of them...)
I wonder if it'll be the same in rFactor 2 and that loading time get worse as you install mods...

About loading times, I tried more tests and definitely they become ALMOST acceptable
the second time you load a track.

So the bottom line is, it means I only have one problem left, the graphics, I think.
Everything else seems ok.
It's too bad, really.

(Next goal : trying Automobilista.)

rFactor 2 is really for "Simulation" guys, it's not really about graphics or sound, it's for those looking for the most advanced physics and race immersion possible. I believe most of the computing resources are shifted towards getting the highest physics rate possible for all the complex calculations in the background.

AMS has sharp graphics, they are decent but that's it, no fancy effects (it's enough for me). If you are looking for "beauty" with a bit of "simulation", i recommend pCars ,AC and Forza when it will come to PC.

 

[Jim Liak]

rFactor 2 is really for "Simulation" guys, it's not really about graphics or sound, it's for those looking for the most advanced physics and race immersion possible. I believe most of the computing resources are shifted towards getting the highest physics rate possible for all the complex calculations in the background.

AMS has sharp graphics, they are decent but that's it, so fancy effects (it's enough for me). If you are looking for "beauty" with a bit of "simulation", i recommend pCars ,AC and Forza when it will come to PC.

Putting AC in same sentence/group with PCars and Forza? lol