Another sizeable AI upgrade has released as part of the latest rFactor 2 update which also addresses a number of electric vehicle issues. Following release of the Gen 3 Formula E car, improvements have been made to the game’s EV model.
Last month, Studio 397 released the Gen 3 Formula E car for rFactor 2 as part of the Q2 build. Four weeks on, this latest iteration of the game has received its first update and hotfix.
Bringing several tweaks to the game’s electric vehicle model, its main focus is certainly the offline experience. Countless adjustments to AI safety and procedures are set to overhaul rFactor 2‘s single player modes. Here’s the rundown of everything you need to know.
Many Fixes in the latest rF2 Update
rFactor 2 has always held a reputation for bugs, glitches and crashes. It isn’t the easiest game to get working. But in recent updates in particular, Studio 397 has been pushing to eliminate as many glaring issues as possible. The same is true with this patch. Several freezes and crashes are reportedly no more which should be music to the ears of many an rF2 fan.
Elsewhere, several HUD errors have been fixed. Simple tweaks to overlapping or missing HUD elements provide an added sense of finish to the game’s aesthetic.
Formula E Improvements
After last month’s launch of the Gen 3 Formula E car, inevitable improvements feature in this latest rF2 update. Fans of the series may have noticed the Mahindra’s wheels being incorrect and issues with the Stoffel Vandoorne livery. These are now resolved.
When it comes to the car’s physics, throttle map adjustments also come with the update and tie in to a wider overhaul of the game’s electric vehicle model.
Changes to the game’s electric motor and battery calculations should make for a more realistic driving experience. With this latest update, power management should be more realistic. A mismatch between power output and consumption has been fixed.
Update to AI in rFactor 2
In recent updates, rFactor 2 has come on leaps and bounds when it comes to the AI. With the Q2 content drop came a sizeable update to multiclass AI behaviour. Now, several more tweaks continue the game’s momentum.
Many improvements coming this week will touch on immersion and safety. This update addresses AI behaviour under Full Course Yellow conditions and on Formation Laps. Where cars used to follow odd lines under slower track conditions, they should now act more realistically. As for safety, a lot of work has gone in to the AI’s re-join logic and object avoidance.
The AI should be able to better predict how other cars will move around the track. Whilst helping with race craft situations, this should mostly benefit scenarios in which the AI can skirt around a slow-moving car without dropping to a snail’s pace.
Finally, one comical aspect of rFactor 2 AI over the years has to be its tendency to roll after clattering high kerbs. When turning and driving over a sausage kerb, the AI would at times end up rolling on to its roof. This has been addressed by an anti-roll feature. The game will alter the AI’s physics when they get to a certain point of lean.
Content on its Way
If you read through the post on the rFactor 2 website dedicated to the latest update, you’ll spot an interesting sentence. At the end of the post, the dev team mentions a further update on its way next week. This will come alongside a “bumper content drop.” The sentence ends with “#BTCC” so it seems we are set to receive yet more British Touring Car content.
With all but one car from the current grid in the game, one can assume this drop will include the Cupra Leon. Run exclusively by Team HARD, this car gave Nick Hamilton, brother to Lewis, get a career-best sixth place finish last month.
Whilst a new car will be a great addition, especially as it will complete the rF2 BTCC line-up, it would be fantastic to see a new circuit from the series join the game. Venues like Knockhill or Snetterton are still yet to feature in the sim whilst Silverstone left the title last year. However, between quarterly content drops, it is unlikely that a circuit will join the Cupra.
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