As the multiplayer aspect of sim racing has become increasingly important, focus on the offline elements of a title has become a rarity - which is why singleplayer-focused racers will likely appreciate the latest rFactor 2 update: A hotfix improves numerous issues concerning AI racing and paves the way for a better offline experience.
Image credit: Studio 397
Getting the AI to behave in a believable manner is not an easy task for racing simulations: They should be predictable enough to be at the same competitive level relative to the player for certain difficulty settings, but not behave like robots on track, instead mimicking the behavior of real pilots. The latter point has received special attention in the rF2 update.
The computer-controlled opposition tended to lift off the throttle in the middle of a corner when shown a blue flag, and running into the rear of players who braked and changed direction also did not contribute to pleasant racing against the AI. Both of these issues have been taken care of, as well as better lapping behavior and the elimination of suicidal overtaking manoeuvers that lead to accidents.
Races against the AI should be a much smoother affair after rFactor 2's most recent patch. Image credit: Studio 397
Unrelated to the AI, the patch also fixes an issue that many sims have had over the years, namely that of unrealistic AI lap times when skipping to the end of a session. They are now simulated to prevent ultra-fast, impossible times that leave the player stranded further back in the standings than they should have been.
You can find the full changelog of the update below.
Image credit: Studio 397
Getting the AI to behave in a believable manner is not an easy task for racing simulations: They should be predictable enough to be at the same competitive level relative to the player for certain difficulty settings, but not behave like robots on track, instead mimicking the behavior of real pilots. The latter point has received special attention in the rF2 update.
The computer-controlled opposition tended to lift off the throttle in the middle of a corner when shown a blue flag, and running into the rear of players who braked and changed direction also did not contribute to pleasant racing against the AI. Both of these issues have been taken care of, as well as better lapping behavior and the elimination of suicidal overtaking manoeuvers that lead to accidents.
Races against the AI should be a much smoother affair after rFactor 2's most recent patch. Image credit: Studio 397
Emergency Overdrive
Avoiding crashes via an emergency mode is also on the improvement list: Studio 397 has implemented this feature so the AI will overdrive the car to avoid an obstacle, which may still lead to spins or crashes, but should prevent them from mindlessly running into an avoidable obstacle.Unrelated to the AI, the patch also fixes an issue that many sims have had over the years, namely that of unrealistic AI lap times when skipping to the end of a session. They are now simulated to prevent ultra-fast, impossible times that leave the player stranded further back in the standings than they should have been.
You can find the full changelog of the update below.