rFactor 2 Launches Race Control Platform As Open Beta

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Announced some months ago, Studio 397 has launched the open beta for the new rFactor 2 online racing platform, Race Control. Here’s what it’s all about and how to join.

Image credit: Studio 397

For many months now, rFactor 2 has been looking to gain its own online racing platform. Currently featuring on services like Low Fuel Motorsport, it is starting to grow its online user base. But it is clear that Studio 397 wants more.

Today, the developer launches the new rFactor 2 online racing platform, Race Control in beta form. Open for everyone to test out, it allows regular race scheduling, private session hosting and special events. So out with the old system and in with the new, clearly with iRacing in its crosshairs. Here’s all you need to know.


What Is rF2 Race Control?​

Much like every other online racing service, the rFactor 2 Race Control system provides players with regular racing online, hopefully in a fun setting. Akin to iRacing and Low Fuel Motorsport, this new platform gives every player their own ranking, both on performance and skill as well as safety.

Driver Rank is the skill-based rank similar to iRating. Players will either gain or lose DR depending on where they finish in a race. However, unlike the aforementioned services, Race Control does not associate this with a number. Instead, one is ranked by grade, from Bronze to Platinum.

Safety Rank follows the same idea. A player starts off with a Bronze rank and, with incident-free sessions, moves up the scale. One would assume these follow the FIA grade system; Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum.

In order to make these evolve, one must compete in the races on offer in Race Control. Daily Race selections rotate each week with three different car-track combinations on offer at one time. Every hour, drivers with a Bronze Safety Rank or higher can compete in the Beginner Races. Intermediate events take place every two hours and are open to Silver Safety or higher. Gold drivers gain access to the longer Advanced events, taking place every three hours.

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Join daily races in rFactor 2 Race Control. Image credit: Studio 397

The service will also reportedly host Special Events, aside from the Daily Races. Much like iRacing, these will take the form of longer races, most likely following real-world calendars. For example, one can assume a LMP2/GTE event will take place at Bahrain on 2-4 November, for the FIA WEC round.

Finally, players will also be able to host their own private sessions through the service. The whole thing will be hosted on AWS servers. Much like iRacing, hosting one’s own event will cost money, though the pricing appears to be less aggressive. Per hour, one can expect to pay around €1, with offers available for 12- and 24-hour events.

How To Join rFactor 2 Race Control Beta​

As of today, 5 October, anyone that owns rFactor 2 can join this new Race Control platform. However, being an in-development service, the developers warn that there are sure to be some bugs to fix.

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Create your own profile on the service. Image credit: Studio 397

Simply booting up the title will not suffice when it comes to running on the new platform. In fact, this is an open beta test. As a result, one must gain access to the Beta form of rFactor 2. To do so, right click on rFactor 2 in your Steam library. Then select ‘Properties’ and ‘Betas’. On the drop-down menu, choose the Release Candidate version of the game and it should auto-update. Now, you have access to Race Control and all it has to offer.

Each player will have their own profile on the service. Here, you will find information on previous races, your current ranking and you will be able to change details such as your name and nationality.

Last week, we mentioned that the BMW M2 CS in rFactor 2 was hinted to become free ‘very soon’. Well, it seems the announcement was referring to this news as Studio-397 is anxious to get as many racers competing on the beta. Those that join the Race Control beta will get the cup racer for free.

Race Control is also a feature bound for Le Mans Ultimate. Clearly, Studio 397 and Motorsport Games are anxious to ensure the FIA WEC game will launch with as few issues as possible later this year.

Will you be joining the rFactor 2 Race Control service? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
About author
Angus Martin
Motorsport gets my blood pumping more than anything else. Be it physical or virtual, I'm down to bang doors.

Comments

hi...
i want try this rf2 online but I didnt get the verification email.... anyone with this problem too?? :(

edit.. i had tried with two email accounts and nothing.

(sorry my english)
 
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The oversaturation of this stuff is not going to end well Im afraid.

At one point Assetto Corsa had like 4 different apps available for ranked online play including SRS, WSS, SimRacingGP, and there's one other one I can't recall. All it did was dilute an already small playerbase of core guys who wanted a ranked platform for AC.
thats a good point, the other one was simgrid
 
Premium
I signed up and about 10pm gmt there were around 140 drivers signed up for the beginner one. Thats good numbers and if they can keep it up and drivers take it seriously then it could be good for some casual racing outside of leagues if you also do something more serious.
 
The rF2 X posts state their AWS servers had become overloaded. This has been the cause with most of the issues joining. They rebooted and expected things to smooth out. Good news that more folks than expected have apparently joined in the Beta. Keep it up. Stress test that system.
 
Premium
I just saw that there is the tatuus running at the mores short track. Oh man, what an intro that will be for people trying to graduate to a higher license. I predict death with that combo lol
 
Premium
The servers have been rammed. I remember LFM being busy when it started then it died down, I'm sure the same will happen here, but the numbers are bigger by far. There were 124 people signed up for the rookie radicals race this morning at 10am.
 
The servers have been rammed. I remember LFM being busy when it started then it died down, I'm sure the same will happen here, but the numbers are bigger by far. There were 124 people signed up for the rookie radicals race this morning at 10am.
The difference this time is that there is one less obstacle. The less steps are required to get into automated online systems the higher the chance of participation. Let's see how it pans out once the beta phase is over and things have been refined but sofar the feedback seems to have been very positive. I haven't tested the system myself yet but it looks like they really took the feedback from the survey onboard and learned their lesson from the first competition system. And as it is free and there seems to be something for everyone with plenty of choice it might be easier to establish an online racing platform. Anyway, it's early days.
 
there is no oversaturation about anything with rF2, the driving feeling, FFB, physics, are far far far better than anything, rF2 or nothing, quality over quantity.
The physics and FFB in rF2 are certainly different than in other titles to a point that either rF2 is BS or the others. From watching mostly GT3-onboards, there is not enough substantial grip in rF2 for modern slick tyres. Too much unpredictable sliding and even with mild tyre-wear many cars get into this understeer/oversteer flip-rocker that I can't see in real life. I don't like ACC for other physics-reasons (it only likes one driving style), but the grip certainly feels more reasonable and if rF2 want to be more popular, they IMO have to improve their tyre-model.
 
The physics and FFB in rF2 are certainly different than in other titles to a point that either rF2 is BS or the others. From watching mostly GT3-onboards, there is not enough substantial grip in rF2 for modern slick tyres. Too much unpredictable sliding and even with mild tyre-wear many cars get into this understeer/oversteer flip-rocker that I can't see in real life. I don't like ACC for other physics-reasons (it only likes one driving style), but the grip certainly feels more reasonable and if rF2 want to be more popular, they IMO have to improve their tyre-model.
nothing to impriove for the tyre model, the others games are not even at the 20% level of the rF2 one....
 
Sorry, but even Forza Motorsport has a better tyre-model:D
rF2 literally has the best model since the tire here is physical object not "a thing" with 3 or 5 contact points like in all other sims - no one is even close to them in that aspect - but that doesn't mean all number on top of the model are correct
especially other physics parameters can be off form car to car, there were things like famous aero bug on GT3 cars before the rework that caused complete control loss while u were really close in draft on corners like Radillion
to me many cars in this game also feels a bit too "light" but at the end it's still superior feeling to anything else because of the ffb even u need to be more focused behind the wheel to be fast

I'm quite shocked how popular it is atm
I saw more than 200 people registered to some races
even if hype play big factor in it these numbers are still pretty impressive
LFM wasn't even close to these numbers during the most populated races
even now at 3am EU time there is Tatuus race with 31 people registered
 
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rF2 literally has the best model since the tire here is physical object not "a thing" with 3 or 5 contact points like in all other sims - no one is even close to them in that aspect - but that doesn't mean all number on top of the model are correct
especially other physical parameters can be off form car to car, there were things like famous aero bug on GT3 cars before the rework that caused complete control loss while u were really close in draft on corners like Radillion
to me many cars in this game also feels a bit too "light" but at the end it's still superior feeling to anything else because of the ffb even u need to be more focused behind the wheel to be fast

I'm quite shocked how popular it is atm
I saw more than 200 people registered to some races
even if hype play big factor in it these numbers are still pretty impressive
LFM wasn't even close to these numbers during the most populated races
rF2 is using a brush-tyremodel according to themself. If you want a wireframe mesh tyre model, better go AMS2, iRacing or Project Cars 2. And I don't care so much how complex it is, because too many cars are IMO not realistic to me especially when it comes to GT3 cars. I was watching many hours onboards especially 24h Nürburgring and the way these cars go slalom through the slow traffic and how forgiving they react to sudden direction changes is absolutely impossible with rF2 physics. And truth is, GT3 cars are arcade for real. I didn't see one incident because of a pure driver mistake. Always contact, liquids on the tarmac or a flat tyre involved. Those lift off or power oversteers that happen in rF2 all the time are rare as unicorns in the real world. The first gen GT3 cars had such problems, but they were modified streetcars, not purpose build racecars with a bodykit that looks remotely like a streetcar.
 
I really wouldn't call a tyre model where to be fast you need to go always lowest pressures possible in setup and you need to drive the car as a go-kart to be pinnacle of simracing :) And for the FFB, rf2 is most inconsistent title in the world. Some cars, especially the latest S397 DLCs are decent, they feel and drive well, but old ISI stuff is so bad that I wonder if I am still playing the same game. I tried the new beta, tried the "updated" M2 and that car has such bad FFB that I was not able to understand it. It drives literally like a boat. FFB is weak, not informative, I don't feel any connection to the road. And I have DD... If they want to attract more people, they should pick better content for the daily races IMO, not that old ISI content which was not updated for ages.
 
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I really wouldn't call a tyre model where to be fast you need to go always lowest pressures possible in setup and you need to drive the car as a go-kart to be pinnacle of simracing :) And for the FFB, rf2 is most inconsistent title in the world. Some cars, especially the latest S397 DLCs are decent, they feel and drive well, but old ISI stuff is so bad that I wonder if I am still playing the same game. I tried the new beta, tried the "updated" M2 and that car has such bad FFB that I was not able to understand it. It drives literally like a boat. FFB is weak, not informative, I don't feel any connection to the road. And I have DD... If they want to attract more people, they should pick better content for the daily races IMO, not that old ISI content which was not updated for ages.
With lowest pressure you also get higher temps these days, more wear and potentially too hot tyres in certain corners, but without lowering it, there doesn't seem to be any tyre-flex, which is IMO way too weak in rF2 and the reason the cars are sliding so much.

I've tried the M2 just recently on the Nordschleife (VLN) and felt fine to me... for one lap. But under 90% tyre-life (outlap) the proper grip is gone almost completely and it feels more like a tanker than a boat while the typical stint is 8 or 9 laps. The best grip rF2 grants you feels similar to what other games simulate with cold tyres and rF2 cuts this too litte in half within a few minutes of tyre-wear. The tyre-model is probably fine, but the numbers it runs with seems BS.
 
rF2 is using a brush-tyremodel according to themself. If you want a wireframe mesh tyre model, better go AMS2, iRacing or Project Cars 2. And I don't care so much how complex it is, because too many cars are IMO not realistic to me especially when it comes to GT3 cars. I was watching many hours onboards especially 24h Nürburgring and the way these cars go slalom through the slow traffic and how forgiving they react to sudden direction changes is absolutely impossible with rF2 physics. And truth is, GT3 cars are arcade for real. I didn't see one incident because of a pure driver mistake. Always contact, liquids on the tarmac or a flat tyre involved. Those lift off or power oversteers that happen in rF2 all the time are rare as unicorns in the real world. The first gen GT3 cars had such problems, but they were modified streetcars, not purpose build racecars with a bodykit that looks remotely like a streetcar.
The updated GT3 and LMP2 cars feel mostly okay, almost everything else is shockingly slidey. The Caterham Academy drives like a drift car on defaults. Idk what happened because it didn't use to be like that some months ago. Really curious how the unwashed masses of simracing are gonna respond to the current state of rF2 tyre models when they jump into the new MP system.
 
Thank you for this article Angus.
I am a fan of the driving physics and steering of rFactor2, so I will definitely take a look at the new Race Control platform and give it a chance.

However, I am also a big fan of LowFuelMotorSports and logically raced rF2 on that platform and actually had the best races of my life there.

What I'm extremely excited about lately and can't keep my hands off of is Automobilista 2. And I wonder if rF2 gets its own race platform and maybe manages to take players away from LFM, if there won't finally be room for Automobilista 2 at LowFuelMotorSports?
AMS2 on LFM would be the best thing ever!
 

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