rFactor 2 Q3 2022 Update and Content Release! Surprise New Car!

btccford-4.png
Not only has the new build and content just dropped but, S397 have added yet another surprise car to their ever growing roster of automotive treats.

Along with the free Caterham, paid DLC Austin Mini Cooper S & Hyundai i30 there is now a fourth touring car on offer with this content drop, the Ford Focus ST NGTC!

This should certainly keep touring car fans happy, especially with S397's previous announcement stating that they intend to include the full grid of current BTCC cars in the simulation in future releases!

New track updates

There is also a new track in the form of the Worldwide Technology Raceway available as paid DLC, which offers a great mix of banked kerbs and challenging infield section with both road course and oval configurations inculded.

Aswell as the new track there are updates to many of the existing tracks such as Donnington, Le Mans, Indianapolis, Zandvoort and Nordschleife!

New features

Probably the biggest and most long awaited new feature to Rfactor 2 is Real Road 2.0.
This brings fully dynamic working track temperatures to the build which will in turn affect heating of your tyres and also change the way rubbered in sections of the track behave in wet conditions, forcing drivers to change their lines to account for the way in which grip changes on these sections in different conditions!

There are many other improvements such as updated ABS & TC systems, new tires for some of the cars like the GTE's & Oreca's, track limits calculations, sounds and much more!

For a full list of improvements check the update list below!

Let us know what you think of this new build and content in the comments

Client: 9261937
Dedicated Server: 9261942

General
  • Updated Track Limits System taking into account many factors to award warning points for infringements with drivers given a short amount of time post cut to give up any gained time or positions in race.
  • Ability to set Track Limits to None/Default/Strict
  • Ability to configure number of Track Limit Points before a Drive Through during race sessions.
  • Improved calculation of infringement during time off track, taking into account, time gained, distance travelled, throttle application, time off track, speed differentials, positions gained during race, wall riding and more.
  • During all sessions invalidate current lap and sometimes next lap, based on how close to the end of the lap and the size of the infringement.
  • During race sessions earn warning points, if 3 points are acquired in one go or you pass the cumulative point limit threshold (5 by default) a drive through is given. The size of penalty increases for extreme cuts.
  • Pit Lane Exit violations are now logged and penalized accordingly (May require content updates)
  • Disabled Pit Exit violations by default on Ovals in none race sessions and added ability to customize which sessions have Pit Exit limits enforced via GDB or RFM.
  • Wrong Way Driving calculations have been tweaked to be more lenient when far from the track.
  • Strict mode intended for eSports, has harsher thresholds and invalidates all off track laps in non race sessions.
  • Improved logging options and ModDev options for analysing cuts.
  • Support for up to 16 input devices
  • Added chat message indicating when there are latency issues and collision is turned off.

HUD
  • Added current Track Limits points to Penalties MFD Page in Race Sessions.
Graphics
  • Driver labels now correctly depth buffer regardless of display mode
  • Added Light Dust Particle Profile
  • Expanded Decal Features on IBL Road Shader
  • Fixed orange ambient bug
UI
  • The first launch wizard controls configuration can now be re-run from the “Calibrate controls” page
  • Moved “Electronics” setup settings (TC and ABS) under the “Engine” heading, which has been renamed to “Engine & electronics”
  • Fixed damage multiplier setting description in singleplayer session settings
  • Moved damper setup settings to their own tab
  • Fixed sporadic empty car list on server join
  • Added “Track Limits Rules” singleplayer setting
  • Added “Track Limits Points Allowed” singleplayer race setting
  • Added Tender Springs to suspension setup page
  • Added description/tooltip to Tender Springs setup
  • Improved description/tooltip for Traction Control and ABS
  • Fixed alphabetical sorting of opponent filters and opponents list
  • Fixed race countdown timer format for duration longer than one minute
  • Updated Aston Martin logo
  • Added a button to refresh the setup list
  • Added two settings into the “Visuals” column in graphics settings to adjust the vertical and horizontal position of the Track Limits Info (TLI) screen
  • Fixed alphabetical sorting of car selection list
Physics
  • Dynamic track temperatures based on weather conditions and cars driving on track
  • Added a toggle to load temperatures from real road files on main game/moddev/dedi
  • Added improved anti-lock braking and traction control systems. (Only available on the TEST version of the McLaren Senna GTR)
  • Added Traction Control Power Cut map to control the amount of TC to apply. (Only available for the new TC)
  • Added Traction Control Slip Angle map to control the target (maximum) slip angle before TC activates. (Only available for the new TC)
  • Added ABS/TC dash LEDs which show the amount of slip and show when the systems activate
  • Added Tender Springs functionality (Only available on the TEST version of the Porsche 991 GT3 Cup)
  • Fixed ABS/TC aid through settings
Networking
  • Cars that lag too much or teleport will have collision disabled for 5 seconds.
  • Network speeds now enforce the player limit to max out at the highest acceptable number the connection can support
Sound
  • Fixed loops not restarting correctly
  • Fixed loud audio spike when loading into multiplayer sessions
  • Fixed random shift sounds in the garage
  • Separated TC and Pit Limiter events
  • Fixed audio loop points
  • Fixed spotter and start lights not playing or being delayed
  • Fixed game startup without audio device or with +nosound enabled
  • Performance: Sound system now uses another thread, eliminating random frame time spikes and improving game performance
  • Fixed tracks with lots of ambient sounds not playing any sound at all in some conditions
  • Fixed other cars crashing online playing crash sounds on the player car
  • Fixed HRTF selection
  • Fixed a rare crash when crashing sounds play
Live Stream Overlay
  • Updated broadcast overlay live timing page
    • Fixed live timing page not loading
    • You can now customize the styling with custom CSS (custom_livetiming.css)
      • Added CSS classes: car class for each row and last sticky row
    • Added car class and team name columns
    • Added car livery images
    • Added tire icon
    • Added configurable scrolling and multiclass mode
Modding
  • Batched loading warning pop up messages together for fewer popups (Dev Mode/Scene Viewer)
  • Added warning popup for assets exported with default LOD Out for optimization debugging (Dev Mode/Scene Viewer)
  • Added cancel button to show no more messages that session (Dev Mode/Scene Viewer)
  • Fixed various content issues with Showrooms and Joesville (Dev Mode/Scene Viewer)
  • Added Sideview_UI showroom to ModDev for UI screenshots of cars.
  • Fixed an issue in MapConverter where it would crash with textures named *_M_<type>.TGA
  • Added “FarLight” parameter to IBL Shaders in Material Adjust section. This allows us to set materials to be in shadow beyond shadow cascades.
  • Fixed crash when no AIW file present
Known Issues
  • UI – Steering lock second bracket is cut off
About author
Tarmac Terrorist
If I can drive it, I'm Rocking it!!! Besides writing sim racing articles I am running my own YouTube channel called Tarmac Terrorist

Comments

Premium
The new track limits system is actually one of the best new features, it's really well done, infact I'd go as far to say I think out of all the sims I use I think it may be my favorite.
I've been trying out all sorts of cuts off tracks and blatant short cuts. Every time the decision I've been given has been spot on appropriate!
seems to have eliminated the more than annoying probability of getting punished because someone else has screwed up and punted you off track. I'm very impressed indeed!
Absolutely, this is gonna benefit the club races as well. Potentially no more drive throughs due to to unfortunate mistakes / failed overtakes etc.
 
If nothing else, it's a huge update. So, thank you S397 (not interested in current DLC/s - way overpriced. Maybe will purchase on sale).
 
Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, I don't think it makes much difference. I don't really like overly strong FFB either, but this is so weak its ridiculous and completely out of tune with other cars.
Simracers minds are like chocolate boxes, you never know whats inside. People abut same thing could have opposing thoughts. I had in the past modded cars that one guy thought FFB is much too weak, and other guy said that he is afraid FFB might break his wheel :D

I think we are using different things. To me Caterham FFB isn't at all ridiculously weak even with default setup and settings. It is on the weaker side, but why should everything be the same thing ?

Caster can't NOT make a difference. It literally expands mechanical leverage of forces that comes into play anytime the front wheels starts generating any lateral force.
 
Premium
Finally realised why rF2 don't release any DLC, but sell cars n tracks in their

RFACTOR 2 STORE​

because it's nonrefundable:roflmao:
Ah, another valuable contribution! Feeling really smart? That's the first sign of not actually being...
I just realized that most of these updates are made with the 24hrs of Le Mans in mind. And they're not quality of life improvements instead they're added functions.
Quality of life improvement would be better UI, better AI, performance improvements, etc. basically anything that's already in the game but not in a good/polished state.
So it's probably safe to say that we won't see AI improvements until 2023 and beyond.
Another thing I realized is that S397 is either understaffed or/and they don't pay beta testers.
And they "drop" these new contents every 3 months because that's a business model MSG dictates, no matter the content quality... all that matters is that it's out and the early buyers themselves going to betatest the new content. That's also why they make the RC versions public.
No documentation provided for modders about any of the new functions because the moddability of the game is not really a concern for the studio, it became a secondary thought by now.
rFactor 2 became a cashgrab. I enjoy the sim no doubt but I can't really justify to support this kind of behavior.
Quite an effort to justify a completely skewed view... Why people go out of their way to trash sim A or sim B if they don't like it?!?

The UI is already quite good right now. Needs some tweaks which have been progressively introduced. Most probably you haven't booted rF2 so you do not have the faintest idea of what you are talking about.

The AI is the best and most believable outside iRacing's once you tune the player.json file and do Practice, Quali & Race. As above...

None of the DLC content launched yesterday has any apparent or glaring bugs, so I don't understand where you are coming from... specially, again, have you tried it? Do you have the faintest idea of what you are talking about?

The Caterham is free and yes, it's a shame that it came out with some bugs (on FFB I will wait for the opinion of someone who has driven one), but has anyone died?!?

As for modding, there is a backlog in releasing documentation to help modders, but there is always someone willing to help and there will be documentation at some point released (the Forum receives constant info from the Devs on what is deemed "stable" and ready to be "handed over" to the community).

Now, about the "cash grab", how the F do you believe that content can continue to be produced? For free? Is S397 a charity?

And whilst still being a modding platform, why would it be unjustified for a studio to protect some of its intelectual property and avoid fomenting third party competition within its own game?

Official content and DLC can go hand in hand with modding content, but there isn't a single sane person in the world that would not protect their income first, before doing something that no other sim still under development by its studio (supporting modding).
 
Premium
They might as well have completed the whole BTCC pack in one go given that the Focus and Hyundai largely feel like reskins of the Corolla. The sound is 100% the same as is the FFB. The FWD FFB remains terrible on Logitech wheels, a major flaw with rF2 in general. If you liked the Corolla I guess you'll enjoy these cars too, otherwise save your money.

The Mini feels good to drive with appropriate but not overblown slidyness, if only there was a way to tone down the overactive rF2 bump steer FFB. Caster doesn't help.

The Caterham has many issues: the front wheels are missing in the cockpit, the FFB is bizarre (very weak and mostly consisting of suspension knocking) and the way it loses grip doesn't make much sense to me but that could just be because of the bad FFB.

Fixes surely to come, so let's see what happens. Many of the other changes from the RC are good, and I wish other sims would adopt the track limit enforcement system instead of instantly handing out black flags because you get punted through T1 at Monza.
Man... the nonsense that people come up with...
The Hyundai feels and behaves vastly different than the Corolla and the Focus, and these two, being similarly sized/powered/etc... on a series which is "semi-spec", is only natural that they feel similar (personally don't think they feel identical).
As for the sounds... have you spent 5 minutes checking onboards on YT?
The engines share a bunch of components and I compared BMW (BMW/Neil Brown engine), Hyundai (Hyundai/Swindon engine) and the Ford (Ford/Montune)... surprise surprise... they ALL sound the same!
 
Nice update. Been having an hiatus from it for a year or so and yep I like the improvements - along with AMS1 the driving is so far ahead of the competition. However - VR performance seems to have taken a step backwards as I'm pretty certain it looked and ran better in VR 2 years ago. Another thing, being able to lock the UI screen on the mirror/monitor (so it doesn't move) like other VR sims would be very very handy indeed. Other than that things seem to be looking more positive with RF2 these days.
 
Last edited:
Only complaint is the front wheels on the Caterham are not visible on VR cockpit view. BTCC cars and Mini are spot on.
They aren't visible in cockpit view without VR either. Thought I'd lost one when I spotted it last night
 
Ah, another valuable contribution! Feeling really smart? That's the first sign of not actually being...

Quite an effort to justify a completely skewed view... Why people go out of their way to trash sim A or sim B if they don't like it?!?

The UI is already quite good right now. Needs some tweaks which have been progressively introduced. Most probably you haven't booted rF2 so you do not have the faintest idea of what you are talking about.

The AI is the best and most believable outside iRacing's once you tune the player.json file and do Practice, Quali & Race. As above...

None of the DLC content launched yesterday has any apparent or glaring bugs, so I don't understand where you are coming from... specially, again, have you tried it? Do you have the faintest idea of what you are talking about?

The Caterham is free and yes, it's a shame that it came out with some bugs (on FFB I will wait for the opinion of someone who has driven one), but has anyone died?!?

As for modding, there is a backlog in releasing documentation to help modders, but there is always someone willing to help and there will be documentation at some point released (the Forum receives constant info from the Devs on what is deemed "stable" and ready to be "handed over" to the community).

Now, about the "cash grab", how the F do you believe that content can continue to be produced? For free? Is S397 a charity?

And whilst still being a modding platform, why would it be unjustified for a studio to protect some of its intelectual property and avoid fomenting third party competition within its own game?

Official content and DLC can go hand in hand with modding content, but there isn't a single sane person in the world that would not protect their income first, before doing something that no other sim still under development by its studio (supporting modding).

If the slipstreaming hasn't been fixed then the AI still isn't as good as AMS1 or Raceroom.
That's the fix I'm waiting for, if I get a slow exit and the AI doesn't punish me, or I can pass three brake-tapping AI on the same straight because they don't slipstream each other, then it's not really racing...
 
I just did a fresh install since I don't play this "sim", I have a Fanatec CSL Elite wheel which feels just amazing on AC/ACC and AMS2
I tried the Caterham AND the ffb on rf2 Is just non existent, doesn't make any sense, the wheel rattles like crazy all the time. I searched for the recommended settings but didn't change a bit. I wonder how the hell people enjoy this game. I uninstalled inmediately .
The only thing good with this game Is the new UI
 
Premium
I just did a fresh install since I don't play this "sim", I have a Fanatec CSL Elite wheel which feels just amazing on AC/ACC and AMS2
I tried the Caterham AND the ffb on rf2 Is just non existent, doesn't make any sense, the wheel rattles like crazy all the time. I searched for the recommended settings but didn't change a bit. I wonder how the hell people enjoy this game. I uninstalled inmediately .
The only thing good with this game Is the new UI
I had that issue as well back when i used my CSL Elite. It was especially rattly over curbs, but even on "normal" roads it wasn't very good. I even opened a thread on the rF2 forums. Although people were helpful, it didn't really solve my issue, but maybe there is something in there that helps you. The thread is 5 years old though, so be aware of that.
 
Last edited:
Finally realised why rF2 don't release any DLC, but sell cars n tracks in their

RFACTOR 2 STORE​

because it's nonrefundable:roflmao:
All Steam purchases are refundable up to 48hrs IF the download was not used. IF you use the download, then you have two hours. I did the latter at Q2 when a better package deal appeared after my initial purchase. Took several days but I did get the full refund.
 

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