iRacing | Hotfix Time!

[Paul Jeffrey]

iRacing have released a new hotfix for their latest big 2020 Season 2 build deployed recently to the simulation.

In traditional iRacing style, the hotfix comes quickly on the heals of the recent major build update for the simulation, and contains a nice mix of both retrospective amendments following the last build, and some new goodies and changes for players to enjoy.

You can check out the full hotfix update notes below, available to download now.


iRacing Hotfix Update Notes

Rendering

• Reduced sparkling effects from lights at night.

Broadcast Mode

• Fixed an issue where headlights could have a ghostly bloom appearance in broadcast mode.
• Fixed an issue with shadows at night while in broadcast mode.
• Fixed an issue where low-resolution particles and post-processing effects were freeing and recreating render targets every frame when split-screen broadcast mode is enabled. This may have been impacting performance speed.

Cars

HPD ARX-01c

• Baseline setup has been updated.

NASCAR Cup Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Aerodynamics while in traffic has been adjusted.

NASCAR Cup Ford Mustang

• Aerodynamics while in traffic has been adjusted.

NASCAR Cup Toyota Camry

• Aerodynamics while in traffic has been adjusted.

Tracks

Lånkebanen (Hell RX)

• Improved normal (bump) map for gravel area edges.

iRacing is available exclusively on PC.

Got questions about the sim? No worries, pop down to the iRacing sub forum here at RaceDepartment and ask our community!

 

[M D Gourley]

Season 2 Build was rather good with additional content for the AI...and one was the Cayman GT4 and Road America amongst others...
Triple Screen shot of the Cayman at Road America

 

[Caleibus]

Shame they still hold onto this business model. Either let people buy cars and content to race AI without membership or let the membership gain access to all content. It's frustrating to see the monopoly they have in sim racing...

 

[ZeldaACFan17]

Shame they still hold onto this business model. Either let people buy cars and content to race AI without membership or let the membership gain access to all content. It's frustrating to see the monopoly they have in sim racing...

It's ludicrously expensive but iRacing keeps the model they have because they think that it will ward off the people who crash into others on purpose

 

[ZeldaACFan17]

I don't play online games because there are weird people online

 

[MattGTX]

there are weird people online

Especially the Forza online guys

 

[Kurupt CDN]

The season 2 build was massive and had a ton of updates, features and content.

Would have made more sense to post those build notes and add in this small hotfix.
Foxsport televising todays eNascar race at Homestead to fill the gap for the RL cancelled race would have been better iracing news than a hotfix blurb, anyways good to see something about the sim posted here.

I can't believe I am saying this, but I've started running ovals this season and I am actually enjoying it more than the road side.
I thought driving around in circles turning left would be easy and eventually get boring, but to my surprise there is alot to it and the door action at 150+ mph from start to finish is pretty exciting....until someone crashes and takes out half the field.....fun non the less and tons of people on line with multiple splits every hr.
Loving the Nascar Silverado truck!

 

[Deleted member 617659]

The world is broken and iracing’s bussiness model is close to an end for the crisis ahead.Their greedy model won’t last the virus in my opinion, sorry.

 

[Tony 93]

Good on ya I racing
Lets keep life normal
Just made a 1 year sub

 

[Kurupt CDN]

The world is broken and iracing’s bussiness model is close to an end for the crisis ahead.Their greedy model won’t last the virus in my opinion, sorry.

The user base has only gone up the past few yrs and is one of if not the largest sim racing base atm.

It will probably increase even more with all the races they are putting together with RL pro drivers, FS1 fox Sport will be broadcast an iracing Nascar event with RL series drivers to fill the spot of the cancelled race at Homestead on national TV tomorrow afternoon.

Good publicity for iracing but I fear it's gonna draw alot of meathead racers too.

 

[Steve O'Malley]

It's ludicrously expensive but iRacing keeps the model they have because they think that it will ward off the people who crash into others on purpose

That's a complete fail then. Ive been iracing for years mainly because of the regular races and you can often jump in any time and find a race. However the standard has gone so low I am going to try other stuff. They encourage you to protest bad driving, but every protest I have done has been classed as a "racing incident"

My last race at Watkins. Two of the first five cars crashed before the chicane. Didn't hit anyone, just couldnt keep the car on the road. This resulted in a massive accident, so we all so slow down - except the guy who sees a chance to a make up a few places and decides to accelerate, hitting other cars and causing another major accident. Its pathetic, lap one of 23 and people are trying to win after three turns. So 27 cars started. 10 are out before the end of the race and only 12 finish on the same lap as the winner.

They don't want to ban people as they want the money. They ran a promotion earlier this year 30% off for existing members if they renew quickly. Probably most would have renewed anyway, so they basically gave away 30% of membership revenue which to me indicates a desperate need to get some cash in.

The system of license progression is good in theory. You need to be safe to get the next license to race the faster cars. However they have a fast track system in place which encourages people to get the license quickly, then buy new cars and new tracks. So you get people who don't practise getting all the content and smashing up races, safe in the knowledge they can quickly jump into the next race and do it all again. Again, money is the key.

Getting a bit long here, but if you are unfamiliar with the protest system, there is a button to protest someone when the race results appear. You describe the protest and attach a replay. You get an email thanking you for taking the time to protest. Then a day or so later you get another email telling you the outcome.

Recently, I sent a protest but accidentally attached the wrong replay. I got a thank you email, then a "we are satisfied it was a racing incident" email. The next day I got an email telling me the replay wasn't the right one.

So they decided it was a racing incident without seeing the replay. Ridiculous. Why bother to instigate a system that they don't use.

 

[Falk Massmann]

Exactly my experience with iRacing, Steve. Why would I invest the time to protest if I know already the outcome will not have an impact?? Just lost time you could have spent practicing on the track or get into another race.
The system doesn´t make it any cleaner racing each other. I had so many experiences you described where people trying to win in T1 and punt you of track. That combined with the damage model system doesn´t make it worth the money from my viewpoint.
I gave it a try for 6 months and then decided it is overprized.

 

[Deleted member 205301]

@Steve O'Malley one of my protests had ended in a one week ban for a guy....but yeah, a protest is not like a "iracing'police", it only concerned very-very bad behaviour (and only when it's not the first time) ...I'm in since 2011, and only protested 3 times, the other time, i just move'on, I know how people are, and cannot change it
the thing is, this fix is not the last, cause since it, the AI on Oval are very bad ...something wrong ....they'll fix it quickly I hope
@++

 

[Steve O'Malley]

I did make this suggestion on the forums:
"Wouldn't it be good to have a series dedicated to drivers who have say a average incident per race of less then 4.0 for example.
Don't car what car or what tracks but at least you could compete safe in the knowledge that you could concentrate on racing rather than worrying about crash avoidance.

If a drivers incident per race went above the set figure, he would then not be able to compete until it dropped again, which would encourage him to go into other races and try not to crash."

Wouldn't increase revenue so probably wouldnt be considered.

 

[BrunoBæ]

Wouldn't increase revenue so probably wouldnt be considered.

It would probably spoil their revenue.
And I think thats the main point and the reason iRacing will not do anything to get rid of this (more or less mandatory) over-aggressive behaviour.

I have to say that I have no problems with iRacings price level and economical model.

But but - because iRacing was solely shipped as some kind of virtual money machine the absolute last thing the owners will do is to do anything that will annoy the paying customers.
Because if too many of these payers periodically became banned (because of behaviour)
or if it became too hard to stay at ones licence level
or to advance to the next level EVEN if your driving merits openly did show that you should be jerked down a licence level
- then too many paying customers would say good bye iRacing.

CatsAreTheWorstDogs: Thats the main reason iRacing will never act seriously against this behaviour problem.

 

[Phantom Lord]

My last race at Watkins. Two of the first five cars crashed before the chicane. Didn't hit anyone, just couldnt keep the car on the road. This resulted in a massive accident, so we all so slow down - except the guy who sees a chance to a make up a few places and decides to accelerate, hitting other cars and causing another major accident. Its pathetic, lap one of 23 and people are trying to win after three turns. So 27 cars started. 10 are out before the end of the race and only 12 finish on the same lap as the winner.

I've been wondering if iRacing should introduce a system that awards "bonuses" to Safety and/or iRating for finishing a race on the lead lap. That would encourage people to be more cautious in the opening laps and also help to separate out the more careless drivers.

You wouldn't need to punish the drivers who don't finish on the lead lap - just reward those who do (after all, you might get taken out by someone else). The current iRating and Safety scoring systems could still apply.

The system of license progression is good in theory. You need to be safe to get the next license to race the faster cars. However they have a fast track system in place which encourages people to get the license quickly, then buy new cars and new tracks. So you get people who don't practise getting all the content and smashing up races, safe in the knowledge they can quickly jump into the next race and do it all again. Again, money is the key.

In terms of people buying new content, maybe some kind of Gran Turismo licence test is the answer? This could be applied for each car type (e.g. GTE) and require each user to drive a certain number of laps at a certain pace (doesn't need to be world record times - consistency is more important than speed).

 

[F_B]

The AI is quite good already and is the only reason I'm still subscribed atm.
Nevertheless I hope they add some more historic content at some point because I'm not really interested in all these modern GT or touring cars.

 

[Deleted member 205301]

...Once again, I see many people complaining....and when I take a look at their IR, they are below 2000 ....
In iracing, we could have 2 different vision of these problem, cause our reality is different... A guy having below 2000IR is effectively in splits were people are "bad drivers", and it could be difficult to have fun ...
I'm over 3000, and for me, the experience is different... even when I drive on some series who are not splitted (formula Renault 2.0 for example), it's very easy to avoid these comportments (not everytime, unfortunately), and finally having a good race...
These diferences between people below 2000 (or worse, below 1500) and those over 3000 (or better) are huge, and makes us having different simracing experience (and point of view) from the same title...
I'm personnally one of those praying for a very strict licence level, and a SR very much more straight ! ...but it means bad drivers couldn't race....and bad drivers are majority....that's not about money, or economical reason, that's about elistism or not ....and simracing DO NOT have to be like IRL, allowing only the bests...
@++

 

[BrunoBæ]

In terms of people buying new content, maybe some kind of Gran Turismo licence test is the answer? This could be applied for each car type (e.g. GTE) and require each user to drive a certain number of laps at a certain pace (doesn't need to be world record times - consistency is more important than speed).

What what?
You have stolen my idea from when I was an iRacing member.

But I was virtually killed inside the iRacing forum because I proposed that TT(time trial) participation should be mandatory before you could be allowed to participate in every weeks official races.
The advantage is that TT tracks does follow the official MP race schedule - and require that you are able to run some inc free laps in succession.

And conserning your "a certain number of laps at a certain pace" could easily be implemented as a 106% rule of the fastest time from the running TT competition of the track.

But as said I was "killed".

 

[Cote Dazur]

The AI is quite good already and is the only reason I'm still subscribed atm

When racing the AI, is it like R3E, you only have access to drive the content you bought but the grid is filled with all the content available for that particular series?