Paul Jeffrey
Premium
The latest 'Development Roadmap' from Studio 397 was released recently and it is full of interesting insights in to the future of rFactor 2...
Firstly sorry for the delay reporting this roadmap release here at RaceDepartment, I've had a few Christmas related things irl that have monopolised my time since Friday night (basically I got drunk and due to advancing years cannot recover like I could when I was 18). So after much toilet bowl talking I'm back, and catching up fast!
Despite 2017 rapidly drawing to a close and many businesses slowing down ready for the festive period it looks like Studio 397, the team of developers responsible for the continual advancement of rFactor 2, are still very much hard at work behind the scenes bringing plenty of improvement and enhancements to this outstanding simulation.
In the latest update to the community released on the final day of November, the team have confirmed plenty of work is still underway back at base, with an expected December release on the cards for the much anticipated new "rain build" of rFactor 2, more info on the brand new Formula E DLC and some interesting progress in the world of Virtual Reality..
Read on to find out exactly what S397 have up their sleeve for this venerable simulation in the immediate future...
The November Development Roadmap from Studio 397 can be viewed in full below:
Last month we reflected on 2017 and hinted at new content. Earlier this week we announced the Formula E Energize Pack, bringing electric racing to rFactor 2. This weekend you can all watch the season opening double header race in Hong Kong. We announced a hotlap competition, which gives you a chance to win some exclusive Formula E goodies, or show your friends how much better you are than them!
Some of you might have watched the talk and drive that Marcel did on RaceDepartment. For those of you that didn’t, you missed out on some free copies of the Formula E pack. We’ll summarize some of the new things that were discussed there.
Obviously a lot of questions centered around the Formula E content. We’ll release an update of that in a week or two that will include the new team liveries that we were not able to show you ahead of the opening race, and we’ll also provide a code update that will give you a better insight into the amount of battery you have left, and are using per lap. Since this part of the strategy is such an integral part of racing these cars, we feel an improvement is in order so you don’t have to rely on third party plugins. Incidentally, talking about third party plugins, Crew Chief already released a code update that supports Formula E. If you have not checked it out yet, we can definitely recommend you do so!
We’re also ready to announce that we will be making DX11 the default before Christmas. As an intermediate step before we come with a new HUD system for plugins, we’ll focus on providing a default HUD that includes a lot of the features you have been enjoying in third party plugins. One of these is a new dial that show you the time delta compared to your best lap, but we have a few other new things and enhancements planned. Part of this DX11 update will be the inclusion of the “rain update” that we previewed at SimExpo. We’ve since perfected it. We’ve also improved the ambient lighting, producing subtle differences that give the overall image a slightly more dramatic look. At the moment we are working feverishly to update all our cars and tracks to make maximum use of these new features. We’ll incrementally release those updates, but anticipate to already have a substantial part done before the end of this year. The shots below are still work in progress, but show you what we’ve been doing to make the rain look better on both cars and tracks.
Another announcement is that we officially support all the new Windows Mixed Reality headsets, check it here. In 2018 we will focus on more DX11 related updates, both in terms of performance and fidelity. As announced, that means we’re deprecating DX9, meaning it will still be available, but it won’t be updated anymore. This gives us more bandwidth to focus on the new engine, which should be a huge benefit for everybody.
Wrapping up this month’s update, we all wish you a happy holiday season and we’ll be back with one final roadmap update close to the end of the year. Of course we will be back in 2018. Happy simracing!
rFactor 2 is available from Steam as a PC exclusive title now. The Formula E Energize DLC can be picked up for 8.70 from the Steam Store HERE.
Check out the rFactor 2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment for all the latest news and discussion with regards to the simulation. You can take part in lively debates with fellow rFactor 2 fans and take part in some great Club and League racing events..! Head over to the forum now and share the love this simulation so very much deserves...
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Are you pleased with the content of the latest rFactor 2 Development Roadmap? Looking forward to the new wet weather build? Interested in the new wave of VR headset support? What would you like to see the studio focus on next? Let us know in the comments section below!