Bsimracing Sim Racing Resources and News for the racing enthousiast.
Motorsport Games and Studio 397 have deployed the 2023 Q2 Release Candidate update, introducing a good number of fixes and enhancements to the rFactor 2 racing Simulator, including some significant AI changes and engine code updates.
The release candidate build can be accessed via your rFactor 2 Steam account, under the release candidate branch option.
For all the details, check out the full changelog below.
Official Webpage – www.studio-397.com – The rFactor 2 Racing Simulator is available via Steam for €29,99.
Changelog:
General
- Fixed assigned Screenshot button not working in UI in Retail
- Fixed Photo Mode depth option not working
- Linked Photo Mode Screenshot Format and Depth saving to player.json setting
- Removed nonfunctional copy to clipboard screenshot player.json setting
- Disallow assigned Screenshot button in Photo Mode
- Allowed toggling of showroom background in Retail (via key 1 or via button).
- Added player.json setting “showroom background” for the default state of rendering background.
- Added Sideview UI showroom for taking screenshots of cars for icons.
- Fixed UI resolution not setting correctly when switching from Windowed to Borderless in the Game.
- Fixed crash when changing resolution options in VR
Configuration Application
- Updated Config file to save last used resolution and refresh rate rather than an enumeration of the used mode for more consistent handling of game resolution when adapters change.
- Setup a VR-specific config file. This file will copy from the default file on the first run of VR.
- Allowed the option to configure multiple files from the config application
- Fixed various inconsistencies in the config app whereby changing adapter or monitor would lose any previous setting changes
- Fixed windows version reporting in the config app
- Updated displaying of PC Specs to show only relevant information in the config app
- Removed various unused settings from the config file
Physics
- Ensured that results files/ai report battery state when it’s the primary energy source
- Various fixes for battery energy consumption
Graphics
- Updated Dashboard Elements Shader to use IBL Setup for better lighting
- Added LowLumEmissive shader to replace old Dashboard usage on track assets (Start/Pit Lights etc) and in Car LEDs. The game will auto-reassign these.
- Updated Cockpit Readout format to allow offsets, to render multiple readouts to the same background
- Added Cockpit Readout Icon format, which can render texture to the background, with a configurable number of elements, and options to change colors or uvw islands based on value, with options for Fuel, Battery, RPM, TC, TCActive, ABS, ABSLocked
- Added various extra cockpit readouts: FuelLastLap, FuelFinishAverage, BatteryLastLap, BatteryFinishAverage, CurrentLap, Delta, TCSlip, TCCut, BatteryRegenLevel, ElectricMotorMap
- Updated Moddev Tweak Bar displays for new options
- Enable rain light when the battery is harvesting on throttle. Use CockpitInfo.ini params to configure:
- RegenLightRequireThrottle=1/0 (requires higher throttle than brake)
- RegenLightMinPowerWatts=15000 (requires 15kw regen to show the light)
AI
- Reworked AI throttle behavior
- Less overshooting, more controlled deceleration
- Improved acceleration with less wheelspin
- Improved corner exits
- Eliminated even more sources of oscillation
- Improved lap times for certain vehicles
- Pit speed limit won’t be overshot
- Stop positions (grid, pit box) will no longer be overshot
- Reworked AI reaction to other vehicles (road courses)
- AI will now properly slipstream other vehicles
- Overtaking occurs if AI can achieve overlap before the next corner, otherwise, the AI will save fuel
- Multiclass: Faster classes will no longer slow down when trying to overtake slower classes
- Multiclass: Faster classes avoid overtaking unless they can get fully past before the apex
- Multiclass: Faster classes will attempt to carry more momentum, and lift off early if no overtaking opportunity exists
- AI will now be more cautious when other cars are around
- AI can now use more of the space following other cars, for proper drafting behavior
- More cautious when yellow flags are ahead or under FCY
- Player and other cars will no longer be rear-ended unless a sudden unexpected lane change makes a reaction impossible
- When cars ahead are in a fight, AI will now set up for an overtake on the corner exit
- AI won’t hesitate to go 3-wide if the situation allows for it, but will pull out before the next braking zone if an overtake seems too dangerous
- Less incident prone with large grids
HUD
- Updated Default HUD
- Added Battery State & Usage options, as well as LEDs for P2P and Battery
UI
- Added Battery Unit setting (Percent or kW(h))
- Fixed multiplayer joining getting triggered again after changing graphics settings and restarting when joining with +connect
Package Management
- Server now verifies that connected clients own the content they are using
Modding
- Map Converter Updates
- Now checks for file updates every 500ms.
- -f (force all textures to update) command will only run once and exit.
- -o (once) command will only run once and exit
- DDS files are only copied from source folder on the first pass.
- Improved output display with more information.
- Mod Dev\Scene Viewer
- Added extra lighting debug information for fog and direct light direction
- Added toggling of shadow groups via shadow key (U) in scene viewer.
- Only allow one instance of the Scene Viewer to be open at a time (fixes issues with accessing Material Editor when the previous instance doesn’t exit for some reason).
- Added missing Limit Path option to Static Cameras in Camera Editor
Known issues
- Battery Usage in Percentage does not show clearly (always says below 0.01%)
- AI will fail to line up for FCY
- AI tends to try to overtake around the outside but quickly realizes that won’t work
- Formation lap speeds are capped too low, so if the grid gets pulled too far apart, the back will fail to catch up in time
