Today Studio 397 announced another roadmap update for their recently acquired racing title, rFactor 2. This months update brings some exciting new features and improvements to this respected title. Ever since September 16, 2016, when rFactor 2 creator Image Space Incorporated partnered up with Dutch developer Luminis, thus creating Studio 397, there has been a great deal of excitement and curiosity over what this new developer would bring to the table. A combination of new content such as the Nissan GT500 along with promises of updates to the graphics, user interface and online gameplay have kept us sim racers eagerly waiting to see what’s next. Today’s update shows Studio 397 is hard at work and further suggests they are continuing to live up to their promises for this title.
Like its predecessor, rFactor 2 has gained a large fan base among virtual and real world racers alike. This is due to an ultra-realistic tire model, accurate physics model, and arguably the best Force Feedback in the industry. These qualities have led to real race teams utilizing rFactor Pro – the professional version of rFactor 2 – for driver training as well as testing tracks and vehicles in the virtual world before moving to the real world. This is in addition to a large number of sim racers who swear by this title, many of whom consider rFactor 2 their go-to-sim. However, given that rFactor 2 is operating on the aging ISIMotor2.5 engine, there are many areas where the title could be improved. Studio 397 has set out to tackle these shortcomings, bringing the title on par with more modern titles in terms of graphics, hardware support, multiplayer functionality and user interface. With all of the love rFactor 2 already receives, these advancements can only help to build upon the titles current popularity. Here is a run down of what we can expect.
DX11 is Coming, Maybe Sooner than Expected
Last month, we reported on the first rFactor 2 DX11 comparison images released by Studio 397. Today, a few more images have been released showcasing vast improvements to the graphical quality. The first thing I notice when viewing these new images are the deeper colors and added contrast, a closer look reveals major improvements to the shadows, textures, clouds, reflections and overall crispness of the image. Although these are just screenshots – the real test will come when we see the first DX11 gameplay – it is fair to assume that the move to DX11 will prove to be very exciting. Not only will DX11 bring advancements in the overall graphical quality, we should also expect to see improvements in the way the game performs on our computers. While this particular detail is not specifically mentioned within this update, DX11 typically allows for greater overall performance than DX9 when comparing on identical PCs. Studio 397 said the fallowing regarding the upgrade to DX11.
In the last couple of weeks we’ve focused on ensuring compatibility with existing content as well as further improvements to the way we render our HDR output. We’ll let the new screenshots speak for themselves.
Given the progress, we can hope to see DX11 come to rFactor 2 in the not to distant future.
VR Development well Underway
One of the most anticipated features coming to rFactor 2 is the addition of support for Virtual Reality headsets. Studio 397 stated.
we are now in our first development stage for VR. Our initial focus is the in-car driver experience with both the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. The second development stage will delve deeper into the environmental capabilities of the VR experience, which we will share over the next couple of months.
With VR becoming more and more popular among the sim racing community, it goes without saying that the addition of native VR support within rFactor 2 will be great news for many. As of now those wishing to experience rFactor 2 in VR must turn to 3rd party apps, this is not the most ideal solution. With more and more titles beginning to implement support for popular VR headsets, native support for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive within rFactor 2 will surely be welcomed with open arms.
Competition Update
It looks like the recently announced competition structure will be coming to rFactor 2 this Summer. Aside from a small mention of this in last months as well as today’s update, there really isn’t much info to go on. It appears to be a new competition mode, which aims to bring structure into individual, as well as team career progression and encourage regular racing. Here’s what we have so far.
As part of the new user interface we are developing the in-game competition structure. We all know that competition is at the heart of all racing sims, and rFactor 2 has a long-standing relationship with some of the greatest leagues in simracing covering multiple racing disciplines. Building on this strong foundation, our new competition mechanics intend to encourage frequent racing and greater accessibility, offering a rich career progression coupled with new aligned content.
Development of the competition infrastructure is going well and is on track to be released this summer. Drivers and teams will be able to record their stats, achievements and results, which then can be accessed through any device and shared with friends. Competitions will feature selected existing content and new content. Details will be announced in the coming months. Our main focus is to create feature rich mechanics that provide a challenge for new drivers and seasoned sim racing veterans alike.
Perhaps this will be a good way to bring leagues together and inspire players to get involved in more races. We will be sure to keep you posted as more info becomes available.
User Interface
We also have another image of new user interface which is currently under development. This should be another welcome addition, the outdated user interface within rFactor 2 is one of the most heavily criticized areas of the game. I for one would love to see a smoother more streamlined user interface experience, and I’m sure others would too. While the user interface update doesn’t hold as much importance as the DX11 or VR updates, it is still nice to see this area receiving attention.
Radio Communication
It looks like rFactor 2 will be improving their radio communication feature as well. According to Studio 397, players will be able to receive radio communication from more than just the spotter. They are also working towards a feature that would allow the player to ask for instructions or information. Here’s a portion of what Studio 397 had to say.
We are working on expanding our current system, which is centered on the spotter’s role, into a system that allows different people to talk to you on the radio. In addition, we intend to make the communication more interactive by giving you the ability to ask for information or instructions.
New Track
When we covered the October Roadmap Update, we told you the the next track in the works would be Nola Motorsports Park. We now have confirmation that this track will in fact be released on February 28th, less than two weeks away! This track will come with multiple configurations, including at least one Kart configuration. The fallowing was taken from Today’s Update,
Whether you choose to race a kart, open wheeler, or tintop, the large variety of configurations makes NOLA a very versatile and challenging track to master. NOLA Motorsports Park will be released on February 28th!
Modding Teams Wanted
Studio 397 announced today that they are looking for modding teams to help with testing the compatibility of mods with the new DX11 implementation. The goal is to have DX11 working properly with modded content at the time of release. Modding teams interested in signing up can find more info by viewing Today’s update here.
In Conclusion
If you ask me, the partnership between ISI and Studio 397 can only be seen as positive. With new content coming regularly, and many new features in the works it is safe to say rFactor 2 isn’t falling to the wayside anytime soon. I for one will be waiting anxiously for the move to DX11, and the news about native VR support intrigues me as well. We will be sure to keep you up to date on all the latest details regarding rFactor 2 and Studio 397 as they emerge.