Last updated on July 6th, 2021 at 01:07 am
Studio 397 have recapped their recent work, and some of their plans for the future, in the latest rFactor 2 June 2021 developer roadmap update.
Obviously they’re keen to mention the release of the new Formula Pro, which we covered here. Along with the release of the BMW M4 Class 1 2021 and Monza. But there are some interesting bits of info about other elements of the sim racing title, and a new car which hasn’t been previously highlighted, so you can find those parts of the update below:
Release Candidate and Beta Progress
Earlier this month, we deployed a substantial new ‘Release Candidate’ build update for the simulation, bumping the version number for this latest RC build and adding the new and (we believe) dramatically good-looking first pass at Screen Space Reflections (SSR) – vastly improving the way rFactor 2 represents reflections in wet road conditions, adding a much appreciated level of graphical depth and quality to the simulation when racing in the rain on any given track within the title. Of course, with such a considerable improvement to the graphics of the software, we anticipate small fixes and updates will be required over the comings weeks to ensure everything is performing exactly as expected, something that we are monitoring and working on at a near daily basis back at HQ.
What this does mean, following a release of this size, is that much of our attention is currently focussed on supporting the quality of life and development of the latest Release Candidate update – addressing any issues that have been presented by the community and generally making sure that everything is performing correctly, and addressing any bugs and problems that crop up between now and when we turn this latest Release Candidate build into the main rFactor 2 branch on Steam.
Already we have received a few reports of various items of interest from the community, which we are in the process of reviewing and tweaking for the next hotfix update currently in development.
Although a lot of our resource capacity is quite rightly focussed on the continued improvements to our current RC build, we are also turning our attention to the next batch of updates that are underway behind closed doors (the workflow never stops!) – although these changes are still at an early stage as we focus mostly on supporting the current RC, we have plenty of interesting fixes and improvements planned for our next update.
Tyre Compounds In Overlay
One of the key areas we are looking at expanding in the near future is the amount of information shared to the game overlay, something that should help enrich the various rFactor 2 broadcasts that are regularly run both centrally here at Studio 397, and out within the wider rFactor 2 community. With the introduction of the upcoming Formula Pro open wheel car, and the inevitable selection of tyre compounds that machine comes with, we have resolved to upgrade our overlay system to show the viewers at home which compounds are in play for each driver at any given time – something that we feel will bring a positive improvement to the broadcast experience within the simulation.
As many of you will likely have noticed from the last Release Candidate update, we have already added a few new features to the in-built overlay that have proven to be popular amongst our active racing community, namely the introduction of a brand-new DRS display, as well as the welcome addition / return of RMP, speed, gear and pedal inputs. Needless to say we will continue to look at refining and expanding this powerful tool within the simulation, as well as continuing to enjoy the many varied event broadcasts our outstanding community so impressively produce.
Competition System Linked Sessions
We are delighted to see our Competition System continues to produce some excellent regular online racing action within the rFactor 2 community, and while progress from the outside may seem to have slowed down a little in recent months, we can assure you that we continue to look at ways we can improve and add value to this aspect of rFactor 2 going forward. Right from the very early days following the introduction of the CS back in late 2020, our community have requested the ability to join different races directly after the previous event has finished, without the need to back out of the Competition System itself and register for the next event.
Although we have long agreed with this desire, we have had to temper expectation a little as we work behind the scenes to test out various different scenarios and ensure what we have already is robust enough to act as a base for further developments and expansion. Although we feel testing and tweaking with this sort of thing could very easily go on for the foreseeable future, we do feel that we now have a good gap in our development schedule to look at how we can best included ‘linked’ sessions within the Competition System – which will basically mean that a driver can join an event and race, and stay within the system and progress straight into the next track session – something we are very excited to finally be able to work on and hopefully bring to the community in the very near future.
2022 BMW M4 GT3 Announced
If you tuned in to the recent BMW Reveal Event ahead of our new BMW M4 Class 1 2021 announcement, you may have noticed a cheeky little reference to another new car towards the end of the show – that’s right, we have signed a licence agreement with BMW to bring the new for next season 2022 BMW M4 GT3 to rFactor 2 – a car that will represent the 14th GT3 model in the simulation, and should prove to be a very exciting and dramatic modern upgrade for the rapidly expanding field of GT3 cars already on offer in rFactor 2.
Developed as the successor to the M6 GT3, the new machine represents what BMW hope will become the new standard in GT3 performance. Based on the latest generation BMW M4, the new car not only looks dramatically different to its predecessor, but should pack a greater punch out on the circuit with improved consistency and tyre life one of the key cornerstones of this latest design.
Other topics covered in the rFactor 2 June 2021 Developer Roadmap Update included the graphical update to Sebring released in June, the Formula Pro and Formula Challenge Series details, and a recent update on the Competition System.
Keep up with all the latest rFactor 2 updates and news, here. Or check out the full rFactor 2 car list, and the rFactor 2 track list. Along with downloading the demo version for free via Steam, or buying rFactor 2 for the PC.
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