| rFactor 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developers | Image Space Incorporated Studio 397 (since 2016) |
| Publishers | Image Space Incorporated Motorsport Games (2021) |
| Designer | Image Space Incorporated |
| Engine | isiMotor 2.0 |
| Platform | Microsoft Windows |
| Release |
|
| Genre | Racing simulation |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
rFactor 2 is acomputerracing simulator developed byImage Space Incorporated (taken over by Studio 397 in 2016) and released forWindows in 2013. Like its predecessorrFactor,rFactor2 is designed to be modified and used by professional racing teams for driver training and race car development.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Much of its source code is derived fromrFactor Pro, which is also used by professional racers and most of theFormula One teams andNASCAR manufacturers.[10][11][12]
rFactor 2 is designed to simulate any type of multi-wheeled vehicle of any era, including four-wheeled and six-wheeled vehicles with either two or four steered wheels. It features advanced physics, suspension, andtire model.[13][14]
After the initial success ofSports Car GT (1999),Image Space Incorporated used its self-developedsoftware engine Motor1 for several racing titles, including the Formula One simulatorsF1 2002 andF1 Challenge '99-'02. iMotor is an umbrella term that covers every component of the software engine,[15] including the graphics engine gMotor and the physics engine Motor.[16][17] After the release ofF1 Challenge '99-'02,isiMotor was licensed to another company for the first time,SimBin, who went on to produce popular retail sim racing titlesGTR andGTR 2.
Image Space Incorporated then made a racing simulator with open architecture and provided tools for themodding community to create third-party content. This title becamerFactor, released in 2005, which was the first ISI title using the software engine referred to as isiMotor2.
isiMotor2 was further licensed to companies such asSlightly Mad Studios, Reiza Studios, and 2Pez Games. isiMotor2 also laid the foundation forrFactor Pro, a software simulation engine used by real-life racing teams and car manufacturers, including most of the current Formula One grid and NASCAR manufacturers. Image Space Incorporated took the experience from isiMotor2 andrFactor Pro and began the development ofrFactor 2. From this point on, the software engine would be referred to as isiMotor2.5.[15]rFactor 2 also incorporated code that was developed forrFpro.[10] At the same time,rFpro continues to use the developments made by ISI to the rFactor codebase.[18]
The public first became aware that the development ofrFactor 2 was underway when Gjon Camaj of Image Space Incorporated posted WIP in-game screenshots onTwitter in early March 2009.[19] Later that month, he revealed more details about the upcoming simulator alongside additional in-game screenshots. In October 2010, Camaj revealed in an extensive interview plans for including licensed content, a new reworked UI, inclusion of dynamic weather, new innovative dynamic racing surface technology, improvements to the AI logic, and a new force feedback system with lower input lag and much faster and more direct steering rack forces, similar to the popular third partydeveloped RealFeel plug-in forrFactor.[20]
By December 2011, more features were confirmed to be included in the then-upcoming open beta, including rain, wet/dry track transitions, dynamic track elements (groove/marbles), newtire model, new physics, and a new collision model.[21] The first open beta (Test Build 49) was released on January 10, 2012.[22][23][24] After the December 2012 release (Update 10, Build 134)[25] Test Build 49 has been out of beta since early 2013,[26] and the officialSteam store page retrospectively listed it as released on March 28, 2013 (which corresponds to build 198).[1]
Tire degradation was added with a beta build 146 in February 2013, along with other related tyre physics updates.[27] In November 2014, a new build was released with a new tire contact patch physics, although it wasn't yet applied to any car.[28][29]
Among the free content released with the game was the Corvette G6.R, Nissan GTR, Chevrolet Camaro GT3 (released in August 2013) and among the race tracks Silverstone and Lime Rock Park.[30] Historical cars were later released forrFactor 2.[31] In May 2014 theFormula Renault 3.5 was released,[32] shortly followed by theDallara DW12 and theIndianapolis Motor Speedway race track, the first oval content forrFactor 2.[33][34][35] Some historical Indycar content was also released.
Between 2014 and 2015, ISI tasked Marcel Offermans from Dutch software company Luminis to bringrFactor to theSteam store, which was completed in March 2015.[10] This was also done as an exploration for also bringingrFactor 2 to Steam, which effectively happened in November 2015. This led to Gjon Camaj, ISI's vice president, and Offermans discussing the possibility of Luminis taking over the development ofrFactor 2, which was effectively announced the following year with the creation of Studio 397.[36][37]
A non-Steam version ofrFactor 2 continued to be available until May 2016.[38] That month, an official physics development blog aimed at modders was launched, giving detailed information on the physics engine and how to create cars forrF2,[39] including posts on the tire creation process.[40]
At Simracing Expo held in September 2016, ISI announced a partnership with Dutch software company Luminis with the goal of bringing new features to the software.[41][42] Luminis already had experience with racing simulators, having supported Reiza Studios in the development ofAutomobilista, which was based onrFactor siMulator 2 engine. This partnership brings the development ofrFactor 2 to a new company called Studio 397, based inApeldoorn. Studio 397 managing director Marcel Offermans stated that a lot of new features would be implemented in the game, including a more web-based UI, aDirectX 11 compatible graphics engine and theVR support forOculus Rift andHTC Vive. Moreover, a new "paid-content system" would allow ISI to add more licensed content to the simulator.[41][43][44][45]
The following month, Studio 397 released information about the new content. The developers revealed that they had acquired the license ofU.S. F2000 National Championship,Radical Sportscars, andNOLA Motorsports Park.[46][47] The newrFactor 2 version was available only onSteam.[46][47] With their first build release in December, Studio 397 made online racing free to all users, removing the previous subscription fee model.[48] In May 2017, the open beta for the new DirectX 11 graphics engine was released[49] and became the default graphics engine later the same year, discontinuing support for DirectX 9.[50] With DX11, support for Virtual Reality was introduced.[51]
From July 2017, Studio 397 started to release a series of updates to thetyre model, starting with the Radical SR3 RSX,[52] and continuing with a contact patch model (CPM) update in October of the same year.[53] Later in December, a new build introduced an update to the tire contact patch model (CPM) physics, which developer Michael Borda deemed "the biggest change inrF2 since the introduction of the contact patch model" (which was with the 880 build back in 2014).[54][55] The updated CPM was also available to modders, and was used in the 2018 version of the GP3 Series mod.[56] In 2018, Studio 397 conducted tests at the Mechanopôle test track inAlès (France), in collaboration withDuqueine Engineering andIndy Lights and LMP2 driverNicolas Jamin (which were usingMichelin tires), to fine-tune physics and tire data for theLMP and GTE cars.[57]
After theLe Mans 24 Hours Virtual in February 2020,Michelin stated that the tire wear rate inrFactor 2 was higher than in real life, and that they looked forward to working with Studio 397 to improverF2 tire compounds on this aspect.[58] Further physics updates were released in the same month, also based on feedback from 2017World's Fastest Gamer winner Rudy van Buren.[59]
In August 2017, Studio 397 released the first paid DLC forrFactor 2, with theMcLaren 650S GT3,[60] followed in October by a larger GT3 pack DLC.[61] The following month, the firstFormula E content was released.[62][63] In March 2018, the KartSim DLC package was released, containing twogo-karts and three tracks.[64][65] The same year in February, Studio 297 finished data gathering for the first laser scanned track forrFactor 2 (Sebring), usingLidar technology.[66] Later in 2018, Studio 397 released the Endurance package and several historical F1 cars (the Brabham BT44B,March 761, andMcLaren M23, MP4/8 and MP4/13).[67][68][69] In June 2019, the first sixTatuus-based cars were released.[70] In 2019, with the addition of the24 Hours of Le Mans and their version of theCircuit de Monaco,rF2 completed the fulltriple crown of tracks.[71]
The user interface forrFactor andrFactor 2 had long been criticized for their graphic design.[18] In December 2019, a newuser interface, which had been anticipated and previewed for some time,[72] was released as an opt-in public beta.[73] It is entirely based on HTML to make it easier to extend and integrate with future online services.[71] The new UI included a new matchmaker for online multiplayer[74][75] and established the basis for the upcoming competition system, whose beta was released in December 2020.[76][77]
In March 2021,Motorsport Games entered a deal with Luminis International for the acquisition of 100% share of Studio 397 andrFactor 2 for 16 million USD.[78] The acquisition was completed two months later in May. Also that year in February, Motorsport Games acquired Black Delta, developer ofKartKraft, for an undisclosed amount.[79][80] After discontinuing itsNASCAR Heat series, Motorsport Games used therFactor 2 physics engine and theUnreal graphics engine forNASCAR 21: Ignition, launched in 2021.[81] The combination of therFactor and Unreal engines will be used for all titles produced by Motorsport Games,[81] including theBritish Touring Car Championship andIndyCar Series games, both which were later canceled in 2023.
In July 2021, the Formula Pro car was released. The development of the tire physics of this car was based on a new collaboration with tire manufacturerGoodyear, who provided tire data.[82] The updates to thetire model have since been brought to also other cars like the BMW M4 Class 1, and there is ongoing development to use such data and feedback from Goodyear to fix long standingrF2 issues, such as the undue performance advantage given by running minimum tire pressures.[83]
Studio 397 unveiled details on its forthcoming Q3 release candidate build ofrFactor 2. The release candidate is an optional beta. April's Q2 release candidate gave the players better particle and sound effects, leading to enhanced sparks and better-sounding cars. It also introduced a powerful photo mode and made the release one ofrFactor 2's most significant in recent times.[84]
rFactor 2 and its precursor have received much praise for their highly advanced and accurate simulation of vehicle dynamics and are the preferred simulator for most real-life professional racing teams, car engineers, and simulation centers.rFactor 2 is also used to train the drivers who win theGran Turismo Academy competition.[2][7]rFactor 2 includes a new constraint system that allows for advanced physics simulation such as chassis flex, which removes the typical infinite rigidity of a virtual vehicle and incorporates unique chassis characteristics into the handling and performance of the car,[85] as well as highly accurate suspension geometry and wheel rates.
Race Engineer Andrea Quintarelli stated: "It is also no surprise for me that most of these professional simulators (or centers) are usingrFactor. As I had the chance to prove myself (and probably to somebody reading here), when you know how to properly build your models,rFactor is producing very accurate results, at a very low cost".[3]
Petros Mak, the founder of the professional modding company Mak Corp, stated: "All our race team clients and even our series clients, they don't only userFactor for track familiarization. They also use it to test setup data before they go to an event, they use it to test potential new part data, by developing new brakes or new engine performances and testing it in the game before they actually commit to building it in real life.rF1 andrF2 provide far higher accuracy for those things than any other simulation on the market...rFactor 2's physics engine is by far the most simulation-based physics engine using real-life aero and physical data that no other title has come close to".[6][9]
The interaction and collaboration between Image Space Incorporated and professional racing teams and their engineers using the ISI developedrFactor Pro platform has changed the newtire model used inrFactor 2. This has resulted in the ISI TGM Tyre Tool,[86] a tool that is also available to third-party modders.
rFactor 2 is the first consumer simulation featuring a thermomechanical[87] physically-based tire model, based on first principles,[88] simulating the entire carcass, thread and contact patch, with proper heat transfer,[89] accurate tire wear,flatspots,[90] and visual deformation.[91][92][93] It is also the first to feature truly dynamic track conditions.[94]
Racers new torFactor 2 are not used to having to manage their tires like in reality, therefore they tend to overdrive the car with too much steering input, resulting in overheating tires and excessive tire wear.[95]
rFactor 2 also features realistic tire wear[96] and damage. If a player locks up the brakes, aflat spot will occur with force feedback vibrations alongside a car imbalance due to the lost weight of the burnt off tire. Until the tires are changed during a pit stop, the car will feel imbalanced and uncomfortable to drive. Using bad driving techniques will punish the player with tires overheating and wearing unevenly. Tire punctures are also featured, though not visually represented in-game.
The tire model has also had longstanding limitations and issues, like the undue advantage given by running minimum pressures,[83] the competitive advantage of excessively sliding all four tires to better rotate a car through a corner,[97] and the racing line grip levels under wet conditions, which do not take into account that the rubbered track surface is more slippery when wet.[98][99] Regarding minimum tire pressures in real life tires, the advantage given by an increased contact patch and grip is countered by side-effects like an increased risk of overheating the tires and an increasedrolling resistance.
Real Road is one of the most prominent features ofrFactor 2.[100] Rubber is dynamically laid on the track surface in real time during a race session by the player and the AI. The rubber can carry over to the next sessions. This calls for the player constantly having to adapt to the advancing track conditions during a race weekend. In a dry race weekend, this means more and more available grip throughout. The player can choose from various rubber presets to start with or just choose to start the weekend on a completely green track. Real Road can be accelerated, left at a normal rate, or be completely static. The feature also creates grip-affecting marbles outside of the normal racing line.
Real Road works together with wet weather. When rain hits the track, the previously built-up rubber and marbles are washed away and the track will need to be rubbered in again. The wet track surface dries similarly to the aforementioned rubber build-up due to both of the cars on the track, resulting in a drying line,[101] as well as temperature, sun and wind. The Real Road system ofrFactor 2 is unique because it is not scripted, but completely dynamic.[94]
The AI ofrFactor 2 has spatial awareness, adjustable strength and aggression sliders, and the ability to "learn" more efficient racing lines around a track, resulting in faster lap times. The AI can also take control of the player's car.rFactor 2 is unique in that it is capable of races with over 100 AI opponents[102] and players can mix AI opponents with real drivers during online multiplayer races.
rFactor 2 is designed specifically to be modified. It is the first race sim with a dedicated mod packaging system and with the Steam release is the first with Steam Workshop integration. Notable mods forrFactor 2 include the Endurance Series mod created by EnduRacers,[103][104][105] theMP4/4,MP4/8,MP4/9 andWilliams FW26 F1 cars created by the MAK-Corp modding team,[106] theFormula 3 race car, thePikes Peak Hillclimb, aLIDAR-scanned Laguna Seca,Mid-Ohio, andHighlands Motorsport Park.[107][108]
The Competition System was released in beta in December 2020.[109][110][76][77] The "Linked Sessions" feature was introduced in July 2021.[111] As of December 2021, the development of the Competition System beta is still ongoing, and it features some esports series including the BMW SIM M2 CS Racing Cup, the Formula Challenge and the GT Challenge.[112] Planned features for the competition system include a protest system,[75] and a form of ranked racing.
The main goals for the competition system are to provide daily races for multiple series, to have some sort of ranking system to match people of similar skills, support league racing, and an optional ladder path to progress through the ranks.[113]
Also featured inrFactor 2 is a full day-to-night cycle with lighting transitions that can be set to real-time or accelerated. Fuel usage and visual as well as mechanical damage are also featured in the simulator, along with a "resume from replay" feature where any saved replay can be loaded and the player can then choose to resume driving at any point during that replay.
Since 2014,rFactor 2 has also been used for the Formula SimRacing (FSR) World Championship organized by the International SimRacing Club (ISR Club).[114]
From April to June 2020,rFactor 2 was used for theFormula E Race at Home Challenge.[115]
rFactor 2 was used for the24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual race on 14 June 2020, organized in collaboration withMotorsport Games.[116] The race was red-flagged twice when the server had a problem and had to be restarted, drawing criticism from race leaderMax Verstappen.[117][118] In the 2023 edition of the race, the race was red-flagged again due to the servers suffering a security breach. Multiple drivers also had their game crash, including Max Verstappen, who had been leading the race before his game crashed twice.[119] Extremely frustrated, he said he would uninstall the game and vowed to never race in the event again.[120]
In February 2022,rFactor 2 released theIndyCar IR-18, with an official license of the car liveries of the full IndyCar lineup, and main publisher Motorsport Games had a dedicated IndyCar title in development before it was canceled in 2023. This potentially signals a move of the official IndyCar eSports series torFactor 2, which in 2020 was held iniRacing with theINDYCAR iRacing Challenge.[121]
rFactor 2's physics was licensed to Amazon Game Studios'The Grand Tour Game, which was released in January 2019.[122]
Since Motorsport Games acquisition of Studio 397 in 2021, all Motorsport Games titles used therF2 physics engine, starting withNASCAR 21: Ignition, which was released in October 2021.[81] Motorsport Games planned to use the engine in their now-shelvedBritish Touring Car Championship andIndyCar Series games.