RFactor 2

rFactor 2 is a 2013¹ computer racing simulator developed by Image Space Incorporated (taken over by Studio 397 in 2016) and released for Windows in 2013. Like its predecessor rFactor, rFactor2 is designed to be modified and used by professional racing teams for driver training and race car development. Much of its source code is derived from rFactor Pro, which is also used by professional racers and most of the Formula One teams and NASCAR manufacturers. 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, and tire model.

rFactor 2 is a 2013 computer racing simulator developed by Image Space Incorporated (taken over by Studio 397 in 2016) and released for Windows in 2013. Like its predecessor rFactor, rFactor2 is designed to be modified and used by professional racing teams for driver training and race car development. Much of its source code is derived from rFactor Pro, which is also used by professional racers and most of the Formula One teams and NASCAR manufacturers. 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, and tire model.

Development by ISI after release (2013–2016)

Tire degradation was added with a beta build 146 in February 2013, along with other related tyre physics updates. In November 2014, a new build was released with a new tire contact patch physics, although it wasn't yet applied to any car. 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. Historical cars were later released for rFactor 2. In May 2014 the Formula Renault 3.5 was released, shortly followed by the Dallara DW12 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race track, the first oval content for rFactor 2. Some historical Indycar content was also released. Between 2014 and 2015, ISI tasked Marcel Offermans from Dutch software company Luminis to bring rFactor to the Steam store, which was completed in March 2015. This was also done as an exploration for also bringing rFactor 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 of rFactor 2, which was effectively announced the following year with the creation of Studio 397. A non-Steam version of rFactor 2 continued to be available until May 2016. That month, an official physics development blog aimed at modders was launched, giving detailed information on the physics engine and how to create cars for rF2, including posts on the tire creation process.

Features

Tire model

The interaction and collaboration between Image Space Incorporated and professional racing teams and their engineers using the ISI developed rFactor Pro platform has changed the new tire model used in rFactor 2. This has resulted in the ISI TGM Tyre Tool, a tool that is also available to third-party modders. rFactor 2 is the first consumer simulation featuring a thermomechanical physically-based tire model, based on first principles, simulating the entire carcass, thread and contact patch, with proper heat transfer, accurate tire wear, flatspots, and visual deformation. It is also the first to feature truly dynamic track conditions. Racers new to rFactor 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. rFactor 2 also features realistic tire wear and damage. If a player locks up the brakes, a flat 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, the competitive advantage of excessively sliding all four tires to better rotate a car through a corner, 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. 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 increased rolling resistance.

Modding

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 for rFactor 2 include the Endurance Series mod created by EnduRacers, the MP4/4, MP4/8, MP4/9 and Williams FW26 F1 cars created by the MAK-Corp modding team, the Formula 3 race car, the Pikes Peak Hillclimb, a LIDAR-scanned Laguna Seca, Mid-Ohio, and Highlands Motorsport Park.

Competition system

The Competition System was released in beta in December 2020¹. The "Linked Sessions" feature was introduced in July 2021¹. 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. Planned features for the competition system include a protest system, 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.

Use in official esports events

Since 2014, rFactor 2 has also been used for the Formula SimRacing (FSR) World Championship organized by the International SimRacing Club (ISR Club). From April to June 2020, rFactor 2 was used for the Formula E Race at Home Challenge. rFactor 2 was used for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual race on 14 June 2020, organized in collaboration with Motorsport Games. The race was red-flagged twice when the server had a problem and had to be restarted, drawing criticism from race leader Max Verstappen. In the 2023¹ 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. Extremely frustrated, he said he would uninstall the game and vowed to never race in the event again. In February 2022, rFactor 2 released the IndyCar 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 to rFactor 2, which in 2020 was held in iRacing with the INDYCAR iRacing Challenge.

Use of rF2 engine in other games

rFactor 2 s physics was licensed to Amazon Game Studios' The Grand Tour Game, which was released in January 2019¹. Since Motorsport Games acquisition of Studio 397 in 2021, all Motorsport Games titles used the rF2 physics engine, starting with NASCAR 21: Ignition, which was released in October 2021. Motorsport Games planned to use the engine in their now-shelved British Touring Car Championship and IndyCar Series games.

See also

rFpro

Further reading

Harrison-LordPosted, Thomas ESPORTS Sim racer turned real racer with Rudy van Buren | The Traxion.GG Podcast, Season 2, Episode 10, traxion.gg, August 2, 2021 Heusinkveld, Niels Tires in race simulations, at sim-racing.co.uk, February 2012 Gjon Camaj and Tim Wheatley on rFactor 2, by Doug Atkinson at simhqmotorsports.com, 15 September 2014 rFactor tyre physics developer Michael Borda's blog, at studio-397.com

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1365667584 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.