Re: iRacing General Discussion

[Forgetful]

I just got it mounted and will be climbing in to drive with it in a few. It's a piece of work. The action of the shifter is rock solid and requires a none too insignificant force to move it. The box is solid. The internals feel solid. The knob is solid. I don't even know if there are any moving parts in there, that's how solid it is.

Dude should change his company name, heck even his last name, to Derek Solid Designs.

I would totally hit him up for a test drive. What's the worst he could say? He seems like a... solid guy. Who knows, you might make a new friend. You already have something in common.



Also welcome here if you're in the 'hood.

[SpecMiata-JSW]

Solid.

[Forgetful]

Because of demand, often from real-world drivers for testing, one of the things we are talking about doing is creating a new section or brand in the track section of web site area called "tech tracks".

In this section we would have driveable point cloud versions of tracks that members could buy for say $5 bucks (price to be determined). Then, if and when we release a fully finished version of track we would take away tech version of track and issue a $5 credit or whatever it sold for to whoever bought it they could use the credit to put towards finished version of track. (If they wanted or could use credit for something else)

We would not use tech tracks for any official racing FYI. The only tracks we would release as tech tracks are tracks that are scanned and production work done to make them "driveable" yet they are not on an immediate list to get finished. We absolutely would not make a track we are working on and plan to finish in near term a tech track for example like a Montreal, Kansas, California or Bathurst. Also some contracts will not allow us to release tracks unless finished.

Examples of possible tech tracks would be Long Beach, Moroso, Willow Springs, NJ, Miller, etc.
Again not to say that we are not going to build these tracks, just for one reason or another not in immediate plans and again the above are just examples as we have these tracks in close to driveable states.

On a side note, we do hope and at this point planning to work heavily on Long Beach next year but like everything, that is subject to change.

We might start with Long Beach as first Tech Track in next build. If you have no interest in this, just ignore it as not impacting anything else and like I said for various reasons, some members have interest in testing on these tracks and things like that. Maybe privately would even want to race on or something.

[HWKII]

Solid.

[HWKII]

Because of demand, often from real-world drivers for testing, one of the things we are talking about doing is creating a new section or brand in the track section of web site area called "tech tracks".

In this section we would have driveable point cloud versions of tracks that members could buy for say $5 bucks (price to be determined). Then, if and when we release a fully finished version of track we would take away tech version of track and issue a $5 credit or whatever it sold for to whoever bought it they could use the credit to put towards finished version of track. (If they wanted or could use credit for something else)

We would not use tech tracks for any official racing FYI. The only tracks we would release as tech tracks are tracks that are scanned and production work done to make them "driveable" yet they are not on an immediate list to get finished. We absolutely would not make a track we are working on and plan to finish in near term a tech track for example like a Montreal, Kansas, California or Bathurst. Also some contracts will not allow us to release tracks unless finished.

Examples of possible tech tracks would be Long Beach, Moroso, Willow Springs, NJ, Miller, etc.
Again not to say that we are not going to build these tracks, just for one reason or another not in immediate plans and again the above are just examples as we have these tracks in close to driveable states.

On a side note, we do hope and at this point planning to work heavily on Long Beach next year but like everything, that is subject to change.

We might start with Long Beach as first Tech Track in next build. If you have no interest in this, just ignore it as not impacting anything else and like I said for various reasons, some members have interest in testing on these tracks and things like that. Maybe privately would even want to race on or something.

This is something I like the idea of very much. It's essentially a 'project greenlight' for tracks; put in your $5 to be able to drive the 'beta' in their cars, and if they get enough $5, you get your money back and they release the full version at full price? I 100% approve of this. I guarantee that there are going to be a whole new crop of guys whining about how iRacing is already super expensive and they can't possibly justify asking for more money. Optional transaction is optional.

[timneyb]

This is something I like the idea of very much. It's essentially a 'project greenlight' for tracks; put in your $5 to be able to drive the 'beta' in their cars, and if they get enough $5, you get your money back and they release the full version at full price? I 100% approve of this. I guarantee that there are going to be a whole new crop of guys whining about how iRacing is already super expensive and they can't possibly justify asking for more money. Optional transaction is optional.

Here's $5 for one shoe. Maybe we'll use that $5 make the other one. Maybe we'll buy beer with it. If we do make the other shoe, we'll ask you for more money.

No thanks.

[Forgetful]

Not sure how I feel about incomplete tracks. On the one had, ya, they've got this backlog and it's not going anywhere any time soon, and there are some good tracks in there, but on the other hand, finish what you started, yo.

Depends on how incomplete they are I guess. Might just look like driving around on a newly built or still under construction race track. Kinda like watching racing at NJMP when it first opened and they were black flagging drivers for dropping tires in to the dirt where the grass was going to be.

Update this morning

Here is what will be changed in today's update.


Graphics

- The simulator now loads faster due to programmable shader loading optimizations.

- Fixed a memory leak which may have been causing crashes in on-line events containing many cars with custom paint. The simulator also now limits the largest custom paint texture that it will attempt to load to a maximum dimension of 2048.

- Improved the system memory limiting function in the simulator to better account for the slightly larger size of code and data in 64-bit mode, for the case when more than 44 paint jobs may be loaded in the current session, and for the new dynamic shadow maps. If system memory (RAM) is limited on your PC we recommend enabling the replay spooling option. This is because the static replay buffer is not yet accounted for in the system memory limit, and as the static replay data grows during the session the memory load can slowly increase substantially over the requested limit.

- Fixed a crash when loading replays when car numbers are turned off in testing sessions.


Server

- Fixed a bug where when an admin ejects someone the admin would be marked as ejected and prevented from rejoining the server instead of the ejectee being prevented from rejoining.

- Fixed an bug that could cause the simulation to exit unexpectedly if you connect to a session just as a spectator withdraws from it.


Custom Paint Schemes

- When loading a custom paint for a car from the old custom paint directory, the alpha channel is ignored so that they can display correctly.


Garage

- Fixed an issue that could cause the Garage screen to have all of the controls for adjusting the setup disabled while there is a crew member connected to the session.


Force Feedback

- Fix a bug that could cause the sim to lose all force feedback while a car is driving.


Dallara IndyCar

- Fixed a problem that could cause the tires to act strangely if they are nearly worn out.

- Revised oval setups for this season.


Ford Fusion-Gen6

- The seat no longer disappears when the car gets damaged.


Kia Optima

- Fixed the reflections off the Kia Optima license stripe.


Williams-Toyota FW31

- Fixed the problem where the engine sound of nearby cars would cut out.

[HWKII]

This is something I like the idea of very much. It's essentially a 'project greenlight' for tracks; put in your $5 to be able to drive the 'beta' in their cars, and if they get enough $5, you get your money back and they release the full version at full price? I 100% approve of this. I guarantee that there are going to be a whole new crop of guys whining about how iRacing is already super expensive and they can't possibly justify asking for more money. Optional transaction is optional.

Here's $5 for one shoe. Maybe we'll use that $5 make the other one. Maybe we'll buy beer with it. If we do make the other shoe, we'll ask you for more money.

No thanks.

But we're talking about a bit of hobbyist software with a few thousand subscribers and a dedication to investing a huge number of man hours to produce each product.

Kickstarter (and equivalents) have operated in a similar way for a long time now, largely outside of the general public's consciousness but even that's changing. It's also created an entire new generation of independent developers.

"Here is a demo of our product, if you're interested in investing in our company it would help us to make that product a reality and also help us to better understand the demand for that product. If you make a small investment up front, we'll give you half off the price of the product when we release it."

Seems completely reasonable to me. I'm certainly not suggesting that it has to seem reasonable to you or to anyone, but I welcome to the opportunity to help drive smaller independent publishers towards the the products I'm interested in.

[timneyb]

Kickstarter (and equivalents) have operated in a similar way for a long time now, largely outside of the general public's consciousness but even that's changing. It's also created an entire new generation of independent developers.

"Here is a demo of our product, if you're interested in investing in our company it would help us to make that product a reality and also help us to better understand the demand for that product. If you make a small investment up front, we'll give you half off the price of the product when we release it."

It was the kickstarter analogy that got me thinking about whether I thought it was valid or not. I decided it wasn't for me, because they aren't saying that they are going to use the $5 for finishing the track you pay for, nor are they saying how much they would have to collect to do so. I might/would be willing to put $5 in for an incomplete product that didn't reach it's funding goal, but not to put $5 in a donation box that maybe gets used for something I don't care about.

[Forgetful]

A good portion of your subscription dollars already go towards the Oval side of iRacing, so there's an element of paying for other stuff built in already. At least this way there would be some kind of 'vote' attached to the purchase. If a tech track sells like hotcakes, there's a measurable incentive to get it finished.

[timneyb]

A good portion of your subscription dollars already go towards the Oval side of iRacing, so there's an element of paying for other stuff built in already. At least this way there would be some kind of 'vote' attached to the purchase. If a tech track sells like hotcakes, there's a measurable incentive to get it finished.

My problem is that the inference that they might use a chunk of these $5 for finishing off the track is just that, an inference. I would want them to state goals and targets more clearly. I can't tell if this is a kickstarter project or a yard sale.

[timneyb]

I thought about this some more on my way down to lunch, and decided I was quite pleased with this metaphor.

Whether I buy a single shoe depends very heavily on if I think I'm at a kickstart launch or a yard sale

[clacksman]

I'm leaning toward 'finish what you start y0' as well; having said that a discounted preorder price on an incoming track with the rainbow road version usable for nonsense until it's totally done would be fine - it's that discount I need to see to want to pre-pay or pre-order. Pay-half-now-with-maybe-the-finished-product-later-sometime doesn't sell me.

[Forgetful]

Speaking of 'finish wat yo started, yo', this is actually pretty damn funny.

[group44]

Speaking of 'finish wat yo started, yo', this is actually pretty damn funny.

Near to tears on that one. Every iteration of that clip just seems to get funnier.

[HWKII]

My thoughts exactly Group, normally that kind of thing would get old after a while, but somehow... Hitler screaming about things is just hilarious...

[SpecMiata-JSW]

My thoughts exactly Group, normally that kind of thing would get old after a while, but somehow... Hitler screaming about things is just hilarious...

Yes, those Hitler clips are always hilarious. I have been out of it for a while, and wasn't aware they pushed the Lotus back again. Geesh! I felt like Hitler in the video when I found out about the delya; but then I watched him and he made me laugh.

[HWKII]

My thoughts exactly Group, normally that kind of thing would get old after a while, but somehow... Hitler screaming about things is just hilarious...

Yes, those Hitler clips are always hilarious. I have been out of it for a while, and wasn't aware they pushed the Lotus back again. Geesh! I felt like Hitler in the video when I found out about the delya; but then I watched him and he made me laugh.

I speak for all my relatives when I say, thank you for reconsidering your ascent to Hitlerdom

[Forgetful]

Kansas was just released this morning. One track to go and iRacing will have the current spec Cup car and all of the tracks they race on.

[Forgetful]

Kansas Has a road course, so gonna have to buy it.

G44, maybe you can esplain... Kansas (race track) is in Ohio. Kansas (NFL) is in Misourri. Heck, people even got their own separate state 'Ar'kansas... Does no one like the state of Kansas?

[HWKII]

Kansas Has a road course, so gonna have to buy it.

G44, maybe you can esplain... Kansas (race track) is in Ohio. Kansas (NFL) is in Misourri. Heck, people even got their own separate state 'Ar'kansas... Does no one like the state of Kansas?

When officially opened to settlement by the U.S. government in 1854, abolitionist Free-Staters from New England and pro-slavery settlers from neighboring Missouri rushed to the territory to determine if Kansas would become a free state or a slave state. Thus, the area was a hotbed of violence and chaos in its early days as these forces collided, and was known as Bleeding Kansas. The abolitionists eventually prevailed and on January 29, 1861,[9][10] Kansas entered the Union as a free state. After the Civil War, the population of Kansas grew rapidly, when waves of immigrants turned the prairie into farmland. Today, Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural states, producing high yields of wheat, sorghum and sunflowers.[11] Kansas is the 15th most extensive and the 33rd most populous of the 50 United States.

So, sort of, no...

[group44]

Kansas Has a road course, so gonna have to buy it.

G44, maybe you can esplain... Kansas (race track) is in Ohio. Kansas (NFL) is in Misourri. Heck, people even got their own separate state 'Ar'kansas... Does no one like the state of Kansas?

Soma dem infield road courses are quite fun. Even though I didn't get truly comfortable enough to run New Hampshire without incident, I rather enjoyed the layout.

As for Kansas in Ohio, that I can not explain Only thing that comes to mind for me about Kansas, Dorthy and Toto.

[HWKII]

Charlotte Infield is not my friend

For that matter, Indy Infield isn't really my friend either.

Daytona Infield though...

Also, the iRacing page says that Kansas Speedway is in Ohio, but it's actually on the map in Kansas... wtf?

[clacksman]

Googlemaps makes Kansas 'infield' look pretty simple. Be an interesting banking transition both on and off. Major right-hander obviously made to represent/imitate the first horseshoe at Daytona road.

[HWKII]

Dat sweet crane...

Circuit Shjeeeeeeeeeels Villianoob nearly completion. Q3 targeted.

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