Imagine...

[James]

When DR3 (if there will be one) releases:
1) more stages, based on real open GIS-data. It's there in various forms (needing various work, apparently)
2) licenced wrc cars(?) Not necessary if money can be spent on physics and stages!!
3) same custom championship editor, leaderboard mechanics and awesome VR support
4) same tuning options, same fast loading times
5) implementation of recce events, add to your pacenotes! "I want to add "care/dont/etc..." Audio only, not interested in arrows on my screen...
6) implement function to save your stage run replays... we want to archive/share replays in better ways! :)

DR2 is so immersive and intense that I have now finally abandoned RBR. Sad but true.
What DR2 has is quite unique in terms of VR and other peripherals. I wish it gets a full blown WRC title eventually. DR2 is a very good step towards this.

Cheers

[niewyimaginowany87]

1) I think there will be new stages, but in the same way like here; not too much, it's a lot work with modelling roads, objects near track; we'll see
2) they have license from 2023 so WRC will be present
3,4) would be wrong if something go backwards
5) I don't think they want to add editor, there was somewhere on the forum similiar topic
6) would be nice

I would to add:
7) no DNF result in online events while you can't send result to servers (from bunch of different reasons)

[SaxonRaider]

love the idea of adding a custom pacenote in the middle of the current pacenotes, however, not all people have the pacenote icons as it breaks immersion a bit, so maybe ability to add an audio recording yourself at a point in a stage to play say your own voice. or have a few pre-recorded warnings to choose from to stick in the pacenotes such as 'slow here' or 'caution rock on left'. Its a great idea well done.

I'm just hoping DR3 gets all the current (13) Events plus another 6 more, and in addition to addition of current WRC cars, we get the same cars as before plus some new historics, as personally I couldnt care less about WRC cars, I just would like more Stages and Historic cars.

would also be nice if there was a way to make the stages longer, like a real rally.

imho RBR had its day, debatable if still has the greatest physics, but everything else about it is just too old really.

[James]

Yea, I see your points and good to see your reflections. Thank you!
The recce topic is interesting since it is a really hard nut to crack. One could just practice and make mental notes, of course.
Naturally, I would prefer IRL stages over this kind of feature, but DR2 did (finally) a good job on both physics (gaming fun) and VR implementation, so who knows? While watching the Finnish WRC and having a blast with DR2 I really hope invetments in DR3 will be, not a game-changer, but a game-improvement. :)
Stages, stages, stages... yes, longer... and true to life (that's what GIS data is for...)

[niewyimaginowany87]

Originally posted by James:

Naturally, I would prefer IRL stages over this kind of feature

This stages from DR really are from irl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2CRNhCab-Q sweet lamb - from about 0:40 they go into roads present in game
stages in finland are parts of Ouninpohja stage, but road is wider in game (if I'm correcr)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12gK_2hGo7I&t=170s - dirt stages from Monte Carlo in one run + some more

there was even file where you can viev stages via google maps, but I have no link

[Mjarr]

Originally posted by James:

Naturally, I would prefer IRL stages over this kind of feature

Every stage in the game is based on real stages - or at very least real roads. Key differences mostly are roads tend to be usually wider than IRL and say for example, in Finland there's a lot less trees at the side of the road on top of road being slightly wider than IRL.

https://www.dirtrallytracks.com/

You can find more specifics there as well in terms of elevation and whatnot.

[James]

Yes, I know it is based on IRL stages and it really shows. I think this is a great feature, and could not live without it. However, there are more to fill in the gaps with longer stages. And the data is there. Question is if the manpower/will is there.

I made 2-3 IRL stages for RBR based on Lidar- and landuse data. Needs a lot of work to turn it into a full fledged game stage, but still, it works. It is also a question of setting up pace notes/voices that is absolutely brilliant in DR2. Balance against budget/time I guess. Hope more GIS data can be used in the future for the benefit of us all. Even if it means a big investment in pacenote readings as well.

[Jacendb]

Whoever makes a decent random stage generator gets all the money.
More and more new stages is not sustainable unless you let the community add their own.

[Josephus]

DR2.0 is hands down the BEST automotive VR simulator. That said, still needs a ton of work. in DR 3, VR needs to be a first class citizen, and more per headset optimizations are needed. Another SUPER IMMERSIVE feature in DR 2 in LFE or bass shaker support via UDP. This works PERFECTLY until random muting of the shakers between stages. Not too bad to alt-tab out an unmute, but not right for a AAA product. As long as VR support is best in class a MUST buy for me.

[niewyimaginowany87]

Originally posted by James:

I made 2-3 IRL stages for RBR based on Lidar- and landuse data. Needs a lot of work to turn it into a full fledged game stage, but still, it works.

In RBR you don't need to make it in so high quality of graphics what may made big difference...
Which ones did you made and there are included in Hungary Rallysimfans version if I may ask? Just curious, especially I still play RBR sometimes

[James]

Originally posted by niewyimaginowany87:

Originally posted by James:

I made 2-3 IRL stages for RBR based on Lidar- and landuse data. Needs a lot of work to turn it into a full fledged game stage, but still, it works.

In RBR you don't need to make it in so high quality of graphics what may made big difference...
Which ones did you made and there are included in Hungary Rallysimfans version if I may ask? Just curious, especially I still play RBR sometimes

True. The bar has been raised in terms of resolution and all kind of details. But the tools has also evolved to become better and available base data is far better today. Imagine having laserscanned stages (like Kunos did with the racetracks). Expensive? yes, fun? yes.

I did a couple of RBR stages from the woods where I live. And one of the real Swedish Rally stages in Värmland. Not good enough to post on RSRBR. I used laserscanned elevation models and placed buildings, trees and other objects using aerial photos and textured some of them using my own camera on a couple of fieldtrips. Used Bob's Trackbuilder at the time :-)

[James]

Did a few runs on Annbank Station Rev Wet (Scotland) with the R5 class. What a tricky one, a real joy to learn and master. Managed to climb the Leaderboard up to the upper 3rd section. :-)

I have to say that DR2 has grown into one of my favorite games after many hours in Asetto Corsa and LFS. With its superb VR implementation, there is nothing that matches the intensity and immersion it delivers. Feels like real rally. Feels like your car. Feels like your mistakes and your success. It's a physical workout from start to finnish (although not comparable to the real thing). From RBR to DR2 with scepticism, but now I have to admit, DR2 rules my rally virtual world. It is total immersion!

That said, I only wish for a DR3 that can put together a similar experience!

[Josephus]

Originally posted by James:

Did a few runs on Annbank Station Rev Wet (Scotland) with the R5 class. What a tricky one, a real joy to learn and master. Managed to climb the Leaderboard up to the upper 3rd section. :-)

I have to say that DR2 has grown into one of my favorite games after many hours in Asetto Corsa and LFS. With its superb VR implementation, there is nothing that matches the intensity and immersion it delivers. Feels like real rally. Feels like your car. Feels like your mistakes and your success. It's a physical workout from start to finnish (although not comparable to the real thing). From RBR to DR2 with scepticism, but now I have to admit, DR2 rules my rally virtual world. It is total immersion!

That said, I only wish for a DR3 that can put together a similar experience!

TOTALLY AGREE! I run a rig with four Bass Shakers driven by Simhub and I FEEL the hits and road bumps and best of all the JUMPS! When I go over the side the shakers go NUTS and it is pretty scary how well the vibration combined with VR and the FFB from the wheel (max strength) makes it seem like a real damn car. More like this please!

[James]

^^Josephus, that must be a real blast with the shakers. I do not have that, just VR and a nice wheel setup. A bit jealous! :-). Funny how I (my brain) can still feel the bumps and throws -- just by visual input :) Will have to look into that extra Simhub equipment!

[Josephus]

It is not cheap, and a bit of a journey to set up but even actual 6DOF rigs don't quite get like this. I want BOTH lol but would rather have the shakers honestly!

[Ochso]

Laser scanning is 100% dependant on resolution, and is the proverbial double edged sword .

Great for larger elevations above the scanned resolution , course width, course shape camber etc . but it is only accurate for that day of scanning.
This of course is not so much a problem for metalled roads as per circuits. but gravel and dirt is way to fluid a medium to hold onto high resolutions , as the even the course degradation routines would nullify the extra data sets.

The data is of course meshed/surfaced which adds to the smoothing effect and is dependant on whether tangential or curvature continuance is the main joint condition of the mesh and if done poorly can deviate quite a bit from the original - negating the scans resolution completely.

Have a look at the downhill switchback stage in Greece in the rain on DR2 ( sorry cant recollect the course name) Very noticeable in VR where the meshes dont line up around the hairpins especially if like me you drive slowly .

Personally I would like to see the WRC kept 100% away from a the Dirt Rally titles .
Way too many asphalt tracks , and dull "ecobox" cars with zero character. - the problem of setting maximum limits. and having the same floor pans.

Doesn't mean that they cannot share the same game engine just use it differently.

As has been said Physics ,classic cars and tracks are the unique selling points. And being selfish add to that VR , true triple support , and oodles of telemetry for motion is a must.

And finally as we are in the realms of fantasy ....
Make the PC the primary and "dumb down" to the consoles not the current "dumb up" to the PC. Long term gains as future consoles means you dont have to dumb down the code as much .

Wotifs are great arent they.......... And you will always be disappointed.