Quote from nexttime :

The question is whether modding is allowed as a "car editor tool" or as a tool to make new quality mods for the game. If it is the former you're gonna have 1000 versions of basically same cars none of which will be used all that often. It'll just clutter the modding section because everyone can slightly modify a car and send it for review for laughs. This problem is exacerbated because this tool has just been released and people just wanna test it. Maybe have a grace period where you basically approve any mod for a few weeks, then remove the bad ones.

After which you could also bring about a small price for mods. Maybe a dollar for each mod that has been approved? This way people won't be sending a mod for review that they don't really like or care about.

When it comes to legal issues. If someone files a complaint, you can simply remove it from mods section and be done with it. No? With that being said I don't think they will pursue it all that much.

I agree with what you are saying, although I don't think selling mods is (necessarily) a good idea. If copyrighted content does slip through the approval process - and it has been sold as a commercial asset - then legal trouble is much more likely. So purely from a risk management point of view, it may be best not to involve profiteering.

A case could be made for selling content which is designed and made completely from scratch, but it would have to be obviously unique rather than a tweaked version of an existing real world car. There's a lot of grey area here of course.

I agree that their needs to be a team bigger then the dev team involved in the vetting process, to filter out potential copyright cases but also for quality. This is going to be a time-consuming process and it would be best if the devs are free to continue their work rather than getting bogged-down with mod approvals.

My biggest issue with opening LFS up for modding has always been the potential to flood the game with 'rubbish' mods. A free-for-all approach where anything goes does concern me. It worries me that this may dilute the character of the game that I love. So, in my opinion I don't think a flood of half-baked 3D models or outrageous mechanical Frankenstein cars is going to be good for the future of LFS.
I'm just not sure where we (as a community) would draw the line.

I'd rather see a large team, instead of the entire community, taking part in the mod approval process, with the option to appeal a rejection if certain changes are made to the mod if it hasn't ticked all the boxes required to pass the approval process.

Community feedback of approved mods will still occur anyway and can remain a factor to keep the process honest and to catch any anomalies that might have been missed by the approval team. We have a very talented player base with broad expertise in many areas, and this can be very useful for spotting details or raising issues that others have not considered.

I'd rather see mods being approved that function well and look good than simply having mods approved which are popular for some novelty reason. That doesn't mean that novelty cars would be off the table, but I worry that LFS will just become a car sandbox and the focus may shift away from racing. My hope for LFS is that online racing will be energized by these new developments in our game.

2c

Quote from BDGgaming :

Good afternoon Gentlemen, can someone reset my Unlocks? Username: BDGGAMING

Shoot an email to:

https://www.lfs.net/mailus

Quote from AkoLemon :

How close can we get to real life cars without having copyright issues, or mod getting denied? Can it be a 1:1 model of a real car blueprint, without badging, or it has to have some noticeable differences?

Here's a snip from Scawen's earlier thread.

Quote from Scawen :

- The mods system is only for S3 licensed users.
- We will not allow real car names or logos, unless permission is proved during the submission process.
- We will not allow meshes converted from other games, unless permission is proved during the submission process.
- There will be limits (e.g. triangle count and texture size) so the mods are quick to download.

Thanks,

Scawen

So I read that as meaning; as long as you model it yourself and don't use badges, logos, brand or names of the car which 'inspired' your model.

Quote from Gutholz :

When old cars are raced today, there are often not 100% original anyway.
For example there exists some series for historic cars, like "Historic Formula One Championship" but as far as I looked, they seem to use modern tire compounds.
So instead of "racing in the '70s" it could be "racing 70's cars in 2021".
With the same compromises that exist in real life when these cars are driven today.

(The game GT Legends does it similiar: The cars are old but they are driven on obviously modern tracks.)

For historic racing I believe some of the old compounds are still made.

Last edited by Gunn, Mon, 8 Nov 2021 11:00.

Singapore seems a lot better than Japan for me. Still not fantastic though.

Reply from 213.179.200.59: bytes=32 time=106ms TTL=56
Reply from 213.179.200.59: bytes=32 time=111ms TTL=56
Reply from 213.179.200.59: bytes=32 time=107ms TTL=56
Reply from 213.179.200.59: bytes=32 time=113ms TTL=56

Ping statistics for 213.179.200.59:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 106ms, Maximum = 113ms, Average = 109ms

Quote from Scawen :

Thanks for that, it would be good to hear similar results from others in Australia, New Zealand, or anywhere in Asia or Pacific regions.

I'm not certain but I believe NZ uses a different backbone that goes up through PNG and Micronesia to Tokyo, whereas my signal goes to Sydney, then west across to Perth, then up to Singapore then to Tokyo. So the results from this part of the world could be a bit different for different people. It's a big country

For what it's worth; Japan server from my PC:

Pinging 103.194.166.91 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 103.194.166.91: bytes=32 time=186ms TTL=54
Reply from 103.194.166.91: bytes=32 time=307ms TTL=54
Reply from 103.194.166.91: bytes=32 time=187ms TTL=54
Reply from 103.194.166.91: bytes=32 time=204ms TTL=54

Ping statistics for 103.194.166.91:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 186ms, Maximum = 307ms, Average = 221ms

Last edited by Gunn, Mon, 8 Nov 2021 10:41.

Please do not post skins here which are not yours (unless you have permission from the original author).

Thanks.

Hey, Vic - for one of my accounts, none of my old skins are visible in LFS but they are definitely still online. If I try to re-upload them I get a message that they already exist.

Two skins recently uploaded to another account appear on both accounts.

Could this be an issue from both accounts being logged-in (to LFS World) at the same time?

Thanks.

The main reason I don't race online much any more is due to the fact that there are often no racers online in my country and ping times to any server further away than NZ are too high to enjoy close racing. Asian ping times are even too high. If there is no server planned for Australia then I'm afraid my online racing in LFS has come to an end (again). It's disappointing because I have been waiting for LFS to rise from its own ashes and re-energize the online community.

Mods can be interesting but won't really improve the game for me, so the mod news is neither here nor there, but the end of the dedicated server is not something I can be happy about personally, especially if it means I have to connect to an Asian server to race my fellow Aussies or our buddies in the land of the long white cloud.

It's been a pretty lonely 'single-player' experience in LFS for the last five years or so - I don't think this update addresses that issue for me. I'm crossing my fingers that the physics and graphics updates come sooner rather than later and that this sim comes back to life.

Quote from NumberTwo :

I applaud you for using vector program, I've also made all Fragmaster team skins in Illustrator.

Brazillian skin masters have been very efficient in using 3d portion of Photoshop to make skins. They are able to do stuff that Illustrator just cant do.

I'm using Corel Draw 9. It's the same software I used to create all of the Pro Kits. I like to use vectors because any asset I create can be re-scaled to any size without loss of quality, and I love the clarity and precision vector brings to the table.

Quote from nikopdr :

It is a very solid effort, you could propably hide the mismatched checkers by having striped design that blends in with the green background color But that might not look so great compared to getting the design just right over the fenders.

A small thing that i found helpful for myself when wrapping designs around different parts of the skin was to think more "in 3D", as in not just applying a 2D pattern over the skin but instead making it flow according to the pro-kit wireframe, in the top part of the fenders i would for example curve the checkered pattern to avoid the pattern "consuming itself" and then adjust the side according to how it looks at the top. Maybe it could be worth a shot?

Maybe Photoshop has good tools to adjust the pattern as a whole instead of trying to apply each "checker" manually though

Thanks, that's what I'm already doing. I don't use Photoshop though, I'm using a vector program and lining up the pattern directly with the polygons of the wireframe - that's why it is taking so long. You should have seen how it looked a few days ago

My software has tools to manipulate the whole pattern to better fit the model, but the edges still need fudging to make it work, and that's where it becomes a labour of love.

Last edited by Gunn, Fri, 29 Oct 2021 22:32.

Wrapping a gradient chequered pattern around the arse of the FZR is testing the limits of my patience (and my sanity). I've reached the point of no return now so I must try to finish it.

Moral: don't get your ambitions mixed up with your capabilities.

This is a new variation on an old Ferrari-themed skin I made back in 2005.



Skin Download:
http://www.barkingpig.org/skins/FZR_FastHorse.JPG

Last edited by Gunn, Tue, 26 Oct 2021 22:04.

Thanks for all of your feedback. I'll try to address your feedback and suggestions in this one post.

Quote :

rane_nbg ...

rane_nbg comments on some interesting ways to balance the competition, and these all could be considered, with fairness being the main denominator. I'm not sure that ten cars per team would be the best way to go, but the proof of concept would need to be trialed for us to see how that could play out. If teams were large then it would probably spread the competition out a lot more and perhaps not make the event as tightly-contested as a smaller team would.

Quote :

Fox2 ...

Fox2 makes a valid point about team members creating space and doing individual hotlaps. This could be solved by making a rule that on the opening lap cars must be within a certain distance of each other when they cross the line to commence lap 2. Although I don't think there would be anything inherently wrong with a more individual approach, the idea that each team member affects the outcome (not just their lap time, but their track position in relation to their team mates)is one of the main features of this idea, so some rule might need to apply to ensure the cars are together on track when they commence their 'timed' laps.

Quote :

Van Sterberkt ...

- I am thinking along the same lines as you on this and I think an insim client may reduce a lot of work for event organizers/managers.

Quote :

MBUTCHER ...

Indeed this concept (as I see it) is similar to the pursuit in cycling.

- - - - -

Thanks for all of your replies, keep them coming. I think this could work with some tweaking to ensure a fair event is conducted.

Quote from ImudilaSkyline :

the result would be in favor of the the fastest team(s) as in the latest leagues with no exception, this would need a way more hotlap way of execution, definitely marshaled on a server to make any kind of sense

Thanks for your feedback.
The fact that all members are racing on the same piece of track means that it would not be like a hotlap at all. Couple that with the fact that not every racer has the same style or consistency and you get variation by default which straight hotlapping doesn't have. The challenge would be not to hinder each other while still producing decent speed and consistency.

It wouldn't need to be marshaled at all, just scrutinized to ensure no cheating has occurred. A perfectly clean lap is not necessary and no strict rules need apply - and that's kind of the whole point. Rather than having to meet up on the same server at the same time with a bunch people to manage the event, this would be something that teams could do at their leisure and produce the best result possible. For sure a final could be held 'live' with the added pressure of performing well in the moment, but is not imperative.

The goal is to get people racing together in a team format in LFS without the time zone or latency overhead nor the usual restrictions and manpower that a normal event needs to adhere to.

Quote from AdamTheNormalDriver :

But we have to think if it will be on Demo Version Or S1 version Or S2 Version Or S3 Versin

Thanks for your reply. All versions have cars and somewhere to race, so it could be used for any license.

Quote from mbutcher :

I think something like that could work. We used to run an event called the Cannonball which was a similar idea but solo and that was really popular back in 2008-09. If you need anything to help get it moving, feel free to reach out.

Thank You

This is just a concept I've been thinking about for some time and I thought I'd get some feedback or input to see if it might be viable. Maybe nobody will find it interesting, but let's see.
Please feel free to pick it to pieces, make suggestions, highlight or discuss anything you think would not work or could be an issue, or expand upon my ideas and offer a better suggestion.

The main things I want to achieve are:
1. The competition can be contested from all around the world, no matter the time zone.
2. It is a team effort - the performance of the entire team will count towards the final result.

Here's the basic idea:
Drivers form a small team (let's say it's three people, but it could be a larger team really).
The three drivers take to the designated track driving the designated car and they race for four laps.
When the race is completed, the best lap time of each driver is counted and an average best lap time is then calculated for that team's run. The average best lap time for the team will be the team's result.
The team saves a replay of their run as proof of their result and uploads it for scrutiny.
Other teams do their own runs and upload their replay as well.
The winning team is the one with the fastest average best lap time as explained above.

* Team members can cooperate by drafting or bump-drafting if they dare to take the risk, but good clean driving should reward the team with a good result if they can maximize their lap speed without hindering each other.
* Team members can share the same setup or choose to use their own, depending on their driving style.

I can see this as being a real challenge, as team members need to maintain a fast time without taking each other out of the race. If the team wants to take advantage of drafting, they will need to time it correctly to gain any benefit at all. There are a few strategies that could be employed.
Teams might have a week or maybe a few days to submit their replay, giving time for several attempts to be made before the deadline.
I think something like this would not be too complicated or time-consuming to organize, and it allows racers who don't have the time or can't commit to regular online competitions to participate in some kind of racing event while at the same time getting together with friends online for some LFS fun.

So that's the bones of it. Get a few mates, practice and record your result, and submit your team's best run. Do you think something like this can work? Comments and criticisms/suggestions welcome.

Cheers.

Pentium 100 o/c to 133
ASUS VX-97 Mainboard
32MB SDRAM
1.2GB Quantum HDD
6X CDROM
2 x 3DFX Voodoo 16MB AGP
Sound Blaster 16 ISA sound card with Roland MIDI daughterboard.

2021 Stirling Memorial Trophy | Full race | Goodwood Revival | Stunning GTs in heart-stopping fight

Great topic.
It would be possible to create a virtual racetrack in parts of the world where there isn't a track now. Choosing some interesting or tricky topography from the real world and then building your track at that location could make for some great racing.

Nice one.