Interesting topic.

I completely agree with SilverArrows' opinions. When we were planning Caribbean Cruise launch, you could really feel it how people got all excited about such a big event going on. And believe me that they didn't sometimes even know what it is we are working on. So I only can confirm that - players prefer some profiled server. When they are coming online, they love to find something new, well thought, organized. Many find it different than expected by the time, and leave. But the beginning is always the blast.

Now when you mentioned many servers with very similar if not completely ripped gameplay, I want to say the idea which bothers me long time already:
3 major cruise servers means 3 slightly different views at the cruise gameplay. That's cool, you can pick the one you like the most. What's not cool is the weird kind of competition between them. There is always some ideas-dude and programmer behind them. And I bet that programmers from all 3 servers would say "yeah sure, why not" if you asked them to share the knowledge or even the code between servers. Who will start jumping really high is the idea-dude, and his asslickers (sorry to call many fine guys like this, but you get the idea).

But ideas are being stolen without any problem. You can't stop it anyway.
What would really make players happy is this:
Programmers start working together.
Project "directors" who keep the main idea and feeling of each of those servers would share ideas without nonsense jealousy.
All those servers would stay different in gameplay.
All those servers would share common commands and user interface (they have it pretty much unified anyway, which is good for new players)

If anyone says they do everything to make players happy, while don't allow things above to happen, he lies to you.

Ray
founder of Insim powered cruising servers idea

Thanks mate. LiveForSkidmarks is great side fun for LFS maniacs. Just the heli camera drives me crazy - can't it be changed?

No luck with the file share?

Quote from Gekkibi :

I don't want to close LTC or any other decent cruising servers.

:ices_rofl
To avoid confusions, how about just close them all?

Quote from jonaz lindberg :

Yep, that's blender And blender FTW!!:Þ

Blender is trying hard but it's still a loong way to go...

Quote from QBi :

Hello, my new skin, public this time, hope You like it.
Shadowkit made by TeazR

BTW. Delete the "1024" from the filename if You want to use it.

RB4 never looked this sexy!

Quote from tristancliffe :

And you're tyres are flat. And you diffuser is made out of 2" thick board (I know that's how the LFS model is, but it's one of the first things I change). And your rear lights have got too much anti-scratch film on them

But other than that quite nice

LOL. Let's see your changed diffuser Tristan!

Finished wallpaper for Wentz. Reflection is purposely high, to get some drama we see on advertisement atelier shots, the skin is Wentz' private skin he sent me, tyres are Pirelli GTR racing tyres, head lights are from BMW M3... there is no place for icons nor windows taskbar though.. ehm..

Made this one on request by Wentz, our beloved CLC admin and officer. Skin is pretty lowres, but as a start for his wallpaper it works fine I guess.

Quote from LineR32 :

Updated my old Street Fighter skin and thought I'd render it.

Awesome work on a skin. Street fighter is the perfect theme for this car. I got some similiar skin myself.

Quote from Anathema :

my new private Skin.

Design dudes are simply out of this league! Amazing as usual.

Quote from MikeB :

Dont worry, I am just about to implement support for time-based splitting Last week I had a business trip to US so i had plenty of time during the flight... So the next release will support splitting based on race time

Amazing

Quote from s1m0n :

Nice work!
Saved me a lot of time

Suggestion: automatic split of replay by laps. If race has 24 laps, mprEdit splits replay into 24 replays. Could be very interesting for movie making.

Somebody already suggested slicing to parts based on the time, which is not possible since as Mike said, he doesn't see any time stamp info inside the MPR data. Dividing by laps (of the leader?) would help.
+1

Mike, eventhough there is no chance to tell the time within a replay, would it be possible to load a replay, and get just last 5 minutes for example? So the MPRedit would "rewind" 5 minutes back from the point I saved the replay, cut it, and saved only the last 5 minutes of the original replay?
It would be awesome for any accidents or crash reports. Admin saves a replay, MPRedit cut last few minutes, saves short replay with a crash, admin can review it immediately in another LFS instance.
Well and, to be able to save another replay later (should another crash happen), he has to quit/rejoin the server to activate MPR recording...

Quote from beefyman666 :

I also got told that the Mine's skin I made for the UF's and XFR would fit the RB4 aswell. And the fact there's not really that many RB4's skins being made lately, made me like the idea of doing it more.

2048 and render attached.

Already uploaded to LFSWorld.

Enjoy.

Totally excellent man!

Quote from samyip :

Yes I do. I am a graphic designer/visualiser. Most of my 3D work are walkthroughs, exhibitions and Conference stage set etc. Sometimes logo stings or conference openning AV.

I wanna see that garage walkthrough someone else mentioned here! Architect here, visualizations are my job! Hey mate!

Quote from Macfox :

Reset can already be done with InSim... see InSim.txt with the dedicated server zip.

Added inSim NCN IP address.

OFFTOPIC: No suggestion, just saying great job and great knowledge MacFox!

True. A few, rare, unique.

Quote from JTbo :

Right, here is movie clip, at background you can see modern plastic car and other car at front area, which one you would like to get into LFS? Right, that is what I thought, let's forget those plastic shopping carts, shall we?

And right here is a movie clip with a couple of cars which are not brand new but definetly newer than 70s or even 80s years, if i am right.
The clip is called "Top Gear - Best Handling Car In The World" - that's why you cannot see american muscles there.

Result: not every modern car is your plastic shopping cart. There are still coming absolutely exciting cars today, beautiful, awesome to drive, fascinating in technology. They are just too expensive for me - the only thing I don't particularly love on them.

edit: I drive Audi 3.0 TDi multitronic, so I have no clue how fantastic the new sport cars really are, I just believe to what those who driven them say. As most of us I believe...

Quote from e2mustang :

I have done a road scene if any1 intrested in it i'll upload it for public
Heres some pics..

I am interested. But not about some stock library items anybody can get from Turbosquid after all. I would love to see some pictures featuring this RAC GTR with your road around!

Lovely metallic effect, awesometastic skin and especially Slide logo design, cool FZ50 GTR model changes and addons.

Can't wait for some wild shots with a lighting drama and pathetic stormy sunsets at the background!

Quote from bmwe30m3 :

hmm..,whats unfinished there?

Well, I am not sure what was your goal. Like this it looks like "my 1st exercise in 3ds max". If you aim for the full realistic scene of XRT refueling at the gas station, it is pretty challenging task. You will probably have to find some nice background backdrop of what's around the gas station, then refine model of a station, add textures everywhere (station panels or how is it called, asphalt, wall...). And last but not least, realistic daylight.

You ask like you think it's finished. So I am confused what to answer.

EDIT: I didn't want to sound ignorant and simply reply "No i don't like it, sorry"

Quote from bmwe30m3 :

few renders of what i´ve done lately
hope yall like it

Hmm... ok finish that scene and come again. An example of the finished scene:

Quote from tristancliffe :

Cruising is pretty much for morons, and nobody looks cool doing it. Drifting has it's own moron population, but they aren't all of it by any means (just like racing has a certain moron population), and a good drift is quite cool.

Just like people on cruises give cruising a bad name. Oh wait, that's all of them!

I still kinda like your simple minds Tristan. Perhaps I am the motorsport fan. I still remember the moment when I found out about your racing activities in real life. That respect will never leave me.

But to add some real thoughts to this topic, I have to say that I kind of started this cash crap. And eventhough I agree with Sam that players should choose the game they want to play and how they want to play it, I would love to explain that the cruising servers are not what I wanted them to become. Or not exactly. My original vision was (and still is) to introduce another real life element of racing - the danger, risk, and the adrenaline coming with that.

I will help my poor English skills and explain it using an example from another game you all racing/driving games fans should know quite well - NFS Porsche Challenge. You could decide if you join the racing event in your career. If you won, you got the prize in money. Not only you had to pay some entry starting fee to join the race, but you also had to pay a lot on repairs of your damaged car, should you race so badly that you crashed. Sometimes I spent so much on repairs that the attractive 1st prize wasnt enough to cover my damage fees. It was not enough to be the 1st crossing the finish line. You had to be able to do it in style. Awesome!

If I race in LFS and have a fight with another player, and I lose, there are two possible feelings at the end. If he blocked me or even bumped me out of the track, he is just a moron to me. But if he backs off to let me go and avoid collision, but still passes me with a style at another place on track, he is the hero in my eyes. And I can't resist to send some words of my deep respect to him after the race. Those are the moments I really love in LFS, and I tried to make them happen as often as it gets.
Maybe I failed...
CLC server, however, has this vision still high at its todo list.

I would hate to see LFS leave its racing heart.

Last edited by RAYfighter, Sat 1 Mar 2008, 23:19. Reason : added something more than just another flame war crap :)

Quote from Fat-Alfie :

I know - lol

We used to play with 256 x 256 skins on 1nsane When you're racing offroad through canyons and forests, the last thing you're worried about is the sharpness of your opponents' logos

It's completely different when you can showoff your new skin after the race here. I still drive only your cars on 1nsane though!

Quote from Fat-Alfie :

Hi, I just bought my S2 licence having played the demo for a couple of weeks. LFS is just the best racing sim I've ever tried for the PC, with stunning feel (even with a gamepad), great visuals even from a modest GX card, and a superb website / forum too. I doubt I'll ever be a great racer (stuck at 1:46 on Aston 3) but it's certainly fun trying to get better.

Hey from RAYfighter at Insaneheat and welcome to the LFS world