So, i started thinking about lfs and all the people saying its the greatest driving simulator of all time. well, isnt actually lots of other games as good as lfs if you start thinking about the term ''simulator''. AFAIK it means simulating real life into game, so it also means things like enviorement, graphics, sounds, driving physics and all that stuff. Then there is this people that say that lfs is the greatest sim of all, but wouldnt actually other games that are arcade still be sims? lets take forza or grid or GT5 for an example, the physics arent really that real but the graphics, enviorement and sounds are very good IMO. so if we start counting, i think the only thing that really shines in lfs and makes it a enjoyable and good game is the physics, well lfs gets 1 point. Forza,GT5,grid is graphically good. thats one point for them, then all of em are good on sounds too, they get a point for that. So wouldnt that be LFS -1, GT5/grid/forza2 and other some games -2. so wouldnt that kinda make them more simulator than lfs? im not ranting about lfs sucking since it doesnt, i like the game but these r just my toughs, what u think of this thing?
Putting flame suit on...

LFS is a pretty good Racing Sim.

But its rubbish as a flight simulator.

So perhaps not the best sim.

No, it's not the single greatest sim of all time. But it's still pretty damn good

Its a good flightsim as well ...try a barrier

Quote from SpikeyMarcoD :

Its a good flightsim as well ...try a barrier

Hah, thats exactly the reason why LFS is a bad flight simulator.

Still, not a bad effort for a game that was originally created for racing I guess.

No

This argument has been made before, but the fact is when most people consider a "simulator" they're talking about physics simulation. In this regard LFS is one of the better sims out there.

I'm not going to waste my time coming up with an argument as to why graphics mean nothing as far as a simulator goes. If you want to play a pretty game with terrible physics then go ahead and do it.

iRacing company says that their product iRacing is not a game, it is serious racing simulator in which the real life drivers trains and so on.

From iRacing e-mail:
What is iRacing.com?
# iRacing.com is not a game. Rather, it is a tool for real-world racers that can be used to learn new tracks, sharpen driving skills and practice race craft.

it's the best i know of bai.

I see LFS as a huge feat. It is a very accurate sim as far as physics go, but keep in mind, games such as GT5 and Forza have dozens of people working on them, and LFS has just 3. That's astonishing to me.

Quote from Dennis93 :

it's the best i know of bai.

^ what she said.

Its for ME the best one wich i ever played

But well... we need to wait up.. maybe some other racing sim's are comming?.. or something else?

Quote from UncleBenny :

I'm not going to waste my time coming up with an argument as to why graphics mean nothing as far as a simulator goes. If you want to play a pretty game with terrible physics then go ahead and do it.

Hmmm Not so. I mean, take the example to extremes one end of the spectrum have lfs as it is now vs lfs physics but with graphics that look like a real track - Which would be the better sim? Physics make up for the large proportion of what makes a sim a sim but your wrong to say it means nothing. A simulation should not just simulate what the car does but simulate the whole of racing which good graphics add to the immersion and so to a better sim.

I agree lfs has always been big on physics not so much on graphics while alot of other games have been the oppsite but now we are starting to get games that are a sim with good graphics. So is lfs the best sim? I don't know but it definatly is one of the best.

Its better then simbin and iracing for me anyway....

Its all subjective, it may be the best to some, but not to others.

LFS is one of the best "physics" sims, however, it falls short on content and is now feeling stale and is need of a big injection of dynamism.

....is'nt the emphasis not on 'online' with LFS?

...there's no way any other release have the as many people supporting networking applications and tools, the sheer amount of options for server admins is content enough for decades.
Anyone know how much time was spent on networking? I imagine more time than physics?

LFS is bare-bones and boasts a ****ing good physics thrash for a cheap price, simplicity in place of resource draining bells and whistles is the order of the day around here ain't it

Quote from Stefani24 :

Its better then simbin and iracing for me anyway....

^ what this young lady said.

There will never be THE greatest sim of all times, such a thing would only exist if there was one person left on earth, Then his opinion would be the only one that mattered, but as long as there are millions of other opinions, It just can't be the greatest sim ever.

But, lfs comes damned close!

Yes, it's the best all round, in my opinion. Best combination of good physics and awesome multiplayer.

Well... for me? IRacing is the best sim in terms of realistic behaviour of the car(but it's price is... well... too much :razz. LFS is the best in matematical physics(everythings "feels" calculated, without any const)... cars act in a natural way(couse and effect, though i know that there are problems with tyres :razz, interface is brilliant... ok... so:
1. LFS
2. IRacing(cars behave more realistic than LFS, but LFS is much better in other ways)
3. RFactor/GTR Evo
4. NEED FOR SPEED POWAH!... ok joke .

its not, no.

The definition of 'simulation' is what causes all the fuss.

Physics
Real tracks
Real cars
Graphics
And more...

LFSers love physics, and the physics are brilliant! A lot of other sims don't have very good physics (at least not LFS standard :razz but do have real cars/tracks and good graphics. Arguments against LFS will talk about the lack of real cars/tracks and 'out of date' graphics.

This isn't on topic though, this is about the best sim, rather than most realistic, and your favorite sim will be the best in your opinion!

Quote from PioneerLv :

iRacing.com is not a game. Rather, it is a tool for real-world racers that can be used to learn new tracks, sharpen driving skills and practice race craft.

Except that iRacing's format isn't implemented this way. It's mostly about online racing, not the learning of tracks and/or setup. It's limited to the cars and tracks that iRacing includes.

For learning a track, the current sim-oriented racing games like rFactor would be a better choice as there are more tracks, and car specific data can be used via an add-on car.

Some racing teams with the budget do use high end simulators, for example, rFactor Pro. It's a somewhat custom made product, allowing the customer to provide physics data and/or the physics modeling software to use with rFactor Pro's graphics and/or physics software and/or hardware. Who knows what the Formula 1 teams use. My guess is that those high end custom made sims are the "best sims".

For a consumer product, iRacing will probably end up with the best physics engine, if it's not there already. EA has the budget and expertise (they hired 20 of the ex-GTR programmers), to create the best consumer sim since they are creating a new physics engine for NFS Shift, but who knows what they'll end up with, a great physics engine with assist options for newer players, or a dumbed down physics engine? How good will rFactor 2 be?

Quote from Falcon140 :

I see LFS as a huge feat. It is a very accurate sim as far as physics go, but keep in mind, games such as GT5 and Forza have dozens of people working on them, and LFS has just 3. That's astonishing to me.

Totally agree with you im sure if LFS had dozens of people working on it and not just 3 it would probally have better graphics and more to the game but since there is only 3 we just have to wait it will get there one day and im quite happy to wait.

I wouldn't be surprised to find that out of the big sims LFS may possibly have the best cost per mile driven ratio out there by far. IMO LFS is the best pound for pound sim currently in existance.