Hi. I posted before in the forums on certain threads that people shouldn't try to simulate "real" racing as much as take advantage of the possibilities of having almost totally realistic physics in a virtual environment.
In the future, I think things are going to get way more interactive. Alot more.
I've posted before about having working stereos in the cockpit. stereos that worked with online radio programs. and since LFS requires no CD, have a working CD player that well used the CD player in the comp. And a sort of cell phone that some how operated with skype or some other online phone system. not just to communicate with other players like teamspeak or whatever, but a "real" phone.

See i think that emphasis shouldn't be on just what type of car or what kind of track or this damge effect or this reflection code. No I think some thought of how the game is going to be played or more like how the game can be more integrated into the person's computer system as a whole should be looked into as well.
Maybe as to go so far and allow the user access to windows explorer while they are in the pits. Instead of just sending set ups, be able to send family vaction pictures or something as well.

Think of this scenario:
you're bidding on something from ebay. the auction is gonna be up in 30 min.s and now some jerk off wants to fight you for it. Dammit! you have a league race in 35 mins. and it's pretty critical to race this race.
As of now, you're screwed one way or the other. but with what i'm suggesting, you could do both. Yeah I know, you could minimize LFS, and pop open the browser, but still...

please bear in mind I don't know squat about computer programming. I have no idea if what i'm suggesting is even remotely possible. but if it is possible, I think that ought to be looked at some

I also think that in the future, server admins will have to ban watching of videos when driving on the server. I'm not kidding. People are probably already doing it.

You are missing the point of LFS imo...

I couldn't disagree much more with what you're proposing. What's the point exactly in integrating skype/phones/file browsers etc into LFS? This is a racing simulator, it's not intended to be (and should never be, in my opinion) about conference calls relating to your dad's sunburn on your last holiday.

When racing, you need to stay concentrated and focused on just the racing, not bidding on eBay. I can't even understand how people have their IM running while racing.
I remember a race on SO where someone had just stopped their car right after the SO Classic chicane, and it was just standing there for several laps. The knobhead defended himself saying he got some important messages to answer on ICQ illepall

So -1 from me to these suggestions. LFS is meant to be a racing simulator, not some sort of PIM.

Definitely no way, -1 from me.

You don't go bidding on eBay or calling people in the middle of a race or even a track day... You go on LFS to race, if you wish to send family vacation photos you load up your preferred software for sending emails, not LFS.

It's also another distraction, some people are bad enough at leaving their cars on the track while talking on MSN, causing yellow flags and even getting in the way of overtaking moves.

How many people actually use the SMS messaging system integrated into LFS? I doubt many do. The only use I can see of it is *maybe* if someone goes away from their computer in an endurance race you could have F keys set-up to send them a SMS to get them back to their computer.

Sound ridiculous to me.
LFS is all about creating the ultimate racing sim.
Intergrating Phones,CD's,messengers etc is something the Need for Speed crowd would love i imagine..but please..keep it well away from a serious sim.

People should be doing one thing, and one thing only on the servers...RACING. If you want to listen to cd's or get on skype turn LFS off first

I have already conditioned my family to realize when I don't answer my phone, I'm either a) Driving my car or b) Racing on an LFS server. It is why voicemail exists. They know I'll get back to them.

When I enter an LFS server, IM's are off, email auto-receive is off, IRC is closed...about the only thing that may be open besides LFS.exe is LFS World in a browser window and maybe the STCC page...

As far as conflicting events, such as an eBay bid deadline and a scheduled race, I try to have some situational awareness when I'm prioritizing.

Use winamp in the background.

You have a great imagination, don't let other pull you down. But your visions are too advanced for LFS, mayube in another 5 years or so...

Quote from Davo :

You have a great imagination, don't let other pull you down. But your visions are too advanced for LFS, mayube in another 5 years or so...

Yeah, it seems from the posts so far, all they want is the same ol same ol racing game. pretty limited in scope I'm afraid.
And that's sad too. They seem to wanna confuse what I'm proposing with stupid antics of some people online. Like the guy that was stopped, chatting on the track with msn? Well with what I suggest, that person could be in the pits doing that, without minimizing windows and without being in the way. Also, the "purists" could use this to their advantage in I dunno... reporting wreckers?

LOL I like how some dude with a 2007 date tells me I don't understand the concept of LFS...please.
So what is the "concept"? to be the same as everything else except with a minor physics tweak here or a dynamic light effect there?
Maybe the clock should be replaced with another "realsitic" guage in the cockpit that tells you something's wrong about 3 seconds after you totally trash your car? Like what's in the other games? No thanks, I'd rather have the clock. it performs waay better than what a simulated oil pressure gage can do. And besides, after you slam into a wall or flip over, you really shouldn't need some sort of gauge to indicate your car is screwed, should you?

Oh and I do run win amp in the background. it really pisses me off when I have to be stuck with hearing a crappy song & not be able to change the station or at least turn the volume down. I have to go through the process of minimizing LFS, & maxing win amp. and the comp really hates that, so it's slow in doing so.

And yeah I know LFS is about racing... and for 3 1/2 years of not "understanding the concept of LFS", I know there's also alot of down time between races on any given server, alot of servers have people just cruising around on them and not really racing, just sorta hanging out. What i'm suggesting could be utilized in those instances and I don't think it would ruin anyone's race.
In fact, it could prolong their time racing by allowing people that would otherwise have to exit (less racers online) to deal with something that would take only a few minutes.

LOL maybe if I suggested all that AND a modeled version of the 'ring, they'd be more supportive?

Get a second monitor and run that stuff there.

If IRL you can get three points on your licence for using a mobile phone whilst driving, if you get caught running Skype in the background with LFS four times you should lose your S2 licence

It sounds as if you're suggesting LFS as a kind of GUI in and of itself, which would be quite novel - why, you could pay your bills online and order a pizza and coke as you fuel up. LFS - the ultimate lifestyle device. Silly idea really. But kinda fun to think about. When I was doing the pit graphics for the Blackwood pack, I fantasized about the laptop in the pit actually working- there's a screenshot of Analyse For Speed on there, just for fun. I imagined hopping out of the car after a few laps and going over to analyse the data on the laptop. illepall

What comes next, LFS doing your taxes?

As great, user-friendly and innovative LFS might be, its ultimate goal is still being a serious online racing simulator. That does not include being a PDA, life planner, communication platform, stock exchange consultant, fortune teller or anything else in that direction. It's about a realistic racing experience, period. Now I don't see any race drivers pulling out their smartphone and bidding on ebay during that boring long straight.

Okay, that was besides the point, but as far as I can tell, all those things you want LFS to do for you are already possible, either with minor annoyance by minimizing LFS or, as already suggested, via using a second monitor. If you're really that much of a multitasking freak who needs to do everything at once, then there are already solutions available which don't involve wasting Scawen's precious coding time. Time for something that in my opinion the majority would never use.

Well, come back when S3 is finished, Scawen bored and all racing related improvement suggestions implemented, then it might make sense doing that, but right now that "dude with a 2007 date" is not that wrong in saying you miss the concept (and goal) of LFS.
I don't want to say ideas of yours are ultimately bad, but they're simply not suited for LFS (at this time, if you will).

Quote :

What comes next, LFS doing your taxes?

Haven't you heard of MYOBLFS? :chairfall

Seriously, I think it's a really bad idea. LFS is optimised for racing- I remember the guys who made F.E.A.R. joke that they had a working clock, with hands that moved around the dial and everything, as part of one of their office scenes. The head programmer just looked at them and said 'too much memory', and the thing was scrapped.

LOL Damn. LFS is waay more realistic than I thought!
WHat I suggested and the resulting responses afterward is really similar to the courtroom battles all over the planet concerning cars and cell phone use.
I wasn't really thinking of being able to play LFS and do the taxes, but the Pizza idea sounds good
And I wasn't thinking of ppl that would log onto a server and just stay in the garage, chatting away at some one somewhere else or paying bills.
(I dunno wouldn't it be cool to fly through the chicane on fern green while prank calling an rFactor server?)

And yeah, I do know this idea goes way above and beyond the scope of the game, but i really do think this ought to be looked into to some degree and not dismissed out of hand because of examples like that. And I think
something like this could be made to fit in the confines of the game and made in such a way as to not be a total disruption.

If I had someone in my server just sitting around parked, n not participating, he'd quickly find his spot filled by someone who is interested in playing. Chatting n that is fine and has its place, but its really a race sim. People who aren't even there; well they just get booted to make room for others.

Interesting, but maybe you should tell the guys at rFactor the idea, then we might get more of them over to LFS lol

Venus