Quote from Intrepid :

Yes the bumps and detail of the tracks are FANTASTIC. But my point was that I don't care about how accurate the track is compared to reality. It really is just aesthetic.

if the tracks were completely made up, and had the same level of detail I would be as happy, or more, with that. The reason is they would be something new and challenging. I really can't be bothered to do another lap of Laguna Seca

It's not the fact the tracks are 'real' life tracks, its the fact they are bumpy and what not that makes the difference. However I have come to the understanding the artificially creating those bumps can be hard.

This is a personal feeling though.

Each to their own preference really. That's why we have so many Sim's to cater to our needs! For me, driving around real tracks knowing that they have been painstakingly modelled via GPS to get an accurate representation counts for a hell of a lot and is the main reason I tried it!

It's purely a preference think and people choose each racing "game" or sim based upon what they are looking for!

Quote from StableX :

Each to their own preference really. That's why we have so many Sim's to cater to our needs! For me, driving around real tracks knowing that they have been painstakingly modelled via GPS to get an accurate representation counts for a hell of a lot and is the main reason I tried it!

It's purely a preference think and people choose each racing "game" or sim based upon what they are looking for!

Yh I do understand this. But it's a shame that sims give people the opportunity to come up with fantasy tracks, but instead we are stuck with tracks we've all seen before. I doesn't really bring anything new and fresh to the table. I would LOVE to see some awesome totally new tracks. For me this is part of the success of LFS. Contrary to popular belief I think the tracks in LFS help give it's own identity. Yes the tracks could be improved, but its so good driving tracks that are new and fresh.

Quote from Intrepid :

Yh I do understand this. But it's a shame that sims give people the opportunity to come up with fantasy tracks, but instead we are stuck with tracks we've all seen before. I doesn't really bring anything new and fresh to the table. I would LOVE to see some awesome totally new tracks. For me this is part of the success of LFS. Contrary to popular belief I think the tracks in LFS help give it's own identity. Yes the tracks could be improved, but its so good driving tracks that are new and fresh.

exactly my point! For you, you prefer the fake, new tracks. Me, a more realistic and accurate version of "real" tracks......

I play the LFS game for different reasons to you. I play it for the community feel and ability to race when I want on the tracks I want in the cars I want with the people I want! If it were on real tracks, all the better for me! We differ. That's why I race on iRacing AND LFS! Covers both bases!

Quote from The Moose :

The Laser scanned tracks, which i thought would be just a gimmick, are actually the only thing in iRacing that i absolutely love. I think thats what makes it stand out as a sim.
If you stuck those tracks in LFS or nKPro i firmly belive both sims would stand up really well to iRacing. The tracks make all the difference.

iRacing without laser scanned tracks would be just another sim. LFS and nKPros physics stand up really well imo.

I agree. I think the iRacing tracks and there details make really alot of difference, and if you could drive LFS cars on iRacing tracks, I dont think the difference's of the two Sims would be far different in terms of driving feeling. I think the two Sims iRacing is most close to in terms of driving feeling is LFS and netkarPro, it's alot about the tracks that in my opinion make a big difference, and I hope the devs of LFS and netkarPro see this aswell and think about adding real tracks and maybe even with the same focus on track detail.

Quote from George Kuyumji :

I hope the devs of LFS and netkarPro see this aswell and think about adding real tracks and maybe even with the same focus on track detail.

I'd love it if they did, but unfortunately that's where iRacing will always have the upper hand. You need big bucks for lots of highly detailed laser scanned tracks. Unless you turn both sims into subscription based products i cant ever see it happening.
I'm not sure how the respective communities would react to moving to that pricing structure.

Quote from The Moose :

...unfortunately that's where iRacing will always have the upper hand. You need big bucks for lots of highly detailed laser scanned tracks...

Not necessarily, costs of scanning will come down and there are alot of entusiests out there willing to do it at there cost even. A guy posted about the track that is in rfactor now on the lfs forums a while back, he was offering it to the dev and was indicating there would be more in the future. Curiously after a search for 30mins I cant find that thread

Quote from Glenn67 :

Not necessarily, costs of scanning will come down and there are a lot of enthusiasts out there willing to do it at there cost even. A guy posted about the track that is in rfactor now on the lfs forums a while back, he was offering it to the dev and was indicating there would be more in the future. Curiously after a search for 30mins I cant find that thread

Good points. And as much as admire the guys work i cant see any of the major curcuits with the quality and detail of iRacing's coming to LFS or nKPro any time soon.

I would certainly be happy to see tracks of the quality of Eastern Creek in those two sims though. It's a pity that the LFS devs didnt take him up on the offer (iirc) If nKPro's 1.03 patch revives the sim then hopefully he could approach Kunos with a similar proposition. I'd love to drive that track in nKPro

Quote from Glenn67 :

Curiously after a search for 30mins I cant find that thread

I think this is the one you´re talking about: http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=44139 . Must admit that remembering who started it, help a lot in the search...

Alright, so I've found a bit of love for the Mazda at last. It's a much more enjoyable car when you don't spin every lap, that's for sure
I practiced for a couple of hours this week and finally took the plunge this afternoon for my first race this season, started from 2nd place and I ended up having a fantastic battle for the lead which required a lot of strategising to set up my rival for a pass. I eventually managed to pass him braking late into T5, but 4 laps before the end I went wide at the same spot, and he took the lead back D:

It's incredibly difficult to lose someone in the draft in a Mazda at Road America, you gain several car-lengths on the straights if you're behind, but do suffer from quite a bit of dirty air up close.

If half of my Mazda races are going to be this exiting and engaging then I'll happily leave the Skippy behind, although I plan to compete in both series if I can be competitive in both

Quote :

there are alot of entusiests out there willing to do it at there cost even. A guy posted about the track that is in rfactor now on the lfs forums a while back, he was offering it to the dev and was indicating there would be more in the future. Curiously after a search for 30mins I cant find that thread

Piddy's laser scanned Eastern Creek used a much cheaper version of the kinds of scanners being used in iRacing. With a better scanner you can get better detail- I think Brendon would like to do some higher resolution scans but the cost would become an issue fairly quickly I'd imagine. I haven't driven on the Eastern Creek track so I can't compare it to the iRacing tracks (haven't driven them either ) but I figure it would take some cash to get things up to the level of iRacing. I agree that the costs will come down over time.

His post on the idea of laser scanning in LFS..
http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?p=826439#post826439

I'm not impressed with the Eastern Creek track, indeed there seems to be laserscanning and laserscanning..

Got this from iRacing today and yes I'm embarrassed

that's awesome mate

Quote from AlienT. :

Got this from iRacing today and yes I'm embarrassed

Yeah I got my LM 1st place for division7. Waiting for my SK 1st as well. Think it was div 8.

I framing mine and putting it on the wall by my cockpit. Hope I can start a nice collection.

I managed to snatch 2nd place in div 2 TT for the Skippies, I hope I can start a nice collection

Quote from AlienT. :

Got this from iRacing today and yes I'm embarrassed

Posting a bitmap is indeed embarrassing

Quote from AndroidXP :

Posting a bitmap is indeed embarrassing

It took me an hour how to figure even that out Whats wrong with Bitmaps, JPEG are such last year

Quote from AlienT. :

It took me an hour how to figure even that out Whats wrong with Bitmaps, JPEG are such last year

now, don't have a TIFF about it will you!!!!!

Quote from Quint999 :

kind of the Bronze badge for Swimming one width

I did get the silver for breast stroke! 2nd place in my division for the legend road trial

Quote from AlienT. :

Whats wrong with Bitmaps, JPEG are such last year

.BMPs are so last millenia...

Quote from The Moose :

Good points. And as much as admire the guys work i cant see any of the major curcuits with the quality and detail of iRacing's coming to LFS or nKPro any time soon.

I would certainly be happy to see tracks of the quality of Eastern Creek in those two sims though. It's a pity that the LFS devs didnt take him up on the offer (iirc) If nKPro's 1.03 patch revives the sim then hopefully he could approach Kunos with a similar proposition. I'd love to drive that track in nKPro

How hard is it to code in some bumps and cracks into the tracks? This is not sarcasm this is a serious question. I don't have a clue about coding so don't know how time consuming it would be.
But since we are driving on fictional tracks why not add some more fictional bumps?
South City is great!! You need to lift in some of the cars to save your clutch and not spin out. This should be the way it is with all the tracks I think.

Quote from Toddshooter :

How hard is it to code in some bumps and cracks into the tracks? This is not sarcasm this is a serious question. I don't have a clue about coding so don't know how time consuming it would be.
But since we are driving on fictional tracks why not add some more fictional bumps?
South City is great!! You need to lift in some of the cars to save your clutch and not spin out. This should be the way it is with all the tracks I think.

I totally agree. South city has always been my favourite place to race in LFS because it actually feels like it has some sort of proper surface.
Every other tracks is virtually bumpless, camberless and smooth as silk.

All of LFS' cars feel far more alive on South City. Good tracks make the cars feel better! Hows that for an incentive to the LFS devs to do something about it.

Quote from The Moose :

I totally agree. South city has always been my favourite place to race in LFS because it actually feels like it has some sort of proper surface.
Every other tracks is virtually bumpless, camberless and smooth as silk.

All of LFS' cars feel far more alive on South City. Good tracks make the cars feel better! Hows that for an incentive to the LFS devs to do something about it.

Yh that's the main problem with LFS. but in terms of real world training IMO LFS provides a much more useful platform to improve accuracy.

but if they can introduce a new surface to the tracks I wouldn't complain

Quote from Intrepid :

in terms of real world training IMO LFS provides a much more useful platform to improve accuracy.

I'd say in terms of real world training you can't beat iRacing. I'd love to say LFS but right now, withe the current LFS, it's simply not the case. It's difficult to really gauge iRacing with the Solstice due to its power steering effect but with cars like the Skippy, its a lot closer.

Quote from StableX :

I'd say in terms of real world training you can't beat iRacing. I'd love to say LFS but right now, withe the current LFS, it's simply not the case. It's difficult to really gauge iRacing with the Solstice due to its power steering effect but with cars like the Skippy, its a lot closer.

I don;t think a driver will learn much more in iRacing than LFS. Even if the phsyics model was PERFECT without the G forces etc.. it isn't THAT useful.

You can only improve general skills like accuracy, and concentration. You learn these as much, if not more, in LFS than you do in iRacing.

On a side note the licence/race system is boring me to death. I hate it.

Quote from The Moose :

Hows that for an incentive to the LFS devs to do something about it.

But then on the other hand there is the dilemma of improving the old tracks or creating new ones