Adding content to LFS?

LFS isn't designed for 3rd party additions, it has no support for different mods being launched with the same exe, nor a built in support for different seasons (like rF). This means that each thing (car/track) added would make it incompatible online. Add one new car of your own and you can't race online. Even editing the existing content will make your game incompatible.

Why don't the devs support modding?

I guess it's a decision made when they started developing LFS. This way they can focus on making their product better without having to worry about any 3rd party content addons bringing trouble.

Would they allow modding if someone asked them nicely?

It has been tried over the years, by lots of people. It seems that some people think they're original and decide to ask for real cars or even a possibility to add some themselves.. Even if the devs suddenly wanted to add support for mods / addons, it would mean a massive LFS code re-write.. Will not happen in the near future.

I made a modding suggestion on this forum, and was attacked?!

Asking for things that have been discussed over and over again tend to bring up the anger in forum regulars. The game has been public for quite some time, chances are that an idea one comes up with has already been suggested. Search. I guess most of us would like to see more content in LFS, if it would be done by the devs. That way we would be able to play online, and be sure that if there'd be a problem with the initial release we'd get updates to fix any issues - we'd be sure of the quality.


All of the above are just my opinions, educated guesses etc. The words aren't meant to be offensive nor are they written to attack someone. But if you are new to the forums or are a stranger to LFS.. I promise, reading and understanding them won't hurt.

I'm not sure it's been mentioned or not, some posts were too long for me to read without losing focus. But if user added mods was a part of LFS, why would we ever need S3? Hell, why even leave demo status? I don't think that would lead anywhere nice.
Nah, I'll just wait for the pros to release stuff I can trust in stead.

I clearly understand mods and cars issues when it comes to 3rd party product.
However, tracks don't fall into this category IMO.
Tracks can't brake the physics nor can they alter the game itself to worse.
I just think that we need a few more playgrounds to play on.
Also, I mean this in the least insulting way possible. I know quite a few mappers that can produce tracks that are many times more interesting then what we currently have. Track with all the real stuff such as elevation changes, realistic pits, etc.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I really don't see any draw backs from community tracks (crappy ones simply don't get used by the admins so quality control takes a natural path)

As for those claiming that mods kill games, what's your stand on the CTRA-X system?
That's a mod in my book.

Quote from BullHorn :

The car physics could've stayed intact

no they cant since the models are directly part of the physics calcs

The fact is, it's definitely not a good idea to allow a community to modify an online game. It gets the game just way too much worthless crap.

Can you imagine what would happen? With the OOS errors, you can't connect to a server unless you have exactly the same version of the game, and that is down to the last line of code, and the last pixel of the models. Not only it would be awful because of lack of quality, it would also be full of useless servers and annoying errors.

The only way to have mods integrated to LFS is to get professionals to make it, and implant it as an expansion pack. The servers get a tag that shows they have the pack or no, and depending if you have it, you can play on it or no.

Quote from boosterfire :

The fact is, it's definitely not a good idea to allow a community to modify an online game. It gets the game just way too much worthless crap.

Now that's what I call a reasonable argument.

Concerning the servers, quality and stuff, many of you forget that LFS can also be played offline. Why should anyone care about what models (crappy or not) do I play with if it's just in my offline privacy? Forbid the mods in online gaming, allow them offline. It's less trouble for the devs, more fun for those who want their favorite cars to drive in LFS. Anyway I think that people don't want custom models to show them off online, they just want to drive them around LFS tracks to know what it's like - and this can be done offline very well.

Awww, but I wanna play da supa Civic Vtec monsta truck drift stunt naws mod wit ma homies dawg.

Good effort Gunn, but I noticed you spelled a few of those words correctly. B-

I know if I'd just spent the last 4 or 5 years developing a really good quality online driving simulator I'd hate to go on you tube and see it ruined by loads of crap attempts at maxxed out integra's playing destruction derby. Can see the comment's now......."man what is that crap game those cars look sooooo lame". I'd feel sick. I know some talented people could make really nice models but the vast majority would be really bad and just put the game down.

I'm sure the next patch will be exciting. Everyone needs to just wait a bit, it will be worth it...

I want 4000bhp Supra mod!!

Nakkitartsani has gone German?

Quote from danworth :

Why is it that any unofficial addon/mod that changes the car models will be rejected by moderators?

LFS was a good game when it comes out 20 years before (or so)

Today the game looks just crap with the old graphics and low poly cars. I tried RF after a lot of buddies told me how great it is. I´d like to stick to lfs because i believe all that crap about better physics and stuff. But finally I tried RF and I must say it´s even a step ABOVE lfs. It´s much more intense racing with damaged engines, oil on the road, superb graphics and sounds. The only thing that is better in lfs is the way to connect to a server.

SO IMHO RF is the lfs of the 21th century.

Quote from Crazy Harry's sig :

Total Spent On LFS = 2much for still no mirror =/

What does that mean in your sig? There are mirrors in LFS

And there we go. About halfway down the second page this argument suddenly devolves into yet another "LFS roolz, rCraptor sux" "no, LFS sux, rfactor iz t3h W!nz" argument.

Shame, up until then it had been okay. Strange that the argument should once again head that way since the OP was about new stuff in LFS. It was a repeat post, but at least it was about LFS.

Quote from Dajmin :

And there we go. About halfway down the second page this argument suddenly devolvs into yet another "LFS roolz, rCraptor sux" "no, LFS sux, rfactor iz t3h W!nz" argument.

Shame, up until then it had been okay. Strange that the argument should once again head that way since the OP was about new stuff in LFS. It was a repeat post, but at least it was about LFS.

Here here! Another repeated thread gone downhill with a slagging match.

Boring! :tombstone

I say we have rFactor banned as a word like a certain online community dedicated to ruining peoples fun is banned.

What is more important? What the car looks like or what it handles like? Remember, this is LFS, not NFS.

Quote from breadfan :

What is more important? What the car looks like or what it handles like? Remember, this is LFS, not NFS.

Both. So it must be rf =)

Quote from Sven Menkhoff :

always the same problems

Just play rFactor if you wanna those Custom-Stuff
If you preffer good physics, stay at LFS

god forbid you should have both

I am for having one universal car that has adjustable physical properties, as weight, basic dimensions, power, grip etc. Within boundaries of course. But because of the large amount of LFS purists this will hardly ever be accomplished. However, I consider it as a good compromise between the custom models and original-cars-only.

I want to slap all of you upside the head.

While it may not be a good idea to allow mods right now, I can't see why not allow them in a final release. Look what they did to NASCAR Racing 2003 Season or Grand Prix Legends, for instance.

In NR2003, you got leagues running all kinds of mods, from Aerowar 88 to Grand National 70 and the current COT cars, on all kinds of modded tracks. Some car mods even have their own physics, which are, for most of them, pretty good. I can't even bear to play the vanilla game again.

In GPL, you just need to download the 2004 demo on BHMotorsports and compare it to the original game. The 2004 demo is a compilation of all the greatest mods released for GPL, and it looks and feels like a completely different, much improved game.

Quote from Aiden McGeady :

While it may not be a good idea to allow mods right now, I can't see why not allow them in a final release.

the devs have said time and again that they will consider opening lfs for modding sometime after s3

Quote from Aiden McGeady :

I want to slap all of you upside the head.

While it may not be a good idea to allow mods right now, I can't see why not allow them in a final release. Look what they did to NASCAR Racing 2003 Season or Grand Prix Legends, for instance.

In NR2003, you got leagues running all kinds of mods, from Aerowar 88 to Grand National 70 and the current COT cars, on all kinds of modded tracks. Some car mods even have their own physics, which are, for most of them, pretty good. I can't even bear to play the vanilla game again.

In GPL, you just need to download the 2004 demo on BHMotorsports and compare it to the original game. The 2004 demo is a compilation of all the greatest mods released for GPL, and it looks and feels like a completely different, much improved game.

Better than the 2004 demo, is using your original GPL Disk, with a special installer, to create a pimped out GPL.

Quote from Aiden McGeady :

Look what they did to NASCAR Racing 2003 Season or Grand Prix Legends, for instance.

And look at what happened to TheUSPits because of those mods (I believe they were the first to mod and had made all the tools to mod, if I'm not mistaken...) Though I don't know much about GPL. Jan and others at TheUSPits had to get themselves an attorney over the mods for NR2003. And that was over very good dedicated modders developing stuff for that sim, not just any Tom, Dick, and Harry modding like in rFactor.

But that's not the case here. The case is that mods can definitely improve a racing game, including an online one. I can choose whether to play Grand National 70 on a historical Daytona track, or play COT on Nürburgring, all online in a good racing league, and no lag.

On the other hand, the reason GPL and NR2003 didn't have bad mods is that their communities are quite selective and self-moderated. No one in their right mind is going to play GPL if they're not serious about simming, let alone modding it. And the average NASCAR fan will want to play the arcadish sims such as the EA games, rather than such a detailed simulation. Plus, the communities would never accept some HONDA CIVIC TYPE-RICE MODZ in their games.

I think that's how it should be in LFS' case. Take the good mods, and reject the bad ones.