VRC SGT3 Fun Run - Watkins Glen - Changing Weather

Sunday, November 25th, 2018
Practice starts at 16:35 GMT (11:35 ET)

Note: VRC Admin team would like to use this race to test wet conditions in rF2 and determine if it would be possible to have an official race under changing weather conditions. The more drivers the better.


Race Details

- Mod: Studio 397 GT3: https://store.steampowered.com/itemstore/365960/
- Track: Watkins Glen

- Password: tintop
  PW is only going to be on the server the day of the race.

- 45 minute race with mandatory pit stop. Minimum 2 tires must be changed.
- Start: Formation Lap with Standing Start
- If you get disconnected, race re-join is activated.
- Track condition: User Saved Preset. Track rubber will depend on number of drivers on track over the course of the practice week.
- Weather: Changing weather.  Rain start and dry towards the end of the race.

- Allowed assists: Only Auto-Clutch.  Drivers may change Traction Control and ABS under setup options.

- Please read: VRC Rules and Regulations


Race day Schedule
- Practice start (60 Mins) 16:35 GMT  (11:35 ET) - Open session
- Qualifying start (15 Mins) 17:35 GMT (12:35 ET) - Open session
- Warm Up start (5 Mins) 17:50 GMT (12:50 ET) - Open session
- Race start (45 Mins) 17:55 GMT (12:55 ET) - Closed session


Discord Server info:
https://discord.gg.vUQ3qjq

I will be there too.

-Matt

Another test you can run would be to add 10 ai and see how it runs.

My fps were quite low compared to other tracks; I don't know my fps of this track in the dry. However I didn't notice any downsides to lower fps in the rain.

I'd say: more like this. It's tricky, especially when it's drying.

Sorry I didn't make the race but here's my two cents.  I've ran in races that used the real weather plugin and I was not impressed.  One race it began to rain early but not hard.  It clouded up when it started to rain but then quickly cleared off and the sun was shining so I decided to stay on slicks because well it seemed like the rain was over and it was clearing up.  Next thing I know the sun suddenly goes away the sky turns grey and it's a torrential downpour.  I finally go in for wets and then guys who went with wets from the beginning didn't seem to have much of a loss of speed compared to the slicks anyway.  Tracks with a bridge over the track over the race surface report the track wet line as 0% so you couldn't go by that.  Also the mod that we used the rain fell on the windshield like droplets of mud making it ridiculously difficult to see and very unrealistic.  Going 100mph and the rain droplets don't hardly move.  IRL I've raced for hours at a time in the driving rain and nothing looked as awful and unpredictable.  There's no storm clouds moving in to clue you in to hey it's going to rain.  To me RF2 doesn't have weather transitions down to where you can make anything more than a lucky guess at tires.  For me I could do without the rain transitions.

   I agree with Tom & Matt. I thought the race went very well with just enough unpredictability to keep you guessing on when to pit. The rain stopped fairly early but the track stayed damp for longer than I had experienced on "test days". I probably pitted a few laps too early or maybe it would have been wiser to stay on wets for the whole race, but those decisions are part of what kept it interesting.

   Only glitch I saw was on the formation lap I had Gerry warping in front of me for a second. 

    Brent, I've never run using the wet weather plugin but I think rain on the windshield was not a problem with scripted weather setup.

That was a lot of fun.  I thought the track was going to dry faster but I could still see a substantial water spray before going to the pits and I decided to stay on wet tires. That was the right decision.

This was a good test and I am really happy with the improvements S397 has done to the rain feature of rF2.  My FPS were very stable and did not suffer any stuttering or freezes. I can say that we should seriously consider having a race with changing weather conditions.