Online subscriptions announced

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Havner

Havner

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I'd advice you to read the latest article at RaceDepartment for planned online subscriptions.

I particularly love the following sentence:

Although we believe a free component of the online RaceControl offering will continue
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"We believe", but we're not sure yet.

Also IMO with those plans laid out you can completely forget about a release of a dedicated server programs.
This clearly shows they want to milk multiplayer as much as possible. Like they're dreaming about iRacing model in the end (which IMO won't be possible, but it doesn't mean they won't try).
 
oh my god I'm only now reading this bad news............, will you have to pay a subscription to run online like "iracing", in addition to paying for the DLC?, this will happen not only with lemans ultimate which it's terrible online, but also with the old rfactor 2!!!................, I give up and go back to Iracing, at least I pay for a serious, professional service, here instead it seems like it's just a thing to make money, absurd!!!
 
In trying to find some sense in the article, perhaps the news piece is not entirely well-written? Taken out of context? Or maybe we just don't fully understand exactly what they mean by those phrases about subscription to RC services...

I can't believe that anyone who decides on the future of their business, could think that a subscription model for a system like RC, in its current state with all the problems and what it offers, could be viable and profitable in the long term.
Both RC and the game are in today with so many bugs ,problems and so little things the systems have.unfeasible.

Who knows, maybe they are preparing a super update and many new things will appear for both the game and RC... we don't know. But of course, the most important thing about those new things is that they work reliably, and the current ones, otherwise no one will pay for more than a week? a month?

Let's hope for the best! We'll be watching closely.
 
I certainly hope the current online races are still going to be available free as a permanent offering. I'm not in favour of having to pay for online play (and cannot afford it), even though I acknowledge S397 / MSG need to make money. If online play is forced on players I foresee players leaving to play other games that are relatively bug free and complete and which have more content. I am in favour of paid DLC's and don't mind paying for them, provided the DLC's are priced well. But a subscription service doesn't sit well with me, and based on the previous comments it's not going down well with other players either. I think we'll all be keeping an eye on how this develops.
 
David. said:
In trying to find some sense in the article, perhaps the news piece is not entirely well-written? Taken out of context? Or maybe we just don't fully understand exactly what they mean by those phrases about subscription to RC services...

I can't believe that anyone who decides on the future of their business, could think that a subscription model for a system like RC, in its current state with all the problems and what it offers, could be viable and profitable in the long term.
Both RC and the game are in today with so many bugs ,problems and so little things the systems have.unfeasible.

Who knows, maybe they are preparing a super update and many new things will appear for both the game and RC... we don't know. But of course, the most important thing about those new things is that they work reliably, and the current ones, otherwise no one will pay for more than a week? a month?

Let's hope for the best! We'll be watching closely.
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Let's wait for more info, the current info is quite vague. I waited eagerly for this game to be released and saved up in advance to buy it, and really am enjoying this game immensely. A pay to play model, especially one that's implemented badly, is definitely going to go down badly with players. But the details so far are unclear and our worst fears may not even materialise.
 
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Even If It all was true and all was let´s say fixed, which I really doubt when It comes to code. Why would anybody want to pay for LMU´s services, or rF2 for that matter, when you can do the same (pay for) on iRacing with all It´s fame and stable player base?
 
Well this is disheartening. What can they benefit from releasing one car at a time? The only cars that are missing are 2024 cars, so how, with the current multiplayer experience being very restrictive (and poor imo) are you supposed to use it offline? They’ll just lump it in with the 2023 stuff?

Just concentrate on getting the 2024 tracks and cars done and release in one go. I’d prefer not to be drip fed them throughout the year and end up having everything when the season is already over.

Along with this talk of a paid subscription service and (am I reading this right!?) paid “premium set-ups”, I’m now feeling a bit “meh” about the future of this game. None of that reads as very enticing tbh.
 
Havner said:
I'd advice you to read the latest article at RaceDepartment for planned online subscriptions.

I particularly love the following sentence:


"We believe", but we're not sure yet.

Also IMO with those plans laid out you can completely forget about a release of a dedicated server programs.
This clearly shows they want to milk multiplayer as much as possible. Like they're dreaming about iRacing model in the end (which IMO won't be possible, but it doesn't mean they won't try).
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“So, we're looking at the bigger resources of a group rather than necessarily individuals. But we are not making [subscriptions] a requirement to participate and contribute online.”
 
The Turbo said:
“So, we're looking at the bigger resources of a group rather than necessarily individuals. But we are not making [subscriptions] a requirement to participate and contribute online.”
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I'm gonna reply to what I said on RD already cause it seems you have not seen it:

Yeah, read this will full context:
“...These things will become available to you if one of the people in the group decides to subscribe.

“So, we're looking at the bigger resources of a group rather than necessarily individuals. But we are not making [subscriptions] a requirement to participate and contribute online.”
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It only means that for things they are going to charge you (whatever that is) it is enough for one of your team members to have subscription. So your bolded text I read that it's not about online racing in general but about access to paywalled features.

But for a general access to Race Control and racing online there was another sentence that they "believe" a free access will continue (which I read as they are not sure yet as for the future).
 
It doesn't strike me as a good PR move to announce paid DLCs and a subscription service when the sim is still in EA, with several key features (championship mode, free practice, save races in progress) still missing. I realize that the important features will eventually be implemented, but maybe wait just a bit before asking for more $$$ just yet.
 
Honestly, nothing is in any way or shape of form confirmed yet how it completly shapes out with the subscription functionality yet. And as the article reads there is nothing mentioning that the current use of RC is going to be paywalled but as it seems some functionality "which makes you feel more like a team" in between the lines. So yeah I wouldn't read all to much into it until it is clear cut, how it will definetly shape out to be. And I think it is completly reasonable to anounce in a timely manner even though it is still some time until it comes, how the monetisation of the game etc. is planned from their side. When they suddenly come out of the box and implement such a system right away, the uproar would even be bigger. And it also doesn't say anything about that the still missing features of the game aren't coming for those who bought the game and/or will be still developed/worked on parallel to these anounced dlc content drops. Since I don't necessarily think that the guys working on the dlc cars and tracks are the same that also work on replay features, etc.
I for myself at least am somewhat happy that there was some communication about how they are planning to publish the content over the year and while I would prefer one big dlc for the 2024 content, I see why they would split up the release of the content in tranches. Since adding the 2024 content would basically double the amount of content in the game.
 
We should really wait before we jump Into conclusions for when we have better Intel. Although some things don´t sound to good, we really don´t have the final word from the folks at MSG.

I agree the timing Is not right, and It looks like the current F1 drama haha, but really It´s all talk for now.
 
As said above, we should wait to have details on how it will work before conclusions. Imo, what could be a good way to make some free online could be to let the rookie/bronze online for free, and silver/gold races needed subscriptions. This way you could try online for free, race with friends on lower class for free, and if you're convince and want to race more high level lobbys or endurance races and so on, you subscribe.
Anyway I think online subscriptions are a good thing IF we have really good online server/infrastructure, it's a good way for MSG/S397 to make money to maintain online server/services with a really good quali while DLC's makes money to add more quali cars/tracks to the game year after year
 
I would be astonished if they could provide a serious ongoing online race system for the one off price of £25.00.

Whatever they do it would not be as bad as IRacing where you only rent everything you "buy", the ethics of how they sell this I find questionable.
 
As someone with very limited time to sim race, I don’t like how after nearly 3 months, I still can’t just jump into an online multi-class race. On an official WEC sim. All I can say is thank goodness the AI are pretty good. But it’s still not the same as online. I just don’t have the time to be waiting around for these scheduled races on tracks that are determined for me. Now they’re talking about a subscription service for private servers??…

Anyway, as someone who’s never played RF2, does anyone know if they have any of the current GT3 cars in that game? Would hopefully be an easier (and quicker) process in getting them into LMU if so. Obviously there are small differences with the LMGT3’s but might give us an idea of which cars are coming sooner.
 
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