netKar PRO Community Update #

[Jaap Wagenvoort]

netKar PRO Community Update #1

April 12th 2007

This first netKar PRO Community Update informs about the latest developments and inside information on the development team.

netKar PRO v1.0.3

First of all, the 1.0.3 patch of netKar PRO! A lot of talk has been done of the patch. Stefano suggested that it should've been here around Christmas, but loads of things came in between. Work for BRD, development on the hillclimb for Marangoni Group and issues.

But, the patch is not forgotten. My meeting with Stefano focused on walking through a document with community feedback on netKar PRO and to define what would be in the patch and what now. A summary of what the new patch will do:

- Reduce FPS drops

- Remove join lag

- Improve server stability (server crashes upon drivers leaving the server)

- (Re)introduce improved flatspotting

- Improve multiplayer performance and experience in general

The patch will not include the new content. One of the reasons why the patch was delayed is that the team initially wanted to include the new Osella and the hillclimb in the patch. The whole new car and track are costing a lot of time though, so the team decided to move on with the patch and get it out without the new content.

Even though the patch does not include new content, what will change is the demo. A lot of people in the community already suggested that what was needed was a demo in which people could test the car online. That is exactly what is going to happen in v1.0.3. With the new patch, unregistered users will be able to drive the F1600 in racemode online on one track. Basic pick-up racing. Testing the simulation online. A lot of people were scared to buy netKar PRO after the comments of users. Now they have the chance to see for themselves how it drives online. A big step forward and a sign that the netKar PRO development team is listening to the community out there.

The patch is now being finalised. In the upcoming month, the patch will be tested online in order to test the new features and removed bugs and improve it where needed.

Other cool things

The join lag problem is solved in a way that we have seen in other sims. When a new client connects during a session, the new client will be loaded as a simple box & texture for the drivers already on the track. As soon as a driver goes back to the pitlane (either by driving the car back to the pitlane or by pressing ESC), the model and textures of the newly connected client are loaded. This way drivers on track do not suffer from join lag upon the entry of a new client, which should great improve online pickup races with netKar PRO.

Flatspotting will also be back in v1.0.3. This feature was implemented in v1.0.1, but removed from v1.0.2 due to the flatspot multiplier causing issues on high-end equipment. It is quite difficult to properly implement the flatspotting feature on different hardware. This will be tested in the v1.0.3 test phase before it is brought back. So, the flatspot multiplier is gone, which might reduce the effect on 'casual' racing wheels.

I have also discussed various other improvements of the simulation with Stefano, ranging from interface (think of configurable size/font/colour of messages and setup interface) to time penalty issues (configurable per server).

Track editor

Yes, it really is coming. The track editor is still being tested and getting better and better. Stefano needs some time to finish the code on the editor. When coding and testing is complete, the track editor will be released to the community.

An issue for the development team is how to deal with various versions of tracks once the editor is out. The team obviously don't want chaos to strike, so they need some time to deal with this issue before releasing the editor.

The features of the editor are almost done. Basically it allows people to finalise a track and prepare it for usage in netKar PRO by adding and configuring things like shaders, grid/pit/box positions, light settings and the whole rendering of the track in the simulation.

New cars?

The development team is looking to get some faster open-wheel cars in the simulation. They really want to add faster cars, but they first need to acquire a licence to 1) be allowed to put the car into the simulation and 2) get all required data to accurate model the car in the simulation. Of course they could add cars now, but the team wants to do it in a proper way, which simply means having enough reliable data on the car.

What's going on in the team?

This week, the netKar PRO development team is at a show with the Marangoni Group. Testing of the v1.0.3 patch started this week as well. As soon as the testing is complete and the reported issues have been solved, the patch will be released. This could take some time and is very important to make sure that you get a good product eventually.

Just know that it is coming and that once the testing is done, it will com your way. Besides all this, the development team is also doing some work for BRD, which is required to keep the whole project alive. The track editor is another thing that has the attention. I am writing a manual for the editor myself. When coding and testing of the editor is complete, it will be released together with a manual in order for the track editor around to have fun and get some (good quality!) tracks out there for you to enjoy.

Hope you liked the first Community Update. See you in a while for the Update #2 when more news is here. If you have any questions, fire away!

Edited April 12, 2007 by Jaap Wagenvoort