1) Does it support 'no player' mode like GP3?
- No not as such. You need to enter a race event with a player vehicle. However, you can just enter it last on the grid, by not doing any track time, and then retire it immediately upon green lights. Then the AI is running the event unaffected. Alternatively, you can pass control of your car to the AI with a hot-key.
2) How many teams/cars can there be?
- Potentially unlimited, but each track has a certain amount of grid slots, garages and pit stalls (not always the same amount!). Testing the limits takes about 2-3 launches of the track (some 5 minutes of work). Normally, the limit for each track will be the amount of garages and grid slots, as they are all in use at the same time, whereas pit stalls are not. How each pit stall is used can also be modified. Most tracks support 20+ cars.
3) What is the difficulty to modify the game (i.e painting and performance etc)?
- Depends on what you want to change, but rFactor is mods Galore, so in general it is easy. Performance is governed by physics files, and while they are easy to change, understanding the variables is not. Driver performance is governed by talent files, and they are easy to change. Both file types are in txt format. Painting should be on the same difficulty level as most other sims.
4) Would my current pc be able to run it well? Inspiron 6400 Dell laptop. 2Ghz Dual core processor, 256MB ATI Mobility gfx card, 2GB ram.
- Easily. You will even be able to save the entire race, and do video clip shows, with your favorite codec.
Misc... I think you can accomplish what you want with rFactor, but of course there will be a learning curve, and you will also need to do some suitability testing in regards to mods and tracks. And of course, you will need to learn some new modding skills.
For instance the AI operates largely in the same way it does in GPx, an AI line, approximated physics, performance files and a setup. Most tracks DO NOT provide mod specific setups for the track, so the AI will use it's default setting. If that is unsuitable for the track, or the AI line is really daft, then bad things happen.
Both these problems can be overcome. You can make a setup for the AI, and if it is even halfway decent the AI will do fine. If you can get the AI to do one complete lap without destroying the car, the AI can also be set to "train" itself... effectively, the AI explores the track, lap by lap, and creates a brand new AI line for that car type ONLY.
It's only after we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/2007 05:00PM by Morbid.