I just thought of a few things we could all do together to try to turn all the negative reviews around on steam. And maybe get some more people to this awesome sim! First of, if you haven't written a steam review, make sure to do so! Then we can go in and rate up good reviews, and rate down bad ones. So that the good ones will fall under the most helpful reviews. There is also a summer sale coming. Why not buy some cheap steam copies and give it to some non R3E playing friends, thats what I will do. I my self came over from AC about a year ago, and since the AI races was released in R3E I haven't spent many hours in AC. I can't understand why R3E doesn't blow both AC and PC off the water in player numbers??.. It's such a better game, even with some of the key features still missing!
Not a reviewer but do read them so have popped over to Steam and left mine, this is such a cracking sim. Need to get the word out there, sims live or die through their community and this one has a great feel about it, just as the sim has!!
I'm in complete agreement with you mate but I can see a few reasons why pCARS and AC have been more successful. Those two titles have benefited from better marketing and the ensuing hype (especially pCARS), a conventional sales model, having a career mode, pretty graphics (debatable), road and track cars and mod support (AC). I read a post from someone on another forum saying he doesn't like R3E because it's all race cars and they are too easy to drive (nonsense). Player numbers in R3E will pick up as the long overdue features trickle out, I'm sure of that, but I don't think the situation will change dramatically. AC and pCARS will always be more popular the way I see it. They simply have more mainstream appeal and R3E is more for motorsport enthusiasts. Anyway, back to Steam reviews - I keep forgetting to write one for which I apologise but I will make sure to do one asap. I also submitted a (deservedly) positive review for Stock Car Extreme to counter some of the mistruths about that game.
Just updated mine to counter some of the bellyaching about "free to play" that seems to be getting some reviewers so upset
Steam forums are a lost cause, to say that for a start. If you want to get a support train rolling, head to the various race community forums and invest your energy there. Comparable for me, just that I arrived from AC in March this year, and use AC as a hotlapping sim still. It's biggest weakness is the AI, though, I agree. History. Search a bit in the web. I have not experienced those times, but it seems that the title originally was relased prematurely and in an inferior state - so when it got the first and most important wave of attention by the crowd, it somewhat must have failed to deliver, and many turned away again, dissappointed. That is the dominat impression that still decides R3E's reputation until today. When you now tell people about that the sim is that good now (believe me, I have done it repeatedly), you refer to changes since apparently around last autumn - and many of those who turned away do not know of these, but think they know the game nevertheless - while basing on the state it was in two years ago. And so they keep to be desinterested: "I tried it once, I did not like it, so I left it behind". The very expensive price tag and the business model does not really help to attract new players or re-motivate old ones for a second try either. I'm sorry to say, but I got the impression from reading about R3E's history that the problems the title now has, are homemade. It has its strengths, some of them are benchmark quality, yes. But its not as if it dominates the competetion for quality totally. Some things it does better than AC or rF2. Others AC does better. AC has benchmark physics of the genre, and has the better looking cars, laser-scanned but lifeless trackstracks, superb driving experience, has inferior AI, and does solid and okay in all other regards. R3E has benchmark sounds, benchmark FFB, very good AI, quite good and convincing physics that are just not as advanced as that of AC, a pleasant driving experience nevertheless, and a track environment that I like by its visual style. I cannot say the one is better, in total, than the other. I think both represent the best two titles on the market currently. And so I use both parallel now, race dogfighting in R3E, hotlapping in AC. And doing so is a compliment for both.
Marked as "helpful" machwebb. Also did the same for yours GooseCreature. Let's change that "mixed" next to reviews to "positive". Like Skybird said, a lot has changed since this title was first released
Empty Box has just done 2 videos featuring RRE and although he's not overly praising, he certainly gives off the vibe that he enjoys it. Should help the cause.
I want so badly that this sim succeeds, but, still there are some aspects, or missing aspects, that escapes my undertandig capacity. What really changed after that huge patch?? So many resources to improve what was yet really great, I mean, songs...??? By far , they were the best around. Better AI: I was waiting again that ALL the AI were revamped... But no. Just 2 or 3 experiences. The newest ones. And this information was given by one developer, in one of many threads. Better AI is different from Better AI in SOME content. So, I though, finally we will get the BASIC features of a sim: PIT STRATEGY.... But no again: Fuel amount, and Tire pressure are still missing. No enforced pits. NOTHING changed. Sorry mates, but I'm still frustrated.
Personally I generally disagree with the complete concept of having these separated "experiences". Its a fragmentation of the brand R3E that does little to help improving its perception on the market and acceptance amongst customers, I would say. For new interested players it can even be confusing (speaking by own experience). There must be reasons why R3E still is played by few people only, is kind of a niche product within this already niche genre of racing titles. I also wonder whether it really is wise to spend money for series licenses instead of leaving it to licensed cars brands and tracks, and have a championship assembly tool like there is now in the menu, leaving it to players to set up the kind of series they want. Reminds me a bit of EA policies. Just that for FIFA games it seems to pay of, peoplke pay the new yearly incarnation even if there are no signfiicant imporvements in gameplay, just to get the new team lineups. Whether it also pays off for S3 to copy EA's model, only themselves know. But maybe the sim is so expensive, all in all, because the profit per individual customer must compensate for the low number of total customers? If that holds some truth I would ask whether one could expect to get more customers if changing the price policy and business model. Seems to be no expecation that is totally hilarious from beginning on, i'd say.
Dont race AI so cant talk about that topic.. You sure got a point there on fuel amount.. Cant wait for this either, but except for that and tyre pressure id give this game 9 out of 10.. Some people may say what about damage.. I feel as if it is well enough integrated to suffer from crashes.. Who needs a totally wrecked up car anywayz.. the goal is to finish with a car.. What about weather: i think this really takes a lot time where there lay only small benefits on short term.. Much smaller than just evolving time.. So give me evolving time and fuelthings and it's 9.5/10 whereas AC is only a 9.. Edit: i paid 80euros for gt6 at ps3 2years ago and i have spent about equal in r3e but enjoy it so much more.. I find it hard to hear prices are too high with this quality content..
I like to see this game doing well, I really think the business model is currently holding it back from it's full potential. R3E has a lot of content that both AC, pCARS or even iRacing doesnt offer where R3E can be attractive to racing game fans. Dirt Rally is doing fine despite it is filled with full prep race cars, I doubt R3E having so many race cars is the cause that not many people enjoyed the game. Also, even in Assetto Corsa, Kunos did report that the most popular class in multiplayer was their GT2/3 where they are working hard to expand the GT roster. Even in Grid Autosport, the most popular class in multiplayer was their touring cars, according to Codemaster. R3E has plenty of GTs to start with along with touring cars like DTM or WTCC that no game in the market has along with Group 5 where pCARS only has 2. I do not think the car list in R3E is the issue. The main issue that is the content of this game is too expensive compared to most racing games in the market. A car pack generally cost about $9 to $15 for a handful of cars while you have Kunos selling 10 cars and 1 track for $15(or $10 when their DLC was out for a few days). Then, you have pCARS selling their latest DLC with 5 cars for $3. Not to mention, the cost of the tracks is too high in R3E, $5 isnt a good value for a track when you competitor is selling theirs for $15 along with 10 cars. Even rFactor 2's life time online access cost $90 that can be played for many years to come with free content patched into the game or GSCE cost about $50 one time cost that also includes free content in patches. The only games that is more expensive than R3E is SimRaceway and iRacing, the question is, is S3S satisfied with a small community that is loyal to the game? Or have a large community of players who are constantly buying content? Being free to play does not help much as there is a stigma among players that most free to play are overcharging content with high price tag. Then, even if a new player download the game, most of the game's best content such as Group 5, DTM, WTCC and so on are not accessible to them. And the store plastered with high price tag and lack of frequent sales does put them off from buying the game's content. I tried to recommend the game to my friends, most of them bought a car or 2 to maybe 1 pack, then, they went back to AC, pCARS, rFactor or GSCE. The common criticisms of the game are R3E is too expensive or R3E is always online that has been putting my friends off. There are a lot of amazing content in the game but to have access to all of them, they could probably pickup AC and pCARS with the same price tag. Dont get me wrong, R3E is a great game with a flawed and potentially off-putting business model. Great sound, great graphics, great car list, great track list and great driving physics, it just the business model is holding it back in my honest opinion.
Is it sustainable, how much longer can it afford not to change the business model, on the other hand if it did, what would be the backlash from people that have already bought it all.
I have also questioned the model used in R3E several times, not so much the pricing. But really think the F2P model needs to go! Still a lot of features missing, but I am confident we will get most of what we are asking for in time. We even got false starts and engine stalling along with all the improvements and dedi this last patch! I also know that R3E was released way too early, as just a hot lapper with little content. But thats where AC still stands!! Sure AC has always had really good physics, but R3E isn't that far behind anymore. And as I said, AC is still a hot lapper with little official content.. PC have the awesome weather and dynamic day / night cycle, but is behind on most other aspects apart from some features still missing in R3E.
To mention just a really key features: - lack of flag rules - lack of pitstop strategy - lack of fuel use - lack of tyres temps and use - lack of brakes temps and fading - lack of triple screen support (so many simracers complaining on this one) - lack of storable setups - lack of custom skins (not a problem at all if you ask me, but there are so many league players who need this). I think that after theese features are added we can consider R3E "complete" racing simulator. (custom weather and dynamic day/night transitions would of course be awesome, but I think it's pure fantasy at this time). As for business model - I've become familiar with it and I don't mind it now, but I think that for many new players it can be seriously discouraging.
I would but due to the massive advancements over the last time I`ll first check all out to have something substancial to write about......*soon*
There would be no backlash from me. I'm very well invested in the title - I must own 90%+ of content - but, if switching to a conventional sales model gives R3E a more secure future then I would be all for it. Although I would be part of the group of biggest financial losers if this was to happen, I could write off my spend for the sake of looking at the bigger picture i.e. a healthy future for R3E. Honestly, I think the F2P model needs to be nuked. It's the best thing that could happen. Offer all current content as a 'boxed' game for approx. £40, then any future updates can be sold as more reasonably priced DLC like pCARS and AC are doing.
@Krzysztof Volek , agreed we need those to get the racing in solid shape. @Emerson Meyer , the size of the patch doesn't reflect game code features, but content... Dedicated servers has been a big feature and asked for a long time, the transition elasticity and new sound model is also something that is pretty cool. Actually I think making sound better despite already being really good is smart, you have to have a few key things that are much better than anyone else and easy to recognize (physics and ffb are kinda subjective). PCARS has graphics/career, AC has its mods/Italian content... something unique about each to differentiate. Going to repeat myself, but when it comes to content, R3E has really awesome classes, but also suffers a bit of clutter from the past, which may or may not give the best impression (1-2 car classes) and make the game look more expensive then it is (if you buy stuff in packs...). Focus on the strengths, less is more... For me it's one of the reasons why I am okay to invest into content due to a quality filter, vs games where one has to search for mods, their updates... free2play can be okay (and as we heard is important for the licensing deals), but should be the hot lap challenges only + apex hunt (does it still exist?), maybe have one fixed setting "teaser" race, that is changed every two weeks or so. I'd even go so far and kill "racing" from all those old classes, to ensure the experience is foremost with the best content (although drastic for people who are happy with it and paid, maybe flag classes specially suited for racing with little icons). Make buying one "starter pack" mandatory to unlock racing / multiplayer. That pack would be one of the polished classes + a few popular tracks. Try make that 15$ to have a sweet entry price. Given it's the starter pack, you can make it slightly cheaper than selling the regular class packs. Make this move before you bring out the Nordschleife or some other big content pack as that will create enough buzz