CTDP has released a short new status update on their International Formula Master mod to follow up the one released last August.
In this one, the team talks about the difficulties modding for the ever-changing rFactor 2 platform that does not just seem to affect CTDP but most other modding teams out there as well.
Status is, there is not much update.
We feel in a stalemate situation at the moment. As we wrote a couple of months ago, CTDP has had some hard years and we have awaited rFactor2 with high hopes. To boost morale in the team, we pushed the developed of the IFM-2009 mod forward in favor of F1-1994. We had to adjust and get results with less people, and a smaller mod such as IFM-2009 was just the way to go.
rFactor 2 Beta was released in January and looking back on the past months, we realized, many of our hopes have yet to be fullfiled. Beta means rFactor2 is not stable and in a constant change. This is software, this is normal, however, this has consequences on the community and on the modders in particular. For us it feels like the community has been holding it???s breath since the first release of rF2. Very few leagues switch and embrace the new platform, even fewer mod teams.
And we can understand this, as CTDP is also experiencing the disadvantages of being cutting edge: sometimes you cut yourself. We discovered several bugs in export tools and shaders, we have been embracing the new platform and sometimes we had setbacks and wrong decisions. That???s alright, however what makes it frustrating is, that even after 10 months it feels like developing against a moving target.
Software is supposed to evolve and change, but especially interfaces to external components (ie exporters, shaders, physics, packaging) need to be frozen at one point to allow for third-party devs to get things done and build upon it. This has not happened yet and every new build requires to update things on our current alpha of the IFM2009 mod and reexporting the models. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst. Bleeding edge.
While the community held its breath waiting, modding within CTDP appears to suffocate. We have all but one car textures ready. 15 helmets are left to do and no texture artist is motivated to work on it. We have basic physics who need work especially on the tire model, which is its very own story with rFactor2. We have a running alpha version, and no testers who provide solid and helpful feedback. We are down to a handful of people and not sure what to wait for right now.
We are considering other platforms, but right now there is no alternative available/suitable to us.We are still innovative and full of ideas. We have better tools and utilities for modding than ever before. If we had the same means 4 years ago when we were working on F1-2006, I would shed tears of joy. Still all the tools don???t help it if modding is not enjoyable. And right now it isn???t and we don???t know what we can do to help it.??
Launched in 2007, the Formula Master was designed to be an alternative to Formula 3, offering young drivers a platform to prove themselves on.The spec car used for International Formula Master competition is built by Tatuus and is powered by a a Honda K20A engine that puts out 250hp.
Supporting the WTCC, the series got major TV coverage on Eurosport before it folded after the 2009 season.
Via??CTDP Devblog
