Written by: Jennifer Bichara
The developers of iRacing, a PC game popular for its subscription-based racing simulation, have announced a significant update: dynamic rain will soon be included in the popular sim racing game.
The new Tempest weather system, which will be added to the game next month, will include this capability. According to iRacing, the developers make it essential to note that this differs from your typical racing game rain. It is a “true-to-life dynamic simulation of the plethora of physical and environmental conditions experienced while racing in the rain, and how water interacts with both the racetrack and the tires of your race car,” keeping with the ultra-realism ethos of iRacing.
You can change and tune rain settings when racing against AI opponents or practicing, which the makers say you should do before you start racing online. It is a fully dynamic Forecasted Weather System that reflects real-world conditions, consistent Static Weather settings for practice and specific events, and Timeline Weather that lets you change the weather from frame to frame.
The weather will be based on the Tempest prediction system when you go into the online series.
This system changes based on past weather at iRacing’s many racetracks worldwide. Players will want to keep an eye on the weather, but they should know that it is just a guess, and we all know that Mother Nature can change her mind anytime! There’s a good chance it will rain at a race, and you will see dark clouds on the horizon. However, the rain may not come. Or you might go into a race knowing it probably will not rain, but suddenly, the winds blow a certain way, and you are in the middle of a storm. Endurance racers need to be very aware of their surroundings because the longer the race, the less certain things become. Rain can become an obstacle for users to overcome, as it will make cars handle differently and no doubt cause some sliding!
The new update for iRacing will add tracks from around the world, such as the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Italy, the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal, and the Millbridge Speedway in the United States. Players might be surprised to learn that the rain update will be rolled out on a per-car basis. The Dallara 324 and the Micro Sprint are the first to get the update.
Fans of sim racing games can also look forward to a new rendering engine coming soon from iRacing.
Source:
iRacing Development Update – February 2024
By Greg Hill
Published on February 13th, 2024
iRacing.com