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Live for Speed
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Live for Speed (also known as LFS) is an online racing simulator developed by a three person team comprising Scawen Roberts, Eric Bailey, and Victor van Vlaardingen. The main focus is to provide a realistic racing experience for the online multiplayer game and to allow dramatic single player race against AI (Artificial Intelligence) cars. Users may set personal best lap records in Hotlap Mode, and take driving skills lessons.
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Encyclopedia
Live for Speed (also known as LFS) is an online racing simulator developed by a three person team comprising Scawen Roberts, Eric Bailey, and Victor van Vlaardingen. The main focus is to provide a realistic racing experience for the online multiplayer game and to allow dramatic single player race against AI (Artificial Intelligence) cars. Users may set personal best lap records in Hotlap Mode, and take driving skills lessons. Outstanding players may be invited to join private league teams.
LFS is distributed via Internet. The full game can be downloaded for free from the official website and installed, but unlocking all features requires purchasing a software license. Without a license it can be used as a demo with only the demo content available. License acquiring right to use all of the content and features can be purchased only from the official website.
Releases
The game is intended to be released in three parts, S1 (Stage 1), S2, and S3. Each stage will feature improvements in many areas, such as physics model, graphics and sound. Technical improvements introduced in each new stage become available for previous stages as well, with the main difference between stages being additional cars and tracks, as well as the maximum number of players connected to a server. Owners of each stage are also able to access servers for previous stages and demo servers.
A fully working, commercial, alpha version of LFS S2 was released on June 24, 2005. Despite the alpha tag, updates to the game usually adds features instead of only improving current features. List of some major updates:
- Patch S2 T, released on April 21, 2006, included improved tyre physics, track updates, as well as the addition of a new car, the BMW Sauber F1.
- Patch S2 W, released on March 31, 2007, included improved car sounds with new features in the synthesized sound engine (features partly already introduced in Patch S2 V, released December 22, 2006) and various graphical updates.
- Patch S2 X, released on June 9 2007, contains many minor fixes and improvements but mainly a possibility to make false starts and support for additional drivers; 32 simultaneous players online were made possible.
Patch Y
Patch S2 Y was released on December 21, 2007. Main features are:
- New car - Formula BMW, developed in conjunction with V1 Championship and Fortec Motorsport (available in demo version).
- Physics: vastly improved clutch simulation; clutch overheating and engine stalling, gearbox simulation; now simulating different kind of gearboxes from H-pattern to sequential with ignition cut and semi-automatic transmission and improved engine simulation; engines have more realistic redlines and inertia.
- Improved AI; AI controlled cars are now much faster, can deal with the changing state of the car (damage, tyre wear) and make pit stops and have slightly better awareness of other cars on the track.
- Graphically updated Blackwood and South City tracks including a new track configuration.
Patch Z
Patch S2 Z was released on July 2, 2008. Main features are:
- New interiors in XF and XR cars (road and GTR models) and updated interiors in Formula XR and Formula V8.
- Physics changes; improved weight distribution of GTR cars and suspension improvements in XR Turbo and RB4.
- New replay controls - rewinding possible.
- Support for Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Bulgarian languages.
- General improvements to interface and graphics; improved frame rates (subobjects now use hardware vertex shading), antialiasing and anisotropic filtering settings in graphics options.
- License system for demo players (must now register to go online).
Patch 0.6A
This update was slated for release on the week ending on December 19th, 2008, but release was postponed after the surfacing of some bugs (mainly graphics-related). Some of the new features expected in 0.6A:
- New car: Volkswagen Scirocco, with limited setup options for better realism.
- New Electronic Stability Control, which is likely to be available only on the Scirocco.
- 4-channel ABS can be enabled in some of the road cars (as a setup option).
- Enhanced rendering of shadows.
- Enhanced rendering of wheels and brake discs.
- Updated wheels for the Formula BMW
According to an official announcement from the LFS developers, 0.6A should be made publicly available in "early 2009".
Simulation
The physics engine simulates tyres, different suspensions, aerodynamics, drivetrain, several gearbox types, clutch overheating and damage to suspension, car body and partial engine damage. Some features of the mathematical tyre model (not based on Pacejka formula) created by Scawen Roberts are; every tire is divided to 48 sampling points (arranged as 16 along the circumference by 3 across the width of the tire), dynamic wear, dynamic dirt on tyre surface, flat spots, hot spots and visible real-time deformation of the tyre walls.
Gameplay
LFS, like most car simulators, requires smooth, controlled movements of the steering, throttle, and brakes in order to get the fastest speed through a lap. There is support for wheel, mouse, keyboard, joystick, or gamepad steering control. LFS is unusual among racing simulators in offering mouse controlled steering, which fills in the gap for racers who don't own racing wheels but would like more precise control than using keyboard steering.
Races can be from one to hundreds of laps or be set to run for a certain length of time, as is seen in endurance racing. There is support for refueling and tire changes in pit stops and mid-race adjustment of pit strategy. During an online race, driver changes between multiple real drivers are possible. Pit lane speed limits of 80 km/h (50mph) are enforced by penalties similar to those seen in real motorsport. These include drive-through, stop and go, or time penalty. Starting grids can be set by random chance, finishing positions in the previous race, or a qualifying period before the race.
A training mode is included as a driving school to help new drivers acquaint themselves with basic driving skills and the handling characteristics of each car. The lessons cover subjects such as cornering, throttle and brake control, and negotiating traffic. To pass, they have to be completed within a certain time without touching any obstacles or other vehicles. They are arranged as in sets, one for each car and ordered from slowest to fastest. Each set must be completed before moving to the lessons for the next car. However, completing them is not necessary to unlock cars, as all are available for racing from the beginning.
Cars
The S2 release offers a total of 21 different vehicles. They range from beginner-friendly models to cars more suited for players with more experience. There is a broad power spectrum, ranging from under 100 horsepower (70 kW) to over 700 hp (500 kW) in the high performance race cars. The cars range from fictional sports cars, GT race cars akin to DTM and former JGTC series cars to road legal family front wheel driven hatchbacks. While LFS' car selection mainly includes fictional cars, it also has five real officially licensed cars:
Tracks
LFS has seven different fictional track areas, including one loosely based on eastern central London, one based on Jamaican surroundings and one near Kyoto, Japan. Each one of them has several different configurations and each of those can be also driven in reversed configuration. Altogether, there are 54 configurations including three rallycross tracks. Additionally, users can create their own custom layouts using cones and other objects with the in-game autocross editor (shift+u); the two car park environments in the game are ideal for creating such layouts.
Intel Racing Tour and V1 Championship
LFS was used in Intel Racing Tour, a competition arranged in Germany in 2007 with a brand new BMW Z4 car as the main prize for the winner. Thanks to Intel Racing Tour, BMW Sauber F1 was introduced in the game.
LFS is also related to V1 Championship which will be launched in 2008 and shown on TV in the United Kingdom. V1 Championship is a competition arranged by a company called V1 Championship Limited whose aim is to discover a new British racing driver talent. LFS will be used as a part of the driver selection process in addition to physical and psychological tests before testing in real cars. If successful in V1 Championship, the contender acquires a seat in a racing team and must fully commit to have a career in motorsport.
Thanks to this co-operation with V1 Championship, LFS acquired a license to Formula BMW car and to help at modelling it to the game. Scawen Roberts was invited to have a full test day in the real car provided by Fortec Motorsport.
Leipzig Games Convention 2008 and VW Scirocco
LFS was used by Turtle Entertainment and Volkswagen to showcase the new Scirocco in Leipzig Games Convention in 2008. A competition using LFS was held and the prize was a real Scirocco car. The Scirocco release for Live For Speed had been scheduled for December 19th 2008, however it has been delayed until the early new year due to unexpected bugs in the latest patch and with the Scirocco itself.
LFSWorld
LFS integrates with LFSWorld.net, a real-time comprehensive statistics website and database with a unique online skin support. Each racer's online race statistics are updated, including per-lap personal bests, lap counts, distance traveled, fuel burnt, among others, and users can view other racers stats as well. Also included is a database of community formed teams. Additionally, an official world record lap time chart, where racers can upload hotlaps, is maintained for each track configuration and car combination, and other racers can download hotlaps to be viewed in-game. Users may also upload custom car skins to the website, from where the skins then are automatically downloaded in-game to other racers.
Criticisms
LFS is often criticized for its lack of openness towards third party car and track mods. Discussion about how to do and releasing third party car or track mods is not allowed on the official forums. It has been implied that LFS might be more open to modding when it is closer to being a final version.
Reviews and awards
PC Gameworld's 2003 review of Live for Speed S1 by Walter Hurdle scored 89% and said "A very strong simulation that offers fun and a high level of realism."
Justin Kranzl of APC magazine called the S1 release "the best PC racing simulator ever."
Pelit magazine's 2004 review of LFS' S1 release by Mika Äärilä scored 92/100 and said "Saloon cars and meticulous simulation. Absolute cream of the crop." (free translation from Finnish)
Bytesector.com's 2005 review of S2 release said "Nothing short of going to a track actually compares to the experience. Live for Speed is, by far, the most intense and demanding game I've ever played."
COMPUTEAM Race Authority states that Live for Speed is "the world's most advanced commercially available motor racing simulator."
In 2005, AutoSimSport magazine gave LFS their "Best simulation" award and Blackhole Motorsports website readers voted to give LFS the following awards:
- BHM "Game of the year" award
- BHM "Best multiplayer" award
- BHM "Best physics" award
See also
External links
Official sites
Resource sites
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