Hey folks,
Thank you for your detailed feedback on this topic. We've shared an update on this which you can find here: Tyre Allocations - Answer HQ.
Right, I have DEFINITIVE proof that EA/ CM are severely neglecting this issue, and to top it off, they know it too. I’ve been doing a bit of data diving today, In order to change the tyre compounds so that we have 2 mediums or even 2 hards for the race, all EA/ CM have to do, is alter one of the configuration files (which on a PC, comes up as a notepad document). When compared to the same configuration file on 2021, the defined sets of tyres for a qualifying session are different!
Now EA/ CM, I’ve also edited the 2022 config file to match the 2021 file, swapping a set of softs for mediums in qualifying, and guess what? It worked! The only issue I have is I can’t play online with the 2021 configuration, but it means there is no more hiding EA/ CM. Sort this colossal error out now, if I can do it, And I’m no game developer, then you have NO MORE EXCUSES!
@gusticlescaukCould you tell us which file this is please, so at least those of us on PC can do this for ourselves? Thanks.
Edit: I do a lot of modding on the F1 games and I had no idea that a file like this existed. The only file I know that deals with tyres is the tyrecompounds.erp file but you have to extract that with an archiver before opening it up in Notepad. And even then I thought it only dealt with tyre behaviour, not allocation. So I'm baffled as to what this file is that you've found.
Edit 2: I'm guessing it's an XML file? I completely forgot those existed since Codies started using ERP archives.
I feel like I'm on some kind of treasure hunt, haha!
Edit 3: I've done a search for XMLs and there's nothing tyre allocation related. I think you're going to have to tell us what this file is.
In each of the sub folders for each team and the MP car, there’s a config file that you’ll need to specify which windows based program can run and open the file into a semi readable format in notepad.
A lot of the config file isn’t very clear in what it configures, but the part which we all are annoyed about is very easy to spot as it’s using the initials S M H I W, which covers the 5 tyre compounds available during a weekend.
The same files exist in all the teams on 2021, just in different configuration enabling 2 mediums during qualifying and the race. I literally did a copy and paste job from 21 to 22, and it swapped a set of softs and mediums round from FP3 and Q2 so the Mediums were in the Q2 allocation.
This is quite literally the easiest fix for EA/ CM to implement, and it will without question be a massive welcome fix for 22. Without going on my PC, I can’t remember the specific config file name in each team.
This same type of config file exists in both rfactor and rf2, and indeed any racing sim game that supports F1 mods, so anyone who has modding experience should know what they’re looking for. The original intel team that developed Rfactor, also created F1 championship season 2000 for none other than EA SPORTS back in late 2000/ early 2001. The way EA/ intel package their gaming files hasn’t drastically changed over 20 years!
@gusticlescaukI'm assuming you're pointing to:
F1 22\2022_asset_groups\f1_2022_vehicle_package\teams\[team name]
Because there aren't any config files in there for me, only the ERP files, and I can't find anything in there about tyre allocation.
A path like the one above to the folder or file you're referring to would be a great help. Codemasters aren't famed for their tidy housekeeping when it comes to their file structures I'm afraid, duplicates and so on. A nightmare.
Edit: Just to clarify, the only files in that specific folder deal with car physics and not tyre allocation. They're files I deal with day-in, day-out. Probably the most commonly edited files for the F1 games on Racedepartment. If there's something in those files that deal with tyre allocation, I'll be amazed.
There's F1 22\2022_asset_groups\f1_2022_vehicle_package\tyrecompounds\ but that deals solely with tyre behaviour, not allocation.
The only answer I've seen to this problem is guy making a table for Cheat Engine to swap the compounds while the game's loaded, because there's supposedly no other way around this, but I hate using CE because it's caused all manner of issues with my PC as far as antivirus goes. More trouble than it's worth, for me anyway.
New patch, no solution. EA/CM ignoring it on purpose. They will not fix this. Think we can close this thread. I give up.
Just so you guys are aware, I did send @EA_Kent a private message exactly a week ago. I made it as professional, adult and pragmatic as I possibly could and tried to be genuinely helplful and understanding in my explaination too... He still hasn't bothered to read it.
At this point I think it's the community managers who just aren't passing the information along to the development team.
Here's what I sent:
@SW0RDF15H wrote:Just so you guys are aware, I did send @EA_Kent a private message exactly a week ago. I made it as professional, adult and pragmatic as I possibly could and tried to be genuinely helplful and understanding in my explaination too... He still hasn't bothered to read it.
At this point I think it's the community managers who just aren't passing the information along to the development team.
If you check back to EA_Kent's last post in this thread you'll see he says this has been passed on, which I believe. I think the issue with this not having been resolved yet lies with the game dev team rather than the community managers. And for balance, passing the issue on is obviously the easy part compared to actually fixing it! It looks like a lot of important work went into the latest patch so it would be great to think the tyre issue may get a look in now. It sadly and to be honest concerningly still isn't on the 'community raised issue' list though.
On the lack of response to your DM I'll just say that I'll bet EA_Kent receives a huge number of messages. One of the limited 'powers' I do have as a 'Champion' is access to a more direct and reliable communication method with the EA community staff. The details of such communications necessarily need to be private and I won't normally make any reference to them at all for this reason. Given the importance of this tyre issue I will just assure you that I have previously used this to specifically highlight this myself.
