Released in 2004, the Warthog / SCi title Richard Burns Rally(RBR) remains the gold standard for simulating rally driving. Previously we covered the history of RBR. Today we’ll cover the modding of this title.
A look into the file folders of RBR and you'll realize it was never intended to be modded sim. As a result, in the early days changing the game often required a complex series of creating and copying folders, editing text files, running utilities, and all the while keeping the process well organized and documented, so that if you hosed your installation, there was a process to revert to one that would work. As a comparison, the task of adding aircraft to Microsoft's FSX is relative child’s play to that of installing new cars into RBR. If learning how to drive the car was tough, modding RBR could make one’s head close to exploding.
There were new car sets, complete with updated interiors, new sounds, and improved environmental graphics. Utilities facilitated online play, provided changes in the road surface and adhesion level, allowed different camera angles, and replaced the tires with the proper tread for the given conditions. However, if a Richard Burns Rally driver who had played through the rally school and championships now wanted to enhance his RBR experience, there was a lot that he had to contend with. Although most simulation enthusiasts are accustomed to doing a little footwork for the sake of improving their favorite title, some get easily frustrated with the modding process if it goes beyond a few simple steps. Due to its locked-down structure, the modding process for RBR was one of the most tedious ever devised, and it was quite often frustrating beyond words.
Enter Rallyesim. Rallyesim is a French based organization that has attempted to make the RBR modding process as painless as possible, while facilitating their online rally championship through the production of the add-on for Richard Burns Rally. RSRBR is now in the 2010 release. This mega-mod encompasses a broad spectrum of RBR mods, including car sets spanning a decade of World Rally Cup competition, additional weather options such as fog and clouds, dusk and night time racing, and even varied road conditions such as damp pavement on a clear day.
Having struggled mightily attempting to modify RBR, I was relieved that someone had gone to the effort to make the process relatively simple through the install of a single mod. Still, as an English speaking prospective rally sim pilot who was arriving rather late to the RBR community, my understanding and usage of RSRBR was not exactly a slam dunk.
In an effort to save those following in my footsteps some time, I put together an Essentials Guide Forum to get up to speed as quickly as possible in RBR, and in particular using RSRBR. Hopefully, a sim enthusiast who wanted to get started rally racing could purchase the sim on Amazon and armed with the information in the thread, have a potentially frustrating experience turned into sim racing fun.
Below is a video of our resident SimHQ hot-shoe "Chunx" driving RSRBR 2010 at Prospect Ridge, Frasier Peak, Monte Carlo and the RBR Drivers School. The over-the-shoulder view shows "Chunx'" wheelwork, trail-braking, and use of the shifter assigned to the role of the handbrake. He is using the Fanatec Porsche 911 Turbo S Wheel, Clubsport Pedals, and the Rennsport stand.
Next we’ll present an interview with one of Rallyesim's core members and physics editors.
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Released in 2004, the Warthog / SCi title 
