Hello Pilots,

In preparation for our next two Race2Vegas events on Twitch (tonight January 10th and next Thursday January 17th) as well as our efforts to continuously improve the Sim, we are bringing you a new update today.

We are leading off this update with 2 great 2018 DRL Season Maps - Allianz Riviera and BMW Welt. These two unique maps are now available for Race, Freestyle, and use in the Map Editor. Additionally, this release brings a new course that can be found under “Simple Courses” called “Morning Cruise.”

In keeping with a common theme across our last few releases, we have been working hard to improve the multiplayer experience. This release includes the ability to create private Multiplayer rooms, to pass ownership from one host to another in the room, and to use a free camera in Spectator Mode. We also included a number of Multiplayer and Spectator Mode bug fixes.

We put in a lot of time and effort over the last 6 weeks to improve performance in the Sim. This release includes a number of optimizations that we anticipate will lead to a smoother flying experience for pilots.

Again, we encourage you to join our Race2Vegas online tournament series on Twitch tonight, January 10th, and next Thursday, January 17th. The first 4 tournaments have provided a great opportunity to see some of the Sim’s top pilots compete against each other.

We thank you for your support of the Sim and encourage you to share your feedback and thoughts with us as we strive to deliver the best Sim we can.


Maps

• 2018 Map 5 (Allianz Riviera Stadium)
  
• 2018 Map 6 (BMW Welt)

Tracks

• Added "Morning Cruise" as a Simple Course

Multiplayer

• Ability to create private multiplayer rooms
  
• Performance optimizations
  
• Ability to pass room ownership from one host to another
  
• Corrected spectator mode bug causing spectators to be kicked out if remaining racers leave the lobby
  
• Fixed bug where selecting "Specific" from the drone category becomes locked after running a race
  
• Corrected issue where leaving lobby and changing hosts results in user not being able to change drones
  
• Added Free Camera to Spectator Mode

UI

• Added social media icons/links to allow community to follow everything DRL has going on
  
• Fixed issue with mouse focus requiring mouse hover to type in some fields
  
• Corrected bug with missing arrows

Optimizations

• Optimized code in a number of places to improve performance
  
• A number of optimizations have been achieved through a Unity upgrade
  
• Fixed a number of exceptions

Hello Pilots,
We've got another update in preparation for our third Race2Vegas event on our Twitch channel. We hope you'll be watching.

For this update we have two new maps from our 2018 season for you to fly. Biosphere 2 and the Adventuredome are now available for Races, Freestyle, and use in the Map Editor.

We have also added 5 new Drone Frames for you to Fly and Customize.

• 3" Shendrones 3D Shrieker
  
• 5" Shendrones Corgette
  
• 5" Ummagawd Remix
  
• 6" Florotors Smoosh Roosh X6
  
• 6" Shendrones Orca

We've made some enhancements and other bug fixes to spectator mode. While in Orbit mode in the Spectator Camera, the view can be zoomed out further and pilot trails are longer and more visible.

Lastly we've made some more improvements to Multiplayer that should improve performance and the overall experience.

Thank you for all of your feedback and support of the Sim, if you have any issues or questions about the Sim or the update please let us know in the comments, Steam Discussion Forms, or on the Help Desk.

Hello Pilots,
We hope you've been enjoying the online tournament series that we’ve been hosting on Twitch these past few weeks. We’ve certainly had some fun hosting them. This update brings a suite of bug fixes and optimizations aimed at multiplayer with a little something extra for our fantastic community map makers.

We’ve spent some time trying to polish our multiplayer experience and reduce lag and stuttering. A few of these changes may result in improved offline performance as well for some users.

We have added a Spline Tool as well as some additional layout tools. You can now draw racelines and curves to help place better lines on your maps. The new layout tools allow you to displace objects onto the splines that you draw or on top of other objects.

We’re improving our new controller calibration system to better read detect controller axis in addition to a few UI changes. Users can now assign functions to their switches outside of automatic calibration.

We’ve fixed a few multiplayer UI issues
Fixed some bugs with Multiplayer Spectator Mode
Some other sweeping bug fixes

Thank you for all of your feedback and support of the Sim, if you have any issues or questions about the Sim or the update please let us know in the comments, Steam Discussion Forms, or on the Help Desk.

Pilots, it’s time to prove your skills.

DRL is proud to announce the first ever Online Tournament Series on the DRL Simulator.

Beginning this Thursday (November 8th) at 9pm EST, DRL will host a series of 6 online tournament races that will be streamed via the DRL Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/thedroneracingleague). Compete for your chance to win amazing prizes, including a Racer3!



The tournament is open to anyone who’s qualified for the 2019 Swatch DRL Tryouts. Haven’t qualified yet? All you have to do is download the SIM and complete the tryout map in under 9 minutes and you’re automatically qualified.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to fly.

NO PURCH. NEC. 18+. Ends January 17, 2019. Official Rules

Hello Pilots,
This is just a small hotfix for those who were experiencing issues with controllers.

We've tweaked the new Controller Setup to add a small pause in between the Auto Calibration steps for you to recenter your sticks. Please remember to move the full range of the stick for at least 3 seconds and set it back to the center.

We've also fixed calibration so you can no longer accidentally overwrite your previously set axis.

3 position switches should now be working properly.

Thanks for all of your feedback and continued support of the Sim, if you have any issues or questions please let us know in the comments, Steam Discussion Forms, or on the Help Desk.

Hello Pilots,
In this new update we are overhauling the input system to improve the way that controllers are setup for the sim. Users can expect to see improvements in the FS-i6 controllers and many other controllers that are frequently used by the community.

We have completely change the UI and the interface for adding a controller, in addition to better informing the user when a controller is not connected properly or at all. You can now click on the Needs Calibration message at the bottom of the screen to be taken straight into the process.

We now offer a full manual calibration process in addition to our vastly improved automatic calibration process. Also, we have completely reworked trimming and adjustment of each of the controller channels. No more fumbling with numbers, we now have a much more intuitive system of bars and sliders that will trim to your exact specifications. Gamepad controllers can now have an adjustable deadzone and a zero throttle point when set up for the sim. Users can also set their gamepad triggers to act as the throttle.

Lastly we have added a number of new props for you to use in Garage mode. We’re very excited to see what new Custom Drones you will make.

As always, we are constantly trying to improve the Sim and make it the best experience it can be. If you find any bugs or have any questions about features, please let us know in the Discussion section of our Community Hub here on steam or submit a ticket to our Help Desk.

Thank you so much for your continued support of our simulator!
-DRL Simulator Team

Hello Pilots,

With this new update comes the DRL Swatch Tryouts 2019, four new maps, a new nano drone, and a host of other improvements to the Sim. Here is what you can expect from DRL Simulator version 2.5:

It’s our favorite time of the year! We have created an entirely new map to run this year’s Tryouts! This time around, there is only 1 track that you need to run in order to get your invite to Las Vegas for the live eSports Tournament! Like last year, the winner of this year’s tournament will win a $75,000 contract to become DRL’s next professional pilot. Additionally, the 2nd and 3rd place pilots will also earn a contract to fly alongside the Tryouts Champion, and the rest of the DRL Pros in the 2019 season! All pilots will be required to register, make sure you enter your correct emails to stay up to date on the latest news regarding the 2019 Swatch DRL Tryouts. Good luck everyone!

From the DRL 2018 season comes California Nights and Skatepark LA. Specifically made for the 2019 DRL Swatch Tryouts, comes the Swatch Map. Lastly, from our sponsor Cox comes The House, the only place you can fly the Shendrones Goldberg nano drone.

The new Shendrones Goldberg drone is the smallest drone in the SIM and you can fly it exclusively in the new map, The House.

Introducing the first Unsteady Drag Model in the world of FPV simulation. Straight from the laboratory of Georgia Tech, this model allows for drag to be simulated from every flight angle – there is nothing more realistic on earth. No more magic numbers, wind tunnels are so last year. More details to come as we roll this out to more frames over the next few months.

We have updated our Camera and FOV systems to better mirror their real life counterparts.

• We have improved our Lens Distortion Effect so there shouldn't be anymore black borders.
  
• We've made a host of changes to our physics calculations and to the physics dashboard to improve the experience.
  
• FlySky i6 compatibility and calibration has been worked on and improved in this release.

• You can now turn off gates as checkpoints in the map editor and select which ones are part of the Race Logic, in short, you have have gates that players do not have to go through to complete a race.
  
• Players are now able to set a ‘Finish Gate’ which will always be the final gate in Race Logic, should make it easier to create tracks with multiple laps and not have to duplicate gates to do so.

As always, we are constantly trying to improve the Sim and make it the best experience it can be. If you find any bugs or have any questions about features, please let us know in the Discussion section of our Community Hub here on steam or submit a ticket to our Help Desk.

Thank you so much for your continued support of our simulator!
-DRL Simulator Team

Hello pilots,

We’ve got a new update for you that improves upon a few of things from the last update.
Here is what you can expect from DRL Simulator 2.4:

The new map selection screen makes accessing maps easier and faster. You will find tiles for Community Maps, MultiGP Maps, Mega Maps, and DRL Maps on this screen.

We also made some small improvements to leaderboards, Map Editor, and graphics rendering on maps. With Map Editor, we added greater controls for allowing maps to be copied. As we always do on each release, a number of bug fixes are also included in this release.

Slightly Tuned Physics to allow for better horizontal drift handling.
Also pilots should not experience getting "sucked" into the ground as before.

• New map selection screen
  
• Leaderboards fixes
  
• Map Editor updates
  
  • Set copy permissions for user maps
• Fixed issue with levels rendering too dark in lowest qualities
  
• General bug fixes and performance improvements

Thank you so much for your continued support of our game!
DRL Simulator Team

Hello Pilots,

We’ve got a huge update that we can't wait to show you. The team has been hard at work on some new features that we think you’re going to really enjoy. Here’s what you can expect from DRL Simulator 2.3:

We are pleased to release our Map Maker and excited to see what kind of maps you all make.

• 200+ Assets/Objects to Create Race Tracks and Freestyle Playgrounds.
  
  • Many existing DRL gates, MultiGP Gates, traditional gates, Set props from the IRL DRL Season. Trains, Cars, Planes, too many to list off here.
  
  
• A Brand New Scene/Environment - The Field!
  
  • A beautiful meadow surrounded by mountains, the perfect patch of grass to begin creating your own tracks.
    
  • Thousands of Cubic Feet/KM of building Space
    
  • Choose the time of day. Race in the Sunny daylight or create your Neon paradise under the Night setting.
  
  
• Professional Workflow
  
  • Move / Rotate / Scale objects by Mouse, Keyboard, or Properties Panel
    
  • Precise control via Properties Panel, down to the very decimal
    
  • Auto Save
    
  • Access control (Public shareable maps listed under the Community Maps Card or Private maps)
  
  
• Support for Metric and Imperial units of measurement
  
  
• Layout Tools for object grouping
  
  • Align
    
  • Distribute
    
  • Orient
  
  
• Race Layout Tools
  
  • Create Gates and Race Logic
    
  • Simple and Efficient Graph Flow (Just like Connect-The-Dots!)
    
  • Lap Support
  
  
• Play Mode
  
  • Test your maps in the Editor
    
  • Freestyle and Race modes supported
  
  
• Easy Storage
  
  • Maps are kept in our database so no extra storage space needed
  
  
• Custom Map Cards/Thumbnails
  
  • Line up the perfect screenshot for your map card
  
  
• Metrics and Rulers
  
  • Move objects with millimeter (0.039 inch) precision
    
  • Rotate down to the degree
    
  • Grid helper overlay
    
  • Rulers and Measurements between objects
  
  
• Customize your Assets
  
  • Gates, Cones, Neon tubes and other assets in the Map Editor have additional color selectors, making color selection a breeze!
  
  
• Navigation
  
  • Fly the camera with 6 degrees of freedom
    
  • Orbit around Objects
    
  • Instant move to selected Object
    
  • Pan across the screen
  
  
• Environment
  
  • Change the lighting in our all new The Field map
    
  • Choose from Sunny, Night, Cloudy, and others
  
  
• Performance
  
  • Keep track of Object and Triangle count for optimum performance
    
  • Enable or Disable Static Objects in the Map for better performance and a cleaner Map
  
  
• Intuitive
  
  • Helpful tooltips and Hotkey Hints to assist new users
    
  • Video tutorials coming soon!

Take the map you just made and share it with the world. Our new Community Maps browser may just help you find your new favorite map.
You can:

• Manage your Maps
  
• See the Top Rated or Most Voted maps by the community
  
• Copy Maps you like and tweak them as you see fit
  
• Check the Leaderboards on Public Maps
  
• Fly in dedicated areas for MultiGP Maps, All UTTs included, with many additions including the Regional Qualifiers and Finals from various years coming soon...

Unfortunately, due to the scale and complexity of this update on our servers, our leaderboards will be reset.

Share your drones with the community is now easier with our new Community Drones page. Drones can be set to Public or Private visibility in our Make Drones menu, just under where you name it. Just like our Community Maps, you can rate and copy drones from the Community Drones menu and further tweak them.

Community Tunes are going away, Custom Physics will now be saved to the drone itself. Custom Drones will be labeled accordingly.

• Added 4 additional Motors and 9 new Props

• Main Menu updates
  
• Quality Settings Tweaks

• Controller Setup Tweaks and improvements to Advanced Controller Setup
  
• Fixed issues for some users using Windows 10 Educational Edition
  
• Various other fixes with Crashes and Freezes

As always, we are constantly trying to improve the Sim and make it the best experience it can be. If you find any bugs or have any questions about features, please let us know in the Discussion section of our Community Hub here on steam or submit a ticket to our Help Desk.

Thank you so much for your continued support of our game!
-DRL Simulator Team

Hello Pilots,
We’ve got a new update for you all that improves upon a few of the things we introduced in the last update. Here’s what you can expect from DRL Simulator Version 2.2


We’ve made it easier to change drones during any of our events or activities. You can now change your drone directly through the pause menu without having to go back to the map screen. Be aware that this will restart your current race and change the race class accordingly.


In addition to some overall tweaking, we have enabled the Physics Dashboard to be accessed from any mode in the game. Players can set and save physics properties for their custom drones on the fly. Please note that race times with your own physics will be marked different from default physics times in order to keep things fair.

Here’s how it works:

• In race or freestyle you must open the Physics Dashboard from the pause menu at which point your run will be tagged as a ‘Custom Physics’ run until you hit a loading screen and it resets, unless you have a ‘Tuned’ drone but we’ll get to that later.
  
  
• Hitting the ‘P’ key now will bring up the dashboard like in the ‘Physics’ level.
  
  
• In the Physics Dashboard you can ‘Save’ your current settings you have set to your drone that you are using, the drone then becomes ‘Tuned’. Hitting ‘Clear’ will reset your drone back to default settings. Selecting ‘New’ at the top will save your drone as a community drone, more on that in future updates.
  
  
• DRL Leaders leaderboard is for stock parts on a default tuned DRL Racer3. Don’t worry, you can still go nuts with the cosmetics and still be official.

If you have any other questions, please leave them in the comments below.


We’re hard at work improving the overall experience of the game, we’ve focused this update on improving our quality settings and performance of the game along with general bug fixes. If you’re having any trouble with the SIM or just want to know more, please see our helpdesk


Thanks everyone!

-DRL Simulator Team