FAQ

About LFS

What is LFS?

Live for Speed is a serious racing simulator. No arcade modes, no steering aids (if the server admin so chooses, no arcade views) - YOU have to do the driving. LFS is currently at a S2 Alpha Test stage, the demo is free to download and free to play online. LFS has no publisher, meaning that the developers have total control and freedom.

Who is developing LFS?

A small development team - Scawen Roberts, Eric Bailey and Victor van Vlaardingen. Just them, there is no megacorp. inc. ltd. behind LFS, actually there's not even "a company" behind LFS:

We haven't formed a company. Legally we are a partnership with the name "Live for Speed". - Scawen

As of October 2006, Victor has stepped down as permanent 'Technical Support' guy, although he plans to retain a role in LFS in some capacity. His place will be filled by Geraldine, Scawen's wife, and she is ideally placed to further the massive contributions made by Victor. As of May 2007 Victor has been in charge of Yordise Merchandise, a web shop solution which also sells Live for Speed branded clothes with permission from Live for Speed.

Complete list?

Too many to mention here, see the credits page.

Where can I download it?

http://www.liveforspeed.net/?page=downloads

Why should I bother?

LFS is one of the best racing simulations to date. Some consider it to be the best. Superb physics give realistic handling and superb netcode gives excellent online racing. More than that, LFS offers the chance to join a community with a very close relationship to the developers. Many of the features you see in the the current patch were suggested by forum members.

Release info

When and how will LFS be released?

S1 released 2003-7-13.
S2 Alpha released 2005-6-25.
S2 unknown.
S3 unknown.

How much does LFS cost?

S1 -> S2 upgrade is £12 (As of 2009-05-02, ~17$, ~13EUR, ~24AUD, ~1774JPY).
S2 (includes S1) is £24 (As of 2009-05-02, ~35$, ~26EUR, ~48AUD, ~3549JPY).
For other currencies, see http://www.xe.com/ucc/

What new features are included in S2?

First version of damage, graphical and sound improvements, pitstops, driver changes, new cars, new tracks and much more. The program will be continually updated.

What types of cars and tracks are included?

See here: Cars and Tracks

How can I pay for it?

You can buy LFS here. Payments can be made online directly via credit card or PayPal. Also supported is Moneybookers, which is an online payment option for those without a credit card. If you are from the UK, you can send in a cheque.

There are also some localised shops around. These often provide alternate payment options like bank transfer. They also sell LFS on a cd:

If you are from Germany, see here.

If you are from Japan, see here.

If you are from the Czech Republic, see here.

If you are from the Slovak Republic, see here. (Website down)

Can I get LFS in my country?

You can buy LFS from any country provided you can make a payment via accepted methods. There are also some local shops where you can buy a license, as is listed in the previous FAQ entry.

Does LFS have a publisher?

No - "our plan is to maintain our independence for total freedom".

The simulation

Why only 1 track and 3 cars in the demo?

The Demo is only a taste of what LFS is. Although you would probably like more cars etc., it would be counter productive for the developers to release more - it might reduce sales in the long run. Remember they need to make a living too. If you enjoy the Demo, multiply that by 9999 and you get the fun you should get in S2. Also, remember there are 3 configurations to the track. So that's nine combinations!

On what cars are the LFS cars based

LFS currently features several licensed real cars:

• McGill Racing Team MRT5 (MRT)
• Raceabout '03 (RAC)
• BMW Sauber F1 2006 (BF1)
• Formula BMW FB02 (FBM)
• Volkswagen Scirocco Mk3 (expected in 2009) (VWS)

As for the fantasy cars, the following is NOT an "official" list nor a "based on" list, just observations of what the cars may look like by several forum members.

• UF 1000 (UF1) - Daihatsu Trevis, Mini
• XF GTi - Citroen AX GTi (general design, size), Fiat Punto Mk1 (interiors and taillights)
• XR GT - Mitsubishi Starion GX (general design, naturally aspirated engine), Mitsubishi 3000GT (interiors)
• XR GT Turbo - Mitsubishi Starion GSR Widebody
• LX4 Edition (LX4) - Lotus Seven replica, its high-revving 1.3 I4 resembles the Suzuki motorbike engine found on the Westfield Megabusa.
• LX6 Edition (LX6) - Lotus 7, Caterham Super Seven, Westfield Sport 2.0
• RB4 - Toyota Celica GT4 (Mk6) (general design), Toyota Supra Mk4 (front/rear)
• FXO - Opel Astra G/Coupé (general design), Honda Civic Si Mk3/Mk4 (front and rear styling)
• FZ50 (FZ5) - Porsche 911/996 Mk1 GT3 (general design), Ferrari 550 (styling)
• Formula V8 (FO8) - Formula 3000
• Formula XR (FOX) - Formula Renault 2000

XFR, UFR, FXR, XRR, FZR are GTR versions of the road cars, the latter three resembling cars racing in the now defunct JGTC.

Track List

If you're not familiar with the track's shorthand names, heres something you might find helpful:

• BL1 = Blackwood GP
• BL1R = Blackwood GP Reversed
• BL2 = Blackwood Rallycross
• BL2R = Blackwood Rallycross Reversed
• BL3 = Blackwood Car Park
• FE1 = Fern Bay Club
• FE1R = Fern Bay Club Reversed
• FE2 = Fern Bay Green
• FE2R = Fern Bay Green Reversed
• FE3 = Fern Bay Gold
• FE3R = Fern Bay Gold Reversed
• FE4 = Fern Bay Black
• FE4R = Fern Bay Black Reversed
• FE5 = Fern Bay Rallycross
• FE5R = Fern Bay Rallycross Reversed
• FE6 = Fern Bay Rallycross Green
• FE6R = Fern Bay Rallycross Green Reversed
• SO1 = South City Classic
• SO1R = South City Classic Reversed
• SO2 = South City Sprint 1
• SO2R = South City Sprint 1 Reversed
• SO3 = South City Sprint 2
• SO3R = South City Sprint 2 Reversed
• SO4 = South City Long
• SO4R = South City Long Reversed
• SO5 = South City Town Course
• SO5R = South City Town Course Reversed
• SO6 = South City Chicane Route
• SO6R = South Chicane Route Reversed
• AU1 = Autocross Arena
• AU2 = Skidpad
• AU3 = Drag (2 lane)
• AU4 = Drag (8 lane)
• KY1 = Kyoto Ring Oval
• KY1R = Kyoto Ring Oval Reversed
• KY2 = Kyoto Ring National
• KY2R = Kyoto Ring National reversed
• KY3 = Kyoto Ring GP long
• KY3R = Kyoto ring GP long reversed
• WE1 = Westhill International
• WE1R = Westhill International reversed
• AS1 = Aston Cadet
• AS1R = Aston Cadet reversed
• AS2 = Aston Club
• AS2R = Aston Club reversed
• AS3 = Aston National
• AS3R = Aston National reversed
• AS4 = Aston Historic
• AS4R = Aston Historic reversed
• AS5 = Aston Grand Prix
• AS5R = Aston Grand Prix reversed
• AS6 = Aston Grand Touring
• AS6R = Aston Grand Touring reversed
• AS7 = Aston North
• AS7R = Aston North reversed

Can I mod or change the sim?

• The car skins are located in the /skins directory and can be edited with every graphics program. See the Skin Tutorial for more.
• For adding your own music, see here.
• For car specification editing (e.g. 400 bhp 4WD GTi's, etc) try the Unofficial Addons forum

Is there any new music available?

Yes, http://www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_MUSIC_ADDON.zip

Are the car engine sounds from a third party developer?

No - the developers have created their own engine sound system. You can access the sound editor by pressing SHIFT+A while driving.

There are also some community made engine sounds available, which can be found here. http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=44432

What keyboard commands are there in LFS?

See the keys.pdf in your Live for Speed\docs -directory or take a look at the keys page in this manual.

What do I do if I have a problem running the game?

If LFS is crashing or hangs/freezes post here. Give as much and detailed information of your problem as possible. If you don't know how to do something, please read the readme.txt in your LFS directory and this manual. If you still haven't found an answer to your problem, post a new thread to the Technical Assistance forum.

Can other players see my custom skin? Where do I upload my skins?

Other players can not see your skin if you receive message "Your car's skin was not found at www.lfsworld.net", you need to upload you skin to LFS World. Login to LFSW and double click on My online car-skins icon, from there you can upload your own skin to LFSW so other players can download your skin and see it in all its glory. Note: this feature is only for licensed players, it doesn't work for the demo players.

How to run LFS on a LAN?

Take a look at our hosting guide.

What does VSQRMPF in the server list mean?

-V you may vote
-S you can select tracks
-Q race qualify is enabled
-R host is connected to the InSim Relay
-R⁺ host uses the anti-shortcut option
-M join mid-race allowed
-P forced pitstop
-F forced cockpit view is activated on the server
-C cruise server, no "racing"

Technical

What is the minimum spec?

The minimum recommended spec is 1GHz with a recent graphics card, but it may run on lower spec PCs than that, so try it and see. AMD Athlon XP 2000+/256MB+ DDR/GPU with hardware vertex shading support is adequate for goodish LFS experience, any slower than that and you're going to have FPS problems with full field online races and more than 8 AI-players.

What controllers are supported?

Pretty much any wheel/pedals/shifter/handbrake you can think of. You can also drive with a mouse or keyboard, as well as most gamepads.

Does Live for Speed support widescreen monitors?

Yes, as tested by Widescreengamingforum.com, LFS has full support for widescreen monitors. As well as for multiple monitors.
Notes:
If you use a triplehead resolution (12:3 or 15:4) the HUD is on the center monitor.
As of LFS version 0.5X10 you can fine tune the HUD position in Options->Display->Interface.

I want to run a host from behind a router or connection sharing - which port needs to be open?

The default port is 63392 TCP and UDP, however server admins can select different ports to run their servers on, so that one computer can run more than one LFS server. See http://portforward.com/routers.htm on how to forward the ports in your hardware firewall/router.

Can I use my shifter in LFS?

Yes, shifters and clutches are now supported. See the Options->Controls pages to set them up.

F9, F10, F11, F12 doesn't work?

You are probably using one of those keyboards with special keys mapped as a second function to the F-keys. Use the corresponding key to switch between the special functions and the F-keys. On Logitech keyboards that key is often called "F-key". On the Microsoft Natural keyboards the special functions key is called "F Lock".

Cars have no rims / Can't see rims / Wheels are invisible?

You probably enabled the Simple wheels setting in Options->Graphics by mistake. For speed you need to enable it, for good graphics you actually need to keep the setting disabled.

The game stutters/freezes approximately every 5 seconds while playing online and single player mode doesn't have this issue?

For some updating the Windows ACPI drivers has cured the issue. First backup all important data. Then go to device manager and expand the computer setting, and right click on Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC and choose update driver from the list.

Why has LFS suddenly locked itself, no changes have been made to the computer and windows has not been reinstalled?

When your computer has been in hibernation mode before starting LFS this is known to happen. You need to restart windows and then LFS is unlocked again. Note that similar problem might occur if computer has been in hibernation mode prior to unlocking LFS. Make sure you have restarted windows before unlocking LFS.

After updating to patch Z I have experienced a big drop in framerate

In Patch Z the task of rendering some parts in the interior of the car has been moved from the main CPU to the graphic card processor. This change usually provides increased and/or smoother framerate for computers with 'modern' GPUs, but on the other hand LFS will be slower on ancient hardware which does not support Hardware Vertex Shading. Most, if not all, the graphics cards manufactured in the last 3-4 years support HVS and can be picked up used for little money.

I'm having problems with LFS under Windows Vista

Most troubles with Vista disappear if you just run LFS in Administrator mode, which can be enabled through the properties of the program.

List of escape codes

^v - |
^a - *
^c - :
^d - \
^s - /
^q - ?
^t - "
^l - <
^r - >

^L = Latin 1 (CP1252)
^G = Greek (ISO-8859-7)
^C = Cyrillic (CP1251)
^J = Japanese (Shift-JIS)
^E = Central Europe (ISO-8859-2)
^T = Turkish (ISO-8859-9)
^B = Baltic (ISO-8859-13)
^H = Traditional Chinese (CP936)
^S = Simpified Chinese (CP949)
^K = Korean (CP950)

^0 - Black
^1 - Red
^2 - Light green
^3 - Yellow
^4 - Blue
^5 - Purple
^6 - Light blue
^7 - White
^8 - Dark green (default)
^9 - Original text colour and codepage.

Community

Is there a Live For Speed IRC channel?

Yes, on irc.gamesurge.net channel #liveforspeed.

Are there any leagues or competitions around?

Take a look at the links page or the leagues-link page at http://www.lfs.net/?page=links and the LFS league forum.

Misc

Can I subscribe to a mailing list or newsletter?

Yes you can. Go to the LFS site, login and go to your account details page.

Are any replay analysers available?

Yes, Analyze for Speed and F1PerfView. Download them here.

What if my question is not answered here?

Please read the readme.txt in your LFS directory and this manual. If you still haven't found an answer to your problem, search the forum or post a new thread to the Technical Assistance forum, this will probably answer your question. Before doing this, please see the How To Ask Questions The Smart Way guide.

Misc Howtos

How to get coloured player? / Type messages in colour?

In the text inputbox, press CTRL and choose your colour (keyboard shortcut: CTRL+0-8).

0 - Black
1 - Red
2 - Light green
3 - Yellow
4 - Blue
5 - Purple
6 - Light blue
7 - White
8 - Dark green (default)

How to get coloured server/host name?

Applies only for dedicated server. For non-dedicated, see above. Open your server's *.cfg file in notepad and edit the host name entry. See above for the colour codes and precede the number with a ^ character. Eg. /host=^7Ho^4st Na^7me - would make the host name have colours of the Finnish flag.

How to change function (F1-F8 and CTRL+F1-F8) key message binds?

You can change them in Options -> Game and next to 'Change' click 'F1-F8' or 'CTRL +' button.

How can I type in Greek/Russian/Japanese Katana/Turkish/etc ?

In the text input box press CTRL and click the button between the cancel and OK button and choose the language you want write in (if you click the small arrow, you can see all the characters available in the current code page).

How does LFS run on a computer with 123GHz/456DDR/XYZ ?

See The unofficial LFS System Benchmark.

How can I make LFS associated files automatically get placed in the right places upon download?

Simply 'associate' LFS files (such as .lyt, .set) by right clicking on any (*.lyt, *.set) file, go to 'open with', then browse for LFS. Then, when you want to download one, instead of having to find the right place, just click 'open' when prompted, and the file will go in the right place for you.