An iRacing rFactor analogy

A parent in my son's baseball league plays iRacing, and we ended up talking about iRacing vs. rFactor.  Of course.  I, as usual, admit that iRacing's cars and tracks are more accurately matched to particular real life counterparts, and that the controls feel a little (not much when compared to realfeel) sweeter.  So I came up with an analogy that I thinks works pretty well to explain why none of that necessarily makes iRacing better.

iRacing is like playing baseball in a replica of Dodger stadium, but empty, with brand new balls, pristine grounds, and composite bats.  You play exactly by the the rules specified by uberorg, with no variation (inning counts, no lead offs, particular stealing rules, etc).  And you play with strangers, new strangers, every game.   And you pay a monthly fee.

rFactor is like playing at a local field, reasonably well maintained, but the ball does have bad bounces from time to time.  You play with maybe normal ol aluminum bats, or wood, or whatever your group of guys wants (of course there is always the controversy about banning particular bat types )  You play by rules that fits your group...and you have a group: you get to play with friends.  After you buy your shoes, glove, bat, etc, it is free.

In both cases, the fundamentals are the same, the skills are the same, and the game itself 'works'.

[Moved to computing & gaming section.  When I get a chance, I'll scrub the off-topic section and move the other iracing and related threads over here as well.]

I think that's a great analogy.  And I even think you're selling the 'local field' a little short, in the sim-racing sense.  Of course there's going to be more professional polish on whichever 'field' has more money at its disposal, but it's not a night & day difference.  It's not a boolean that trips and you have to categorically give up 'quality' if you reject iRacing's stadium in favor of a local setting.

And, actually, the question of which has more money at its disposal is the issue at the heart of my earlier critique.  If people put their money into the restricted 'pro' themepark, then it's self-fulfilling that the 'pro' themepark will exhibit the of characteristics that go with having a lot of money.  But it's not the fact that it's a restricted 'pro' themepark that makes that happen -- it's the money!!  That same money could be put into the local, open, community park, and then it would ultimately exhibit the features that correspond to a higher investment of resources.

 I like your analogy except that, much like getting on the new fangled super modern roller coaster there is a coolness factor to playing in the glitzy walled garden. Not saying that it's better than our back yard ball which it's definitely NOT when considering the social aspects of rfactor's enabling of our league; but from a purely participant perspective the "ride" is pretty good a couple of times even if the coolness wears off once you realize it's a bunch of bling, the grass is plastic and pure oxygen is being pumped in to make you feel good while you swing the bat.

Although the analogy is not quite right, it occurred to me that the pyramids have some instruction in this area. 

"What? It's just a tomb? You used HOW many people to build it? Well...it IS impressive but..err..what's for dinner tonight again?"

 Nice analogy, but you left part of it out. At the local ball park, you're less likely to encounter someone that hits you upside the head with his baseball bat, just for shits-n-giggles....

To be fair, the 'upside the cranium with an aluminum baseball bat*'   effect is something iRacing has handled pretty well.  That is more like pickup baseball (more common in basketball and both footballs though) games that would be something like the non-league rFactor and LFS scene.

* Primus reference.