New Version 0.8.0.1 – Device selection and new multiplayer

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We are jumping big in this version, not because there is a lot of flashy features, but because it is needed due to the change in multiplayer server and server protocol. 

During the winter there has been an extensive rewrite of all the networking logic, including how bots and leader boards are handled.

Device configuration panel

After many support requests trying to figure out how to configure uncommon device set ups, I finally created a panel window to help with the configuration. Bear in mind though, this interface does not work like those you can find in other training apps. GT Bike V device configuration works with a device priority approach, The devices are more or less desirable depending on their capabilities and the mod always tries to use those it (me 🙂 thinks are the best for each category.

As an example, the mod always prefers an ANT+ power meter as a power source over BLE power meter or over a trainer.

With the new device configuration, you can choose to skip the first choices the mod makes, lock a particular device for a determined category or leave the mod to auto select the one that is more desirable and it’s available.

This way of doing things has the main benefit of not needing to pair or make sure all your devices are on before starting, because they will connect when they are ready and the mod will choose the best one.

Should you choose to lock a device for a category, if that device is not present, you won’t get that measurement. i.e. If you lock a cadence sensor as a cadence source, and the sensor runs out of battery, the mod won’t relay to the next capable sensor, but if you set the cadence source to auto, it will.

Multiplayer

The new server is a heavily modified fork of RageCoopV, a GTA 5 multiplayer project that was abandoned but I was able to take over and refine.  It is capable of synching all the peds and vehicles around every player, but I had to limit that to just the user and the bots because it creates too much traffic and doesn’t bring much benefits for entertainment purposes.

Externally you won’t see much change, but this paves the way for future improvements in multiplayer.

It’s worth noting that previous versions of the mod will be connecting to a different server, so users with the new version won’t see users with pre 0.8 versions. The old server will be still up for a few months or until I see the ridership at 0 for a few weeks. After that the old server will be retired and you will need to move to the new version if you want to keep connecting to the MP.

Adjust workout difficulty with the shifters

Another feature requested multiple times finally made it to production. You can use the shifters of your controller (or configure new key bindings) to lower or raise the difficulty of your power target. If you just don’t have your day, you are tired or coming out of sickness and need a relief on your workout, just press the left shifter and you’ll lower the power target by 5%. On the contrary, if you feel the workout is too easy, you can press the right shifter and increment 5% the power target.

Keep in mind that only the ERG setting is going to be modified, the workout targets are not, so if you deviate a lot from the targets your workout completion score will be impacted. If you find yourself using this feature a lot, maybe it’s time to

This adjusting also works if you are not doing a workout, but have enabled ERG. Once ERG is enabled you can modify the ERG target up or down with the shifters.

Remote users working out

A small but neat detail. Now when you see another user in the map, if they are doing a workout, you will see an icon over their heads to let you know they might not be very keen on joining or following you.

Dynamic bike selection

Bikes can be changed now during the ride, to choose a more suitable ride if the terrain gets rough. There is a key binding available for switching to the next bike in the list. By default it is bound to the up arrow key in the Zwift controllers but can be remapped.

The old menu to select the bikes have been moved to the user menu in order to clear up the first level menu.

Bike’s center of gravity

One old problem anyone trying to climb Mount Chilliad has surely faced is the bike flipping over on the steepest parts of the trail. The bikes now have a lower center of gravity that is supposed to fix this, but be aware, if you choose the wrong bike to climb dirt trails, you can still bail out. Make sure you choose wisely!

Logs have moved

The mod log output has been moved to the user directory. This allows for the logs to be collected even when the game is not executing in admin mode, so it will be easier to get evidence of the failures every time. The only log that can’t be moved is ScriptHookVDotNet.log.

The new location is C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA V\Logs

Bug fixing

Many of the bugs that have been reported, and the adaptations to the new hardware coming to the market have been fixed in this version, here is the list:

  • Fix CadenceResting handling in Workouts
  • Fix bike spawn when deactivating mod
  • Show the menu without pausing the game
  • Fix crash in Running activities on a course
  • Fix Power curve setting for only speed / cadence operation
  • Fix Zwift Ride support for their newer firmware
  • Fix support for BLE Power Service when the supported features only sends one byte instead of two