The latest indieVelo update V0.2.6 released July 17, 2023, brings DS mode and significantly enhanced and dynamic Racerbot behavior to the rapidly evolving cycling esports platform.
indieVelo is continuing to invest heavily in what everyone is asking for – The game engine needed for truly great racing. This week’s update (see below for full details) focuses on significantly improved bot AI, and a new DS mode for Team Managers.
Imagine AI-enhanced Racebots that add more dynamic and “aggressive” racing, and the ability to have a more experienced mate to talk you through!
You can now get the very best workout (workover?) from the new racing bot AI, whenever you want it. Regardless of when or where you want to race, you are guaranteed a full and competitive field to go up against every single time. Bots will now attack and counter attack, chase down breaks, push you on climbs, sprint more intelligently at points or elimination locations, and start ramping up the pace towards the end of an event before trying to beat you in the sprint finish.
Team Managers can now automatically spectate any event that one or more of their riders is participating in without any need for additional configuration or set up, or to enter the event themselves. The new DS mode gives Team Managers a configurable camera view into events and the ability to send in-game team chat messages that can only be seen by members of their team. Equally, team members can now send team chat messages which can be viewed only by other members of their team, and by their Team Manager.
If all has gone well, then you shouldn’t have to do anything to get the new version, as indieVelo will just self-update the next time you start it up.
If you find any problems however, instructions on how to manually update are on the website:
https://wiki.indievelo.com/docs/updates
The full patch notes are below!
“Thank you again to everyone for all your suggestions. It’s amazing to be part of a community where we all have that same shared vision for how much better racing could be, and I look forward to continuing to improve indieVelo with those ideas in every release.”
indieVelo founder Dr. George Gilbert
Patch Notes – V0.2.6 – Key changes from last version
Added DS mode for Team Managers to spectate events.
Added Team chat (Hotkey: T).
Added ability to turn monitor VSync on/off.
Added ability to limit frame rate to a maximum value.
Added reminder of indieVelo Founders Club to non-members.
Improved bot AI in events.
Improved bot realism by adding more variation between them.
Improved rubberbanding in group rides.
Improved positioning of riders in pen for team events.
Improved calculation of estimated FTP.
Improved broadcast mode to easily view groups after leaders finish.
Improved support for V3 powermeters.
Improved consistency of naming of menus.
Improved naming of the different camera modes.
Improved resilience of Discord integration.
Improved logging when detecting network dropouts.
Fixed bug with route profile when viewed at different resolutions.
Fixed bug with team results when viewed multiple times.
Fixed bug with workout flares still showing if a workout is exited early.
Fixed bug with display of workouts with very long names.
Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
