The next step is not too far away, and it looks to be a good one: Reiza Studios have released their May Dev Update for Automobilista 2 ahead of v1.6, highlighting numerous exciting additions to the Brazilian sim.
Automobilista 2 v1.6 is set to be the next milestone update, as developer Reiza Studios put it. Their Formula Ultimate Gen 2 and 2024 Stock Car Pro Series vehicles have already had a teaser for the upcoming changes to the tire model on board, but there will be much more to come, as the Automobilista 2 May Dev Update reveals.
First things first: IMSA content. Reiza announced the partnership with the premier endurance series in North America in March, with content set to follow later. Three GTP and four GT3 cars that are raced in the series were already added in late December as part of the Endurance Pack Pt. 1. Soon, they will get more appropriate playgrounds as well.
Furthermore, Reiza announces the addition of "at least seven new premium car brands", as the Dev Update puts it. The first of them to be confirmed is Audi - the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer will see three of its cars being added to AMS2. The other manufacturers are mostly the result of the IMSA partnership Reiza announced in March, but they are also set to round out other existing classes.
Back to Audi, though. The Audi R8 LMS GT3 will be available in two versions across the two GT3 generations, meaning the Evo II variant is going to slot into GT3 Gen 2 class. Meanwhile, fans of the classic DTM era of the early 1990s will be pleased to see the Audi Quattro V8 join the German Group A class, finally giving the BMW M3 (E30) and Mercedes 190E some much-needed competition. The car - like the older R8 GT3 - will be a free addition to the base game.
Instead, the hybrid “replaces” part of the combustion engine’s power, meaning higher hybrid output leads to less fuel consumption. The system is set to be modeled correctly in AMS2 as well in the milestone update. And: electric launches in pit lane, a fan favorite in the Cadillac V-Series.R and its enormous V8 in particular, will also be on board accordingly.
This will be remedied in v1.6 and further sub-versions, mostly due to the so-called tire hysteresis. Simioni explains this as follows: "To briefly recap, hysteresis is the loss of energy through tire distortion, and its modelling determines how deep a specific rubber compound can sink into the asperities of the track surface, and thus sustain peak adhesion for longer."
The three cars that already featured revisions of this kind in v1.5 will see further revisions in 1.6, while the rest of the AMS2 car roster will be brought up to standard with these revisions as well.
Apart from the results being visible, the lock-ups themselves are going to be a bit more spectacular as well. Improved particle effects should result in more believable smoke not just when locking up the brakes, but also for engine failures, as a preview video shows.
Other cosmetic improvements include more detailed windshields, which now feature "a cohesive level of tint and reflections", as well as "varying levels of visible scratches and even fingerprints." Nobody said that racing was a very clean affair, after all.
Additionally, working pit lights make their way into Automobilista 2 once the update is deployed, indicating whether the pits are open or closed, as well as flashing a blue light to signal traffic coming up at pit exit.
Players will have to have some more patience until they get to try these improvements themselves, however. As the Dev Update features "The Road to V1.6 PT1" as its subtitle, a second part is set to follow ahead of the update's release. Part 2 of the Dev Update, which will cover AI improvements, among other things, should be out "at some point in late June, according to Simioni.
What are your favorite improvements mentioned in the Automobilista 2 May Dev Update? Let us know on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
Automobilista 2 v1.6 is set to be the next milestone update, as developer Reiza Studios put it. Their Formula Ultimate Gen 2 and 2024 Stock Car Pro Series vehicles have already had a teaser for the upcoming changes to the tire model on board, but there will be much more to come, as the Automobilista 2 May Dev Update reveals.
First things first: IMSA content. Reiza announced the partnership with the premier endurance series in North America in March, with content set to follow later. Three GTP and four GT3 cars that are raced in the series were already added in late December as part of the Endurance Pack Pt. 1. Soon, they will get more appropriate playgrounds as well.
Road Atlanta & Audi Join The Fray
Road Atlanta is the first of the new IMSA tracks confirmed in the Dev Update. The site of the Petit Le Mans is set to arrive in v1.6, with two further tracks (Sebring, Mosport and Detroit are still missing to form a full calendar) to be added to make an IMSA track pack, estimated to sell for $14.99.Furthermore, Reiza announces the addition of "at least seven new premium car brands", as the Dev Update puts it. The first of them to be confirmed is Audi - the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer will see three of its cars being added to AMS2. The other manufacturers are mostly the result of the IMSA partnership Reiza announced in March, but they are also set to round out other existing classes.
Back to Audi, though. The Audi R8 LMS GT3 will be available in two versions across the two GT3 generations, meaning the Evo II variant is going to slot into GT3 Gen 2 class. Meanwhile, fans of the classic DTM era of the early 1990s will be pleased to see the Audi Quattro V8 join the German Group A class, finally giving the BMW M3 (E30) and Mercedes 190E some much-needed competition. The car - like the older R8 GT3 - will be a free addition to the base game.
Reworked LMDh Hybrid System
Under the hood of AMS2 and in anticipation of more entries into the LMDh class, the hybrid model for the prototypes will be updated once version 1.6 rolls around. Thus far, it worked more like the ERS system in Formula 1, adding power over the top of the combustion engine’s output to increase the total power output. As we have highlighted in our Le Mans Ultimate hybrid guide, this is not how it works in the current breed of prototypes, however.Instead, the hybrid “replaces” part of the combustion engine’s power, meaning higher hybrid output leads to less fuel consumption. The system is set to be modeled correctly in AMS2 as well in the milestone update. And: electric launches in pit lane, a fan favorite in the Cadillac V-Series.R and its enormous V8 in particular, will also be on board accordingly.
Automobilista 2 v1.6: Revised Physics
As mentioned, version 1.6 will see an extensive physics revision again, particularly regarding the tires. "There were still some SETA breakthroughs for our physics devs to crack, and as it turns out it heavily relates to a common feedback we've been receiveng from real drivers and hardcore users alike - that AMS2 tires still seem relatively forgiving and tolerant of over-driving", writes Reiza Founder and Lead Developer Renato Simioni in the Dev Update.This will be remedied in v1.6 and further sub-versions, mostly due to the so-called tire hysteresis. Simioni explains this as follows: "To briefly recap, hysteresis is the loss of energy through tire distortion, and its modelling determines how deep a specific rubber compound can sink into the asperities of the track surface, and thus sustain peak adhesion for longer."
The three cars that already featured revisions of this kind in v1.5 will see further revisions in 1.6, while the rest of the AMS2 car roster will be brought up to standard with these revisions as well.
Flat Spots, Wear & Smoke Particles
All this also ties into how tires wear, degrade and accumulate damage like flat spots. Automobilista 2 v1.6 will introduce visible wear and flat spots, which should be particularly interesting on open-wheel cars. Lock-ups will now be influenced by the surface they occur on, the load the tire has to endure at that time, and also the compound of rubber used.Apart from the results being visible, the lock-ups themselves are going to be a bit more spectacular as well. Improved particle effects should result in more believable smoke not just when locking up the brakes, but also for engine failures, as a preview video shows.
Other cosmetic improvements include more detailed windshields, which now feature "a cohesive level of tint and reflections", as well as "varying levels of visible scratches and even fingerprints." Nobody said that racing was a very clean affair, after all.
Additionally, working pit lights make their way into Automobilista 2 once the update is deployed, indicating whether the pits are open or closed, as well as flashing a blue light to signal traffic coming up at pit exit.
Players will have to have some more patience until they get to try these improvements themselves, however. As the Dev Update features "The Road to V1.6 PT1" as its subtitle, a second part is set to follow ahead of the update's release. Part 2 of the Dev Update, which will cover AI improvements, among other things, should be out "at some point in late June, according to Simioni.
What are your favorite improvements mentioned in the Automobilista 2 May Dev Update? Let us know on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
