As part of its current sportscar push, Automobilista 2 promises to expand its historic Le Mans content list. Navigating licensing complexities, OverTake Editor Angus has an idea to reach this goal.
From FIA World Endurance Championship calendar opinions to guides for improving immersion in long-form single player races. Believe it or not, I am quite the fan of endurance and sportscar racing both in real life and in-sim.
So as you would expect, last year's Reiza Studios announcement promising historic Le Mans cars and circuits put a sizeable grin on my face. Automobilista 2's ability to transport its players to a time gone by is fantastic and revisiting the likes of 1970's Le Mans and its early prototypes in the game sounds like a fantastic idea to me.
But as licensing agreements fill the headlines for their complexity, cost and long-windedness, I have long-wondered how the title would manage to introduce full grids, or even partial grids, of recognisable sportscars from the past. Especially when manufacturers are either non-existent or sit on a pedestal in the modern day.
The 1960s is not the only era in need of more cars.
However, in recent weeks, I have discovered a certain rFactor 2 mod that, alongside AMS2's existing approach to classic racing eras, could well inspire the Brazilian developer going forward and it moves to introduce sportscars from yesteryear.
In the late-1960s, the number of manufacturers and different models competing in sportscar racing was seemingly endless. So it would be unthinkable to perfectly recreate every single car that ran in-period.
Indeed, rather than running the like of Ford's GT40 and the Alpine A210, the mod adapts the decade-old game's Howston G4 car in a variety of ways. As a result, 55 cars are available to drive, all individually recognisable to the naked eye, featuring key design aspects.
Automobilista 2 deserves great classic car content to match its historic circuits.
For example, a Porsche 908LH is available to drive, and whilst the car does not perfectly fit the real model's dimensions and looks, you will recognise the car's dynamic rear wing plates. Moreover, a Chaparral 2F may not be named as such, but the enormous wing immediately jinks your memory so you know what you are racing.
And this is how I believe Reiza Studios should tackle it historic sportscar problem.
As such, I see Reiza having two options; either continue down its current route, including a small number of cars like its poorly balanced Porsche-Corvette combo, or follow in the footsteps of modders.
The Porsche RSR and Corvette C3R are not well balanced in AMS2. Image credit: Reiza Studios
If the team can put together, let's say, a dozen different generic vehicles - all with their own performance attributes, layouts and driving dynamics - upon which various bodies hinting at real cars can be placed, racing fans would no doubt be just as happy. It would allow greater variety than the present classic sportscar roster in AMS2, all whilst remaining on a realistic timeline.
It would not be the first time the Brazilian developer has gone down the 'inspired by real life' route, either. A rapid browse of the game's Formula One content, certainly pre-2000's cars, will reveal a mix of real life models and generic cars. Up to four models to choose from - each with their own specifications - means players can simulate various performance levels across a grid. Better yet, this guide shows that, with the help of the talented OverTake community, almost any season from the past sixty years is available to run in AMS2.
We need this level of detail and variation sportscars deserve in Automobilista 2. I would personally love to race a field of 48 historic racers around Sebring as the most recent Dev Update suggests. But this is the only piece missing in that puzzle. Until then, I'll stick to rF2.
Are historic sportscars in Automobilista 2 important in your opinion? How would you like to see Reiza implement them? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our Automobilista 2 forum!
From FIA World Endurance Championship calendar opinions to guides for improving immersion in long-form single player races. Believe it or not, I am quite the fan of endurance and sportscar racing both in real life and in-sim.
So as you would expect, last year's Reiza Studios announcement promising historic Le Mans cars and circuits put a sizeable grin on my face. Automobilista 2's ability to transport its players to a time gone by is fantastic and revisiting the likes of 1970's Le Mans and its early prototypes in the game sounds like a fantastic idea to me.
But as licensing agreements fill the headlines for their complexity, cost and long-windedness, I have long-wondered how the title would manage to introduce full grids, or even partial grids, of recognisable sportscars from the past. Especially when manufacturers are either non-existent or sit on a pedestal in the modern day.
The 1960s is not the only era in need of more cars.
However, in recent weeks, I have discovered a certain rFactor 2 mod that, alongside AMS2's existing approach to classic racing eras, could well inspire the Brazilian developer going forward and it moves to introduce sportscars from yesteryear.
An Inspiring Mod
Go a for a stroll through Google and various mod resources for rFactor 2 and you will soon bump into a car mod featuring a full grid of 1967 endurance racing cars. Or a grid inspired by the 1967 season, that is.In the late-1960s, the number of manufacturers and different models competing in sportscar racing was seemingly endless. So it would be unthinkable to perfectly recreate every single car that ran in-period.
Indeed, rather than running the like of Ford's GT40 and the Alpine A210, the mod adapts the decade-old game's Howston G4 car in a variety of ways. As a result, 55 cars are available to drive, all individually recognisable to the naked eye, featuring key design aspects.
Automobilista 2 deserves great classic car content to match its historic circuits.
For example, a Porsche 908LH is available to drive, and whilst the car does not perfectly fit the real model's dimensions and looks, you will recognise the car's dynamic rear wing plates. Moreover, a Chaparral 2F may not be named as such, but the enormous wing immediately jinks your memory so you know what you are racing.
And this is how I believe Reiza Studios should tackle it historic sportscar problem.
Reiza's Historic Sportscar Promise
As I have already said, adding over 30 unique car models to Automobilista 2 is probably unrealistic for Reiza. Not only will the actual work take far too long and direct the team's attention to one single project, the act of officially licensing so many models with such a vast number of manufacturers would be extremely expensive, if not impossible.As such, I see Reiza having two options; either continue down its current route, including a small number of cars like its poorly balanced Porsche-Corvette combo, or follow in the footsteps of modders.
The Porsche RSR and Corvette C3R are not well balanced in AMS2. Image credit: Reiza Studios
If the team can put together, let's say, a dozen different generic vehicles - all with their own performance attributes, layouts and driving dynamics - upon which various bodies hinting at real cars can be placed, racing fans would no doubt be just as happy. It would allow greater variety than the present classic sportscar roster in AMS2, all whilst remaining on a realistic timeline.
It would not be the first time the Brazilian developer has gone down the 'inspired by real life' route, either. A rapid browse of the game's Formula One content, certainly pre-2000's cars, will reveal a mix of real life models and generic cars. Up to four models to choose from - each with their own specifications - means players can simulate various performance levels across a grid. Better yet, this guide shows that, with the help of the talented OverTake community, almost any season from the past sixty years is available to run in AMS2.
We need this level of detail and variation sportscars deserve in Automobilista 2. I would personally love to race a field of 48 historic racers around Sebring as the most recent Dev Update suggests. But this is the only piece missing in that puzzle. Until then, I'll stick to rF2.
Are historic sportscars in Automobilista 2 important in your opinion? How would you like to see Reiza implement them? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our Automobilista 2 forum!
