Assetto Corsa Competizione: Cool Stuff About Marbles...

[Paul Jeffrey]

Just in case you didn't already know, I recently found a very illuminating social media post from Aris of Kunos Simulazioni, referring to the behaviour of marbles in ACC...

For those of us that don't know (and forgive me if you do), marbles are the little discarded bits of rubber that inevitably relieve themselves from the tyres of racing cars following prolonged lapping of a racing circuit. Often found on the edges of the racing line, these little pieces of rubber build up during track action and over time form something of a visible carpet of darker tyre shreds that can add a very noticeable effect on the driving dynamics of cars that find themselves straying away from the traditional racing line.

The original Assetto Corsa didn't simulate the visual or physical effect of marble build up on the circuit, and often I find it strange that the topic isn't really spoken about much from the sim racing community of any modern racing title. However, in the quest for further realism with the new Assetto Corsa Competizione racing sim, Kunos sound like they have really gone to town with this feature.. not only adding the visual aspect of marble build up, but simulating its effects in both wet and dry conditions.

When speaking via the comments section on social media, Assetto Corsa Competizione physics guru @Aristotelis gave some really, really cool insight into how this works in ACC...

The quote from Aris:

Ah we're pretty proud and enthusiastic about marbles. Not only if you pass over them they accumulate on your tyres and make the lose a bit of grip on the dry and vibrate.

But if it starts raining and you go over them and you accumulate, they will add a bit of tread on your tyres that might help you with aquaplaning in the initial raining conditions until it either dries up or you go in for tyre change. Obviously we're talking small influences, but every little helps.
So if it starts rain and you're on slicks, go the outside line and pickup marbles!

We wouldn't be able to simulate such a thing if it wasn't from the help of Blancpain drivers that so much supported us and gave us amazing feedback...

...It doesn't improve grip, but it gives the tyres a "tread" so the water (simulated as an actual film of water with depth) has some way to drain through and improves the aquaplaning risk.
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Again my apologies if you already knew all about this, but I for one certainly didn't, and I don't mind admitting - this is one incredibly cool feature, and one of the many reasons I firmly believe Assetto Corsa Competizione is set to be a very, very good racing simulation.

For more Assetto Corsa Competizione news and discussion, head over to the ACC Sub Forum here at RaceDepartment. If you enjoy online racing yourself, you might enjoy our ACC League and Club Racing forum, a place to take in clean, fair and competitive online racing in this sim.

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[Edison5do]

That's flat-out wrong. While I do agree that rF2, in general, exceeds AC with its physics handling as well as features, PC2 is *heavily* car-dependant. Some cars in PC2 are great while others make absolutely no sense regardless of the setup (not to mention that PC2 freaks out whenever the tires are pushed over the limit.) What good are all those "features" if PC2 rarely does any of them well? Plus, that's not even getting into racing against the AI...

Also, if you're suggesting that PC2's weather, physics, and even visuals are better than ACC at this point then you need to take a long look in the mirror the next time you call someone a "true fanboy."

I'll admit that PC2 has a great UI despite lacking a custom championship feature or custom grids, and the car & track list is phenomenal.

I feel the main issue with PC2 is trying to make so many things at once they fell short, if they only had committed to one aspect and really nailed it, it wouldn't be so inconsistent. Like, Rally cross!? Ice!?, like for fun, Ok, but part of the main focus..fail.
And I cant even wrap my head about the Online and Netcode...

ACC on the other hand, precise, consistent and committed to one specific area, and up until now, they are doing an EXCELLENT job.

 

[RMR1]

You are flat out wrong, but I guess you haven't looked into tech under the hood.
PC2 physics are more complex and more sophisticated and that is for every car, fact (again, it is not about how realistic the car in the end handles, which is up for debate).

Visuals I would say better for ACC, but not that much (especially compared to other sims).

No, PC2 tires do not freak out when pushed over the limit, that is simply not true.

No sim has good AI, you can find that out really quickly doing a multiclass race and observe lap 1. I think AI behavior is decent in PC2, sometimes great, sometimes bad, but rF2, AC etc. are all on the same level, some of them exceed the others in certain areas ; actually for me F1 has the best AI, but it is no sim.

They have too many cars tbh, more polish (hence why the perception of so different car handling) and better class balance would be nice.

I like the driving UIs of iRacing, AC and PC2, especially because they are customizable.
You can do a custom online championship in PC2, idk why it is not available offline ...

You need to get your facts straight and inform yourself before claiming stuff.

It was a big fail, but no other sim offers it natively, so that's that. Openweather API (lower tiers) is also terrible, mostly updating every hour ... unusable.
I am more pissed about unfulfilled Driver Swap promise tbh and the still existing bugs.

So you are that type of guy folding a sheet of paper into a plane, stating your simulating aviation?

 

[Logan812]

Threads like this are always going to get derailed. Racing fans are very passionate and opinionated, and that includes simracing. I'll admit that I'm just as guilty as anyone else. lol

I was one of those people who were hesitant about ACC in the beginning when it was announced that it was only going to be Blancpain GT3, but I have to admit that I don't mind it now. Kunos is focusing on doing one thing and doing it well, and it's been paying off so far. We won't know exactly how everything will be at release, but I have faith in Kunos. Even as an early access title, it's very impressive. It's all the small details that ACC has like the spectators, the small features within the cars that other sims don't implement, and now the details on the track surface that set it apart from other sims. Sure, sims like PC2, AMS, iRacing, and rF2 have some of that, but it's barebones. I'm honestly excited for ACC now.

 

[tr1v1um]

Threads like this are always going to get derailed. Racing fans are very passionate and opinionated, and that includes simracing. I'll admit that I'm just as guilty as anyone else. lol

I was one of those people who were hesitant about ACC in the beginning when it was announced that it was only going to be Blancpain GT3, but I have to admit that I don't mind it now. Kunos is focusing on doing one thing and doing it well, and it's been paying off so far. We won't know exactly how everything will be at release, but I have faith in Kunos. Even as an early access title, it's very impressive. It's all the small details that ACC has like the spectators, the small features within the cars that other sims don't implement, and now the details on the track surface that set it apart from other sims. Sure, sims like PC2, AMS, iRacing, and rF2 have some of that, but it's barebones. I'm honestly excited for ACC now.

It is not that those features are barebones in other sims. Some of the features are implemented in a similar fashion, some better, some worse or just different. AMS has a pretty good implementation of marbles but gets zero recognition for it. It is nice to see the sim genre moving forward so that we get those features in different platforms, while a few years ago they were regarded as less important.

 

[Incredible Hulk]

It is not that those features are barebones in other sims. Some of the features are implemented in a similar fashion, some better, some worse or just different. AMS has a pretty good implementation of marbles but gets zero recognition for it. It is nice to see the sim genre moving forward so that we get those features in different platforms, while a few years ago they were regarded as less important.

Yes Automobilista has some really bad or low budget marketing department

 

[2112]

Project CARS 2 LiveTrack3.0 is the most advanced at present. Ks just did the same thing.
Do you remember when day and night alternation and weather change became popular?
Pcars has really made a difference, the players' perceptions changed.

No, not really. I have been involved with leagues featuring PCars since it was released. The league I am in now I have been with since 2015 and with PC2 since its release. The Live Track never worked as advertised and marbles never became part of the equation when it came to track dynamics. I can say, without a doubt, that rFactor2 has a much better "Live Track" simulation, even on-line, than PC2 hoped to have. That is one of the reasons why my PC2 league went to rFactor.

yes, it has all kinds of faults. But it's a simulation game. Simulated reality, just not good, because it's too hard.
SMS is over, I hope KS will do better.

What, exactly, do you mean by this? Is it that driving the cars is so realistic that the game makes it too difficult to drive the cars well? Does it mean that the physics are so wrong (such as the pivot point of the cars being in the exact center of the vehicle) that it is difficult to drive the cars in a realistic manner?

You are flat out wrong, but I guess you haven't looked into tech under the hood.
PC2 physics are more complex and more sophisticated and that is for every car, fact (again, it is not about how realistic the car in the end handles, which is up for debate).

In what manner are the physics more complex? Perhaps you could cite an example? Writing a bunch of complex code based upon "Real World" metrics does not mean the code is better. Complex does not equate to good or great, it just means that there may be more moving parts to break down.

As it is right now the physics in PC and PC2 are lacking in that the complexity you assert does not translate into great driveability. In fact, PC and PC2 physics do not work well at all.

Just because one makes something first does not mean it is better. GM had the EV1 on the road back in the late 90's and NIssan had developed one in the late '90's. See any of them now? Why not?

Being first does not mean everyone else is playing catch up. Usually it means every one else gets to see the results of your mistakes and make your concept better.

No, PC2 tires do not freak out when pushed over the limit, that is simply not true.

What would you call it when they lose grip as quickly as they do? The worst tire models in sims are PC, PC2 and IRacing.

You can do a custom online championship in PC2, idk why it is not available offline ...

Funny. We tried for months to develop an on-line championship and were unable to do so due to the buggy nature of the beast.

You need to get your facts straight and inform yourself before claiming stuff.

Indeed....

 

[Kenny Paton]

I believe the thread has really drifted way to far off topic, so let's discuss ACC and leave PC 1 or 2 alone.

 

[makan]

Changelog 0.7.2

- Fixed qualifying rule bug in Custom Race Weekend when the number of race sessions set were fewer than the number of qualifying sessions.
- Fix for cut warnings used in non-race sessions.
- Improved AI behavior under braking in traffic.
- Added AI reaction time at race start.
- Cars lapping the focused car now indicated red on the real-time display.
- More consistent real-time display.
- Fixed controls lock issue after a race restart.
- Enabled refueling in Multiplayer pitstops.
- Fixed potential freeze/crash in Multiplayer.
- In Multiplayer, players who are late to press "Drive" before the formation lap will be sent to pitlane with controls locked.
- Fixed mandatory pit calculation for AI if Driver Stint pitstop mode is selected.
- More reliable blue flag triggers.
- On race-end, the real-time display now shows the official finish position.
- Fixed track getting dry too quickly when rain goes down in small increments.
- Disabled "Remove fastest lap" penalty from practice and qualifying.
- Fixed MFD taking mouse focus away from the Pause menu.
- Possible fix for missing Force Feedback in VR mode.
- Fix to a bug that switched the F3 camera set when switching cars (both in replay and in game using shift+arrows).
- Improved manual and automatic clutch issues and functionality.
- Fixed VR navigation in the Multiplayer lobby page.
- Navigation is now possible in the MFD in VR mode.
- Fixed a bug in dynamic weather that removed the starting rain from the Light Rain preset with dynamic mode enabled.
- Fixed replay searching for a car that is already disconnected in Multiplayer.
- Added priority to player-related penalty messages in race communication.

 

[Jordan Dion]

In Multiplayer, players who are late to press "Drive" before the formation lap will be sent to pitlane with controls locked.

THANKS KUNOS!
THIS IS A MUST

 

[A.K.Racing]

Best weather specially rain in Project cars 2!Specially effect of the wind in rain amazing in VR.and its not just rain its raining clouds which is passing by racing track.Project cars 2 really done they best in this feature if only othe aspects like physics and ffb was great as ACC!

 

[Edison5do]

Changelog 0.7.2

- Fixed qualifying rule bug in Custom Race Weekend when the number of race sessions set were fewer than the number of qualifying sessions.
- Fix for cut warnings used in non-race sessions.
- Improved AI behavior under braking in traffic.
- Added AI reaction time at race start.
- Cars lapping the focused car now indicated red on the real-time display.
- More consistent real-time display.
- Fixed controls lock issue after a race restart.
- Enabled refueling in Multiplayer pitstops.
- Fixed potential freeze/crash in Multiplayer.
- In Multiplayer, players who are late to press "Drive" before the formation lap will be sent to pitlane with controls locked.
- Fixed mandatory pit calculation for AI if Driver Stint pitstop mode is selected.
- More reliable blue flag triggers.
- On race-end, the real-time display now shows the official finish position.
- Fixed track getting dry too quickly when rain goes down in small increments.
- Disabled "Remove fastest lap" penalty from practice and qualifying.
- Fixed MFD taking mouse focus away from the Pause menu.
- Possible fix for missing Force Feedback in VR mode.
- Fix to a bug that switched the F3 camera set when switching cars (both in replay and in game using shift+arrows).
- Improved manual and automatic clutch issues and functionality.
- Fixed VR navigation in the Multiplayer lobby page.
- Navigation is now possible in the MFD in VR mode.
- Fixed a bug in dynamic weather that removed the starting rain from the Light Rain preset with dynamic mode enabled.
- Fixed replay searching for a car that is already disconnected in Multiplayer.
- Added priority to player-related penalty messages in race communication.

There's no way that someone read all this AND STILL claim PC2 is the title to catch up to... I mean the first 3 lines are fixes for problems in PC2 since day 1. and I love that game, but I'm not blind yet, now I'm loving ACC even more!

 

[Amanda]

They are raising the bar of racing sims to a new standard. Kudos to Kunos

Huh? rFactor 2 has had this exact feature for how long, at least 7 to 8 years?

If anything, Kunos are only catching up to, as some put it here, "ancient tech".

 

[guidofoc]

Not to mention real life racing has had this feature for how long, at least 100 years?
I say meh, Kunos, just meh.

 

[Alex72]

Really noticeable in rF2. Not only that the times get better but you also feel the grip (and the loss of grip outside of the rubbered line). The rain stuff connected to this is great though.