Sometimes racing games really do blur the lines with reality and that was the case last night. These laps against the 100% 80 aggro AI were just brilliant, the AI can and will race door to door, fight back fairly and make life generally difficult. Squabbling over 21-19 place is rarely so enjoyable. It was 10laps of pure intoxicating racing, I even had an elevated heart rate and a bit of a sweet on by the end just like 10 real quick laps at Donnington, made all the better by the sense of elevation change in VR.
The Ginetta G55 GT4 is superb in AMS2, the steering feel is informative and it's an intuitive car to drive. The car just starting to slide neutrally onto the outer kerb at Redgate (1st corner) is spot on. I still think it's these real cars that us mere mortals could drive quickly for real that AMS2 does best. The gear change sounds are visceral too, the whump of the downshifts have real weight to them. The engine noise is spot on too though there really should be a lot louder transmission whine inside the cockpit.
The AI lap times are fully comparable with the real-world G55 Supercup too. I could have done with tweaking the setup slightly as I generally had a little too much understeer, more grip than the AI in McLean's but tricky oversteer through Coppice.
Above all, for me, AMS2 delivers the feel of being on track at Donnington Park with other similarly skilled drivers.
Oh dear, oh dear oh dear. I have watched your video representing 'pure intoxicating racing' and I am very glad you have posted it as it clearly, objectively represents one of the current issues with AMS2. In reality your video represents cars chaining around the circuit, while once a lap, at exactly the same corner (McLeans), you attempt an overtake. I'm afraid very little else happens. You may consider this 'intoxicating', but I and many other people I'm afraid will shiver at your glowing description of a tour de force experience.
In reality the AI tend to be, regrettably, as dull as dishwater. There is intermittent pleasure in racing them but its hardly compelling and having briefly rebooted PC2 I can confirm they are less dynamic and in many ways have gone backwards. Further, should anyone wish to check the lap times having completed a race, you will find that up to 15 cars are within 0.5 seconds of each other. No wonder the race experience is so stagnant. This leave player a very small window of operation against the AI and that is a problem, and further the robotic nature of consistent lines and lap times adds extra punishment to player mistakes (and we all make mistakes - particularly in a sim which has generic vehicle behaviour of wash out understeer on corner entry followed by snap oversteer on throttle application across far too much of the content irrespective of vehicle, tyre or down force). The result of this means you literally need a note book for recording AI settings circuit to circuit, series to series for a consistent experience. Worse, when it comes to racing historic F1 content, which never presented an entire field lapping within 1.2 seconds of each other let alone a top ten within 0.3, it's immersion breaking and frankly asinine.
I am sure there will be further improvements, but it serves no one to suggest that this is an killer baseline. AI don't overtake when categorically faster - have tested, caused two races to develop by being 2 seconds slower and no AI would overtake other than as the result of player error (also clearly illustrated in you video). It's arguably the worst AI of any current sim. Yes it goes round, it doesn't bump you too much (which is a blessing given contact currently contains all the kinetic energy of a moth on a trampoline), but it barely races, rarely surprises, often falls victim to the traditional faults we have all become accustom to, slow starts, group confusion at the first sign of trouble, faux grip and counter productive extreme caution/over zealousness. We've had nearly two decades of this, I was for one was hoping for something better. I realise these are difficult challenges and balances, but It desperately needs improving (in particular considering that, from my personal experience, online racing has been even worse - haven't had a genuinely enjoyable online race in two dozen attempts). The thought of jumping into the offline championship mode currently on offer for a 60 min race fills me with dread. No way. I look forward to that offering more customisation.
To be more positive and make a suggestion, as a previously posted and
@Renato Simioni the game would hugely benefit from an AI editor once AI behaviours have been further developed. This would create two tangible benefits
1) giving player agency to set the AI up as benefited their user case from sprint race to full GP (see issues above). Adjustable parameters for field spread, driver names, driver traits, speed, breakdown probability etc (assuming some of the principles remain the same from the original ISI motor). Iracing is leading the field with this, and it rocks.
2) Done right it would open up a soft modding / skinning community to keep the game alive for many years. There were lots of bruising discussion surrounding mods for AMS2. Frankly I am happy to buy content, the extra work done of tracks for AMS1 was really welcome, but car mods I could take or leave. The thing that really brought AMS to life and added hours of extra play were skin packs and talent files. That resulted in a killer combination of Reiza physics but historically accurate content. It meant that historical F1 could behave thus, with some being way off the pace, and it was a joy. It would be the same in AMS2.
In the meantime, can we all take a reality check and say good work, it is a good base. Considering everything that has been happening across the globe, and especially in Brazil I am full of admiration, but there are aspects, in this case specifically in relation to the AI and the general racing experience that are nowhere near where they should be. Hopefully, not even close yet.
