Drift and Modern Open Wheelers - Automobilista V1.5.10 Is Here!

[Paul Jeffrey]

Surprise! A post "final" build of Automobilista is here - and it's full of quality new content alongside plenty of fixes too...

Ok so Reiza did say the last build would be the final one for AMS, but seeing as the Brazilian development studio like to give a little bit more value than is expected, we've recently had the pleasure of yet another new upgrade to the title, cramming in a few last things that didn't quite make that final build back in December of last year.

Containing a splendid list of game improvements that include what has been labelled as a "comprehensive AI revision", version 1.5.10 is indeed a rather sweet release. Of course offline players will be keen to see what the already impressive AI feel like now the update is out, but other highlights that shouldn't creep in without a little fanfare include some very nice improvements and updates to the venerable Interlargos venue, and many tweaks to the existing content found in the current vanilla version of AMS.

Speaking of content, build 1.5.10 also has a nice couple of additions, welcoming the 2018 variant of the open wheel F-Ultimate (complete we the monstrous Halo), the full 'Drift Series' and game modes, the F-Dirt and further layouts to a couple of the existing tracks.

Not bad for a game supposedly already finished, eh?

V1.5.10 Change Log:

NEW CONTENT

• Added Drift Series & Drift game mode
• Added F-Ultimate 2018 series
• Added Super F-Dirt series
• Added Buskerud Ice, Mendig Drift, Foz Tarmac track layouts

GENERAL

• Fixed a CTD at track load if no sound card was found
• Increased and added ability to customize number of entries shown on Standings TV Display via customingamelayout.INI
• Added repair existing damage to escape to pits rules (Semi Realistic and up)
• Added restoring of Tow to Garage value when rejoining an online game
• Adjusted Driver Labels to only show a users RaceRank score online if they have a score (higher than 0)
• Fixed an issue where font shadows bleed through when text is fading out (Driver Labels)
• Added UI option to completely disable XInput detection
• Reduced size of final cut track warning message as it overran the TV Overlay background.
• Fixed an issue where a users PB lap times were registered as the fastest overall lap in a race online
• Fixed wheel rotation not being locked on external / non cockpit cameras (when driver is visible)
• Minor optimizations to audio code
• Kick both users if two join with the same steam id on a RaceRank server
• Added a reason digit when users are kicked from a RaceRank server

AI

• Comprehensive Revision of AI Code resulting in better racing abilities throughout
• Fixed Turbo Data not getting reset for AI when loading a new vehicle (could lead to AIs running out of fuel)
  
• AI are now also restricted by limited tire sets setting (along with some basic strategical decisions)
• Adjusted AI brake usage
• Updated AI Aggression scalars for all cars to a more consistent baseline
• Fixed an issue with AI lifting off when passing at the start finish line
• Added HDV Param AIPassLatScalar - This is how much extra space a car leaves to pass when overtaking when they have 0% aggression (default is 2 meters plus a base 0.5m)
• Added HDV Param AIForcePassCarLength - This is the distance in car lengths behind the car ahead that the AI will greatly increase their likelyhood to attempt a pass. Default is 0.6, higher, 1.0 or so recommended for slower cars

CONTENT FIXES & UPDATES

• Interlagos: Updated 2017 version to include latest Cafe chicane layout, curb design & other cosmetic updates
• Hockenheim: Removed dust from road on the left entering stadium section in historic layouts
• Ibarra: Slightly improved AI performance in both layouts
  
• Fixed various Z-fighting & other graphical glitches at Montreal, Adelaide, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Brands Hatch, Cadwell, Imola, Guapore, Curitiba, Caruaru, Campo Grande, Cordoba, Goiania, Jacarepagua, Johannesburg, Kansai, Santa Cruz, Taruma, Velocittá
• Bumped up default night brightness for slightly better night time visibility
• Set default fuel load for all cars to half tank capacity
• Updated AJR, F-Vintage, F-Dirt realfeel FFB values
• Adjusted aero effects on wake for F-V12, F-V10, F-Reiza, F-Extreme
• Caterham: Reduced team names
• SuperV8: Talent files typo fixes
• TC Classics: Adjusted clutch torque to avoid slipping on some cars; Fixed engines with wrong sound emission positions; AI tweaks; Fixed typo on Fusca 04 team
• Montana: Small tire model adjustment
• FTruck: Adjusted fuel estimation & adjustable boost innacurately allowed in FC Truck
• F-V10: full team names to avoid mixing up in all cars / tracks; Increased downshift protection to avoid engine blow-ups
• AJR: Bumped up Judd V10 engine blowup thrasholds to fix excessive failures
• MCR200: Moved default brake bias slightly forward

GENERAL NOTES:
Server weekly schedule & Time Trial of the Week are now displayed dynamically on the game´s opening screen.

Logitech G29 / G920 users: Support for auto rotation is on a dedicated Beta Branch labeled LogitechG29. Further instructions as to how to switch to a beta branch here.

If you experience any issues running the game following the update, it´s worth running a Steam Integrity Check to make sure all files have been added / updated correctly.

If you have any issues following this update or for whatever reason wish to revert to the previous v1.5.01, you may do so by selecting that branch from the Steam Beta tab. Further instructions as to how to do that here.

Automobilista is a PC exclusive racing game from Reiza Studios, and can be purchased from the Steam network.

If you enjoy Automobilista then take your experience to the next level with RaceDepartment! Join in our brilliant online Racing Club to take part in organised online race events, or head over to the Automobilista Modding Forum to have a look through our community made content, or if this isn't enough to keep you occupied, check out the general AMS sub forum and involve yourself in our wonderful sim racing community.

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Enjoying the new build? What do you think of the drift content? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Kenny Paton]

Depends on OS and/or how you run the game. Either it's in your Documents folder in Automobilista/UserData, or it's in your AMS folder, again in UserData.

I probably should have said I'm on W7. Thanks Martin.

 

[alexSchmurtz]

It seems that G29/920 support has been in a beta branch for quite some time now and it looks like there are reasons why it can't be merged into the main release, so I'm guessing that is going to be the long term solution!

If I understood properly, the Logitec's driver for the G29 is not compatible with older wheels so this is what Reiza found to make the game work for any Logitec wheels. The main game has the old driver while the beta branch has the one for the G29.

 

[ClimaxF1]

Do you think we can we safely copy original/2017 F-Ultimate setups over to their 2018 counterparts? I’m assuming the new series is just a cosmetic and classification update but I thought I’d ask here to see if anyone has seen otherwise.

Here' s a skin that I'm busy with and you can see it has the halo.

Just created a new vehicle file and added the halo.

If you want your skins to work with the update then the highlighted areas are the one's you must change.

Backup your F Ulltimate files first until you know everything is ok.

 

[NASCRAP]

AMS is great. Drifting is gay.

 

[Alex72]

Thanks @Kenny Paton and @Martin Fiala

 

[Rastas]

AMS is great. Drifting is gay.

Someone here doesnt know how to drive,go tell to Mr.Keiichi Tsuchiya that drifting is gay kid.........

 

[NASCRAP]

Someone here doesnt know how to drive,go tell to Mr.Keiichi Tsuchiya that drifting is gay kid.........

If I knew where his hairdresser shop was I would tell he and his husband in person

 

[Marc Collins]

I used Patrick's from the ultimate pack and it worked perfectly, Gringo does the AI so it's pretty good.

Still waiting to hear which one the person with the issue is using...

 

[Kenny Paton]

Still waiting to hear which one the person with the issue is using...

Maybe the profile thingy sorted it.

 

[Marc Collins]

Maybe the profile thingy sorted it.

What profile thingy?

 

[Alex72]

What profile thingy?

Deleting the player profile folder. It can help fix issues. Its in (win 10): C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\Automobilista\USERDATA\yournamefolder

 

[Rastas]

If I knew where his hairdresser shop was I would tell he and his husband in person

Only by your name here and your profile picture i see the type of person you are,no more wasting time whit a person that dont have education

 

[Alex72]

When did AMS get body deformation? Neat. Tested the drift which was very cool, but my DFGT dont have good enough auto rotation so its pretty hard, but when i crashed the front on the side the body got smashed in and deformed. I remember stuff falling off but i didnt remember deformation. Coolers.

 

[BillGuy]

FYI I may have found a bug with the F-Ultimate. It seems like a keyboard mapping for the starter does not function on the race grid. I haven’t driven F-Ultimate since v1.4.8.x so if this is a bug, it might have been introduced sometime earlier than this most recent update.

Specifics:
I have the i and o keyboard keys mapped to ignition and starter respectively. They work fine when starting from the garage in practice and qualifying sessions. The ‘o’ mapping for starter becomes non-functional when I am on the grid for the race session of a single race. The same behavior happens with both the 2017 and 2018 cars. I tried each one with a Reiza track, a PG track, and a track from WCP. Same issue with both cars on each of the three tracks.

To confirm this is specific to the F-Ultimate, I switched from it back to the AJR and did single races on the same three tracks. No issues with the keyboard mapping.

 

[alexSchmurtz]

I have the i and o keyboard keys mapped to ignition and starter respectively. They work fine when starting from the garage in practice and qualifying sessions. The ‘o’ mapping for starter becomes non-functional when I am on the grid for the race session of a single race. The same behavior happens with both the 2017 and 2018 cars. I tried each one with a Reiza track, a PG track, and a track from WCP. Same issue with both cars on each of the three tracks.

This is not a bug, it is a feature. Formulas don't have an onboard starter; you need mechanics and an outside starter. The procedure is pretty complex in real life and done in the garage. If you stall, for example when spinning, you're done... So Reiza is trying to simulate that...

 

[BillGuy]

This is not a bug, it is a feature. Formulas don't have an onboard starter; you need mechanics and an outside starter. The procedure is pretty complex in real life and done in the garage. If you stall, for example when spinning, you're done... So Reiza is trying to simulate that...

That’s a fair statement Alex, but I have to ask if you’ve seen any evidence from Reiza that the behavior is intentional or if that’s an assumption on your part. Again though, it’s a very reasonable assumption. I’m asking because you could more or less apply the same logic of “a mechanic externally starts the car” for the race grid as you do for the garage. Admittedly, the game engine may not have a way to enforce separate rules for the race grid and the race itself once you’re rolling.

My objective is to be able to sit in the cockpit while in the garage during practice and qualifying sessions so that I can watch the HUD’s live track map for gaps and traffic. I’ll have to experiment to see if a key mapping for ignition plus having auto-start enabled will allow for this in practice and qualifying while not leaving me stranded on the grid.

 

[wowbagger]

It is absolutely intentional, because F1 cars don't have an on-board starter.

However, some of the current era hybrids can use the MGU-K together with the battery to start the engine if it stalls on track - the Renaults definitely, possibly the Ferraris and Hondas, but not the Mercs, as far as I know.

You can simulate this by changing a line in the F_Ultimate_engine.ini file.

change: OnboardStarter=0
to: OnboardStarter=1

 

[alexSchmurtz]

That’s a fair statement Alex, but I have to ask if you’ve seen any evidence from Reiza that the behavior is intentional or if that’s an assumption on your part. Again though, it’s a very reasonable assumption. I’m asking because you could more or less apply the same logic of “a mechanic externally starts the car” for the race grid as you do for the garage. Admittedly, the game engine may not have a way to enforce separate rules for the race grid and the race itself once you’re rolling.

Let's say it's half knowledge/half assumption. I remembered Reiza stating they are simulating an outboard starter, but being able to start only from the garage is an assumption from me as the start procedure can be complex.
I found this thread on the official forum about the same issue you are posting: it is pretty old and was fixed in the v1.0 release (see changelog):

Fixed issue with cars not featuring an onboard engine starter being unable to start in a formation lap by having pit crew fire up the engine

So maybe the bug is back and you should be able to start on the grid as well? Might be worth to post on the official forum.

 

[BillGuy]

Alex, thanks so much for digging into the old issues at the Reiza forums. I’ve been meaning to make an account over there for a while. Perhaps I will do so now in case it will help them get this particular issue sorted.

For further reference on the issue, I noticed the engine.ini files in the vehicle folders have an OnboardStarter entry with 0 or 1 values set. I confirmed that F-Classic, F-V10, and F-Reiza have a 0 value set like F-Ultimate and tried those three cars. I got the same behavior. The keymapping for starter is not functioning on the race grid.

 

[wowbagger]

The F_Ultimate_engine.ini file has "OnboardStarter=0" by default.

I changed the F-Ultimate engine file to read OnboardStarter=1 and intentionally stalled my car on the grid, and switched the ignition off. It restarted without problem.