Tracks Fictional Street Circuit - Preferences

[AATR]

Hi,

I’m working on several fictional street circuits and I was wondering if it was possible to have some support in understanding what is the preferred method of creating a street circuit for Assetto Corsa, through a few questions, to help me take the right direction:

1 - Which option do you prefer for creating a street circuit in Assetto Corsa?

a) High-quality bespoke 3D models of each building nearby the track

b) RenderDoc or similar

c) Super-low poly buildings (i.e. 2/3 models for houses, 2/3 models of skyscraper, etc. to be replicated)

2 - How important is it for you that the street circuit accurately represents a real-world location?

a) Very important

b) Somewhat important

c) Not important


3- Which of the following features would you like to see in a fictional street circuit as realistic urban environment with detailed buildings and landmarks?

a) Only most important/iconic buildings

b) All buildings modelled accurately

c) Signs/road marks

d) Accuracy of roads used

e) Overall feel to be in a city

f) Most important is the circuit, the surroundings details are a nice to have

g) Other (Please specify: __________)



4 - What factors influence your preference?

a) Visual realism

b) Performance optimization

c) Time and effort required for creation

d) Authenticity and accuracy to real-world street circuits

e) Compatibility with lower-end systems

f) Other



5 - Are you primarily focused on racing performance or visual aesthetics when driving on a street circuit?

a) Racing performance

b) Visual aesthetics

c) Both equally



6 - What kind of hardware should be mainly targeted?

a) High-end gaming PC

b) Mid-range gaming PC

c) Low-end gaming PC



Thanks in advance to everyone who will help me by replying to these! Your input is greatly appreciated and will help me understand the preferences of the simracing community.

 

[Stereo]

1 - accurate footprints, low detail models are good enough. (right wall/roof materials, pictures of windows/doors for houses for example). I don't like completely cloned buildings.
2 - somewhat. Completely fictional locations run the risk of being unrealistic, but on the upside you can move interesting corners closer together.
3 - open-ness so it doesn't just feel like 2 barriers with skyscrapers behind them
5 - aesthetics
6 - low end, similar to what AC itself requires

 

[AATR]

1 - accurate footprints, low detail models are good enough. (right wall/roof materials, pictures of windows/doors for houses for example). I don't like completely cloned buildings.
2 - somewhat. Completely fictional locations run the risk of being unrealistic, but on the upside you can move interesting corners closer together.
3 - open-ness so it doesn't just feel like 2 barriers with skyscrapers behind them
5 - aesthetics
6 - low end, similar to what AC itself requires

Thanks for your feedback

 

[allein.rar]

This might not be my place to talk but.... I find fictional locations to be more interesting as there are a bunch of IRL tracks already made. It's a skill in it's self to be able to replicate a actual track but I just think of what someone could come up with on their own.

 

[AATR]

This might not be my place to talk but.... I find fictional locations to be more interesting as there are a bunch of IRL tracks already made. It's a skill in it's self to be able to replicate a actual track but I just think of what someone could come up with on their own.

Thanks!

Check my releases then, they're all fictional circuits

 

[Ryno917]

This might not be my place to talk but.... I find fictional locations to be more interesting as there are a bunch of IRL tracks already made. It's a skill in it's self to be able to replicate a actual track but I just think of what someone could come up with on their own.

^Ditto.

I actually prefer well made, realistic, fictional content to real stuff.

As for the questions:
1: Somewhere in the middle. Key buildings and stuff very close should be detailed enough, stuff a block away from the circuit can be lower detail.

2: C)Not important. A fully fictional location that's realistic is more interesting to me personally

3: All of the above, really. The general ambience sets the scene, the details are what make it feel real. Road markings, manhole covers, temporary markings for the circuit itself, traffic lights, street lights, cracks in the pavement, etc etc. All of it combines to make a whole.

4: A and C. Visual fidelity and detail are important, and care in the craft is important. Attention to detail.

5: C. If it looks like a port from Papyrus Indycar Racing II I won't be driving it, no matter how interesting the layout or how well it performs. On the other hand, it doesn't matter how pretty it is if the layout is dull and the performance is awful.

6: Keep it in line with the generally accepted norms for circuits in AC. I think most people are putting more into them than Kunos did at this stage, which is fine as tech has come on a big way in the 7 years AC has been out, but there are also limits. It's not going to be as pretty as a UE5 demo scene, but it can be better than the original content.


A lot of that may not be too helpful; boils down to "everything" or "somewhere in the middle of the options."