Kunos Simulazioni Exclusive Interview - Part 2

[Paul Jeffrey]

In the second part of our exclusive interview with Kunos Simulazioni, the team behind premium sim racing title Assetto Corsa, we find out more about the upcoming console release, 'must have' features for AC2, comments on the modding scene and much more besides... want to know what version 1.5 might bring? Fancy an update on what the next 'Dream Pack' features? Read on to find out...

RD: Assetto Corsa has many impressive licence agreements already in place, could we expect more new announcements in 2016?

MM: Maserati is the latest announcement but not the last...

SC: *Points to Marco...*

RD: On a similar note, if money and other boundaries were no issue, which marques would you ideally like to see in the sim?

MM: Actually, after Ferrari and Lamborghini... nothing can stop us! The challenge now is much more related to tracks: there are some we really would like to include in AC, but we consider their economic requests definitely too high. Not for our budget, but for a matter of principle. I know you would like to know which ones, but I'm not going to tell you.

SC: I already got a nice present from Marco with the RedBull Ring. Personally I'd love Oulton Park on a Ferrari 250 GTO.

AV: Prototype C era from the 80s-90s has created the most beautiful and technically impressive cars in my eyes… although I’m not so sure they were “fun” to drive… exciting for sure, but probably very tricky.

RD: With a move to consoles upcoming this year, can you tell us a little more about how this is progressing?

MM: Bringing on console the same experience provided on PC has been very challenging, and the decision to not freeze the development on PC made things even more complicated. But it also allowed us to provide a fine-tuned and polished product on all formats, not to mention some new licenses and content that it would not be possible to bring on a PC-Only product, like the Lamborghini, or others. Now that we are completing the work on version 1.5, we are entering in the most critical phase of beta testing: I believe that also PC users will appreciate the general improvements the new version will bring also to the Steam version of AC.

SC: It's progressing to kill us nicely. I'd say we're in the worst period of every software: the finish up stage. To quote one of the devs working on the console: "We have completed 90% of the work, now all it is left to do is complete the remaining 90%".

AV: My divorce lawyer says it’s going pretty well…

RD: Will both PC and console versions be largely the same or do you expect each to have a different feel / content / experience than the original PC edition?

MM: Except for the user interface, content is the same for all versions, as well as the features and driving feeling. Like any other game available both on PC and consoles, of course on Hi-end PCs you can get the best experience possible.

SC: It's the same software, unsurprisingly really, considering the size of the team. The console version has a brand new UI front end. I expect to be nothing less than exactly the same.

RD: AC has some pretty advanced graphics on high PC settings, are you intending to run 60fps on console? How is that shaping up at the minute?

MM: This is our goal: the advantage in working on console is that you have ONE hardware and you can use each resource at your best, and during the optimization process even just one frame earned is always a good thing. On the other side, PS4 and XB1 offer limited resources, andAssetto Corsa not being conceived for this hardware since the beginning, we needed to re-think our rendering engine. In the end, the gap in terms of appearance between PC and console will be light enough.

SC: Pretty well on the PS4. We are having quite a bit more problems on the Xbox One but it seems to be the same for every dev out there.

RD: Of course AC has now been in progress for quite a few years and is already a fairly polished title, do you expect development to stop in the near future and work to begin on a sequel?

MM: Before taking any decision, we'll wait and see how things will go. Our wish is to support Assetto Corsa as long as possible, and for sure we are not thinking or working already on a sequel.

SC: It will happen eventually, it's inevitable... but not yet.

RD: Speaking of “AC2”, has the team at Kunos given much thought on what this will look like? Are we thinking of an improved AC1 or will it be a totally different concept to the original game?

MM: Believe me, we don't have a secret book in our office titled “Assetto Corsa 2”. We just know that the first two features for AC2 will be night&rain, even if we create a space game! About the concept, we recognize that Assetto Corsa has been – and still is - the most exciting professional experience we ever had, but producing a “standard” sequel, would mean to feature 200% of cars, tracks and features, and our Studio is not Turn 10 or Polyphony (and actually, Stefano and I are not interested to lead a studio of 100 people), so an Assetto Corsa 2 might feature a different concept. But it's too early to think seriously about it, and a lot will depend also by how people will welcome AC on PS4 and XB1.

SC: It'll have rain and night for sure.

RD: Version 1.4 was a massive improvement in many different areas of the sim, however as is human nature this is soon forgotten and thoughts drift to the next big patch… what can we expect to see in the next update of Assetto Corsa and when do you expect it to hit our game?

MM: All the circuits released within the 1.0 version of Assetto Corsa will be updated, offering much better details to offer the same appearance of the latest, and also the Nordschleife will receive an update.

SC: Consoles have all our attention for these couple of months. The next PC update will hopefully feature new cars, single player pit stops, timed races, time progression in multiplayer and I think Aris is doing a lot of realignment work on the physics.

AV: Yup, tyre physics realignment, improvements as well as some new work on aerodynamics with some extra candy from Stefano. Pretty excited to be honest, but it takes little to keep me excited so yeah… we’ll see.

RD: Again keeping with the update theme I assume fans will be treated to another ‘Dream Pack’ instalment in future, could you share with us some clues as to what we may be expecting? Maybe a sneaky teaser image possibly (laughs)?

MM: A recent teaser unveiled the Ferrari FXX K, that will be part of a future pack also on PC, as well as the Ferrari 488 GTB, a real pleasure to drive.

RD: It looks to me like AC is quickly becoming the modding platform of choice with some outstanding community additions in recent times, such as the Lamborghini Muira which has been adopted into the main core of the game as official content. How much involvement and support from the KS guys happens in the modding community?

MM: Thanks to the modding support of AC, some very talented modders already work directly with us on the production on official content: saying that, while we continue to support the modding community improving those features and tools they need to create their own content, we prefer to take care personally about all the official cars and tracks included in AC.

RD: Rumour has it that the exclusive Porsche licence comes up for renewal soon, any chance of seeing some of the German sports and racing cars in future DLC for AC? Have you already spoken to Porsche about this possibility?

MM: Rumours can be troublesome, and our plans already confirmed for 2016 will take us very busy even without Porsche.

RD: While still discussing content, it appears that classic additions are always popular in AC and other titles. I’d personally like to take this opportunity to bend your ear and find out if we can expect to see more cars to be added to the classic GT and touring car classes? I’m thinking such things as 90s DTM, 60s/70s touring cars, 90s GT, Group C, etc.

MM: This kind of cars is the most complicated to reproduce, because of the lack of CAD and references, as well as technical data. However, we'll continue to work on classic content, even if they can't have the priority on new ones.

RD: In our recent ‘Sim Racing: Looking back on 2015’ poll AC has received over double the number of votes to its nearest rival for most impressive progression during the previous year. That must make you guys proud of how things are going and shows you must be on the right tracks with development of the title so far?

MM: There is always margin for improvement, we love our job, and having the possibility to express ourselves and our passion with Assetto Corsa it's a privilege for us, and it makes things “easier”. The enthusiasm we see around Assetto Corsa is important as well, and through the years we learned to filter the constructive criticisms by other sterile complains that aren't useful for anyone. For example, look at what some PC users said when we announced Assetto Corsa for PS4 and XB1, and look at what Assetto Corsa is at the end of 2015, on PC. And we are still improving it.

RD: Maintaining the subject of product pride, what do you consider to be your greatest / most proud achievement so far in the life of Assetto Corsa, and why?

MM: For me, the driving experience achieved in Assetto Corsa performing those licensed content, all done by an independent company with a core team of 10 people. In Italy... Personally, I couldn't be more proud.

RD: Almost finished now… so do you guys want to tell us anything else that we haven’t already covered so far in this interview? This is a chance to speak directly to our many thousands of readers here at RaceDepartment.com who follow with interest the development of Assetto Corsa.

MM: I would really like to thanks all the community and the gamers for your support. At the beginning Assetto Corsa was conceived to features less than 20 cars and 5 tracks. We worked really hard, and at our best, we think maybe we have done a good job (even if we are the first to never be satisfied) but the support of the community has been very, very important for the present and the future of Assetto Corsa and for the future of our company. So, thank you so-much.

RD: Well I will end this interview in the same way I always do… an unashamed attempt to secure a RaceDepartment exclusive piece of news! Anything you want to share with our many readers that isn’t already widely known in the sim community?

MM: Even if you probably heard already about them, I confirm that Ferrari FXX K and Ferrari 488 GTB will be licensed also for the Steam version of Assetto Corsa, and even if we are still working on those content, they are a blast.


Big thanks go out to Marco Massarutto, Stefano Casillo and Aristotelis Vasilakos from Kunos Simulazioni for generously giving their time to answer our questions here today. Please visit the Assetto Corsa section of RaceDepartment for all the latest news regarding this sim.

If you enjoy Assetto Corsa (or even if you have yet to sample its delights) don't forget to check out our Assetto Corsa Racing Club right here on RaceDepartment. You are sure to find a friendly atmosphere and great racing from the front to the back on the grid.

Assetto Corsa is available to buy now on the Steam platform for Windows PC and is coming soon to XBOX ONE and PS4.

Enjoyed the interview? Have something to say about anything that was discussed in this piece or just generally want to let your opinions on the game be known to the community? Well leave a comment below and enjoy the discussion!

 

[Amir Vodokotlic]

afaik they left of their own accord, it was a bit of a messy exit but we should respect their decision. They have pointed out a lot of issues which have been fixed well some of them at least and i imagine they are continuing to add things that are missing to improve the simulation of it.

As you said they are talented but the issue with talent is the perfectionist that comes with it, the problem with that is that the closer you get the more annoying it becomes when you encounter something or some odd value which prevents you from getting your intended result.

As a programmer ive seen a lot of people react in different ways to this sort of thing, some get angry, some get sad, some get anxiety or take their mind off it and tackle the problem with a clear head later on.

I understand where they come from and their emotions because ive been there but instead of raging i just watch anime while breathing heavily and then pm one of the devs and it works because damn near everything ive reported has been fixed

Not sure where you getting that from.

From the last few posts dev made won't say who (since clown from pretendcars will screenshot everything here) , made it suggest they could have down the line worked for Kunos if they behaved like normal people.

Kunos has hired a lot of talented people from ac community forum.

But anyways that post above from David says it all.
He messed up.

 

[muckymu]

I'm yet to see Kunos banning people for no reason.
Please provide screenshots and family statements to prc if you believe the opposite.

Thanks for the interview though, as a programmer, I can relate to the 90% left!

 

[Qazdar Karim]

Not sure where you getting that from.

From the last few posts dev made won't say who (since clown from pretendcars will screenshot everything here) , made it suggest they could have down the line worked for Kunos if they behaved like normal people.

Kunos has hired a lot of talented people from ac community forum.

But anyways that post above from David says it all.
He messed up.

If i wanted to be hired by Kunos, i would be me on forums committing intellectual suicide to defend the game's flaws, sadly some physics modders have chosen that path, and i feel sad for them... but they won't be hired, unless they are happy with low wages maybe, you can't just hire whenever you want.

But i can't do it, i can't stand seeing bull**** sold to people as the absolute truth and shut up. Also i can't just throw data or whatever i have publicly to prove obvious points, because first,one of the main selling points of this game was "real data mate" argument and second, data is not something you find/get easily and Kunos has never acknowledged modders' contribution to the game improvement, they always tell you "thanks to some new data we received, we have fixed that or that" (tell me more please)... but whenever i make some mod i fight against the engine to represent it so that people use it.

What annoys me more is that Kunos now has infected simracing world with arcade content and therefore lowered the average joe level with their propaganda about "how realism should be", and also the fact that simracing community embraced this game and supported it by buying more DLCs ... yes i'm butthurt, you got it.

 

[muckymu]

Mod edit: Not needed.

 

[Blimey]

Mod edit: Not needed.

what did that add to the conversation?

 

[Gergo Panker]

If i wanted to be hired by Kunos, i would be me on forums committing intellectual suicide to defend the game's flaws, sadly some physics modders have chosen that path, and i feel sad for them... but they won't be hired, unless they are happy with low wages maybe, you can't just hire whenever you want.

But i can't do it, i can't stand seeing bull**** sold to people as the absolute truth and shut up. Also i can't just throw data or whatever i have publicly to prove obvious points, because first,one of the main selling points of this game was "real data mate" argument and second, data is not something you find/get easily and Kunos has never acknowledged modders' contribution to the game improvement, they always tell you "thanks to some new data we received, we have fixed that or that" (tell me more please)... but whenever i make some mod i fight against the engine to represent it so that people use it.

What annoys me more is that Kunos now has infected simracing world with arcade content and therefore lowered the average joe level with their propaganda about "how realism should be", and also the fact that simracing community embraced this game and supported it by buying more DLCs ... yes i'm butthurt, you got it.

In addition you are also very wrong.

You keep mixing it up, finding issues and bugs never ever bothered any of the devs, in fact they follow the discussions on various platforms a lot more closely than people would think, and it's sad to see some of the people who in various ways, directly or indirectly, have greatly contributed to the game either via modded content or by pushing the devs, but who also cannot overcome the fact that it is not a sandbox that's being shaped and developed for their requirements. And yes, these people have or would have had every chance to be involved if they continue to be constructive and less of a sour grape.

 

[muckymu]

Sorry about the swearing...

 

[Chris]

Alright guys, well that was fun but if it keeps up any longer those that choose to continue behaving the way they currently are will find themselves banned from replying to this thread.

By all means, share your opinions, but keep it friendly.

 

[Qazdar Karim]

Alright guys, well that was fun but if it keeps up any longer those that choose to continue behaving the way they currently are will find themselves banned from replying to this thread.

By all means, share your opinions, but keep it friendly.

Please, tell me that i'm within the forums rules (i guess i am), i don't want to press F5 and find myself banned without a warning, like on some forums

 

[Chris]

Consider post #68 your collective official warning.

 

[Chris]

I won't.
It s not my fight.
But can you even so think you may have crossed the line with your "expertise" at some point?

Again, you've just admitted to breaking our forum rules.
If you're going to accuse someone of something, then please bring some facts to the table. Spreading falsities is not permitted mate.

 

[Austin Ogonoski]

I don't like the word "scam", even when it comes to something like pCars where I'm sure somebody could actually sit down and build a valid case in regards to that title if they were bored enough. Scams imply there was malicious intent from day one. Now realistically, Kunos did not sit down and develop this cunning plan on how to screw over the sim racing community.

Have they mishandled the growth of the title to a worrying extent? Yes.

Lots of damage control when they've been discovered cutting corners, lots of forum wars among fans and developers alike, lots of DLC, lots of paid reviews/news articles, and suddenly a console version to shift attention away from the hardcore PC crowd that helped the game become successful in the first place. Just a lot of blown calls, really.

 

[Radu Oros]

Qazdar and Austin say that Kunos should make a more complete/polished game, like console games usually are. But then you complain when Kunos is actually following the route of shaping up a game to be console-ready, where the PC version will consequently benefit. I don't know if we're gonna get the same menus and career on pc, but they're updating the track graphics, making more content, updating physics issues, fixing general game issues. And this is for both platforms. About what new features for single/mp I don't know, except the pitstops for offline racing.

 

[Stereo]

I'm looking forward to the 'prominent modder has huge meltdown' article on a certain website too.

 

[David Dominguez]

Instead of using physics bugs and report forum.

You go into another thread in main forum that has nothing to do with bugs to point out that front suspension ride height of lotus exos is 60mm. Which dev explained is not.

But as usual its all about you.

No, I didn't do that. Get your facts right, then we can discuss.

 

[mister dog]

Reading up on the forums tonight, it's one big soap opera again

Maybe it would be better if less time is spend chasing the endless pursuit of 'realism', and understand no game will ever be a true simulation. Maybe then all of us would just enjoy playing the game and appreciate it for what it does bring to the table.

 

[Chris]

Thread cleaned. Off topic posts removed and reply bans given out. Please see post #68 & #70.

 

[burrito]

It's sad that it takes this kind of sacrifice to get a developer to notice and act on an issue. Posting a physics thread is nigh on useless.

Camber is still broken after an attempted fix. 2 major updates since the positive camber 'fix'. See the thread on ac forums in physics bugs and issues section and yet not one word about it.

And yet if enough fuss is made in a chit chat forum thread (the place that is not for physics discussions according to kunos themselves) about how cars are too easy to save and then a dev will respond and take action for the next patch.

A sad state of affairs that it takes that kind of behaviour to get a dev to reply to a legitimate issue.

 

[Stereo]

It's sad that it takes this kind of sacrifice to get a developer to notice and act on an issue. Posting a physics thread is nigh on useless.

The sacrifice was fruitless, there's no ride height change incoming... cause it wasn't a bug. It's nice if they feel like martyrs though.

 

[burrito]

Ignoring my examples ok