PC2 Project CARS 2 Update 4 Released!

[Paul Jeffrey]

Slightly Mad Studios have released a massive new update for Project CARS 2 on PC, with console to follow in the very near future.

So big is the new update changelog I've had to span it over 2 posts to ensure I don't break the 2500 world limit for a post! So with a premium on the number of words I've got left, I'll just skip right along to the change log below:

PC

• Solved link to Facebook page when user selects the Facebook option on the Extras tab whilst Microsoft Edge is set as default browser on PC.
  
• Corrected multiple options in Photo Mode not being reflected when playing in VR.
  
• Solved VR flicker.
  
• Dedicated Server: corrected session duration automatically changing to 140 minutes when the player sets the time to more than 140 minutes.
  
• Dedicated Server: improved client and server code that uses older net API, allowing for more reliable connections.
  
• Changed the default drawing distance when playing in VR to minimize intermittent texture flickering.
  
• Improvements to droplets on camera in both VR and non-VR.
  
• Corrected an issue in VR where driving lines would disappear if camera view was changed during race.
  
• Solved an issue where Dedicated Server lobby weather conditions would always display as ‘clear’.
  
• Corrected an issue where Dedicated Server lobby vehicle images weren’t updated correctly during multiclass selection.
  
• Corrected an issue in post-race results where the mouse would not switch between the Driver List and footer menu.
  
• Improved an Online Lobby issue where players were able to select a vehicle before info was fully set.
  
• Refined incorrect message 'Multiple inputs were detected. No action was assigned' when player presses Esc key and message 'Please assign a new configuration' is displayed.
  
• Polished the missing background for ‘return to position’ messages in VR.
  
• Stability improvement for when a user would join an in-progress session.
  
• Corrected AI behaving erratically leading to a crash to desktop.
  
• Corrected an issue in VR handling two screen systems to ensure that they are both treated separately, allowing either to be the default.
  
• Resolved a save fail if ‘my documents’ folder is set to a network location.

User Interface

• Corrected an inconsistency between info on the Track Select screen and the Loading screen.
  
• Refined the Online Browser filter not closing properly.
  
• Fixed the Password Protected Lobby icon that was missing on the Lobby Details screen.
  
• Improvements to Career Dashboard Standings UI.
  
• Corrected some display unit values not changing when switching between metric and imperial units.
  
• Stability improvement where the game would become unresponsive when attempting to save a setup with no description.
  
• Solved incorrect message when entering an invalid password.
  
• Solved Career nationality not defaulting to console / Steam user's location.
  
• Improved Session and Race settings not updating in Online Championship rounds if the user applies a Motorsport Preset, thereby adding a round to the schedule.
  
• Corrected options under Realism Settings in Online Lobbies not displaying correctly and being inaccessible to Host after accessing the Realism Settings from the Online Lobby.
  
• Added name of tyres on the car within the pre-race menu.
  
• Improved language translations throughout the game.
  
• Added message for when ‘ghosts’ and times are not uploaded due to invalid car-and-track combinations.
  
• Resolved 'Pedal Type' and 'Calibrate Wheel' disappearing if the user clicks on the scroll bar of the Control Scheme from the Pause screen.
  
• Fixed 'Rules & Regulations' and 'Esports' settings being altered if user selected 'Reset to Default' in the 'Realism Settings'.
  
• Solved car classes disappearing in Vehicle Select screen of Online Lobbies when changing vehicles in multiclass lobbies.
  
• Resolved changes of Helmet Camera settings not saving properly via the Pause Menu Options.
  
• Corrected setup descriptions not fully appearing if too long.
  
• Removed green screen appearing for a second when skipping the Career path intro movie.
  
• Removed a copy of the 'Won Group A Pan-America Championship' accolade.
  
• Fix for an issue where the pit strategies full message would not appear when trying to save a pit strategy with no available slots.
  
• Fixed the 'Edit Driver' screen overlapping the Showroom when in Vehicle Select of Online Championships.
  
• Added a notification for the lobby admin/host when a player rejects Director or Broadcaster roles.
  
• Polished a mismatch of results on Sessions Result screen and Retire screen.
  
• Adjusted location of important penalty messages on the HUD, and enabled them even when the HUD is Off.
  
• Corrected long team names not appearing correctly in Online Championships.
  
• Fix for correctly displaying the finishing status of players and AI that do not finish the race or retire early.
  
• Resolved opponent cars flicking if they retire from an Online Championship on the Pre-Race screen.
  
• Corrected an issue where user was unable to see which setup was being selected in Tuning Setups with HDR Enabled.
  
• Refined Online Championships showing previously-assigned team names in new sessions .
  
• Improved progress bars in Pedal Calibration to more accurately represent pedal input.
  
• Corrected overlapping text issue in Pit Strategy.
  
• Corrected image for Fanatec Porsche GT3 RS wheel in Controller Settings.
  
• Resolved lobby details not showing all classes in multiclass Dedicated Server lobbies.
  
• Added help text for Menu Spring Strength.
  
• Removed Damper Saturation option.
  
• Corrected an issue where changing track would not remove invalid weather.
  
• Improved an issue where the game would only allow for 250 laps when the player set more than 250 laps in Race Settings.
  
• Resolved debug text appearing in S1, S2, and S3 columns of the In-Progress screen when the player selects 'Retire and Spectate'.
  
• Refined the pit stop time being estimated incorrectly when setting 'Change Tyres' to 'Recommended' on certain cars.
  
• Fixed Manufacturer Events showing incorrect progress for unlocked manufacturers when creating a new career.
  
• Fixed the number of pit stops not being displayed correctly in Post-Race Results screen.
  
• Resolved the Player not being able to determine their grid position when using the IndyCar Motorsport Preset.
  
• Fixed conversion when displaying rev limit in tuning setups.
  
• Corrected the 'Restart Session' button being highlighted by default instead of 'Continue' on Session Results screens.
  
• Corrected pit stop progress information not showing in the pit stop cinematic cameras when entering the pits in the telemetry HUD.
  
• Changed Rear View Mirror to disable dynamic scaling.
  
• Enabled Enhanced Mirror when 'Enhanced Visuals' option is selected.
  
• Resolved incorrect ordering after altering the Standings in Online Championships.
  
• Added active Motorsport Presets to View Info and Edit screens in Online Championships.
  
• Resolved changes not being reflected when re-editing a Created Event.
  
• Corrected an issue where the game would incorrectly round up player's time on HUD and Results screen.
  
• Fixed an issue where player would sustain damage in the pit lane, but it would not appear on the HUD damage element.
  
• Corrected an issue where no data would be displayed when loading a default setup after previously overwriting it.
  
• Resolved 4th position missing in Standings Panel when on the grid during countdown sequence.
  
• Resolved 'Create New Pit Strategy' option remaining enabled when all pit strategy slots were filled.
  
• Fix for Team tab being disabled on Round Results screen of Online Championship.
  
• Corrected Status/Session info in Replays not correctly updating when switching drivers.
  
• Fixed Director and Broadcaster screens not showing all participants data in Online Championships.
  
• Fixed the Circuit of the Americas National circuit appearing when Daytona International Speedway Tri-Oval was selected in Online Championships.
  
• Added a central cockpit camera to cars and the options screen.
  
• Stability improvement when a player selected the 'Compare Driver Network Profile' option from Team Roster of Online Championships, after adding a Director or Broadcaster.
  
• Corrected an issue where Online Lobbies were not sorted in lobby browser when a player altered the sort order of a certain column more than twice.
  
• Resolved the player not being able to access Driver Network Profile on Livery Select screen of Invitational Events.
  
• Removed the 'Edit' option in Online Championships Lobby for options that cannot be edited.
  
• Improved the bars in the Competitive Racing License history chart to make them visible at lower values.
  
• Refined an issue where Rounds in Online Championships Schedule were selectable after they had been completed.
  
• Adjusted overlapping Online Championship names when text is extremely long.
  
• Improved lighting to some objects in car thumbnails.
  
• Polished the Current Session information being displayed on the Pre-Session screen in Online Championships.
  
• Corrected Tuning setups saving issues.
  
• Resolved an issue in Online Championships where class-wide results would fail to display under certain circumstances.
  
• Improved the menu flow in Online Championships to prevent accidental return to Main Menu when pressing the back button during countdown on lobby screen.
  
• Added lobby filtering for Competitive Racing License.
  
• Adjusted an issue where, in Russian, the capital K and Y letters were showing as lower case in the driver profile.
  
• Corrected an issue where the track UI wasn’t updating for the client if the host selected a new track in the Online Lobby.
  
• Corrected an issue where an incorrect detailed view of a car would be shown in Vehicle Select.
  
• Solved an issue where multiple DLC invitation pop-ups were triggered after creating a new career.
  
• Corrected an issue where the player is unable to change the number of laps within a lobby screen.

Cars

• Audi R8 LMS, and R8 LMS 24H: improved LOD popping issue at the rear of the cars.
  
• Mazda Radbull: fixed backfires not being visible from the cockpit.
  
• Honda 2&4: corrected glass HUD blurring with road behind the glass.
  
• Improved steering animations for Honda 2&4 and Radical SR3 when using a gamepad.

Tracks

• Bannochbrae: fixed collision issues in the pit lane / pit area with larger sized cars.
  
• Catalunya Club: corrected cinematic cameras remaining active when restarting a concluded session.
  
• Catalunya Rallycross: removed Joker Lap exploit.
  
• Donington Park: adjusted pit crew positions.
  
• Dubai Autodrome Club: corrected incorrect track length.
  
• Hell Rallycross: improved tree walls and outer terrain LOD distance.
  
• Indianapolis: changed the position of pit exit-line objects, and resolved an issue where the car could avoid the pit-out trigger.
  
• Knockhill: reduced garage depth to fix the AI hitting the kerb and marshal-box exiting pit garages.
  
• Lydden Hill: fixed a hole in collision mesh that caused players to lose control when hitting a dip in the road.
  
• Monza Oval: turned off oval flag. This disables the oval setup being applied, as track direction is opposite to the other ovals in the game.
  
• Spa Francorchamps: polished the pits to stop rain and snow falling in garages.
  
• Texas Motor Speedway: resolved player receiving insufficient progress notification while leaving the pits.
  
• Resolved issue where, after race is restarted, advertisement boards failed to disappear and remained on-track after being knocked about.
  
• Updated pit crew animations for tracks with left-hand-sided pit stop fueling.

Handling

• Added a new Opposite Lock Assist for gamepads and keyboards. This is designed to help the player control oversteer and slides, and can be toggled On or Off in the Gameplay screen in Options.
  
• Fixed incorrect altitude of many tracks for better balance of performance between turbo and naturally-aspirated cars.
  
• BMW 1M: Improved FFB scale.
  
• Dallara IR-15 Oval: increased FFB multiplier and fixed the FFB feeling very light, default gamepad setup changed to a differential which removes the left pull due to tyre stagger, revised tyre rubber for ovals when cold, and lowered rolling resistance of oval tyres.
  
• Ferrari 333SP: small balance of performance changes to fit with other
• LMP900 cars. Fixed final drive ratios and improved AI gear usage.
  
• Ford Escorts: raised and moved back chase camera position to help with high FOV settings.
  
• Ford Falcon V8SC: shifted aero drag balance rearward, fixed rear wing yaw effect, re-balanced adhesive and ‘rip grip’ for slick tyre compounds.
  
• Ford Fusion Stockcar: new Road Course tyre that now has a stiffer carcass and wider adhesive peak. Adjusted the AI tyres to match.
  
• Ford Mustang RTR Formula Drift: improvement to cars’ handling based on Vaughn Gitten Jr.'s feedback.
  
• Ford Sierra Group A: moved the launch RPM higher to help the AI on race starts.
  
• Formula A: reduced fuel tank capacity to a more reasonable level.
  
• Formula C and Formula R: revised tyres, engine braking, and damper setup for better stability and easier driveability. Revised Stable setups.
• Adjusted FFB for changes to tyres. Fixed rain tyre being faster than the slick.
  
• Formula Cars: decreased sensitivity to aero and suspension damage.
  
• Ginetta G40: Tuned for better control after large impacts and jump landings. Rebalanced side aero forces and tyre carcass bump-rebound damping.
  
• Lamborghini Huracan GT3: slight drag decrease to hit known top speeds with low rear wing.
  
• Lamborghini Sesto Elemento: increased FFB strength (previously too low).
  
• Ligier Judd LMP2 and RWD P20: better engine cooling adjustments after HP changes.
  
• LMP2 cars: gave approx’ 50hp power increase to get them closer to real-world lap times, and adjusted radiator sizes to suit.
  
• Lotus 38 and Lotus 56: increased speed on ovals.
  
• Mercedes AMG GT3 and SLS GT3: default wings changed for AI cars to obtain better speed balance at low downforce tracks.
  
• Nissan GTR GT3: small increase in power to 525hp.
  
• OMSE RX Lites: increased FFB multiplier and shifted aero drag toward the centre.
  
• Porsche 911 GT3 R: revised suspension geometry and setup from new reference material. Re-calculated chassis moments of inertia.
  
• Toyota GT-One 1999: small balance of performance changes to fit correctly with LMP900 cars.
  
• IndyCar & Ford Fusion: increased AI tyre wear to better match player on ovals, making pitting and strategy similar.
  
• Improved AI tyres for Ford MKIV, Lotus 40, Ferrari 365 GTB Competizione, and Mercedes-Benz 300 SL AMG
  
• Group C and IMSA GTP: increased engine rotational inertia, new tyre carcass, and re-balance of adhesive vs ‘rip grip’. Bump Stop lengths also reviewed, as was lift:drag ratio on all cars. Fuel consumptions also addressed.
  
• Group C cars: adjusted FFB for latest changes to tyres. Fixed rain tyre being faster than the slick.
  
• GT3 Soft Slicks: tweaks to temperature operating window to broaden their range, mainly fixing their poor performance in cold conditions.
  
• Small HP balance adjustments to Bentley, Cadillac ATS, and Ferrari GT3 cars.
  
• Added 5 litres to fuel capacity to Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3, Porsche 911 GT3, and BMW Z4 GT3. This ensures they can do a 90-minute race/fuel-run with the rest of the GT3 cars.
  
• GTE Class: improved the rolling resistance of AI tyres to better match player speeds.
  
• Fine-tuned fuel estimates for LMP1, GT3, GT4, and turbo cars.
  
• Rallycross: improved adhesive vs ‘rip grip’ to help stability of slides on RX tyres.
  
• Altered side- and push-drafting.
  
• Reduced drag penalty associated with aero damage, and also adjusted thresholds for AI to pit.
  
• Corrected differing amounts of fuel between players in Fixed Setup races.
  Shifted the aero drag centre towards the rear on a number of cars, fixing rear wing yaw effect.
  
• Adjustments made to reduce in-air negative tilt of some vehicles.
  
• Reduced the speed of slick tyres in the rain.
  
• Increased rain tyre heating for player cars.
  
• Reduced heating on touring car rain tyres.
  
• Reduced base wear on slick-based rain tyres.
  Fixed issue that de-calibrated wear on some tyres

 

[Copef1]

Maybe you could of just read all of my comments & that one would have made more sense?
Quality compared to the rest of what's out there in regards to FFB, spend 80% of my time fiddling with FFB from car to car for content i have paid for is not something i have experienced in any of the sims i have played. I don't know how many times i have to repeat that. But don't worry i will not be discussing further. You will just insist that i'm biased no matter what i say. And why throw the silly slight in at the end? Like you need to diss me because i citisized your favorite sim, seriously get over it.

Yeah, we know, you don't like the ffb, or think its broken, or whatever. You have said it ad nauseam. As for my favorite sim, right now its probably raceroom. Its gotten pretty good over that last couple years.

 

[Magus]

My race hours are; rF2=741*, AC=375, PC2=142, R3E=72, AMS*=16 (*not an accurate depiction of play time as games were played thoroughly prior to coming on to Steam and as for AMS, it was called GSC on Steam for a while where hours were not carried over).

From that, I can say I personally I enjoy the physics and FFB of Rf2 over the other games I play. I think PC2 as a racing game is better than rF2, as a race simulator, I think rF2 is better than PC2. In fact I think PC2 is the best racing game I own (when it works). In AC I love doing the challenges, I think the VR is great, and with LUT/FFB Clip I can create an enjoyable FFB experience (yet simvibe output is a little off, or maybe just my bad tuning), however I find the career and racing (AI) stale and boring in AC. In R3E, I enjoy doing the competitions but find the VR experience sub-par and makes having races with AI not enjoyable. AMS I miss out now due to no VR implementation, so I have not played for over a year (with regret) as my set up no longer allows me to race non VR games on my rig (due to having no monitors).

In PC2 I am using a CSW2.5 along with Jack Spade's latest custom stan lo comp DD SopDiff file, adjusting Volume/Tone per car according to his suggestions, along with steering ratio where applicable.

The pros of this latest patch are no more flashes in my VR headset, smoother VR experience (although sporadically experiencing some short pauses/stutters but I think may be an issue at my end), better AI, & setups saving. I started out with the BMW 320 TC in the career doing a mixed race alongside GT3 cars. Loved every moment of it. Car adjustments were simple to do with set ups saving unlike before, the races were close and the car felt alive, responsive, and fun. The FFB along with the feedback from simvibe for the shakers really does make it a great experience for me.

The con and what makes PC2 so frustrating, it goes from being great to being really poor in a single race & I feel like I have to wait another 2/3 months for patch 5 in the hope that the wet racing with AI gets addressed. On release, once it rained, you could lap so much faster than AI on wet tires. Now when it rains mid-race and the AI are not effected but yet programmed to pit after a certain amount of time/rain, you have to pit straight away as the car becomes uncontrollable. I'm doing the endurance series now and races are set for 1 hour. Very frustrating to learn this AI exploit after 20mins of racing. Being 1st in the class & thinking you can do one more lap as the AI behind is not pitting, then realise you can't & ask to pit & be authorised to pit and then be told the pit lane is full once you get round, force to go another lap to then end up against the wall or sand trap, yet the AI cars seem to be driving with comfort (without having pitted yet). I've reset this race to try again and maybe pit at the 1st sight of rain and see how the AI plays. I may be wrong about the AI's advantages in the rain, but something definitely was not right in that race, unless they started on wet tires (?), I may try that.

I realise that all games have issues, in fact rF2 has AI issues in rain and under yellow, but what makes it worse for me in PC2 is that I solely 'rely' & purchased it for my 'race-game-career' fix & when it doesn't work it makes it redundant. I'm not sure how MP is recently as I gave up on it early, but the leaderboards are a bit crap for me as I don't have the licence rating (due to lack of MP experience) to do most of the challenges when they have the restricted entry. And if I just want to do a race weekend, then my choice is rF2 for that.

The reason I purchased PC2 was for a racing game with a career to play in VR. I wasn't expecting the most advanced tire model and physics, but am left impressed with what they have delivered. After PC, I was hoping for better FFB, now with JS file, it is better than I expected. The VR experience was initially poor, but now is much better with patch 4. So credit to SMS where credit is due.

Just for my personal needs, PC2 falls short & it's frustrating, as it is a case of 'so close but yet so far'.

 

[MarkR]

I'm enjoying update 4 as there have been some big improvements to the AI behaviour and the aggression slider helps create satisfying racing. I'm in the "it's a great time to be a racing gamer club" and enjoy many of the current games for what they are, none are perfect and all have the ability to produce thrilling moments. I don't expect to change anyone's mind as many are already made up. PCARS2 has improved and is now level with best aspects of many other games and leading the way in others for me at least.

I like the way the AI now overtake with confidence especially in multi class racing but they also race well in the same class too.

Here is some footage riding onboard with the AI from 12 lap GT4, GTE, LMP2, LMP1 race at Daytona Road Course. Previously in V3 the AI were reluctant to overtake at all even on the wide banked sections but this has now been fixed. The AI still make some odd overtaking decisions but they are much improved overall, they certainly feel like racing other humans in many scenarios and they can do the same in wet and time cycle conditions.

The AI also make more and more realistic mistakes too as at 2m in the video below, they are also able to recover quickly and continue in the race where previously they would sometimes retire.

Where Project CARS 2 leads the way, for me, is in the quality of the VR image on Oculus Rift, with the super sampling turned all the way up to 2.0 the image is sharp and clear close up, with excellent draw distance, feeling of depth in the distance and utterly stable framerate regardless of conditions using the 45fps and ASW. It is by far the best I've seen in any racing game and as far as I'm concerned the best VR game so far in any genre, it all works from inside the headset too which is a bonus.

I can understand why people are still upset with SMS, the early days of Project CARS were not pretty and that lives long in the memory. I'm equally frustrated by the constant over promising and failure to deliver of Kunos with the console versions of AC so the frustrations run deep I get that. Project CARS 2 and the quality of the updates is quite a different story this time around though with good quality feedback on progress from the developers.

Project CARS 2 captures the spirit of endurance racing with its weather and time challenges best imo. It is my go to game for great VR based multiclass longer races in variable conditions and it can produce some thrilling moments which is surely what these games are all about.

 

[thepharcyde]

I'm enjoying update 4 as there have been some big improvements to the AI behaviour and the aggression slider helps create satisfying racing. I'm in the "it's a great time to be a racing gamer club" and enjoy many of the current games for what they are, none are perfect and all have the ability to produce thrilling moments. I don't expect to change anyone's mind as many are already made up. PCARS2 has improved and is now level with best aspects of many other games and leading the way in others for me at least.

I like the way the AI now overtake with confidence especially in multi class racing but they also race well in the same class too.

Here is some footage riding onboard with the AI from 12 lap GT4, GTE, LMP2, LMP1 race at Daytona Road Course. Previously in V3 the AI were reluctant to overtake at all even on the wide banked sections but this has now been fixed. The AI still make some odd overtaking decisions but they are much improved overall, they certainly feel like racing other humans in many scenarios and they can do the same in wet and time cycle conditions.

The AI also make more and more realistic mistakes too as at 2m in the video below, they are also able to recover quickly and continue in the race where previously they would sometimes retire.

Where Project CARS 2 leads the way, for me, is in the quality of the VR image on Oculus Rift, with the super sampling turned all the way up to 2.0 the image is sharp and clear close up, with excellent draw distance, feeling of depth in the distance and utterly stable framerate regardless of conditions using the 45fps and ASW. It is by far the best I've seen in any racing game and as far as I'm concerned the best VR game so far in any genre, it all works from inside the headset too which is a bonus.

I can understand why people are still upset with SMS, the early days of Project CARS were not pretty and that lives long in the memory. I'm equally frustrated by the constant over promising and failure to deliver of Kunos with the console versions of AC so the frustrations run deep I get that. Project CARS 2 and the quality of the updates is quite a different story this time around though with good quality feedback on progress from the developers.

Project CARS 2 captures the spirit of endurance racing with its weather and time challenges best imo. It is my go to game for great VR based multiclass longer races in variable conditions and it can produce some thrilling moments which is surely what these games are all about.

Are you playing with a controller

 

[MarkR]

Are you playing with a controller

Nope, TX458 wheel. In the first video that is the AI driving, I was just along for the ride in VR to show overtaking from their perspective, so the steering inputs might look a little odd. You can see me using the wheel in the smaller picture in picture image bottom left from about 3m in and in the other video.

 

[2112]

I don't see the problem with FFB in the game. Perhaps it is because I use a G27? To me it feels pretty good.

I hear what a previous poster said about the bite of the rear tires, I have seen the same but it may be due to TC. When I am in the Gp. 5 and Gp. C cars, along with some of the others, I have experienced many instances where if you do not modulate the throttle, or stomp on it upon exit, you will loop the car. Quite easily.

Could someone explain what the issue is with the Nissan GTP-X? I have heard, from day one, that it is overpowered. This is, mostly, by younger people I race with. From what I remember, (back when dinosaurs ruled the earth and the GTP-X raced in real life), the only car that beat the GTP-X was the Gurney Toyota IMSA GTP cars. Despite what many have heard it was not just the Gurney Toyota's that killed IMSA, it started with the GTP-X. That car was so good, so aerodynamically ahead of any Gp. C car, that when the European teams came over for a "friendly" race, the Nissans would stomp them into the dirt. That car was not overwhelmingly fast but it cornered like a slot car. Once Nissan figured out that they had to run the rear toe at +8 it was unbeatable until the Gurney cars came along.

Gotta remember that the Gurney cars were not really straight-line fast, they were probably not faster than the Nissan's, they just cornered light-years better and were able to carry a lot more speed into and out of corners than even the Nissan.

I, personally, like R3E and AMS better than PC2 but on-line for both of those is severely lacking for a player from the west coast of the good ole' USA. No one on either sim unless it is in the R3E free public servers.

While I agree that PC2 has issues (and more have seemed to crop up with this latest patch, to be honest), the on-line presence is much better for me. Do I want improvement? Yeah, I do. Am I going to run out and buy PC3 when it comes out?

...

Yeah, probably, if iRacing is the only option for on-line competition every night. Then, yes, I will buy it, warts and all.

I look at it as having a choice of renting cars and tracks for a price I am hesitant to pay, playing sims with a small on-line presence (AC, RF2, AMS, R3E with each having its own issues) or playing a sim with issues but a much better on-line presence.

 

[eyewants]

Oh my God!!! I cannot get any of my car setups to stick. I am 9 seconds behind with an AI at 90. My LMP2 won't stick. It just slides off until I am slow enough through the turn. I've tried max downforce, fiddled with bound and rebound, sway bars, tire pressures. I spend 2 hours a night just to get the car around the track but I'm so far behind. What happened? I load R3E and I'm playing without a setup, without fixing FFB and having fun in just minutes. If you can help, I won't have to put this game down and play something else but its so frustrating!!!!

 

[thepharcyde]

Oh my God!!! I cannot get any of my car setups to stick. I am 9 seconds behind with an AI at 90. My LMP2 won't stick. It just slides off until I am slow enough through the turn. I've tried max downforce, fiddled with bound and rebound, sway bars, tire pressures. I spend 2 hours a night just to get the car around the track but I'm so far behind. What happened? I load R3E and I'm playing without a setup, without fixing FFB and having fun in just minutes. If you can help, I won't have to put this game down and play something else but its so frustrating!!!!

RRE is more forgiving, maybe too much. TC does not seem to have any effect.

 

[cpt_gandy]

Oh my God!!! I cannot get any of my car setups to stick. I am 9 seconds behind with an AI at 90. My LMP2 won't stick. It just slides off until I am slow enough through the turn. I've tried max downforce, fiddled with bound and rebound, sway bars, tire pressures. I spend 2 hours a night just to get the car around the track but I'm so far behind. What happened? I load R3E and I'm playing without a setup, without fixing FFB and having fun in just minutes. If you can help, I won't have to put this game down and play something else but its so frustrating!!!!

Can i ask what LMP2 car and the track aswell as season/track date you was racing on as track temps play a major part in tire grip.

 

[2112]

Oh my God!!! I cannot get any of my car setups to stick. I am 9 seconds behind with an AI at 90. My LMP2 won't stick. It just slides off until I am slow enough through the turn. I've tried max downforce, fiddled with bound and rebound, sway bars, tire pressures. I spend 2 hours a night just to get the car around the track but I'm so far behind. What happened? I load R3E and I'm playing without a setup, without fixing FFB and having fun in just minutes. If you can help, I won't have to put this game down and play something else but its so frustrating!!!!

Start with the "Stable" set-up. This is the best set-up for most of us to start with.

Lower the car in the front to 45mm ride height and lower the rear to between 55-65 mm depending on if you want more aero or not.

Set front springs to about 145 (imperial) and the rears slightly below or above the fronts.

Set front anti-roll to about 145 lbs and rears to just above or below that figure.

I prefer my rear not to sway around too much so I set rear anti-roll higher than I have recommended to you. I also set my rear springs to a setting that is equal to or more than the front springs. This is because with the weight of the engine to the rear, the rear will get sloppy with a loose set-up from the weight "slopping" around like water in a bucket when the weight shifts while cornering or going over bumps. This is more of a personal preference that seems to work for me.


Aero is tricky depending upon the track. I think "Stable" is set at 8 front and 14 or 16 rear. This is high DF but if you are on a twisty track this should work for you.

I prefer TC at low as it does not allow the engine to bog down too much over kerbs. Set this to preference.

Drop front bump stops to 15 and put rears at 25. Lower front slow bump two clicks.

Brake ducts should be open enough to allow for cooling but closed enough to allow the brakes to help heat the tires to race temps. Be careful with this because if you close the ducts too much with low tire pressures you will cook the tires. If you open them up too much the brakes will never develop enough heat to work properly.

Set brake bias to 52-48. Any more than that in the front will cause the fronts to lock easier.

I do not know how you are driving but it sounds as if you are entering the corners at far higher speeds than you should. Remember that you cannot brake mere yards away from the turn, these cars do not have ABS, you have to get on the binders sooner.

Use the tranny to help slow the car in the straights, don't rely upon just the brakes or you will overshoot every time. Set the engine braking to help slow, but not so much you swap ends while braking. I prefer a heavier engine braking setting as I use downshifts to get the rear around on tight corners, but this is a practiced technique.

Dunno how much more I can add unless you give more info.

 

[Msportdan]

anyone try that gt4 ginetta invitational at cadwell ha. that group of car isn't suited to that track at all!

.....had to quit that event. hhmmm

Did a radical race at oulton started out wet all cars on wets, as the track got drier the bloody ai got faster on a dry track with wets>?!

Man this game is frustrating to say the least.!

 

[thepharcyde]

I did a 30 minute race against AI at Le Mans in the rain. I spun on standing water whilst the AI could plow through unaffected; last lap 2nd in my class the lead GT3 car entered the pits.
I mean how is this possible lol

If lap <=1 then
stay out
Else:
End if

That one's for free, please copy and paste and insert into the missing code

 

[Msportdan]

yeah it could be so good but so many issues let this down and turn it into a frustrating experience offline. Online? yeah its ok but mostly a crash fest.

 

[David Wright]

Did a radical race at oulton started out wet all cars on wets, as the track got drier the bloody ai got faster on a dry track with wets>?!

So you think as the track dries out you will get slower on wets? No. You will get quicker.

 

[Msportdan]

err.. i dont think so.. tyres over heats and they tend to slide even more..

watch 1:15 and maybe learn.

It does seem a majority (not all) of people playing PC2, doesnt understand motorsport!

 

[hotak]

You know, F1 tires are not exacly similar to other race tires.
Overheating doesn't happen immediatly when it stops to rain and the "dry line" takes a bit to become actually dry.
Also your video is on a 100% dry track on a sunny day, even the driver says "it's an extreme test", so why you try to make it as if that's the same as a drying track.
The "+16 seconds" figure is compared to slicks too, not to wet tires on wet track, so it's actually you not knowing what you say and not being able to understand what you watch.

 

[Msportdan]

No the track was literally dry, and the ai was not using any existing wet patches to cool their tyres they were racing on the total dry line!!. yet they were getting faster and faster.. With smaller races the transitions from wet to dry happen in 2-3 laps literally. I would/should of come in for slicks, but as the ai are sorta broken wth changing weather i stayed out, and the ai didn't pit..?! i wanted to see what happened! PC2 is frustratingly flawed in many ways if your going to use a sim defining technology, at least make sure the game works with it.

and...

f1 tyres dont work the same as any other tyre?! the principle is the same geez.

im fed up being told that the flaws in PC2 are realistic by people thinking this is the top sim in the industry ! SO please argue amongst yourselves.

 

[Ryan Robbins]

Does the game save your setups now when you make a change and go to test it? that is my biggest annoyance with this game. I have also seen my setups disappear completely even after I saved them

 

[David Wright]

f1 tyres dont work the same as any other tyre?! the principle is the same geez.

The tyres on my road car work fine in the wet, and grip best in the dry.

F1 has the luxury of intermediate tyres. The wets do not have to perform on a dry track. They can therefore make the wets using a very soft compound. There is no intermediate available for the Radical. The wet has to perform on a drying track.

The mistake I think SMS made was allowing accelerated weather. People run 10 lap races started fully wet and ending fully dry and then wonder why the AI can't cope.

 

[Emerson Meyer]

im fed up being told that the flaws in PC2 are realistic by people thinking this is the top sim in the industry ! SO please argue amongst yourselves.

Msportdan, I will give what you want...

PCars2 is the worst sim ever, period. YOU are right.

Happy? Now you can go to your favorite sim.