PC2 Sim Discussion Monday - Project CARS 2

[Paul Jeffrey]

First day back in the office for many this morning, what better way to pass the time than have a good discussion about the new Project CARS game?

Now the dust is beginning to settle around the recent release of Project CARS 2, we thought it a good time to look deeper into the game, driven by our community, and share our findings and impressions from the heavily hyped new racing title from Slightly Mad Studios.

Do you have some useful tips for getting the most from the sim? Found a magic setting to really unlock the FFB? Got a trick up your sleeve that helps bring sharper graphics for little FPS trade off? Or do you simply want to share your most / least favourite car and track combinations?

So long as it remains on topic, respectful and mature, we want to know your thoughts!

Mondays be like...

 

[ermo]

Still have to ask though Ermo, how come the AI have been released in this state? It's almost as if the testers (Q&A outsourced teams) completely missed or ignored these AI problems that many customers are complaining about. Surely it would have been better to delay release until the AI worked properly?

AIUI, there was a hard deadline agreed with the publisher that couldn't be extended for contractual reasons (FM7 and GT Sport both release this fall on consoles, so my guess is that this is partially a business driven decision).

And of course we saw the AI issues internally and reported them, but the lead time for console releases is longer than for PC releases, and there was a feature freeze/slush in place that unfortunately didn't allow the fixes to land in even the D1P on PC (and there was also scheduled vacations to contend with for the AI guys over the summer period as I recall).

All in all some fairly unfortunate circumstances, and my take is that we've had to put on a brave face and grit our teeth for release re. the known issues (non-critical issues that don't make pC2 crash, but "only" affects the gameplay experience negatively) while the QA process chugs along in the background to ensure that the fixes don't end up introducing regressions in unexpected places.

Not ideal, but it is what it is and judging is easy, while understanding requires more effort and insight. Right now we're seeing a lot of judging based on incorrect assumptions.

All I can say is that I get to see what the SMS devs are doing and I have a huge amount of respect for the effort and the expertise they have been/are putting into making pC2 the best it can be.

Which is also why I would never dream of dismissing the people behind - and the work going into - e.g. AC and AMS. Racing Sim development is HARD!

 

[Andy_J]

Thanks for the detailed answer @ermo

Not like some of the sarcastic and childish answers that some give here.

 

[Andy_J]

Then you would have been whining it didn't get released on time, so in the end it's the same result.

I was asking Ermo not you. I'm not whining though because I trying to to decide if it's worth buying for me personally (I probably will get it). There is always a SMS fanboy that has to jump in and try to insult isn't there? I was merely asking a question that many others have probably thought about. Little big man syndrome.

 

[Andy_J]

If you spend more than 15 Euros for a beer, you need to have your nouveau riche yuppie head examined, while you are petting your pompous white Persian squirrel.

I think everyone here including Ermo knew that my 15 euro remark was a bit of humour. You didn't have to jump in with personal insults did you? After all I haven't insulted you have I?

 

[ermo]

Thanks for the detailed answer @ermo

Not like some of the sarcastic and childish answers that some give here.

Your posting history tends to suggest that you have it in for SMS. It is sometimes difficult for me to discern when you're just trolling for a reaction as opposed to when you are being genuinely curious.

I was asking Ermo not you. I'm not whining though because I trying to to decide if it's worth buying for me personally (I probably will get it). There is always a SMS fanboy that has to jump in and try to insult isn't there? I was merely asking a question that many others have probably thought about. Little big man syndrome.

I'll stick to my previous recommendation here:

Try a known good track + car combo with a properly dialed in wheel before you buy. No point in basing your purchasing decision on bugs, rather than true potential.

If you already know that the post-release bug-fixing process is going to drive you up the wall, well ...

I think everyone here including Ermo knew that my 15 euro remark was a bit of humour. You didn't have to jump in with personal insults did you? After all I haven't insulted you have I?

I didn't actually (refer to my topmost reply). Good to know.

 

[Andy_J]

I didn't actually (refer to my topmost reply). Good to know.

Obviously a language/culture barrier thing then Ermo. It was humour.

Like I stated previously, for a representative of SMS, I do thank you for your civil answer. And I will take your advice but I am holding off my purchase until the bugs have been ironed out.

Cheers
Andy

 

[MarkR]

Patch just installed on my PC, here are the notes, AI fixes right at the top:

Patch 1.1.3 - Release Notes
AI:

• Various AI cornering and race line improvements across problematic tracks
  
• Improvements to AI balancing in snow and rain conditions
  
• First pass at improving simulated laptimes when skipping a non-race session

Setups:

• Fix for the long delay when entering setup screen

Car Tyres:

• Fix to ensure that the tyre treads are shown correctly after multiple tyre swaps
  MP games

Other:

• Fixed crash when using large Super Sampling values
  
• Fix for an intermittent crash caused by missing animated meshes
  
• Fix for lobby browsing and filtering that was preventing some users from joining

 

[Deleted member 99238]

Yesterday I tried to drive on an oval track. I chose the indycar set to an oval. I'm little familiar with this series of races, but nevertheless I was shocked by the tuning of the suspension when the steering wheel was pulled in the direction turns of the oval. I am very impressed.

 

[Skidmeister]

I was asking Ermo not you. I'm not whining though because I trying to to decide if it's worth buying for me personally (I probably will get it). There is always a SMS fanboy that has to jump in and try to insult isn't there? I was merely asking a question that many others have probably thought about. Little big man syndrome.

Sorry for speaking my mind in YOUR forum. When the same question gets asked 50 different ways, it's whining. Did not mean to insult you personally, and I never resorted to name calling you anything. Even though I could site several instances where you have resorted to that tactic yourself, but now choose to complain about that too. I may have made some general remarks as to the nature of no individual in particular, but if you feel those references were directed directly at you and the shoe fits, then feel free to lace that bitch up and wear it. FYI that particular question had been asked and answered several times in these forums, even by Mr. Bell himself.

 

[Skidmeister]

I think everyone here including Ermo knew that my 15 euro remark was a bit of humour. You didn't have to jump in with personal insults did you? After all I haven't insulted you have I?

So was mine, so why did you feel it was directed directly at you? Simply because you posted this earlier? Is it not as funny when you feel it is directed at your fragile ego? I simply made a joke about something you thought was funny.

I doubt it. He has your money now and he's sitting in his London penthouse stroking his white Persian cat. <laughs like Dr Evil>

 

[Andy_J]

Sorry

Apology accepted. And I don't need my nouveau riche yuppie head examining either. And I haven't got a pompous white squirrel. (see how they were directed at me?) And anything I direct at Mr Bell has nothing to do with you either, so no need to take that personally which some of you guys seem to do for some reason.

edit: and that bit about Mr Bell and his Dr Evil laugh was funny to me and of no harm to any one in reality.

 

[Emery]

Patch 1.1.3 - Release Notes
AI:

• Various AI cornering and race line improvements across problematic tracks
  
• Improvements to AI balancing in snow and rain conditions
  
• First pass at improving simulated laptimes when skipping a non-race session

Here's to hoping I owe ermo!

 

[vee10]

Patch just installed on my PC, here are the notes, AI fixes right at the top:

Patch 1.1.3 - Release Notes
AI:

• Various AI cornering and race line improvements across problematic tracks
  
• Improvements to AI balancing in snow and rain conditions
  
• First pass at improving simulated laptimes when skipping a non-race session

Setups:

• Fix for the long delay when entering setup screen

Car Tyres:

• Fix to ensure that the tyre treads are shown correctly after multiple tyre swaps
  MP games

Other:

• Fixed crash when using large Super Sampling values
  
• Fix for an intermittent crash caused by missing animated meshes
  
• Fix for lobby browsing and filtering that was preventing some users from joining

Please let this work!!!

 

[Kenny Paton]

Okay let's drag this back on topic lads

 

[Ryan Robbins]

Been SIM racing for years, I rarely play any other type of video game. I'm on PC with a T300. For me, this game is very good. It works pretty darn good out of the box. FF required some work to get right, but it is now good...and will get much better i believe. Graphics are excellent. I havent even touched weather yet.
I can't believe that anyone thinks it is too easy...without aids it is not at all easy. Nice job SMS. As someone mentioned, I believe this may be the goto SIM for.many.

 

[Martin Larsen]

Tried the new patch, and the skip to end bug seems to be fixed. But the AI is still really, really slow in the wet

 

[ermo]

Patch just installed on my PC, here are the notes, AI fixes right at the top:

Patch 1.1.3 - Release Notes
AI:

• Various AI cornering and race line improvements across problematic tracks
  
• Improvements to AI balancing in snow and rain conditions
  
• First pass at improving simulated laptimes when skipping a non-race session

Setups:

• Fix for the long delay when entering setup screen

Car Tyres:

• Fix to ensure that the tyre treads are shown correctly after multiple tyre swaps
  MP games

Other:

• Fixed crash when using large Super Sampling values
  
• Fix for an intermittent crash caused by missing animated meshes
  
• Fix for lobby browsing and filtering that was preventing some users from joining

Here's to hoping I owe ermo!

This is apparently a tiny PC-only interim patch. The real Patch 2 (v1.2.x?) will come to both PCs and consoles at a later stage. Don't yet know if it will include or supersede the stuff in 1.1.3 (1.1.2.0b866 was the small MP patch*).

Your choice if you want to count v1.1.3 as one patch out of two.

I only took the bet because I think it is patently unfair to suggest that SMS don't care about the AI or their customers' experience with pC2.

*: ... I think? I'd need to double check to be sure.

 

[MarkR]

Based on one quick race at Nurburgring GP, which was previously first corner chaos, I'm giving this patch a cautious thumbs up. Using identical Ginetta GT5 cars I deliberately started from the back so that I could see how the AI behaved, I used VR so that you can see more of the AI in action in the video.

Have the AI improved? Judge for yourself:

This turned out to be an entertaining little race, the last chicane on lap 3 gives a good indication of just how racy the AI can be. I thought I'd lined up the black car nicely but it turned out AI-Joe had other ideas!

I'll try some rain/snow later and see if that has also improved because at launch some of the special events in the wet/fog were as good as unplayable.

 

[MarkR]

The second part of the test, winter, dusk, wet track, single weather session of a storm. AI set to 120% Pro and 100% aggression. I used the GT4 Ginetta this time with a mixed GT4 class of cars.

It isn't perfect in the wet and the AI needs to be set high to be competitive, there is a queue at the first corner but nothing that stops or spoils the race once that settles by corner 3.

All I know is it feels like damn good fun and gets my heart rate going according to my smartwatch! The clarity of graphics in VR allows me to race easily even in these conditions, no other game does that.

 

[Deleted member 99238]

And did anyone try to install 3-4 weather slots from clear to heavy rain and put on an weather progression on x30 for half an hour? After what I saw and felt, I admit that for the next year this is the number one racing game on my PC.