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...

 

[Andy_J]

Pcars did have realistic damage before release. Then they took it out.

 

[Damage Inc]

I know, just kidding with ya. But the Flatout series are simulations too.

Actually RF2 has brilliant damage physics. AMS is pretty good too.

But for me, F1 2016 by codemasters was damned fine too.

Correct me if I'm wrong but panels and tyres falling/hanging off are in PC1 and 2 as well!

 

[Kurupt CDN]

The 15 pages of community opinions from the other thread wasnt enough we had to start another?

 

[Andy_J]

SIMCADE!

How dare you? Really how very dare you call one of my favourite race sims "simcade". I detest that word.

 

[rw3]

Plenty of times I've crashed and smashed cars in iRacing to a point where no driver could survive, so that argument doesn't hold water. It's simply the case that doing it well is too computationally expensive.

Note that many of the games offering better-looking damage have 'canned' damage, in that there are pre-defined break points in the model, which will snap off at a given level of force, hence wheels coming off in F1 2017, etc, which while looking ok is a cheat, a modelling trick, because actually working out where and how the suspension would break would take a hell of a lot of processing power.

 

[Damage Inc]

Pcars did have realistic damage before release. Then they took it out.

It's a shame that happened those pics are awesome!

 

[Deleted member 99238]

And where did the BMW M3 GT (E92), Audi R8 LMS Ultra from the first part go? I understand that there has been a change of generations, but all the same? Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG remained.

 

[Damage Inc]

Plenty of times I've crashed and smashed cars in iRacing to a point where no driver could survive, so that argument doesn't hold water. It's simply the case that doing it well is too computationally expensive.

Note that many of the games offering better-looking damage have 'canned' damage, in that there are pre-defined break points in the model, which will snap off at a given level of force, hence wheels coming off in F1 2017, etc, which while looking ok is a cheat, a modelling trick, because actually working out where and how the suspension would break would take a hell of a lot of processing power.

This is more a thing about road cars, a game that mainly has race cars seems to get more leeway, no dev is going to have a separate damage system for road and race cars so unfortunately everything gets a bit dumbed down.

I agree the main issue is the hardware, but it would be relatively easy to have a more realistic "looking" damage system using preset or simplified deformations along with more bits coming off. So the manufacturers stipulations are also a factor.

 

[Shiimis]

I said it because it's never going to change. racing sims will always have simplified crash physics for two reasons:

1) hardware limitations.

2) Car manufacturers often block any idea of realistic damage crashes with their vehicles in computer games now

You completely misinterpreted the video I linked to. I never mentioned damage modelling which is completely different issue. If you watch the video, you see that car when colliding with another car, literally goes under that car and the opponent just sits on your car's roof. This behavior was already manifesting in Shift1 and I'm surprised that they still haven't fixed it. IIRC it could be fixed by altering some values in physicstweaker.mrdf and / or in chassis file for the car. If I understand correctly, they were trying to add some friction to cars, so that in case of intentional ramming, the rammer is one who gets taken out. However the side effect of this approach is that you can often just drive under opponent cars.

 

[jonelsorel]

With a bit of polishing in the next months this game will probably become the main choice for a big part of our community these next years.

SMS managed to release it in a release worthy state this time round, and pretty much every feature has been improved from PC1 (physics, FFB, weather, AI, menus, graphics, sounds you name it). It really is an all rounder ticking all the boxes and when you take the time to dial in your settings it is the most enjoyable racing sim out there at the moment IMO. Some games do some aspects better, but none of them presents this complete package.

Sorry, what community is that? The community that considers rfactor2 and Automobilista sims?

 

[CC]

This is more a thing about road cars, a game that mainly has race cars seems to get more leeway, no dev is going to have a separate damage system for road and race cars so unfortunately everything gets a bit dumbed down.

I agree the main issue is the hardware, but it would be relatively easy to have a more realistic "looking" damage system using preset or simplified deformations along with more bits coming off. So the manufacturers stipulations are also a factor.

He was partly correct related to the physics , just for example , AC , if you added the same style of damage currently like what Pcars uses with the same engine it would be on its knees , the calculations needed can be achieved but the hit on performance is massive

 

[apex11]

For me i sit in the category of having an hour or so of an evening or stealing the odd session here and there if the wife takes the kids out, in between that i also have motorsport to catch up on on TV that I record.
So basically with RRE, AC, AMS, iRACING gsce and RF2 not to mention DiRT and PCars 1 on xbox plus other types of games for me i simply at this stage don;'t need another sim title unless it is an absolute killer that would kill the others off dead.
It doesn't, thats not the games fault, how could it ever kill off the other games? No its simply time constraints for me so i downloaded the game off steam gave it 2 hours then refunded, nothing it did i can't get elsewhere and IMO better core driving physics and FFB.
Yes i could spend months messing around with settings and waiting for patches but i don't need to now as i have plenty of sims already on my PC.
Even if it was similar to RF2 in drive feel it renders it pointless to me as i have RF2.
For me RF2 is better in physics as a whole, why that should offend anybody is beyond me?
Be confident in what you like and if you like PCars 2 then enjoy it, but don't try to force or trash talk anyone who chooses not to want to spend time with it.
PCars 1 felt like a fantastic starting place for console gamers to get into sim racing, it started me off on the journey to wheels and gaming seats and then to a PC. I love PCars 1 for that...but PCars 2 feels like its leaning more towards a Forza type experience which I don't want, but many many do.
Main thing is we have plenty of choices so its all good.

 

[mister dog]

Sorry, what community is that? The community that considers rfactor2 and Automobilista sims?

No time to play 'my game is better than yours' now; we have enough of that already. So let's say 'the community of mostly grown men that play with virtual race cars and pretend they are racing drivers'. I think that sums it up the best .

 

[Mr Latte]

This thread going to be an interesting read...It appears like Codemasters this studio does not worry about releasing titles that are not properly tested or actually fully ready for release. Is it too broad in content or types of racing for its own good and less but to a higher standard would of been better?

Perhaps can we have a poll added to this thread with some questions based around......

1) Excited and want to buy it or already have bought it
2) Will not buy until they patch or fix major issues
3) Disappointed had the feeling it would be like this not surprised and will not buy
4) If the VR is good I will look past some other issues

 

[AbeWoz]

Also, any ideas why all my custom livery templates are blank?? Be nice to do some skinning at some point????

You have to turn on all the layers in photoshop/gimp and go to town. No in-game livery editor.

Also, not sure how some people can call this a 'game' and not a 'sim'. A simulator is what the title says, simulates real world conditions, behaviors, etc. Some titles may simulate some aspects better than others, but they are all simulators.

By definition, PC1 was more of a 'simulator' than iRacing, AC, since it had weather, TOD, brake temps/fades, water temps (AC doesn't, iRacing might).

PC2 expands upon this by introducing the new livetrack tech, and TBH, running a race starting in the rain and moving to dry, and seeing the dry racing line slowly develop is awesome.

I have hundreds of hours in AC, but I only use it for league racing. PC2 is awesome to fire up a quick race with varying conditions.

 

[GP20]

So have I and for me its wrong it is my go to track if available and its just not right visually the mod on AC is tonnes better.

It is not laser tracked, perhaps you are right. Oulton, Snetterton, Cadwell, Brands Hatch are.
See here :
http://forum.projectcarsgame.com/sh...ARS-2-The-FULL-track-list-at-launch-Sept-22nd

 

[kkdrummer]

This thread going to be an interesting read...It appears like Codemasters this studio does not worry about releasing titles that are not properly tested or actually fully ready for release. Is it too broad in content or types of racing for its own good and less but to a higher standard would of been better?

Perhaps can we have a poll added to this thread with some questions based around......

1) Excited and want to buy it or already have bought it
2) Will not buy until they patch or fix major issues
3) Disappointed had the feeling it would be like this not surprised and will not buy
4) If the VR is good I will look past some other issues

All games have bugs...look at AMS, at the moment you cannot use the main hud cause it will crash the game....and last I checked I cannot change the number of pitstops (this may have been fixed as I saw a patch coming through two days ago)....

 

[John Addison]

Did anyone understand how to turn on the virtual mirror in the cockpit?

I was wondering that was well. It seems as long as you turn on cockpit mirrors there will be a mirror in all cars of some kind. If the cockpit mirrors cant be seen a center virtual mirror shows up.

 

[Acke Rosa]

Refunded.
Another unfinished game. The people saying a nice start are pure comedy.
Start? Its pcars 1.5 and still totally underbaked.
They going to fix this and that with a patch first time around too. Did that happen? Nah got this $50 patch instead lol.
Please go ahead and tell me this is how software dev works I've been in the industry 20+ years.
These guys just pump then dump the games, good luck to them it seems to have made them a mint but you dont get to keep my coin.
See again when its on sale and all the bugs have been fixed haha

 

[Martin Larsen]

The game it self is pretty good, but... no matter what I want to do in the game im stopped by bugs or problems...

Circuit racing career mode: Qualify is just stupid in the game now, with the skip session bug and no option to choose qualify lenght. Which makes you really tired off starting last in every single race. And how they force you to use snow, in the scripted career mode weather. I mean... open wheel racing in snow, really SMS?...

RX career mode: The AI is simply broken, in quick race they are ok but in career mode they are slow as......

Online: Keep getting kicked from server, and thats fine, not really interested in public servers anyway was just testing it since career mode has so many problems...