^ Presentation is not high on their agenda, they have revealed, voluntarily or involuntarily. A season generator/editor and pitstops in SP already would be more than I now hope - pitstops had been announced, the season thing we probably will wait for forever. 1.3 will have a further tailored AI, but I think improving the AI to them means to have it running and braking smoother and faster, not to enrich the event sin the race with more "humanised" AI. Thats what I take from the last two dev streams where Stefano talked about the AI tweaks. They want to provide players with opportunities to be challenged by the individual AI car. The race as an event itself, battling AI cars duelling it out amongst themselves, seems to be something they are not much interested in. As I said before: no wrong approach of theirs, since it made AC what it is in car modelling and physics - but one that I consider to be uncomplete. Sector3 has the wider perspective, me thinks, and that also widens Raceroom's attractiveness. We will see on Wednesday.
Reading that doesn't fill me with hope. It leaves me wondering what is the end game for Assetto Corsa? As you said, their approach isn't wrong as AC has been commercially quite successful, but where is it going? Who are they building this game for? R3E has a clear identity now but I can't say the same about AC. It still feels like a physics demo, with the rest of the product having a 'jack of all trades, master of none' feel to it.
Hardcore driving enthusiasts and quick in-between racers. The first for the physics experience, and experts wanting spend hours into perfecting their car setups, the second for quick and impatient people who indeed never use tables with standings and do not care for race event introduction sequences and the like. You see, when I still played team sports games like football or hockey, I used to let replays of critical scenes run to the end, and enjoyed it looking like a TV broadcast. But many players indeed do not care for these, are too impatient, they just want the gameplay and nothing more, so they immediately hit start buttons when possible and interrupt any such sequences. Tastes differ. At least the above is my understanding after I read Aristotelis' open letter to the community from early September it was, I think, and Stefano's comments on the sim's focus in his one or two latest dev streams. My conclusions and perceptions might be right or wrong - but I come to them on grounds of what I noted them two saying (writing).
They posted that Beta phase is as good as done. Release of DLC 2 and AC 1.3 at Steam now is October the 8th. Price for the DLC 2 is 8 Euros for 1 Catalunya track in 2 layouts, and 9 cars. The cars are these: Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattro Valvole Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Ford GT40 MK1 Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG003 AUDI R8 ULTRA 2014 RUF RT12R AWD RUF RT12R RWD BMW M4 Coupe BMW M4 Coupe Akrapovic Edition Nice, the RUF RT12 and the Audi R8 can be compared in both sims, both titles have them now. I like these cross-title comparisons. A bargain, that DLC is. They stay loyal to their pricing policy and sell their content under value. More GT3 cars, always welcomed. Since they recommend to not mix classes in AI races, it makes the field of cars in GT races more attractive a bit. It will be 5 GT3 cars and 2 GT2 cars, if I recall that right. Plus 1 GTC car and 1 GTX.
Only one car of interest to me there (Huracan) plus Catalunya. I'm in no rush for this so will await a sale.
So how's the 1.3 patch? Been thinking about getting AC and adding support to Crew Chief, but is the racing actually any good? Do folks really race with it, or is it more for hot lapping?
public multi-player is still as awful as anything. ai is good but still not nearly as good as raceroom so it is still a hillclimb simulator for me.
can't run the game with 64 bit support (can play only with 32 bit force option), a lot of people having the same issue; online is hardcore blow on your nervous system atm; i like the content and the price just super for the amount of cars and tracks you can get, i paid only 5,59$ for all the pack, in raceroom it's only one track or two cars of course there are some troubles right now, but the game itself very good
In general I agree - the price is very good for what you get, but I don't like the mixture in the packs. For example - I'm totaly not interessted in Roadcars, but about 50% of the cars in the packs are Roadcars. So when I buy a pack, 50% of the content is useless for me. But that's again a DLC vs. Microtransaction-Disussion When it comes to racing I share @shardshunt's opinions... in addition - AC gave me more a Trackday-Feeling than competing in a race... not sure why. So in general I
in general, my opinion would be simple: raceroom still remains perfect sim for me, but when noone is online or online is very low in r3e, i am switching to AC
AC improved a lot in regards of physics, ffb and roadfeeling for the cars and tracks I tested. Earlier ffb was a no-go for me but I was positively surprised. Also gear shifting issues with the H-shifter seem to be solved for me. The main reason why I start up AC from time to time is Nordschleife and to have a spin with the Sauber C9 on Spa in foggy weather conditions - great atmosphere...and the AI cars are that clever now to switch on headlights in the fog . AI is not that dumb like earlier any more but still has some blackouts and R3E AI is much more matured especially the adaptive AI. Not much experience with multiplayer but earlier it was havoc. However I think you could have a lot of fun on dedicated servers. I think I am capable to do some constant laps in R3E in acceptable laptimes but I have to admit that cars like the C9 are quite challenging in Pro mode in AC. Hard to control and I'm curious how my speed would be compared to other drivers from R3E. Just my humble opinion and favourite is clearly R3E...also due to the good MP experience on open servers. Nevertheless AC is worth to have a look at if you still have enough money to spend for vRPs afterwards
Okay, so 1.3 and DLC2 are out, first is for free, second is at 20% discount currently and will cost 10 Euros normally. Total download for both was about 1 GB. Installation size was - well, I forgot, I think it were about 2.3 or 3.2 GB added to AC. Currently, AC and DLC1 can also be had in a bundle with a discount of 30%, 38 Euros for both. This sale will last for around one week, it seems. They are celebrating. And they have good reason to do so. If ignoring that the Nordschleife is the Nordschleife, the release yesterday imo beats DLC1 and the patching done back then hands down. I have tested the whole pack and also tested some old cars for several hours now, and these are my impressisons The DLC pack first: The track Barcelona comes as Moto and GP version, of which I clearly prefer the first, I hate those two fictional chicanes. Stupid chicanes these are! The drive is a very good experience, I always liked the flow of this track, it somehow pulls the right strings inside me, I can easily connect to it. Visually, for AC standards, this is one of their better looking ones, different to quite some other tracks which are physically most correct but look somehow dead and sterile so often, this one has some flair around it that I immediately perceived and appreciated, even more so when driving early in the morning, due to the light conditions then. Its one of the very few tracks left that I would like to see in Raceroom as well.The nuances in track surface geometry are subtle, but the subtleness makes itself felt, thanks to laserscanning. I like this track, and very much so! The Audi R8 LMS Ultra is one of the cars that now can be driven both in Raceroom and Assetto Corsa. I should have taken care of equalizing the FOV, but anyhow, this is how the cockpit looks in both sims: AC R3E The Audis actually feel very different in both games, which is the case with most if not all cars shared in both sims. To what degree this is due to the car's simulation themselves, or the different physics engine and tires simulation, is hard to tell for me. The Raceroom Audi feels more unbalanced (in comparison to AC, not when taken for itself, it is quite fair to drive), unsettled (unruhig) and bumpy, it is the more dramatic experience to drive, it sets up a show in direct comparison with AC's Audi. The sound imo is better in R3E, once again, in AC the Audi is quite monotonous and high-pitched in cockpit. Having set TC to 6 of 12 settings in AC, and 55% in R3E, both Audis were tried with roughly the same amount of TC% applied. Both cars however are fair in their handling, but the AC Audi has far better braking, maybe due to the new ABS systems that came with 1.3. The AC Audi in general is more gentle and smooth to drive, it sets up less of a drama show, and is more sober and clean.The Raceroom Audi feels a bit twitchy in direct comparison. In Raceroom, it has a good braking in comparison, but compared to Assetto, its braking is less efficient. The Audi has a reputation to be very good on the brakes, and to provide a quite stabile drive. Therefore I could imagine that Assetto Corsa's representation is closer to the real thing. The RUFs are more difficult, or impossible to compare, since R3E offers the GT3 version of the RT12, while AC offers the RT12 as standard and AWD versions. So it is no surprise that the AC RUFs are more difficult to drive, have longer braking distances and less grip. While they are more alive than many other cars in AC, easier to lose control over them, the Raceroom RUF also is not really a tame car to drive, nor is it the easiest. However, in both sims the RT12 is a challenge that sets up moderate, fair demands and gives every player a good chance to learn to master it.Yopu can feel something like that they belong to the same family, it really is there, neverthelss it is two very different cars in both sims: due to the sim'S nature, and to the different versions of the car. My general impression of the cars belonging to the same classes offered by R3E: they are discriminated against each other by less fine-grained criterions, than the cars in AC. I think this again is result of the different and more subtle and probably more complex physics used in AC. I am eager to learn what the new physics model Sector3 has talked of is bringing. I must admit that the last version of physics in AC, before 1.3, had lost me a bit. They made some cars that I liked before almost undrivable, very tail-happy, difficult to predict in braking and turning. At the same time, over the summer, Raceroom advanced things, and imo had shortened the gap to AC a bit. With AC 1.3 I must admit that Ac once again has build up and added to its lead, making the distance to R3E bigger again. So right now indeed would be the right time for Sector3 to come up with some new magical tricks, as announced. I like almost all cars in DLC2, and they mean more to me than almpost all cars in DLC1. Good track, good cars: superb DLC2. This one is a winner. On the patching side, many smaller details and even some cosmetic stuff was changed, but all of it what I noticed so far was for the better. On the main changes: They have switched almost all cars except the old classics to what they call tire model v5. Temps fopr core and surface are now separated, and have different effects, also change differently. Tires and physics Kunos confirmed this morning to represent the final state for a very long time to come. That is great news!!! , since the new physics and tires work FANTASTIC, imo!!! The cars I had lost since 1.2, are not only back in action: their stzars shine brighter than they ever did before. I absolutely love and am stunned and blown away by the neqw handling of cars. Kunos did a reat job on the tires, and to some degree on the more varied and differentiated verisons of various differentials as well. I said above that Raceroom over the summer got closer in physics to AC, due to Raceroom improving its own part, and AC having lost some convincing power with at löeast some of its cars since 1.2. But 1.3 for AC - is not so good news for R3E, since AC has build and increased its lead in this regard again. To be more precise, I think it has gained ground on ALL other simulators currently on the market. Two days ago I called the battle for the physics model to be of strategic importance in the competition between various racing titles , and so it is good that raceroom will start to roll out its own new physics patch soon, because it really has some need to keep up - AC has really scored a big mark with 1.3. The AI: it has become a bit faster, I needed to tune down the AI% setting a bit to be able to keep up with them. That is all what I perceived, if there are more changes regarding their behaviour, I did not note it so far. The main breakthrough was done in 1.2 anyway, but the AI there now is, while being able to race and even eat the player if player makes an invitation (an error...), is not as interesting and diverse in staging "events", like in Raceroom or rF2, which are the best AIs out there currently. Some people complain the AI in AC still collkiding to easily. I deny that in most car classes. Some superfast players drive extremely aggressive, and zigzag and put themselves in front of AI cars so sauddenly and aggressivelky, that the aI has no space and time lkeft to react to their braking or manouvering - and then, following the laws of physics, touches them. Other players provoke that by their own skill not being that high, drivers like me for example who tend to brake earlier and more gentle not to destabilize the car before a turn. The AI also brakes relatively tame into turns - but now accelerates like a missile from apex or later on. really, they are fast now. Its just that a lack of speed never was my primary issue with the AI. All in all: the AI functions okay and can be used in racing for most car classes (though in some it is prone to accidents). Do not believe all horror stories about kamikaze AI killing player cars for breakfast. I attribute much of that to the aggressiveness of players not leaving the other cars the space and time needed to brake and evade. And yes, cars that combione less grip with high speed, are more somewhat prone to being mishandled by the AI. There are issues indeed -w ith SOME cars, but not with all. A generalization is unjustified. The change to x64 worked flawless for me. No problems. All Kunos default content works like a charm. ABS has been tuned further as wlel, now using several different models with up to 4 different channels. FFB has been - well, they did somethign with it, and I olike it. VERY. More robust, more weight to be felt from the wheel. In the past I used to say that I like the FFB in Raceroom better - I must admit: no more so. AC has taken rank from Raceroom in this regard. FFB feels comparably alive, but more subtle and less generic than in R3E. There is a long list of fixes, smaller new detials, and further tunings, you can inhale all the good dope from their readme and take-off yourself. As I said earlier, this all together makes a whole new driving experience, and for some cars that really is no exaggeration. I am absolutely enthusiastic about this release, it exceeds my hopes in most regards. However, a few negative issues also got my attention - things that I hoped for to be finally adressed, but still not being done. Namely, still no pitstops in SP races, which is a real biggy for me. I mean it is 10 months after full release - lack of players' patience can not be the problem here. Car sounds also are sometimes weak, especially inside cockpit, the Audi being the most negative example, it just sojdn s awful, almost as bad as Assetto's Benz 190. Some outside sounds however are quite good. Kunos has concentrated to further improve the traditional focus of Assetto Corsa, dealing mostly with making its strengths even stronger instead of just repairing its weaker aspects. In total , this time it works out in their favour, this download double-package DLC+1.3 is very impressive. I am eager to learn how Sector3 will strike back! They showed quite some confidence over their new physics, and now comes the time to put the cards on the table. Over the summer I think R3E decreased the distance to AC, in some aspects even was better, but the leading role in FFB has been surrendered to AC imo, and in physics AC now has increased its lead again after Raceroom's gains in summer. What is needed now, is a strong answer by Sector3! So, S3 team - start your engines! Isn't it great to have two such good simulator at your hands...!
r Remember the audi in r3e is getting a overhaul in the next couple of weeks so lets wait and see the difference after that. With sounds its always seemed like ac sounds like what a camcorder video sounds like whereas r3e is more like real life. also think if shifts get more agressive an r3e it would sound better in every aspect but they are a bit light at the moment(not that really applies to the audi).
Didn't I remind of the upcoming physics updates for Raceroom repeatedly? I like to compare and see AC and R3E like two race horses on a racetrack, changing positions time and again. To me its part of the fun. But it takes two competitors that actually can compete with each other, and this is the case with these two. And that is a compliment for both. I hold high hopes for the new R3E physics. Hope they impact on the GT3 cars next week...?! My review of that - will be done in the R3E thread in Kunos forums.
game still crashes in 64 bit client when you trying to start a race, they said that another patch will come Monday with fixture for this
Great review @Skybird - thanks. I might not agree 100% (because I haven't had time to read the whole thing yet), but appreciate your views.
As said, AC feels like a big mishmash pile of cars (mostly road cars.. .) and with way too few tracks!.. Looks and feels good to drive and hot lap, but no real racing atmosphere as in R3E. Same goes for the DLC, one track with a mishmash of cars.. Imo a track in R3E along with a car pack gives better value, even if the price is slightly higher. But if you buy bundled vRP's with a discount, the price tag won't be that different.