Sorry i was tired and it was messy whit stupid peaple around me so i got a littel caried away. and i dont even remeber what it was that i read or write. Sorry.
The only thing I like about AC is the physics and force feedback. I wish Sector 3 would buy them out just to get it for R3E.
Ah, that pretty much sums up what lead me to R3E originally in late March this year. Plus the great sounds and different visual system of the virtual world. --- On the AI, we have started to talk in circles here. For a closing, I summarise it like this: a major breakthrough has been achieved in 1.2 by solving a big problem what was at the very heart of AC's AI issue (collision avoidance algorithms preventing the AI from overtaking). A return to the AI gaining in aggressiveness at the cost of shooting other cars of the track, especially player's car, as it was until roughly one year ago, is not desirable for me. The post-1.2 AI nevertheless needs to be further finetuned now, to learn how to brake better (later, sharper) into turns, be more competitive in lap times by that better braking, and thus appearing to be more "aggressive" without slamming into the player's car (without it being player's fault). In the overwhelming majoirty of car classes I tried now (which were almost all), all collisions that send me off the btrack, were caused by my own fault: me doping somethign stupid in front of the AI, leaving it not sufficient time to react to my folly without braking the rules of physics. And the collision physics have been dramatically improved, too. The aI cars still always save themselves somehow - but the player no longer automatically get sent into the sand as long as the contact did not take place with too much impact energy and at too high speed. Sounds reasonable enough to me. R3E still allows me to carefully touch AI cars' rear flanks and make the spinning off, this so far cannot be done in AC. But the easiness by which to do it in R3E, makes it feel like almost cheating anyway. I am not sure I want it like that in AC.
I am not sure whether Sector3 really is big enough to buy them anymore, since Kunos got overrolled and taken away by their own business success. They recently hired once again, btw. By market and active play numbers, AC seems to outperform R3E. The most important info in the following is probably in the "average players number", and the tendency over time. "Peak players numbers" may highlight major events like releases of new content, or the game itself. Project cars: the numbers could be entitled as: "The Big Desillusionment" Dirt Rally'S ongoing development (it still is Alpha) definitely attracts and keeps people's observing interest: And iRacing, as far as being done via Steam accounts (so the numbers are not representative for the full iRacing world, but their number of customers is signfici8antly smaller than that of othe rmajor sim titles on PC anyway): For comparison: a still popular title like Skyrim sees player numbers varying between 25 thousand and 35 thousand. Sim-drivers are a niche market.
I was looking at the numbers yesterday too. AC has always had a steady playerbase but it has overtaken pCARS since the recent update. Interest in PCARS is experiencing a gentle but steady decline. I guess people are waking up to what that game really is. R3E's numbers have been consistently low, even during the recent free weekends and sales. I'm sure Sector3 has benefited from plenty of extra sales and picked up many new players, but this doesn't seem to manifest itself in active player numbers. There is clearly a problem with R3E's ability to grow it's active player base and I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to work out that the sales model and always online functionality are deterring people. The Nordschleife has been massively beneficial for AC - perhaps it can do the same for R3E? Stock Car Extreme's numbers are even worse but it's difficult to judge the size of the playerbase when it's split across three versions - Steam, Steam beta and non-Steam. The recent crowdfunding success suggests it has a healthy following.
I agree, the business model of R3E does not do Sector3 a favour. I think in my discussions in Ac forums were I have advertised R3E repeatedly, both the micro-transacting business model and the high cost level, and the fact that the physics are not AC physics and R3E not being AC are the two arguments mentioned against R3E the most often. The many sales they offer, seem to have no influence on the overall negative perception of the business model. On the business model I agree, and recommend to get rid of this needless complication, on the physics I agree not. Yes, they are not AC's physics, but taken for themselves nevertheless provide a very enjoyable and convincing experience, I like to drive in R3E, and like that it is different than in AC - which i also like to drive. I like them both to drive. To accuse something for not being something different, is pointless, imo. It only can be about whether you like or can at least tolerate the difference, or not. On PC, I would not call loosing almost one half of your average players in the first month after release and over one half of your average in the first two month a "gentle decline", but a sudden crash, a getting-shot-out-of-the-sky, especially in PC's case which got collectively hyped beyond all explainable sane reason. And consider that they have had payware packs additionally offered in that time. They have done nothing to reverse the direction, it seems, and I am not even sure that they even influenced the sink rate. But hyping seems to earn you the wanted income. They already hype PC2 now.
Just my point of view, I really like R3E, but then I like alot of other sims as well, and I have been sim racing since the mid 90's and know and have met alot of fellow sim racers, but out of all them that are still racing, only 5% of them are using R3E, and that is only for one main reason, and as already has been said, its due to the sales model and the pricing, the few that have tried it don't like the FFB neither, they find it uses to many canned effects.
pCARS player numbers crashed early on but that was to be expected given the type of game it is and the market they were going for. It's the same for most over-hyped 'next big thing' games aimed at the mainstream gamer. The player base moves on quite quickly. Since then, player numbers have been in gentle decline and now it's behind Assetto Corsa. I think pCARS will sink further still until the hardcore fans make up the majority of players. It hasn't found its base yet whereas the other sims have. Why should SMS care though? The money's in the console market and they are doing well there. I've heard and read so many console players' opinions on pCARS and it is considered a proper, hardcore sim. I suppose it is in that market, but it's not on the PC. I just hope AC doesn't go the same way when it hits the consoles. I trust Kunos that the game will stay true to its roots.
I picked AC up over the weekend and really got off on the wrong foot. First thing I did was try the 155 at Zandvoort and spun out on every turn. I thought AC was a full blown ice racer but it turns out there is a bug in the 4wd system that affects the 155 the most. After trying other cars they handled pretty much as expected with a little more weight being thrown around in the corners. My wheel still needs to be dialed in as it is a 240 degree Logitech Momo so I can only use about 15 degrees in either direction without spinning.
I don't get you guys that are slamming AC and comparing it to RRE and others. I look at it as a simple equation $30 = over 300 hour of fun in AC for me. compared to around a $100 to rent content in RRE = 75 hour of agravation.
Well. For me it's $30 = 80 hours in AC, kinda enjoying some parts, but not as much as I should.. . (and might not ever reach 100 hours) $180 = 400 hours of pure joy in R3E! (Will probably reach and go way beyond 1000 hours)
'Rent' isn't exactly the right word. You pay a one-off fee to access content of your choice in R3E. No other fees after that, just access as long as R3E/Sector3 is a going concern and then probably beyond (the game could be put into an offline state if and when things come to an end). So you pay your money and you can use the content for many years. That's not rent. Besides, we all technically 'rent' (to use the OP's term) content, whether it be games, movies or music. What you pay for is the right to use something.
The AC fanboys are even worst than the iRacing ones. Even the bugs (not known so far as bugs) are considered "amazing new features"...
I'm not a fan boy. And I don't trash RRE on other sites. AC is an awesome hot lapper sim and the AI racing is getting better. and yes it can be modded just like most every Simbin title we all loved. I came to RRE because of it's origins with Simbin hoping for the next gen in a long list of great games. Still waiting. I mostly posted in reply to the knee jerk slamming of AC, it's ridiculous. It's a quality game made by a small team with a clear idea of what they want, much like sector3. As for the rent comment, unplug your Ethernet cable and see just what content you own the right to use. So if name calling and derision all some of you can muster so be it. Cheers