Assetto Corsa (ex-NetKar)

[BillWiskins]

The 98T hasn't been added yet. There aren't many cars left from the official list (at least, the original list, which seems to expand occasionally with new licenses) left to add, so it'll be along fairly soon I'd guess.

Also (and with all due respect) - the minimum and recommended hardware and software specs are very readily available, so I'd suggest that if you buy a game without a system to match them then you can expect to be underwhelmed, at least a bit...
I don't have a spaceship of a PC either, but I have found good settings to get it running smoothly and without turning too much graphics down, or having to settle for 3 other cars on track.
I'd recommend a visit to the official forums if you haven't already - there may well be some info there that can help you run the game better, and if not it's a good place to ask.

Incidentally, when I saw this thread was revived, I assumed it was to do with the latest announcement - multiplayer support to be added this coming Friday, May 2nd. For me, that's what will make or break the game.

[Aysedasi]

The strange thing Bill is that my system runs it fine - I easily make the minimum requirements - apart from my card being incapable of running DX11. I had a race with 14 other Lotus 49's with no appreciable performance or framerate hit. I don't really understand why they design a game which isn't satisfactorily backwards-compatible....

[Aysedasi]

And it's clear from their FAQs that they have no intention of trying to make it DX9/DX10 compatible.

[Sodemo]

I would guess that by excluding anything other than dx11 they can do away with having to code paths for XP and thus DX9. Probably not the answer you were looking for, but a lot of people seem to have success running with nvidia 760 and 770s. I'm actually selling my hd7970 if anyone is interested...?

[Aysedasi]

Well I'm no longer a regular sim racer, I just wanted something to keep me interested until Project CARS, but I guess I'll need a decent upgrade to run that anyway.

[Zico]

Any fellow RBR fans on here? Check this out... A run in the BMW E30 Grp A M3 over the Joux plane stage but imported from RBR and running in Assetto Corsa!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76fMHX52qVc

Oh man.. this gives me great hope that they can do some serious modding to AC and give us a proper modern rally sim that not only has great physics but also looks fantastic.

[Aysedasi]

Well, I went back to Assetto Corsa yesterday after a few months away to find - one new car and one new track..... I think I'll be a pensioner before this sim is finished......

[Sodemo]

Well v1.0 is out, (well the release candidate), I have to say, it's superb. It's not without it's faults, it's missing some basic features that I would like to see added, but it's really a superb sim and has a great driving feel. The sound has had a major overhaul, the SLS, Z4 and Ferrari gt3 / gt2 now sound amazing.

Most of the content now is here, including spa. Oh in case anyone doesn't know, zandvoort will be added later as an official free track, there is also a bunch of about 10 free cars to be added too soon, the list is out there on the web at your news site of choice.

[Aysedasi]

What exactly is a 'release candidate'?

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

What exactly is a 'release candidate'?

A release candidate (RC) is a beta version with potential to be a final product, which is ready to release unless significant bugs emerge. In this stage of product stabilization, all product features have been designed, coded and tested through one or more beta cycles with no known showstopper-class bug. A release is called code complete when the development team agrees that no entirely new source code will be added to this release. There could still be source code changes to fix defects, changes to documentation and data files, and peripheral code for test cases or utilities. Beta testers, if privately selected, will often be credited for using the release candidate as though it were a finished product. Beta testing is conducted in a client's or customer's location and to test the software from a user's perspective.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softwar...ease_candidate

[Aysedasi]

Thanks very much

[Sodemo]

Here is the list of V1.0 content, plus upcoming free and DLC.


Version 1.0 CARS:

Abarth 500 EsseEsse
Abarth 500 EsseEsse S1 (upgrade*)
Alfa Romeo Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde
BMW 1 Series M Coupè
BMW 1 Series M Coupè S3 (upgrade*)
BMW M3 E30 Sport Evolution
BMW M3 E30 Sport Evolution S1 (upgrade*)
BMW M3 E30 Sport Evolution Drift (upgrade*)
BMW M3 E30 Group A
BMW M3 E30 Group A 1992 version
(upgrade*)
BMW M3 E92
BMW M3 E92 S1 (upgrade*)
BMW M3 E92 Drift (upgrade*)
BMW M3 E92 GT2
BMW Z4 E89 35is
BMW Z4 E89 35is S1 (upgrade*)
BMW Z4 E89 35is Drift (upgrade*)
BMW Z4 GT3
Classic Team Lotus Type 49
Classic Team Lotus Type 98T
Ferrari F1 312T
Ferrari 458 Italia
Ferrari 458 Italia S3 (upgrade*)
Ferrari 458 GT2
Ferrari 599XX Evo
Ferrari F40
Ferrari F40 S3 (upgrade*)
Ferrari LaFerrari
KTM X-BOW R
Lotus Elise SC
Lotus Elise SC S1 (upgrade*)
Lotus Elise SC S2 (upgrade*)
Lotus Evora GTC
Lotus Evora GTE
Lotus Evora GTE Carbon
Lotus Evora GX
Lotus Evora S
Lotus Evora S S2 (upgrade*)
Lotus Evora SR
Lotus Exige 240R
Lotus Exige 240R S3 (upgrade*)
Lotus Exige S
Lotus Exige S Roadster
Lotus Exige Scura
Lotus Exos 125
Lotus Exos 125 S1 (upgrade**)
McLaren MP4-12C
McLaren MP4-12C GT3
Mercedes AMG SLS
Mercedes AMG SLS GT3
Scuderia Glickenhaus P4/5 Competizione
Pagani Huayra
Pagani Zonda R
AC Shelby Cobra 427S/C
Tatuus Formula Abarth

Version 1.0 Tracks:

Drag strip
Drift test circuit
Nurburgring GP
Nurburgring Sprint
Imola “Enzo & Dino Ferrari”
Magione
Autodromo di Monza
Monza historic 1966
Mugello
Silverstone
Silverstone International
Silverstone National
Spa Francorchamps
Trento Bondone hill climb
Vallelunga
Vallelunga Club

FREE CONTENT AFTER 1.0 Release!

Zandvoort
Ruf Yellowbird
Nissan GTR
Corvette stingray C7
Silverstone historical 60s
Monza 1962
Abarth 595ss vintage
Abarth 500 Assetto Corse (race car)
Toyota GT86
Alfa Romeo Mito Quadrifoglio Verde
Scuderia Glickenhaus P4/5
Audi R8 Plus (2014)
Audi S1 Quattro
Lotus Exige R-Cup
Scuderia Glickenhaus P4/5 Competizione
2012 Hybrid


DREAM PACK DLC:

Nurburgring Nordschleife
Sauber Mercedes C9
Corvette C7R GTE
Nissan GTR GT3
Alfa Romeo 4C
Alfa Romeo GTA
Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI
McLaren P1
McLaren F1 GTR
Ruf RT 35 S
Mercedes 190 E 2.6-16 Evolution 2

[Aysedasi]

I suppose the thing that gets me is my inability to add to it myself, as I can with third party add-ons with RF and the other sims I used to race. It's an eclectic mix of cars and tracks so far but rather too saloon/GT based for my taste. I'll probably come back to it in a few months to see what else we've got.....

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I suppose the thing that gets me is my inability to add to it myself, as I can with third party add-ons with RF and the other sims I used to race. It's an eclectic mix of cars and tracks so far but rather too saloon/GT based for my taste. I'll probably come back to it in a few months to see what else we've got.....

Not sure what you mean mate. There are already modded cars and tracks available for AC... Some of the RF content has been ported over too.

For example;

http://www.virtualr.net/nissan-prime...-preview-video

http://www.virtualr.net/mazda-787b-ac-two-new-previews

http://www.virtualr.net/corvette-c6-...eta-2-released

[BillWiskins]

From the beginning, one of the main selling points of Assetto is that it is designed to be modded and customised. They have made a pretty big deal about this, and it's best illustrated by the inclusion of a modded car as official content in v1.0 RC. The Cobra 427 started life as a mod project, and was released to great success - Kunos acquired an official license for it (and made some adjustments, I believe, with the availability of official manufacturer info) and now it's part of the game.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Not sure what you mean mate. There are already modded cars and tracks available for AC... Some of the RF content has been ported over too.

For example;

http://www.virtualr.net/nissan-prime...-preview-video

http://www.virtualr.net/mazda-787b-ac-two-new-previews

http://www.virtualr.net/corvette-c6-...eta-2-released

Oh come on, the development is very slow. When enthusiasts are doing mods for nothing, fine, but when you've shelled out hard cash, not so fine IMO. But I appreciate it's an old argument....

[Sodemo]

A really rather good sound mod that is probably one of the first cars/games to actually correctly capture and simulate both the induction noise and exhaust noise separately...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvDm...ature=youtu.be

[Aysedasi]

I must admit, I've pretty much given up on it..... With the 65 mod and the new sportscar mod, I'm back to RF1

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I must admit, I've pretty much given up on it..... With the 65 mod and the new sportscar mod, I'm back to RF1

Yep, progress is slow, however I think they have reached a point now where its a solid driving experience. As long as you don't want anything resembling a story or career type narrative, its simply just the nuts and bolts of driving and it does that very well.

The netcode had a massive overhaul and its now pretty much as good as anything else on the market. There are still a few quirks like occasionally a car will surge slightly back and forth on a straight, but its pretty solid.

The recent Porsche update has dropped and the 911 RSR is simply sublime. Really tricky to handle, understeer on entry, oversteer on exit, quite tough to get a good balance, but very rewarding. Getting a perfect lap is tough.

[Akrapovic]

Console version is apparently a bit of a mess. Buggy, poor FPS and generally not nailed together very well.

Sim developers seem decent enough at making PC versions, but the ports are generally awful. The pCARs port is a disaster.

[chunder]

The problem is compatibility.

These firms have gone cheap, they get PC users to sign up for games in pre alpha or BETA phase, to do a lot of the product testing and find out issues.

Then port them over without really making sure the game is right. Usually as they are under pressure from a publisher and a release date.

PCARS works fine on console, that is what it was always designed to run on and what its engine is based around.

It's a hideous game on PC even now.

But I have played it on console with a decent wheel and rather enjoyed it. Far better than the PC version.

AC is the other way round, not enough real money to port it properly, so its really badly done. The PC version is fine, not as shiny and glitzy as PCARS, but a far better actual simulation than PCARS, which is after all a spiced up Need for Speed game.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by chunder

PCARS works fine on console, that is what it was always designed to run on and what its engine is based around.

It's a hideous game on PC even now.

But I have played it on console with a decent wheel and rather enjoyed it. Far better than the PC version.

It really isn't fine on the Xbox One at all. On the surface it is fine. In that you drive a car around a circuit and it works, and the AI drives round and they work. But when you get into the career mode you find that almost everything is broken.

Current serious bug list on the X1:

Saving setups doesn't work once you've saved over 16 (This includes different car and track types). Once you save your 17th setup, all setups are corrupt and go back to the default at all times.

Mandatory pit stops break if you use the in game replay. You'll always get disqualified if you use an in-game replay when you've got to make a pit stop, as it'll forget you've made the pit stop and DQ you. Making another pit stop doesn't work either.

Time acceleration changes the AI to 100% speed. So if you qualify with the AI at 85%, and then time accelerate, they qualify at 100% difficulty.

There are kerbs dotted around the game which cause it to slow down and speed up. Dubai Karting for example, has 2 or 3 kerbs that if you run them causes the entire game (inc AI cars) to slow to half speed. Once you clear the kerb, the game attempts to catch up with the lost time and fast forwards for a second or two. It's always fun to be fired at a corner like a cannon.

Pit strategies don't work. Tyre selection doesn't work correctly because they just refer to "soft, medium, hard, wet", and the car setups have more specific tyres such as "90s F1". If you use the pit strategies, you often get put on some odd tyres.

If you crash on the last lap and retire, you still get the position you were in when you crashed. I won a Ginetta race by crashing on the last lap and retiring. It was very Vanthoor/Macau!

The lap time bug was never fixed, which makes lap times meaningless. To save you reading the whole thread - something happens in game where the frame rate drops and the lap times suddenly take a LOT longer (20 seconds +) without any change in physics. You drive the same, the AI drives, the same, but it somehow takes a lot longer. Then the FPS will correct itself and the times will go back to 'normal'. I get this at the fake Suzuka every time in the LMP2s. Had it in the GT4s too.

-----------

It sounds like the PC version is even worse, but I'll never recommend the console version. It's fine on the surface, but when you dig into it and play the career mode properly, you find that almost every tool you need to use is broken. I posted these a few times on the pCARs forum and had my posts deleted for "reposting known issues". It was pretty clear they never had any intention of fixing them - they just stuck them in a spreadsheet and left them.

They may have ruined the PC version by designing this for consoles, but it seems they didn't have the talent to back up their ambitions and half the features don't actually work, and never will. So the end result is a PC version nobody likes, and a console version you can only play by remember you can't use most of the options and tools.

[Sodemo]

I only played the console version of pCARS once and that was when I was in HMV around release time. I had a little go on it, I found it quite tricky to control, but managed to do a few laps. Out of curiosity I watched the guy behind me have a go and he lasted about 2 corners before he gave up as the car was constantly spinning / crashing. I then watched the next guy and he was the same, tried for about 2-3 corners then gave up, walked away.

I think it shows an interesting mentality with gamers in general. People just want something where they can win every time. A slight knockback is almost like a barrier or an insult of some sort, thats why a lot of these games have "RANK UP" "Well DONE" " Bonus + 2000 XP" appear every 5 minutes after they have accomplished some largely meaningless achievement.

My brother is pretty much this kind of gamer. If he can't win in the first 5 minutes, he gives up, he doesn't want a challenge. Another thing I spotted is that the way he tackles a game on day 1 is exactly the same way he tackles a game on day 101. His tactics don't change, (nor does his skill level it would seem).

I was one of the backers of pCARS and it was a complete s***show. However, I got back my stake and lots more, so from a financial point of view, it was pretty nice, although the end product fell well short of my expectations. I have heard virtually nothing on pCARS 2, i'm guessing development is still progressing?

[chunder]

I would never buy the thing so can't say I have played it to any degree.

Though I did spend a weekend playing it on a mates Ps4 with a decent wheel and found it pretty good.

I am simply saying it felt fine to me after a weekend of playing fairly extensively.

But I never really play against AI, I always play online or time trials. Can't see the point in playing against AI, unless you are in a career type mode and even then its rather pointless.

I am the last person believe it or not to back PCARS, if my name is mentioned on some forums people will remember the racedepartment thread that went on for hundreds of posts about my experience there and how it led to people adding their views there on how the game was, how the people that made it treated you if you dared to criticise or simply vent post as I did!!

It was an interesting experience actually, especially WMD's efforts to prevent the same things being posted elsewhere and numerous bannings resulting over nothing but that.

Their business model was a new plan, I thought it wrong, but I would guess when you can spend millions on PR and marketing you get what they got, a half finished title that looked glossy, was largely designed for consoles and largely worked for the casual player. But it's not very moddable and if you dig past he veneer as you have fella, you find the cracks and faults.

Made them a bucket, made the investors a small profit, but also left an awful lot of people with a sour taste in their mouth, split communities and made other developers look at getting people to do QA work for them for free while paying for the privilege, a rather disappointing precedent.

But it did expose Mr BVell to be a total bully and a nasty piece of work who really needs a PA to muzzle him.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by chunder

But I never really play against AI, I always play online or time trials. Can't see the point in playing against AI, unless you are in a career type mode and even then its rather pointless.

Interesting - I largely only play against AI. Mostly because I don't get the chance to play a lot so just want a 'pick up and play' game - but also because my experiences of racing online have largely been negative. As far as I can tell unless you're racing in an organised league of some sort you just end up 'racing' against morons who if they're not winning just smash everyone else off the track or drive the wrong way 'for a laugh'. Good AI opponents are an absolute must for me when looking at games (and is my biggest criticism of the Gran Turismo series).