Soooo.... what did you drive today?

Yep, skin pack is GREAT! Drove them at Machwerk just now because why not?

 

(Originally posted at Race Department.)

MetalMoro @ Interlagos Historic 1976 GP.

The car loves this bumpy old circuit's high-speed curves. It's amazing how much speed the prototype design provides as it slings itself round old Interlagos's seemingly endless parabolicas, yet it also allows just enough rotation to avoid the unforgiving kerbs. The apex surge is fantastic. The FFB down the long straights is... lively.

 

It's DAYTONA WEEK! So, let's race it properly, with Multi-classracing and day/night transition!

Track: Daytona Road, converted by GTSpeedster:

Classes:
EnduranceBrasil-GP1 (Metalmoro, 10 cars)
Stock Car Brasil 2016 (24 cars, I race on it)
* fast cars, representing prototypes and GT (kinda ), with real-life liveries and talent files)

Settings:
Track Usage: Medium
Track Progression: Normal
Fuel Usage: X2
Tyre Wear: None
Qualy: 30 minutes
Race: 50 minutes (guaranteed to pit 2 times with SCB. I've raced 1 hour, but half grid, including myself, had to pit a 3th time in last lap).
Race start: 12:00 PM (noon)
Time scale: 25X (start in daylight, transition to night, and back to day again! You see the sunset, the Daytona Ferris Wheel all lit at night, and the sunrise. Daytona is nice for night race, because all track is well lit with lightposts.)

Tip: the AI kinda sucks in the infield part. So I have to set the difficulty up to 120% to match AI laptimes with mine. So, I can catchp up them in the infield, and try to get their drift in oval part to keep up the pace.

My race results: Results: http://simresults.net/170124-kL7

Don't forget to check my tips about night race in THIS POST.

Screenshots:

 

The Porsche 911 3.0L RSR 1974 @ Laguna Seca.

This wonderful mod from Patrick Giranthon and his friends is very much at home at Imola 1972, but is even more fun at Laguna Seca. I scribbled this at Race Department:

This mod is in the best Porsche tradition: it's lively. Make a mistake and the rear will step out, but apply lots of throttle and the RSR will forgive the error in a very satisfying manner. The default setup is at home at Imola 1972, but will require tweaking at Donington, where the curves promote lift-off oversteer! Braking is an adventure - I'm clumsy, so would prefer to reduce the brake pressure even more than the lowest value of 70% to prevent flat-spotting. The car and its skins are attractive and the sound is excellent. All in all, this is a fantastic mod.

My only advice for slowing this 911 is to buy insurance, start braking in the next county and do it as gently as possible. I had to tweak the setup to get the car to behave, but once I did, it became one of the best sim cars I've ever tried. The physics are so good that when getting lift-off oversteer through Turn 6, that nasty uphill left-hander, I was able to correct my death-slide with counter-steering and a bit of panic on the throttle. The downhill Rainey Curve is a blast. Everything about the mod - its physics, the sounds, the car model, the liveries - is so enjoyable.

Thanks, modders!

Links:

Porsche 911 3.0L RSR 1974
Laguna Seca

 

see what matt drove...

interesting vid..

 

DRM Porsche 935 and Ford Capri mod at Spielberg Historic 1974 GP. They snort, slide and scream. Monstrously good fun.

Note: I upped the smoothing in the Porsche's Realfeel file from 1 to 3. My Driving Force GT still received plenty of information but the wheel was smoother and less "notchy". See the extract below from this Reiza post:

"There is also a setting "SmoothingLevel" which, now that we get a lot more samples, can be enabled without causing a lot of lag. Previously, at 90hz FFB, 10 frames of smoothing would be 0.1 second. Now at say 360hz, 10 frames of smoothing would only take 0.03 seconds. By default we use 2-4 depending on the car."

 

Porsche 911 3.0L RSR 1974 at Barber Motorsports, both by the impressive Patrick Giranthon & co.

How good is this combination? Think bacon and eggs, knitting and needles, absinthe and an early death. In this car, every corner at Barber is a challenge - the circuit's camber and elevation changes bring out the best/worst in the Porsche. Wait for the AI to pile up at Turn 1 (the only thing wrong with an otherwise perfect mod) and then chase them down. The brakes will go AWOL and the tires hunt grass. But get it rotating at the right moment and the Porsche powers out of corners like a rabbit late for a very important date.

 

I drove for the first time in months today and boy, was it a bumpy ride. Some time ago I was eventually hit by Windows 10 Anniversary Update and some more updates after that. Guess what? The Logitech Drivers got broken again. Took me an hour to fix this (pro tip, after reinstalling the drivers when all is fin, do a reboot with your wheel plugged in and never ever plug it into a different USB port).

After the whole hustle I was so damn tired, that obviously my sim of choice would be something relaxed, not too fast an pleasant to drive and race... Oh well Formula Vintage it is! Anyway, I cannot seem to get enough of the V10 and Classic Imola combo.

BTW, also tested Patrick's new 911 - is it only me or is it a bit too understeery? Maybe it's the default setup. Nice fun car though.

 

My "ghetto" setup to counter understeer is to use steering of 33 and 940 degrees. (Your tastes may differ...) Then use the Porsche's throttle-off oversteer to get the car turning.

 

yeah u need tiny steering inputs to get the car round corners the rest is controlled oversteer!

 

Montana @ Campo Grande, with my new F1BC Montana Skinpack.

This car is in reality a low-powered Stock Car Brasil, sounds similar, handles similar, but is easier to drive. It is nice to race in smaller tracks, like virtually any South American track. I've also use it in Jacarepaguá Curva Sul, Goiânia, Curitiba and Guaporé, always a fun race

BTW, there's also my new F1BC Formula 3 Skinpack if you interested, both packs have talent files, good race guaranteed ;-)

 

It's time to bore you again...

ARC Camaro @ VIR: The Aussie toy car is fast enough for this long, winding circuit and has just the right amount of grip. Cresting the South Bend at the end of "Snake" and hurtling down the Roller Coaster (yes, I've looked up the names) is all sorts of fun. The ARC's mid-car driving position is excellent, and the difference in brightness between the windscreen view and the glassless side windows is immersive.

ARC Camaro @ Londrina (Short): This combination offers some of the trickiest braking in the sim, IMHO. I love riding the brakes into the kink at the end of the first straight - you have to win the argument with the ARC each time. The double left-hander at the end of the back straight is easy enough until you want a fast lap...

Porsche 911 3.0L RSR 1974 @ Autopolis: The circuit's seemingly endless third-gear curves reveal the 911's throttle-off oversteer in all its nutty glory. And autumnal Autopolis is a lovely track.

Formula Vee @ Adelaide Modern: The chicane, kerbs and bumps throw the Vee all over the place. But at least it doesn't go sideways through the back straight's kink like the Formula Deathtrap/Trainer.

Formula V12 @ Johannesburg. I'm too much of an old man for the faster cars, but I wanted to hear an engine scream, hence this choice. Lo and behold, the V12 was just epic. It threatens yet tantalises. I can go faster, I will go faster...*crash*

 

I thought I would try out the Corvette from URD on Adelaide with a V8 Multi Class grid...and it was awesome.

 

Not really into open wheelers, but despite that I am really liking the Formula Trainer. I am driving it on all available tracks and I have tons of fun...

 

I drove this to work and back

 

Im trying to fullfill 30 laps on Kansai with the Metalboro (no assists AI @ 107%) Once the car get lighter due to fuel loss and the tires get worn out pretty fast, around lap ten im facing trouble. While the lap times are very consistent (within two tenth) i notice oversteer during the exit of some corners and till now it always resulted in a spin. Question: i have set the springs very soft, no dampers and the bottom very low (Sparks Reiza?). Do tires wear as they hit the upside part of the wheel cover?

 

Let's see if I can put you all to sleep again...

SuperKart @ Spielberg National: The recent updates to the Kart's steering, tyre model and AI prompted me to strap on a helmet and take my life in my hands. Driving something that is so low, so light and so fast will wake you faster than an exploding alarm clock. The repetitive right-hand turns at Spielberg breed confidence: get through one at speed and the rest don't seem so daunting. Reiza's tweaks have made the Kart more driveable and thus showcased my favourite AMS characteristic - falling in love with a neglected vehicle and trying it out on as many tracks as possible. Each time, it's like getting a brand new sim.

SuperKart @ VIR South Course: See above. It's much trickier than Spielberg National (I had to play with the steering, gearing and brakes), with numerous braking points and tight curves, but more fun.

Formula Vee @ Oulton Park Island: This track configuration forces lots of raucous downshifts from the Vee. Yes, I'm easily pleased. In one race, an AI squeezed past me at the hairpin - a sign that Reiza's AI has improved. Impressed (and outraged), I dive-bombed him at the chicane. The Vee @ Laguna Seca from the Corkscrew to the home straight is an exercise in throttle management and weight transfer, colloquially known as "blinding fear".

GTR Ultima Race @ ...

No, don't go. I know what you're thinking: "Widowmaker", "Hate-on-Wheels", "Psycho Kit Car". That sort of thing. I sympathise, having many times left my crushed remains in a smoking tin can by the side of the track. But if you get a set-up working... ye gods. It. Is. A. Bullet.

GTR Ultima Race @ Interlagos. I finally got it to behave around Interlagos, selected a low FOV, a realistic driving wheel position, and then racing nirvana ensued. Once you get the power down, the sensation of speed is wonderful. I had a great time against other Ultimas and then had a brainwave: fight the EEC GT3 mod. Using AMS's "All Classes" function, EEC's Corvettes, Ferraris, Porsches, Nissans etc., loomed over and deafened me. They were better in the high-speed curves but the Ultima's skin-stretching acceleration and braking made up for that deficiency. Fabulous fun.

Kansai is a blast. In the Ultima, the best corner, surprisingly, is not 130R. The car roars up the Dunlop Curve's endless crest as though it's going to accelerate off the planet.

GTR Ultima Race @ Buenos Aires No. 12. A slightly controversial opinion: the Curvon de Salotto might be the best high-speed corner in the world. Its different radii go like this: breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, hold breath, exhale and swear. The final, huge rumble strip is like an automotive welcome mat. Rarely does a car enter a corner in fifth gear and leave it in sixth. It does here. If you really want the full brown-trouser experience, race the Ultima against the DRM mod. You will have to race hard to keep up, and that is the best way to take this circuit - on the ragged edge.

Good work, Reiza. I'll shut up now.

 

Stock Car V8 at Velopark for TTOTW. Try as I might, I couldn't come within a tenth of my best, let alone improve.

 

It's time to help you sleep again... This is a self-indulgent post, but where else would I ramble on and on about playing Automobilista?

• Opala 86 @ Brasilia Full. AI 103%, High Aggression. It was excellent - at one point, AI cars in front of me were going three wide around a slow corner, then one dropped back at the next fast corner because there wasn't enough room. Most authentic! If I mucked up a corner, the AI would pass, sometimes giving me the slightest clip - not enough to affect my car - because rubbin' is racin'. No longer did cars fade into the distance in my rear mirror. Instead, they haunted my bumper, sometimes forcing me to take a defensive line if I got a bad exit from a corner.
• Formula Classic @ Brasilia Full. Medium Aggression. On one lap, I came down the home straight, drafting the car in front of me then slaloming between it and another car on my right. However, this compromised my entry into the fast right-hander and both cars made a sandwich of me, sweeping past on either side at the start of the long straight. As we continued, with yours truly chasing the culprits (who were now two abreast), another car crept up on my right, blocking me in. If that wasn't enough, a car behind me began to enjoy my slipstream. Our group of five swung round the right-hander at the end of the straight, with me hanging on for dear life and surrounded by screaming cars. We all got round without a scratch.
• Incidentally, the Formula Classic force feedback on the straights was superb - ditto at Curitiba Full.
• DRM BMW M1 @ (you guessed it) Brasilia Full. It's lightning fast but also forgiving - the back end drifts round corners like it's in a 70s cop show. The DRM mod is so much fun. Reiza's AI updates have calmed these vehicles' excitability (albeit too much at the race start) and thus made these cars even better. I have nothing to add except that the Porsche 935 emits an intimidating growl when closing in on its prey; the AMS audio improvements now make this one of the best sounding cars in sim racing. (Note: the mod's sound levels are too high - I always reduce the engine and opponents' sounds a little.)
• RSR Porsche 911 3.0 1974 @ Road Atlanta. Patrick Giranthon has updated the car in light of recent Reiza AI and audio improvements. As I've said before, it's just a (scary) delight around this track. This mod car and track showcases Automobilista's physics: going as fast as I could into the last corner after the chicane, I felt the car get air, felt it land, felt it drift all the way round the downhill bend, ending with me counter-steering and aiming the wheel at the stands on the left in order to stay on the track. All that information still made it through a knackered DFGT wheel.
• Formula Vee @ Curvelo. Blipping the throttle when downshifting at one of Curvelo's many, many corners is one of those little pleasures in life. The car loves this place, one which is full of challenging corner complexes and subtle elevation changes. Reiza have done an outstanding job on this modern track. I can't wait to smash the 2017 Stock Cars into the concrete barriers on the brand-new linking section.

Reiza's graphical updates have added more atmosphere to the circuits - dawns and evenings are more attractive than ever.

However, I've deleted Automobilista from my hard drive. Not only did the AI give me plenty of side-by-side battles, but, for the first time ever, an AI car passed me on the inside of La Source at Spa. AMS will no longer let me pretend that I'm an amazing driver. This is completely unacceptable. Reiza, you've broken the sim!