Automobilista 2 V1.5.3.2, F-HiTech & Historical Track Pack Pt2 RELEASED - Now Updated to V1.5.3.5

I did a race with the new HiTech's and I damn near had tears in my eyes. This update brings AMS2 to a whole different level. I can't explain all the things that I love about it, but it just feels so much better. I won't be going back to another sim for a long, long time.

 

Only tried a few cars so far but AMS2 feels easier now. You can still overcook it, but it I find knowing where the limit is quite a bit to feel. Easier does not mean too easy. Can't help think that's there some irony here. I think the way we struggled through the physics bugs has made me a better driver. All the methods we used to get past the less than ideal physics has sharpened our skills. At least that how it feels for me. The big difference for 1.5.3 for me is that I press the accelerator with much more confidence. Is it just me or do others feel similar?

So loving V10gen2!

 

I need to test this out because I have no idea if I am driving better because of the last two updates or because I upgraded to DD (Simagic AlphaU) from CSW 2.5. I too use Default +. The biggest difference I notice is that slides use to end my race are so easy to catch now. Frankly, I'm learning a different style of driving with new setup.
At some point, I'll switch back to the CSW 2.5 to see whether it is me or the DD.
So much testing to do!

 

I think a DD-wheel can make us a bit faster but modest gains may be the result of more optimal use of grip due to improved sense of grip-loss through ffb. I definitely think it contributes to much improved consistency and immersion, overall. So, while differences in lap-times may be small, improved race results and less mistakes should add up to more wins.

 

I suspect you are correct. When people talk DD, I think they are thinking about newton meters. Obviously, the strength is important, but I think the accuracy of DD is where the magic lies. It is so much easier to catch slides and keep my race going with the new setup. I won't know until I test it myself, but DD's are heavy. i gotta be in the right mood to swap things around. I certainly don't expect to be bored with AMS2 any time soon though.

 

Yeah as a simucube owner I felt that FX didn't really give me any useful information, both AMS2 and ACC I have trouble feeling brake lockups in the wheel somehow, in AC its very obvious when braking. Not saying one is better but it sure helps.

So LFB is almost like ACs minimum force? I do feel that just a few points into LFB gave the center a bit looser feeling and that can sometimes help with feeling those small effects of oversteer or whatnot, gonna play around with that.

Thanks!

 

I think its very much improved. Before you had a bigger range of where you can "slide" the car through corners, now this has been very much improved that the tyres themselves dont allow for as much sliding, it will punish you quicker. But also the aero improvments, ive noticed a lot of cars can snap on you and lose the rear, this i felt was very hard before and I really love these changes!

 

More detailed explanation of ffb, including the sliders here: Automobilista 2 V1.4 Force Feedback Overview & Recommendations

 

Tried the new version last night and must say: physics are definitely more believable now. The magic gluey rears are gone and the AI seems much improved. Definitely going to pick this up more often!

I did notice that the weird 4 way slide is still present in high downforce cars. I tried the F-Reiza last night, chucked it into a corner, the front gripped, the rears did not (=correct), but when the car is at 45° angle to the direction it was going it stops rotating and just 4 way slides on where the car should continue rotating. Not that this is a huge problem, but it's only by pushing the physics to the extreme you can expose the cracks to fix.

 

Just because it used to happen all the time in AMS2 and now has been fixed, does not mean it never happens in real life. Out of all the Mazepin spins in the video below, around half of them are a "4 way slide":

 

Tire wear is a little weird for me. It can sell out in two laps, especially in formula cars.

 

Tyre ware: authentic. The brake balance is also very forward in the default setup. I have to push it quite far back, but then it pulls to the side when braking and even then the front wheels lock. I will adjust it later, but I think the tire wear is a bit too much.

 

And exactly 0 are on throttle and at a 45° angle.

 

Of course opinions differ about what FFB is actually supposed to do but imo if that's the only thing that FFB should do i.e. let you feel through the wheel what racing drivers feel, then you'll face the wrong direction of the track without knowing how and without being able to avoid that.

I think many people overestimate what racing drivers actually feel through the steering column and their wheel. Some details certainly are important to make FFB more complete, but the most important thing FFB should 'tell' us is what the car's actually doing.

Racing drivers feel that, we don't so we need some compensation for that missing seat-of-the-pants feeling. Everything else is not so important, It's nice to have but first and foremost you want to know what the backend of your car's doing. That's the most important information you need while sim racing, and all the rest is a matter of taste. Some people find it useful if resistance on your wheel increases with cornering speed, some kind of G-force, I don't need that but I appreciate that many care about things like that.

 

exactly and what we are feeling from the car should also be easily ajusted

I think an “advanced” ffb slider on the options menu woulda been nice

 

Why F-Classic Gen3 and 4, F-Hitech Gen1 and 2 V12 cars are so slow? I tested some of these and they are about 1-1,5 seconds slower than next different model car (F-Hitech Gen1). I tested in Silverstone 91 with default settings. In my opinion they need more straightline speed and better high speed cornering, all V12 cars and models, not much but enough so they can compete with others more fairly. Thanks!

 

I personally agree 100% with you. What is felt through the steering wheel shouldn't really be something that we can pick and choose, it should be a simulation of reality, perhaps with like you pointed out some seat of the pants feel.

But even the base game gives two options, which is the truest option? Perhaps the 3rd option the game gives, the base custom file.

And then of course there is the rabbit hole of modified custom files (some feel very nice) and then you can send yourself into madness by tweaking these files yourself.

Choice is never a bad thing and we should not forget that this in the end is a game so let people have options to play anyway they want.

But for me I want one option: Authentic

And so this post is not totally off topic, the default FFB seems much better in this update.

 

This isn't really true. I can unplug my wheel so there's no ffb and drive the same, catch slides etc. The trick is to point your wheels in the direction you want the car to go which is generally where you should be looking too. IME the bumper view in VR is the easiest if you want to "feel" the car moving - especially cars that are loose, but the cockpit view works as well.

Maybe Helen Keller would crash more without FFB. This myth that seems to persist that by the time you see the spin it's too late is not really true.

FFB is entirely subjective. It doesn't affect how the cars behave at all. The only slight difference is that the wheel is both input and output so if you don't have FFB then the fact it doesn't e.g self align the game engine will interpret that as you turning the wheel or stopping the wheel from spinning etc. So you'll work harder to drive without the real forces because you have to turn the wheel for the physics engine as well but the canned effects are just for fun.

Braking, on the other hand, there's no FFB or anything visual there at all. It's really tricky trying to brake with a pot pedal with no ABS. All the money they've spent developing FFB should have been done to the brake. All we can do here is adjust the brake power so we don't lock up. Maybe load cell helps but it's still fake pedal resistance rather than real feedback about what's happening.