Automobilista 2 V1.2.4.1 & Monza DLC RELEASED - Now updated to V1.2.5.1

yeah if there is a severe penalty for leaving early, then people will stay more

 

I think there will probably need to be another revisiting of grass behavior. While less extreme than it used to be, AMS2 still punishes mistakes hard. What might cost you 6 or 7 spots in other sims puts you 45 seconds behind the now second-to-last-place car in AMS2, which gives a lot of incentive to leave. Might need to compromise on the realism to keep it fun for less-than-perfect drivers.

 

Quick recovery is also part of the racing skill. Yes, losing positions or time is inevitable but we're not pursuing realism only to be arcadised for the sake of better/closer online experience.

Not to mention catching the pack again is also fun and capitalising on other's mistakes, especially when you're way down the order.

 

The AI experience in Formula cars in this game still makes me want to stab something with a pointed stick whenever I catch them in the braking zone only to be left in the dust on the corner exit (which is pretty much every corner).

Fingers crossed for some serious improvements on that front in the much-anticipated November/December updates.

 

Hopefully, the november newsletter is almost here...

 

What Cars on What track ?
I did a lot testing With Formula Classic Gen3 and Formula Reiza on Monza (all versions), and the AI is very slow on the straights over there.

EDIT: also on Spielberg 1974 and Hockenheim 1988 AI slow and easy to overtake on the straights

 

Yea, there is something inherently wrong with AI in straight line for the open wheelers. Daytona and historic Monza are the best test beds.

 

Basically any formula cars on anything...

I did make a list a few weeks ago, which still can be found in the AI thread, using the Formula V10 Gen2. I went through the tracks alphabetically and there wasn't one track that didn't have these issues - some corners more, some corners less. I gave up around the letter D though, because I didn't see the point of reporting an obviously global issue for every track separately.

I did make a video where some of this is shown, though (first clip is how it should be, everything after that is how it is):

 

In general, the AI is slower on long straights. I think it has to do with default setups they are using. I can live with that, as it is the same with other sims on the market.

But they brake extremely late before (or should I say, within) corners when player is near, in order to avoid an overtake manoeuvre. Then they almost stand still on the apex and player has to break on a spot where he should already accelerate again. Afterwards, although they start from being very slow, they can rush out of corner quite fast.
And above that, they still drive over the grass without grip loss and cut corners when player dares to overtake before chicanes and never get penalties.
Extreme example is the second chicane in modern Monza. When player overtook an AI on the inside before the curve, they do not brake but just cut the chicane by jumping over the sausage curbs and often cause an accident that way.

But there is a thread for AI's behaviour on it's own:
https://forum.reizastudios.com/threads/official-ai-report-topic.15512/page-27#post-155951

 

In general the slow speed at the straights is my biggest problem at the moment, It is easy to overtake them and keep them behind in the corners,
I almost never overtake (divebomb) them on the inside just before a corner.
I overtake them on the outside in the "fast" corners or stay behind and overtake them on the following straight.
I rarely see the quick acceleration from the corners, Sometimes a cars pulls up kind of quick, looks and behaves like they have a great tow.
So far Openwheeler AI is kind of slow.
I will make some reports in the AI thread.

(formula Classic, formula V10)

 

I was not talking about divebombs, but coming out of the slipstream and being in front BEFORE the corner. AI just does not give a damn and tries to force it's way through by cutting the corner instead of breaking and passing the curve correctly.

Edit: By watching replays, you can easily see that AI also show this behaviour of corner cutting when they race each others.

 

The bit that bugs me the most, is that I could tell each time in a separate clip when you were in 4th position without looking top left for the data. I could tell simply by the the top three AI pattern and formation. The fun and immersion breaking AI top three convoy and wall that occurs in every race, in every car at every track.
Then in the other positions in the top ten they pair up and do the same. I get frustrated seeing it, even in someone else’s video montage.
I really do hope that the November and December updates kill these behaviours off and that we see the beginnings of an online system similar to racerooms.
They nail these two elements and AMS2 is going to be huge in 2022!

 

Slow speed on the straights? I have not noticed that, in fact I find it the opposite now. For example had a race with porsche cup at long beach and they were unmatchable on the main straight. And some blasted past me.

 

He was referring to open wheelers.

Very easy to reproduce: take F-Ultimate around Daytona. AI is super fast out of T6, but before reaching T9 you already can catch them. Also, out of T10 AI is slower than I would expect.

I used to believe AI was all over the place, but never occurred to me that I only race open wheelers, so the issue can be specific for that class. Maybe that's why I used to get massively bashed by people around here when I said AI racing is not fun at all.

 

32 cars in total was also the whole grid at Spa-F. at the RL 6H endurance race in May 2020. A full DTM grid at Hockenheim or Nürburgring consist of 24 cars.

 

Looks like a F1 race in the 80's

 

Unfortunately that is basically every F1 race on public servers ever. That's why GT cars are so popular since several years because they're easy to control.