What does changing the difficulty actually affect in the AI cars? I know the AI cars are on a simplified simulation model compared to the player, but I presume the acceleration, top speed, tyre grip, cornering physics, etc of the cars themselves do not change between difficulty settings? So does it affect the efficiency of the AI car setups or does it artificially lower AI driver skill or something else to make them drive slower the lower you set the difficulty? I've noticed that on 80-90% the AI does artificially slow down on a couple of corners on circuits (for example last corner on Spielberg) - is that all it does - slow the AI down on a couple of corners by a degree dependant on the difficulty setting - or is there more to it than that? Also the difficulty level goes well past 100% (120% ?) so how does that work? How can the AI drive their cars 120% faster than is possible in real life? Or does 100% represent the 'norm' for professional racing drivers and 120% is like Schumacher/Senna level lol? Just interested in what the difficulty setting actually affects and, probably more importantly, what it doesn't affect.
Boy, I wish that someone answered your questions. I'd like to know too. I still can't find the menu to adjust the AI.
Its seems obviously the case that nobody knows lol. I would have hoped a developer might have responded.
A general overview: The calibration ideally aims for a real life matching performance by AI at 110-113 strength. It has to be admitted, that this isn't always the case because of AI base calibration not being spot on for several classes. (One thing, that is in constant development though and it basically takes lots of time with all the different classes, tracks, weather options and even needed behavioural changes, AI still is in the process of receiving). You can say (when calibration conditions are met!!) ~80 is still beginner range, ~100 is weekend advanced driver range, ~110 is sub-alien range and close to real life times and 120 should provide still a good fight, if you are alien-ace-ing the sim and you see the matrix. Default combination to test this can be at Interlagos with Stock Car Brasil 2020/21, 2019, F3, GT3 and also GTE for example, but also many other classes and tracks. Unfortunately it's still not at the point for also many classes as we would like it to be but work on this isn't done of course. Aggression basically determinates, how long AI fights (offensive and defensive) until they give up generally speaking. Also this one is subject of further tweaking. Especially cornering performance changes with higher AI strength. AI uses different tires and drivetrain than the player so PC performance is preserved. This is the reason why the calibration still takes some time for various classes and tracks, because of course it's a difficult task to make them behave as expected and reasonable in addition. Fortunately there are more and more tools to achieve that,
“AI uses different tires and drivetrain than the player so PCperformance is preserved.” Single player modes are generally very primitive compared to Arcade and Simcades. In that regards, AMS2 has one of the most exciting SP modes across sim title as in addition to speed and aggression it also changes consistency, Driver preferences for weather etc. Though AI using different physics, rule sets and car parts just ruins the experience. When a same spec car as the one you drive takeover you as if you are a few class lower, that just does not make sense. It also slows your technical skill progression as you unconsciously try some weird lines to match their speed. The only way to make AI drive faster realistically is to create different racing lines for each individual car and 120 has the mathematically perfect line. It is possible to do it if there are only 3-4 cars and a few tracks but it becomes impossible when you have dozens of cars and tracks like AMS2. So I would be happy to settle with 100% if they are abide to specs my car is.
Unfortunately the ai is not as affected by line as the human player, I assume because of those simplified physics. This is not a criticism, just trying to drill down on the limitations. Hopefully the expertise that clearly resides down at Reiza can come up with the goods on that one. Until they do, overtaking is really a blunt instrument approach by necessity, as is defending. Car positioning with a view to compromising a racing line for a competitor, not so much.
You find it when you setup a race. On the top, over your car selection is a header to setup opponents...click there and select # of opponents, classes/cars, skill and aggressiveness...although I'd call it rather "Awareness"....
I have been doing a lot of AI racing and I understand that it is very difficult to tune AI for so many classes on so many tracks. But I have found one particular issue which should be easy to fix: it is AI skill range window. For me it seams that racing skill window is very narrow, which means that AI cars lap with very similar pace which easily leads to very boring races where I go from last to first or I cannot match AI pace. I have feeling that I AI skill window should be bigger (at least 10%) and this would give us better racing and smaller chance to misstune the AI. I know that AI skill range is currently set up in talent files, but I would like to have slider in AI settings where I could set up this.
I've wanted the same slider (AI pack tightness / skill variance), but for the opposite reason: to avoid spreading the AI cars out as much. I'd say both are valid wishes with the same solution.
Just so I understand in my own mind, in what way is it different? For instance is the difference that AI physics updates at a lower frequency to preserve performance? Or are the AI cars more like floating avatars that receive static inputs, like: Accelerate to 251kmph towards position X, At position X reduce speed to 98kmph Towards position Y Maintain speed and change heading to 112.7 etc
No, it simply means, the AI is running on physics that are there to save you CPU performance. Gatekeeping isn't what we want. There are enough legitimate reasons to race with AI. And let's be honest here: Some public lobbies really make you wish for a good AI.
