Why are we into sim racing? The reasons tend to differ from person to person, but the core is the same for most: It is fun to us being able to blast around virtual circuits in cars that we likely will never have the chance to go near to in our lives. However, it does seem like sim racers can be quite a negative bunch - have we forgotten how to have fun?
The very nature of racing and therefore sim racing probably enforces focusing on the negatives: Where can I improve, what can I do better to find a few more tenths to be on the front row? How to eliminate mistakes? Everyone wants to improve when behind the wheel, be it in a real car or in a sim racing rig.
We are lucky that there are so many high-quality choices available. Competitive-minded racers will likely have a good time in iRacing or Assetto Corsa Competizione, while those who enjoy historical content or unusual combinations are more likely to feel at home in Automobilista 2, rFactor 2 or Assetto Corsa - especially the latter two if mods are a big part of your enjoyment.
Even super-serious iRacing competition has its comedic moments - like the customary jump at The Chase at the end of basically every race at Bathurst.
Is this rooted in a "my sim is better than your sim" approach? Possibly for some, but it could also be a result of expectations being unrealistically high or not considering what kind of racer a title is aimed at - we tend to forget that we are a bit of a niche.
Then there is the factor of realism - very few of us have ever raced the cars we are trying to judge from our rigs' racing seats or desk setups. If a certain sim or combination of car and track in a sim are enjoyable to sim racers, do they even have to be realistic to the finest detail?
Hangtime in a DPi on a Rallycross course? Don't mind if I do!
Of course, by the very definition of a racing simulation, getting as close as possible to the real thing is the end goal. But in the end, the beauty of sim racing is that we can on one hand portray real competitions in a virtual space as close to their real counterparts as ever, while on the other hand, we can also race rental karts against racing trucks if we desire - or countless other silly combinations we can think of.
It was the Viper Racing retrospective that got the ball rolling on this thought. The title took itself seriously, trying to get the driving physics as close to a realistic level as possible, and did so remarkably for 1998. Still, the developers implemented fun options like the horn ball or the wheelie button - could you imagine the outcry if a developer put something like this in their sim today?
Enjoy what you like in your sim rig - that means the simulation of your choice, the type of car, track or competition, and do not bother what others migth think about your favorites. If it is fun for you, that is all that matters.
The very nature of racing and therefore sim racing probably enforces focusing on the negatives: Where can I improve, what can I do better to find a few more tenths to be on the front row? How to eliminate mistakes? Everyone wants to improve when behind the wheel, be it in a real car or in a sim racing rig.
We are lucky that there are so many high-quality choices available. Competitive-minded racers will likely have a good time in iRacing or Assetto Corsa Competizione, while those who enjoy historical content or unusual combinations are more likely to feel at home in Automobilista 2, rFactor 2 or Assetto Corsa - especially the latter two if mods are a big part of your enjoyment.
Even super-serious iRacing competition has its comedic moments - like the customary jump at The Chase at the end of basically every race at Bathurst.
Put Down the Pitchforks
The point is: Everyone can pretty much race the way they like with the options available otday. And yet, for a significant portion of sim racers, it seems like part of the hobby is being negative about things, especially other simulations. Any time an update for any sim is released, there will be naysayers that criticize everything there is to a title. This does not mean those who constructively point out certain elements that are not to their liking, but rather those who bring out the pitchforks no matter what.Is this rooted in a "my sim is better than your sim" approach? Possibly for some, but it could also be a result of expectations being unrealistically high or not considering what kind of racer a title is aimed at - we tend to forget that we are a bit of a niche.
Then there is the factor of realism - very few of us have ever raced the cars we are trying to judge from our rigs' racing seats or desk setups. If a certain sim or combination of car and track in a sim are enjoyable to sim racers, do they even have to be realistic to the finest detail?
Hangtime in a DPi on a Rallycross course? Don't mind if I do!
Of course, by the very definition of a racing simulation, getting as close as possible to the real thing is the end goal. But in the end, the beauty of sim racing is that we can on one hand portray real competitions in a virtual space as close to their real counterparts as ever, while on the other hand, we can also race rental karts against racing trucks if we desire - or countless other silly combinations we can think of.
Enjoy What You Like
We should not let the concept of realism get in the way of our fun. Yes, we can and should expect developers to strive for it, but does it really matter if there was slightly less slip angle than there should have been in some corners when you just finished a great, close race with a bunch of friends in one of your leagues? I think not.It was the Viper Racing retrospective that got the ball rolling on this thought. The title took itself seriously, trying to get the driving physics as close to a realistic level as possible, and did so remarkably for 1998. Still, the developers implemented fun options like the horn ball or the wheelie button - could you imagine the outcry if a developer put something like this in their sim today?
Enjoy what you like in your sim rig - that means the simulation of your choice, the type of car, track or competition, and do not bother what others migth think about your favorites. If it is fun for you, that is all that matters.
