How will the online mode be?

[isamu]

Have Kunos given us any detail about what the online portion of AC is going to be like? If they are hoping to compete with iRa$ing they're gonna need to incorporate a serious online structure into the game, complete with collision and off track penalties. Otherwise it's going to kill any hope of having a decent public arrive and drive environment. Part of the reason why iRacing is so successful is because at the end of the day, once you get past the graphics, physics, the interface and the sound, it's ALL about the thrill of on track competition.

I'm aware of how important leagues are to some people, but a growing part of the sim community are voicing their opinions on how they'd much rather have a straight up arrive and drive at any time during the week structure.A lot of people(including myself) don't have the time to dedicate to a once a week schedule at a certain time that a league requires.

I'm hoping Kunos will take online multiplayer serious enough to consider these things. Because if the online is a no holds barred playground with no rules and people can just jump in and wreck other drivers with no consequence whatsoever, then I'm afraid this sim will not see the success we're hoping it sees.

Thoughts?

 

[Craig Booth]

"Many people think that that the multiplayer and online experience is dramatically important to every racing game. We love online racing too and we participate in various leagues with netKar pro or even other sims occasionally! Still if you count the number of users that play online at any time of the day/week with all the available simulators on the market, and then you also count the sales numbers of all the simulators available, you will notice that the online active users are a tiny fraction of the whole sales, even on purely online dedicated sims. So we’re troubled… where are all these people? Why we can’t see more online active users, than 15-20% of the whole sales of all sims even by the most pessimistic sales projections? Obviously because only a small part of the customers have the time and energy to race online regularly."

"So for example, multiplayer? Sure, but it will be one of the features of Assetto Corsa. AC will not have only a multiplayer structure as its core function, like its predecessor. Our original wish list, when we defined the concept of AC more than 2 years ago, included a lot of interesting and cool features. Realistically, today we need to set priorities and give you a great, stable racing experience. We are investing so much, we decided to bet on the simracing community. When AC is released, you will decide whether to bet on us. What will happen after the first release of AC, will also depend on the community stance. If the community stops the religion wars of “my sim is better than yours” and embraces the small number of simulations that exist in the market, then the same market will grow and become healthier. If we are not up to the realistic expectations of the community or the community asks the impossible, then in the future we will see even more arcade driving games."

"Feedback was positive from the latest netKar Pro v1.3 version, and we aim to get better in Assetto Corsa, both in the actual multiplayer experience and most importantly in the management of the server and classifications after a race. We are still working on the feature list and actual multiplayer code; therefore I prefer to answer specific questions related to multiplayer when these features are completed."

Snippets from an interview at simnewsdaily.com

 

[isamu]

Thanks

 

[Jorge Alves]

In my opinion the online system is the best thing on iRacing ... it works really good ... even people who didnt enjoy so much the simulation (like me) purchased some licenses just to participate in that great online community. It would be great for racers to have the same system on AC.

 

[magicfr]

I don't like iRacing system so much, that's 1 big reason why I resiliated my subscription.
I prefer the LFS system ( when there were lots of people racing ). Lot's of 24/7 server wih admin, and fun fast 5lap race with allowing join durin race.
With admins, there were never wrecker.
On top of that, you had serious league with big race once one or two weeks.
So you got both sim pleasure, quick to go competition, and serious long competition.

 

[Jorge Alves]

@magicfr

I loved and played a lot LFS ... and i still play it sometimes but even with administrators banning people all the time on public servers there are a lot of wreckers ... anyway we have all different needs ... lets wait and see what kunos do with AC

 

[magicfr]

The problem with iRacing system, is that you have to wait sometimes 2h between 2 race on some series.
Also, you can't do your own server you have to rent iRacing server, and ping were bad until we got servers in europe.
I have fiber internet with 270mbps/70mps so I can host for my friend, or my ligue, for FREE and very good ping in my country ( 5ms ) in France.
So the iRacing system was bad for me.

 

[Taranta]

You ca host Europe server in iRacing: very low ping.

You have to train to compete and in fact you compete even 4 times a week

 

[Slawomir Judek]

Like Jorge said, all we have different needs. For example, for me possibility to race every hour or two is bad. After a while races become less exctiting. For me every, if not lap, then at least, session, should be exctiting, unique. Everybody should have an option to choose.

 

[Requiem84]

There is more to the iRacing online system than the scheduled racing;

it's also the Safety Rating system and the iRating system that work very well. That system could be used as well in a online environment where races aren't schedules, but hosted by users.

For example, you could think of an option to set your public server to only accept drivers with license level A. That would drastically improve the online pick-up racing! Also, if you go online and you see that someone has a very low safety rating, you know you better avoid him.

iRating wouldn't be used much in an open online environment, but it's something that has another important function: it gives you a purpose to race. People love it when their iRating goes up after a good race, and hate when iRating suffers because of a bad result, which makes them race again. iRating gives you an incentive to race, and more importantly, to finish a race, instead of disconnecting half way through.

Now, could someone forward this idea's to Kunos Simulazioni?

 

[magicfr]

From what Stefano exlained about the plugin system, someone could code the SR and Rating system, so if people want to go on server with this "mod" they can.
I know CarGame.nl use a plug like that.
But for people that thrust other people for clean race, no need to bother them with system like that.I'm really not fan of SR system

 

[Jorge Alves]

But for people that thrust other people for clean race, no need to bother them with system like that

You must drive on "dreaming land public servers ... tell me were they are

The close i can get is in communities like RD ... but on public servers? I really think at least a safety rating with contacts and out of track penalties should be implemented for every servers (public or not) ... as for the iRating System maybe should be optional or implemented with mods like you said

 

[magicfr]

Maybe a SR for contact against wall and cars, and when 4 wheel out of track for more than 1s, but the SR in iRacing sucks for racing, sometimes you put only 2 tires out of kerbs for 1/100 sec, at SPA for example, you still on tarmac and totally in control of the car, and you get SR penalty.

 

[Slawomir Judek]

Exactly, idiots are everywhere, and SR or IRating don't tell you all the truth. I used to see A license drivers who weren't clean enough etc. Racing is a craft. We don't want to race because of the SR or IR but because a man and a fast machine connected together is something beautiful. Frankly, I only care about drivers who are around me on a track. Among thousands of future AC drivers, I'm sure, we'll find 20 who can drive fast and clean, etc. With all these systems if somebody destroys your race, you are pissed of mainly because of losing SR or IR.

 

[Vaggelis Theodoridis]

Personally i dont like the hole iracing system.
It makes me anxious and i almost forget the fun part.
I want battles,aewsome battles,high level overtakes and irating doesnt help,i can have all these with a racer that understands the basics of racing even if we are not in the same pace.
So in my mind,what irating does is that puts out the crashers cause the hole system when u start driving in iracing makes u feel that u have to behave carefully,no big risks and focus on ur cockpit(all these are good but not by this way cause as i said takes the fun part away).
So the conclusion is how to "eliminate" the crashers..we could make a system that people vote for other racers about their baheviour in any race etc

In the end,the option that we have to do whatever we want is just aewsome.

 

[Slawomir Judek]

The easiest possible way to have good, clean races is to find these 20 or 25 racers with imagination who really know how to behave on a track. I hope there'll be a good hardcoremode league where these people will find the peace .

 

[Jorge Alves]

@Magic
Its true that its not perfect ... at least it wasnt when i was there ... but those are details that im sure Kunos can improve a lot if they really want to do it ... maybe the servers administrators could also choose when penalties will be applied (2 wheels, 3 wheeels, 4 wheels?) ... the contact system isnt perfect either cause if someone causes a contact and you have no fault you still get penalty for that ... so its a system that needs a lot of work but even with all the imperfections i could have much cleaner races there then in any public server on anyother sim

 

[Jorge Alves]

The easiest possible way to have good, clean races is to find these 20 or 25 racers with imagination who really know how to behave on a track. I hope there'll be a good hardcoremode league where these people will find the peace .

The problem is not in the leagues or organized events in communities ... its mainly on public servers ... for people who only like to drive in leagues or communities its ok ... but many like me like to race every days with same car on same tracks for a week ... and thats were the crashers are.

So the conclusion is how to "eliminate" the crashers..we could make a system that people vote for other racers about their baheviour in any race etc

Communities have something like that cause you can report them to administration ... and that works ok (at least in RD) ... but in public servers i dont think that will work. But i agree with your conclusion ... something must be done to "eliminate" the crashers & SKIDROWS from sim racing ... Iracing was the only one who made a system that made results on that but anyother system will be fine for me ... as long as it works

 

[magicfr]

A first easy way and simple, like in LFS, and most online gaming : votekick / voteban.

 

[Jorge Alves]

A first easy way and simple, like in LFS, and most online gaming : votekick / voteban.

I got kicked and banned from LFS servers more then one time just because someone start saying i crashed him and everyone follows his vote without checking .... and im one of the safest drivers you will find ... so ... im afraid that system sucks