PC2 Massive Project CARS 2 1.3.0.0 Update Released

Paul Jeffrey

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Project CARS 2 Updated.jpg

Slightly Mad Studios have deployed a major new patch for Project CARS 2 today, addressing a large number of the issues currently experienced by players of the title.

The new build has been long awaited by both fans and critics of the Project CARS series following what has been a troubled birth for the new sim, however following plenty of promises from developers Slightly Mad Studios about the next big patch, it very much looks like the studio have been hard a work behind the scenes addressing much of what required attention in this potentially very impressive racing game.

The new build is available now.

Build 1.3.0.0 Update Notes:

Online / Multiplayer
  • New game mode - The Online Championship game mode is now available, allowing players to compete online in full championships, spanning multiple rounds.
  • Fixed an exploit where some players could load custom setups in Community Events when Default Setups are enabled.
  • Improved logging and syncing when joining online games already in progress.
  • Fix for an online issue where players would be shown an incorrect error message when attempting to join a game session which was full.
  • Online Reputation: When being kicked from a race, the system now checks your recent history to help decide if points should be deducted from your ranking score.
  • Online Reputation: Fixed a bug where remaining players would not score for a win against disconnected players.
  • Resolved a problem where a previously kicked player, joining back into a game after accepting an invite, would be auto-kicked.
  • For players joining an active qualifying or practice session, there is now a 3-minute cut-off as the session approaches completion, after which it will no longer be possible to join the session.
  • An error message is now displayed when an incorrect password is entered when joining a password-protected lobby.
Career
  • New Invitational Event - McLaren 720S VIP Challenge.
  • Fix for career multi-class races, so that the finish position within the class is used for series progression, rather than the overall race position.
  • Nissan Skyline Silhouette, Nissan Skyline BNR32, Nissan R89C, and Porsche 961 can now be used in Career mode.
  • Fix for an issue where pop-ups for unlocking Invitational events were displayed in the wrong location.
VR
  • Improvements to the VR-specific replay camera system.
  • Fix for screen dirt and rain drops not rendering correctly in VR.
  • Fix for an issue when VR combined with NVIDIA Surround caused the game to attempt display of ultra-widescreen content in the VR headset.
  • Changed the VR Gaze pointer behaviour to also hide when the UI is disabled in Photo Mode and Replays.
  • Fix for VR Photo Mode initial FOV settings when switching camera mode.
  • Fix for screenshots taken in VR Photo Mode not saving correctly to the <Documents\Project CARS 2\screenshots> folder.
Controllers
  • Logitech - Fix for G29 and G920 lock stops.
  • Fanatec - improved anti-jolt and high-frequency anti-vibe on the CSWB series.
  • Thrustmaster - Improvements for the 458 Italia.
  • Improvements to various controller’s vibration effects.
GUI and HUD improvements
  • Session information such as race duration is now displayed on the pre-race menu.
  • Changed the HUD colouring scale for race rain tyres.
  • Added a dialog to show replay saving progress.
  • Change to the way the Start Type is displayed on the Round dialog so that it matches the Race Settings dialog.
  • Fix for an issue where a menu would become disabled when moving 'down' from the bottom of the menu.
  • Updates to various buttons to better indicate when a button is selected/highlighted.
  • Fix for buttons on online post-race results screen so that they only show when they can be pressed.
  • Fixed cases where the RPM Gauge on the HUD was not matching the actual RPM of the car.
  • Fixed loading bar to become invisible when local loading is complete.
  • Added new Help Text for Menu Spring Strength in FFB settings.
  • Added fuel estimation to Tuning Setup screen and ICM.
  • Added auto-scroll to a number of info feeds to prevent overlapping text.
  • Added the name of the car setup currently in use to the 'Setup' button on the Pre-Race screen.
  • Fix for fuel being displayed incorrectly as mass, not volume.
  • Improvements to the lap timing and visual-split timing HUD widgets.
  • Fix for incorrect number of records being counted on Community Event screen.
  • Fixed an issue in Time Trial where Loaded Ghosts and Options on the Pre-Race menu were highlighted at the same time if the player added multiple ghosts in Time Trial.
  • Fixed an issue where an incorrect weather forecast icon is displayed for the client in the lobby details screen.
Handling/Damage
  • Various tyre behaviour tweaks and improvements to the different tyre compounds.
  • Altered the pre-heating temperatures of various tyres to prevent them from being outside optimum temp range at race starts.
  • New rain tyre compound improvements for Group C, GTP, all Formula cars, GT1, and LMP900.
  • Driveline improvements with increased synchro effect for Hewland-type gearbox
  • Lowered the time to jam gears together after a missed shift for all gearboxes.
  • Changes to Vintage Lotus treaded tyres to improve wet speed balance.
  • Altered radiator damage to make it more progressive, and not accumulate damage from minor impacts.
  • Fix for issues with radiator settings on the Toyota GT86 GT4, and Rocket Bunny versions, which under some conditions were causing engine overheating.
  • Changes to downshift protection based on vehicle speed.
  • Lowered minimum shift time for cars with H-pattern racing gearboxes.
  • Improved physics setup and damage for Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG.
  • Fixed missing radiator damage for Ford Escorts, and Ford Mustangs.
  • Improvements to Formula Renault 3.5 default stable setup.
  • Performance balancing changes to the LMP1, GT3 and GT4 Classes.
  • Refinements to Vintage Low Grip tyre.
  • Balanced performance for BMW M3 GT4, and Ford Mustang Boss 302 R1.
  • Improved Modern Touring Car tyre compound.
  • Road car tyres: Tuned the aquaplaning and more sensible behaviour in very deep water.
  • Increased threshold for detaching front wings of Formula cars.
  • Adjusted various default setups:
  • – Aston DB11: Loose
  • – Aston Vulcan: Loose, and Stable
  • – BMW 320 TC: Stable
  • – BMW M3 E30: Loose, and Stable
  • – Chevy Camaro ZL1: Loose, and OEM
  • – Ferrari 330 P4: Loose, and Stable
  • – Ford Fusion Stockcar: Loose.
  • BMW 2002 StanceWorks: Fixed tyre texture, better strut geometry for kingpin angle and scrub radius, improved drag centre of forces in the aero model.
AI
  • Improved AI in low- and high-speed cornering.
  • Improved balance between player and AI in wet conditions.
  • Improvements to general AI behaviour and racecraft across all tracks.
  • Tweaks to how AI are affected by snow and ice.
  • Improvements to the AI driving on slick tyres in wet weather.
  • AI Practice and Qualifying grip levels rebalanced to better match expected behaviour.
  • Better balanced AI speed on corner exit.
  • Generally improved the AI racing balance and ability across many tracks.
Audio
  • Update to various AI car sounds.
  • Added new sounds for lower pitch skidding.
  • Improved AI audio levels in replays.
  • Improvements to Lamborghini Huracán engine audio.
  • Reduced the skid sounds for the McLaren 720S.
  • Modified falloff curves for surface and skid sounds.
  • Updated sound mix for replays, with improved reverb settings for tunnels and bridges.
  • New tyre skid sound effects for treaded tyres.
  • Fix for an issue with audio not panning to all speakers in 7.1 under certain conditions.
Tracks
  • California Highway Stage 3 - Added an alternate start line to clean up occasional start line issues.
  • DirtFish (all) - Fixed an issue with render flickering on main building.
  • DirtFish Mill Run - Fix for an exploit to prevent unrealistic lap times (This includes a leaderboard reset for Time Trial and Community Events on DirtFish Mill Run to remove bogus lap times).
  • Fuji - Fixed an issue with some render flickering on the front of the pit buildings.
  • Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval - Updated dynamic marks, updated AI alternate start line for better cleaner starts.
  • Circuit de 24 Heures du Mans - Fix for render flickering issue on the fence left of start straight, and in the curve entering the long straight.
  • Lohéac - Fix for an issue on one kerb where the physics would didn’t behave correctly.
  • Oulton Park - Fixed floating white lines near entry to pit lane.
  • Red Bull Ring—National: Changed some dynamic barriers and fixed LODs.
  • Red Bull Ring GP and National layouts - Fixes for various Replay and Pre-Race camera issues.
  • Sakitto - Fixed various render popup issues.
  • Fixed issues with the race start at various tracks.
  • Adjusted the pit lane placement of Pit Limiter Entry and Exit boards at several tracks.
  • Improvements to track cut settings at various tracks.
Vehicles
  • Audi A1 Quattro - Rebalanced the AI in rain vs. dry.
  • BAC Mono - New wet tyre compound.
  • BMW 320 TC - Fixes for gaps in the rear of cockpit, and fixed cockpit display clipping.
  • Caterham Seven 620 R - Improved wet tyre.
  • Chevrolet Camaro 1969 - New suspension geometry to better match the Hotchkiss design at the rear and SLA up front.
  • Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 - OEM setup differential opened up.
  • Dallara DW12 Road - New player rain compound, and new AI wet grip adjustments.
  • Formula X & Dallara IR-12 - Adjusted engine lifetime model.
  • Ferrari 488 GT3 - Reduced extra slip allowance at low speeds for better stability.
  • Ferrari F40 LM - Fixed various cockpit detail issues that were visible in VR.
  • Ford Escort RS1600 - Adjusted dry and wet speeds for AI to match latest physics changes.
  • Ford Falcon V8 Supercar - New rain compound.
  • Ford Falcon V8 Superca - Added a new tyre carcass and made some minor improvements to car handling.
  • Formula Renault 3.5 - Increased rolling drag and friction torque to AI to balance their speed on straights.
  • Ginetta G40 - Improved AI tyre stiffness, grip and rolling resistance, to better match player, added new Junior tyre.
  • KTM X-Bow GT4 - Changed spring and damper data, and added optional final drive ratio.
  • Ligier JS P - Fixed exhaust positions.
  • Ligier LMP3 - Fixed rear 3rd bump stop having no range adjustment.
  • Lotus Type 51 - Increased players wet grip to better match the AI.
  • Mazda MX-5 Radbul - Engine cooling and durability adjustment to prevent engine from blowing after one lap. New drift setup added.
  • McLaren P1 GTR - Updated the differentials for Stable, and Loose default setups, for more stability and ease of driving.
  • Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 - Improved default setup to improve stability.
  • Nissan Fairlady Z GTS - Various fixes enabling radiator damage, texture fixes, better drag balance, and bigger set of gear ratios.
  • Nissan Fairlady Z GTS-II - Raised shift light RPM-trigger to 8,000 RPM.
  • Nissan Skyline Super Silhouette - Boost adjustment for default setup to make the car more competitive with other Group 5 cars.
  • Porsche 936/77 - Added a wider set of gear ratios.
  • RWD P20 LMP2 - Changed shift lights to better match engine peak-power.
  • Toyota GT86 - Altered aero positioning, and fixed an aero-lose problem without changing the setup.
  • GT4 cars - Change to the tyre carcass model.
  • LMP1 Cars - Fixed an issue where the AI weren't using the hybrid system, causing an imbalance with the player.
  • LMP2 cars - Reduced aero drag by 35lbf @ 150mph.
  • Various road cars - Changed OEM tyres to the correct ones.
  • Kart - Disabled differential setup adjustments, new tyre carcass construction.
  • Improved dirt texture on various cars.
  • Fixed mud and snow textures on various cars.
Other Improvements
  • Fixed an issue in Time Trial where the player could load a ghost’s setup for a different car from the player’s car if the selected ghost was in the same class as the player’s car.
  • Improved the rendering of the edges of LiveTrack puddles for off-road/off-track areas.
  • Fixed an issue with mud and dust particles being visible inside cockpits.
  • Improvements to the wet track darkening render effect.
  • Much-improved motion blur and bokeh effects.
  • Fix for an issue where, in certain cases, LiveTrack conditions could be carried over from one game type to another.
  • Improved the synchronisation of clouds and rainfall, and the effects on cars.
  • Fix for a red/yellow graphical glitch sometimes appearing on track surface.
  • Fix for an occasional crash when switching shadow detail level.
  • Fixed an intermittent crash when entering text for a new pit strategy.
  • Fixed an issue where occasionally some AI cars would not move on the first viewing of a replay.
  • Fix for an issue that would reset the player’s tuning setup to default when Pausing and choosing to return to pits.
  • ...and many other small tweaks, improvements and performance enhancements.

Project CARS 2 is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Check out the Project CARS 2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment for more news, discussion and features on this sequel release to the hugely popular Project CARS franchise of games.

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Have you tried the new Project CARS 2 update yet? Has the latest build addressed any / all of the issues you detected with the game? What are your impressions? Let us know in the comments section below!
 
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lol, but unless you can prove that SMS told PRC to bash other titles, that won't hold up in court....

Well i used to work for a huge FTSE 100 company and we were signing contracts to say that we would never slag off a competitor otherwise we would get the boot, this included even stuff we posted on personal social media like FB twitter etc...
A SMS employee should not have a blog which is about slagging off competitors....
 
I'm quite enjoying Project CARS 2 on both PC and Xbox One X. pcars was a game with a lot of issues back in 2015, no track limits on PC and a lot of the time it just didn't work on Xbox One online. Project CARS 2 is entirely different, it worked from day 1 and it is generally thrilling despite the odd quirk.

I can see this might well be an unpopular view here on RD but this patch has improved quite a lot. If you take a look at the wet weather AI performance they have improved massively in this patch. Previously I, an average racing gamer, could go from last to the front of the pack in 3 laps without much effort even with the AI set at 120% skill and 100% aggression. Now after the V3 patch, I am struggling to keep up with the front runners at 95% AI skill and 75% aggression. The AI also take more advantage of player mistakes and make realistic mistakes themselves. There is still an issue on some tracks with first corner AI bunching but once they are running clear they are on par with the better AI in racing games today. I agree though they don't yet match the very best such as the recent AC AI.

PCARS2 V3 wet AI at 95% skill

PCARS2 V1.3 wet AI at 120% skill


I've added the videos so you don't have to take my word for it. VR and 4K game performance make PCARS 2 really stand out head and shoulders above the other game for me. The clarity of the VR image, draw distance, the cockpit lighting and in-game performance are the best I've experienced in VR. There is something so right about the world scale in PCARS2 VR, it looks spot on to me. Most of the other games either have great in-car clarity and are more limited outside and in the distance or vice versa.

PCARS2 isn't perfect and sure there are other racing games that do individual elements better but as an overall package, for me, it is a good one.

I have no connection with any developer or publisher but I'd agree PCARS2 does seem to get more than its fair share of unjustified negativity. It's probably a hangover from pcars I see that. Other developers have got away with a lot less criticism for far worse behaviour (eg AC on console has been woeful for all its brilliance on PC).
 
AC auto clutches for you (irregardless of your assist settings) when driving an H pattern car with no H pattern shifter. Pc2 auto clutches for you (irregardless of your assist settings) even when driving an H pattern car WITH and H pattern shifter and clutch. This thread isn't about AC or any other game in the genre, btw.
-------------
The clutch and H pattern behavior in pcars has a simulation value of zero; was actually expecting this to be one of the things that SMS remedied in the update.
So @Leynad777 you clicked on disagree, please explain what info in my post is incorrect.
 
Not sure if you agree with me or not. But the issue still stands it is not in any way real.

I can flat shift and downshift with no clutch in any manual car in PC2. I can heel and toe and left foot brake with my setup and I switch between left and right foot braking depending on the corner.
The best way I can put it is that we see things in a different light.

If I want "real" I will go get a track day car and really drive a car as fast as I can. That is all I can afford.

If I want fun I will fire up my gaming computer, sit behind my fake wheel and pedals, and drive the bejeezuz out of any exotic race car I want, while going as fast as I can to beat you doing the same thing.

Do I want my cars to drive the way that I have always expected them to drive, (after decades of watching them race live and on tv, decades of reading about them, how the drivers describe their characteristics, how they were set up for particular tracks or how they finally found the secret to success: Nissan GTP-X IMSA car-their secret was to toe-out the rear wheels +8-for example)?

Yes, I do. Yet I do not expect to have any simulation value that is comparable to the real thing as it is nearly impossible to do, no matter how expensive the rig that I can afford.

I accept that my fake steering wheel, affixed to my fake wood computer desk, with my fake pedals, will never give me a real-life immersive experience so instead of focusing on what I can never achieve I strive to wring the most fun out of what I have.

If that means that I must drive my fake car, using my fake wheel, in a fake manner so I can go faster, I will accept that.

It is about us, you and I, having fun. If we strive to find fault in every aspect of a game that allows us to drive facsimiles of real cars on facsimiles of real track, using facsimile controls, then we are not having fun. We are merely looking to add unneeded stress to a pastime that is supposed to relieve stress.

I understand the need for realism, I want it too, but at my age I find that I do not want to spend a lot of time looking for issues in activities that I turn to for fun.

I have fun racing my Gp C Jag against other Gp. C cars, even if I do not drive it in the manner that it was driven back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was still skinny enough to hang from a rock with my hand jammed in a crack.

Have fun, don't sweat it so much.
 
The best way I can put it is that we see things in a different light.

If I want "real" I will go get a track day car and really drive a car as fast as I can. That is all I can afford.

If I want fun I will fire up my gaming computer, sit behind my fake wheel and pedals, and drive the bejeezuz out of any exotic race car I want, while going as fast as I can to beat you doing the same thing.

Do I want my cars to drive the way that I have always expected them to drive, (after decades of watching them race live and on tv, decades of reading about them, how the drivers describe their characteristics, how they were set up for particular tracks or how they finally found the secret to success: Nissan GTP-X IMSA car-their secret was to toe-out the rear wheels +8-for example)?

Yes, I do. Yet I do not expect to have any simulation value that is comparable to the real thing as it is nearly impossible to do, no matter how expensive the rig that I can afford.

I accept that my fake steering wheel, affixed to my fake wood computer desk, with my fake pedals, will never give me a real-life immersive experience so instead of focusing on what I can never achieve I strive to wring the most fun out of what I have.

If that means that I must drive my fake car, using my fake wheel, in a fake manner so I can go faster, I will accept that.

It is about us, you and I, having fun. If we strive to find fault in every aspect of a game that allows us to drive facsimiles of real cars on facsimiles of real track, using facsimile controls, then we are not having fun. We are merely looking to add unneeded stress to a pastime that is supposed to relieve stress.

I understand the need for realism, I want it too, but at my age I find that I do not want to spend a lot of time looking for issues in activities that I turn to for fun.

I have fun racing my Gp C Jag against other Gp. C cars, even if I do not drive it in the manner that it was driven back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was still skinny enough to hang from a rock with my hand jammed in a crack.

Have fun, don't sweat it so much.

Which is why Forza / GT and PCars franchise exist. No problem with that. Your leader Ian Bell is paying someone who has a blog slagging off iRacing and RF2 and AC. Either they turn a blind eye to it or they are actively getting him to do it....for money....
 
  • ronniej

Not sure what's happening to me today, but I find myself agreeing with both sides.....I've been a huge fan of AC and it's developers because of what it gives me in fun factor and sense of realism, and I've been a 3 star General of the AC fanboy army because of how they took care of the game since it's conception. I don't play AMS that much, but I put it in the same league as AC in regards to how Reiza looked after their game as well ....So, I think what is happening (SMS "witch hunt"), is a reaction to what some of the players were expecting with what the devs were promising (certainly my case anyways). Like I said, I think perhaps Mr. Bell should have "held back" a bit with the "Ultimate Sim" hype and so on. I'm not a real racer, but I've had the pleasure of driving some pretty cool and powerful sleds and for me, AC and rF2 give me what I need the best out of all, but I would hate to see this genre ("Sim racing/Driving) stop progressing and if SMS can take top spot or anyone else, then I welcome it. I've been a harsh critic towards R3E, but I'm grateful that they are giving me an update today that will hopefully improve my experience.
*Geez, I'm still feeling the effects of my wife's "special" attention to my needs last night:x3:
 
give pCARS2 at least another 10x updates & patches time...

But even then people will say it was perfect at release....like SMS are doing fixes and patches for the sheer sake of it...
When devs do patches it is because they are fixing something or adding something, either way this is always done with the intention of improving the game.....so i cant fathom why people should argue the game was fine at release....?
Clearly if that were the case you will go off line and make sure your games never update....
 
  • Deleted member 99238

They need to release another demo 2.0 and read the happy reviews about it:
"Holy s.... THE DEMO IS AMAZING!!!"
 
give pCARS2 at least another 10x updates & patches time...
Have you counted how many updates AC, RF2, RR have had since they came out? AC alone took more than 3 years to make a decent AI....AMS just a couple of months back got their AI fixed which would park behind your car on strairghts instead of overtaking you.....yeah all other racing games out there have always been perfect.....yeah yeah...
 
Have you counted how many updates AC, RF2, RR have had since they came out? AC alone took more than 3 years to make a decent AI....AMS just a couple of months back got their AI fixed which would park behind your car on strairghts instead of overtaking you.....yeah all other racing games out there have always been perfect.....yeah yeah...

whataboutisum.......

Look fella, pretty sure you'll find plenty of people moaning about those games on the actual game threads....this is about PCars 2 patch....its really very very simple. Deflecting with whataboutisum is a clear attempt to subvert attention away from.. "look!! .....a lion!!"
 
But then again SMS pay Pretend Race Cars and he is an employee of them, go read what he writes about RF2 and AC and iRacing.... if they don't like people bashing PCars 2 maybe stop paying someone to bash other titles then?
Or maybe grow up and take it......
Also many threads on PCars forum slagging off Forza, GT, AC, iRacing, RRE, AMS, RF2 etc...
Smacks of hypocrisy....
very true, I was going to post something like this on the "witch hunt" thread but would probably get my head ripped off and then banned
 
But then again SMS pay Pretend Race Cars and he is an employee of them, go read what he writes about RF2 and AC and iRacing.... if they don't like people bashing PCars 2 maybe stop paying someone to bash other titles then?
Or maybe grow up and take it......
Also many threads on PCars forum slagging off Forza, GT, AC, iRacing, RRE, AMS, RF2 etc...
Smacks of hypocrisy....
Simple solution. Don’t visit his site!
 
Which is why Forza / GT and PCars franchise exist. No problem with that. Your leader Ian Bell is paying someone who has a blog slagging off iRacing and RF2 and AC. Either they turn a blind eye to it or they are actively getting him to do it....for money....
Make no mistake: I do not see Bell as one to be admired. I like the game but not enough to get into a urinating contest over it, too many issues with the game itself.

I prefer other sims but do not wish to play iRenting just so I can constantly pay to bang doors with the same type of nitwits I can do for a low, one-time fee of $60 American. At least in PC2, with the same nitwits, I do not have those nitwits constantly harping on me because I came within 10 yards of their car, or harping because they think I should pull over and allow them to pass. Or if I do, it is for the same one-time payment.

As for the other sims? Yeah, I have RF2, R3E, AC and AMS. I prefer R3E over every other one, with AMS a close second. AC is not bad and I am meh about RF2.

But all of them have their own issues, the main one being on-line choice.

The above is merely my own opinion. If you do not agree I will not lose sleep over it. What I will do is pick which one of those sims I want to drive tonight and not get my delicates in a wad because they are not realistic. I went into this hobby knowing it was not going to approach realism; merely simulate an interpretation of one entity's idea of how to express their best efforts at realism.

And have excrement-loads of fun.

What I will never do is adore a developer.
 
Which is why Forza / GT and PCars franchise exist. No problem with that. Your leader Ian Bell is paying someone who has a blog slagging off iRacing and RF2 and AC. Either they turn a blind eye to it or they are actively getting him to do it....for money....

"Yeah, but what about Ian Bell? And what about PRC?"

I read someone complaining about Whataboutism earlier in this thread. He was so right, it is the worst thing that happened to the internet.
 

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