PC1 Should I buy pCARS or not

[Ihab Abbas]

Hi there,​

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It is decision time to me "Should I buy pCARS or not"?! and to answer this question I have to ask some questions.​

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1- Do you consider it as a racing simulator when it comes to physics like rfcator and Race07 and iRacing, I want also the rfactor and iRacing guys to answer?​

2- Does it has a respectable online system that allows bunch of cars to compete or not?​

3- Should I pay one time payment or monthly payment like iRacing? ​

4- What is the best minimum computer configurations that could give out the maximum performance with every thing on maximum as graphics and frame rate?​

​

Best​

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

I agree Racedepartment is not ready for android tablet.

sure it is, just install tapatalk mobile forum skin is also on the way soon'ish

 

[Peter]

sure it is, just install tapatalk mobile forum skin is also on the way soon'ish

First: it's not free
Second: I like posting on the website

 

[Peter]

I'm on Convo now, it's free but I can't quote a message.

 

[David Ignjatovic]

you say race 07 is a high scoring sim but i have put 100 or so hours on it and have never really liked it that much. it doesnt drive how i would expect a car to drive. i enjoy iracing and have over 300 races there but still, and actual drivers have backed this up, it drives more difficult than a real car would.

Even if true{and I strongly suspect it is btw} nothing can change the fact that games like EVO, GSC, FVA and presumably rf2 at some stage, have strong sim qualities as I defined them in the sim index thread.......but that aside, that doesn't automatically let pcars off the hook, and FYI, it might end up being one of the greatest racing games ever made, but if it's isn't a sim of the standard of FVA/GSC/EVO, then I'm not interested.

I'm not the only one sick of wasting money and time on wanna be sims or downright tragic racing games......consider that one could hook up a G27 to Game Stock Car, be on the track within minutes, and immediately experience outstanding physics, steering wheel precision and FFB, but no such luck with either Shift2 or pcars.

Also, despite what some say, rf2 default isn't that bad either, it's moreso the cars themselves, lol.

 

[David Ignjatovic]

What will be, will be. I guess it's just a matter of time until we see what pCARS really has in store, and whether it turns out to be a "true sim" or not at the end, I'll still be able to have fun and enjoy it

I used to have the same mentality not so long ago, but games like F1 2010/11/Shift1/2 and Dirt3 put me off{Dirt3 extremely arcadey}, whereas older games like GTR EVO reward me for having a decent wheel and for using good driving techniques, but many of these aracdey racers punish me for having a wheel and ignore my skill.

Btw, I suspect pcars will make a ton of money, but I "feel" no evidence of it being a sim.

Even Inside Sim Racing had the good sense to warn sim racers that Test Drive Ferrari wasn't for sim racers and was more like Shift2......but I forget who's making the game, maybe you know.......?

 

[Mark Abbott]

Ihab, if you are considering it then do it soon, the ability to buy into the testing is likely to close within 2 - 3 weeks. As for being a true sim, the members are not there clammering for SMS to create an arcade game and what is more contrary to the belief of some we are not a bunch of game pad using idiots either. IT IS A BETA... you do not like the feeling post about it. It has changed for the better
with each build.

 

[David Ignjatovic]

Ithe belief of some we are not a bunch of game pad using idiots either. IT IS A BETA... you do not like the feeling post about it. It has changed for the better
with each build.

Didn't SMS make Shift1/2, and also Ferrari test drive?.....how long does it actually take to finish off a car when it's barebones tracks/weather and you've got all those previous games up your sleeve?
You may have noticed that I defend and promote what I believe are genuine sims, and would also promote and defend this as a simcade game, but sorry, it doesn't even feel as good as Shift2[except for improvement in swaying], so there's no way I can rate this as a sim, nor do I have much faith it'll become one.

And as I've said before, what am I supposed to say to SMS?....

David....Hey Ian, this thing feels like totally arcade on the brakes dude.
Ian.....{$$$$$$$$$$}, yeah I know, but it's gonna be a sim.
David....k, fair enough, what about the huge grip levels?
Ian.....{$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$}.....chill kid, this will be a sim with the best handling ever.
David....righto, what about weak, weird and inconsistent FFB.
Ian....{$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$}.....oh, are you using a wheel??
David....yes, I'm using the very popular G27, so will this game actually have any decent steering precision, I mean Shift1/2 were definately dodgy on steering precision..?
Ian...{$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$}.......GTFO, you're banned, here's your shitty 10 bucks back.....adios asshole{$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$}

 

[Kazumi]

I'm not the only one sick of wasting money and time on wanna be sims or downright tragic racing games......

I agree.

I don't waste time with sims I don't like (doesn't mean I don't try them... and maybe it's just minor things I don't like in the end which are changable)

consider that one could hook up a G27 to Game Stock Car, be on the track within minutes, and immediately experience outstanding physics, steering wheel precision and FFB, but no such luck with either Shift2 or pcars.

No such luck for you yet.

In pCars case wait for the full game and judge it again...

Even Inside Sim Racing had the good sense to warn sim racers that Test Drive Ferrari wasn't for sim racers and was more like Shift2......but I forget who's making the game, maybe you know.......?

It's probably made as accessable as possible...

But on the other hand if anyone ask "should I buy FVA or not?" its pure simulation design don't help much to answer a clear "yes" (unless he loves hot-lapping in a Ferrari) :oops:

 

[David Ignjatovic]

But on the other hand if anyone ask "should I buy FVA or not?" its pure simulation design don't help much to answer a clear "yes" (unless he loves hot-lapping in a Ferrari) :oops:

Yes, but that's the difference between the features of a game and sim index, so FVA is ordinary on the game index, but is one of the benchmark games on the sim index, as such, one can buy this game with the knowledge that it's a sim, and for some, that maybe enough.

http://www.racedepartment.com/forum/threads/defining-a-pc-racing-simulator-sim-index.48105/

See this thread for details on game vs sim index.

 

[Kazumi]

Oh, I'm not critisizing you're index.

I just think... well, creating a racing game which many people can enjoy (given, Shift series got a few nasty bugs which they were never allowed to fix in future patches, and I probably would do many things different, not even necessarily in sim-ness (EA watched over that) more in terms of "game design") isn't a bad thought, in my opinion

If they (racing sim developers in general) do, say, every 2 years (the forza release circle btw - and also kinda the timeframe of S1, S2U and TDF) a console semi-sim game... and one PC game with competitive online (and constant updates, dlc like iRacing) . IMHO that would be a not-so-bad compromise. (fictional example)

I don't see much wrong with the idea of a Test Drive game, but with more sim-ness then, say, TDU2. (how much more, we can argue when it's released! )

So doesn't ISR basically just say anyone else (who likes racing and car games in a broader sense) should try (I hope there's a demo?) it... Now it just need to be good, polished - and the line above in brackets we will see.




Edit: Sorry for the 1000s of brackets. Just trying to make things as clear as possible

 

[David Ignjatovic]

So doesn't ISR basically just say anyone else (who likes racing and car games in a broader sense) should try (I hope there's a demo?) it..

As I said, there's every possibility that pcars could be one of the best racing games ever made....Shift2 could've been one of the best but had too many problems, but that's not my concern, I'm only concerned as to whether it feels/drives like a sim of the caliber of
FVA/GSC/GTR Evo.

 

[Dinca Andrei]

And as I've said before, what am I supposed to say to SMS?....

David....Hey Ian, this thing feels like totally arcade on the brakes dude.
Ian.....{$$$$$$$$$$}, yeah I know, but it's gonna be a sim.
David....k, fair enough, what about the huge grip levels?
Ian.....{$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$}.....chill kid, this will be a sim with the best handling ever.
David....righto, what about weak, weird and inconsistent FFB.
Ian....{$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$}.....oh, are you using a wheel??
David....yes, I'm using the very popular G27, so will this game actually have any decent steering precision, I mean Shift1/2 were definately dodgy on steering precision..?
Ian...{$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$}.......GTFO, you're banned, here's your shitty 10 bucks back.....adios asshole{$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$}

That was the most hilarious thing i have read today.....made me crack my self laughing...with tears...

 

[John Robertson]

for those of you complaining about steering wheels feeling off know this: I use a pad and it feels way off too.

I had a g27 for a while and I played shift 2, f1 2011, dirt 2/3, rfactor, and race 07 with it. I got a pretty good idea for what feels good and what doesn't. Shift 2 after a large mod and messing with specific car settings actually started to feel okay, albeit a bit heavy (but a lot of the cars in shift 2 ARE heavy, the actual gt cars feel great) f1 2011 always felt a little goofy and easy mode but at least accurate as far as input goes. rfactor after some modding and race 07 of course feel good as well.

I've also played all of these games with a controller too, since I had to sell my g27 for rent money a while back. Over all the controller seems reasonably accurate and is almost interchangeable with shift 2 (drifting is way easier though), in the dirt series I actually like the controller better since it's such a ridiculous handling system, rfactor has too many buttons to bind them to one control pad very well, but I eventually figured out a way to use most of the controls and it felt fine. F1 2011 works, but there's some damping on the controller input so chicanes are a nightmare with out immediate steering control.

All of these "finished" games were at least playable with a controller. The point of all this is, pCars is NOT. the control pad input is awful. This above all else would kill this game before it sold a single copy if they released it with this problem. It seems like they're still working on things and the controls in general are almost a place holder type deal, and I can only hope they sort these problems out. It's not just wheels feeling off though, it's everything.

 

[David Ignjatovic]

All of these "finished" games were at least playable with a controller. The point of all this is, pCars is NOT. the control pad input is awful

This is why I question the value of the current method, ie, x amount of unfinished cars and tracks.....instead, why don't they finish one car, even if it's a skeleton, as sim players want to judge the sim qualities first and foremost.

Even the GTR2 demo from 2006 worked beautifully with my xbox pad and that was 2x 600hp tanks.

 

[David Ignjatovic]

Oh, I'm not critisizing you're index.

(EA watched over that) more in terms of "game design")

But could/would EA force SMS to build two consecutive driving models that sucked?
I had to turn on TC in Shift1 as I was sick of drifting thru corners, unlike true sims where all aids are always off.

 

[John Robertson]

This is why I question the value of the current method, ie, x amount of unfinished cars and tracks.....instead, why don't they finish one car, even if it's a skeleton, as sim players want to judge the sim qualities first and foremost.

Even the GTR2 demo from 2006 worked beautifully with my xbox pad and that was 2x 600hp tanks.

Exactly, it seems a really odd way to go about making a driving game. You think the physics would be the most important thing, I'd have expected them to make the test track and maybe 2 or 3 cars. They could have even have done some really simple blocks with wheels on them marked something like "1500 KG, 400 HP" or something so we could get an idea of the physics more than anything else.

I can only assume they're going for a content monster that's going to compete directly with forza and gran turismo, as that seems to be what they're showing off and focusing on.

 

[Kazumi]

But could/would EA force SMS to build two consecutive driving models that sucked?
I had to turn on TC in Shift1 as I was sick of drifting thru corners, unlike true sims where all aids are always off.

I can't answer that question, maybe SMS people could. Or EA. But I'd believe SMS people more then EA

But in some parts there is a pattern in the Shift series and the other EA racing games (Hot Pursuit, The Run - I only played the demos which might be unavailable by now)

One is that you can drive through all corners and shouldn't get trouble with either under- or oversteer. If that would be one thing the publisher demand then it's certainly not an easy task to find a solution with a sim engine. In the first Shift they went as far and seperating the game modes by up to ~ 20% differences in peak grip and center of gravity. But as in real cars in a sim environment by doing one thing to improve something there is always a potential drawback (simplest example: more power -> otherwise okay-ish car drives like a dog)

There's more to the second part I can't answer here either...

Exactly, it seems a really odd way to go about making a driving game. You think the physics would be the most important thing, I'd have expected them to make the test track and maybe 2 or 3 cars. They could have even have done some really simple blocks with wheels on them marked something like "1500 KG, 400 HP" or something so we could get an idea of the physics more than anything else.

Doesn't sound like a bad plan.

The (beautiful) content in terms of cars and tracks is more something that attracts sales in the end. Some of the members stick to 2 or 3 cars anyway, so... I kinda agree on what you said, that would make sense. On the other hand "releasing" (make available to members) the amount of tracks they currently do sounds like a good thing to me.

The first builds and the first build after the WMD thing (2 tracks and like 3 cars?) started didn't feature much more then that as far as I know (and remember) though.

 

[Aleksander Turnsek]

@Mark Abbott
Game is in PRE-ALPHA which is a loooong way even from BETA that's why I hope for better physics

@Kazumi
This thing with cars and tracks is a business plan. You can't get new people to test a game if you don't add new content. I hope that gets changed when tool packs are disabled because we want progression on physics and overall sim feel.

P.S. I am still keeping my fingesr crossed for this game to be a real sim

 

[David Ignjatovic]

I can only assume they're going for a content monster that's going to compete directly with forza and gran turismo, as that seems to be what they're showing off and focusing on.

There's also endless discussion at WMD about set up, similar to the Shift1/2 fiasco, and I mean more than things like tyre pressure, ie, many people have ongoing problems getting a worthy feel.
Don't get me wrong, if they get the driving model into a decent simcade shape, and ensure stupid things like being unable to record all your laptimes are fixed, this could be one of the best driving games ever made.

 

[David Ignjatovic]

I But as in real cars in a sim environment by doing one thing to improve something there is always a potential drawback (simplest example: more power -> otherwise okay-ish car drives like a dog)
.

It's like the Cat320 and Cat260 from Simbin, the 260hp model is very balanced, but the 320 does feel like they just increased the power, making it a bit hairy.....that's not to say the 320 is a bad car, it just exaggerates all of the 260's car behaviour.