Automobilista 2 Ultimate Modding Guide - UPDATE: How To Custom AI

Modding can enhance your gaming experience big time. In our Ultimate Automobilista 2 Modding Guide we show you in detail how to make mods work in AMS2 and thus add realistic driver names (and skills), original car liveries, or even new cars.

Last Update: February 4, 2024, 3pm
- Added Page 6, "Modding AMS 2: How to Create and Edit a Custom AI"

With almost 200 vehicles and more than 50 tracks from seven decades of automobile and racing history, Automobilista 2 offers sim racers a cornucopia of driving pleasure.

Due to lack of licences, however, many of them have only fictional liveries, while the AI grid consists of fictional, developer and backer names. Though that is not necessarily wrong or bad, for us die-hards it definitely lacks originality, authenticity and, as a consequence, immersion. Luckily for us, there is this blessing called modding!

Authentic textures for liveries, helmets, gloves and overalls as well as historically correct driver names with accurate skills (image shows the F1 2000 season) shifts immersion to another level. Image credit: Brainbug / IMMERSION Modding Group

Automobilista 2 and Moddability​

Automobilista 2 is powered by the Madness Engine, which you may know from the Project Cars series. Therefore, compared to, say, Assetto Corsa, modding AMS2 is rather limited. However, developer Reiza has found some ways to implement user-generated content (UGC) into the game which Project Cars did not feature. For instance, in AMS2 we can install entire skin packs, add more mod cars, or customize and tweak AI driver names and their driving skills. Thus, Automobilista 2 is much more mod-friendly than its engine predecessor or, say, Assetto Corsa Competizione, just to name another current game.

Automobilista 2 lets you implement custom skin packs for all cars and entire classes like e.g. the Porsche 911 GT1. Image credit: chrisi2174

In our Ultimate Automobilista 2 Modding Guide, we show you as detailed and comprehensive as possible how to properly mod Automobilista 2 and add authentic driver names (and skills), realistic car liveries or even original new cars to the game. So let us get started!

Modding Automobilista 2: Getting Started​

One of the greatest strengths of Automobilista 2 is that it is very accessible and easy to set up. Creating a driver profile and calibrating your wheel just takes a few minutes, before you can start your drive. Also setting up races or even entire championships is just a matter of a few clicks. Thanks to the creative, talented and eager community and tools such as the "Automobilista 2 Content Manager" (AMS2CM), the same can be said for installing and managing mods in AMS2. Here is what you need to get started.

One of the biggest positives of AMS2 is its accessibility.

Ultimate Automobilista 2 Modding Guide: Required Contents and Handy Tools​

• Apart from the base game, there is also a growing range of DLC for Automobilista 2 featuring additional cars and tracks. So before you install a mod, make sure you have got the necessary contents. If you are unsure - check our Automobilista 2 DLC Guide for further info and costs.
• Simple yet effective, AMS2 Content Manager has become the go-to tool for (almost) everything AMS2 modding. Offering one-click installation of mods, AMS2CM keeps Automobilista 2 mods in sync automatically. In this guide we will be focusing on installing and managing mods with AMS2CM. Hence, it is an indispensable prerequisite.
• Since mods come packed, also make sure to have appropriate tools such as 7zip or WinRar installed to be able to unzip and further edit the downloaded data.

Automobilista 2 Content Manager (AMS2CM)​

Similar to the "Content Manager" tool for Assetto Corsa (which is, admittedly, overall much more powerful), "Automobilista 2 Content Manager" stands for one-click installation of Automobilista 2 mods. With it, almost all manual copy/paste becomes obsolete. Here is how to get, install and set up this cool tool.

Installing and Setting Up Automobilista 2 Content Manager​

1. Download Automobilista 2 Content Manager.
2. Extract the packed archive with a tool of your choice (e.g. 7zip or WinRar) to a location of your choice. Tip: For ease of use, create a desktop shortcut for AMS2CM exe.
3. Create a folder named "Mods" inside your Automobilista 2 main directory (usually it is ~:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Automobilista 2). Inside that, create a folder called "Enabled".

Additional folders inside your Automobilista 2 main directory are needed to make AMS2CM work.

Now you are ready and can begin to add mods to Automobilista 2! In the next step, we show you how to install one of the most essential.

Please note that AMS2CM can do even more! The tool is also able to uninstall specific or all mods or update them. For more info on how to do that, please visit and read the dedicated page on Race Department.

Installing Mods Manually​

For manual install, which had been the standard before AMS2CM came out, we recommend this how-to video:

Continue Reading​

Page 2: How to Install "NAMeS: Real Drivers for AMS2" with AMS2CM
Page 3: Next Step - Installing Skin Packs + Custom AI
Page 4: Let's Get Serious - Must-Have Skin Packs
Page 5: Complete Your Collection - All Else Mods
Page 6: Modding AMS 2: How to Create and Edit a Custom AI

By getting and installing AMS2CM you have laid the foundation for modding Automobilsta 2. Now it is time to actually start and add some essential user-generated content. So in this part of our Ultimate Automobilista 2 Modding Guide, we show you how to install "NAMeS: Real Drivers for AMS2" by John B. Ellis.

"NAMeS: Real Drivers for AMS2" replaces all 2,200 generic driver names with real drivers.

What Is "NAMeS: Real Drivers for AMS2"?​

"NAMeS: Real Drivers for AMS2" makes use of Automobilista 2's Custom AI feature and replaces every single fictional or generic driver name in AMS2 with real drivers. As of now this concerns almost 2,200 grid places ... and counting! Unlike many Custom AI files for AMS2, which also come with altered attributes for various driving skills, NAMeS only replaces driver names and nationalities. Reiza driver attributes and default behavior on the other hand stay intact.

Your main benefit from NAMeS is that, after install, every car in AMS2 (including all DLC) will be driven by someone who either raced or drove the car (or marque) in real life. For instance, instead of "Aires Silva", you will then race against Ayrton Senna in his F1 Lotus or McLaren. And in GT3 it is finally Augusto Farfus and not "Gustavo Farius" who you are chasing in his respective BMW.

Main Features and Benefits of "NAMeS: Real Drivers for AMS2"​

• NAMeS replaces 100% of the default names in the game and is designed to work with default Reiza skins.
• Regardless of how many mods you have installed, NAMeS files provide real drivers for all remaining categories in AMS2, so that 100% of the simulation is populated by real drivers.
• NAMeS instantly elevates Automoblista 2's authenticity across the entire vanilla installation.

Installing "NAMeS: Real Drivers for AMS2"​

There are two ways to install NAMeS, either via AMS2CM, or manually. We will explain both, but we recommend to go with AMS2CM. Please note though that both ways will overwrite any existing XML (Custom AI) files in your installation. If you want to keep them, create backups for them first, and then replace the files from NAMeS with your own again by manually overwriting them.

The easiest way to install NAMeS is by using AMS2CM.

How to Install NAMeS via AMS2CM​

1. Download NAMEs Real Drivers for AMS2
2. Start AMS2CM and drag the NAMeS Real Drivers for AMS2.7z file onto the programme window.
3. Use the checkbox on the right column to select the NAMeS mod to be installed.
4. Press the "Apply" button to install.

How to Manually Install NAMeS​

Download and extract the current version of the NAMeS Real Drivers for AMS2.7z file into your Automobilista 2 folder. When properly extracted, there should be numerous, individual .xml files inside your Automobilista 2\UserData\CustomAIDrivers folder.

Congratulations, you now have injected 100% real driver names into you Automobilista 2 installation!

Let us be honest, visuals are important. No matter how good the physics, they are even better with authentic textures from real-life counterparts. Or would you play EA F1 23 without its F1 licences?​

It just feels so much better to defend your position against a virtual Michael Schumacher in his authentic helmet design and real Ferrari F1 2000 livery instead of a random AI driver with generic textures. So let us get rid of that "Markell Fenstermacher" in his somewhat red car and his random orange-grey head covering that shows up in vanilla Automobilista 2 and replace it by the real thing!

Authentic textures for liveries, helmets, gloves and overalls and historically correct driver names with accurate skills add tons of immersion to the game. Image credit: KRRT Dustin

Ultimate Automobilista 2 Modding Guide: F1 2000 Season by Immersion Modding Group​

The F1 2000 Season Mod by AFry (Immersion Modding Group) has only come out in November 2023 and is already the fourth most downloaded resource for Automobilista 2 on RaceDepartment. As the name implies, it brings the complete 2000 Formula One season to AMS2. The pack includes realistic car skins for all teams, in game Reiza-style previews as well as helmets, gloves and overalls for all original drivers of the 2000 F1 season.

The F1 2000 Season is one of the most accurate and comprehensive mods for Automobilista 2. Image credit: Brainbug / IMMERSION Modding Group

Moreover, the package features a Custom AI Drivers XML file containing all original drivers of 2000's F1 with accurate values for various skills such as qualifying and race pace, avoidance of mistakes, tire wear, or vehicle reliability. Thus, Mika Häkkinen in the McLaren will be almost on par with Michael Schumacher in the Ferrari, but a tad quicker than his teammate David Coulthard, and of course miles faster than, say, Marc Gené in the Minardi. In our Ultimate Automobilista 2 Modding Guide, we show you how to get all of the greatness into your installation of AMS2!

How to Install the F1 2000 Season with AMS2CM​

1. Download F1 2000 Season.
2. Start AMS2CM and drag the [AMS2]F1_2000_Season 2.03.rar file onto the programme window.
3. Use the checkbox on the right column to select the [AMS2]F1_2000_Season 2.03 mod to be installed.
4. Press the "Apply" button to install.



Congratulations, you have just transformed Automobilista 2's generic F-V10 Gen2 class into an authentic 2000 F1 season!

Ultimate Automobilista 2 Modding Guide: F1 Mod Glory in its Entirety​

Also from John B. Ellis comes the "Automobilista 2 Mod Registry" which you can find on the download pages of his mods. A product of meticulous methodology, John's "Registry" compiles the full array of AMS2 mods into a unified, easy-to-use resource. Additionally, it also includes several helpful guides and links to other AMS2 assets.

Automobilista 2 sports a great selection of formula cars, including several original ones like this McLaren MP 4/4.

As of now, for all the Formula classes in Automobilista 2, this looks like this:

For a deep dive on which F1 classes represent which seasons and eras, we recommend our Ultimate Formula 1 Season Guide for Automobilista 2.

Ultimate Automobilista 2 Modding Guide: Most Popular F1 Community Skin Packs for Automobilista 2​

Especially in the formula classes, Automobilista 2's variety is unmatched and covers models ranging from the 1960s to today. Some cars such as the Lotus 49, the Brabham BT 52, or Ayrton Senna's winning F1 cars (Lotus 98T, McLaren MP4/4, MP 4/5, MP 4/6, MP 4/7 and MP 4/8) are represented as licensed cars. Additionally, the grids are filled with numerous generic Formula 1 models including those of the 2000s, 2010s and of the current hybrid/turbo era. This strength is also reflected in the Top 5 Most Downloaded Community Skin Packs (and Custom AI Driver files) for Automobilista 2 on RaceDepartment, as these are all F1-exclusive.

1. F1 2022 skinpack (for F-Ultimate Gen2) by soldier93
2. F1 1991 Season (for F-Classic Gen4) by AFry
3. F1 2023 Skinpack (for F-Ultimate Gen2) by KRRTDustin
4. F1 2000 Season (for F-V10 Gen2) by Immersion Modding Group
5. F1 2012 Season (for F-Reiza) by AFry

While a heavy focus, Formula cars are in fact just one part of Automobilista 2. The game's car park also contains several other open wheelers, numerous tin tops like prototypes, GT and touring cars as well as one-make/spec-series such as the BMW M1 Procar.​

For many of these cars and classes the community has provided skin packs, some authentic, some fictional. Several of these skin packs also include a Custom AI with realistic driver names and skills.

Listed by car types and in chronological order, here in our Ultimate Automobilista 2 Modding Guide are our editors' picks for further Must-Have mods for AMS2:

IndyCar/CART​

Prototypes​

GT​

Touring Cars​

One-Make / Spec-Series​

How to Install Skin Packs with AMS2CM​

If you have made it this far, you are a pro modder and will know how to make mods work in AMS2 with AMS2CM. For everybody else, here is a reminder:
1. Download the desired mod / skin pack.
2. Start AMS2CM and drag the zipped file onto the programme window.
3. Use the checkbox on the right column to select the mod / skin pack to be installed.
4. Press the "Apply" button to install.

You can apply this process for most mods / skin packs, as long as the modder has respected AMS2's folder structure. If they did not, AMS2CM will tell you. Then you will have to install the pack manually by dragging and dropping the extracted file(s) over the existing one(s), thus replacing them.

If you are not content until you have seen it all and tried everything, there are a lot more mods available. As said initially, here we only discuss mods, tools and other content hosted on RaceDepartment. We are of course aware that there are many other mods, especially for cars and tracks. For a complete overview, please check John B. Ellis'"Automobilista 2 Mod Registry".

Listed by car class and in chronological order, here are all available mods for Automobilista 2.

Image credit: luijo

Car Mods​

Image credit: KRRTDustin

Formula 1​

Image credit: Henrique Freitas

IndyCar / CART​

Image credit: Lorencini

Open Wheeler​

Image credit: MajkiMajk

Sportscars​

Image credit: Henrique Freitas

GT Series​

Image credit: MrRandom287

Touring Cars​

Image credit: TomLehockySVK

Stock Car Brasil​

Image credit: Alaintomas1995

Brasil​

Image credit: Henrique Freitas

One-Make / Spec Series​

Image credit: TomLehockySVK

Road Cars​

Image credit: TomLehockySVK

Dirt​

From here on, our Ultimate Automobilista 2 Modding Guide will make a turn and deal with the aspect of how to actually create mods or at least alter game data. The first area we are going to tackle is the topic of Custom AI.

By using Custom AI files you can inject even more realism and authenticity into Automobilista 2 leading to even more immersion. Because Custom AI files allow the default Reiza driver names, nationalities as well as more than a dozen driving values to be edited and tweaked to your heart's content. You can even set track-specific performances for drivers.

Image credit: Brainbug / IMMERSION Modding Group

Admittedly, most of the skin packs now come with pretty good Custom AI files. So in 95 % of the time you may be good to go and will have an accurate drivers' BoP representation of the corresponding class, series, or season. However, sometimes some fine-tuning of an existing Custom AI may be necessary, because you disagree with the existing values or because you want to create your own for a certain series or event.

For instance, in the 1988 F1 season Nigel Mansell had 12 DNFs in 14 races and generally was inferior in his naturally aspired Williams-Judd to the turbos of McLaren and Ferrari, ending up only in 9th in the drivers championship. However, especially at the season-opener at Jacarepagua, in the rain of Silverstone and on the tight Jerez circuit he was very competitive and able to achieve a 2nd place in each of the latter two Grand Prix.


Thus, to accurately set the Custom AI for that class (F-Classic Gen2), there should be two Mansell entries; the first one with rather slightly above average skills and an abysmal "vehicle reliability" value, and a second track-specific with much better values for Jacarepagua and Jerez (in the picture, Silverstone is not included for it being a race in the wet, for which there is a separate driver's value named "wet_skills").

In our Ultimate Automobilista 2 Modding Guide we will show you how to create and edit a Custom AI.

How to Mod AMS 2 and Create a Custom AI: Tools​

To create and edit an XML file you can either use a text editor such as Windows' "Editor" or "Notepad++".


Or you download and use AMS2 Custom Drivers Utility by LuxMundi. This is an open source Java app that allows users to quickly and easily generate new or edit existing Custom AI grids for Automobilista 2.

Image credit: LuxMundi

File Type and Drive Location​

But let us start with the basics and then do it step by step. All Custom AI are .xml (Extensible Markup Language) files and have to be put in the following folder: UserData\CustomAIDrivers\. This folder is located in your Automobilista 2 steam folder which is usually here C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Automobilista 2\UserData\CustomAIDrivers\.

To make a Custom AI XML work, it has to be named exactly like the vehicle class in AMS 2, e.g. "Group C.xml" (without the quotation marks). Below you will find the full list of vehicle class names in Automobilista 2.

How to Mod AMS 2: Assigning Liveries to Drivers in Custom AI​

For each vehicle class you want to assign AI drivers to, you must create a .xml file. Hence, if, for example, you want to edit the drivers of the Carrera Cup class, you need to create a file named Carrera Cup.xml and put it in your \UserData\CustomAIDrivers\ folder. Tip: Copy an existing file and only edit the changes. Thus you will have the correct syntax from the get-go.

Each driver is assigned to a specific livery, which in the XML is called livery_name. livery_name is the name of the livery as seen in the vehicle selection screen in-game. Hence, In the above example the livery_name "Porsche AG Rothmans #1" is assigned to Jacky Ickx. You can assign drivers to as many liveries as you want.

Creating Driver Personalities​

Apart from name and nationality, there are 15 further parameters for each driver to shape their personality on the track, including race skill, aggression, tyre management, or avoidance of mistakes. As this is the core of a Custom AI, let us have a close look at how that works. Below you will find all skill values and an explanantion of what they do.

How to Mod AMS 2: Values Range and Logic in Custom AI​

When creating a Custom AI and defining values, you should know and note the following:

• The valid personality values range is between 0 and 1 (inclusive). One exception is the vehicle_reliability parameter which is explained further below.
• For even further fine-tuning, you can set up to 3 digits after the dot, like 0.001, 0.537 or 0.999.
• All AI personality parameters are calibrated so that 0.5 is an realistic-ish average driver's value. 1 is mapped to be a realistic-ish high extreme, and 0 is mapped to be realistic-ish low extreme.
• Always test the values of your Custom AI drivers values to see if they are matching the result you would expect, and adjust it accordingly for your custom sets. For instance, when replicating a series like F1 1988, take a look at the real (qualification) lap times of all drivers and then set the (qualification) skills for every driver accordingly to match the real gaps (which were sometimes six or more seconds between the pole-sitter and the last driver on the grid).
• The game always prioritizes Custom AI entries over default values. Thus, if a Custom AI consists of say 26 drivers but you race with a 32-cars grid, all 26 Custom AI drivers will be in there. On the other hand, any missing or invalid values are replaced with the original (default) values of the AI driver that would be picked for that car in that event.

A Strange Beast: Vehicle Reliability​

Vehicle reliability is a special, more complicated beast. To tame it and get it to work, you will need to be aware of the reliability range Reiza has set for each class as well as understand the term "mean minutes". Mean minutes defines the minimum and maximum range between possible failures measured in minutes. Consequently, you will need to do some math to turn it into the final reliability for a driver in the class in question. Maybe time from some spreadsheet acrobatics?

For realistic reliability values, now first gather the minimum (y) and maximum (z) mean minutes between failures for the class you are working on (see above). Then consider your driver/team target mean minutes between failures (x) that you have derived from some real race statistics applying this formula:

sqrt((x-y) / (z-y))

Example: For the F-Classic Gen2 class there is a minimum of 25 mins and maximum of 700 mins. Now if our target for Nigel Mansell is 50 mins between failures, the term will look like this:

(50-25) / (700-25) = 0.037

Thus the vehicle reliability for Mansell is 0.037, which in the Custom AI reads like this:

<vehicle_reliability>0.037</vehicle_reliability>

Alternatively, if you wish to just set a reliability and see what happens, know that values above 0.6 are generally better for each class - relative to how reliable or unreliable the class should be. But for maximum chaos you can of course give low reliabilities a try.

If you wish to go below 0.0 or above 1.0, that can be done too. But know that if you go negative, the formula changes to this:

-((y/x)-1)

Please note that when negative, vehicle reliability is used as a divider for the minimum mean time!

Note that mean minutes between failures is simply a way to quantify reliability. In the end there can be a lot of variance and generally speaking if you want someone to last for 60 minutes consistently, better make them much more reliable than that.

Modding AMS 2 Custom AI: Tips, Limitations and Intricacies​

To round off this chapter of our Ultimate Automobilista 2 Modding Guide, we would like to point out some limitations as well as give you some tips to make your life easier when creating or editing a Custom AI.


An accurate Custom AI is characterized by the fact that it corresponds to reality in absolute terms as well as in terms of relationships and dependencies. Thus, using our above example of the 1988 F1 season, this means that Senna and Prost are generally the fastest and have the most reliable cars. Accordingly, their values for qualification skill, race skill and vehicle reliability should be the highest. At the other end of the scale should be drivers like Bernd Schneider and Piercarlo Ghinzani. While everyone else in between.

General gameplay setting always override specific Custom AI settings.

Tips for creating the perfect Custom AI

• Detailed statistics of real races and seasons are an immense, indispensable help in finding accurate data and values. Search for instance Wikipedia or dedicated motorsports sites for useful data.
• General gameplay settings always override a custom AI. Thus, the selected Opponent Skill Level and the multipliers for for instance tyre wear or fuel comsumption significantly influence the absolute performance level of the AI drivers. We therefore recommend setting the Custom AI so that it delivers the best results with authentic settings and (depending on the class) an opponent skill level between 100 and 110.
• Test, test, test: The best way to do this, of course, is to cover real race distances. However, as this is very time-consuming, there is also the option of pausing the respective session (practice, quali, race) and selecting "Skip to End". This simulates the session. The result may not be as meaningful as if you had driven it in real time, but it still gives you a good indication of the general pace, failure rates, etc.
• The difference in pace between qualifying and the race is smaller with the AI in AMS 2 than in reality. Caution is therefore advised, especially in the historic classes, as the AI is almost as fast with a full tank of fuel as it was before in an almost empty car, while the player has to contend with all the disadvantages of a heavier car and cold tires. This can be a fun killer, especially in time-accelerated races. To remedy this, you could set the race skill for all drivers slightly lower by for instance 0.2 or 0.3.

Further Helpful Resources​

• Modding Automobilista 2 Is Easier Than You Might Think
• Top 10 Most Popular Automobilista 2 Mods
• Automobilista 2’s Top Tin Top Liveries
• Automobilista 2 | The Ultimate Formula 1 Season Guide
• Automobilista 2 DLC Guide