Automobilista 2 Update: New Content, Features and Fixes

Formula Inter is the latest Brazilian car to feature in the sim.jpg
Not long after explaining why the game's most recent update was delayed, Automobilista 2 developers Reiza have released update 1.4.6.1 featuring new content and plenty of game improvements.

Image credit: Reiza Studios

No more than a few days ago, we mentioned a recent newsletter update Reiza posted talking about upcoming updates to Automobilista 2 and reasons for delays in development. The main issue causing delays to the game's next release was the content scheduled to go live with v1.4.6.1.

The latest update for Automobilista 2 dropped last night though and brings plenty of improvements. From exciting content, including a free to all players addition, and many game improvements and new features, here's everything to know about the new AMS 2 drop.

New car and track in AMS 2​

Bathurst is one of those infamous tracks that every race fan knows and recognises. But Reiza has given the track some AMS 2 time machine magic recreating the venue as it was back in 1983. Fewer barriers, closer trees and a time before the Conrod straight was broken up by The Chase. This new track completes the Historic Track DLC alongside 1988 variants of Cascais and Jerez.

Unlike the historic version of Bathurst, the second piece of content included in this most recent update is free to everyone with the base game. The Formula Inter is a lightweight, entry level open wheeler raced primarily in Brazil.

As we mentioned in our previous post concerning Automobilista 2, a historic version of the Nurburging is also in the works. However, with plans to recreate the Sudschleife as well as the Nordschleife in its 1971 guise, progress seems to be slower than expected. The newsletter released a few days ago stated that, although meant to launch with the new update, a release towards the end of March is more likely.

Bug fixes, features and more​

Along with the pair of content drops, Reiza also released a fairly sizeable update to its game. It Mostly features bug fixes and minor game improvements such as changes to the way the AI work out race strategy and traction control adjustments on several cars. However, there are a few interesting additions that should enhance the game's immersion further.

Automobilista 2 gets new update.jpg


Among these changes is the ability to alter the pit speed limit for custom championships. Not all real-world series run a 50kph pit speed like the GT World Challenge for example. Being able to alter this gives players' custom championships a new thing to think about when it comes to driving through the pits.

The game also now features cockpit lights for a variety of cars. Endurance-focused cars like the Cadillac DPi, McLaren 720S GT3 and BMW M4 GT4 will provide much more night-time immersion thanks to this small yet noticeable change.

What is your favourite part of the new Automobilista 2 update? Let us know in the comments below!
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Angus Martin
Angus Martin
Motorsport gets my blood pumping more than anything else. Be it physical or virtual, I'm down to bang doors.

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P
Peter Kerényi said:
I also have this feeling in AMS2 that I either understeer heavily or oversteer heavily. I haven't driven any car to the limit IRL but in all other sims it feels different and I am able to adapt to the situation and approach the limit of grip. In AMS2 I feel like I have to get the car into the oversteer state as soon in the corner as possible so I can go quicker, because if I don't, I just keep understeering. And I don't particularly like this feeling, nor do I think it's entirely realistic. It's either terrible base setups, the driving model is wrong, or everything apart of AMS2 is wrong.
Click to expand...
There is another game I was having exactly this same issue… PC2… I drive Spa Francorchamps a lot in different sims, but in PC2 I was always understeering heavily in the Pouhon corner, trying to follow AI at the same speed. No problems with that corner in AC, ACC, RaceRoom and rFactor 2 though. In AMS2 it is better than in PC2, but also in AMS2 I experience much more understeer in fast corners trying to follow the AI. Either all other sims are wrong, or there is some underlying issue in the Madness engine. But… still enjoying AMS2 a lot though.
 
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Richard Wilks
Kurupt CDN said:
I agree, and one of the reasons I was complaint and constantly tweaking things and it drove me nuts.
There was a small window when v1.3 launched with a few cars that had the physics updated and I felt they were heading in the right direction....than v1.4 launched and I felt it went backwards with many classes and I got the under/oversteer effect and lack of tire detail again.
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My feelings exactly.

I don't think its a problem of the engine itself. I felt it already good in many situations. I think its a physics choice.
 
Coanda
Kurupt CDN said:
The lack of turn in and grip detail during cornering some are experiencing is possibly linked to the scrub detail added in v1.4, some cars don't have enough and feels like it's on ice.
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Kurupt CDN said:
The problem with the understeer/oversteer and lack of front end feel on turn in has been confirmed by a Reiza staff member which I posted a few pages back.

Several classes have to too little scrub/slip effect since update v1.40 which results in a icey lack of feel.
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Kurupt CDN: Reiza Forum
The issue started after the v1.4 dropped.
Prior to that build I could feel the tire building grip all the way up too and past max grip which went light representing loss of grip
Click to expand...

I would just like to clarify a few things here in case there has been a slight misunderstanding..

The front scrub balancing that took place after v1.4 for the vehicles mentioned below was to only address the subtle Fx vibration and more importantly the steering wheel resistance for when the front tyre slips/scrubs. On average more resistance was added to the problematic vehicles leaving less of that sudden drop off in FFB output when the front tyre begins to slip through a corner.

This work was not primarily for front grip feel as largely this has remained unchanged although a couple of vehicles did have some very very minor updates in which they were slightly increased.

F-Classics/F-V12/F-V10/F-Reiza/F-Ultimate/F3/GTE/1/3/4/4SC/GrC/DPi/M1PC/HypC/SupS

In addition what has been considered/tested/balanced in the recent ffb updates:

- output balancing, vehicle to vehicle class to class
- ramps on initial/mid/end phase
- front & rear scrub/slip balancing
- steering tightness balancing
- damping & friction balancing
- road feel balancing
- how the car feels on yaw + considerations to engine mount position, WD & vehicle weight
- lat weight considerations based on vehicle weight within class
- self aligning force
- acceleration weight, how the self aligning force translates under acceleration
- parking engine vibe balancing
- brake chatter
- flat spot balancing

I'd prefer if you have any more questions to take this to the beta forum or private message me and I would be more than happy to answer what I can..

Nothing at Reiza stands still. We continue to learn about this engine. More good things will come..
 
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S
gamma123152 said:
The Formula Classic cars (and most other Formula cars) got when they drive over something bumpy.

On the VR HMD these sparks get rendered in the wrong positions: 2 different position for the SAME sparks. So the exact same metal sparks get rendered on a different location per eye(one is ~correct location, the other is a few meters away from the car ! ).

So this is really distracting, for that reason I don't like to drive Formula cars (especially not full grid on a bumpy track).
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Wow, doesn't sound good. I'm on my 300th hour on AMS2, maybe 100th hour in VR and have yet to discover that phenomenae, but will investigate in a couple of days.
 
S
Just glanced thread pages.
It hits me that I might be too forgiving or maybe it's just down to my old sim habits

FFB:
I re-calibrate for every new event as a habit, nomatter sim, and used this way for ages since an issue with Realfeel in rF1 for a certain mod, many years ago by now.
So personally I don't need costum FFB-files, but I fully acknowledge those who really need this feature and that it should work properly.
Since the 1.6 FFB+ implementation summer 2021 I've had no FFB issues myself what soever with my entry level T300RS-GT wheel.

Oversteer/understeer issue:
To me, speaking both new and older sims, I've experienced alot of official car content being very far from optimal on this subject.
But as a general rule I'm able to get around most of any oversteer/understeer issues quite easily, mostly even just by adjusting basic params as toe-in angle and anti-roll bar. And frequently thats pretty much it.
But sometimes a mess, agree. For instance standard GT cars in AC required quite some garage work to react as expected. And then shifting to rF2 which almost felt perfect in comparison. And supercars in AMS2, driving out, and this was before the FFB+ update, felt really awfull, and had to try alot to get them going.
But even AMS2 GT cars I just instinctively manipulate toe-in and anto-roll bar values before first practice. And discovered that my 'spinal cord changes' in fact delivered better than standard AMS2 setup.
Now that was about GT and supercars, regarding classic content of which is my ball game I do not experience this as a general issue. But ok, it's very rare that I just drive out without initial garage work.
That said, I agree that Reiza has a work to get more car classes fixed. But to me it really doesn't matter since I do the garage work anyway. Though certain cars are really off I must admit.

Back on track:
The new Brazilian formula class is really enjoyable at twisty circuits :inlove:
And now tried a pit-out just with standard settings and with my FFB calibration and everything I'm not of the opponion that oversteer/understeer is a prominent issue for this class. But maybe it's due to other type of wheel hardware/software conflicting with AMS2? I don't know.
 
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Skinny McLean
From what I have read, Reiza was started by a group of game modders. If true, is that still the case (i.e. are any professional programmers/developers employed by Reiza)? It seems to me they are content with simply releasing new content and tinkering a little with some physics parameters instead of giving the game engine a much needed overhaul. To me, AMS2 seems more and more like a PC2 mod created by amateur fans than a new game/sim.
 
Catiorro F1
Skinny McLean said:
From what I have read, Reiza was started by a group of game modders. If true, is that still the case (i.e. are any professional programmers/developers employed by Reiza)? It seems to me they are content with simply releasing new content and tinkering a little with some physics parameters instead of giving the game engine a much needed overhaul. To me, AMS2 seems more and more like a PC2 mod created by amateur fans than a new game/sim.
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every update comes with some bug fixes and improvements though

not just content
 
Skinny McLean
Catiorro F1 said:
every update comes with some bug fixes and improvements though

not just content
Click to expand...
That's what I meant by "tinkering."

My point was that it seems like the good people at Reiza have bitten off more than they can chew with this project, hence my question about their qualifications (and I'm not implying that you have to hold a university degree in computer science to create great games - many successful developers, artists and composers started out in the demo scene many years ago, entirely self-taught.) But there's a huge difference between game modding and game development, the latter of course being much more difficult.
 
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T
Skinny McLean said:
From what I have read, Reiza was started by a group of game modders. If true, is that still the case (i.e. are any professional programmers/developers employed by Reiza)? It seems to me they are content with simply releasing new content and tinkering a little with some physics parameters instead of giving the game engine a much needed overhaul. To me, AMS2 seems more and more like a PC2 mod created by amateur fans than a new game/sim.
Click to expand...
when I read AMS 2 has a FFB close to rF2 I laugh, it's only close to PC2
 
M
Skinny McLean said:
That's what I meant by "tinkering."

My point was that it seems like the good people at Reiza have bitten off more than they can chew with this project, hence my question about their qualifications (and I'm not implying that you have to hold a university degree in computer science to create great games - many successful developers, artists and composers started out in the demo scene many years ago, entirely self-taught.) But there's a huge difference between game modding and game development, the latter of course being much more difficult.
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AMS2 feels much better driving wise than PC2, and I have a lot of hours played on both of them, so no, I dont think AMS2 is a mod for PC2. And even less so one made by amateurs, seeing what they where able to do with AMS1 and how they have improved the driving feel over PC2.

I mean SMS got 3 games to perfect their own engine and werent able to do it. Was it incompetence, time, publisher pressure or simply a case of the game engine honoring it's name? Time will tell, depending on how AMS2 ends up.
 
pz666
If Reiza can just nail the bugs in the Madness engine they've got the content to keep any sim racer happy...

2023 has to be the year they nail the broken MP experience... AMS2's biggest problem is when there are other cars on track... Both offline and online... The AI ain't going to get dramatically better due to the age old problem of how their physics are calculated... So if they can wipe out most of the MP related bugs then some of this lovely endurance content can be enjoyed to it's fullest extent...

The new tyre physics on the Formula Inter provide a lot of promise and I can't wait to feel them as they are rolled out onto other cars... Physics wise it's been on the top of my list since the last tyre update rolled out...
 
G
stenovitz said:
Wow, doesn't sound good. I'm on my 300th hour on AMS2, maybe 100th hour in VR and have yet to discover that phenomenae, but will investigate in a couple of days.
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Maybe it doesn't happen with the Quest 2 then? I'm a Reverb G2 user with 3400x3400 resolution(maybe it only happens with high res?) and it's REALLY distracting me. Even to the point that full grid Formula cars are not even drivable anymore because of the different rendering of the sparks per eye...
 
Metla
Premium
deleted.

I think I got the context wrong.
 
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