Automobilista 2: Wet Line Confirmed, v1.5 Available (Updated)

Oscar Piastri in the Imola rain in his McLaren F1 car.jpg
UPDATE: v1.5 is now officially available!

Reiza Studios has always been open with letting the community know what is going on in the development of Automobilista 2. With the v1.5 update imminent, lead developer Renato Simioni shared a deep dive into physics development - and also confirmed the addition of improved wet weather track surface behavior.

RaceDepartment had already speculated in May that wet lines might be added to Automobilista 2 soon - the physics deep dive confirmed this, among other racing surface changes. Not only is the rubbered-in racing line going to be much more slippery in the rain come v1.5, but the addition of Rallycross and dirt surfaces will also change track evolution - laying down dirt onto tarmac surfaces will affect grip, but the parameters for this are still being refined, so the effect might not be perfect yet.

Automobilista 2 Catalunya Rallycross Surface Evolution.jpg

Dragging dirt onto non-loose surfaces will influence grip levels in Automobilista 2 v1.5. Image credit: Reiza Studios

Behind the Physics Scenes​

Simioni also leans into the technical aspects of the physics and tire remodeling that mark a big step forward for v1.5. If you have ever wondered just how a studio transfers elements like suspension geometry, the chassis and body of a car, and tire deformation and interaction with the surface to a digital recreation of a racing car, this update is perfect for you.

Should the theoretical parts behind things like tire slip or the flex of a tire's carcass not be your cup of tea, the update still holds exciting news: For one, the second part of the June Dev Update - which was later renamed to July Dev Update - looks like it will be released after v1.5 has launched. Simioni mentioning the update being "just around the corner" turned into the update being available just hours later - for more info on the work that went into it, check out our recent in-depth interview with the Reiza founder!

Automobilista 2 Citroen DS3 Rallycross.jpg

Going sideways in style: Alongside v1.5, the Adrenaline Pack including Rallycross cars and tracks will launch. Image credit: Reiza Studios

You can find the full physics update in the Reiza forums. All cars that are already in AMS2 are going to profit from the v1.5 revisions to varying degrees. They will be joined by Rallycross cars and tracks, as well as the new Formula Dirt and Crosskart vehicles.

Continue Reading​

Full Changelog
Full Article

Your Thoughts​

What do you think about the in-depth look about AMS2's physics development? How much are you looking forward to the new track surface behavior? Let us know in the comments below!
Next page: Full Changelog
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About author
Yannik Haustein
Yannik Haustein
Lifelong motorsport enthusiast and sim racing aficionado, walking racing history encyclopedia.

Sim racing editor, streamer and one half of the SimRacing Buddies podcast (warning, German!).

Heel & Toe Gang 4 life :D

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Comments

M
G_B said:
Has anyone got a video of the safety car? ^^

Does the safety car have a unique design, even in historic races?

On which races does the safety car not intervene?

Also not much feedback on the update and trucks sensations, any opinions?
Click to expand...
For now it's a modern Camaro only AFAIK
 
K
Metla said:
More likely its a combination of low intelligence, lack of hugs from your mum and a lack of capacity to make friends or connect with people.

Resulting in nonsense statements in order to seek attention in the mistaken and deluded belief that have a means to make s statement gives that statement credence and aligns you with a peer group that would support your views.

Are you also a flat earther?
Click to expand...

Seems like the AMS2 community is pretty thin skinned if that level of ad hominem is the response if people don't praise the game :D

But it's understandable.

For years you have tried to convice everyone that AMS2 is the best "sim" nobody plays (i wonder why?), with genre trumping physics.

Only for the devs to backstab you and basically admit that physics have been bugged since release. I guess that took it's toll.

And even after this fix, three years after release mind you, the game still just drives ok.

But there is always a chance for another "game changing" update.
 
M
Premium
Kiryu said:
Seems like the AMS2 community is pretty thin skinned if that level of ad hominem is the response if people don't praise the game :D

But it's understandable.

For years you have tried to convice everyone that AMS2 is the best "sim" nobody plays (i wonder why?), with genre trumping physics.

Only for the devs to backstab you and basically admit that physics have been bugged since release. I guess that took it's toll.

And even after this fix, three years after release mind you, the game still just drives ok.

But there is always a chance for another "game changing" update.
Click to expand...
Why don't you just go play a game you do like? I don't get why you feel the need to come here and try and convince people that a game they like and enjoy is rubbish? It's not that people are thin skinned, it is that trolls are annoying.
 
Kenny Paton
Moderator
Premium
Kiryu said:
Seems like the AMS2 community is pretty thin skinned if that level of ad hominem is the response if people don't praise the game
Click to expand...

mcroshaw said:
Why don't you just go play a game you do like? I don't get why you feel the need to come here and try and convince people that a game they like and enjoy is rubbish? It's not that people are thin skinned, it is that trolls are annoying.
Click to expand...
I agree, I never understand why people do that and since he's made his point can we get back on topic please.
 
M
Kiryu said:
Seems like the AMS2 community is pretty thin skinned if that level of ad hominem is the response if people don't praise the game :D

But it's understandable.

For years you have tried to convice everyone that AMS2 is the best "sim" nobody plays (i wonder why?), with genre trumping physics.

Only for the devs to backstab you and basically admit that physics have been bugged since release. I guess that took it's toll.

And even after this fix, three years after release mind you, the game still just drives ok.

But there is always a chance for another "game changing" update.
Click to expand...
Facts checking... Looks like quite some people are playing it since a few months.

1690556277278.png

1690556333896.png
 
SharkVA
Kiryu said:
Ai in AMS2 is not only bad and lacks awareness, it also looks awful and unimmersive with it's erratic movement, which is also something an ancient game like AC did better almost a decade ago.
Click to expand...
I don't have a dog in this fight necessarily as I play rf2, AC, ACC and now AMS2 again since the 1.5 update. To say AC's AI is more impressive than AMS2's doesn't jive for me. Some cars and some tracks are better than others, but in general I've found AMS2's AI to provide more challenge and fun. AC AI quirks are plentiful, obviously more so on modded tracks and cars, but in general their erratic braking and predictable maneuvering are certainly no better than what I've been experiencing in AMS2 1.5 and arguably much worse in some situations.

Seems like you have a pretty serious hate-boner for the game. I was not a fan pre-1.5 by any stretch, but the driving has become much more engaging and fun in my book since this latest update. Driving the McLaren MP4/6 with the livery and driver name mods from RD against a field of retro formula cars on '91 Silverstone has been one of the highlights of my 2023 sim racing to be quite honest. VR, FFB gain cranked up, headphones loud and if you can't have fun with it then I don't know what to tell you.

Nothing we do in the virtual world is going to be 1:1 to taking real metal and rubber around a track, I don't care what your sim of choice is. I'm not a professional driver, but I'm no stranger to hot-lapping reasonably high performance vehicles around a well known and regarded racing track. The question is really about whether or not the dynamics make enough sense to be learnable, predictable and have fun. Hats off to Reiza for what I (and many others) consider to be a massive improvement on that front.
 
Goldtop
Premium
Must say I'm left cold after the 1.5 update. I only bought AMS2 a couple of weeks ago and was enjoying working my way through all the cars and testing them out. Group C class felt great, just the right balance between challenging and fun without being off the scale bonkers like for instance the Sauber in AC. In fact most of the content I tried felt just about right to me with the exception of some of the historic GT cars (all very subjective I know).

Thing is, 1.5 just feels like all the challenge has gone and with it all the immersion. You shouldn't be able to mash the throttle of a Group C car or a turbo'd formula car when exiting a chicane on a green track on your outlap on cold tyres! The GTE Porsche and the 2023 stock car both feel like drift machines in the same conditions, slowly sliding their way through every corner with no fear of them snapping you around.

I'm not some internet troll either. I've been simming since 2009 and always enjoy trying out new games and content. I understand that 1.5 is a development and remains a work in progress but it just seems to have lost the plot imo. I'm rolling back to the last build for now and hoping for better things in future updates.
 
R
Goldtop said:
Must say I'm left cold after the 1.5 update. I only bought AMS2 a couple of weeks ago and was enjoying working my way through all the cars and testing them out. Group C class felt great, just the right balance between challenging and fun without being off the scale bonkers like for instance the Sauber in AC. In fact most of the content I tried felt just about right to me with the exception of some of the historic GT cars (all very subjective I know).

Thing is, 1.5 just feels like all the challenge has gone and with it all the immersion. You shouldn't be able to mash the throttle of a Group C car or a turbo'd formula car when exiting a chicane on a green track on your outlap on cold tyres! The GTE Porsche and the 2023 stock car both feel like drift machines in the same conditions, slowly sliding their way through every corner with no fear of them snapping you around.

I'm not some internet troll either. I've been simming since 2009 and always enjoy trying out new games and content. I understand that 1.5 is a development and remains a work in progress but it just seems to have lost the plot imo. I'm rolling back to the last build for now and hoping for better things in future updates.
Click to expand...
I need more testing on the Group C cars but as much as I enjoyed them before, I felt there were something too permissive and inconsistent at the same time while driving the previous version. Indeed, on Donington (it is a good example of what I'm going to describe), I could do insane turns while heel and toe, downshifting, losing grip, turning the car like a kart, sliding and going full throttle to catch it, with an absolutely not realistic driving line for a race cars with huge downforce and big tires. It was absolutely fun but not fully believable, especially since it was the only group C cars behaving like this in all sims were they were depicted (AC, Raceroom rfactor2, F1 challenge...). Also, racing cars are made to be consistent and this "insane" manoeuver, much faster than a regular driving line (sliding in this type of car should not be faster), is hard to reproduce lap after lap as it is dangerous each time, relying on bad engine and tire management and crazy moves. :D

I fully understand your disappointment as the Group C cars were lively, much more than now. One throttle input and the car was thrown immediatly in the direction asked. It was the slidy and overreactive behaviour AMS2 had in general and considered as one of the physics (and/or FFB) issues. It worked really well with the Group C cars but it wasn't the most realistic way to depict them. I have to try the F1s and GTE cars as you stated (I didn't felt the turbo F1s were nervous compared to other sims, I wonder how they are now).
 
M
Goldtop said:
Must say I'm left cold after the 1.5 update. I only bought AMS2 a couple of weeks ago and was enjoying working my way through all the cars and testing them out. Group C class felt great, just the right balance between challenging and fun without being off the scale bonkers like for instance the Sauber in AC. In fact most of the content I tried felt just about right to me with the exception of some of the historic GT cars (all very subjective I know).

Thing is, 1.5 just feels like all the challenge has gone and with it all the immersion. You shouldn't be able to mash the throttle of a Group C car or a turbo'd formula car when exiting a chicane on a green track on your outlap on cold tyres! The GTE Porsche and the 2023 stock car both feel like drift machines in the same conditions, slowly sliding their way through every corner with no fear of them snapping you around.

I'm not some internet troll either. I've been simming since 2009 and always enjoy trying out new games and content. I understand that 1.5 is a development and remains a work in progress but it just seems to have lost the plot imo. I'm rolling back to the last build for now and hoping for better things in future updates.
Click to expand...
Well you are wrong. Here's an article of someone who actually sat in one of the 6 C9's ever made.

www.whichcar.com.au

What happened in MOTOR 12 years ago? We experience a Le Mans legend, the Sauber-Mercedes C9

We strap into the one of the greatest Le Mans cars of all time
www.whichcar.com.au www.whichcar.com.au
 
Last edited:
Goldtop
Premium
Well that was an enlightening read. I still doubt that I would be able to jump in a C9, floor it out of a chicane without any thought and not send it into the nearest armco.
 
Blashko
Kiryu said:
Sadly the ai still is pretty awful, divebombing and sometimes crashing into each other even in training.

And i have stopped counting how many times i was punted off track from behind while ai tried to overtake me.

And lets not talk about how unimmersive the ai car movement looks from outside, probably because ai uses some weirdo cheap made up "physics".

Even the ancient AC is better when it comes to racing the ai.

Well and the driving...i guess it is...somewhat ok now? Cars still feel a bit weird, guess Reiza will never be able to fix thix. More like an early access simcade.

Smashing the brakes in a high speed corner? Giving weird steering inputs that should absolutely send you off track? Here the cars skid left and right a little bit aaaand that's it.

Imho basically every other sim feels more realistic that this.

Finally uninstalled :)
Click to expand...
100% agree. Finally uninstalled too. I ran out of patience with this arcade game.
 
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M
Goldtop said:
Well that was an enlightening read. I still doubt that I would be able to jump in a C9, floor it out of a chicane without any thought and not send it into the nearest armco.
Click to expand...
It is literally in the article:

When we first got it, the guys thought it was down on boost pressure because they just couldn’t get it to wheelspin out of corners. They were trying to find the limits, but it just wouldn’t do it.
 
Richard Wilks
M0dernT1mes said:
It is literally in the article:

When we first got it, the guys thought it was down on boost pressure because they just couldn’t get it to wheelspin out of corners. They were trying to find the limits, but it just wouldn’t do it.
Click to expand...
Yes, and according to the Bamsey book, in order to achieve this, they ran wider tires at the rear than some of the rivals, coupled with friendly gear ratios, plus the car didnt use a rear anti roll bar in any track bar silverstone in 1988. So why is there a rear ARB in this car in the default setup?.

Still, i consider this update a big improvement in various cars. Some others still need work though.
 
Last edited:
Richard Wilks
Still i am pretty sure than in its day, you could break traction with the C9. I mean, you could break traction with the 962C either, which had less power and torque:

 
C
Well the 1.5 update for sure is an improvment. That floaty feeling is pretty much gone and its much more direct and less jiggly.

I still don't understand why you can pretty much drift any car at almost any speed without losing grip. At low speeds you can for sure lose grip because the tyre spins but at medium/high? No matter what car you drive the downforce seems incredible and you never lose the rear. Why is that.

Regardless I had a lot of fun, im so happy to have AC and AMS2 to mix up!
 
Raging Beard
I mostly play single player and only in VR, so AMS2 is my sim of choice, although I do dabble in them all.

If I'm immersed and having fun, it's a win for me. Is AMS2 the most realistic or not? I don't know and don't care.
 

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