What Does Your Dream Sim Look Like?

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Everyone has different opinions. Everyone has different tastes. Everyone has the free decision to do what they want. We decided to race virtually. That is what binds us together. But what would you do within this niche we all belong to if you could design your favourite sim by any criteria?

Option 1: The Dream Already Became Reality​

With the grand amount of sim racing titles out there, it would be amiss to think that nobody has found their optimum so far.

Be it any of the currently still serviced titles like Assetto Corsa Competizione, iRacing, rFactor 2, RaceRoom or Automobilista 2 or something a bit more weathered.

Assetto Corsa is still relevant, to some extent even titles like rFactor 1 or Automobilista 1 still are. Or if we're going a bit further back, many people to this day swear on their NASCAR Racing 2003.

Fact of the matter is that many possibilities are out there, and you might have found your favourite already. If so, what game have you found that ticks all your boxes?

Option 2: The Dream is Becoming a Reality​

Many games out there keep on improving, be it rFactor 2 with the resource influx from Motorsport Games or Automobilsta 2 with its always-improving physics model.

But then there are the announcements of upcoming titles like Rennsport and Assetto Corsa 2 that keep people interested, more or less.

The point is there are many games in development that might scratch an itch. Is there anything coming up that you really look forward to?

Option 3: The Dream is Just a Dream​

So here's my dream.

A game without any monetisation in which I can live out the management side of racing. Also, race from time to time. I want perfect physics for that, full weather support, 24-hour day-night cycle. All race tracks in the world and all racing cars in the world. All BOP'd correctly. Also mixed reality support. Also Bentley Speed 8 LMP. NEED the Bentley Speed 8.

But let's stay realistic. That ain't happening.

So if the other options weren't fulfilling, what would be your dream-dream game?

Let us know in the comments down below!
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About author
Julian Strasser
Julian Strasser
Motorsports and Maker-stuff enthusiast. Part time jack-of-all-trades. Owner of tracc.eu, a sim racing-related service provider and its racing community.

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cangrejin
hahaha people talking about if the best simulator should have this or that lighting... or if it looks "dark", or if it has better wheels, or if they have the sun like a mod...

the most important thing... is and will be the race... (be it a short sprint, or an endurance one)... it is the BASE of the fun (yes, fun,) not to see if the sun, or the lighting, or the wheels look real... (let's not get confused, I'm not supporting the "arcade" either)

to feel INSIDE the race... (even if you don't go first you are enjoying it) there must be:
-excellent track limits and penalties
-excellent ia, (practically it should be the priority number 1 of the developer)
-and that ia give (and you too) a great base of strategies to choose from... (depending on the weather, laps, etc)

So...knowing that some go with one strategy, and you with another,
and the AI doing its job trying to think "for the future"...
you will feel inside the race...


this gives more fun than driving around in a simulator (nice because it has a mod sun, or mod cars)...but the ai seems to be made just like that, or the circuits are mods of dubious ability,...or whatever worse...not having a full season...
 
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T
For many racing sim categories the dream has already become a reality. At least for cars, we already have some fantastic racing simulators. Some of them are quite old but if you can live with old graphics, they're still awesome. Be happy with what you have.
If by some miracle we get something out MXBikes and GPBikes, we will have proper bike simulators as well.
 
L
This will never happen but...

- BeamNG damage model
- iRacing multiplayer and content
- Assetto Corsa modding capability
- GT7 graphics and car customisation
- PC2 weather system
- rFactor2 FFB
- Content Manager interface
- iRacing physics
- ONE-TIME PAYMENT
- oh and also official licensing for all racing series in one sim
 
Ole Marius Myrvold
Staff
Premium
ForEachD2M said:
do you mean Kyalami from Global Endurance Modding or from Heikki?

the one from GEM was the one where I found the colours really hard.
Click to expand...

Based on the same AC track(!). We used the one from Heikki when we raced there. Though the GME one have had multiple update since.

I think I can see your point in regards to the grass here, even with headlights i might be a bit yellow-tinted ish?
r8RHEYi.jpg

Pic by the ever amazing @Luca Ciarfella
 
Ole Marius Myrvold
Staff
Premium
Julian Strasser said:
I thought I wad the only one who knows of this gem of a mod :laugh:
Click to expand...

Absolutely not. @Luca Ciarfella captured the magic moment in the race where we had cars going in all directions, and (almost) all those directions were the right way on the track. Quite cool!
N3LGOO2.jpg


And yes. I did make a #24 Jeff Gordon DuPont livery on a... Toyota(!!!)
 
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dazzyb2k3
This one's quite easy for me. BTCC licenced game to include all series, cars and tracks from 1990 to current.

All done with immaculate attention to detail regarding rules and regulations, driver names, safety cars, pitstops etc.

Cutting edge graphics and audio with built in crew chief. Beam NG style damage, dynamic weather. VR, Amazing AI, single player career mode, good multiplayer...

Basically all the cool stuff from modern sims applied to a limited scope and done really, REALLY well.
 
Wolfzz
Romandevison said:
In general, everything is already there, but I see my perfect mix from:
FFB/Physics - RF2
Sound - RRE
Graphics - AMS2
MP - iRacing
Tracks - RF2/AM2
Vehicles - RF2/AMS2
Click to expand...
Yes, if only you could join all these companies together it would make a fantastic sim.
 
B
A complete racing sim (full grid, circuit list, rules set, weather, etc.) focussed on one series of the nineties or noughties.
- CART / Indy Racing League
- ALMS / LMS / ...
- FIA GT / BPR Global GT
- DTM / BTCC
 
gwp2112
Power & Glory (GTR2 mod) with up to date graphics and physics. with a single player mode with a story that has in-game progression and period soundtrack. Also containing Le Mans 1966 and 1970.
 
Cristian Luis
Looks like F1 Challenge 99-02, but with the open source code at my disposal.

Got a job in the videogame industry thanks to 14 years of modding experience in this game, even when my idea was just to have it as a hobby only
 
D
My dream sim? It doesn't exist and probably never will. As someone allready wrote it would take a studio willing to make a loss for the sake of community. And that isn't going to happen unless I do it (I won't :)

My recipe would be:
[Beware, wall of text incoming]
take best features of other sims and some that don't yet exist or are not well developed and combine them into one game. Don't spare any expense on AI (lifelike, multiclass capable, equal pace on all venues, AI learning from comunity provided racing lines), race sessions customisation (reverse grids, standing & rolling starts, PQWR sessions), extensive damage modelling & reliability simulation, on top of a solid and believable driving physics and feel (FFB). No cars and track mods (that's a controversial one, I know, but I believe a single source may be the only way for equal content quality; I'd allow skins for tracks, cars & drivers tho). Custom championship with a proper race weekend simulation - if you bin it hard, it's over; 24h cycle with weather, destructible track objects, dynamic track evolution with dry/wet line & track debris after collisions. Base content included in game should cover many cup categories of track racing (TC, GT, proto, formula) and expand with payed DLC for individual full categories with several cars (e.g. GT3, TCR...). No subscription or monetization. Sprint & endrance, virtual race engineer that manages tyre pressures before pit-stop, AI takeover for endurance. Stable multiplayer with broadcasting & live stewarding options for leagues; automatic MP fault assesment system to punish dirty drivers, MP driver licences, allow co-drivers to change setting before pit stops. No ghosting anywhere (option). Track limits violations, drive-throughs, flags, safety car. I don't think graphics is all-important -I'd rather invest in sounds...

Sh*t, I could go on for hours :) Better end here before people start talking behind my back. I enjoy(ed) some of the current sims (RR, AC, ACC, AMS), older (Sports car GT, GTR2) and way older (F1GP 1&2). But one can daydream, right?

TL;DR: GTR2 on modern tech.

Edit: an alternative to no modding would be curated modding approach. Let only quality mods in.
 
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guidofoc
It really depends on your taste. I like a sim where cars feel good to drive, and I like road cars, vintage cars and rally cars. After so many years i am still addicted to AC, it offers such a great variety of cars/tracks to drive that you can never get tired. The only limitation of AC so far is that it does not simulate different road surfaces. I think an evolution of AC with the same variety of cars AND multiple road surfaces well simulated (dry/wet tarmac affected by local weather, dirt, snow, ice, sand, gravel, mud etc.) would be perfect. One can dream.
 
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Stereo
Assetto Corsa's close to ideal for me. The AI are the big area with room for improvement. They just don't really drive like humans and it's inconvenient to set them up to match my pace so I mostly run solo laps.
 
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DND
A sim that was fully integrated with AI in that it would be able to critique your driving by analyzing the data and make suggestions as to driving technique. Once you achieved consistency in driving the AI engineer would offer setup changes based on the telemetry and your feedback. Once you were ready for battling the AI in race the crew chief would manage the fuel, tire and other race day settings to give you the best opportunity for success based on qualifying position. Flag system and track limits would be enforced in a realistic manner, giving back positions, drive throughs or timed pit box penalty.

A true ladder system based on your goals, Oval, Road, Off Road, Hill Climb, etc... And of course, a full complement of the cars and tracks as well as realistic weather and time change.

Finally, a platform that would essentially be a library so DLC, updates, etc.. would be carried over not unlike Raceroom or iRacing. Tired of seeing any number of titles with a sequential number as a suffix.

In short, be a driver and the rest are AI interaction. Other than that, not much.;)
 
Kurupt CDN
iRacing with a higher physic tick rate, AMS2 graphics and either a all content included subscription base, or a greatly reduced subscription.

Hell I would be happy with just being able to use my AI content when the subscription ends.
 
Emery
  • The Reiza dedication of content maintenance.
  • The content moddability of AC (S397 should replace gJED, damnit).
  • The physics of rF2 with a few minor improvements [Hybrid engines? CVT & torque converters? Strut suspensions? Solid front axles (ugh)? De Dion axles(ugh)? Tire punctures and cording?].
  • The sound capabilities of WMD (Panoz from PCARS2 springs to mind as a good example).
  • Thorough reproduction of race series ala ACC.
  • Skills training mode (was it GTR2 which had that feature?).
  • Cohesive DOCUMENTATION that's not spread around the internet in random heaps!
  • Large field support for something over 50 competitors.
  • Better AI. AI that sees cars rejoining the track, AI that doesn't drunkenly weave around for no reason, AI that respond appropriately to blue flags & yellow flags, AI that understands how/when to draft by, AI that can block, AI that can do a crossover pass...
  • Rain/snow/night graphics that won't cripple triple screens (WMD gets an F, everybody else has a D).
  • Body mesh damage, not just texture swaps.
***
And on the simracing hardware side:
  • a FFB H-shifter standard that replicates mis-shifts, balking the shifter out of gear with vibration. This also applies to replicating mechanical sequential transmissions such as the Lotus Queerbox. It would be up to the racesim to send the correct signals based on clutch state, rpm, and model of gears (synchromesh, dogbox, etc.) and generate grinding noises in the sound engine.
 
S
The big feature I want is great AI and MID RACE SAVING! I AMS2 can add mid race saving, it would be my favourite sim of all time. I'd love to do a multi hour race but system stability, life etc... Makes it impossible.
 

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What's needed for simracing in 2024?

  • More games, period

  • Better graphics/visuals

  • Advanced physics and handling

  • More cars and tracks

  • AI improvements

  • AI engineering

  • Cross-platform play

  • New game Modes

  • Other, post your idea

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