AMS 2 | November Development Roadmap

Paul Jeffrey

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Reiza Studios have concluded the month of November in style - plenty of exciting news contained in the latest Automobilista 2 Development Roadmap post.

Sadly December won't see a public release for the much anticipated Automobilista 2 simulation from Brazilian developers Reiza Studios, that one has been pushed back to March next year, but the delay doesn't mean things are slowing down over in Brazil - far from it - as the latest development roadmap release goes to show.

In this traditional end of month news update, Reiza discuss plenty of information about the current state of development for Automobilista 2, including a new preview video from the sim, and news of additional content coming to the base version of the title!

Check out the full November development roadmap post below:

Hello everyone, and welcome again for a new edition of our monthly Development Update!

It´s hard to believe it´s already November! It was afterall around this time last year that we had committed to switching to the Madness engine for Automobilista 2 after a couple of months of experimentation, and what an intense year it has been since
:)


As we approach the end of the road for 2019, we can´t help but be proud of what´s been achieved this year. The whole team has been pushing like mad and even though we didn´t quite make our ambitious plan for an initial release in December and while there is still a lot of work to be done, I feel we can be happy with the progress that has been made and confident that AMS2 will reach its initial release time in the shape we had hoped it to be in 12 months ago.

That doesn´t mean slowing down any time soon - as was the case with AMS1, the initial release of AMS2 won´t be the end of development but rather the end of the beginning. We have an intensive development plan already mapped out through 2020 all they way into 2021, filled a bunch of very exciting things we´re really looking forward to share with you all, but that unfortunately can´t just yet
:p


While we continue pushing, we are getting closer closer to AMS2 initial public release and with that in mind our goal is to wrap for the holidays in December with a solid Alpha build, leading into a solid Beta release in February closed to Reiza Backers, before finally reaching official release later in March.

To that end, here´s a recap of some of the work done over the last month.

Force Feedback Development

AMS 2 November Development Roadmap.jpg


In last month´s Dev Update we touched upon the development of a new FFB system, which I´m happy to say has been wrapped to very satisfactory results. Here are some words from our man @Domagoj Lovric summing up his work on this front:

"What forms the torque we feel on steering wheel? The torque acting on a steering system is attributed to reacting forces and moments on the tyre contact patch such as tyre load, lateral force, longitudinal force. These forces generate moment around steering axis, known also as "kingpin axis".

How much of an "influence" each of these forces has depends on mentioned steering axis, mainly inclination against vertical wheel line in longitudinal direction and inclination from a side view - better known as caster.

Aside from just taking angles into account, we also have (as consequence of this inclination) - steering axis projection on ground offset: scrub radius in lateral plane and mechanical trail (caster trail) in longitudinal. This moment around kingpin axis will transfer a force into the steering rack, via steering arm and tie-rod.

AMS 2 November Development Roadmap 2.png


The Formula V12 Hits the Track

One of our most popular releases in SCE / AMS was the Formula V12. The car was based off 1995-spec F1 regulations which imposed drastic aerodynamics changes following the tragedies of 1994. This led to the first cars of its generation producing far less downforce than at any other point from the early 80s to today. Combining that with a power reduction from 800 HP to around 650 HP as engine displacement was reduced to 3L meant that cars were more skittish, but overall less lethal.

Compounding the downforce loss, the regulation changes also led to mid 90s F1 cars becoming notoriously pitch sensitive, meaning aero balance would tend to shift considerably from front to rear depending front wing height. So the way to drive them fast specially through quick corners was to keep speed as high up and constant as the driver dared so the car´s attitude wouldn´t change so much and with it its aero balance, making it harder for its not-so large slicks to keep the nimble 605kg machines adhering to the tarmac.

That is one of the things that made Michael Schumacher such a standout performer relative to his peers over the course of that decade, as even though his driving style could on the surface appear wild and erratic due to the sheer volume of micro steering corrections mid corner, he was actually managing to keep the car in that higher, thin threshold of optimal aero performance that ultimately resulted in him achieving laptimes that would regularly embarrass his teammates with absurd gaps of 1-2s, specially on faster tracks.

It was an interesting challenge to try reproduce in the sim, and we felt we did a fairly good job of it in SCE / AMS´s Formula V12. A car with such sensitivity to minor inputs was always going to benefit from physics and FFB upgrades, so unsuprisingly it´s become one of the distinct highlights in AMS2 when combined with the more dynamic SETA tyre model, the higher input rates and now with a more unfiltered FFB system, resulting in a notably enhanced experience even with a lower level Force Feedback wheel - with a higher fidelity DD wheel it becomes positively organic.

It´s something that can only be properly appreciated from experiencing it - video previews are a poor substitute but since that´s what we can offer for now, here are a few laps of the F-V12 having its tyres literally flexed for a few quick laps around Kansai:


Here also you can also check out some of the latest shader developments from the track art team - while there´s much still we plan to achieve with this engine over the ongoing development cycle of AMS2, this is closer representation of what the game will look like on release.

Stock Car V8 - 40 Years of History

This year has been a landmark season for the Brazilian Stock Car series as it completed 40 years since its debut season back in 1979. The championship is still raging on, with the final race of year due to take place on December 15th, as usual at its spiritual home Interlagos.

The series of course is with which 10 years go it all began for us too as it was the subject our debut title Game Stock Car, released in 2011. The series remain one of our flagships and in Automobilista 2 we will celebrate its 40 years of History, not only keeping the original Opala Stock Cars and the current Cruze prototype from 2019, but expanding it with the Chevrolet Omega from 1999:

AMS 2 November Development Roadmap 3.jpg


coming seasons as the series shifts to become more true to its name and use more "Stock" versions of the street cars, albeit still powered by custom mighty V8s.

Below is a preview of what the new car is expected to look like - this and its GM Cruze counterparts are expected to debut at Goiania in March 2020, and you may look forward to making their debut in virtual tracks with Automobilista 2 around the same time
:)


AMS 2 November Development Roadmap 4.jpg


The exciting new cars along with some of the main cars that made up its history in the past 40 years are only a part of what´s in store for this new chapter of the Reiza - Stock Car relationship - more exciting things to come here, so watch this space
:)


Automobilista 2 Community Skins

A reminder that hose who join AMS2 Early Backing Campaign have the opportunity to become part of Automobilista 2 by creating their own livery for any of the various fictional or semi-fictional series in the sim:

AMS 2 November Development Roadmap 5.jpg


Automobilista 2 is scheduled for release in March 2020. You may pre-order Automobilista 2 through the AMS2 Early Backing Campaign - more information on this program and how to participate here.

If you are looking forward to Automobilista 2 but would rather wait for release, you may opt instead to add the game to your Steam wishlist via the AMS2 Steam Store page. to receive email notifications upon release and other relevant news.

That´s it for November - now on to December! We look forward to catching up with you again next month for the final and exciting news of 2019
:)



Automobilista 2 will release on PC March 2020

Excited about the prospect of driving AMS 2 for yourself? Post a thread in the AMS 2 sub forum and discuss the title with your fellow sim racing fans!

AMS 2 November Development Roadmap 6.jpg
 
i'm really hoping they can achieve a good feeling game and not just feel as bad as pcars 2, i'm more worried however that the "game" side of it will be bare bones, too many sims out that have no worthwhile SP or MP and we don't need another, we need another f1 standard SP or iracing standard MP
 
I must admit I have reservations about this too. To be fair, it was also true of Assetto Corsa and is true of rF2. I suppose what matters is what you get in the dlc and whether its good value for money. In return you also get the much craved on-going "support" and development. If you want this you have to pay for it one way or another.

The value of the DLCs vs base game will make more sense once those are disclosed - we realize its a bit of a jump in the dark at the moment and most would be hesitant to commit, and we dont expect most people to do it. Those who have kept track of our record though will know that these early investments tend to pay off :)

With regards to the AMS2 / ACC comparison, its worth pointing out AMS2 will pack about 5x more cars and tracks on release than ACC currently does, covering many different series, and that number will more than double over its dev cycle. Thats not a dig at ACC, which features only premium content produced with premium quality and is IMO excellent bang for the buck specially for GT3 fans, but I think people will eventually find AMS2 has a different scope altogether. Its a matter of what you are looking for in a racing sim.


@Renato - Any comment on the audio engine? It seems a bit flat at the moment and I wonder if there are plans to improve the fidelity. I know for me personally ACC really opened my eyes as to how much immersion can be improved just through sound.

The audio engine (FMOD) is just fine, it is I believe the same as ACC. We are still in process of adding all the various sound effects, filters and finding the right mix. There will be more going on there.

In terms of engine sounds, they sound like a 3L V12 really - pretty much as it did in AMS1.

Of course if we get access to that particular engine for some recording we may find more room improvement, and thats always possible - again as those who are familiar with our sims can attest, we are rarely “done” with trying to make our content better irrespective of how old it is. There are in fact several cars scheduled for new recordings and fresh sound sets. But we try not to let perfection be enemy of good enough - we feel that if it sounds as good as AMS1 on initial release that will be a good foundation to build on over time.


Please Reiza do more historic content. I don't even care which series you gonna do as long as its between 66 and 95 :). But an Imsa/LM series would be awesome or something like DRM. I am a fan since GSC 2011 and its just awesome what you guys delivered since then. Keep up the good work!

Cheers! You will be pleased to hear then that over 30% of the content planned for AMS2 is historic cars and tracks :)


good news for the FFB but no news for the damage system for example and AMS 1 updates...

In time :)
 
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The value of the DLCs vs base game will make more sense once those are disclosed - we realize its a bit of a jump in the dark at the moment and most would be hesitant to commit, and we dont expect most people to do it. Those who have kept track of our record though will know that these early investments tend to pay off :)

With regards to the AMS2 / ACC comparison, its worth pointing out AMS2 will pack about 5x more cars and tracks on release than ACC currently does, covering many different series, and that number will more than double over its dev cycle. Thats not a dig at ACC, which features only premium content produced with premium quality and is IMO excellent bang for the buck specially for GT3 fans, but I think people will eventually find AMS2 has a different scope altogether. Its a matter of what you are looking for in a racing sim.




The audio engine (FMOD) is fine, it is I believe the same as ACC. We are still in process of adding all the various sound effects, filters and finding the right mix. There will be more going on there.

In terms of engine sounds, they sound like a V12 3L really - pretty much as it did in AMS1.

Of course if we get access to that particular engine for some recording er may find more room improvement, and thats always possible - again as those who are familiar with our sims can attest, we are rarely “done” with trying to make our content better irrespective of how old it is. There are in fact several cars scheduled for new recordings and fresh sound sets. But we try not to let perfection be enemy of good enough - we feel that if it sounds as good as AMS1 on initial release that will be a good foundation to build on over time.




Cheers! You will be pleased to hear then that over 30% of the content planned for AMS2 is historic cars and tracks :)




In time :)
So can you confirm that AMS 2 will have 55 tracks (11 in ACC without DLC (4 in DLC) x 5 = 55) ? And how much in the base version ?
 
So can you confirm that AMS 2 will have 55 tracks (11 in ACC without DLC (4 in DLC) x 5 = 55) ? And how much in the base version ?

I got the ACC track count wrong, so thats probably closer to 4x the number on initial AMS2 release then and 5x by the end of 2020, not including DLCs (but including historical variations of the same venue).
 
I got the ACC track count wrong, so thats probably closer to 4x the number on initial AMS2 release then and 5x by the end of 2020, not including DLCs (but including historical variations of the same venue).
thank you, if there is a high quality, I don't care about the money, the quality has a price and I wil be happy to buy the premium quality content.
But sometimes, some doubtful developpers sell at the highest price DLC or content with a very doubtful quality. I can't give example, it will derail the thread :)
 
Indeed quality has a price, as does speed and volume. If most users had their way theyd like all tracks in the world laser scanned with GT Sport graphics available on release for free or at most for a few bucks, but unfortunatey that isnt realistic :)

So devs will approach that equation in different ways and come up with different solutions, according to their possibilities and whatever their product aims to offer. We are aiming for a very wide motorsports scope, that means other versions of the same tracks may be slightly more accurate or more detailed, but we tend to output them at a quicker rate, with a more consistent standard and usually for a cheaper fee. Thats not necessarily right or wrong - it again depends on what the sim is aiming to deliver, and users can then choose according to what theyre looking for..

Or they can just grab them all :)
 
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Not getting a warm feeling when someone feels like they have to re explain how FFB works to explain what they are working on. Sounds to me they are struggling with getting nice FFB feeling from the madness engine, surprise surprise!
Then going on to explain how the car they are working on was a handful undriveable beast in real life but it is better with a DD wheel.
Time will tell, but I will have to test that new game before buying.
You have a point here.:thumbsup:
But to the contrary of another racing sim developer who uses every possibility to tell how extremely advanced their socalled theoretically tire model based on quantum physics:sneaky: is - I consider the devs behind AMS1/2 much more believable.
But you are right - time will tell.
 
I hope they will change the PC2 style chase cam FOV , because tunnel vision is ridiculously awful on an ultrawide monitor. Feels like the camera zooms in from very far behind the car.
It was the 2nd thing I hated the most in PCars. First thing was the unnatural hars engine sounds which screamed all the time into your face, even at very low throttle.
 
Looking forward to this, the strength of AMS1 is IMO the non common content and the high quality of what delivered. Regarding AMS2 not being modable it don't bother me much, modding is great, but looking at AMS the mods up to Reiza standards can be counted one hand (tracks not counted), hope skins still be possible.

One great car range are the odd modified standard race cars, great to see the WV still in screen shoots. Looking forward doing this again in AMS2 :D
1575242594053.png
 
Here also you can also check out some of the latest shader developments from the track art team - while there´s much still we plan to achieve with this engine over the ongoing development cycle of AMS2, this is closer representation of what the game will look like on release.
Yes its a few months from release, and yes its a video shot but I really, really hope that statement isn't a reflection of these pics.
I'll be buying when released but from what I've seen up to now, the tracks just dont seem to have life and remind me of vanilla AC from years ago. :thumbsdown: Im not gonna judge by posting screens from another sim in the same places at Suzuka, but I really hope things improve vastly in that area with animated flags and corner workers, video billboards, great grass texturing - just give the tracks some life.

AMS1.png

AMS2.png


Yes even animated overheads, stuff in the sky - anything.:whistling:

aaaaa.png
 
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About grass: we've recently finished our own terrain shader, which has all the features of pCars2 terrain, but also adds all the goods of original AMS1 shader. A pity that usually that stuff is being lost in compressed videos, so I'm planning to write a little tech-review of the new shader alongside with some high-res screenies soon. Not saying that the work on grass is 100% finished now though.
Animations: It's soon the phase when the trackside assets + animated assets will be added on all tracks, and if you've driven on tracks from our rF2 bundle, I'm aiming to at least that level of animation around the track.
 
Not getting a warm feeling when someone feels like they have to re explain how FFB works to explain what they are working on. Sounds to me they are struggling with getting nice FFB feeling from the madness engine, surprise surprise!
Then going on to explain how the car they are working on was a handful undriveable beast in real life but it is better with a DD wheel.
Time will tell, but I will have to test that new game before buying.

One purpose of dev updates is to tell people about something we think is noteworthy acheivement - important for motorsport simulation and interesting to motorsport simulation fan.
We didn't explain how ffb works (as in ffb in games), but what happens in real vehicles in regards to what will make it's way over to steering wheel (could say FFB real life counterpart).
Just to clarify another potential misunderstanding of our words, we didn't try to make ffb nice. We made it accurate, applying ordinary methods used irl. Fact that this approach works, just goes to prove how underlying physics engine is good. "Nice" ffb (aka realistic steering wheel feedback) is the end result and proof of that.
 

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