Automobilista 2 | New Build V0.8.3.1 Available Now - Includes New Car

[Paul Jeffrey]

Another hotfix update for Automobilista 2 has arrived - and it comes with a new track layout and the Puma P052 GT5 car...

Yup, Reiza Studios have been good on their word to start ramping up the Early Access updates for Automobilista 2, with another fresh build having dropped for the simulation this evening - adding a nice range of fixes and improvements to the title.

Headline changes for this hotfix have to be the inclusion of the Puma P052 GT5 car and a new Jerez circuit layout, plus a range of changes and tweaks to the game force feedback - an area of AMS2 that continues to divide opinion within the sim racing community.



Automobilista 2 Update 0.8.3.1 Change log:

CONTENT

• Added Puma P052 to GT5 class
• Added new Jerez layout (no Senna chicane)

UI & HUD

• Added initial HUD Layout Editor (from OPTIONS -> EDIT HUD LAYOUT)
• Added Initial telemetry HUD page
• Fixed missing car class icons
• Fixed class positions incorrectly displaying during single class/practice
• Fixed Superkart/Stockv8 mini class icons
• Blocked lap timer incorrectly displaying in HUD 'off' variant
• Disabled currently unused containers/elements
• Created separate leaderboard and lap/position info HUD elements
• Disabled leaderboard by default on 'light' HUD variant
• Adjusted trackmap zoom mechanics & tweaked graphical elements
• Revised start light HUD element
• Adjusted text colour and border of player in HUD leaderboard
• Added missing vehicle stats for MIT Lancer R & RS
• Updated trackmaps for VIR (all configs), Snetterton (all configs), Velocitta (all configs), Jerez 2019; Added Missing track logo for Snetterton
• Increased vehicle preview resolution

PHYSICS, FFB & AI

• Reduced wheel contact factor in all open wheelers (reducing chances of cars launching into the air with relatively minor contact) corrected mass of several independent detatchable parts
• F-Classic G3M1: Fixed default gear ratio for 7-speed gearbox
• F-Ultimate: Adjusted torque curve & throttle map for smoother power delivery
• Minor tyre tread adjustments to F-Classic (all gens), Ultima GT, MCR 2000, MRX P4, F-3, MIT Lancer R & RS
• Added TC / ABS to MIT Lancer R & RS when running Authentic driving aids
• F-Classic (all gens): adjusted default front wing setting for better aero balance
• Adjusted AI prudence when challenging human opponent
• AI behavior tweaks: smoother lateral reactions & brake application; less performance variation depending on AI skill when on throttle / brakes; less performance loss as AI driver loses stamina
• AI performance callibration passes for all cars

TRACKS

• Added alpha to coverage to all foliage shaders - improves quality, only works with MSAA
• Jerez: Reworked wet track material and puddle mapping; fine tuned road blend textures and vertex alpha blending to improve some blending abnormalities
• Oulton Park: Fixed pitwall collision bug
• Night lighting updates for Cascavel, Velopark, Kansai, Goiania, Jerez, Imola, Imola 2001, Imola 1988

VEHICLES

• Copa Uno: Updated liveries (partial); Adjusted collision mesh
• Super V8: Adjusted collision mesh; Updated Vertex AO; Added detachable parts from Damage;
• Gol Copa Classic: Added LODs & updated materials for both models
• F-Ultimate: Updated liveries with logos

Original Source: Reiza Studios

Automobilista 2 is available on Steam Early Access now.

If you need help and support getting the most from AMS2, start a thread in our AMS2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment and let our great community help you out.

 

[Tar Heel]

What are you using to record Mate?

But how do they perform in a multiclass race? Or an endurance race that requires multiple pit stops? Pc2 AI was decent for quick sprint races as are many other sims. The real question is how will the AI perform for races longer than 20-30 mins? Testing AI for long races with multiple classes is how you can really tell if an AI is decent or actually good.

 

[Terry Rock]

I tried the new update last night.
Each release so far has brought good improvements in overall 'feel'.
Considering how short the time-span from announce to EA release was, I think Reiza are doing a great job.

 

[RichardHessels]

AI in general look like they don't do a blocking path (like in rF2). So they just let come by, as you are the only one taking alternative route to the next corner.

 

[RichardHessels]

I tried the new update last night.
Each release so far has brought good improvements in overall 'feel'.
Considering how short the time-span from announce to EA release was, I think Reiza are doing a great job.

AI in general look like they don't have an option to choose the blocking path (like in rF2) instead of the regular fast path.
So they just let come by, as you are the only one taking alternative route to the next corner.
After a while it starts to look like bad rF1 AI, they just drive the train.
Not very impressed by that till now.

 

[MarcG]

AI in general look like they don't do a blocking path (like in rF2). So they just let come by, as you are the only one taking alternative route to the next corner.

That's something that may come in the future but after EA.

 

[passenger]

AI will be addressed properly to reach AMS 1 standrad as minimum. All these defects we are seeing
now are understandable. The Sim needs more time to be polished, and they are doing a great job
with every new update. Remember that this is not even release v 1.0, and that Reiza is a very small
company.

Time will come when all these details will be perfect for most of us, and even the graphics aspect
will be bettered a lot to reach ACC's visuals.

 

[maelstrom]

Cars feels much better than in ACC, almost as good as in AC and we talk now EA version.

I have the opposite view at the moment. ACC is the standard to which I compare sims and AMS2, whilst improving, just isn't there yet. I want AMS2 to succeed but there are a few little critical issues which stop me liking it at present.

I suspect the guys in the beta probably get the updates before us normal folk, if people read that there's a newer version already out there Reiza would be flooded with "when we get the updates?" questions.
I suspect that's why they'll keep it restricted.

But that's no reason not to give non-backers read-only access to the forum. If we could see that an issue had already been raised and acknowledged by the devs in the beta forum, it would probably prevent a lot of unnecessary posts/complaints in the open forum.

 

[BillGuy]

But that's no reason not to give non-backers read-only access to the forum. If we could see that an issue had already been raised and acknowledged by the devs in the beta forum, it would probably prevent a lot of unnecessary posts/complaints in the open forum.

I look at it like this… The closed forum is a value-added item for people who helped to fund Reiza with the backer campaign. Just because the actual bits and bytes of the game itself are now available to the public doesn’t necessarily mean that Reiza has to negate any of the “bonus value” of the forum for the people that helped fund them. To me it’s like YouTube channels with Patreon campaigns. Many of those have patron-exclusive videos that remain exclusive to patrons no matter how old those videos may be.

 

[maelstrom]

I look at it like this… The closed forum is a value-added item for people who helped to fund Reiza with the backer campaign. Just because the actual bits and bytes of the game itself are now available to the public doesn’t necessarily mean that Reiza has to negate any of the “bonus value” of the forum for the people that helped fund them. To me it’s like YouTube channels with Patreon campaigns. Many of those have patron-exclusive videos that remain exclusive to patrons no matter how old those videos may be.

For me, access to the initial (and ongoing) beta releases would be the value added aspect for early backers. Just having some idea of what is being worked on by the devs and what may not be seen as a problem would be useful as there are rarely any official comments or responses in the open forums.

 

[UMC 22]

The beta forum is for backers only. Everyone had the option of opting in to it, but we chose not to. Constantly going on about it in every patch thread isn't going to make it change, so please, let's get over it and stay on topic please.

 

[makan]

Automobilista 2 V0.8.4.0 RELEASED!
Automobilista 2 v0.8.4.0 has been deployed now - here are some important info about the changes in this release:

CUSTOM DATE option has been temporarily removed from session options, now sessions will always run on default date for that track - with that we have also addressed the bug that would cause a new track selection to retain the default date of the previous track, which could be particularly problematic when for example the user switched from a Brazilian track with a December Summer default date to an European track, leading the latter to load with winter weather and temperatures with fairly big impact on physics that the user wouldn´t have an obvious visual cue for. Next step will be to add a custom season option along with seasonal foliage (which besided the added visual variety will provide the visual cue for different temperatures). Option to customize date may be added at a later stage once we have more systems feeding correctly from such a specific setting.

BRAKES for all cars, including optimum temp ranges, wear, fade & failure properties have all been thoroughly revised according to the brake materials and specs of each car. These will address the brake failure issues from v0.8.3.2 and should hopefully provide more realistic wear and more "feel" on some cars.

FORCE FEEDBACK: we have included an additional "NEW DEFAULT" profile featuring several Force Feedback developments, as an option to the "OLD DEFAULT" profile in the FFB UI - those with existing game settings will remain with "OLD" until they opt to switch to "NEW" . As the Gain, Low Force Boost and FX sliders work quite differently in the "NEW" profile, we want to give people the chance to opt into the new once they have understood how the Sliders may need to be adjusted.

Main differences with "NEW DEFAULT" relate to the Low force Boost slider. and how it interacts with the Gain slider.

In AMS2 "OLD DEFAULT" profile, Gain slider was a confusing device as overall output FFB path was setup badly, with Low Force Boost applied after Gain slider - this was problematic as essentially then you have as many combinations of what happens with signal as there are settings on Gain slider, leading to big inconsistencies (this explains some of the difficulties users had finding a good all-around FFB setting that worked well with all cars, specially on more powerful wheels).

With the "NEW DEFAULT" profile, Low Force Boost is applied before Gain slider, leading to more consistent behavior - it is now factored in the same order as AMS1.

Sample of differences in LFB curve with OLD vs NEW profile:

In the next build we will be adding further functions, including an updated tyre scrub formula & a minimum force configuration. Future builds will see a custom FFB multiplier per car so that users can fine tune each car to their preference. Once these and some other minor adjustments are completed, we believe AMS2 FFB will be ready for v1.0 release and by then "old" default profile will have been completely phased out.


V0.8.4.0 CHANGELOG:

CONTENT

• Added Interlagos Kart track (3 layouts)

GENERAL

• Disabled custom event date setting
• Fixed bug that would cause a new track selection to retain the default date of the previous track
• Fixed multiplayer client rebroadcasting (could cause clients to be dropped from server)

UI & HUD

• Added pedal input & engine power/torque data to telemetry screen
• Fixed reported issues with VR / Triple HUD customization (needs validation, will reset any previous edit in those types of display)
• Reenabled HUD selection for Options screen in-session

FORCE FEEDBACK

Added "New Default" FFB profile, with the following changes vs "old Default:

• "Remapped" Gain slider
• Improved Low Force Boost formula
• A more detailed calculation of steering linkage ratios and how they influence force transferred over to the rack
• Overall small change in FFB output
• More accurate self-aligning torque and factors in residual Mz, camber inclination Mz; steer gyro Mz

PHYSICS & AI

• Updated brake disc thickness, optimum temps, wear, failure, fade properties with variations depending on brake material, fixing brake failure issues from previous build & improving brake feel on some cars
• Minor adjustments to F-Classic tyre tread (all gens)
• Adjusted AI tyre rolling resistance in F-V12, F-3, Roco
• Minor AI performance update for Brands Hatch, Campo Grande, Donington, Guapore, Montreal, Oulton Park, Snetterton, Velocittá

VEHICLES

• Puma P052: Updated missing LOD levels, cockpit display, rim blur, windscreen
• Copa Truck: Added new parameter for Trucks to spawn in their pit slot rather then inside the garage, fixing bug in tracks where they wouldn´t fit the garage
• Adjusted MRX & Roco collision mesh
• Opala OldStock: Fixed bodywork mapping distortion
• Gol Copa Classic: Added missing LOD levels
• F-V12 : Updated #22 #23 community skin
• Copa Uno: Completed livery updates for all cars in the series