Automobilista 2 | October Development Roadmap

Paul Jeffrey

Premium
Reiza Studios have revealed their latest 'Development Roadmap' for October - and it's early!
  • Nurburgring.
  • GT3 and GT4.
  • FFB and physics improvements.
It feels good not having to write this past midnight on Friday - thanks for the early posting Reiza! In this new development roadmap, the Brazilian studio outline their upcoming plans and goodies heading to Automobilista 2 in the very near future - with some great new additions on the way to the simulation...

The roadmap in full:

Greetings everyone!

It's great to be back with another Development Update after missing out on our usual catch-up last month, for which I´d like to apologise to anyone who was disappointed by it - a combination of circumstances meant there was neither time nor material to post a substantial update then.

We're gonna try make up for that now with a slightly early October Development update, to present you all with some very exciting news about what we have been putting together for our next Automobilista 2 update

The Arc of Progress

AMS 2 1.jpg


This month marks the completion of two years since Automobilista 2 went into production with the Madness engine, and a mere 8 months since the very first Beta was release to backers. A lot of ground has been covered in this time, and we´re very proud of what we have managed to achieve in what is by all measures a relatively short window of time in game development.

Although we take pride on the work done so far, we remain aware that we really must continue to push hard in order for AMS2 to keep evolving to fulfill its potential - one that gets closer to being realized with every monthly update.

To this end we have obviously been commited to a very aggressive development schedule, and when you´re moving that fast to try make big strides towards releases on a monthly schedule, occasionally some rough edges will slip into public releases. This is deliberate and we do find this to be the way we can make the game grow better, faster - which ultimately is what we all want. We do aknowledge that approach has on occasion lead to a stumble here and there that has disappointed some users.

We´re also adamant that not all users are aware of this methodology or find it to be the right way to go, and conscious about the fact releases need to grow tidier and more reliable as we tick off the boxes in our dev plan. As always we emphasize that AMS2 was designed to evolve over time - the first version of anything will always be the least developed version, but that won´t stop us from continuing to push to make it better.

With this said, we have been working specially hard in the last couple of weeks to ensure a tidier release for what we believe will be a landmark update for Automobilista 2, with plenty of exciting new content combined with some major core improvements along with the usual round of polish to the existing cars and tracks. Here are some of the highlights:

Premium GT3 and GT4 Cars Arrive in AMS 2

There is no doubt GT3 racing has grown to become one of the most popular in motorsports, be it real or simulated - and there are good reasons for it: a perfectly balanced power-to-weight ratio packaged with sublimely optimized 21st century aerodynamics and technology, wrapped under virtuoso designs produced by the most prestigious brands in the world make them both uniquely attractive, and despite their impressive performances incredibly accessible for drivers of varying skill levels.

Our goal for Automobilista 2 is to provide the most diverse sim racing buffet we can put together, and that would never be complete without these mighty machines. We are thus delighted to confirm our initial batch of GT3 & GT4 cars will finally come for Automobilista 2 in our upcomign update.

This release will be boosted by the addition of two major licensing agreements - we are very proud to announce two new licensing partnerships with Porsche and Mclaren Automotive, which will see a number of their cars added to the game in the next few releases, adding to the growing list of premium brands and models officially represented in Automobilista 2.

The recent licensing agreements with these prestigious motorsports icons have been a long time coming in what has been a difficult year for businesses all over the world - that only adds to our gratitude for getting these over the finish line.

The deals will see a long catalogue of very exciting cars making their way to Automobilista 2 in the coming months - the vast majority of which will be added to the game as free additional content.

The initial batch in the upcoming release should include the following models:

GT3:
  • 2015 Mercedes AMG GT3
  • 2016 Porsche 911 GT3-R
  • 2019 Mclaren 720S GT3
  • 2019 BMW M6 GT3
AMS 2 2.jpg


GT4:
  • 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport
  • 2017 Camaro GT4-R
  • 2018 Mclaren 570S GT4
AMS 2 3.jpg


This release will also feature the Porsche Carrera Cup cars as raced in the Brazilian series in 2020.

AMS 2 4.jpg


Enter the Green Hell

AMS 2 5.jpg


Another major milestone in our upcoming update is the release of the most challenging race track in the World - the Nurburgring , featuring both the modern GP layout as well as the infamous Nordschleife, both developed with the aid of laser scan data.

The track will be available as a standalone DLC, and also as part of both Season Pass and Premium Track Pack.

This initial release will not however be the extensions of our plans for the "Green Hell" - we will continue to develop new layouts of the track including a Historical version, with a release targetted at some point next year, as a free addition to this DLC package.

Core Game Development

The new content is obviously great additions to the AMS2, and we hope they will be a popular boost to the game, but these also call for the game to evolve with it - to that end, we have continued to hard both in developing new features to the core game, as well as fixing issues with existing functionalities and content. Here are some of the highlights to feature in the upcoming release:

Livery custmization will now be possible and template for all models release with the next update, so users will be able to paint their own liveries to replace (but not yet add to) the original ones without needing to fudge with external tools.

We have a substantial Force Feedback upgrade, providing enhanced feedback during braking, enhanced road feel, improved scrub effect, effectively eliminating the FFB "deadzone" around center in some cars, and generally adding a more distinctive oversteer / understeer feedback.

AMS 6.jpg


Physics revisions of the engine at large as well as specific car models continue to take place, with fuel and tyre wear specially expected to have a full pass in time for release.

We are also continuing our intense AI development program, further cleaning up some poor behavior and doing further performance callibration passes which should see a more consistent and reliable racing jumping from class to class.

AMS 7.jpg


Further work on 3D Animations is also ongoing, on the car front with more cars receiving the complete damage model with deformable mesh, flapping & detachable parts, dirt & scratch maps, and tracks beginning to get a bit more life with helicopters, drones and other objects

AMS 8.jpg


On the Audio front, and have added a capable extra set of hands to the team to help us get the best of the FMOD engine - that should earn valuable improvements on the longer run, with some already be noticeable on the upcoming new cars.

Championship mode has also received some updates, with further support for official Stock Car rules and the addition of a few new championships due for this update and the next.

Pricing Retained

Despite the growing list of premium licensed content to be added to the base game over the coming weeks and months and the game itself distinctively maturing into a very competitive package, we have elected to further postpone our planned price bump and stick with the current pricing for the time being, with the goal of boosting the influx of new players and stimulating the growth the active community around it. With seasonal Steam sales incoming you may expect some good deals also for DLC packs.

That covers it for this month and hopefully also makes up for the last one - we look forward to sharing the latest results of our work with you all this weekend!

Original Source: Reiza Studios.

AMS 2 is available now, exclusively on PC.

Want to know how to get the best from the simulation? Head over to the AMS 2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment and start up a new thread today!

AMS Footer.jpg
 
Does anyone else feel like there is a little too much life on some tracks? For example, at Spielberg it seems like an Air Calvary unit is scrambling to destroy a column of tanks. I like the birds and I like the hovering helicopters, but I find it extremely hard to believe that a helicopter would be taking off in the middle of a race, let alone several times.

That aside, I am very excited for this release.
I agree, I like to take out say the Camaro road for a little less public race yet I'm greeted with full grandstands and helicopters buzzing around. Surely not every race day has full crowds and air support going on.
There needs to be a setting to tick box if you want a full FIA sanctioned race or a more private race settings.
 
On one hand its nice to see that Reiza is going to improve the damage physics and add GT3 & 4 cars to the game.

On the other hand we can replace skins but not add to the existing ones? That makes less sense than having to research sequels in Game Dev Tycoon.
 
On the other hand we can replace skins but not add to the existing ones? That makes less sense than having to research sequels in Game Dev Tycoon.

Probably they need to rework the way the liveries are handled in the game. Madness engine, unfortunately, had removed the drag and drop capabilities that were present in ISI gMotor since Shift.

The way liveries are replaced is a pain in the butt since Shift and not much had been changed.
 
I agree, I like to take out say the Camaro road for a little less public race yet I'm greeted with full grandstands and helicopters buzzing around. Surely not every race day has full crowds and air support going on.
There needs to be a setting to tick box if you want a full FIA sanctioned race or a more private race settings.
Agree, except for F1 and a few heavily brand promoted exceptions, grandstands are mostly empty for most regular road racing classes.
 
Agree, except for F1 and a few heavily brand promoted exceptions, grandstands are mostly empty for most regular road racing classes.
I've never been to Brazil but have heard they are very passionate about Motorsports so maybe , just maybe they do pack out the grandstands at even local tracks :O_o: Most tracks in AMS 2 at Brazilian so i cant say other than the Aussie ones. But ive since heard there is more to come around crowds at a series level . So F1 will be bigger crowds compared to kats and so on . Just need to give Reiza time ;)
 
All my support and admiration for Reiza, I believe in them and all the work they are doing is good. There are people who have no patience and only know how to criticize. I am convinced that Reiza will make AMS 2 a great simulator. Just see all the work they do on each update.
What does ACC do? They barely release updates and do nothing to try to improve performance in the game minimally. They could try to optimize performance even a little bit, and they don't do anything.
 
All my support and admiration for Reiza, I believe in them and all the work they are doing is good. There are people who have no patience and only know how to criticize. I am convinced that Reiza will make AMS 2 a great simulator. Just see all the work they do on each update.
What does ACC do? They barely release updates and do nothing to try to improve performance in the game minimally. They could try to optimize performance even a little bit, and they don't do anything.
ACC can't improve the graphics core, they do not have much control over it. Downsides of using the Unreal Engine.
 
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[QUOTE = "DC WOLF, publicación: 3283353, miembro: 235730"]
AFAIK que podrían. Pero tendrán que actualizarse al último UE SDK. Y eso costaría mucho esfuerzo.
[/CITAR]

I agree that it would be a great effort and a lot of work. But Reiza is a small group of people and they put all their effort and I believe in them.
I do not doubt the great work and effort that ACC is a great simulator. But a little more streamlined would be perfect. It's just my humble opinion.
 
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I think this is the single most disappointing statement I've heard from Reiza to date. Their method is to deliberately throw out broken patches because it's the best way of growing the sim? This, despite the game already having a semi-public beta version which could easily catch the type of glaringly obvious issues present in the last patch? I'm sorry, but this is ridiculous. I bought the sim knowing it was a long-term project yes, but I did not buy it to be a paying beta tester.

I'd have rather they just admitted dropping the ball and assured us they'd be more careful in future. My respect level has just dropped a couple of notches, I'm afraid.
I think there is a misinterpretation here.

Reiza is not deliberately releasing unfinished or less polished updates so that customers can be turned into beta testers. They are following the same approach that was used during the "continuous development" of AMS, which is that sim-heads appreciate getting access to cars and tracks early, even if every livery isn't complete or all layouts of the track are not-yet available. As a relatively small and independent (i.e., self-publishing, not backed by nor controlled by an industry heavy-weight) team, there will never be the option to throw development or testing resources at the core or DLC aspects of the game the way the big publishers can. Yet, we know, every release and update from those publishers also invariably requires patching.

Reiza is the most transparent fan- and consumer-friendly sim maker in the market. If you prefer not to be "part of the journey" as Reiza calls it, simply restrict yourself to content that has been in the sim for a while. Even then, there are typically updates that affect older content periodically, so if that is a bother, then do not buy or use AMS 2 until it is a bit farther along the dev path.

I wish I had followed that advice myself with ACC, instead of supporting it during EA. I should have waited a year or so and I would have had a much better experience. AMS 2, on the other hand, just because of my own particular tastes and interests, has been a very enjoyable experience to ride along with as it has evolved and improved since early days. It has a loooong way to go still, but at least Reiza acknowledges that and based on the real-world history of AMS (1), I am fully confident that the polishing and expanding will not stop until AMS 3 is released into EA.
 
I agree, I like to take out say the Camaro road for a little less public race yet I'm greeted with full grandstands and helicopters buzzing around. Surely not every race day has full crowds and air support going on.
There needs to be a setting to tick box if you want a full FIA sanctioned race or a more private race settings.

100% agree with you there - would much prefer some more realistically sparse crowds. Having the option for big or small event would be the icing on the cake.
 

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