Free Content, Future Development and Stefano Casillo Interview (Part 2)

[Paul Jeffrey]

We spoke at length with Stefano Casillo of Kunos Simulazioni about Assetto Corsa, some new free content incoming and all things racing...

The Sim Racing Expo was a wonderful opportunity for sim racers, developers, hardware manufacturers and the media to get together to celebrate the wonderful hobby we call sim racing. Thanks to the great access and atmosphere of the event we had the opportunity to chat with one of the key figures behind Assetto Corsa, Stefano Casillo, and he was more than happy to give us an insight into the behind the scenes workings at Kunos, plus revealing some exciting new free content coming to Assetto Corsa in the near future.

You can check out the interview below:

Originally planned as part of a standard paid DLC, Kunos scheduled the highly anticipated laser scanned version of Laguna Seca to release alongside a pack of new performance road cars for the simulation. Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances the launch of Laguna hit one or two delays against the original schedule, slipping to much further in the calendar year that was the intention when the announcement was first hinted at several months ago.

In something of a generous gesture from Kunos, the popular Italian developers have decided to release both circuit and accompanying cars to the base game for free, bringing with it a very popular drivers circuit and six new cars to the title.

The confirmed free bonus pack DLC will contain:

• Laguna Seca Circuit
• Alfa Rome Giulia QV
• Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
• Lamborghini Sesto Elemento
• Lamborghini Huracan Performante
• Maserati Quattroporte
• Pagani Huayra BC

No exact release date has been confirmed by Kunos, however it is expected that players will be in receipt of the new content before the end of 2017.

If you missed it earlier, don't forget to check out our previous interview with Stefano where we talk about the new update and Ferrari Celebration DLC.

Assetto Corsa is available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC now.

Assetto Corsa and online racing = Love! Check out our brilliant Assetto Corsa League and Club racing forum for great racing events suitable for all skills and experiences. We host regular events using popular content and guarantee a great time for all. Additionally we have a very active sub forum for the game where players can catch up on the latest news and engage with fellow community members here at RD. You can download mods from our modding archive, discuss W.I.P projects in our Modding Discussion Forum and try out a selection of car setups for a wide range of vehicles. Come on, get yourself involved in the action today!

Happy to see more free content coming to Assetto Corsa? Which car most grabs your attention from the list above? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Diogo Goetz Brand]

I am sure he means netKar PRO

One thing for sure.. my interviews are not as idiot proof as they should be, this thread clearly shows it, I really need to work on that.

It's like they say: when you try to make something idiot proof, the world will simply create a better idiot.

 

[Kenny Paton]

A gentle reminder folks

 

[Topuz]

How the hell did thread about free content turn into this is beyond me. If I wasn't already into sim racing, this thread would make sure that I never get into it. Disappointing and shameful.

 

[DriverJay]

How the hell did thread about free content turn into this is beyond me. If I wasn't already into sim racing, this thread would make sure that I never get into it. Disappointing and shameful.

This is why i dont post alot on here, God forbid if you say you like electric cars its like jumping in a crocodile pit on here sometimes, but kudos to the mods for being able to deal and put up with it, they deserve a pay rise imo

 

[anton_Chez]

I often wonder what people talk about sometimes regarding the sim racing community, being fairly new to it. I played DotA, LoL for years and years (still sort of do), and understand what it can be like, toxic and all that. I'm no saint either. Didn't think it would come to a more mature and shall we say, 'higher class of gamer' as we like to think of ourselves here in sim racing. Apparently, gaming has a way of degenerating everything the older it gets. Disappointing, having basically grown up with the industry.

I will say for the most part though, sim racing forums are generally pretty good places to hang out. Found many an answer to a problem I've needed solving. So if you were one of those people, thank you!

 

[Rob Every]

To be honest, threads invariably develop a life of their own especially if the people involved in the game actually take part in the discussion.

I don't have a problem with it, as long as it is within the boundaries of the forum rules.

A lot of forums I used to use are ridiculously over moderated these days, basically because the mods just delete anything remotely controversial as they can't be bothered to deal with the complaints and childish reporting people do. So I just asked to be removed as that to me negates the point of a forum. It's a forum, not a love in.

I am not a person who holds his tongue as some of you will know, but I have never reported anyone, on any forum for anything they have said to me unless it is abusive or potentially threatening. This has happened to me on other forums, some of it self inflicted, but often merely because my views are strong, opinionated and contradict popular opinion.

Thankfully on here the mods are involved, allow people to discuss, but intervene when things get silly, we all get carried away at times.

ON topic, I would agree that rain is better than night. My big issue is performance, a lot of people playing these games can just about run it, adding weather means they possibly can not. And for the amount it is used, is it really of that much benefit?

It looks great in marketing videos, written down, and perhaps for server hosts. But in reality I think most people prefer stable weather to race in. Fair enough the odd time it's nice to mix it up, but in my experience servers doing that are quickly deserted. People mostly just want to race, not worry about weather.

 

[ShredatorFIN]

Uh, no. It's not. There is a Lord, and cat-man is not it.

Point you missed... is on interview he is talking AC2. AC1 is different game, with different engine. Which supports only 1 light source = no night.

As for rain, maybe engine limitation, maybe other limitation. netKar Pro yes rain, AC no rain, AC2 yes rain, try to cope with it. It has been told many times rain is not coming into AC1, by Kunos. Forum users only repeating their words.

Marco said once they don't want to add badly done rain into AC1, that is only effect, low grip and reflecting track. But that it would need to be proper rain.

So, maybe also engine limitation. Either case, it's been said many times that it is not coming into AC1 so the naysayers weren't wrong. And nobody has lied to you.

rFactor 2 has had rain for long time but it is not great. Don't know about their new rain, if only new visual effect or what. AC1 development looks to be soon finished, rain wasn't in the original AC roadmap so Kunos doesn't owe anyone that for AC1. For AC2 (or whatever it will be, game about cats) it is now on roadmap, so now if it won't have rain, people will actually have some reason to complain.

Now, no reason to complain.

---------------------

Also why are many acting like rain is something basic every sim has, iRacing no rain, AMS no rain, RaceRoom no rain. pCars 2 has now rain but the comments of physics, FFB and AI are not 100% flattering.

 

[Andreas Knöpke]

So, now me:

• Call me an AC-Fanboy BUT I'm not impressed by the weather in pCARS2.
  Yes, it looks gorgeous but it drives nothing like it should. If at all then it drives like in dry conditrions just with automatically-reduced engine power.
  
  
• Was AC a lesser game/simulation because it didn't come with weather or night time racing?
  From a visual perspective maybe, probably yes.
  But from a sheer driving experience perspective certainly not.
  Look at all the modern games that have that now... yes, there may be puddles of rain appearing and disappearing based on the driving lines but that still doesn't mean that rainy conditions are anything but realistic in current sims that future weather. To my knowledge no game simulates a realistic track grip in wet conditions that takes into consideration the outer non-rubbered-in line as being more grippy etc.
  So yes, if such features aren't realistic, then what's the point in having weather?
  
  
• Anyhow my own personal wishes for a possible AC2 would rather be a proper driver swap functionality with the respective ingame effects. And of course the somewhat confirmed night time changes but weather to me only makes sense if it's as realistic as it gets.

 

[Celestiale]

Some people only consider rain or no rain when the talk about weather starts..
In the end apart from the summer in middle Europe it's rarely dry. If it's not raining or drizzling, it's at least moist on the road. I wouldn't call a game "simulation" if it can only simulate a perfectly dry road surface, because apart from Laguna Seca or desert tracks that's rarely the case in spring and autumn.
Modelling weather, from a sligthly moist surface to a downpour, is so essential in my opinion. By far the biggest aspect missing in AC. I don't need night for that matter, but it's also a nice feature to have..when it's properly implemented, including dew.

 

[gecco]

Wow, great interview!
What an incredible nice gesture from the guys at Kunos.
Legendary Laguna Seca, laserscanned, in top notch quality, and then for free???
7 additional cars, also for free??
This is no joke, I feel ashamed to not have to for pay for this.
That's content of at least 1200h of work (assuming 3 months for track, and 3 weeks per each car), if not more!
It will be an enormous boost for the online community, as everybody will be able to enjoy it.
Kunos mentality reminds me of what was said about Ayrton Senna. He was not satisfied with being faster then his opponents, he also wanted to be miles ahead of them at the end of the race.
Likewise Kunos is not satisfied with making the best racesim of all time. No, after 3 years of continuously supporting and updating the game they (supposedly) end it with a drumbeat.
I guess this forthcoming pack will be the last added content for Assetto Corsa in its (hopefully) first iteration!
What a beautiful and unexpected swansong.

 

[ShredatorFIN]

I wouldn't call a game "simulation" if it can only simulate a perfectly dry road surface

So iRacing, Automobilista and Assetto Corsa are not simulations? TIL

I wouldn't call them perfect simulations of reality, but then again I would call nothing that.

 

[AccAkut]

I hope this message is read by Stefano and the Kunos team.

I can't wait to see tracks like Akina Downhill or C1 Highway at night like Initial D and Wangan Midnight. Epic! But please, let modders make light elements like lampposts or illuminated signs.
.

I sincerly hope they don't, it would just fuel Stefanos sarcasm generator.

Half the stuff you want there makes no sense (Youtube generator???), shows that you have not even tried out what is already there (Modding tools? Kunos already offers heaps of tools, hell a standalone editor like that KSEditor is a rarity today.)

COmbine online with offline? What does that even mean, do you want forced always online?

Regarding light elements... you can absolutely create those since the first day of SDK. Most of the "modders" in your drift sphere of influence probably just don't car enough to add it to their conversions.

 

[felippekiss]

One thing is content other are functions. About rain and everything, I don't remember Kunos mentioning at any moment that it would put on the Assetto but it is an aspect that is part of racing is something to think about projects from now on, I say not only to Kunos but any company that intends to launch something that offers the possibilities of what can happen in a race, and don't forget that these were together with others one of the points that more marked the series Grand Prix of F1 as well as the GTR2 and are games with more than 10 years

 

[Emery]

well that is consoles and minimal at best , I can not remember the last steam racing title I purchased that had all the DLC already installed and waiting for you , its correct maybe what you are saying but refers to a few % of titles at best as an whole , either way like I said roughly on all games the DLC issues are the same and have been for quite some time .

<cough> AMS <cough> R3E

 

[CC]

<cough> AMS <cough> R3E

Maybe one day I can buy AMS do not own it

 

[AnGeL LuiS R]

I sincerly hope they don't, it would just fuel Stefanos sarcasm generator.

Half the stuff you want there makes no sense (Youtube generator???), shows that you have not even tried out what is already there (Modding tools? Kunos already offers heaps of tools, hell a standalone editor like that KSEditor is a rarity today.)

COmbine online with offline? What does that even mean, do you want forced always online?

Regarding light elements... you can absolutely create those since the first day of SDK. Most of the "modders" in your drift sphere of influence probably just don't car enough to add it to their conversions.

I find it normal that many times Stefano answer sarcastically, it isn't easy to answer people who only give destructive criticism.

Why a integrated Youtube tool have no sense in AC? I think that a Youtube button is essential today. In PS4 you have a menu for upload all your replays to Youtube. Why don't add a Youtube Upload button to the Replays menu of Assetto Corsa?

Yes, I know the SDK of AC because I have got it on Steam, and I also have the useless tool Race Track Builder. Because I'm not a modder, but I want to create things for the game. And if I want to make a mod from scratch, I have to do a labour-intensive work of research. From my point of view there aren't official tools and documentation that facilitate creating mods.

Combine online with offline not. I say that it could be interesting, for example, make a online round with the drift meter and the winner it's the player with the most points. Or make a online round of drag race.

I didn't know that you can create custom light elements with the SDK, I've tested some night effects in Assetto Corsa but I've never seen real light effect, only an illuminated effect with blur that tries to simulate a light.

In any case thank you for your clarifications.

 

[Celestiale]

So iRacing, Automobilista and Assetto Corsa are not simulations? TIL

I wouldn't call them perfect simulations of reality, but then again I would call nothing that.

In the truest meaning of the word they are definitely no simulations. I just find people ridiculous who are so besotted in nomenclature when it comes to their favourite "sims", but when it's about a different game/sim they are crying out "simcade", "no true simulation" and crap like that.

As for rain and livetrack - i am going to buy Pcars 2, because i just want this very essential part of racing. If AC would have rain i am pretty sure i wouldn't think about buying Pcars 2

 

[AccAkut]

Why a integrated Youtube tool have no sense in AC? I think that a Youtube button is essential today. In PS4 you have a menu for upload all your replays to Youtube. Why don't add a Youtube Upload button to the Replays menu of Assetto Corsa?

Yes, I know the SDK of AC because I have got it on Steam, and I also have the useless tool Race Track Builder. Because I'm not a modder, but I want to create things for the game. And if I want to make a mod from scratch, I have to do a labour-intensive work of research. From my point of view there aren't official tools and documentation that facilitate creating mods.

I guess you come from a console background. Coding some integrated screencapture function for something you can already easily do with free tools like OBS won't make much sense on a PC. Same deal with modding tools, its needs to be done externally. Just how do you imagine your dream tool to work? A prompt where you can enter "VW Scirocco". and just pops out a model? Or do you mean things like modding engine power and skins? Actually curious what your mean here In general creatiing tracks and cars requires a lot of work which you just can't shortcut. And Race Track Builder is already regarded as a really fast and easy (too easy even) tool.

 

[protonv5]

A gentle reminder folks
View attachment 213956

This of course applies to cat-man as well, but because he's sooper special, his posts will never be mod-edited. Funny how that works

 

[Brandon Wright]

Four pages into an AC thread and arguments haven't broken out yet?

I should have just waited a couple more pages, it was inevitable.