If it's dead, then why it has the most active club/leagues of RD?
You're perfectly right.
But I think the real reason why some leagues are successfull with AC Open and even Championships is .... because their admins are inventive and/or take profit of modders's inventive works.
Everything missing in the game may be reinvented by them.
- Neys with his Ptracker and Stracker allowing easy collect of race sessions results and possibility of easy publishing in a forum
- Wally Masterson with his Pitlane Penalty system using the original AC cut detections but making them more realistic and less abnormally penalizing .... and with his AC Log Parser also.
- Fernando Deutsch with his Ferito blue flag app ( before final Kunos's decision to create them after many gamers's complaints )
- etc etc
Some things are also possible: ( but not in base game ):
- launched starts: asking the poleman to lead the 1st lap as a safety car would do it
- reversed grids: possible with some well thought easy support ... a simple Excel sheet
( not forgetting to ask drivers not to make a lap during the short practice allowing all drivers to join the server in due time )
etc etc ...
As co-admin of a french league ... I may say our weekly open races have success ... but it asks all of us ( admins and organizations ) much more work than most other racing game.
AC has a perfect FFB and many other top points ... but was not enough thought as a Race game at the start.
Many missing features are due tho this error in fact ... as it was first prepared as a ... hotlap game.
The base penalties cannot allow 1st gear showing at race start creating sometimes false starts, manual pitlimiter ... because ... they cannot be penalized.. that's the reason.
Most missing points cannot be redone without changing the whole game base.
Maybe in the future with a Assetto Corsa 2 ?
AC league success because it can be modded, because modders are inventive with apps, because graphics are pleasant, because finally it gives us many pleasures.
AC is not really dead ... but has to be re-thought.
Even base informatic points: save, modify, delete ... are missing:
- setup: why no delete in game ???
- ACLauncher entry list: create, delete ... why no modify ???
- Race results hiding the chat after online race: is a simple closing cross so new ???
- this crazy EXIT just beneath Back to pitstop ... without asking any confirmation ???
Basic PC principles are even forgotten in this game !!! ....
But it has so good points ... that we have to close our eyes in order to forget these missing features. Will it last forever that way ??? that's another question.