The Future of Sim Racing - Mixed Bag or Single Series?

[Jempy]

@Will Mazeo

Finally I'd make the same conclusion

AC being my 1st choice platform ... but missing features out of RRE .... ( and out of GTR2 ), the 3 of them finally having my preferences.

Maybe GTR3 should fullfill our wishes in the future ?

But, anyway, all choices are fine ....as diversity in choice is finally a good thing in order to make all of us happy with one or another choice, according to our personal preferences.

 

[Banoub]

I used to be a big fan of Gran Turismo until around GT6/Sport when PDI changed their audience to a more eSport-esque audience and shifted focus onto attempting to simulate modern GT class racing.

The thing that attracted me to Assetto Corsa was its diverse set of cars and tracks paired with a great physics engine all accessible from the comfort of my gaming PC. It has satisfied me in a way that other 'mixed bag' games simply did not and do not. Many of the other 'mixed bag' games lack a good driving feel to me-the cars feel dull and unresponsive-and those other games seemed to rely more on flashy menus and post processing effects rather than creating an authentic road experience.

I'm not one for many modern racing cars, most of my favourites are 'vintage' (1930-1990) Formula 1s, LMPs and Group Cs, and these all are eras of Motorsports history that not really covered by dedicated game(s). So ideally a dedicated game that focuses on modern GT series I have no interest in isn't going to appeal to me. It's why I haven't played many older Sim titles either, because no game with exception of AC have given me what I desire.

 

[David Dominguez]

I'm not.
I think the vast majority of sim racers are hard working folks with families, kids and only have so many hours a week to race.

Take AC for example there's over 8000 mods here of which I might have 50 downloaded, and only use 10.

Don't use mods then? AC with its stock content + their own DLCs has enough cars, with almost full GT3 lineup.

 

[David Dominguez]

If focussed games started taking over the landscape people would start complaining about lack of content diversity.

Totally agree.

 

[Stereo]

It's not so much that I need it to be a mixed bag, as that I have unusual tastes that only end up actually served by the mixed bag games. GTL was nice but that's what, 13 years since an "official" classics game.

 

[Shovas]

People should know, the beauty of GTR2, and why it's held up as an example so often, is not simply that it's focused on one series (that's almost besides the point), but that that it knew its focus AND had all the features you'd want AND it was very open and moddable.

The goal is not broad or narrow focus but implementing all the features and remaining open for modding. Then modders will fill in the rest: broad and narrow and everything in between. You get the best of all possible worlds when you provide the features and the moddability.

rFactor is, for all intents and purposes, the quintessential sim but it could use some aesthetic and usability TLC to make it attractic and easy to use for modern simmers.

 

[JusTiCe8]

The race for money just acknowledge the infamous "divide and conquer" rule, all companies trying to make a decent sim racing game are doom to failed, because they ridiculously chase money first and copy the title which is sold the most, even it's a best seller buggy crap.

They don't dare to make their very own game with unique features, they make the Nth copy of <"successful" title> (AC was just GTR2/rFactor bis to me, same issues, same features missing)

ACC won't work because they drop AC before fixing (how many) % of issues (tired of this community ?), so reset => clean sweep, new game, new issues, tiring players, bored, reset, ACCC, ACCCC, ACCCCC, ACCCCCC, ACC....CCCC as many C as you wish.

I would love Geoff Crammond to do a modern race sim.

It would be great, too bad, he is one of his kind, he'll be remembered as quite a sim racing hero and pioneer with F1GP.

 

[Neils on Wheels]

I'm easily bored so i like the choice in AC but AC was a little bit too random. I don't mind single series but i would like to see a variety of single released not just modern GT3.

 

[David Wright]

I'm a big fan of single series PC racing sims, but I do think its worth remembering why they died out.

Sadly licensing racing series became something of a war zone. The F1 license, which at one time spawned games from Microprose/Crammond, EA/ISI and others, became a Playstation exclusive killing Crammond's team. NASCAR which also supported several developers over the years, became an EA exclusive killing Papyrus (even if it did rise again as iRacing).

From the ashes of the demise of PC based NASCAR and F1 sims rose Ian Bell's Simbin. With the two highest profile racing series licenses off limits they opted for a relatively obscure championship - the FIA GT Championship - which though obscure, featured high profile tracks like Spa and Monza combined with high profile cars like Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini. It proved a big hit.

Either because they wanted to diversify their portfolio of sims or because (unlike F1 or NASCAR) they didn't feel the market would go for annual updates on the GT championship, Simbin's next choice of racing series license was just as inspired - the FIA Historic racing championship. And GT Legends was born.

When Ian and most of the team left Simbin to form Blimey!, the new Simbin kept the rights to the FIA GT License and opted for the WTCC as their second string to their bow. But again the dangers of racing series licenses re-appeared and Porsche and Ferrari pulled out of the FIA GT license. This killed Simbin's planned successor to GTR2 and left them with little option but to offer just licensed cars and licensed tracks but no licensed racing series in the form of GTR Evo. Arguably this was the birth of racing sims as we see them now.

So while I remain a big fan of single racing series sims, there are dangers for developers who become reliant on them. Licenses can become exclusive (F1 and NASCAR). Race series can decline in popularity or cease to exist (Indycar, FIA Historic, FIA GT, WTCC). And if you don't have the option of the high profile championships such as F1 or NASCAR then finding that low profile championship with the right combination of tracks and cars with international appeal is a skill mixed perhaps with a bit of luck. Simbin seemed to get the FIA GT license at its peak, the FIA Historic license at its peak,and the WTCC at its peak (and subsequent decline). I think Kunos with Blancpain have got the best of the lower profile racing series; perhaps its at its peak or perhaps it will keep on its upward trend.

 

[tlsmikey]

Looking at what we have today for single series (F1 and NASCAR), I think it's fair to say the quality of those games is pretty bad compared to the likes of R3E, AC, AMS and iRacing.

I'd like to steer away from single series, but it does frustrate me when I see titles populate one or two cars out of a series and that's it. iRacing, you are the worst at this...*cough* *cough*....Kamel series. If you can't provide reasonable depth, then don't do it at all.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

This is tough for me, what i love the most is F1... and the F1 license falls to Codemasters...

Let's just say i've learned to live with scraps, AC giving me a couple of Ferrari's, Automobilista and it's fake F1's.

RSS has wonderful F1 models.

 

[SAGY31]

What I would love to see the most is geographically orientated sim in terms of content like AMS does for Brazil and expanding to other South American countries.

Ideal regions:

North America (IndyCar, NASCAR, IMSA, Trans-Am, Porsche Cup... etc.)

Australia (V8 Supercars and all the support categories)

Let's face it if someone is based in those regions it wouldn't be too much of a problem to get all the tracks and cars (they don't have to be licensed, just like Reiza did with AMS).

 

[Xela1]

I'm easily bored so i like the choice in AC but AC was a little bit too random. I don't mind single series but i would like to see a variety of single released not just modern GT3.

agree when you say "AC was a little bit too random" E.g. Maserati MC 12 GT1 or 935/78 the greatest cars within AC. But a lot of guys including me complained the missing competitors, rivals to those vehicles. That's why AC is often called a "Hot lap simulator".

 

[ouvert]

Let's face it if someone is based in those regions it wouldn't be too much of a problem to get all the tracks and cars (they don't have to be licensed, just like Reiza did with AMS).

isnt most of the tracks in AMS licenced ? with exception of Suzuki, RedBullRing, etc ? All those that falls under Stock Car series should be licenced right? Basically if it uses real name than it is most likely licenced

 

[Xzess]

I would like a class themed game, like for example Gt with a mix of GT leguends & GTR 1 & 2. Gts but very different between them. Modern Gts are very similar to drive.

 

[motoliser]

Ideally mixed bag with good physics and modable! Is that so hard?? No!!! So c mon KUNOS just release the dam AC2!

 

[ND4SPD Fan]

Having one series only and doing it well is nice and all but ultimately I find ACC and it's focus solely being on GT3 cars a bit concerning. At the very least GTR2 had several classes of cars (GT1, GT2, etc.) and it was very moddable while ACC won't be, at least not for a while. But hey GT3 racing is by far the most popular thing in sim racing atm so it makes sense for them to do so. I just like to drive old cars like 962s and what not from time to time.

 

[SAGY31]

isnt most of the tracks in AMS licenced ? with exception of Suzuki, RedBullRing, etc ? All those that falls under Stock Car series should be licenced right? Basically if it uses real name than it is most likely licenced

Yes indeed most of the tracks are licensed.. but what I meant is they are not really bothered about not having a license for many cars like Porsche Cup, V8 Supercars and all the open wheelers...

 

[muzikant]

GPL 2!!
Something different from what is now on the market, Not the same blue shoes
not the same blue shoes that everyone makes. Gt3... spa...
En let the codemaster serries go to kunos or RRE or Rfactor2

Something new please!!

 

[motoliser]

Assetto Corsa has always been on the top of this forum discussion by far. So why pretend that we need another concept?? We just need it to be improved and that's all.