Who Was Your Sim Racing Developer of the Year?

[pcraenme]

@roadyroad I understand what you are trying to say, looking at it from a sales perspective. But as a sim racing enthousiast I like the approach that S397, Reiza, Sector 3 and iRacing are taking, by improving their existing game. I bought PC2 (at full price when it came out with its season pass) thinking it would be a big step ahead compared to PC1 (since it was a completely new game), but found it that that was not really the case and it was a waste of my money because I rarely play it now. I also bought ACC, and still like AC better than that title. But ACC is in EA, so it may improve and I may change my opinion. In the meanwhile I mostly play rF2, AMS, and RaceRoom, which kept on improving and adding official content (some free, some paid).

 

[David Wright]

The difference between pcars1 and pcars2 is justified by the new UI (awful in the first game), the much more interesting content, better default setups, dynamic track conditions, and puddles. It's not that much when you read it but it renewed the experience and obviously it was sufficient to sell the new version.

Interesting you missed out arguably the biggest new feature in PC2 - gravel and ice racing. I suspect you are not alone in not really appreciating the addition of these features. But this not relevant to the best developer of 2018 so sorry for the off topic.

 

[Ville-Samuli Mutanen]

Surprised rf2 got so many votes, nothing against the title but considering minuscule player base... almost like someone just spread the word about the poll on their forum.

It's just the vocal minority giving credit and that's why statistics don't show exactly the same phenomenom. Since January 2017 rF2 have around 100 active users more which is even percentage wise in line with for example AC. When we count just the actual users, it's very little audience they've managed to attract. On the other hand I kinda understand why they get so much community points with all these roadmaps and Marcel being very active (in a positive and friendly way) on the forums. They deserve some credit! I think rF2 had way too "promising" base to lose. Someone had to rescue it and that mess isn't a simple one to solve. I personally would've hoped for a brand new title with solid visible improvements. All those lost licenses etc. would't mean anything in the end because the engine evolves and all those old content is being left to die anyway. Now they still have a few Mt. Everests to cross with all the core issues and track development.

 

[Alexandre Sene]

Despite the good improvement in contents and the introduction of DX11 on Rf2.

I think Kunos has created a new high standard in simulators with the ACC.

 

[Rui Santos]

Surprised rf2 got so many votes, nothing against the title but considering minuscule player base... almost like someone just spread the word about the poll on their forum.

Fanboy alert!!

Yeah, right, so rF2 fans did that and what tells you the ACC didn't done the same? Is this for a nobel prize? Get a life...

Maybe people are more informed than you on the HUGE task Studio397 has in hands! Probably it's just that right?

 

[roadyroad]

@roadyroad I understand what you are trying to say, looking at it from a sales perspective. But as a sim racing enthousiast I like the approach that S397, Reiza, Sector 3 and iRacing are taking, by improving their existing game. I bought PC2 (at full price when it came out with its season pass) thinking it would be a big step ahead compared to PC1 (since it was a completely new game), but found it that that was not really the case and it was a waste of my money because I rarely play it now. I also bought ACC, and still like AC better than that title. But ACC is in EA, so it may improve and I may change my opinion. In the meanwhile I mostly play rF2, AMS, and RaceRoom, which kept on improving and adding official content (some free, some paid).

I was on the contrary not refering to sales perspective, I have doubts about the sales of ACC, but to developers making steps with full finished products and taking risks by moving on (it was time for kunos and reiza to do it and this is what they are doing it seems). I was really focusing on the directions taken by the developpers and their strategy on the sim racing market, what they bring to build a better future. A 300 players average on some titles is really bad and needs to be adressed, injecting blood from time to time on a surviving title makes it only survive. This market need novelty, new steps to attract more players and increase the enjoyment of all.

In terms of sales, console releases may be a good way to go, pcars2 has done it and sms announced a new title, I assumed it went well. AC on console was maybe a bit more complicated with it's main feature, modding, disabled. wreckfest, not a sim, but I was refering to it, made it on consoles too, that was maybe a good thing, because I'm not sure it's a great hit on PC

 

[roadyroad]

Interesting you missed out arguably the biggest new feature in PC2 - gravel and ice racing. I suspect you are not alone in not really appreciating the addition of these features. But this not relevant to the best developer of 2018 so sorry for the off topic.

Yes indeed, you're right, except it wasn't on purpose, these features were a huge step between the 2 titles, but these aspects unfortunately never seemed to be very popular. But for me indeed it was a major improvement (I personnally would have like more, with dlcs). Not so off-topic as it was an example for a good developer. For me SMS was the best of 2017 thanks to these features.

 

[roadyroad]

Fanboy alert!!

Yeah, right, so rF2 fans did that and what tells you the ACC didn't done the same? Is this for a nobel prize? Get a life...

Maybe people are more informed than you on the HUGE task Studio397 has in hands! Probably it's just that right?

Indeed, it was an unfair comment, s397 has been doing the job and will go on as long as it find ways to finance its activity. I assume they know how much active users rfactor2 has, and if selling dlcs for a % of this base is enough for them to survive, why not. Will it be a long term strategy, no, they need to handle other projects.

 

[kimbo]

S-397 (rfactor2) won, pure logic

 

[roadyroad]

I would sum up my view on the best developer in which developer I consider the most ambitious, by taking risks and by implementing new things, and respectful of its consumers.

Wreckfest is ambitious, ACC is ambitious, kartkraft is ambitious. But only Wreckfest shows something finished in 2018. Pcars2 was the result of an ambitious view in 2017, crushed by a cheap attitude in 2018. Codemasters has been more ambitious than before with F1 2018, improving the rendering, a lot from 2017, including amazing 70s and 80s cars (I had not touched the F1 2017 cars at all!), and using real data for the F1 2017 cars, and this during the halo controversy. It could almost have received my vote but Codemasters should have been more ambitious, by including VR and a proper analog clutch.

S397 has ambition and shows it, but it did not totally deliver. I hope in 2019 it will get at last my vote. Raceroom should be more ambitious, unfortunately it is not, although regular and welcome improvements are made, but a new step must be made in this sim.

 

[147852369]

Big Moon Studios (Dakar 2018) because I feel bad for them

 

[BrunoBæ]

4. ACC....
But strange grip in corners.. can not throw with the cars..

Fully agree. The car behaviour in ACC (physics/TM?) is strange.
At least compared to rF2 and Raceroom.
Have allways been wondering why nobody talks about this.
Its easy to compare against Raceroom on (near) the same track: Paul Ricard A1.
Raceroom feels like a real racing car(eks LMP2) while ACC feels like a huge 2 storey london bus.

 

[Deleted member 379375]

It would seem there was room for improvement in RF2 after all.

 

[RMR1]

I was on the contrary not refering to sales perspective, I have doubts about the sales of ACC, but to developers making steps with full finished products and taking risks by moving on (it was time for kunos and reiza to do it and this is what they are doing it seems). I was really focusing on the directions taken by the developpers and their strategy on the sim racing market, what they bring to build a better future. A 300 players average on some titles is really bad and needs to be adressed, injecting blood from time to time on a surviving title makes it only survive. This market need novelty, new steps to attract more players and increase the enjoyment of all.

In terms of sales, console releases may be a good way to go, pcars2 has done it and sms announced a new title, I assumed it went well. AC on console was maybe a bit more complicated with it's mai' feature, modding, disable. wreckfest, not z sim, but I was refering to it, made it on consoles too, that was maybe a good thing, because I'm not sure it's a great hit on PC

Market Shmarket!
I love AC1 to the bone, get over your neoliberalism ffs!

 

[muzikant]

Despite the good improvement in contents and the introduction of DX11 on Rf2.

I think Kunos has created a new high standard in simulators with the ACC.

Not the physics only the candy eye graphics from ACC

physics are miles beter in Rfactor 2 and always be vs ACC but I hope they can do the job in 2019

 

[tlsmikey]

S397 had some great quality content (Sebring and GTE) but the latest gt3 pack was far from finished so I gotta take points back there.

ACC is amazingly good for a 0.4 beta and iracing produced nothing but quality content over and over. Tough call this year.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

S-397 (rfactor2) won, pure logic

Voters count exceeded number of active players. Sounds logical.
Again as I said, nothing against the title or studio, just surprised by the number of votes, that's it. Why get so defensive?
I personally not impressed by Kunos ACC, not a bit. My vote went for AC and modders.

 

[mantasisg]

How do you define active players then

much logic

 

[David Wright]

Voters count exceeded number of active players.

I don't think you know how many active rF2 players there are.

 

[whip]

i'd give it to something like gt sport myself, i never played it but the amount of improvements and free stuff they added sounds impressive