Assetto Corsa - possible to multiplay with just a friend?

bazzabear · 30 Aug 2020 at 12:36

What I'd really like to do is have just the two of us, with the rest of a racing field made up of bots.

Is that possible?

Within the game, I only see options to join an existing server, or to play on LAN - no remote, private, multiplayer option.

I found this thread:
https://www.assettocorsa.net/forum/index.php?faq/dedicated-server-manual.28/

But to be honest, it's all beyond me! Is it as simple as running acserver on my computer and running ac itself at the same time? Then providing my mate with the details to join?

bazzabear · 30 Aug 2020 at 12:37

Supplemental question: If this isn't workable, what game exists that we could do this? PC2?

picnic · 30 Aug 2020 at 13:42

bazzabear said:
Is it as simple as running acserver on my computer and running ac itself at the same time? Then providing my mate with the details to join?

Yes but you will need to open a port in your router to allow your friend in.

I'm not sure if network games can have AI opponents.

bazzabear · 30 Aug 2020 at 13:59

Cheers. I've been playing about and found you're exactly right - I can successfully get a server running, and I can at least join it myself (haven't tried with the friend yet). But can't see any way to get AI cars running. That's a shame. Only two of us on a track is a bit empty!

Are there any similar games anyone knows of which do allow AI cars in this setting?

bazzabear · 30 Aug 2020 at 14:54

Further investigation myself suggests that PC2 is indeed the answer to what we want to do.

geekyadz · 4 Oct 2020 at 14:00

Sorry I'm a bit late replying to this.

picnic said:
I'm not sure if network games can have AI opponents.

As far as I know, only F1 2020 (but then I play that on Xbox so don't really know for PC) but I have to agree with you: no other game I'm aware of allows AI in online servers/lobbies.

bazzabear said:
What I'd really like to do is have just the two of us, with the rest of a racing field made up of bots.

Is that possible?

Within the game, I only see options to join an existing server, or to play on LAN - no remote, private, multiplayer option.

I found this thread:
https://www.assettocorsa.net/forum/index.php?faq/dedicated-server-manual.28/

But to be honest, it's all beyond me! Is it as simple as running acserver on my computer and running ac itself at the same time? Then providing my mate with the details to join?

Let's start with the answers that you sound like you haven't found:

You two in a server on your own - yes, but if you don't set a password for the server you may find that you get randoms connecting to your server. Obviously though you can ban their GUID (unique identifier from Steam) from your server, but that's too much work right? Easier: set a password. It's pretty easy (well, for me it is anyway, and you just need notepad (or notepad++ (I recommend this) if you want to really make sense of the config file, so you don't have to use the acservermanager.exe (you can then run acServer.bat once you have saved the server_cfg.ini file)) but if you want some help I'm happy to provide it.

Kautya · 5 Oct 2020 at 10:42

PC2 does allow creation of a locked online lobby and you can add AI opponents with tweakable skill and aggression, I believe.

bazzabear · 5 Oct 2020 at 11:42

Yeah, I've played PC2 in this setup very successfully a few times now.

I wonder if there's a setting (I can't find it!) to allow us to put all the player cars at the back of the grid though? The ideal would be to set the NPC cars a little slower than us, and try to fight our way through them to the front.

At the moment, if we don't have a qualifying session, it's just purely random.

Even so, had some great fun. Tried the Zakspeed Capri's at Brand's Hatch which were hilariously twitchy. And not even just in to and out of corners. Every gear change you have to be ready to catch some oversteer. Fastest way through Paddock seemed to be to already be sideways as you reached the bend.

Driving these games in VR and with a steering wheel set-up is something else.

geekyadz · 5 Oct 2020 at 13:25

Kautya said:
PC2 does allow creation of a locked online lobby and you can add AI opponents with tweakable skill and aggression, I believe.

I might have to look into this game as well

Kautya · 5 Oct 2020 at 19:29

bazzabear said:
Yeah, I've played PC2 in this setup very successfully a few times now.

I wonder if there's a setting (I can't find it!) to allow us to put all the player cars at the back of the grid though? The ideal would be to set the NPC cars a little slower than us, and try to fight our way through them to the front.

At the moment, if we don't have a qualifying session, it's just purely random.

Even so, had some great fun. Tried the Zakspeed Capri's at Brand's Hatch which were hilariously twitchy. And not even just in to and out of corners. Every gear change you have to be ready to catch some oversteer. Fastest way through Paddock seemed to be to already be sideways as you reached the bend.

Driving these games in VR and with a steering wheel set-up is something else.

I dont think there is a setting for that. Everytime I have played with my friends it has been either qualifying or random grid position. You could add qualifying and just not do a qualifying run, that way the players will be at the back of the grid. Setup like a 5 min qualifying session so you dont waste too much time just sitting around

.

Kautya · 5 Oct 2020 at 19:49

cchaos said:
I might have to look into this game as well

https://www.cdkeys.com/pc/games/project-cars-2-pc-steam-cd-key
Standard game is £5.99, if in hurry. I had grabbed the deluxe for about a tenner a few months ago.

bazzabear · 5 Oct 2020 at 22:39

Kautya said:
I dont think there is a setting for that. Everytime I have played with my friends it has been either qualifying or random grid position. You could add qualifying and just not do a qualifying run, that way the players will be at the back of the grid. Setup like a 5 min qualifying session so you dont waste too much time just sitting around .

Yeah, that's what we thought of too. I even wondered about making the qualification so short we couldn't - but then I guess it wouldn't count the AI cars as having done so either.

In single player just moved on to the Group A touring cars. The Merc 190E on a wet Hockenheim was great fun too.

RollsReus · 6 Dec 2020 at 08:18

Hello @bazzabear,

I would like to kindly ask you for some advice: were you able to setup the game with your friend and AI bots somehow? I have some decent F1 mod from 00's years. Me and my friends are fans of the vintage F1 and we want to set up the game, where we are one team against the rest of the grid filled by AI bots from the mod. It's not a problem in singleplayer, but we have digged the Internet, and there is no chance to set up the server with AI.

We found some traces, that maybe LAN or post forwarding could be the trick. Our idea is to setup the single game on one computer, and allow the other one to join.

We are searching for solution quite long right now. I would be really appreciated for any kind of tip. If we manage to do anything, of course I invite you to play together

bazzabear · 6 Dec 2020 at 09:24

I'm afraid I was unable to get anything with AI cars working on AC. We had to use PC2 instead in the end.

Bobbey · 20 Feb 2021 at 22:05

Created an account to let you know that Wreckfest lets you play with a friend with bots. And the game is seriously fun!

Aceking · 23 Jul 2021 at 23:00

I been using my rFactor 2 server to fill out the grid with AI for me and a friend and works fantastic and the Ai are far better than pc2. Also, the Automobilista 2 sim allows you to use AI on your server and read setting up a server is very easy.