New to VR (Oculus) — What Racing Sim?

Borsch · 10 Sep 2017 at 11:03

"Built for VR" doesnt mean much, sounds a bit like "make america great again"

Will it solve shortcomings of current headsets? No. As for performance, the most it can do is run at 90fps - like AC does already. And then we have questions of physics and content. The latter we will wait and see (there were very few street cars in pCars1), but the former - physics...

Lets just say that Dallara (manufacturer of all formula cars for Formula2 and 3) are not waiting for pCars2 and are developing their simulator based on AC

:

hyperseven · 10 Sep 2017 at 17:21

Pcars 2, watch the gamermuscle vids on it and even for an early release looks rather good. Out in less than two weeks.

Born2BSlow · 10 Sep 2017 at 21:03

Borsch said:
"Built for VR" doesnt mean much, sounds a bit like "make america great again" Will it solve shortcomings of current headsets? No. As for performance, the most it can do is run at 90fps - like AC does already. And then we have questions of physics and content. The latter we will wait and see (there were very few street cars in pCars1), but the former - physics...

Lets just say that Dallara (manufacturer of all formula cars for Formula2 and 3) are not waiting for pCars2 and are developing their simulator based on AC :

Dallara are Italian, Kunos are Italian...there's the reason. I'm surprised Dallara don't have their own software though, didn't they build a Formula1 chassis a few years back. They must have pretty good data knocking about.

Project Cars 2 will surprise a few people I think. Don't knock the VR implementation, you'd be surprised how many people who've forked out £400-£800 for a headset just want a game to work for them. Not everybody wants to edit .ini files, spend hours on youtube and pray to the gods that the game will start in VR....

AC VR implementation once driving is brilliant, getting it working and navigation utterly crap...what a ballsache

Borsch · 10 Sep 2017 at 22:06

For me enabling VR (oculus) in AC was a matter of selecting Oculus Rift as rendering device in the game's video options. No .ini files were touched, no youtube gurus consulted.

As for Dallara being Italian(come on, would they put patriotism before actual quality for this? its not a PR thing even, its their own inhouse sim), how about Porsche that also use AC sim?

@5:41

Btw Ferrari also uses AC for inhouse street car development.

The thing is, Pcars1 hype choo-choo train was a bit too all conquering - with SETA tyre model being the most advanced ever and Stig Ben Collins, Rene Rast and Nick Hamilton promoting it like no tomorrow... So I'm understandably a little reserved now and would advise people who look for a track day experience simulator (and not just a fun driving game) to hold on until the release and read some 3rd party non-gamer reviews. If those turn out to be glowing, I'll be among the first to join the pcars2 party

Borsch · 10 Sep 2017 at 22:27

iRacing has a 70% off promo atm http://www.iracing.com/wfg/, its a great sim as well - laserscanned tracks (just like AC and unlike pCars1, no idea about pcars2) means that your VR experience will be complete with all the little camber and elevation changes that real tracks have. Plus iRacing has the absolute best netcode in all of simracing/car games.

insideline · 10 Sep 2017 at 22:51

iRacing is king and is easily the slickest product out of all the sims out there but it costs a ton of money relative to everything else.

AC is good but it's only really good for hotlapping by yourself unless you enjoy racing against uninspiring AI.

Uncle Petey · 10 Sep 2017 at 22:54

Yeah, no.

insideline · 10 Sep 2017 at 23:12

Uncle Petey said:
Yeah, no.

is that in relation to my quote ?

Positives

- best net code
- best multiplayer/online features by a mile, nothing else comes remotely close
- best track modelling by far
- largest selection of tracks
- oval content other games can only dream of
- best community by a mile
- top tier physics and FFB, rfactor 2 probably tops the physics side of things though
- incredible level of detail in car modelling, just look at all the in car adjustments for the McLaren F1 car.

Negatives

- way more expensive than everything else out there
- some people take it a bit too seriously...
- if you're clean but slow you can often get stuck in the bottom splits with people who wreck constantly
- physics and tire model are constantly being adjusted (sometimes for worse, sometimes for better) so you have to constantly adapt to the cars.

It's easily the best/slickest product out of all the sims imo, hence why it costs an arm and a leg.

Maybe if I cared about AI id not value it as highly but if you want a racing sim you surely want the most realistic simulation of what a race is like... and you're simply not going to get that racing against AI who have uncompetitive race craft.

Uncle Petey · 11 Sep 2017 at 00:33

Yeah, it's in relation to your quote, but it's got nothing to do iRacing. I'm perfectly happy to accept that a service you pay for provides the best online racing.
I don't have a problem with iRacing just in case this devolves even further into fanboy territory.

I don't give a toss about AI either. You're the only one bringing up AI.

I do have a problem with misleading nonsense like this though:

AC is good but it's only really good for hotlapping by yourself unless you enjoy racing against uninspiring AI

The answer is either/or:
Find friends who own AC.
Join a league, such as Race Department among many others, or use SRS for example.
Use public lobbies. Yes, you could be taken out by another driver, but that applies to any online racing in any game. More often than not, you'll find plenty of people who aren't nobs.

insideline · 11 Sep 2017 at 02:51

Uncle Petey said:
The answer is either/or:
Find friends who own AC.
Join a league, such as Race Department among many others, or use SRS for example.
Use public lobbies. Yes, you could be taken out by another driver, but that applies to any online racing in any game. More often than not, you'll find plenty of people who aren't nobs.

The online is poor though hence why I hold the view that the game is only good for hot lapping, it's not exactly an uncommon view either....

Having friends and joining leagues doesn't fix the poor net code, small grid sizes and baron multiplayer options.

Uncle Petey · 11 Sep 2017 at 02:57

When was the last time you played?
Apart from the odd user having terrible ping (usually because they're on the other side of the world), I can't say that I've encountered this poor net code you refer to.

What's a small grid size?

ED: As for barren multiplayer options, while things have improved there (along with AI), I'll grant you that it could be better. Forza 4 still has better options in that regard.

insideline · 11 Sep 2017 at 03:22

Uncle Petey said:
When was the last time you played?
Apart from the odd user having terrible ping (usually because they're on the other side of the world), I can't say that I've encountered this poor net code you refer to.

What's a small grid size?

Probably 2-3 months ago.

I guess the net code is similar to lots of other racing games but it's miles off iRacing which can more or less handle 64 cars on the track at the same time without warping etc. The movement of other players cars looks much more natural in iRacing as well, you can visually see a much finer level of detail in opponents car behaviour than you can in other racing games.

iRacing still has issues with netcode and servers though but overall it's very impressive and because of this (and other reasons related to multiplayer) it somewhat kills motivation to race online in any other sim. I must sound like a fanboy but I'm happy to criticise them for the areas they lack in... slowish development, high cost etc

Anyway I'm sure others have fun with AC's multiplayer but for myself and others I know it's viewed as a hot lapping sim, a very enjoyable one !

Uncle Petey · 11 Sep 2017 at 04:51

It's all good, mate

I have no doubt that no other sim can touch iRacing when it comes to the online portion, and that anything less probably does seem crappy in comparison.
Given the price you pay for it, I'd expect no less.

Sure, you do have to put more effort into finding regular races with decent, like minded people, but AC ain't that bad.
To say it's only good for hotlapping is pretty much the same thing as saying it's virtually unplayable online. That would be a ridiculous exaggeration, if not an outright lie.

Born2BSlow · 11 Sep 2017 at 07:48

It's a golden era for racing games/sims, they're all fantastic and getting better with each year that passes. Sadly there isn't one that just does everything right, even if there was there would be someone who didn't like it.

I have my own preference others have theirs, I respect that.

DAIR · 11 Sep 2017 at 07:55

The competition is certainly heating up.

Funny that 10+ years ago. This genre was ruled by Gran Turismo..... How the mighty have fallen.

Anyway. Back on topic. I've really been enjoying AC IN VR mode. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for race room. Experiencing a fair amount of stuttering.... Could be my PC.