Automobilista 2 June Development Update - It´s Official Release Time!
Greetings everyone! Slightly early development update this month to bring you all some exciting news!
In last month´s development update we estimated AMS2 to come out of Early Access some time in mid June - as it turned out we ended up stretching that a bit further, but we can finally confirm Automobilista 2 will be officially released at some point tomorrow, June 30th!
Since the last Early Access update we have continued to push hard these last couple of weeks to ensure v1.0 is a big jump from the latest v0.9.7.0, and that I think we have achieved - v1.0 packs a ton of new content, several key developments in all areas of the game, as well as the new championship mode (albeit limited for this first release).
We are happy to say we have also fulfilled the majority of the goals we had set out to achieve during Early Access, and the little bits that are still due should not take much longer. The official release of course does not mean the game is done - as we keep stressing AMS2 is a long-term project which will continue to see major game updates covering every front of development and bundles of new cars and tracks (free and paid) being released in a monthly basis all the way to the end of the year and beyond - the V1 milestone is all but the end of the beginning, a solid baseline upon which we will continue to build on for a long time.
As I write this we are still working around the clock to get this release ready tomorrow so let´s go straight to what you should know about what is coming tomorrow:
Lots of New Content
Those coming from v0.9.7.0 will find plenty of new content to enjoy in v1.0: of the cars and tracks previously released in Automobilista 1, we have added the original Stock Car season from 1979 complete with historical liveries; the reformed Granja Viana kart track with its latest configurations; revived the much missed Autodromo Nelson Piquet in Brasilia and Copa Montana series, rounding up our AMS1 upgrades for AMS2 release. More oldies will be added later on this year so don´t lose faith you´re see one of your old favorites back!
The highlights however are in the brand new stuff: there´s a classic portuguese track, our first two of several recently licensed Ginettas (G55 GT4 Supercup & G58 that competes in P1 class of Brazilian Endurance), the revamped F-Retro series in its first generation, featuring no less than 3 classic Grand Prix cars - the Lotus 72E, the Brabham BT44 and Mclaren M23 - tossing these cars sideways around one of our growing roster of historical tracks which already includes 1970s versions of Interlagos, Imola, Kyalami, Spielberg, with Hockenheimring and Silverstone soon to join that list in full variable weather glory is bound to be one of the most enjoyable experiences you will have with Automobilista 2! For fans of such historical cars and tracks, keep in mind there is a lot more where these came from to join Automobilista 2 in the coming months :)
Pricing Update
Those of you who have been keeping track of our Early Access plans will be aware that the game has had a built-in discount during this EA period - 40% to begin with, 20% currently with release supposed to bring us to the eventual full price of US$ 49.99 / €44.99
With release time coinciding with the Steam Summer sale however we have elected to keep the current pricing for a few more weeks. Not only that - with Hockenheimring scheduled to be our first DLC soon after v1 release, everyone who bought the Game in Early Access or comes to buy it before the end of the Steam Summer Sale will receive the Hockenheimring DLC (which includes 1977, 1988 and 2001 historical versions) for free!
After the sale Hockenheimring will be sold independently and as part of the AMS2 2020-2021 Season Pass.
Introducing the New Generation of Stock Car Brasil
The Stock Car Brasil series has a special meaning for Reiza, as it was the subject of our very first sim back in 2011 it has since continued to be a regular fixture in our titles, and one with which we enjoy a close relationship with.
Automobilista 2 pays tribute to this long term relationship by including several Historical seasons (the very first one from 1979, the classic 1986 and soon also the 1999 season, the last using Chevrolet Omegas, alongside the well-known last gen cars from the 2019 season.
We now take a step with the series into the future as AMS2 release will have the honor of introducing the new 2020 generation of Stock Car Brasil - now featuring two manufacturers with the Toyota Corolla joining the Chevrolet Cruze. This new generation of Stock Cars have been redesigned to bring the cars closer to its roots - although still based on the same chassis of the JL09 that fielded the series in the last decade, these have been reprofiled to become a little more Stock, a little less prototype, featuring several elements of their production counterparts and a lot less aero components relative to the cars of 2019.
The series is scheduled to kick off with its first race this weekend, but before that drivers will be entering the virtual track to compete on the first round of the official E-Sports series this Wednesday July 1st!
We do have one last thing to hopefully make Automobilista 2 v1.0 a truly enjoyable ride for all sim racers. You will not have to wait long to find out what it is!
See you all on track tomorrow...
Automobilista 2 V0.9.7.0 RELEASED!
Another housekeeping update with Automobilista 2 now hitting v0.9.7.0, ticking off some more remaining must-haves for official release and rectifying a couple of errors from v0.9.6.1 released earlier in the week.
There are a couple of WIP developments in this build to take note of - while several cars now have working wipers, several others still don´t and the wiper animations does not yet quite match the water being wiped from the windscreen. This is just a result of the work here not being quite finished as of v0.9.7.0, all cars will feature fully functioning wipers in time for v1.0 release.
Another unfinished development is the placing of actual sponsors for the trackside advertising - only the ones in the Brazilian Stock Car calendar have received these updates so far, with all other tracks still to be updated with proper trackside ads for V1.0 release.
V0.9.7.0 CHANGELOG:
GENERAL
Added custom pit speed limits per series regulations; baseline is 60km/h for national & club series, 100km/h for modern Formulas, 250 km/h for Historical content
Corrected series / class grouping and grouping within series so different models are sorted in the grid (when series feature cars of different classes) or randomized (when they are of the same class)
Disabled visual ghost effect in pit lane and pit exit
UI & HUD
Fixed vehicle info for F-Classic G3M1, G3M3, MRX
PHYSICS
Revised adhesive friction curve with velocity for all tyres
Reduced wheel contact factor (reduces chances of "exploding" collisions with wheel-to-wheel contact)
Fixed minor tread width innacuracies in F-Classic, F-Trainer tyres
Further areo revisions to MRX, F-3, F-V12, Ultima GTR (Road)
Further car-specific FFB fine tuning (max force, smoothing, scrub radius)
Further engine inertia revisions
AI
Reduced AI front buffer distances (AI is slightly less tentative when a pack of cars is ahead)
Reduced AI lifting off the throttle over puddles
Reduced wall check function (AI is less tentative when driving close to walls)
Reduced ranges for AI drivers inconsistency & performance loss from stamina over longer races
Adjust AI steer smoothing to improve pitlane mobility
Adjusted AI Grip multipliers for Velopark, Adelaide, Azure, Montreal, Londrina
AUDIO
Fixed AI engine sound position being on wrong side for seevral all cars.
Added dedicated sound effect for grasscrete material
Fixed odd ducking of sounds over curbs, lessened crackling on tyre sound effects
Improved sound in stereo mode
Replay onboard engine audio properly positioned.
Starting sound correctly positioned
TRACKS
Added Stock Car series trackside advertising for tracks in the 2019/2020 calendar
VEHICLES
Added wiper animations for Ultima GTR, Stock Car V8, Super V8, Sprint Race, Caterham Academy, Lancer Cup (WIP)
Fixed driver animation for F-Trainer
F-Reiza: Fixed bug restricting field to a single livery
Automobilista 2 V0.9.6.1 RELEASED
V0.9.6.1 has now been deployed - this is a hotfix to complement changes from the previous v0.9.6.0 update.
The Speed Sensitivity slider now added to the Control Configuration UI should be useful for gamepad & other digital controllers; it should otherwise be kept at 0% for those running with a steering wheel.
V0.9.6.1 CHANGELOG
UI & HUD
Added "Speed Sensitivity" and "Minimum Shift Time" configurations to Controller options
Minor UI label fixes
PHYSICS
Revised yaw sensitivity for aero elements in all high downforce cars
Adjusted steel brake heating build-up
Revised slick & road tyres tread performances on wet track
Minor tyre tread adjustments for Super V8, F-V12 & F-Classic Gen3
Slightly increased FFB tyre scrub effect for all cars (through FX slider)
Slightly Increased bump noise from curbs
Minor fine-tuning of car-specific FFB values
Fixed excessive front brake cooling in Caterhams
Revised engine output for F-Vintages (V8 & V12)
TRACKS
Minor revisions to various climate lighting & fog values values
AI
Increased the range of AI performance at both ends of the scale (slower @ 70%, faster @ 120% relative to v0.9.6.0)
Further revised AI throttle application gaps for GTs & formula cars
Increased AI side buffer distance (helps preventing AI cars merging back to the racing line too soon)
Increased Field speed perception, reduced length ahead factored (slightly less slowdowns in packs)
Reduced minimal lateral distance for defensive moves
Increased AI lateral rate of movement when calm
Further reduced AI brake power in GT / prototypes
Further increased AI care with human players
AUDIO
Fixing Super V8 AI Interior Engine sound position
VEHICLES
Fixed missing F-Reiza rain lights
Further adjusted brake glow ranges
Automobilista 2 V0.9.6.0 RELEASED!
This build introduces the new AI Strength logic - now the setting works more similarly to how it did in AMS1, as a more straight-forward AI Grip multiplier, without affecting other aspects of AI performance & behavior, to offer a much wider and more consistent scalar for setting up AI difficulty.
As in AMS1, the AI Strength slider is now restricted to a range of 70-120%, with default setting being 90% and a setting of 100% being equivalent of real world performance. Beware however that the AI in some series may still misbehave at extreme ends of the scale, and that that the new system still requires further callibration for consistency from series to series.
Given the relevance of the AI Strength development to making game more adjustable for a wider range of player skills, we´ve decided to roll this on to release already rather than hold it for v1.0.
V0.9.6 also features further physics & FFB fine tuning and a new batch of car suspension animations. Below is the full V0.9.6.0 CHANGELOG:
UI & HUD
Reinstated time acceleration for Single Player events
FORCE FEEDBACK
Revised code to fix (or at least mitigate) issues with FFB causing wheel to pull hard right or left in some circunstances
Increased input rates to 500Hz and limited FFB rate to 360Hz to minimise potential issues with asynchronous rates
Further fine-tuned all car-specific max force, filters & smoothing levels to suit final FFB system and latest tyre physics developments
PHYSICS
Fixed stalled player engine in rolling starts and in some cases when switching from AI control (still needs multiplayer testing)
Minor tread adjustments for F-Vintage, Trucks, GT, SuperV8, prototype & road tyres
Reduced default brake pressure to 90% (same as AMS1 - setting remains adjustable from car setup for player preferences)
Slightly increased optimum brake temperature ranges for both steel & carbon brakes
Reduced contact factor in open wheelers (further minimising extreme reactions in wheel-to-wheel collisions)
Reduced incremental lift with radiator opening setting
MRX: Fixed wrong brake fade ranges in all variants
Ultima GTR: Fixed rear brake cooling on Road version
F-Vintage: Adjusted default differential settings for better driveability
AI
Added new Opponent AI Strength logic
Clamped opponent AI Strength range to 70-120%
Added customized parameter per car for AI brake application
Further reduced AI throttle application gap dependingon AI driver skill level
Further callibration of AI performance
Further reduced AI brake grip in GT / prototype
s
TRACKS
Jerez: curbs UV2 mapping correction; fixed LOD issues with inner grass; conformed started grid lines to latest road noise & other minor fixes
Interlagos: Updated trackside cameras
VEHICLES
Toned down dirty layer on rear view mirrors
Added suspension animations for all Caterhams, F-Trainers & F-Vintage
Automobilista 2 May 2020 Development Update
Hello everyone! We´ve reached the end of another month in 2020, which of course means it´s time for our monthly development roundup. We have a lot of ground to cover this month so let´s get to it:
Automobilista 2 v1.0 Coming Up in June
The Early Access period ended up stretching a bit from our original estimate of 8 weeks, but AMS2 EA is finally set to wrap with little over 10 weeks as we gear up for official release sometime in mid-June. We´re happy to say that we´re on track to meet all the core targets we outlined for v1.0 release, even if some of the developments haven´t quite made into the game yet.
Car animations are now finally in process of being exported to the game, and expect to have all the most important ones for wipers, drivers and suspension parts include by v1.0 release.
The Multiplayer Dedicated Server Tool has been released albeit in Beta, with some core features still to be added in the coming weeks to help leagues get some championships going by the time v1.0 is out.
The Multiplayer Ranking system is already working in the backend, however this is one feature we want to be careful not deploying too soon so the timeline for its public release will remain open.
On the content side, v1.0 will also see more of AMS1 oldies-but-goodies being included, fully revamped to AMS2 standards.
We also have some really exciting news incoming for the Brazilian Stock Car series in Automobilista 2 which they should announce at some point next week, so stay tuned!
The work on the old content is of course ongoing in parallel to an intense development plan to bring a lot of new cars and tracks to Automobilista 2 in the coming months, some of which already for v1.0. One of them is this glorious pearl from the portuguese Riviera:
Another bunch confirmed for v1.0 is Classic Grand Prix Cars announced last month, which includes the Brabham BT44, Lotus 72E and Mclaren M23, bringing 1970s Grand Prix racing to Automobilista 2.
Those of you keeping tabs will recall this glimpse of the Brabham BT44 we included in the January Dev Update:
The BT44 is in game ready to go, just waiting for its sparring partners to enter the track which should be happening over the cours of the next week.
We have even come up with a redesigned F-Retro to help fill up that grid, and unlike the classics above which were all powered by the famous Cosworth DFV that dominated most of the 70s, our generic F-Retro will also feature a V12 variant.
Final important note: Save for an eventual minor hotfix for anything that really needs fixing, v0.9.5.X is the last AMS2 build deployed during Early Access. The next intermediate build will be released only for Automobilista 2 Beta, as we focus on testing & wrapping up of all the core features needed for v1.0 release.
Licensing in the Time of COVID
While generally speaking we can count ourselves among the lucky few that have not had our operations largely affected by the ongoing pandemic, the same unfortunately can´t be said about other businesses, including some we are doing business with. Motorsport activities have obviously come to almost a complete halt, which among other things makes it harder to schedule a recon trip for a track we have licensed, or to collect data & recordings for cars we are modelling.
The main bottleneck caused by the current circunstances has been on the licensing front, specially with cars as the big manufacturers have been forced to greatly limit their operational capacity - unfortunately that includes marketing, legal and financial departments, all pipelines a licensing deal needs to go through before we can include their cars in the game. Things are progressing but very slowly, and this unfortunately is already compromising our planned release schedule, and even the ability to announce these upcoming cars.
We had estimated release of a couple of sweet german cars to the end of this month but those aren´t clear to go yet, and at the current rate it seems unlikely the GT3/GT4 cars we had scheduled for end of June will be all clear to go until then. Under the current circunstances we can´t even be assertive as to how quickly these will eventually come through - can be a week with one brand and a month for another. That could cause us to reasses our release strategy, going for staggered brand-centric releases instead of class bundles - we´ll need to wait and see how things develop in the coming weeks before we can decide and confirm how we go about it, so please bare with us for a little longer before we can provide an updated schedule.
The good news is that even though the process is moving slower than we would have hoped, none of our licensing targets are stuck or in serious risk of not coming through - most of the deals in fact have been secure for a while with the models they cover are already far along in production, and they make for quite a dreamy list - from 60´s/70´s vintage touring cars to 80´s Group C beasts, 90´s British & German touring cars and mighty GT1s, to modern supercars - there is something incoming for every motorsports taste, and once it rains it will pour as many of them are already in-game. As soon as we get them through the remaining licensing hurdles we will add them to AMS2 Beta for some bug hunting, and to release not long after. Best part: with the exception of the Street Supercars, all cars on the classes listed will be free additional content.
That´s the story on the car front - on the track front we´ve been having a bit more luck, and for the tracks already announced we´re well on track to keep the schedule we had proposed for them.
Obviously Hockenheimring and its historical variants will make up the first AMS2 DLC so the release is held up until shortly after v1.0 is out, but it´s coming along nicely.
Mount Panorama is likewise taking shape, with trackside objects being modelled parallel to the main mesh previewed below - release schedule is for June 30th, with our first post v1.0 game update.
Silverstone & historical variants are also very advanced, well on track for release in its planned July 30th schedule.
And now we have one more premium track we can add to this growing roster...
Spa Francorchamps is coming for Automobilista 2!
At this point Spa has become such a motorsports mecca that arguably no sim can be considered complete without featuring it - we are therefore delighted to confirm that Spa-Francorchamps is also coming for Automobilista 2, in full modern and past glory!
We figured that if we are going to tread the ground of this magnificent venue we might as well do it full justice - the modern version will feature laser scan data, and we will also develop a couple of historical variants - the infamous 14km layout as it was in 1970, and the modern layout as it was in the late 80s, with no run-offs at Eau Rouge or Blanchimont, high curbs and the old double chicane Bus Stop - the complete men-from-boys filtering kit.
We already have a good jumpstart on these massive projects so the timeline for them is less than you may expect - The Spa-Francorchamps Pack will surely be released for Automobilista 2 before the end of the year.
Explaining the AMS2 Season Pass
There´s been a bit of understandable confusion regarding the Season Pass availability and pricing at the start of Early Access, so we felt appropriate to shed a bit more light into what it includes, who is it for and whether it may or may not be of value to you.
Firstly some explanation on the rationale behind making the Season Pass available during EA: When we released AMS1 in Early Access back in March 2016 we did not include the Season Pass, which only became available at v1.0 release in August 2016. Some users complained about having to buy the Season Pass separately at full price, while new users had the benefit of getting both at once with a discount. It seemed like a fair complaint so this time we decided to offer both from the get-go.
With regards to the Season Pass pricing, while it may be unusually high compared to the base game it is very fairly priced in light of what it includes. Let´s take for example the three track DLCs already confirmed: Hockenheim, Silverstone & Spa will sell for US$9.99 each, well within the range of track DLCs for other sims - with the caveat our tracks also include several historical versions. Production of the Silverstone and Spa packs for example include modelling of versions of those tracks so distinct they are akin to producing several completely unique tracks for the price of one - if you consider licensing for these tracks often include additional fees for historical versions, they are really sweet deals by any measure. The Season Pass covers at least two other premium DLC tracks with similar formats and pricing to be released in the 2020-2021 timeframe, and buying these individually would already cover half of the Season Pass cost.
Then there are the Expansion Packs - these are packs currently confirmed, arranged to a certain theme, featuring cars, tracks or both, with base prices ranging from US$ 9.99 - US$ 19.99:
Brazilian Grand Prix Legends - Pack featuring several World Championship cars won by Brazilian drivers
Historical Track Pack - Pack featuring historical variants of tracks featuring in the game
Street Supercars - Pack of road-legal Supercars
Racin´ USA - Pack featuring several North American cars and tracks, modern and historical
Adrenaline - Pack featuring several off-road & Extreme Motorsports cars and tracks
The release order and their exact naming may still change but they will all be released in the 2020-2021 timeframe. We can´t yet detail what each of them include of course as some of the licensing arrangements are still ongoing, but these are rich, comprehensive packs that we feel add up enough value to warrant their asking pricing. Unfortunately this will only become obvious with the benefit of hindsight, but we don´t foresee many sim racers regretting their early purchases!
It should be clear however that no user needs the Season Pass now, nor do we antecipate many would want to pick it up at this point while there are no DLCs available, unless you´re in that group who prefer to buy complete packages at once. And if you are not a fan of either Hockenheim, Silverstone or Spa you may safely ignore the Season Pass until at least September as that´s the shortest timeframe for another DLC release, or Decemeber when the first Expansion Pack is due out.
You may also disregard the Season Pass altogether if the DLCs don´t interest you, if you´d rather pick some of them individually or if you are satisfied with what the base game offers - which is plenty on its own right as the game will be constantly expanded with free, premium additional content. There is no shortage of content for users on any level, and no shortage of options to pick them up only if and when they prove to be worthwhile to you.
That covers all we had to share with you this month - we´ll catch up again next month for the first post v1.0 Dev Update, with more exciting news about what´s coming up for Automobilista 2!
Automobilista 2 V0.9.5.1 RELEASED!
Another week of intense housekeeping as we approach v1.0 release - once again a lot of the focus has been on physics / FFB, with a lot of fine-tuning resulting in another good step forward all around, as the handling for most cars now become pretty representative of our v1.0 target. From now on most of the physics work will concentrate on reviewing fuel consumption, tyre & engine wear, temps & reliability properties.
On the AI side we haven´t yet concluded implementing the new AI Strength logic, so for those struggling with AI speed in lower settings we ask for a little more patience until we finalize this development tol provide more consistent performance accross the AI Strength range. In the meantime setting around 90-110% AI Strength and 50% Aggression have been quite thoroughly callibrated and should provide the best racing.
3D Animations for wipers, suspension, drivers & other moveable car parts are finally beginning to come in, although only one minor item added in this update (animated suspension arms for F-Trainer from external view) - all the remaining exports should flow very quickly from here.
Last but not least, the Dedi tool is now available from the Tools Library on Steam - please check further information about the tool, how set it up and run it as well as post feedback / reports about it here.
For those wondering about upcoming content, please hold for more information in our May Development update coming up tomorrow.
V0.9.5.1 CHANGELOG:
UI
Fixed spectator leaderboard position text always being forced to wrong colour.
Applied HUD style leaderboard to Replay/Monitor Screens
Fixed disabled 'View Replay' button displaying instead of 'Save Replay' button in MP session results screen
Fixed Time Trial Pause Menu leaderboard not displaying correctly
Added identification for dedicated servers in browser list
Multiplayer sessions now default to cockpit view in race session countdown (to avoid bug leading to players beign stuck in TV cam)
Fixed Monitor camera switcher not working after changing cars
FORCE FEEDBACK
Steering rack damping no longer passes through Low Force Boost setting (more consistent damping)
Fixed error in parking force script
Adjusted locktstop strength
Fixed issue with recently added FFB filter occasionally behaving unpredictably
Fine-tuned all car-specific max force & smoothing levels to suit latest FFB system revisions, bug fixes as well as latest tyre physics developments
PHYSICS
Revised tyre tread physics for Opalas, F-Vee, F-V12, F-V10, Caterhams, ARC Camaro, Super V8
Slight adjustments to all wet tyre compounds
Increased carcass load stiffness for incremental tyre pressure adjustments in F-Classic (all gens), F-V12, Caterhams, ARC Camaro, Super V8
Fixed bug causing downshift protection system not to work properly
Adjusted shift tolerances for semiauto boxes (to avoid neutral - 1st gear not engaging in high revs)
Enabled antistall for cars with modern semi-automatic boxes & karts with torque converters / centrifugal clutches
Revised engine inertia for V8, V6 engines
Reduced default steering lock for light formula cars, prototypes & Super V8
AJR: Revised rear wing aero efficiency
MCR 2000: Revised rear wing aero efficiency
F-Ultimate: revised front suspension damper rates, diffuser yaw sensitivity
Stiffer default front ARB for P1 prototypes, F-Vee, F-Reiza
F-Vee: fixed front left rebound damper range
Hotcars: Increased engine output slightly; Adjusted track width, height offset, default roll bar setting
F-Reiza: Adjusted diffuser center of pressure, default caster setting
F-Classic Gen1&2: revised aero balance
Superkart: Adjusted default tyre pressure & ride height
Ultima GTR Road: Adjusted default differential settings, front ARB, CoG height & tyre load stiffness
Fixed bug causing downshift protection system to not work properly in sequential cars that should feature it
Adjusted Ultima GTR Street default differential, front ARB, CoG height & tyre load stiffness
Adjusted MIT Lancer roll bar stiffness
AI
Further callibration of AI performance & rolling resistance for all cars
Improved AI pitlane manoeuvrability
Reduced Aggression scalar & brake performance for classic cars, club cars, GT & prototypes
Fixed AI tendency to oscillate steering erratically running down longer straights
Fixed Roco P3 excessive AI straight speed
Reduced thresholds for AI to attempt overtaking in improbable circunstances
Further reduced AI aggression scalars & brake power
Automobilista 2 V0.9.3.1 RELEASED - Now updated to v0.9.3.2
This week´s update features further housekeeping, with focus again on the FFB / physics / AI combo as these fronts begin to come full circle for v1.0 release.
Relative to last week, the FFB changes have been a slight refactoring of the way steering arm forces pass on to FFB (should provide a slightly "tighter" wheel around the center), slightly reduced the FFB filters added in previous update & added soft lock for wheels that still didn´t have it.
Further FFB changes from now will be restricted to bug fixes, track/car-specific fine tuning & those resulting from physics adjustments - these can still add up to substantial differences, and we also plan to add a couple of car-specific adjustments so users have some room to customize them to their preferences - but as far as the core system goes however we consider FFB wrapped for v1.0
IMPORTANT: "OLD DEFAULT" FFB profile has been discontinued in v0.9.3.1 - there´s only one default FFB profile (the "CUSTOM" option should only be selected if you have modified your Custom FFB file). An updated FFB guide will be posted soon.
On the physics front there´s been another round of fine tuning with most cars receiving a few updates, most substantial being big fixes for F-V10, Super V8, Copa Trucks, F-Classic G3M3 and Superkart. Brakes have also been further fine tuned, the main change being greatly reduced brake performance when cold (be careful in your first corner exiting the pits). Tyre physics on wet surface have also received attention, mostly fixing the excessive slick grip on a wet track for compounds in which that was an issue. IMPORTANT: As usual make sure to reset your setups if you had any changes from default auto-saved.
AI has received another callibration pass, and performance parameters for practice / qualifying (which before were assigned globally for every car, causing a lot of fluctuation in AI performance for those sessions relative to their race skills) now have customized values per class, offering much better balance relative to their race performance. Balance of speed in slower corners vs high have also been further callibrated to be closer to the player´s performance.
IMPORTANT: Please note that AI performance will probably be a bit faster overall so you may need to lower your AI Strength setting relative to the previous version to get the same performance from before. The AI still works better with settings around 100% Strentgh / 50% Aggression, with lower and higher values not offering the range of adjustment one would expect - revising the AI Strength logic is next up on our to-do list.
The downside in the constant flow of updates over this Early Access period is the inconvenience of having to regularly review & reset settings, so we´d like to thank you all for bearing with us through this development stage and for helping keep it pointed in the right direction - rest assured we expect things to begin settling down from now on, allowing you to stop fiddling and focus on racing!
On the content side, in this build we continue to explore the 1980s Brazilian racing scene, now adding the Brazilian Hot Cars series, based on an early 80s spin-off of the popular Divisão 3 category featuring popular cars tuned up to 11 to race around the old Interlagos and Jacarepagua - those were the days!
There´s even a movie featuring the series as background titled "Os Campeões" - a Brazilian 80s rip-off of the classic "Grand Prix" movie worth checking the snippet below even if just for a glance at the glorious old layout of Interlagos! [previewyoutube="7Xl2XrAXM0Q;full"]
V0.9.3.1 CHANGELOG:
CONTENT
Added Hot Cars (Early 80s Brazlian Touring Car Series with 3 models)
UI & HUD
Fixed missing Adelaide Historic loading screen
Fixed low-res AMS2 shortcut icon when generated by Steam
Show disabled text in lobby session info if practice/qual are disabled
Adjusted opacity of main HUD element containers
Fixed race over countdown
Added selected state to in-game chat text entry boxes
Fixed incorrect vehicle statistics for various touring car classics
Added missing F-Vee Fin statistic
Fixed track logos being retained from previous track selection when current doesn´t have one
FORCE FEEDBACK
Slightly refactored the way steering arm forces pass on to FFB (should provide a slightly "tighter" wheel around center)
Slightly reduced the filters that added in previous update,
Added soft lock for wheels that still didn´t have it (WIP).
Disabled Old Default FFB profil
FFB profiles with lockstops enabled and new exposed values in them.
PHYSICS
Globally reduced slick grip on wet tracks
Revised aero efficiency losses with yaw for various cars
Super V8: Fixed error in steer lock range; Adjusted default ARB & camber settings
Revised F-Classic front & rear wing for more consistent downfroce increments accross proportional changes of wing angles
Reduced bumpiness over grass & gravel to address collision issues while running off-track
Fixed rear brake cooling in various formula cars
Revised restitution values for crashing into walls and barriers
Moved default brake bias slightly to the front for FWD cars
Reduced brake efficiency when cold
Fixed missing 5th gear in Gol / Passat Classic B
F-V10: Fixed error in fast damper range
F-Classic Gen2: Disabled redundant engineboost function
Fixed Ultima gearbox RPM tolerance in manual shifts
Fixed F-V10 loud Traction control sound
Fixed V-10 AI bouncing
Fixed Opala 1986 redundant rear left damper setting
AI
AI performance multipliers for practice & qualifying sessions are now customized per car & proportional to their race performance
Improved AI skill when driving off the racing line & reduced range for factoring cars up ahead (improves their pace on initial laps & reduces hesitation while being passed)
Further boost to AI awareness when behind human players
Callibrated peak AI corner grip & grip multipliers resulting in better speed mid corner through slow / mid speed corners, more realistic speeds through fast corners
Improved AI skill when off the racing line (resulting in less 1st corner slowdowns and better pace over 1st lap)
Callibrated AI throttle application for all cars to better correspond with human ability
Reduced AI boost under braking during an overtake;
Reduced minimum straight lentgh for KERS / boost application
Improved AI ability through water puddles (less lifting off throttle)
Slightly bumped up AI speed under yellow & blue flags
Revised AI paths for Londrina (both layouts)
TRACKS
Updated TV cameras for Donington & Kansai
Kyalami: Updated curb textures
Jerez: Snap revised road noise; updated walls & barriers to latest standards; Add missing garage door collision; fixed garage door mapping/alignment
Montreal: Fixed bug causing cars to visually appear to float over track surface
VEHICLES
Added cockpit windscreen reflections to Super V8, Ultima GTR Race, Ultima GTR Road, Touring Car Classics
A small v0.9.3.2 hotfix now has now been deployed - changelog:
Fixed bug causing only Stock Car V8 cars to load when attempting a multiclass race with it
Added option to switch autoclutch and auto gears On / Off from Gameplay screen (previously in Controls screen only)
Fixed series livery assignment in multiplayer and multi-class events
Fixed selected state of brake bias option in IBM
Reduced AI brake power in non-formula cars
Reduced AI Throttle application variation with AI skill
Adjusted AI speed sensitiviity relative to car in front (improves start / 1st lap performance)
Adjusted F3 & AJR, Ultima Race aero yaw sensitivity
Adjusted Opala 1986 & Hotcar tire physics
Fixed Opala wheelbase error
Automobilista 2 V0.9.2.1 RELEASED!
This update is largely focused on FFB, physics and AI developments, but it also features a large assemble of improvements & fixes in all fronts, adds the option to save Replays to your Replay Gallery , new options to the HUD system along with new gameplay features and the first stage of our revamped lighting, featuring HDR & climate revisions.
As usual, when there are substantial physics & FFB changes some recallibration is in order to bring car-specific FFB & AI values up to the latest specs - both of those fronts have already been largely revised to suit the new developments but it may take another build to get the best of them for all cars in the game.
There is one last round of FFB developments to come before v1.0, at which point the "Old Default" profile will be discontinued. We recommend switching to "New Default" in the FFB configuration screen if you haven´t done so already.
With this FFB update tyre flatspots from a hard wheel lock-up under braking will be more perceptible in high performance slicks,, although currently most tyre compounds will allow for only mild tread flatspotting - further development to come here.
Be advised you must reset your car setups to properly experience recent physics developments - setup changes are auto-saved and reloaded whenever you choose the same car so if you have an old setup change it will still be applying with potentially incompatible changes from the new build- to avoid such issues, upon loading a car in v0.9.2.1 make sure to go into Setup screen & click "reset to default"; if in doubt or to assure you´re running current default settings, a fresh player profile is recommend (you can create a fresh profile by deleting your local My Docs/Automobilista 2 folder - be advised this will delete all your game settings).
V0.9.2.1 CHANGELOG:
UI & HUD
Added Replay Gallery
Added "Save Replay" button to replay screen (only available at end of session)
Fixed "Cancel" button not working on keybinding and similar confirmation screen
Removed redundant ABS / TC ranges from setup screens of cars with no assists available & disable TC/SC/ABS values from Gameplay options screen when aids are 'OFF' or 'Authentic'
Added KERS / BOOST / P2P display to HUD;
Slightly increased width of leaderboard and added a first pass strategy for longer driver names
Applied grey text for position and driver name text for AI drivers
Added 'Full' variant of car info HUD gadget (enable via hud editor)
Fixed telemetry screen unit text localisation
Fixed telemetry screen right side temp bars escaping tire outline
Corrected number of corners for Kyalami (15) & Santa Cruz (14)
Corrected vehicle stats for Karts & Trucks
Fixed page title on in-game gameplay options screen
FORCE FEEDBACK
FFB calculations now account for any change in caster trail and scrub radius, with improved braking feel, overall smoother output & better weight transfer feel
Fixed issues with FFB spiking & occasionally producing strong jolts when wheels loose contact with ground (load loss) and added filtering to smoothen out abrupt transitions
When front tyres are not loaded FFB will now present only gyroscopic torque, fixing bug that could cause steering to get very heavy in some airborne situations
Improved parking force function
PHYSICS
Thoroughly revised tyre physics for all cars
Revised FFB values for all cars to suit new tyre physics & FFB developments
Fixed error in Ultima Race / P1 tyre treads resulting in a much faster hard tyre compound;
Added initial implementation of Push-to-Pass rules & functionalities for Stock Car V8 (still missing first lap block, 5s delay between pressing button & boost deployment, windshield LEDs for boost use/availability)
Added KERS functionality to F-Reiza;
Added temporary max boost button for F-Classic Gen1 cars
Revised ERS system for F-Ultimate
Thoroughly revised brake systems for all cars covering response curve, torque, optimal temp ranges, effects of being off temperature, cooling properties & default brake pressure
Removed brake duct values from cars that don´t have one
Fixed error in F-Classic Gen1 (both models) diffuser properties leading to no loss of aero efficiency with yaw & other diffuser revisions
Reduced undertray scrape friction for all cars
Set default Traction Control setting to 10% for all cars when the assist is enabled
Adjusted head physics properties & reduced range of movement
Revised body aero effects for MRX, Roco, StockV8, Sigma P1
Further reduced body drag for all Caterhams
Revised Super V8 power, weight, weight distribution to more up-to-date references
Adjusted torque curve on lower RPM ranges for Caterhams, F-Classic Gen1, Roco engines
AJR Chevy & Honda Turbo variants from P1 class, now have Traction Control and ABS available when driving assists are set to 'Authentic" as per real-life counterparts
MRX from P2 class now has Traction Control available when driving assists are set to 'Authentic" as per real-life counterparts
Increased downshift protection for all cars
AI
Increased AI speed midcorner for all cars
Reduced AI speed drop when conceding position to overtaking cars
Slightly reduced AI start reaction range
Increased AI care when around human players
Fixed bug cuasing Fusca from Copa Classic FL to occasionally rol
Revised AI performance in practice & qualifying
Adjusted AI performance to more realistic ranges when accelerating or skipping a session
AUDIO
Further polished Sprint Race onboard audio samples
TRACKS
Added first pass for ongoing lighting revamp with HDR & climate visual updates
Added new armco textures to Brands, Oulton, Interlagos and Kyalami
Added new gravel detail maps to Brands and Oulton
Created a library of various detail / normal tarmac maps for various surfaces (rough / new / smooth etc) - currently only applied a few of them to Oulton Park, Kyalami, VIR, Cadwell, Jerez
Added customization pass to trackside marshalls & crowds
Revised track limits for Kyalami 2020, Donington Park
Brands Hatch. Fixed misaligned sector 2 trigger on GP layout causing lap times not to register
Fixed bug with 1st lap not registering at Imola 1988 & 2001
Cascavel: Fixed timing bug where delta time would read incorrectly when crossing S2 trigger; removed excess garage/pit spots to match grid spots count
Santa Cruz: Fixed issues on rolling starts & repositioned rolling start location; added more garage spots; Corrected missing animated marshals/crowds (change winter to autumn).
VEHICLES
Puma P052: Fixed RPM LED scaling; Fixed LOD C tyres
F-Classic Gen1: Fixed cockpit carbon material
MetalMoro MRX Duratec P2: Fixed lights on LOD B
Passat Copa Classic B: Fixed cockpit side mirrors
Formula Vintage Gen2: Fixed exhaust position
F-V10 Fixed gap between wheel rim and tyre from cockpit view
EDIT: Small silent hotfix just went up including the following changes:
Added missing lighting adjustment (cause of overly dark lighting in some circunstances before this fix)
Kyalami 2020: Adjusted some clipped road line overlays, further track limit fine tuning, added missing T5 runoff curb, fixed collision issues with concrete walls
MCR2000: Added rear brake lights
Automobilista 2 v.0.9.1.0 RELEASED!
[previewyoutube="J0TbJWitD1Y;full"] The Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit is now available in Automobilista 2! Also featuring in this update is the Sigma P1, which despite the name actually raced in P2 class for most of 2019, thanks to a somewhat overweight drivetrain. That´s the P2 car in the game now - the 2020 car promises to be a big step forward to bring the fight to the AJRs in P1 class, and once it gets to race it will have a version in AMS2 as well!
With these additions we are now up to 40 unique racing classes, 40 venues for over 70 layouts! Check out the full updated car & track llist here.
The new update rectifies some netcode issues that have made close racing difficult in Multiplayer mode up to now - all good for quality online action now!
The new buil also brings a round of AI performance callibration in this build to balance performance vs player following recent modifications, as a result you may find necessary to adjust AI Strength from what you were running before in certain series in order to get the same performance from the AI )the goal being for less adjustments needed from series to series).
IMPORTANT! This is the last weekend to buy Automobilista 2 with the current 40% discount over its v1.0 price - as we have crossed the halfway point in our Early Access roadmap, by Monday pricing will be adjusted accordingly to be 20% off its v1.0 full price, remaining that way until its official release.
V0.9.0.1 CHANGELOG:
CONTENT
Added Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
Added Sigma P1 to P2 Class
Added Passat to Copa Classic FL Class
GENERAL
Update App Key used in Live Motion SDK
NETCODE
Reduced Fade Accel parameter to minimise chances of "ghost" car-to-car collisions in a Multiplayer Session
UI & HUD
Fixed back button on TimeTrial screen
Amended all brake bias labels to include F / R qualifier and all values to include front and rear.
Moved default brake bias rearwards for Sprint Race, StockV8, Ultima Race
AI
Slightly increased AI awareness of human players
AI performance tuning for GT3, StockV8, P1, P2, P3, P4, Ultima Race, Sprint Race, F3, F-Vintage classes
TRACKS
Spielberg: fixed hole in garage floor; replaced incorrect pit building walls & pit doors; remapped garage and pit stall locations; removed excess grid assignments (32 cars supported); rebuilt triggers.
Brands Hatch. Fixed bug with cars appearing to float over the track; adjusted rolling start location; revised track limits; fixed garage door collision
VEHICLES
AJR: Adjusted Driver Animation; Added Imperio #175 & Mottin Racing 46 liveries
MRX: Corrected RPM LEDs for all variants
Ultima Race: Adjusted collision mesh
Puma P052: New liveries/updates/redesign for #01 #02 #04 #06 #07 #08 #10 #11 #12 #13 #19 #42 #53 #54 #69; Added community skins #17 #91
EDIT: A silent hotfix just went up to address the Passat crash & other minor tweaks - no change in version number. Changelog below includes entries that were missing from original v0.9.1.0 changelog: Fixed crash while loading Passat from Copa Classic FL class Adjusted turbo and dump valve volume for Lancer R & RS Adjusted volume for running on dirt for all cars. Slightly reduced bump amplitude from grass & gravel Slightly reduced aero drag from Caterham (all models) Switched MRX P4 tire compound to a stiffer option Adjusted Super V8 engine for more accurate power output (20 HP more) Minor adjustment to AI performance in Copa Classic FL class Adjusted MRX & F-Vintage AI throttle application tweak Lowered F-Ultimate AI upshift logic to better optimize engine torque curve
Automobilista 2 V0.8.7.1 RELEASED!
Time Trial mode is now available - please note that not all car / track combos will have boards available yet, the ones that are still missing will be added over the coming days.
Also please be advised that we plan to reset all Leaderboards by the time we hit v1.0.
V0.8.7.1 CHANGELOG:
GENERAL
Enabled Time Trial Mode
Player now has complete control in pits if Pit Stop Control is set to "Manual" in Gameplay Options (no longer gets automatically held up due to incoming traffic)
Implemented new CutTrackFraction logic for detecting how far back a track limit infringement in previous lap invalidates the next one (5% of track length in practice, 10% in qualifying, 15% in Time Trial)
Fix bug where spawning in garage in between sessions would cause Trucks to crash into the garage
CONTENT
Added Opala Stock Cars 1986 Season
UI & HUD
Added missing F-Trainer A vehicle specs; Corrected Puma GTB, Super V8, Lancer R & RS, Copa Classic specs
Fixed AJR V6 short name in session config screen
Added new 'Full' variation of the Laptime Info HUD element (gives past lap info or Time Trial info depending on game mode/session)
Moved Laptime info position slightly higher in default layout
PHYSICS & FFB
Added "Tyre Scrub to Rack" effect to FX FFB slider (New Default profile only
Added "Min force" FFB funcion, disabled by default (can be activated in custom FFB file)
Minor FFB adjustments to various cars to better suit New Default profile
Increased FFB smoothness for FWD cars
Fixed remaining issues with excessive brake wear
Revised drivelines for all TC Classics, AJR, F-Vintages, F-Classics Lancers, Ultimas to correct excessive drivetrain losses & inertia
Fixed suspension physics for Copa Classic B Passat
Minor adjustments to tyre tread & carcass for Copa Classic, Lancers, Opalas, Ultima Race, AJR, Stock Car & F-Classic
Added wet tyre options for Lancers & Copa Classics
Corrected excessive engine boost in Lancer R & RS
Fixed wrong default tyre option in some TC Classics that could cause CTDs
Reduced front ride height range & moved diffuser center of pressure forward by 8cm in Metalmoro AJR for more accurate aero balance (all variants)
F-Classics Gen1&2: moved diffuser center of pressure forward by 2cm for more accurate aero balance, increased diffuser downforce loss with yaw
Disabled glitchy AI function that would cause it to behave erratically while trying to weave out of the way under blue flag in Practice & Quali (AI will now just reduce speed to let faster car by)
Adjusted AI behavior under yellow flag (a bit less overzealous)
Revised AI damper rates for all cars
Minor AI performance tweak to Londrina (both layouts)
TRACKS
Corrected environment & track temperature ranges for South American tracks
Interlagos Kart: Fixed layout 3 fences and walls missing when running less than High Track Detail
VEHICLES
Passat Copa Classic B: Updated interior textures, corrected collision mesh
