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[fresquito]

NeoGAF pCARS Time Trial Challenge - Week #3 - Ariel Atom Mugen @ Derby GT (Build 184)

1. markao - 1:34.267 (video)
2. SmiggyRT - 1:35.754
3. Yoritomo + Salacious Crumb - 1:36.031

BigTakeover - 1:36.399
Speech - 1:36.498
Dilly - 1:36.567
Polyphony - 1:36.632

Well done again, markao! The number of entries tells you how hard that goddamn car was to drive. Since you got your pick last week I'll go ahead and pick something I think will be easier this week!

NeoGAF pCARS Time Trial Challenge - Week #4 - Formula A @ California Raceway (Build 189)

A very high speed track with a car that's not hard to drive. The Monza challenge was very popular, and I hope this will be a similar case of easy to do, hard to master!

Previous weeks:
NeoGAF pCARS Time Trial Challenge - Week #1 - Asano x4 @ Florence GP (Build 174)
NeoGAF pCARS Time Trial Challenge - Week #2 - Leonus F68 Cromwell V8 @ Milan Historic (Monza) (Build 179)

My time was 1:39.133

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

I'll be nice and edit you in!

 

[Blizzard]

Since I've been behind with the patch notes:

Build 189 (6/4/12, Junior Member+)
Further tweak to camera behaviour when world movement is off
Fixed tire materials (wrong textures assigned)
Moravia autograss added
Formula A: added contest winning liveries
New Asano X4 export
New Monterey export
New Moravia export
New Sakitto exports

Build 188 (5/4/12, Senior Manager)
DX11 Commandlist state saving optimisation. (-dx11MT)
(the renderer now correctly tracks state between/during commandlist execution - meaning that we no longer need to save and restore DX11 state, which was adding overhead to each call)
Set G-Force effect default to 60
Add exit to desktop custom message handling to dialogues
All cars: tyre specular textures updated to go with shader changes
Palmer: fixed matellic liveries alpha channel
Palmer: checks/fixes, new light billboards, textured chassis meshes cloned for CPIT
Formula A - LODBs finished
Added track data files for Moravia
Leonus68: review changes + changed driver animations to work with F1_classic rig
HDR Mode text changed to fit column
Loading screen updated to match FE
Can now cycle through all options using TAB
Exit button tidied
New Formula A export
New Palmer JPLM export
New Moravia export
New Sakitto exports

Build 187 (4/4/12, Senior Manager)
Spotlights checked in for Connecticut hill tracks
Gumpert Apollo: damage replacements configured for Ultra detail
Add rgb components for emissive lighting
FormulaA - WIP LOD, A done B almost done
New lightmap setup for self illuminated objects
BAC Mono: enabled custom liveries
Lightmap for the night lighted advertboards
Added TweakIT tool installation/shortcuts
New Asano LM11 export
New BAC Mono export
New GUMPERT apollo export
New Connecticut exports
New Monterey export

Build 186 (3/4/12, Manager+)
Avoid crash when restoring lap section after going off-track when insufficient data points exist
Fix for sun rise and sun set being 180 degress out
Improved the color banding on the adverts
FFB: reduced vehicle tyre force multi and tyre grip multi params to between 10 and 15 % of original values as proposed by WMD members
Kart 1, Formula B animations
Kart 1 physics: Changes to load sensitivity and base grip : Less load sens, less base grip and some speed sens added.... Also some AI grip changes for better turn in
New Cheterfield AIW with new raceline and many corner tweaks to slow the AI karts to aviod going off track
New detail tweaks to the BAC Mono. Weight bias moved to 43/57 some grip increase with speed sensitivity added. Other chassis balance changes to suit the weight bias change
Tyre shaders and material updates on cars; modified tyres shader with fresnel and diffuse reduction
Asano TDX: fixed a typo in the rear slow rebound settings
Skyring texture and shader changes for emissive lights on skyrings at night
TweakIT tool added to the game
New Formula B export
New Leonus F68 export
New Azure Coast exports
New Bologna exports
New Connecticut Hill exports

Build 185 (2/4/12, Senior Manager)
BAC Mono: tire grip bias moves a few % to the rear
Fix for diffuse multipler being applied to opacity as well as colour
FormulaA - WIP LODs
added optional fresnel to overlay.fx
new skyrring textures for Bologna
Lock out tracks not supported based on server versions
Skyrings can now have tweakable emissive lighting
JPLM texture updates
California Highway: new exports


Does anyone know what the TweakIT tool is?

 

[_machine]

Does anyone know what the TweakIT tool is?

WMD Thread

Basically, it's the tool they use to modify weather settings, replay cameras and possibly some other things for every track. Youtube example.

EDIT: Yeah, you can use it to modify track info like longitude and latitude, weather settings for each condition, timecycles, and the replay cameras. I believe there might be some features coming later on(?).

 

[Arucardo]

Ranked 5th overall right now for this weeks challenge with 0:55:346 . I'm still using the stock setup for the car, just a little less fuel.

Anyways, if it hasn't been mentioned yet here's a tip for anyone with a good machine experiencing framerate stuttering (my overlay kept showing 80 fps but I was getting bad stuttering): if you're using an Nvidia card go to Nvidia inspector and set a framerate limit for CARS (I set mine to 120fps since I'm running a 120h monitor). This did the trick for me, didn't experience any stuttering while doing the Formula A laps now.

Also, is it me or did they not tweak the FFB vehicle settings? the formula A still has the 0.9 and 0.25 values. Sucks that I have to change these every time I start to lessen the straight line oscillation.

EDIT: Make that 0:54:766

 

[-bakalhau-]

I'm locked out of the country roads for being a Junior. I guess they'll lock me out of everything else until release since in the community view right now the content is worth more than 10$.

I don't know what to think what about this really. I'm bummed because these were the ones I wanted to try.

 

[disap.ed]

Do further 15€ really hurt you? I voted for letting Juniors also play these tracks, but I understand the dev's argument (and I think it really is worth the 25€ already contentwise).

 

[-bakalhau-]

Do further 15€ really hurt you? I voted for letting Juniors also play these tracks, but I understand the dev's argument (and I think it really is worth the 25€ already contentwise).

At this moment yes :/ I just don't see myself being able to have a go at these tracks or any more content down the line, I don't know why. I think they'll restrict us more and more from now on.

 

[disap.ed]

I'm sorry for you

GAF, welcome your third pCARS manager
Seems we are already at 1% of all member funds.
@McLaren: Could you please update the member list (I changed my name on WMD to my real name though)

 

[Yaska]

So question, for someone who enjoys driving games and sims, would this be worth 45€ predicting the end product is gonna get better? I'm on verge of team member and full member.

 

[Big Takeover]

Big Takeover - 0:53.966 (video)

Leaderboard

18kg of fuel, auto-clutch off, default setup.

I missed a ton of apices. I also forgot how bad the FFB oscillations were and foolishly let go of the wheel before the finish line. Mistake! I don't think it cost much, if anything. I was crashing though! It was the last lap of my "race", so the game stopped the replay just as I crossed the line. Anyway, there's plenty left on the table.

------------------------------------------------

Markao, I thought I'd let you know I did a bunch of laps in the Atom with auto-clutch off. I got about 85% comfortable with it.

I had to use the G25 profile for my DFGT just so I could turn it off. I can't say I noticed any difference.

I blipped around for a while which went OK, and then I tried mapping the clutch to a button on the wheel. Downshifting with the paddle while simultaneously clutching with the button. Each shift gets it's own button press. It definitely provided some more stability. It was weird at first, but it's actually something I'm used to having clutched with controllers for a while now. I still need to smooth it out a bit more, but that's what I'm going to do from here on out.

Of course the Formula A car needs none of that. Just pull gears as fast as you can

 

[fresquito]

At this moment yes :/ I just don't see myself being able to have a go at these tracks or any more content down the line, I don't know why. I think they'll restrict us more and more from now on.

I voted against restricting as well. I don't see any benefit from restricting, but it's true that there's already a ton of content.

So question, for someone who enjoys driving games and sims, would this be worth 45€ predicting the end product is gonna get better? I'm on verge of team member and full member.

Well, it depends. If you're planning on buying the game on release, then go Full Member, since you will be getting the game and earning more money back (if the game sells enough).

 

[mclaren777]

So question, for someone who enjoys driving games and sims, would this be worth 45€ predicting the end product is gonna get better? I'm on verge of team member and full member.

I think it all depends on how sim-ey you want the physics to be. If you are fine with GT5/FM4 levels are realism, $60 is a great price to pay for pCARS.

 

[fresquito]

I think it all depends on how sim-ey you want the physics to be. If you are fine with GT5/FM4 levels are realism, $60 is a great price to pay for pCARS.

We better wait for the final game before we pass judgement on the realism of the physics, don't we?

 

[Blizzard]

I think it all depends on how sim-ey you want the physics to be. If you are fine with GT5/FM4 levels are realism, $60 is a great price to pay for pCARS.

Have you been playing the most recent builds (180+) at a friend's house or something? I thought the last build you had played was months ago, and physics/FFB continue to be updated if I am not mistaken. :/

 

[Yaska]

Went with the full member. Thanks for the opinions. (username ovet there is yaska, if the list is still beingnupdated here.)

 

[Shaneus]

I asked before, but I know we have the official GAF list, but is there a group on WMDforums for us?

 

[fresquito]

Not that I know of. I guess some of our Managers should create it.

 

[DieH@rd]

I finally joined up, my 10euros is theirs. I will test the game today [with my crappy gamepad] and post impressions.

 

[Ravenn17]

How come the in game wheel twitches violently when I start driving? I'm using a gamepad btw.

 

[disap.ed]

I asked before, but I know we have the official GAF list, but is there a group on WMDforums for us?

Not that I know of. I guess some of our Managers should create it.

Done.

http://forum.wmdportal.com/group.php?groupid=72

Maybe markao could add this to OP.

@Blizzard: If you want I could transfer the group to you, you were the first manager

 

[Shaneus]

Done.

http://forum.wmdportal.com/group.php?groupid=72

Maybe markao could add this to OP.

@Blizzard: If you want I could transfer the group to you, you were the first manager

Love your work! Hopefully they'll have an easy way for us to compare times so we don't have to piss about trying to find each other. Group leaderboards would be amazing.

 

[_machine]

I think it all depends on how sim-ey you want the physics to be. If you are fine with GT5/FM4 levels are realism, $60 is a great price to pay for pCARS.

Too bad you can't read the forums, the new AJ's thread has some very interesting tire physics stuff:

The dynamic track, surface, etc differences are something I think that contact patch approach will be particularly good at. First, I do not even use a simple stick/slip model, but rather a smoothed basis kernel model (similar to SPH fluid sim particles) per seta. This should allow for dirt, water, oil and of course asphalt to blend together seamlessly. Second, since the patch is treated mostly Eulerian, flowing things through it, like water flow, should be more natural. For example, hydroplaning should just fall out.

When we get to that point, there are several options to integrating it, ranging from exposing a plugin point and plugging in from the existing codebase, to reimplementing from scratch within the SMS codebase. There are tradeoffs across the whole spectrum.

I do think it would be class leading. For example, rF2 is I think using a straight stick/slip bristle patch (which is still really good), and builds up a database doing a similar carcass sim offline. In effect, this reduces their carcass to steady state, but they do a much higher element count. Their patch is dynamic though, so they do get a lot of first order dynamic effect, including solving the transient grip problem. We'd get even more.

Consoles is a big question, although at a reduced resolution, but still effective, I think it would work there. The killer will be AI. The CPU cost is too high to expect more than one or two cars, including the player car, on lower end hardware. So we still need something dirt cheap, like the brush in there now, for at least AI, even if not consoles. And we need the models to correlate well, at least for basic steady state curves.

Hence, the first priority is to get the brush spruced up nicely before delving into the dynamic model.

If I understood it correctly, AJ is currently working on a completely different tire model for the player controlled cars, which is the same type of model as LFS, rF2, VGP3, but even more detailed and realistic. The current FFB is also nothing more than a "hack" and we'll probably get a customisable FFB which is steering rack+canned effects like curbs and G-Forces. Even if the current physics aren't completely spot-on, they're still aiming for the most realistic physics so far and nothing's going to change that.

 

[markao]

Done.

http://forum.wmdportal.com/group.php?groupid=72

Maybe markao could add this to OP.

@Blizzard: If you want I could transfer the group to you, you were the first manager

Done

 

[1-D_FTW]

Too bad you can't read the forums, the new AJ's thread has some very interesting tire physics stuff:

If I understood it correctly, AJ is currently working on a completely different tire model for the player controlled cars, which is the same type of model as LFS, rF2, VGP3, but even more detailed and realistic. The current FFB is also nothing more than a "hack" and we'll probably get a customisable FFB which is steering rack+canned effects like curbs and G-Forces. Even if the current physics aren't completely spot-on, they're still aiming for the most realistic physics so far and nothing's going to change that.

Well that's certainly interesting. If the final product actually turns out like that (or if they're still accepting funding when it's finally implemented), I'd be open-minded and give it a shot.

 

[Arucardo]

Shaved my time down to 0:54.225 now. Hoping to get to the 53 sec mark, this is where tuning comes in but I'm still terrible at it D: .

Also, if anyone else is tired of changing the FFB values every time get one of these exe's
http://forum.wmdportal.com/showthre...sion-(junior-)&p=120144&viewfull=1#post120144
I'm using the 10p one myself and it's pretty good (basically the same values I had but now I don't need to change them every time)

 

[Darkdeus]

Also, if anyone else is tired of changing the FFB values every time get one of these exe's
http://forum.wmdportal.com/showthre...sion-(junior-)&p=120144&viewfull=1#post120144
I'm using the 10p one myself and it's pretty good (basically the same values I had but now I don't need to change them every time)

Yea im using the 10 tire and grip exe and it's much better than the default one for now. I'm really looking forward to the new ffb and tire physics though in the coming months. I still don't understand why people think that they know the direction that the physics or ffb is heading in. Programming a new tire model takes way longer than adding a bunch of track and car models.

 

[Megasoum]

Yea im using the 10 tire and grip exe and it's much better than the default one for now. I'm really looking forward to the new ffb and tire physics though in the coming months. I still don't understand why people think that they know the direction that the physics or ffb is heading in. Programming a new tire model takes way longer than adding a bunch of track and car models.

What wheel do you use?

 

[Darkdeus]

I'm using a DFGT. That exe helped some with the really bad oscillations i was getting before and feels a bit smoother as well.

 

[Arucardo]

I'm using a DFGT. That exe helped some with the really bad oscillations i was getting before and feels a bit smoother as well.

As one of the devs said the oscillation is present with all wheels right now, can't wait for AJ to "fix" and improve the FFB.

 

[fresquito]

0:57.068 in my first go. A very bumpy road. I still need to test the first turn harder and the third+ fourth, where I think I lose most of my time.

Edit: 0:55.473 second try. I still can improve the third+fourth corner. Fifth could also be better.

 

[ReadingRambo]

Well I'm in as a "Team" member. Really excited to be a part of this!

 

[Arucardo]

0:57.068 in my first go. A very bumpy road. I still need to test the first turn harder and the third+ fourth, where I think I lose most of my time.

Edit: 0:55.473 second try. I still can improve the third+fourth corner. Fifth could also be better.

Getting dangerously close to my time now, you better not beat me . Where is everyone? I thought there would be more participants in this weeks time trial. Great car and awesome track imo.

 

[mclaren777]

Great car and awesome track imo.

My guess is that most people actually hate the car and the track.

 

[Arucardo]

My guess is that most people actually hate the car and the track.

Really? I admit the FA isn't exactly the iRacing William's but it's still a very enjoyable car to drive. The track itself is a little barren but don't let it discourage you from trying it, I think the flow of the track is really nice, I haven't driven on it before but it didn't take a lot of laps to learn it. The only tricky part of the track is getting the right line and speed from turn 3 in to turn 4, I've spun the car way too many times coming out of turn 4 now, haha.

 

[fresquito]

My guess is that most people actually hate the car and the track.

My guess is seeing how a handfull of gaffers are always in the top ten is bit discouraging. Maybe people haven't played because easter.

 

[Blizzard]

My guess is that most people actually hate the car and the track.

Speaking for myself, I was doing other stuff all weekend. =( I still want to do it, and it's nothing about disliking the particular choice for me.

I took over ownership of the Neogaf group on the wmd forum site, thanks. Send me a PM if anyone needs anything admin-ish done.

 

[smiggyRT]

0:55.588

Don't think I'll have any more time this week to try put in another lap this week so that'll have to do.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

NeoGAF pCARS Time Trial Challenge - Week #4 - Formula A @ California Raceway (Build 189)

BigTakeover - 0:53.966
Arucardo - 0:54.225
smiggyRT - 0:55.588

Please remember to link to some form of evidence for your time to get on the leaderboard!

I expect most people were busy this weekend. I'm going to give it a crack tonight. You have to have no soul to dislike either the car or the track, especially in combination with one and other. So much fun!

 

[Arucardo]

NeoGAF pCARS Time Trial Challenge - Week #4 - Formula A @ California Raceway (Build 189)

BigTakeover - 0:53.966
smiggyRT - 0:55.588

Please remember to link to some form of evidence for your time to get on the leaderboard!

I expect most people were busy this weekend. I'm going to give it a crack tonight. You have to have no soul to dislike either the car or the track, especially in combination with one and other. So much fun!

don't believe me eh? here you go

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

I know no one will lie here, but it saves me time of manually searching the leaderboards etc. Edited ye in!

Well, Crumbs would lie.

 

[Metalmurphy]

Gotta find an easier solution to move my cockpit around. Last time i just moved my pc next to the tv. How much does a 15m HDMI cable cost? Lol

And lots of usb extentions

 

[Orgun]

Gotta find an easier solution to move my cockpit around. Last time i just moved my pc next to the tv. How much does a 15m HDMI cable cost? Lol

And lots of usb extentions

15m HDMI cable - £11

 

[Blizzard]

15m HDMI cable - £11

I just checked monoprice.com and this seems to be the case ($15 USD) for the high-end cables. I like them, though it always seems like their prices are so cheap in comparison that they must be running some sort of mafia crime scene.

 

[Shaneus]

It's taken me a while, but I've finally managed to get the hang of single-foot accel/brake with these new pedals. Man, is it satisfying.

Still coming to grips with using a clutch on a paddle shift, though.

 

[xptoxyz]

As of right now is there a way to remap menu controls? As in replace arrow keys with d-pad on a gamepad or wheel.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

NeoGAF pCARS Time Trial Challenge - Week #4 - Formula A @ California Raceway (Build 189)

BigTakeover - 0:53.966
Arucardo - 0:54.225
smiggyRT - 0:55.588
Foliorum Viridum - 0.55.691

Is this just an unpopular track/car combo like last week or is there not enough interest anymore? I was hoping an easy track and car would pick the interest up!

 

[Blizzard]

NeoGAF pCARS Time Trial Challenge - Week #4 - Formula A @ California Raceway (Build 189)

BigTakeover - 0:53.966
Arucardo - 0:54.225
smiggyRT - 0:55.588
Foliorum Viridum - 0.55.691

Is this just an unpopular track/car combo like last week or is there not enough interest anymore? I was hoping an easy track and car would pick the interest up!

This week (in real life) SUCKS, and I haven't even had/taken time to download the build yet. =(

 

[paskowitz]

I think Aeriel Atom V8 at Bathurst would be great. Crazy car at crazy track. Formula A is kinda un-amusing for all its speed.

 

[rocksteady1983]

This thread needs more glorious pics.