Okay please forgive us. We know it’s March now but things have been a little bit crazy for us and for the Reiza Studios team. Due to the most recent AMS2 update (with classic Spa!), the blog dropped a few days late on the 2nd and here we are a couple of days later commenting on it… we’ll do our best to improve!
The latest update from the Automobilista 2 gives us an insight on where the product is headed. We’ll try and extract the key information for sim racing and racing game fans so that you can learn more about the development of the platform. But, if you prefer, you can also see the full post on the Reiza Studios website.
Physics groundwork
The driving experience for the Automobilista 2 developers is split into 3 key pillars – physics, AI and force-feedback (FFB).
As you may have seen from previous updates (check out this wet weather news and this major physics change) there’s a lot going on under the hood of Automobilista 2. Those familiar with the franchise will know that the original game utilised pMotor 2.0 (the original rFactor physics engine) whereas AMS2 uses the MADNESS engine under licence from Slightly Mad Studios. Its not surprising therefore that the developers are finding new physics enhancements for the product.
Part of the problem with updating the physics is that then changes the AI requirements. The Reiza team have confirmed that the AI run “on simpler tire and driveline models relative to the much more complex physics used in the player’s car.” As a result, there has been some AI tuning to make the new player models more compatible with the speeds and handling of your computerised opponents.
The final compenent – FFB – has been recently updated on the default profile. There’s more realistic “self-aligning torque” (how the wheel centres) and other dynamics like braking and wheel lock up have also had their feeling improved.
According to the Reiza team, the work they’ve been doing recently will set them up for continued success throughout AMS2’s shelf-life.
The next update
Here’s the big news. Because of all the physics adjustments spoken about above the time trial leaderboards are going to be reset with the March update of Automobilista 2. This does make a lot of sense – it’s no longer a level playing field.
We commend Reiza Studio’s transparency on the updates and resetting the leaderboard and look forward to the next update! In the meantime, we’re going to attempt taming classic Spa Francorchamps in a Group C car…
