As per my previous post, I miss GT5/6.
Well, the magic the internet has Deep Forest for Assetto Corsa, and with some tasty GT500 class cars I was able to recreate some great racing.
What I also recreated in the replay was HDR not transferring to MP4, consequently, I have period-correct image quality too.
Ah well, my care factor of the replay is zero, as the race was so much fun...
I don't miss GT Shart. I never got on with that game.
But GT6 and GT5. Yes. So much yes.
I'm not sure if it was the (what I now realise was) relaxed yet predictable physics, the easy-to-make courses - GT5 and its Toscana tracks were great driving, or if it was the tuning of the cars that did it, but I loved it.
I think probably the cafe racer style is it - I certainly enjoyed tuning cars up to being race-ready, although on reflection you could tune any car to being pretty much the same handling with the same gear.
Still, the memory is good. GT7 won't feature on my radar though, I've become a PC snob and am shifting my PS4 capable wheel. If only they would port it to PC too - go on Sony, you know you want to! (and you'll corner the market too!)
Today I listed my G29.
It's been a great wheel, but I've had my epic Fanatec for over a year now, so it's time to retire it, and by retiring it I mean sell it and pretty much for the price of the G29, shifter and stand buy a stop button for my current rig. Such is the scale of things.
A reminder of what it was...
And update time:
Gone...
$300 and that's a good deal for everyone actually.
I hope the two kids who've bought it enjoy it just as much as I did - they'll never know it's had upgraded springs I bet!
This is the QR Code for this page. Useless as you're already here.
You might be the owner of the fantastic Fanatec Porsche 918 rim - suitable for racing in all positions and classes with the shift lights that can be seen from space...
Possibly like me, you’ve considered upgrading the 918 rim’s
shifters, they’re smooth, but not ‘snick/click’ like a shifter should be, in my
opinion.
To cut to the chase, I bought some of the cheaper magnetic upgrades
of eBay, it’s a bolt-on accessory so no harm no foul, etc.
Fitting, easy. Four bolts + a bit of fettling of the 3D printing
that was ‘ok’ spec at best.
But, the magnets aren’t touching the shifters – so no click.
On reflection, I’m divided on this as it’s kept it all quiet (midnight racing goodness),
but then again I’ve not got a definitive click on pulling.
I think there’s more weight, but it’s a bit like putting a
K&N on your car – it goes faster because you’re trying harder to notice…
Overall, would I do it again? No. The risk of something bad
happening (threading the plastic hole that the M3’s go in, something else
breaking) is actually not worth the return on the particular set I got. It’s
not a monumental upgrade.
I might be saving for the proper upgrade, they do look
good.
A late post edit to this...
On the 918 wheel you can adjust the shifters fore and aft with a few turns of adjustment. I did this and now these are nearly my favourite addition to the overall sim rig - my shifters snick and click as I wanted them too. And it's very noticeable.
Happy Days!
AMS 2 is a great game.
Actually, it's a fantastic game that's been getting better and better over the past year or so.
But they're a small setup and don't waste money on race series liveries (assuming licensing costs). But they did waste a little time on being able to add skins to the game. And it's transformed it from one with great racing to one with a much deeper immersion.
I'm not really sure why, but I'm assuming it's because the races look so much realistic. Whatever the case is, this is a game worth getting and spending time in.
First off, points for counting the puns in that title. My finest work!
And the second bit of fine work would be an addition to a fine gentleman who records "let's play" sessions on Farm Sim 19.
Without getting too embroiled in my history and love of farming in general (and love of not having to do it, cos it's crazy hard work) I regularly watch a fellow, MrSealyP, play through various maps online.
It's very cathartic actually, he enjoys a chat and so along with some easy viewing, there's some easy listening...
But, high drama, an episode or so ago in the early stages of a new map he got his tractor stuck and said "that'll make the news"... and so it did.
Whilst I watched the rest of the episode I created a one-pager headlines page for the 'local rag' and submitted it to the channel's discord server.
And, I do feel privileged, it is featured in the next episode!
Behold:
It's all about Automobilista 2 at the moment.
This game gets better and better frankly - the tracklist has passed a tipping point that there's now a decent selection, even being able to pronounce some of them now... And the car list has gone up too, with some notable additions like a historic 911. This latter has been compared to the Kunos version, and I think I'd say that they are comparable, at least Kunos 'feels' like it probably should, but the AMS2 version is more trackable. I'd rather race it (safely) frankly.
And the racing... recent updates have made all the cars handle well, even the somewhat shonky GT3 cars that were outshone by ACC are better, I think still in the shadow, but certainly worthy of racing now.
But what prompted this (infrequent) post? Two things, a go at using the AMD 5700 XT's recording feature and also trialling skinning my cars in the game, and no, that's not some weird fetish.
What it was is a happy hour or so searching for decent liveries for the cars of AMS2 and then testing them out. I was a bit sceptical at first, but a recent go with the Carerra Cup car in AC (in which I was blown away by the awesome look and immersion generated) had me reckoning that it was worth a shot.
So, sans backup (idiot) I did a load of the cars, and barring one class that lost most of its skins but was easily fixed I did it.
And below is just one of the many fruits of my labour... I recommend clicking through and watching in glorious 4k (as that's what I play and recorded at) - note the little FPS counter top left, in-game racing it's a solid 60Fps which marries up with my 65" TV/Monitor, but replays certainly hurt the PC.
Anyway, behold:
Right, here it is, the racing games I play with a fortune cookie's worth of commentary to go with them.
1. Automobilista 2 / AMS2
Buy it. A fantastic game with a great collection of cars and tracks that is only getting better. Not an outright sim, but better for it. Current graphics etc make for a great game.
2. Assetto Corsa Competizione / ACC
Great GT3 and GT4 sim. The game is unforgiving, but the cars are. If you're planning on running this on a potato forget it. Rewards great everything, driving, equipment and mates. Online shines but also stinks as often frequented by myopic angry people who think they're Fangio.
3. Assetto Corsa (the older one) / AC
The everything sim. If you collect cars and tracks then this is the game for you. Content Manager is essential. You're rewarded with a game that is still current, runs on the aforementioned potato and drives amazingly well. Online marred (for me) by not having AI to race against in race nights.
4. Rfactor2 / RF2
The great grandparent of racing games, and as just as delusional. The physics in this game are as great as the UI is bad. And if you're planning on setting up a server and racing, be prepared for some serious madness. If you do manage the masonic ritual of setup then you're rewarded with excellent racing for sure, just mangled in a UI and setup environment that's less than optimal.
5. Grid (the new Grid, not the old Grid, etc)
I do actually really like this game. It's a great arcade racer for chilling out with. Every bit as good (as far as I can tell) as that Project Cars version that shall not be named. Oh and it looks great too. Pro advice, get a digital dashboard so you have shift lights, etc - it makes the game far better.
6. Project Cars 2 / PCars2
A dated game now, but get all the content and ramp up the settings and it still feels current. Probably one of the best all-round packages for content in any game (not including community mods). Largely speaking it's the same physics as AMS2 which is based on this, just less polished. I'd say hard to tell the difference for average gaming.
7. Grid Autosport (the old Grid!)
If you can get this to run with your wheel and can max the graphics you'll be pleasantly surprised. Worth the sub $10 it often is as a true simcade game erring towards the 'cade end. Everything is very last-gen but great for all that.
8. Race Room Racing Experience / R3E
I so want to like this game but I can't. Content adds up to eye-watering prices too quickly. The physics feel remarkably PCars2 for all that, and getting wheels to work seemed too much like hard work. If I had patience and money (No, I've not got my mind set on you, like the song), I'd get into this as generally an OK game. But not remarkable when you have the catalog of games above.
9. Dirt Rally 2.0
Buy this game if you like rally racing. It really is exceptional. Racing the slower club cars feels great as you can thrash the bejesus out of them and still get to the end of the stage. Whoever can race the old 911 on gravel in the rain has my respect. An uncompromising rally sim that's not half bad.
8. WRC 9
Loved WRC 7 & 6 on the PlayStation. Not really getting it on the PC. It looks great, and I think generally is. But the arms race of reality rallying with the Dirt series has made this less accessible to the casual gamer. Does look great though. Loses points as no fancy digital dash data feed.
9. Spintires / Mudrunner
Yes I know they're separate games, but to the rest of us they're one and the same, and frankly, little to chose between them. Polish vs. Mod mostly. All sorts of sordid history in these two games. So very East European. On PS4 Mudrunner was a great beer and chill game, somehow it doesn't seem to have the same feel on PC.
10. Dirt 4
A favourite on PS4, uninstalled on PC. It is the same game and looks and feels the same. And it is an excellent game. But, on PC the controls interface, specifically saving it to the next time you play is severely broken. It's so annoying, I wanted to like this game on PC, but frustration at actually getting into it outpaces the enjoyment. Avoid on modern equipment.
11. Dirt 1.0 (the one before Dirt 2.0)
Free all over the place. The first attempt at a rally simulator from the Dirt team and they nailed it. Just not as polished as Dirt 2.0 I find. Somehow harder. Looks and feels great though for the price.
12. Seb Loeb Rally
Exactly the same issues as with Dirt 4, except you can't even set the gear up in the first place. Great game on PS4 though!
And so there it is. My current collection of games, most installed, a few not. The reality is that race night is on AMS2, off nights is Dirt 2.0 and AC with a smattering of PCars2 and ACC when I want to mix it up.
I do thoroughly enjoy Automobilista 2. Since upgrading where I sit to race it's only got better.
Tonight for example I had a top race at Bathurst in the V8s. They're not real V8s insofar as they are called Super V8s, and they only have Chevrolet V8s, or Holdens. So all the best bits then.
This is that race, or a bit of it.
At some point, I'll sort out capturing replays and put that up, but for now, it's just stills.
But why a close call? Back when I first started racing AMS2 I had a close race, and I've just found the shots I took to show just how close, behold...
