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EA Sports WRC: General Discussion
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I think we are all pretty familiar with what has been shown and said in the preview videos. Now I want to provide a list of quotes I found interesting from various print/website media. Some of these have videos, too, but what was covered in the videos is different than what was covered in the articles. There is both non-specialized media and sim-racing enthusiast media here, and I included impressions from gamepad players (because I know that not everyone on this thread has a wheel).
I found the final quote from A Tribe Called Cars quite interesting!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
RaceDepartment (OvertakeGG): https://www.racedepartment.com/news/ea-sports-wrc-gameplay-first-impressions.1408/
"Driving several different cars on a number of tarmac stages, one realises that the cars appear to be much more responsive."
"One must point out that some cars still experienced the DiRT Rally 2.0 float of old at times. We noted this best in content that previously featured in the old game, such as the Lancia 037 Group B car."
"This softer handling model does mean that the tyres seem to grip loose surfaces better than DR2.0. In fact, one may imagine that the tyres sink in further to the gravel or snow than previous rally games. As a result, there is a good amount of grip, especially on the brakes. When slowing down, it is difficult to snag a brake and lock up."
"Even if one sets the game to Hardcore Damage, hitting a tree or barrier at full pelt will not force a retirement. The car will certainly make some interesting sounds and the engine will lack power. But one can drive away from most major accidents."
TheDrive: https://www.thedrive.com/car-reviews/ea-sports-wrc-preview-dirt-rally-3-0-by-another-name
"You can almost call this Dirt Rally 3.0. It has that familiar Codemasters sense of weightlessness, where cars can change direction instantly, but it also has an edge that Dirt Rally 2.0 didn’t have."
"Codemasters has also apparently taken some lessons from the F1 franchise to improve its force feedback. Much more information comes through the wheel, while slip and surface effects are well-calibrated out of the box."
"Cars don’t quite carry their momentum in direction changes, something that became more evident as I swapped back and forth from other simulators. It’s trademark Codemasters, and it’s on purpose. I said earlier that rally games are a white whale, and it’s because simulating gravel, snow, and tarmac on the same set of physics is like asking someone to solve a math prompt with philosophy. It doesn’t work that way."
"On my fairly powerful PC (RTX 3080 GPU, Ryzen 7 CPU) the game struggled for frame rate and stuttered often on recommended settings. News Editor Adam Ismail (who also got to sample the game) tells me it's down to a shader compilation issue unique to Unreal titles on PC. It’s the greatest weakness of the game in the state I played it in, and it was a fairly consistent struggle throughout. Fortunately, it shouldn't pose an issue for console performance, and it's fixable. Hopefully the final product will run a little more smoothly by the time it releases on November 3."
Sports Illustrated: https://videogames.si.com/features/ea-sports-wrc-hands-on-preview
"At first glance, it looks like a less hardcore and more accessible experience than the original Dirt Rally. That’s not to say that it’s a less challenging game."
"Tarmac feels more regular, and you can take some risks by cutting your braking times, but without overdoing it, and being careful with obstacles on the edge of the track. Gravel is a genuine rally experience. Here, you lose your rear end anytime you go full gas, and you need to constantly move your wheel around to keep the right trajectory."
Traxion: https://traxion.gg/a-genre-defining-rally-sim-hands-on-with-ea-sports-wrc/
"...with WRC’s gravel handling model arguably surpassing that of DR 2.0’s."
"WRC handles extremely well with a controller."
"Without doubt, it’s a step up on Kylotonn’s WRC Generations, especially with the addition of ultra-detailed – and lengthy – stages."
TechRaptor: https://techraptor.net/gaming/previews/ea-sports-wrc-preview
"It manages to be in-depth and realistic without making it impossible to just enjoy rocketing around winding hairpin turns in a European mountain range without worrying about flying off the precipice."
Roundtable Co-op: https://roundtablecoop.com/reviews/ea-sports-wrc-hands-on-pc-preview-very-promising/
"Despite starting the races using the Xbox controller, I tried driving with the keyboard, and I found I was better able to handle throttle control and whip the car around corners much more efficiently than with controller. This will be a subjective thing, but keyboard controls worked very well for me over the next few races."
sportskeeda: https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/ea-sports-wrc-preview-dirt-rally-3-0-lot-better
"I could drive well with a controller and my limited virtual driving skills, even if it were at the beginner's level."
"There's something in it for every type of player, ranging from the sim racing pro to the absolute amateur."
GameGrin: https://www.gamegrin.com/previews/ea-sports-wrc-preview/
"The physics that drove DiRT Rally 2.0 have been ported over to the new engine as well and have been tweaked to provide an even more realistic feel — especially where asphalt stages are concerned. Taking one of the new hybrid beasts through a Monaco stage, I felt like I was able to push the car more than I would previously, with a much grippier surface than what I came to know as “gravel lite tarmac” in DR2.0."
Gamespew: https://www.gamespew.com/2023/10/ea-sports-wrc-hands-on-preview/
"Boot up EA Sports WRC and jump into a quick event, and if you’ve played DiRT Rally 2.0 you’ll feel like you’re at home. The handling is familiar, but has been tweaked to make it more responsive, especially when playing with a controller."
Cog Connected: https://cogconnected.com/preview/wrc-preview-bouncing-braking-and-unbroken/
"To keep things from getting stale, new moments will be added every twenty-four hours. You need not fear on missing out on any moments as they will persist."
"The game will contain eighteen tracks with one to be made available post-launch. 5 bonus locations will be available to those who order the season pass." [I believe both these quotes are wrong?]
autoevolution: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...-ve-played-in-a-long-time-preview-222677.html
"EA Sports WRC reminded me of a time when video games had unique soundtracks: I'm still listening to some of them today. It's not just a generic collection of songs; you can pause the game and handle some chores around the house with the soundtrack blasting through the speakers."
The Fourth Focus: https://www.thefourthfocus.com/post/ea-sports-wrc-photo-mode-hands-on
[The article is only about photo mode. Photo buffs will probably enjoy it.]
Press-Start: https://press-start.com.au/previews/2023/10/13/ea-sports-wrc-hands-on-preview-the-dirt-road-ahead/
"While I have the most basic sim racing setup – a Logitech G29 wheel – it represents most racers’ first wheel and even with my very conventional setup I felt every bump, groove, and stone on the stages."
A Tribe Called Cars: https://atribecalledcars.com/gaming/ea-sports-wrc-preview
"The February build was so early, in fact, that we were not allowed to record gameplay using a capture card. Hence footage of various screens attached to fancy sim racing setups. It was not ideal, but it was better than nothing. Now I have put 32 hours into a second (also unfinished) Steam preview and, well, there is much to say. Spoiler alert: Codemasters has done a great job though not a perfect one."
"How realistic are we talking? In February, I was told to expect a “serious take on rally” but not a full simulation. EA and Codemasters has since said it will be “the most realistic off-road experience to date”. And that is mostly what the EA Sports WRC preview feels like. Ignoring some frame-rate issues in certain rallies, career points not being added up properly and car-flipping pebbles, EA Sports WRC feels good. In three words? Weighty, technical, force-feedbacky.
Yes, when Dirt Rally 2.0 came out I made a video complaining about the poor force-feedback. Later updates improved the situation, but I am pleased to report that, based on the especially controlled environment for the alpha build and my own various steering wheels, you feel a lot.
Combined with the sound of gravel smacking into the underside of your car, the experience is more alive and visceral. Cars are less floaty. Annoyingly unsaveable oversteer, though present sometimes, is less of an issue.
EA and Codemasters may not like to hear this, but honestly EA Sports WRC handles more like WRC Generations. Within minutes of using various Fanatec sim rigs I could manage a decent pace.
It was not just me who found it intuitive either. One of the guests, Jarno Opmeer (a sim racing world champion and friendly chap) was able to blitz through the countryside at high speed in no time at all. Once I had given him some tips and tricks obviously.
WRC Generations just felt more natural than Dirt Rally 2.0 and EA Sports WRC has that same feeling. Even on controller it is easy to judge entry speed, rotate the car as you need and power out. At least, on gravel and snow – tarmac is a mixed bag.
Often cited as a weak link in Dirt Rally 2.0, cars now grip tarmac almost comically well. Where WRC Generations progressively slides the back out if you overdo it with the throttle, EA Sports WRC sees cars tackle hairpins at seemingly unlikely speeds. Even if you handbrake.
Here, the physics makes faster cars feel twitchy and unnerving when using a controller. Confidence felt on other surfaces gives way to the fear you will end up facing backwards."
"Honestly, some of the views as you change altitude are stunning, especially with day-to-night lighting. Signs violently reflect back your headlamps. Dust trails from hairpins linger as you double-back. Rain may not look perfect, but at least puddles are not super shiny as they are in WRC Generations."
"Unfortunately, career is hardly a radical departure from other rally games. WRC 10 and WRC Generations do it better. Rather than a garage, you get to hear a guy complain about sticking to budget while looking at two monitors. The presentation is slick, but hardly inspiring."
"Also not so good and unlike WRC Generations is that EA Sports WRC does not show you on-the-fly tyre degradation. Instead, you can check after a race."
"Interestingly, Codemasters told me that Dirt Rally 3.0 was never in development. This makes sense as it will have known long before about the bid to secure the official WRC licence. Kylotonn did not even bid to renew it, but then I have heard it is making its own unofficial rally games to compete." [emphasis mine]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a side note, I asked the guy that uploaded the video of all the stages about where dynamic weather is selectable, and this was his answer:
"When you setup a championship yourself, you can choose the stage weather conditions. I'm not sure of how any dynamics might work, though i can confirm that if the stage is long enough, you'll have more chance of a given weather condition altering. Examples are setting off at sunset, and being dusk or dark by the end of the stage, having rain become heavy rain during the stage, etc. etc."
I found the final quote from A Tribe Called Cars quite interesting!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
RaceDepartment (OvertakeGG): https://www.racedepartment.com/news/ea-sports-wrc-gameplay-first-impressions.1408/
"Driving several different cars on a number of tarmac stages, one realises that the cars appear to be much more responsive."
"One must point out that some cars still experienced the DiRT Rally 2.0 float of old at times. We noted this best in content that previously featured in the old game, such as the Lancia 037 Group B car."
"This softer handling model does mean that the tyres seem to grip loose surfaces better than DR2.0. In fact, one may imagine that the tyres sink in further to the gravel or snow than previous rally games. As a result, there is a good amount of grip, especially on the brakes. When slowing down, it is difficult to snag a brake and lock up."
"Even if one sets the game to Hardcore Damage, hitting a tree or barrier at full pelt will not force a retirement. The car will certainly make some interesting sounds and the engine will lack power. But one can drive away from most major accidents."
TheDrive: https://www.thedrive.com/car-reviews/ea-sports-wrc-preview-dirt-rally-3-0-by-another-name
"You can almost call this Dirt Rally 3.0. It has that familiar Codemasters sense of weightlessness, where cars can change direction instantly, but it also has an edge that Dirt Rally 2.0 didn’t have."
"Codemasters has also apparently taken some lessons from the F1 franchise to improve its force feedback. Much more information comes through the wheel, while slip and surface effects are well-calibrated out of the box."
"Cars don’t quite carry their momentum in direction changes, something that became more evident as I swapped back and forth from other simulators. It’s trademark Codemasters, and it’s on purpose. I said earlier that rally games are a white whale, and it’s because simulating gravel, snow, and tarmac on the same set of physics is like asking someone to solve a math prompt with philosophy. It doesn’t work that way."
"On my fairly powerful PC (RTX 3080 GPU, Ryzen 7 CPU) the game struggled for frame rate and stuttered often on recommended settings. News Editor Adam Ismail (who also got to sample the game) tells me it's down to a shader compilation issue unique to Unreal titles on PC. It’s the greatest weakness of the game in the state I played it in, and it was a fairly consistent struggle throughout. Fortunately, it shouldn't pose an issue for console performance, and it's fixable. Hopefully the final product will run a little more smoothly by the time it releases on November 3."
Sports Illustrated: https://videogames.si.com/features/ea-sports-wrc-hands-on-preview
"At first glance, it looks like a less hardcore and more accessible experience than the original Dirt Rally. That’s not to say that it’s a less challenging game."
"Tarmac feels more regular, and you can take some risks by cutting your braking times, but without overdoing it, and being careful with obstacles on the edge of the track. Gravel is a genuine rally experience. Here, you lose your rear end anytime you go full gas, and you need to constantly move your wheel around to keep the right trajectory."
Traxion: https://traxion.gg/a-genre-defining-rally-sim-hands-on-with-ea-sports-wrc/
"...with WRC’s gravel handling model arguably surpassing that of DR 2.0’s."
"WRC handles extremely well with a controller."
"Without doubt, it’s a step up on Kylotonn’s WRC Generations, especially with the addition of ultra-detailed – and lengthy – stages."
TechRaptor: https://techraptor.net/gaming/previews/ea-sports-wrc-preview
"It manages to be in-depth and realistic without making it impossible to just enjoy rocketing around winding hairpin turns in a European mountain range without worrying about flying off the precipice."
Roundtable Co-op: https://roundtablecoop.com/reviews/ea-sports-wrc-hands-on-pc-preview-very-promising/
"Despite starting the races using the Xbox controller, I tried driving with the keyboard, and I found I was better able to handle throttle control and whip the car around corners much more efficiently than with controller. This will be a subjective thing, but keyboard controls worked very well for me over the next few races."
sportskeeda: https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/ea-sports-wrc-preview-dirt-rally-3-0-lot-better
"I could drive well with a controller and my limited virtual driving skills, even if it were at the beginner's level."
"There's something in it for every type of player, ranging from the sim racing pro to the absolute amateur."
GameGrin: https://www.gamegrin.com/previews/ea-sports-wrc-preview/
"The physics that drove DiRT Rally 2.0 have been ported over to the new engine as well and have been tweaked to provide an even more realistic feel — especially where asphalt stages are concerned. Taking one of the new hybrid beasts through a Monaco stage, I felt like I was able to push the car more than I would previously, with a much grippier surface than what I came to know as “gravel lite tarmac” in DR2.0."
Gamespew: https://www.gamespew.com/2023/10/ea-sports-wrc-hands-on-preview/
"Boot up EA Sports WRC and jump into a quick event, and if you’ve played DiRT Rally 2.0 you’ll feel like you’re at home. The handling is familiar, but has been tweaked to make it more responsive, especially when playing with a controller."
Cog Connected: https://cogconnected.com/preview/wrc-preview-bouncing-braking-and-unbroken/
"To keep things from getting stale, new moments will be added every twenty-four hours. You need not fear on missing out on any moments as they will persist."
"The game will contain eighteen tracks with one to be made available post-launch. 5 bonus locations will be available to those who order the season pass." [I believe both these quotes are wrong?]
autoevolution: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...-ve-played-in-a-long-time-preview-222677.html
"EA Sports WRC reminded me of a time when video games had unique soundtracks: I'm still listening to some of them today. It's not just a generic collection of songs; you can pause the game and handle some chores around the house with the soundtrack blasting through the speakers."
The Fourth Focus: https://www.thefourthfocus.com/post/ea-sports-wrc-photo-mode-hands-on
[The article is only about photo mode. Photo buffs will probably enjoy it.]
Press-Start: https://press-start.com.au/previews/2023/10/13/ea-sports-wrc-hands-on-preview-the-dirt-road-ahead/
"While I have the most basic sim racing setup – a Logitech G29 wheel – it represents most racers’ first wheel and even with my very conventional setup I felt every bump, groove, and stone on the stages."
A Tribe Called Cars: https://atribecalledcars.com/gaming/ea-sports-wrc-preview
"The February build was so early, in fact, that we were not allowed to record gameplay using a capture card. Hence footage of various screens attached to fancy sim racing setups. It was not ideal, but it was better than nothing. Now I have put 32 hours into a second (also unfinished) Steam preview and, well, there is much to say. Spoiler alert: Codemasters has done a great job though not a perfect one."
"How realistic are we talking? In February, I was told to expect a “serious take on rally” but not a full simulation. EA and Codemasters has since said it will be “the most realistic off-road experience to date”. And that is mostly what the EA Sports WRC preview feels like. Ignoring some frame-rate issues in certain rallies, career points not being added up properly and car-flipping pebbles, EA Sports WRC feels good. In three words? Weighty, technical, force-feedbacky.
Yes, when Dirt Rally 2.0 came out I made a video complaining about the poor force-feedback. Later updates improved the situation, but I am pleased to report that, based on the especially controlled environment for the alpha build and my own various steering wheels, you feel a lot.
Combined with the sound of gravel smacking into the underside of your car, the experience is more alive and visceral. Cars are less floaty. Annoyingly unsaveable oversteer, though present sometimes, is less of an issue.
EA and Codemasters may not like to hear this, but honestly EA Sports WRC handles more like WRC Generations. Within minutes of using various Fanatec sim rigs I could manage a decent pace.
It was not just me who found it intuitive either. One of the guests, Jarno Opmeer (a sim racing world champion and friendly chap) was able to blitz through the countryside at high speed in no time at all. Once I had given him some tips and tricks obviously.
WRC Generations just felt more natural than Dirt Rally 2.0 and EA Sports WRC has that same feeling. Even on controller it is easy to judge entry speed, rotate the car as you need and power out. At least, on gravel and snow – tarmac is a mixed bag.
Often cited as a weak link in Dirt Rally 2.0, cars now grip tarmac almost comically well. Where WRC Generations progressively slides the back out if you overdo it with the throttle, EA Sports WRC sees cars tackle hairpins at seemingly unlikely speeds. Even if you handbrake.
Here, the physics makes faster cars feel twitchy and unnerving when using a controller. Confidence felt on other surfaces gives way to the fear you will end up facing backwards."
"Honestly, some of the views as you change altitude are stunning, especially with day-to-night lighting. Signs violently reflect back your headlamps. Dust trails from hairpins linger as you double-back. Rain may not look perfect, but at least puddles are not super shiny as they are in WRC Generations."
"Unfortunately, career is hardly a radical departure from other rally games. WRC 10 and WRC Generations do it better. Rather than a garage, you get to hear a guy complain about sticking to budget while looking at two monitors. The presentation is slick, but hardly inspiring."
"Also not so good and unlike WRC Generations is that EA Sports WRC does not show you on-the-fly tyre degradation. Instead, you can check after a race."
"Interestingly, Codemasters told me that Dirt Rally 3.0 was never in development. This makes sense as it will have known long before about the bid to secure the official WRC licence. Kylotonn did not even bid to renew it, but then I have heard it is making its own unofficial rally games to compete." [emphasis mine]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a side note, I asked the guy that uploaded the video of all the stages about where dynamic weather is selectable, and this was his answer:
"When you setup a championship yourself, you can choose the stage weather conditions. I'm not sure of how any dynamics might work, though i can confirm that if the stage is long enough, you'll have more chance of a given weather condition altering. Examples are setting off at sunset, and being dusk or dark by the end of the stage, having rain become heavy rain during the stage, etc. etc."
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- 106
- Spain
The truth is that when I read people say that in DR 2.0 they throw the car to the corners as if they had no weight... or that they change direction at the same time .... we must be playing different games. Playing with weight transfers in DR 2.0 is priceless. Everything counts... turning angle.... speed... surface...
You can almost feel the "g" forces, just by looking at a picture.
Codemasters always knew how to give a realistic weight to their vehicles. Games of yesteryear, like TOCA Race Driver where you could figure out with your eyes closed the category you were playing with by its weight.
You can almost feel the "g" forces, just by looking at a picture.
Codemasters always knew how to give a realistic weight to their vehicles. Games of yesteryear, like TOCA Race Driver where you could figure out with your eyes closed the category you were playing with by its weight.
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. I heard some people mention WRC has better feel than DR2.0, hope they're right...- 1,795
- Mtl
Lots of good encouraging points, but shame it seems a little bit of a compromise as a sim, to satisfy all, and sales probably. As mentioned in that car tribe article.
I'd prefer have hardcore difficulties as an option still at least.
I'm sure it will be fun, and good quality, but it be a shame if it feels a little muted in rawness.
We'll see.
They say its near somewhat more to generations, but more arcadey? On tarmac especially, with ease of taking turns.
Maybe that's more realistic though, especially for modern cars, dont know..
Makes me think I'll still need try generations then.
I wonder if they tried a mix of older cars too, etc.
Maybe it will be more hardcore handling with historics.
Thanks for summary pfei.
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- 2,323
- United States
I think KT's best gravel physics came with WRCG, while their best tarmac physics were in WRC 10.
In WRCG the Rally1 cars feel very planted on gravel, yet also easy to slide and very easy to overdrive. The hybrid boost especially can surprise you and cause a nice slide to end in a spin, or in severe understeer when powering out of a turn (see Neuville in Belgium last year where I am sure it was the hybrid boost that understeered him right off the road).
However, while in WRC 10 on tarmac the cars felt great, really planted and nimble, yet still easy to slide through hairpins with proper weight transfer and throttle modulation, I find that in WRCG the Rally1 cars are too loose on tarmac. They slide around a lot, which is not what I have observed by watching the last two seasons with WRC+/RallyTV. Setup changes can mitigate that to an extent, but I still feel it's a step back from WRC 10 on tarmac.
Maybe KT just overestimated the effect the huge weight increase of the Rally1 cars would have on the tarmac handling. After all, we know that neither KT nor Codemasters had access to Rally1 cars or the team data. So I would put it down to a simple false assumption on KTs part rather than a flaw in the physics. From what I have seen of the EA WRC Rally1 cars on tarmac, they look to handle more realistically despite the huge amounts of grip everyone seems to be talking about.
- 1,795
- Mtl
- 2,323
- United States
This is where I see a difference between WRCG and EA Sports. In WRCG (and in real WRC Rally1 cars), when the boost is regenerated through braking, it is applied automatically when accelerating, and it's gone when your energy runs out or when you touch the brake pedal. However, in EA Sports WRC I see that the boost also ends if you lift off the throttle, which I do not think is accurate. See this article for more information, which is how it works in WRCG, but apparently not in EAWRC: https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/how-the-wrcs-hybrid-boost-will-work/
There were some quotes from drivers last year (can't find them right now) where they were complaining about having to coast through turns sometimes in order to not cut the hybrid boost. They were adjusting their driving styles to lift and coast (to avoid hitting the brakes), and suffer a lower approach speed through a corner (if possible), so as to not lose out on the rest of the hybrid boost on the following straight.
So I am pretty certain that EA WRC has not modelled this correctly because I constantly see the boost cutting out when lifting off the throttle.
It is a huge adjustment and something you always need to be aware of and ready for. I personally do not like it at all. It can really ruin a great run if it catches you off guard, and makes it harder to get into a rhythm. Luckily you can map it to the lowest boost setting if it catches you out too often. Alas, it is part of WRC today, so obviously we have to deal with it in WRCG and EAWRC. I just hope Codemasters fixes the implementation (or someone points out that the hybrid boost deployment rules have changed).
[EDIT] I would like to clarify that at the start line, there is a special boost enabled called Stage Start Mode. This boost is different to the ones that are regenerated during the stage in that it lasts up to ten seconds, and gets cut off EITHER by hitting the brakes or lifting off the throttle. Above I was referring to the regen during the stage (only braking cuts off the boost).
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- 1,795
- Mtl
Wow i see, seems pretty bad implementation in real life of this boost for me, i don't think I'd like much.
Seems very counter intuitive, and makes drivers, as you say, drive the tech instead of the road, shame.
Well in a way, maybe I'd prefer then the ea wrc way of implementing this, its less obtrusive it seems, even if less realistic vs the real system.
I don't know what they were thinking to put it this way in real wrc.
Worse than the push to pass f1 way even.
It seems way worse also than old turbo lag, at least you could adjust shifting, and it's expected at a defined rev etc.
Weird..
Edit: then again, maybe it's even worse if it cuts off as soon as you lift off throttle.
Means not only trying avoid braking, but you can't even lift off throttle without losing that extra power.
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.
- 2,323
- United States
Here is another reference to lifting NOT cancelling the boost, from Hyundai's Julien Moncet:
"So sometimes you will have to, maybe, accelerate a bit less to avoid braking, to be able to continue to have the boost for the next straight".
It's at 3:25 here:
Neuville contradicts both the WRC video as well as the Dirtfish article I posted earlier by saying ""At the same time, if you reach your target and you accelerate and you lift once the throttle, you lose all the power you have available." https://us.motorsport.com/wrc/news/...-cars-like-formula-e-on-a-rally-road/6686511/
So, which way is it supposed to be?
"So sometimes you will have to, maybe, accelerate a bit less to avoid braking, to be able to continue to have the boost for the next straight".
It's at 3:25 here:
Neuville contradicts both the WRC video as well as the Dirtfish article I posted earlier by saying ""At the same time, if you reach your target and you accelerate and you lift once the throttle, you lose all the power you have available." https://us.motorsport.com/wrc/news/...-cars-like-formula-e-on-a-rally-road/6686511/
So, which way is it supposed to be?
MagpieRacer
Premium
- 17,380
- Wymondham, Norfolk
- Seagull_Racer
The thing to remember with games going all in the full hardcore sim is you limit your audience. People will read reviews and if casual reviewers and non racing game guys struggle, majority of casual players will probably skip. Even if you throw all the assists at it, it never really works (pc2, ACC).
DR2.0 had over 12 million players through its life, that’s huge for a rally ‘sim’ and therefore still needs to be fun for a lot of people and WRC will follow that. It’ll be as much sim as they can afford to throw at it before the numbers decline.
If the figures are accurate, DR2 sold nearly 1 million on steam alone, meaning around 11 million coming from console (inc GamePass and the game hitting PS Plus at one point), RBR less than 400k, and probably less than double on console. Those numbers will sit with devs when deciding what to do.
So I’m ok with it not being absolutely all out hardcore sim, because that can be at the detriment of, not only the sale, but also the overall enjoyment and the future of the series.
DR2.0 had over 12 million players through its life, that’s huge for a rally ‘sim’ and therefore still needs to be fun for a lot of people and WRC will follow that. It’ll be as much sim as they can afford to throw at it before the numbers decline.
If the figures are accurate, DR2 sold nearly 1 million on steam alone, meaning around 11 million coming from console (inc GamePass and the game hitting PS Plus at one point), RBR less than 400k, and probably less than double on console. Those numbers will sit with devs when deciding what to do.
So I’m ok with it not being absolutely all out hardcore sim, because that can be at the detriment of, not only the sale, but also the overall enjoyment and the future of the series.
- 106
- Spain
In my humble opinion... DR 2.0 precisely demonstrates how being a pure rally simulator (or the maximum realism possible), can attract a large audience and be for the masses. F1 23 is also a difficult game without help, where racing in Monaco is quite a challenge as a simulator... and it is a game for the masses. But the realism of DR 2.0 is a rich and nourished realism... it is not tricky or makes driving difficult to seem more real... it is real because of its details, but it gives you good control. I mean he's not "cheating" with the player. This is a simulator... not an arcade where the screen takes on a "reddish" color tone, and the same 4 people as always have to go out to push a car at 380 bph as if it couldn't get out and had gotten stuck as if by chance. magic art 
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- 59
- United Kingdom
A fan of CM1 right through to DR2 This game sounds too good to be true, and I'm very tempted to pre-order for the 5 VIP passes - probably saving £5 a pop, but I'm just concerned the stuttering won't be sorted either at launch or going forward, plus I'll be on PS5 so not even seen any console footage yet.
MagpieRacer
Premium
- 17,380
- Wymondham, Norfolk
- Seagull_Racer
Hopefully the stuttering won’t be as prevalent on console. Denuvo is notorious for hurting that more and on top of unreal I think it’s more noticeable on PC.
I too want to see console footage, however I’m willing to give the benefit to CM as they’ve rarely let console users down before. The Xbox store page shows 60fps and HDR10 as visual elements. It doesn’t have the 4k ultra HD tag however so it could all be placeholder, or we’ll be getting a locked 60fps@1440p on console with no alternative performance modes. Hopefully we’ll know for sure soon.
For comparison, WRC10 had 3 modes, 120@1080p, 60@1440p and 30@2160p.
Dirt Rally 2 (which was previous gen) was 60@1440p locked on PlayStation 4/Pro and XBOne, on XBOneX it had a 60@4k mode.
Given the nature of the physics engine, WRC won’t go less than 60 so based on what we know so far I’d assume the latter and that it’s 60@1440p.
- 2,323
- United States
I figured out why people are getting the impression that lifting the throttle kills the boost, and why I thought it was not implemented correctly. Every single video, except for one from Traxion, the players are using the Aggressive boost mapping, which has the strictest threshold for lifting the throttle.
There are three maps, with three different throttle thresholds that both activate and cut off the boost. These are:
This is the balanced mapping:
I can't show a screenshot of cautious mapping, because I haven't seen anyone use it yet, but the threshold would be at 30% throttle.
You can lift and not lose boost as long as you do not drop below that threshold.
The fact that literally everyone is using the aggressive map is what is causing the impressions that any lift is automatic boost cancellation.
Thankfully, that is not the case, and it looks like it has been implemented properly.
There are three maps, with three different throttle thresholds that both activate and cut off the boost. These are:
- Aggressive - 70% threshold
- Balanced - 50% threshold
- Cautious - 30% threshold
This is the balanced mapping:
I can't show a screenshot of cautious mapping, because I haven't seen anyone use it yet, but the threshold would be at 30% throttle.
You can lift and not lose boost as long as you do not drop below that threshold.
The fact that literally everyone is using the aggressive map is what is causing the impressions that any lift is automatic boost cancellation.
Thankfully, that is not the case, and it looks like it has been implemented properly.
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MagpieRacer
Premium
- 17,380
- Wymondham, Norfolk
- Seagull_Racer
They also worked directly with M-Sport for the implementation so unless they’ve mucked it up IRL it should be pretty spot on.
I know WRCG didn’t have it done properly in terms of the throttle threshold, it was just time vs power in that game regardless of throttle application.
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- 15,397
- TRAPPIST-1g
- ProjectWHaT
MagpieRacer
Premium
- 17,380
- Wymondham, Norfolk
- Seagull_Racer
US only it’s worth pointing out. Makes sense in that respect given the general lack of popularity for the WRC in the USA.
Still the full £44.99 on Amazon UK.
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- 2,323
- United States
I think both games (WRCG and EAWRC) have a "generic", simplified, global implementation. The technical directive is pasted below for everyone to read. There are actually six maps (three for throttle and three for braking) but both games use only three. I will summarize here:
- Stage Start Mode: only available at the start line. Full boost power is deployed for 10s or until the driver brakes or lifts off the throttle.
- Stage Mode regen: boost regen through engine braking (coasting) and and pedal braking.
- Stage Mode deployment: personalized maps depending on stage characteristics and driving style.
So it is possible, within the rules, to create a map that gives less boost, but does not cut the boost when lifting off the throttle. Further compounding the confusion, there are actually six maps: three throttle maps, and three braking/engine braking maps. The latter is not modeled in either game, or maybe both KT and Codemasters decided to package the throttle and regen rules into one single map for simplicity's sake.
The three WRCG maps are:
- Most power, least time deployment
- Mid power, mid time deployment
- Least power, longest time deployment
EAWRC on the other hand, models it slightly differently and, like KT, also fits into the technical directive.
- Most power, strictest threshold, least time deployment
- Medium power, medium threshold, mid time deployment
- Least power, most permissive threshold, longest time deployment
To summarize, it seems both games have taken valid, yet different, approaches to how the Stage Mode maps work. In the real WRC each driver uses his own customized maps, six in total (three throttle and three brake). In the games, both WRCG and EAWRC use a global, generic throttle mapping that is applied to all cars, and does away with the brake maps entirely (or more likely stuffs them into the throttle maps as a generic combo).
Here is the technical info:
During the special stages, two modes will be available:
1. At the start of each special stage, the full power of the hybrid system will be available for approximately the first 10 seconds, or until the driver releases the throttle or presses the brake.
2. During the special stage, the 100kW (134 hp) hybrid power will be available, but teams and drivers will have to create up to three personalised ‘maps’ to decide how to deploy them. The extra power can be very strong over a short period of time or medium over a longer period of time
According to FIA, these maps will be based on driver input only (throttle pedal and brake). They will allow the release of energy in a way that is tailored to the driver’s style and the road conditions. The amount of power released with each press of the throttle will be decided by the length of the stage and the state of charge (SOC) of the battery.
l) the hybrid unit automatically recovers electrical power when the throttle pedal is released and under braking (regeneration phase or ‘regen’), with the accelerator set below a certain level (no energy is recovered if brake and accelerator are pushed simultaneously). The MGU additionally brakes the car and charges the battery.
m) to reuse hybrid boost, drivers must accumulate enough regeneration energy to create what is called a ‘valid regen’. After each valid regen and the next time the drivers press the throttle, they will have electric power available, depending on the parameters selected by their choice of map.
n) drivers can create up to three maps for the regeneration phases as well. This offers a chance to tailor how and when the regen is utilized as this will have the same effect as engine braking on the car.
o) The hybrid unit will be pre-programmed according to each individual stage distance in kilometers and will manage the duration of power available to try to ensure there is power accessible throughout the stage.
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