Project CARS 2 General Discussion Thread - Out Now on PS4/XB1/PC

[r_outsider]

There was a thread on the old official forum started by one of the devs (can't remember who exactly, can post a screen grab later) that gave some guidelines for pressures in different types of cars. Usually I've ended up on the lower end of those numbers, with one or two exceptions. I've found as long as the temps don't get into the red zone grip seems to keep going up but they do wear out faster.

 

[Mr_D]

Yeah so it seems your findings are similar to mine. Lower pressure equals better grip.

Outsider, I know the post you mean but like I said it doesnt seem to be correct.

Did some reading on the webz, some discussions on racedepartment too. They seemed to settle on 2.2 bar for every soft or hard slick variant. Which I think is way too high judging from my own experience. And it doesnt take into account the 10 or so different tyres in the game. If you guys dont have the magic trick I guess the answer is just experimenting in time trials to see what works best. It works but is a bit time consuming

Over time I'll do some more testing and let you guys know if I find something interesting.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I'm sure for a laugh I tested softs at 43psi once, just to see what happens. Don't even know why they let us go that high.

 

[r_outsider]

I just used them as guidelines- starting points, but in general once I lowered the pressures a bit they seemed to be pretty decent starting points. I sort of verify by watching the temps and usually get a pretty good idea within a couple of laps, although I am definitely not some kind of savant when it comes to tuning, close enough is good enough for me. If you have a trick I am all ears for sure.

My general thought with most of these guides and a bunch of the tuning apps, etc, is that they are written by alien-level drivers for next-level drivers, and that for joe average myself, they're way too stiff both in tires and in spring rates. I just am not fast enough to put that kind of force through the suspension and into the rubber to make everything work, so I have to go softer to get some grip. Seems to work unless I somehow find a whack of speed by some miracle.

@Mr Grumpy why the heck not, right? Although I think I have the rights that high on one of my oval setups.

 

[Mr_D]

I'm sure for a laugh I tested softs at 43psi once, just to see what happens. Don't even know why they let us go that high.

Well, what happened?

I just used them as guidelines- starting points, but in general once I lowered the pressures a bit they seemed to be pretty decent starting points. I sort of verify by watching the temps and usually get a pretty good idea within a couple of laps, although I am definitely not some kind of savant when it comes to tuning, close enough is good enough for me. If you have a trick I am all ears for sure.

My general thought with most of these guides and a bunch of the tuning apps, etc, is that they are written by alien-level drivers for next-level drivers, and that for joe average myself, they're way too stiff both in tires and in spring rates. I just am not fast enough to put that kind of force through the suspension and into the rubber to make everything work, so I have to go softer to get some grip. Seems to work unless I somehow find a whack of speed by some miracle.

@Mr Grumpy why the heck not, right? Although I think I have the rights that high on one of my oval setups.

Yeah same here, I think I go at a reasonable pace and have some understanding of tuning. But I allmost allways tune a car based on my feeling and I barely look at lap times. If I'm not fast enough I'll just lower the AI a bit

I want the car to 'feel' good, which means nicely balanced for the most part and just a touch of power oversteer when I floor it coming out of the corner. I usually run pretty long races and care more about consistency than shaving of .1 of a second. If I can do multiple laps in a row within a few tenth of eachother while somewhat pushing I'm satisfied.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Well, what happened?


Yeah same here, I think I go at a reasonable pace and have some understanding of tuning. But I allmost allways tune a car based on my feeling and I barely look at lap times. If I'm not fast enough I'll just lower the AI a bit

I want the car to 'feel' good, which means nicely balanced for the most part and just a touch of power oversteer when I floor it coming out of the corner. I usually run pretty long races and care more about consistency than shaving of .1 of a second. If I can do multiple laps in a row within a few tenth of eachother while somewhat pushing I'm satisfied.

I think I was trying to see if I could get the softs to stop overheating & last as long as hards at normal pressure, can't quite remember the outcome but I remember having to soften up the suspension & dampers to cope with the rock hard tyres & I think it just nullified itself & became a pointless test, so I just stuck with hards.

I sometimes tune a car in ridiculous ways just to see if it breaks the physics in a godly sort of way but haven't been to successful, but it's fun trying.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Did you know, (for those who use manual with a clutch & h pattern shifter when required) that the engine braking setting has an effect when depressing the clutch & changing gear.

If you use high engine braking (ie low number strangely) then your revs will drop alot quicker when changing gear leading to rear lock up unless you rev match using h&t.

Using a low engine braking setting (high number) reduces the need to rev match as much leaving you to h&t as you wish, this also reduces the chances of bringing the rear end around accidentally.

I was testing this last night with the BMW 320 group A, manual clutch not auto.

I know the engine braking setting had a slight effect when using auto clutch with paddle shift but it's definitely more noticeable when using manual clutch & shifter.

 

[Mr_D]

Did you know, (for those who use manual with a clutch & h pattern shifter when required) that the engine braking setting has an effect when depressing the clutch & changing gear.

If you use high engine braking (ie low number strangely) then your revs will drop alot quicker when changing gear leading to rear lock up unless you rev match using h&t.

Using a low engine braking setting (high number) reduces the need to rev match as much leaving you to h&t as you wish, this also reduces the chances of bringing the rear end around accidentally.

I was testing this last night with the BMW 320 group A, manual clutch not auto.

I know the engine braking setting had a slight effect when using auto clutch with paddle shift but it's definitely more noticeable when using manual clutch & shifter.

Thats pretty cool. I did discover earlier that it had an effect on early downshifts. I have a tendency to downshift too early in videogames, sorry ssjimulators, and to counter this I sometimes lower the engine braking force. But I didnt notice effect on heel toeing yet

Another thing I discovered today was how weight balance works. The formula C has an option to adjust this but I was struggling to get my head around it. Found this: https://www.suspensionsetup.info/blog/how-does-weight-distribution-influence-race-car-handling , it's pretty technical but what it comes down to is that extra weight on the rear improves grip on the rear tyres when accelerating, as you'd expect, but in cornering it actually works the other way around. When cornering there is a moment created between the CoG and the front axle, and an opposite moment between the CoG and rear axle. Moving the CoG forward or rearwards changes these moments which has far more effect than any grip gained by added weight on an axle.

The link explains it better than I can but it was interesting to read that this works counterintuitively. And having a more rear biased CoG actually creates a more agile car as opposed to what we are inclined to think. I'm going to experiment with this a bit in the formula C and see what results I get.

 

[Mr_D]

So I did a quick race with a mandatory pitstop for the first time. Setup a strategy with zero fuel and zero repairs and off I went. 12 lap race on Suzuka eh I mean Sakitto. Pretty fun and close race, then went into the pit halfway and rather than a 5 second pitstop I got a pitstop error that took 30 seconds. Leaving me completely out of the race.
Looked online and saw some other people had this issue as well but no fix or workaround as far as I could tell.

I now turned off mechanical damage and was wondering if that helps? Or anybody else has any suggestions?

 

[Mr Grumpy]

So I did a quick race with a mandatory pitstop for the first time. Setup a strategy with zero fuel and zero repairs and off I went. 12 lap race on Suzuka eh I mean Sakitto. Pretty fun and close race, then went into the pit halfway and rather than a 5 second pitstop I got a pitstop error that took 30 seconds. Leaving me completely out of the race.
Looked online and saw some other people had this issue as well but no fix or workaround as far as I could tell.

I now turned off mechanical damage and was wondering if that helps? Or anybody else has any suggestions?

Can't remember but isn't there an option to have pit stop mistakes on or off?

 

[r_outsider]

Made me look! No, no you can't. Turning mech. damage off does seem to help some, at least you're not parked up for 15 minutes because of a clutch failure or some such nonsense then. The crew does drop a wheel nut now and again but not often. Are you running a manual ot automatic pit, BTW?

I'd be fine with the mechanical failures if they didn't seem so random.

 

[Mr_D]

Can't remember but isn't there an option to have pit stop mistakes on or off?

Only online for reasons unknown..

Made me look! No, no you can't. Turning mech. damage off does seem to help some, at least you're not parked up for 15 minutes because of a clutch failure or some such nonsense then. The crew does drop a wheel nut now and again but not often. Are you running a manual ot automatic pit, BTW?

I'd be fine with the mechanical failures if they didn't seem so random.

Everything is manual. Yeah I can handle a pit error in a 4 hour endurance race but in a 10 lap race with mandatory pitstops with no fuel and no repair it's ridiculous. I'll run without mechanical failures for a while and see if it helps. Can't remember dropping out of a race for mechanical failures anyway.

 

[Morgoth_666]

Yeah it's just random, pretty much like such things in real racing [effectively to the driver] are. It is annoying when it happens but it's not the end of the world. It doesn't seem to happen too often, and some of them are fairly short so they only cut into the amount you gain on the AI every stop. Some of them are pretty painful though. Can't win every race, I guess.

 

[Mr_D]

Yeah it's just random, pretty much like such things in real racing [effectively to the driver] are. It is annoying when it happens but it's not the end of the world. It doesn't seem to happen too often, and some of them are fairly short so they only cut into the amount you gain on the AI every stop. Some of them are pretty painful though. Can't win every race, I guess.

I've been playing this game for a long time now and it was never really a problem. But what bothers me most is it's a mandatory pitstop with absolutely no fuel or repairs. So what can possibly go wrong lol

 

[Hun200kmh]

There are some inconsistencies regarding "stopped time" at the pits according to what you asked the crew to do. A while ago I found that a "nothing to do" pitstop would usually take more time than a "fuel splash" one. But even that isn't completely consistent. And I never bothered much with testing all kinds of options, I get easily bored lol

 

[Mr_D]

There are some inconsistencies regarding "stopped time" at the pits according to what you asked the crew to do. A while ago I found that a "nothing to do" pitstop would usually take more time than a "fuel splash" one. But even that isn't completely consistent. And I never bothered much with testing all kinds of options, I get easily bored lol

Apparently 1L of fuel is faster than zero. But I dont care about that. AI mandatory pitstops are approx. 5 seconds and so are mine (usually).

 

[Pete05]

Just bought PC2 on the cheap.

Does anyone have any idea how many updates there are?

How long does it take to do them all?

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Just bought PC2 on the cheap.

Does anyone have any idea how many updates there are?

How long does it take to do them all?

Not many, shouldn't take no time at all, I think the base game is around 40gb once all patches & dlc are installed it's about 65gb. I'm on the Series X though running the 1X enhanced edition. Might be less on other platforms not sure.

 

[Pete05]

Not many, shouldn't take no time at all, I think the base game is around 40gb once all patches & dlc are installed it's about 65gb. I'm on the Series X though running the 1X enhanced edition. Might be less on other platforms not sure.

Thank you Mr 👍

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Thank you Mr 👍

Not a problem mate, any other questions you have regarding the game feel free to ask away, we're all a helpful bunch in this thread.

Not sure what platform you're on but most of the guys in here are on PS, so I'm sure they'll welcome you to any online races if you want to once you found your feet.

I'm not going to lie, project cars 2 has got a bit of a learning curve, but it's so immersive & such an emotional roller-coaster of a sim. 1 minute you'll love it, hate it the next but you just keep coming back to it. I do anyway.

 

[Pete05]

Not a problem mate, any other questions you have regarding the game feel free to ask away, we're all a helpful bunch in this thread.

Not sure what platform you're on but most of the guys in here are on PS, so I'm sure they'll welcome you to any online races if you want to once you found your feet.

I'm not going to lie, project cars 2 has got a bit of a learning curve, but it's so immersive & such an emotional roller-coaster of a sim. 1 minute you'll love it, hate it the next but you just keep coming back to it. I do anyway.

Thanks again mate.

I'm on PS4 now, was hugely into Gran Turismo up to the time they went down the Sport road.
I've also been lurking around the Planet for just over 10 years, but not so much in the last 8 years.
I just haven't had the time with work.
I'm also trying to recover from a massive accident almost 18 months ago.
That has been really hard.

I was going to look around for DS4 controller set ups & tune ups for the cars, but then I remembered how Polyphony Digital could do a game update that totally flushed all your setups down the S bend.
I had second thoughts and thought I'd better update the game first.

With PC3 well released now, fairly safe to assume there's no more coming for PC2.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Thanks again mate.

I'm on PS4 now, was hugely into Gran Turismo up to the time they went down the Sport road.
I've also been lurking around the Planet for just over 10 years, but not so much in the last 8 years.
I just haven't had the time with work.
I'm also trying to recover from a massive accident almost 18 months ago.
That has been really hard.

I was going to look around for DS4 controller set ups & tune ups for the cars, but then I remembered how Polyphony Digital could do a game update that totally flushed all your setups down the S bend.
I had second thoughts and thought I'd better update the game first.

With PC3 well released now, fairly safe to assume there's no more coming for PC2.

You assume correctly, pc2 got abandoned & discontinued. You can't buy it digitally anymore only physically & I'm not sure if you're still able to get the DLC's but I could be wrong.

I bought the deluxe edition years ago digitally, so I've got all content, even if I deleted the game I still have access to download everything on my account but as for someone new like yourself I believe that's no longer an option.

 

[kjb]

You assume correctly, pc2 got abandoned & discontinued. You can't buy it digitally anymore only physically & I'm not sure if you're still able to get the DLC's but I could be wrong.

I bought the deluxe edition years ago digitally, so I've got all content, even if I deleted the game I still have access to download everything on my account but as for someone new like yourself I believe that's no longer an option.

I believe you are correct sir. None of DLC is available on the PS Store.

 

[Hun200kmh]

Hi @Pete05 , sadly I believe you can't access or buy DLC content. There are some cars/tracks you'll miss out but rest assured even in its stock form PCars2 has a lot of content and depth, enough to keep you busy for a long time.

btw, if you ever decide to go online we have a group here that usually races every monday at 8 PM UK time. No idea what that might mean in Melbourne, but I assume somewhere between late night and early morning, so its probably not the best time for you! In any case, if you're interested just send to any in the group a PSN friend request. Cheers

 

[Fossilized]

None of the DLC cars are must-haves, but it’s sad that the DLC tracks are no longer available to console users. Unlike Assetto Corsa (the original), Bandai missed the opportunity to come out with an ‘Ultimate Edition’ with all DLC included. Quite puzzling, it’s an obvious move with end of the line fast approaching.

Perhaps Bandai were as bamboozled by Ian Bell’s cow manure as we were about Project Cars 3, and thought they could recycle the PC2 DLC again. But there was quite a window post-PC3’s utter failure to cash in before the DLC content licenses expired.

Altogether, I personally think Bandai utterly mismanaged the franchise and now there’s no way for PC2’s DLC to live on. Shame on you, Bandai and SMS. Hard to believe there are still people left with any confidence in Ian Bell.

 

[Beezer215]

None of the DLC cars are must-haves, but it’s sad that the DLC tracks are no longer available to console users. Unlike Assetto Corsa (the original), Bandai missed the opportunity to come out with an ‘Ultimate Edition’ with all DLC included. Quite puzzling, it’s an obvious move with end of the line fast approaching.

Perhaps Bandai were as bamboozled by Ian Bell’s cow manure as we were about Project Cars 3, and thought they could recycle the PC2 DLC again. But there was quite a window post-PC3’s utter failure to cash in before the DLC content licenses expired.

Altogether, I personally think Bandai utterly mismanaged the franchise and now there’s no way for PC2’s DLC to live on. Shame on you, Bandai and SMS. Hard to believe there are still people left with any confidence in Ian Bell.

I don't know. Ferrari Essentials DLC, Spirit of Le Mans DLC and Porsche Legends DLC are must haves for me. The Fun Pack is nice too. And Japanese for the Group A R32 and the 280zx GTX. 🤷‍♀️ 😄
I was looking forward to seeing what GTR Revival was going to do. Been pretty quiet. Hope that means they are working diligently on it. Nobody could possibly as quiet as Kunos is with AC2. They don't say a word.

 

[Pete05]

You assume correctly, pc2 got abandoned & discontinued. You can't buy it digitally anymore only physically & I'm not sure if you're still able to get the DLC's but I could be wrong.

I bought the deluxe edition years ago digitally, so I've got all content, even if I deleted the game I still have access to download everything on my account but as for someone new like yourself I believe that's no longer an option.

I believe you are correct sir. None of DLC is available on the PS Store.

Hi @Pete05 , sadly I believe you can't access or buy DLC content. There are some cars/tracks you'll miss out but rest assured even in its stock form PCars2 has a lot of content and depth, enough to keep you busy for a long time.

btw, if you ever decide to go online we have a group here that usually races every monday at 8 PM UK time. No idea what that might mean in Melbourne, but I assume somewhere between late night and early morning, so its probably not the best time for you! In any case, if you're interested just send to any in the group a PSN friend request. Cheers

None of the DLC cars are must-haves, but it’s sad that the DLC tracks are no longer available to console users. Unlike Assetto Corsa (the original), Bandai missed the opportunity to come out with an ‘Ultimate Edition’ with all DLC included. Quite puzzling, it’s an obvious move with end of the line fast approaching.

Perhaps Bandai were as bamboozled by Ian Bell’s cow manure as we were about Project Cars 3, and thought they could recycle the PC2 DLC again. But there was quite a window post-PC3’s utter failure to cash in before the DLC content licenses expired.

Altogether, I personally think Bandai utterly mismanaged the franchise and now there’s no way for PC2’s DLC to live on. Shame on you, Bandai and SMS. Hard to believe there are still people left with any confidence in Ian Bell.

I don't know. Ferrari Essentials DLC, Spirit of Le Mans DLC and Porsche Legends DLC are must haves for me. The Fun Pack is nice too. And Japanese for the Group A R32 and the 280zx GTX. 🤷‍♀️ 😄
I was looking forward to seeing what GTR Revival was going to do. Been pretty quiet. Hope that means they are working diligently on it. Nobody could possibly as quiet as Kunos is with AC2. They don't say a word.

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge.

Some of the update content would have been really enjoyable, but if it's no longer available then there's no use trying to shut the gate after the horse has bolted.

As mentioned, a final edition with all the DLC included should be a no brainer for developers, if this is the way games are marketed.
I miss the days of when buying a game, meant 100% content from day 1.

Ultimately, I bought PC2 for the outrageous price of AUS$5.00
What was included in the day one edition 1.00, will keep me occupied for long enough & I'm pretty sure I'll get my value for money.

Thanks again 🙂👍🏁

 

[Fossilized]

I guess it depends on your focus. Mine is online racing, due to way too much weirdness with the AI. You rarely see the DLC cars picked, and most room’s don’t run the DLC tracks in case some don’t have it.

The sad thing is, EVERYBODY has the DLC cars in their data (if you’re running the latest game update) or you wouldn’t be able to see someone else driving it. It would be a nice gesture of thanks from Bandai to unlock it for everyone.

 

[kjb]

It's a very good game wit or without the DLC. I still play it when I have time. My only real nitpick with the game is no livery editor but each car usually has a nice selection of liveries available

 

[IfAndOr]

They did actually make the deluxe edition that had all the content available (other than the Japanese Pack). Shame you couldn't have found that @Pete05 for $7. 🙂

There were some free cars added, the Ferrari 488 Challenge springs to mind.