Project cars DLC

[Spitfire77]

Drove a bit on the new test track. There is a layout, I think called sidewinder where you go through the tunnel, It is a blast with the Caterham Classic.

Also the ovalish layout is pretty fun with the stock car, should present some fun online races.

For some odd reason though all my cars seemed to start with even less fuel than in my setups, not sure if it was picking up the qualifying fuel load?

 

[CarreraGT]

I'd imagine on consoles 24+ animated pit crews would bring the FPS down to a crawl.

F1 2015 runs fine with 22 pit crews (not to mention a heap of PS3 games...)

Personally i think they'd be better getting the game working properly before adding more features. Pit crews are likely to bring even more bugs!

Pit crews are not exactly a new feature. They should have been in there since day 1 and the games feels a bit half baked without them...

 

[Mike_grpA]

F1 2015 runs fine with 22 pit crews (not to mention a heap of PS3 games...)

I love the pit lane in F1 2015. The pit crews are really well done, and then you have guys at the pit wall monitors for each team, and even racks of front wings and gear in front of each garage. It gives it a very authentic feel. Pcars pit lane feels sterile in comparison.

Pcars does a great job on immersion on the track, but two things kill it:
1) Any time you have to pit, and see there's no one there. and;
2) Whenever you are close to an AI driver, and they act like a retarded 10 year old playing online, instead of a professional racing driver.

 

[ukfan758]

F1 2015 runs fine with 22 pit crews (not to mention a heap of PS3 games...)

It's actually only 10 (2015 season) and 11 (2014 season) so one pitcrew per constructor. I know this from the Mercedes Ai pitting on the same lap and having to wait, the same crew would then scramble to get the new tyres or wing, then the other car would get service.

 

[AnfLaw]

It's actually only 10 (2015 season) and 11 (2014 season) so one pitcrew per constructor. I know this from the Mercedes Ai pitting on the same lap and having to wait, the same crew would then scramble to get the new tyres or wing, then the other car would get service.

Depending on the patch version you're running. At release there was a chance the second car would just retire if it had to stack up for tyres.

 

[CarreraGT]

It's actually only 10 (2015 season) and 11 (2014 season) so one pitcrew per constructor. I know this from the Mercedes Ai pitting on the same lap and having to wait, the same crew would then scramble to get the new tyres or wing, then the other car would get service.

You got me on a technicality there...

Either way, I'm sure the PS4 can handle it. Allow less AI liveries in a race if that's the case and have 2 or more cars to a pit crew.

 

[dQuim]

The pit crews in the Codies F1 games work because all the cars have almost identical dimensions, meaning the same animations can be used for all the cars.

With Project Cars, you'd need an individual set of animations for at least every class of car, maybe every car. So there is a much bigger time overhead in terms of development and testing. Also, because of the potential for up to 40 cars per race, you'd need a lot more active pit crews in the race than is needed in the F1 games. This has a knock-on effect on memory usage and performance.

Personally, I'd like to see full pit crews added into the game, but only if they didn't have an impact on performance.

 

[PletdeKoe]

I couldn't care less about pit-crews.

 

[TexasTyme214]

It shouldn't be a huge hit. The pits, I'm sure the physics are put on hold which will free up some performance for animations. Besides that, frame rate, at least for me, is more important while I'm driving, something that I won't be doing in the pits. I'm very welcome for the bespoke pit animations, and I can't wait to see the finished product!

 

[Elitekilla29]

I couldn't care less about pit-crews.

Me too tbh. I want a bunch of other things before we get that. Maybe they can save that for Pcars 2.

 

[catamount39]

We need pitcrews. If broken GT6 has them, so can we. They just about done anyway in May for God's sake.

 

[TheElbows]

My biggest issue is the lack of a yellow-flag and caution system (however you want to employ it --- including an option to remove it, etc.). They really missed out on a rather key feature.

 

[catamount39]

My biggest issue is the lack of a yellow-flag and caution system (however you want to employ it --- including an option to remove it, etc.). They really missed out on a rather key feature.

Yeah that also ****es me off. At least have a VSC period or something.

 

[Spooky Wooky]

SMS originally said they were going to do pit crews AND safety cars.

 

[ScottPuss20]

The Aston Martin DLC is the best DLC that Project Cars has released. All cars may be from the same manufacturer but they're all so different from each other. For the Test Track however, it's a load of fun to screw around on. The Boa Ascent course is absolutely mad!

 

[Mike_grpA]

The flag system was one of the things that people were spruiking before the game came out, and I thought with a full working flag system it would be that one step closer to realistic racing, but it's pointless anyway. There's rarely any flags shown at incidents. If an AI car crashes, they just teleport to the pits instantly, making yellow flags redundant, and if the player crashes and loses a wheel, and has to limp slowly to the pits, there'll sometimes be a yellow, but the AI cars ignore it anyway. They even ignore the player, and often drive full speed right into the back of you, and end any hope of you making it back to the pits.

The AI also completely ignore blue flags, and even though they are shown to the player, as far as I can tell, you don't have to obey them, as there's no penalty for ignoring them.

I'd like to see the pit crews finished, but I'm more concerned about whether they'll actually fix the flag system and AI, which are far more important to the racing than pit crew animations.

Edit: They also never show a yellow flag for debris on circuit. I couldn't tell you how many times I've come across bodywork and wheels on the racing line, with no warning from my engineer or flags.

 

[CarreraGT]

The flag system was one of the things that people were spruiking before the game came out, and I thought with a full working flag system it would be that one step closer to realistic racing, but it's pointless anyway. There's rarely any flags shown at incidents. If an AI car crashes, they just teleport to the pits instantly, making yellow flags redundant, and if the player crashes and loses a wheel, and has to limp slowly to the pits, there'll sometimes be a yellow, but the AI cars ignore it anyway. They even ignore the player, and often drive full speed right into the back of you, and end any hope of you making it back to the pits.

The AI also completely ignore blue flags, and even though they are shown to the player, as far as I can tell, you don't have to obey them, as there's no penalty for ignoring them.

I'd like to see the pit crews finished, but I'm more concerned about whether they'll actually fix the flag system and AI, which are far more important to the racing than pit crew animations.

Edit: They also never show a yellow flag for debris on circuit. I couldn't tell you how many times I've come across bodywork and wheels on the racing line, with no warning from my engineer or flags.

I'll agree with that. AI and flag system should be no. 1 priority. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for new cars and tracks etc. but AI is essentially the core of the game

 

[TDZdave]

I'll agree with that. AI and flag system should be no. 1 priority. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for new cars and tracks etc. but AI is essentially the core of the game

Flags run by a computer can be somewhat inconsistent, I've played a lot of iRacing and the one thing I notice is the standard yellow and blue flag systems work brilliantly, but I have seen safety cars come out for a simple spin on a large oval where the player has immediately rage quit, which just ruins it for the others involved,

But I whole heartedly agree, we at least need flags obeyed, with penalties for disobedience. And at least a double waved yellow for cars stationary or limping home,

 

[Mike_grpA]

I wouldn't want a safety car. They are important in real life racing for safety reasons (Obviously), but utterly useless in a sim, and it would just be irritating. We just need the flag system to actually work properly. Yellow flag when someone crashes, and once their car and/or debris is cleaned up, only then the yellow is gone. But, I say it again, the AI obeying these flags is the most important part. Flags are useless if the AI ignores them.

 

[TheElbows]

I disagree personally. Yellow flags and caution periods are rather large part of racing. It should at least be an option. Yellow flags bring a lot more strategy into the race (saving fuel, catching up, stacking the pack) etc. I'm even okay with cut-scene style yellow flag periods etc.

But it's a large part of most race series and I think it really needs to be in the game.

 

[Mike_grpA]

I disagree personally. Yellow flags and caution periods are rather large part of racing. It should at least be an option. Yellow flags bring a lot more strategy into the race (saving fuel, catching up, stacking the pack) etc. I'm even okay with cut-scene style yellow flag periods etc.

But it's a large part of most race series and I think it really needs to be in the game.

You can't catch up to people under yellow flags, a yellow flag is to caution a driver of an incident or debris ahead. "Caution periods" are a NASCAR and Indycar thing, and are used mostly for debris, but NASCAR is dodgy for throwing cautions just to artificially close up the pack for the benefit of "the show". They could add those for the oval racing when it comes, but it's not a thing in any other type of racing.

Safety cars are for safety reasons, to prevent martials being killed while cleaning up debris and wrecked cars, and prevent further accidents that may be caused by debris and wrecked cars on track. Some of Codies' F1 games had safety cars, and though they implemented them well, the safety car periods were boring as hell, and only served to waste the players time and ruin their race most of the time. With Pcars AI it'd be a nightmare.

They need working yellow flags, to warn the player of incidents and debris ahead, and to slow the AI down around incidents, especially ones that involve the player. But, more than anything, they need the AI to obey blue flags, and they need penalties applied to AI drivers for causing collisions and track cutting. I'm not talking about speed limiter penalties either, they're stupid, I'm talking drive through penalties.

 

[TDZdave]

yeah agreed, I'd just like if what we with the flags worked properly, that and the fuel usage, the fuel burn rate is calculated by throttle percentage only, running a higher gear for lower RPM does nothing,

 

[catamount39]

yeah agreed, I'd just like if what we with the flags worked properly, that and the fuel usage, the fuel burn rate is calculated by throttle percentage only, running a higher gear for lower RPM does nothing,

...WHAT?! Son of a 🤬 !

 

[SK8RBOI]

yeah agreed, I'd just like if what we with the flags worked properly, that and the fuel usage, the fuel burn rate is calculated by throttle percentage only, running a higher gear for lower RPM does nothing,

Did another test and it is correct. But it is not as bad as it sounds! Yes it does use throttle percentage to figure out the fuel consumption but it allso uses the RPM.
I put the car in to 6th gear, I then opened up the throttle and whached the fuel go down. At the start the fuel slowly went down but the faster I moved and the higher the engine reved more fuel left the tank.

We need to remember that the throttle regulates the amount of fuel going in to the engine so the more you open the throttle the more fuel going in to the engine. I could explain more in depth how it works but no one would understand because of my poor written English!

FYI I'm studying light vehical mechanics

 

[crowhop]

...WHAT?! Son of a 🤬 !

That's actually correct. Test it in your own car. Keep the pedal to the floor and you'll burn more fuel. Don't use much throttle and you won't use much fuel. Think of the throttle as little more than a "fuel valve" you open and close. Revs is just the speed at which the pistons are pumping. Whether they are pumping at 9500 RPMs or 2500 RPMs doesn't matter too much if the "fuel valve" is closed.

 

[catamount39]

That's actually correct. Test it in your own car. Keep the pedal to the floor and you'll burn more fuel. Don't use much throttle and you won't use much fuel. Think of the throttle as little more than a "fuel valve" you open and close. Revs is just the speed at which the pistons are pumping. Whether they are pumping at 9500 RPMs or 2500 RPMs doesn't matter too much if the "fuel valve" is closed.

Actually after giving it some thought and then reading that...it makes sense now. In my tired state I read it too quickly and was confused for a moment lol. Thanks for clearing it up. 👍

Don't even know how I got confused on this...it's how I managed to make up for a big **** up at Donington with the Merc' GT1 car, after realizing I put in 5L less than I should have had. I used shortshifting and coasting down the hill to save gas. I ended up with about 3L in the tank at the end.

 

[SK8RBOI]

I had do do a lap of zolder on 1 liter of fuel and only just ran out on the last corner! But I still one it!! Ahaha

 

[SK8RBOI]

Sorry for the DP.

Does any one know of any good race series? I'm looking for anything realy but old Grand Prix cars or classic GT would be fun! You can only race GT3 so much before getting bord of it!

 

[NLxAROSA]

That's actually correct. Test it in your own car. Keep the pedal to the floor and you'll burn more fuel. Don't use much throttle and you won't use much fuel. Think of the throttle as little more than a "fuel valve" you open and close. Revs is just the speed at which the pistons are pumping. Whether they are pumping at 9500 RPMs or 2500 RPMs doesn't matter too much if the "fuel valve" is closed.

👍

Another example: rev up your engine, then let go of the throttle. RPMs will still be high (though dropping), but fuel valve is cut completely (so no fuel usage whatsoever).

 

[crowhop]

👍

Another example: rev up your engine, then let go of the throttle. RPMs will still be high (though dropping), but fuel valve is cut completely (so no fuel usage whatsoever).

Now, does the game calculate different fuel usage when the car in in Neutral versus coasting? That would be an interesting test. IRL, Neutral burns fuel and coasting burns none.