Q&A with Slightly Mad Studios: Ian Bell [Read OP]

[F1Racer68]

I'll dig something up. You wont need a Cray Supercomputer (do they still make those?)

I can tell you that last weekend we hosted the max of 32 racers using a DS and things held up pretty well. This included guys and Europe and USA, we were able to race each for an hour w/o trouble (of course couple guys had their own internet problems and 1 or 2 disconnected but thats on them and their ISP)

Thanks!

As for those Crays..... Last really big one was Titan in 2012, so they are still around..... If you have a spare $94 mill laying around

I appreciate any info you can get us on the requirements. Just trying to make sure I can get all the pieces in place for our season starting Oct 7th.

 

[fernandito]

ok let's try again

@The_American

a)Has this bug:
http://forum.projectcarsgame.com/showthread.php?42206-Game-freeze-and-crash/page2
which happens when the game transitions from day to night conditions, usually when raining too been fixed?. It causes the crash described in that topic, and happens online only.

b) Has the wheel rotation bug (you join an online FA race for instance, and instead of the game setting the wheel at 360º for this car and then setting a soft lock too, it rotates the maximum degrees you have your wheel set at. Imagine a FA or a GT3 at 1080º or 900º) been fixed in project cars 2?. Needless to say that I have my wheel perfectly calibrated or anything basic-else. It's an issue that happens online ONLY to wheel users. I'm on a T300RS

I have suffered the first issue since the days of patch 6 or so (I've had this crash twice today too), and the second one since release, which happens in online lobbies mostly.

 

[jake2013guy]

ok let's try again

@The_American

a)Has this bug:
http://forum.projectcarsgame.com/showthread.php?42206-Game-freeze-and-crash/page2
which happens when the game transitions from day to night conditions, usually when raining too been fixed?. It causes the crash described in that topic, and happens online only.

b) Has the wheel rotation bug (you join an online FA race for instance, and instead of the game setting the wheel at 360º for this car and then setting a soft lock too, it rotates the maximum degrees you have your wheel set at. Imagine a FA or a GT3 at 1080º or 900º) been fixed in project cars 2?. Needless to say that I have my wheel perfectly calibrated or anything basic-else. It's an issue that happens online ONLY to wheel users. I'm on a T300RS

I have suffered the first issue since the days of patch 6 or so (I've had this crash twice today too), and the second one since release, which happens in online lobbies mostly.

Constantly asking isn't going to get you anywhere.

 

[Satco1066]

ok let's try again

@The_American

a)Has this bug:
http://forum.projectcarsgame.com/showthread.php?42206-Game-freeze-and-crash/page2
which happens when the game transitions from day to night conditions, usually when raining too been fixed?. It causes the crash described in that topic, and happens online only.

b) Has the wheel rotation bug (you join an online FA race for instance, and instead of the game setting the wheel at 360º for this car and then setting a soft lock too, it rotates the maximum degrees you have your wheel set at. Imagine a FA or a GT3 at 1080º or 900º) been fixed in project cars 2?. Needless to say that I have my wheel perfectly calibrated or anything basic-else. It's an issue that happens online ONLY to wheel users. I'm on a T300RS

I have suffered the first issue since the days of patch 6 or so (I've had this crash twice today too), and the second one since release, which happens in online lobbies mostly.

you sound like my wife. She also repeats everything

 

[Scuderia Paul]

@IanBell @The_American There was talk that the ability to take photos in the location below could be absent from the retail version.

Can you confirm whether it made it or not? It would be ideal for video thumbnails and wallpapers.

Thanks.

 

[BrainsBush]

Thanks!

As for those Crays..... Last really big one was Titan in 2012, so they are still around..... If you have a spare $94 mill laying around

I appreciate any info you can get us on the requirements. Just trying to make sure I can get all the pieces in place for our season starting Oct 7th.

haha it's completely off topic but with this kind of messages my IT heart start pumping again. Yes we're getting old

SGI will also do. Just like SUN. Those were the days.

On topic: @The_American : Also a bit nervous for the big launch in NINE days? Just like a movie premiere. Spend a lot of time, energy, blood, sweat and tears and then the grand finale. How many people will love your work. Enjoy the moment!

 

[35mm]

@IanBell @The_American There was talk that the ability to take photos in the location below could be absent from the retail version.

Can you confirm whether it made it or not? It would be ideal for video thumbnails and wallpapers.

Thanks.

View attachment 672386

You could take photos at the studio in Pcars 1, so hopefully something equivalent will be included as well now.

But yeah, I like that neutral studio. Nice lighting, too.

 

[fernandito]

Silence....

 

[GTsimms]

Read posts #19 in the link you provided. It happens with overclocks. What sucks like in Project CARS 1, doing 3/4 of a 2 hr race and the hang! It was happening in VR anywhere from 30 min to 1 1/2 hour for me. I removed, the overclocks cpu/gpu and no issue!

 

[fernandito]

The problem is not related to overclocked cpu. Mine is not and keep getting the crash to desktop. The problem is related to day to night transition and online only. Began more or less since patch 5, can't remember well. What worries me in case they didn't fix it has all to do with the new livetrack system, because using weather should be mandatory now being so amazing tbh. There lies the actual concern behind this one, because if not fixed, then again we will have no choice but to keep playing sunny races only, rendering the livetrack 3.0 pointless online, like it happened with the normal weather conditions when transitioning from day to night in pc1.

And the wheel rotation bug..., omg. You play on a TM wheel?. You can not imagine how annoying this one can get. Not more than the silence on the matter from some though. First thing you have to do anytime you join a lobby is to check this thing once you are on the track just in case. Come on...

 

[MABlosfeld]

The problem is not related to overclocked cpu. Mine is not and keep getting the crash to desktop. The problem is related to day to night transition and online only. Began more or less since patch 5, can't remember well. What worries me in case they didn't fix it has all to do with the new livetrack system, because using weather should be mandatory now being so amazing tbh. There lies the actual concern behind this one, because if not fixed, then again we will have no choice but to keep playing sunny races only, rendering the livetrack 3.0 pointless online, like it happened with the normal weather conditions when transitioning from day to night in pc1.

And the wheel rotation bug..., omg. You play on a TM wheel?. You can not imagine how annoying this one can get. Not more than the silence on the matter from some though. First thing you have to do anytime you join a lobby is to check this thing once you are on the track just in case. Come on...

I also do not overclock because I do not need it but I have the same problems and if you allow me to add, I would like to report another problem, for example:
1 first race chose GT3 class, so far so good;
Second race, chose another class, so far so good;
3rd race, chose class GT3 and here the car behaved as if it were the car of the previous class, the grip of the tires, the rotation of the steering wheel, brakes, driving, dirigibility, aerodynamics, everything was changed. It was more noticeable when you chose a class like FA and then went back to GT3 class but it happened in any class.

 

[Bealdor]

I also do not overclock because I do not need it but I have the same problems and if you allow me to add, I would like to report another problem, for example:
1 first race chose GT3 class, so far so good;
Second race, chose another class, so far so good;
3rd race, chose class GT3 and here the car behaved as if it were the car of the previous class, the grip of the tires, the rotation of the steering wheel, brakes, driving, dirigibility, aerodynamics, everything was changed. It was more noticeable when you chose a class like FA and then went back to GT3 class but it happened in any class.

Highly unlikely that this will happen with PCARS 2 because the setup saving and loading is now completely handled in the session and not in the main menu.
Just make sure to load the correct setup before leaving the pits and you should be fine.

 

[fernandito]

I also do not overclock because I do not need it but I have the same problems and if you allow me to add, I would like to report another problem, for example:
1 first race chose GT3 class, so far so good;
Second race, chose another class, so far so good;
3rd race, chose class GT3 and here the car behaved as if it were the car of the previous class, the grip of the tires, the rotation of the steering wheel, brakes, driving, dirigibility, aerodynamics, everything was changed. It was more noticeable when you chose a class like FA and then went back to GT3 class but it happened in any class.

That is where the wheel rotation bug comes from in my opinion. But the issue is indeed way bigger as you've described it, being the wheel problem not the only one you have to face once you commence another race in another lobby.

Project Cars 1 was great fun. No one can deny this. However, we need to know whether demoralizing issues such as the two aforementioned have been taken care of in pc2. They can be totally off putting after a while.

 

[HardRock]

You wont need a Cray Supercomputer (do they still make those?)

Cray is still active and their products are like totally cray cray.

Moving on...

The problem is related to day to night transition and online only.

Crowtrobot was clear in the thread you posted that it happens offline too and I can confirm that. I wouldn't exactly bet on it being directly linked to the dynamic environment as well, since I experienced it in fixed weather and time of day, in sunny Time Trials.

EDIT: Actually, looking up a few things I remembered that the exact same issue (rendering stops, input handling, sounds, everything else really goes on) could happen in totally different circumstances, even in the menus, although you had to do to some very specific steps for it. So really, what you have here is a generic crash of the rendering subsystem of the game, which could have a million reasons.

What worries me in case they didn't fix it has all to do with the new livetrack system

This a huge assumption, based on the information I've seen so far, since basically we have a common issue between multiple people, but no real common circumstances yet. It would be fair to say we have no idea about the exact causes, or whether PC2 will have the same issue, which is highly unlikely, as code changes a lot in 2 years, especially for a new project.

I don't think you are asking the right people either (the right one would be one of the testers or the testing lead in case of specific bugs), or in the right topic really.

 

[luti]

When can I download it on Steam?

 

[Scaff]

@IanBell

Just had a quick question pop into my head with regard to the licence.

With those who race on-line just to grief and wreak be filtered away from those who are racing for the first time, as if its only based on the licence scores they could end up in the same lobbies.

Will some system that also factors in number of races and/or a potential hidden negative score stop this occurring, as I would hate for those who are new to online racing being put off by those looking only to ruin another day?

 

[MABlosfeld]

@IanBell

Just had a quick question pop into my head with regard to the licence.

With those who race on-line just to grief and wreak be filtered away from those who are racing for the first time, as if its only based on the licence scores they could end up in the same lobbies.

Will some system that also factors in number of races and/or a potential hidden negative score stop this occurring, as I would hate for those who are new to online racing being put off by those looking only to ruin another day?

the license should start with the MIDDLE level for everyone and change over time, up or down, according to the conduct of each driver. In this way, there would be no suffering and separation from those who run for the first time but there would be suffering in running along with those who do not know how to run or do not insist on following norms and rules.

 

[HardRock]

With the release of PC2 being so close I think it may be the right time to ask this: will there be a WMD for the third title? If so, any chance sign-ups will be happening this year? I want to know beforehand if possible, since the only reason I wasn't in for PC2 is that when the short sign-up window was open I couldn't afford to join. I would REALLY like to avoid that the next time around.

 

[Gr8_Lakes]

the license should start with the MIDDLE level for everyone and change over time, up or down, according to the conduct of each driver. In this way, there would be no suffering and separation from those who run for the first time but there would be suffering in running along with those who do not know how to run or do not insist on following norms and rules.

I've read that every driver starts at a rating of "U", which is the lowest rating. This makes perfect sense to me. Driver ratings should be earned, not given for free. A new game owner with no experience shouldn't be able to race in the middle of the rating system. That would completely defeat the purpose.

 

[F1Racer68]

the license should start with the MIDDLE level for everyone and change over time, up or down, according to the conduct of each driver. In this way, there would be no suffering and separation from those who run for the first time but there would be suffering in running along with those who do not know how to run or do not insist on following norms and rules.

As with everything else in life you need to EARN it, not have it GIVEN to you.

Like your real world driver's license, it's a privilege, not a right. Drive appropriately and EARN it. You don't start school in the middle and then move up or down based on how well you do in each lesson.... You start at the beginning and WORK your way up.

 

[HardRock]

The license has two components guys, safety and skill. For new profiles safety starts at U (for Unranked or Unrated), the lowest possible rank, so this way wreckers can't exploit the system by resetting their profile all the time and gaining back safety rank.

Skill rank starts at 1500 and can both drop and increase from there. Lower values denote faster drivers. I guess really slow drivers can sacrifice their profiles to gain back rank here if they are above 1500.

 

[MABlosfeld]

As with everything else in life you need to EARN it, not have it GIVEN to you.

Like your real world driver's license, it's a privilege, not a right. Drive appropriately and EARN it. You don't start school in the middle and then move up or down based on how well you do in each lesson.... You start at the beginning and WORK your way up.

The point is that no matter what level everyone will start, low, medium or high level. It will take a few races to separate the good drivers from the offenders, through the license system that will assess your ability and conduct but, I agree with you, what is earned effortlessly, has no value.

 

[ozwheels]

Is there still FFB settings for each car or is all in the main FFB sliders now?

Was there any thought put into Time Trials only allowing real assists? It was a bit odd seeing the top times in pCars 1 using every assist and just chucking cars around.

 

[Ian Bell]

@IanBell

Just had a quick question pop into my head with regard to the licence.

With those who race on-line just to grief and wreak be filtered away from those who are racing for the first time, as if its only based on the licence scores they could end up in the same lobbies.

Will some system that also factors in number of races and/or a potential hidden negative score stop this occurring, as I would hate for those who are new to online racing being put off by those looking only to ruin another day?

Good question. To give people a fair shake there is a chance they'll experience idiots once. We should have them well filtered away after that. We filter based on both behaviour and ability.

 

[HardRock]

Was there any thought put into Time Trials only allowing real assists? It was a bit odd seeing the top times in pCars 1 using every assist and just chucking cars around.

Honestly, I don't think that would be fair. The sim has these options for a reason. You can filter these times out and if you are the fastest with only real assist, but others are faster with additional ones, you should still feel quite proud of yourself. Where this becomes problematic are in the events like the SMS series, where if I remember correctly only lap time was taken into account, with no consideration for assists. It would be nice having different leaderboards this time around for official events like this and recognizing drivers who drove with real of no assists at all.

Also, if you check the top leaderboards in PC1 even now you'll see there is a much larger problem than this as well, namely people posting unrealistic times, like in the 15-20 seconds range on tracks where a lap is above 1 minute, due to bugs (not always intentionally though, I experienced these myself). I really hope this will be solved too or at least results like this will be pruned perhaps.

 

[05XR8]

Question:
At some point in PC2, can we get a manufacturer filter? I so want to do this in the game:


It would be like the PC1 Multi-Class, but with single manufacturer. Please? My wife makes a mean sweet potato pie.

 

[ozwheels]

Honestly, I don't think that would be fair. The sim has these options for a reason. You can filter these times out and if you are the fastest with only real assist, but others are faster with additional ones, you should still feel quite proud of yourself. Where this becomes problematic are in the events like the SMS series, where if I remember correctly only lap time was taken into account, with no consideration for assists. It would be nice having different leaderboards this time around for official events like this and recognizing drivers who drove with real of no assists at all.

Also, if you check the top leaderboards in PC1 even now you'll see there is a much larger problem than this as well, namely people posting unrealistic times, like in the 15-20 seconds range on tracks where a lap is above 1 minute, due to bugs (not always intentionally though, I experienced these myself). I really hope this will be solved too or at least results like this will be pruned perhaps.

How would it be unfair if everyone has the same assist available with the real assist option?

 

[BrainsBush]

Question:
At some point in PC2, can we get a manufacturer filter? I so want to do this in the game:


It would be like the PC1 Multi-Class, but with single manufacturer. Please? My wife makes a mean sweet potato pie.

Would be indeed a nice extra feature. Multi era per brand.
And I can recommend your wifes sweet potato pie

 

[HardRock]

How would it be unfair if everyone has the same assist available with the real assist option?

It would prevent people from competing if they prefer no assists, or in the case the they like more assists than the realistic settings provide.

The various assist options exist to accommodate the large array of people, their preferences and ability, who will be driving Project CARS. What I meant is that not allowing to them use assists to their liking and to compete amongst themselves in a game mode wouldn't be fair to them, in my opinion.

This is why I think it would be much better to have separate leaderboards and scoring for official events instead (keep the current leaderboard setup with filtering for everything else), where people's time could be better highlighted, even if they drive with all possible assists in a car that has none for example. If times with no assists, real assists and all assists would be considered independently, that would be awesome. And again, you can absolutely filter for these yourself, but having them scored separately for official events would be a huge step towards recognizing the achievements of all people, regardless of how they like driving, without affecting the real assist leaderboard at all.

 

[ozwheels]

It would prevent people from competing if they prefer no assists, or in the case the they like more assists than the realistic settings provide.

The various assist options exist to accommodate the large array of people, their preferences and ability, who will be driving Project CARS. What I meant is that not allowing to them use assists to their liking and to compete amongst themselves in a game mode wouldn't be fair to them, in my opinion.

This is why I think it would be much better to have separate leaderboards and scoring for official events instead (keep the current leaderboard setup with filtering for everything else), where people's time could be better highlighted, even if they drive with all possible assists in a car that has none for example. If times with no assists, real assists and all assists would be considered independently, that would be awesome. And again, you can absolutely filter for these yourself, but having them scored separately for official events would be a huge step towards recognizing the achievements of all people, regardless of how they like driving, without affecting the real assist leaderboard at all.

I thought you meant it would be unfair from a lap time perspective. That's why I questioned it, but yea I didn't think of it from an excluding people perspective. I have to agree you have a point there. Do you know if the SMS community events from pCars 1 allowed all assist?