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

[YRS2703]

@IanBell congratulations on the release! Wonderful game. Just got a couple of questions:
1. Will the bug that makes cars instantly stop when upside down? Saw that occur a few times.
2. Are there going to be monthly free cars?
3. Are there going to be Post Launch DLCs that are not included in the Season Pass? Would like to see cars in particular other than what's been leaked already. Things like Subarus, and small touring/sports cars would be a great addition to the game and make for excellent racing.

 

[Sydbom]

Hello Ian! Please... With sugar on top...
Give us back the informative ffs settings from before the patch on xbox one.
I drive with a tx wheel with the 599 rim and it was PERFECT before the patch and basically driving nirvana! Yeah! I loved it!
Now that is all gone!
The informative standard settings is not even close to what it was before.
Please please pleeeease!
Could we have that setting back?!
I have lost interest in the game now, the fun direct feeling of control is just gone.
Try caterham 620 on long beach with informative!
Before it was epic! So real!
Now... Nothing

I hate to complain because I have loved the **** out of this game from day one!
But thats because of what now is gone
So please Ian! You and your guys got it 100% right!

 

[FOG-Smokebeer]

Hello Ian.

I took this photo in the game (PS4) a few days ago;

View attachment 676623

I was trying to locate Orion's Belt in the night sky but it seemed to me like the stars were just
programmed/designed at random. Is our solar system supposed to be truthfully represented
in the game or is it all just random? I'm a geek when it comes to space so I'm really interested
if you have some information to share.

Oh and Ian is a driver in the game for those that didn't know. I took this screenshot today;

Spoiler: : D

View attachment 676624

"THATS NO MOON THAT'S A SPACE STA...."

 

[JockeP22]

Hello Ian.

I took this photo in the game (PS4) a few days ago;

View attachment 676623

I was trying to locate Orion's Belt in the night sky but it seemed to me like the stars were just
programmed/designed at random. Is our solar system supposed to be truthfully represented
in the game or is it all just random? I'm a geek when it comes to space so I'm really interested
if you have some information to share.

Oh and Ian is a driver in the game for those that didn't know. I took this screenshot today;

Spoiler: : D

View attachment 676624

"THATS NO MOON THAT'S A SPACE STA...."

I'd still like to know if the stars are true to life or not. The member who replied didn't seem to know for certain. Oh, and I'm sure Ian saw stars this one night .

 

[05XR8]

At the beginning of this year, there was talk from RFactor, about building the Newcastle, Australia street circuit. Could that be on the cards for PC2 or even PC3?

 

[Gr8_Lakes]

Just thought I'd poste my next uncontrollable point loss. From now on, @IanBell , I'm recording and posting every time my license takes a hit because of poor net code.

For the record, I spent at least ten minutes qualifying for this race, only to wait for the entire race to take place without me. Then, my license gets deducted for coming in last place! Fortunately, I didn't get disconnected this time - which is usually the case. So, I only got a minimal point deduction, compared to the normal maximum 40 point deduction. This stuff is as crazy as a bunch of Fraggle-Rock characters running around!

 

[zr1chris]

I haven't seen Ian here in awhile now. He probably got sick of the complaining.

 

[davidt33]

Just thought I'd poste my next uncontrollable point loss. From now on, @IanBell , I'm recording and posting every time my license takes a hit because of poor net code.

For the record, I spent at least ten minutes qualifying for this race, only to wait for the entire race to take place without me. Then, my license gets deducted for coming in last place! Fortunately, I didn't get disconnected this time - which is usually the case. So, I only got a minimal point deduction, compared to the normal maximum 40 point deduction. This stuff is as crazy as a bunch of Fraggle-Rock characters running around!

Are you sure you didn't click on "Monitor" and/or "Exit" buttons before the race? Saw them highlighted a couple times before the start.

 

[Gr8_Lakes]

Are you sure you didn't click on "Monitor" and/or "Exit" buttons before the race? Saw them highlighted a couple times before the start.

Those were the only things I could select. I know now, if I get to that screen, and I leave, it's 40 points deducted. Learned that the hard way. I never got the opportunity to race... Just Monitor, or Exit.

 

[Ripper83]

I haven't seen Ian here in awhile now. He probably got sick of the complaining.

Most of it totally justified.

 

[zr1chris]

Most of it totally justified.

It's a bit overblown. Constructive criticism is one thing. Whining like a 2 year old girl is something else. There is a little too much of the latter going on at times. Some people need to cool off and give them a chance to fix the bugs.

 

[Ian Bell]

To be honest I lost a bit of heart after giving GT Planet so much of our time to get a review 15% below the average. I took that though, noting our surprise and nothing more.

Then I read a thread here where our game, currently rating decimals above Forza and massively above GT Sport, has been referred to the UK government and petition started in said thread to get us into legal trouble (and 5 people 'liked' it! and voted!) for delivering 'the best Sim ever'. I lost a lot more heart at that.

But the kicker was to be accused of not communicating on four separate threads I was all over forums everywhere answering every question I legally could for months, both before and after release, to be told that SMS doesn't communicate with their users and takes them for fools etc etc..

So I decided to take a couple of weeks easier than normal...

 

[DesertPenguin]

@IanBell Don't let the butthurt get to you man.

 

[Eh Team]

To be honest I lost a bit of heart after giving GT Planet so much of our time to get a review 15% below the average. I took that though, noting our surprise and nothing more.

Then I read a thread here where our game, currently rating decimals above Forza and massively above GT Sport, has been referred to the UK government and petition started in said thread to get us into legal trouble (and 5 people 'liked' it! and voted!) for delivering 'the best Sim ever'. I lost a lot more heart at that.

But the kicker was to be accused of not communicating on four separate threads I was all over forums everywhere answering every question I legally could for months, both before and after release, to be told that SMS doesn't communicate with their users and takes them for fools etc etc..

So I decided to take a couple of weeks easier than normal...

See the thing is that rating is based on the PS4 experience. The PS4 launch plus D1P version had a lot of problems. There were also things from the previous game that didn't feature in that same version for example UDP and keyboard support. There were and to some extent still are things missing that it's confusing to see are missing or broken. (BTW SUGO has a wonky speed up problem in the last sector between the 2 squarish corners)

Personally I am a massive fan of the game, the drive is unmatched I believe on console. There are things I can see however that make me go 'well it's good but I wouldn't call it great yet.' Such as changing the car class in an online lobby turns it into an identical car lobby and not class based. There is no way to change it from inside the lobby. The game just needs refining really, that's what it comes down to. The core of the game is fantastic, don't mess with it. Don't forget GTP is a largely console based community and the console version came out a lot clunkier than PC did. That's why you get the crazies who ate up the hype like it was all the holiday dinners in one creating threads hoping to get you in trouble. Always remember, this is still the internet and there are unreasonable people wherever you go.

Still a fantastic drive by the way. Love it.

 

[Chikane_GTR]

@IanBell Just know that there are plenty of us that appreciate everything you and you're team have done with the game and all the time you and @The_American have spent with us on this forum

 

[killerjimbag]

To be honest I lost a bit of heart after giving GT Planet so much of our time to get a review 15% below the average. I took that though, noting our surprise and nothing more.

Then I read a thread here where our game, currently rating decimals above Forza and massively above GT Sport, has been referred to the UK government and petition started in said thread to get us into legal trouble (and 5 people 'liked' it! and voted!) for delivering 'the best Sim ever'. I lost a lot more heart at that.

But the kicker was to be accused of not communicating on four separate threads I was all over forums everywhere answering every question I legally could for months, both before and after release, to be told that SMS doesn't communicate with their users and takes them for fools etc etc..

So I decided to take a couple of weeks easier than normal...

Well Ian, sometimes ya gotta step in 🤬 to look at the bottom of your shoes. Clean it up, shine it up. Ya got new shoes again. Keep on walking.

 

[NLxAROSA]

Then I read a thread here where our game, currently rating decimals above Forza and massively above GT Sport, has been referred to the UK government and petition started in said thread to get us into legal trouble (and 5 people 'liked' it! and voted!) for delivering 'the best Sim ever'. I lost a lot more heart at that.

In all fairness, I don't think that's a problem with the GTP community but with one person who has an obvious axe to grind with SMS (most likely because you banned him at the official forums). There's one other person exactly like that, but please don't let them be the bar to judge this community by. They're lunatic fringe as you call it. The only reason they're still around here is because they manage to stay within the AUP (and all their insane claims are easily refuted).

At 11/10000 required signatures, I think it's also clear that hardly anybody is actually taking that seriously.

 

[snypa]

There are things I can see however that make me go 'well it's good but I wouldn't call it great yet.' Such as changing the car class in an online lobby turns it into an identical car lobby and not class based. There is no way to change it from inside the lobby.

Hello,
If I'm not mistaken and if public lobby is the same as private, there is an easy way to go around this :
When everybody is in the lobby, and you encounter the issue, juste change the circuit, is solves the problem and you can choose again the circuit you want.
Hope this helps.

As we are on the topic, the thing that I find a bit irritating is the impossibility To set a grid with custom positions or at least a random one, To save time and avoid qualy. As I always start last I'm obliged To cheat a few positions before the start to stand a chance against other human players starting at the front.

Anyway my view is that while not Perfect this game provides a great, extensive and hugely immersive experience, unmatched on consoles.

So @IanBell , Take all the harsh remarks from a few members of an already small panel of players represented on this forum as they are: not so representative

Regards,

 

[dQuim]

The GTP PS4 review by Kyle was pretty much spot-on in my opinion, though I would personally give the game top marks for content. The track list combined with Live Track 3.0 is a thing of beauty.

I don't know of any other studio head who spends anywhere near as much time engaging with the community as @IanBell does.

 

[WarriusZero]

@IanBell, a fair number of the people who are happy with the game probably have gone quiet on the forum because they're too busy enjoying the ride... I certainly do!

 

[mc0029]

@IanBell, a fair number of the people who are happy with the game probably have gone quiet on the forum because they're too busy enjoying the ride... I certainly do!

+1000!!! If I wasn't working I'd be making laps somewhere

 

[mattikake]

I don't know of any other studio head who spends anywhere near as much time engaging with the community as @IanBell does.

Me either. In the final analysis it will probably be their saving grace.

Then I read a thread here where our game, currently rating decimals above Forza and massively above GT Sport, has been referred to the UK government and petition started in said thread to get us into legal trouble (and 5 people 'liked' it! and voted!) for delivering 'the best Sim ever'. I lost a lot more heart at that

A change in the law cannot be applied retrospectively (well unless it's somewhere HMRC can make easy money ). You won't get into any trouble and if you read the petition you'll find it is generic. There is no mention of SMS, PC2 or BN. Indeed, NOT getting you into trouble is exactly why I took that particular action. Believing you can get into trouble, despite being an admission of guilt implying a whole other load of concerns, would suggest a large amount of ignorance on your part. But if you've had your eyes opened that a wilful dodgy release is not taken well by some, that can be taken as a measure of success. So you've had you eyes opened, what you should do now is accept it, learn and become a better person.

In all fairness, I don't think that's a problem with the GTP community but with one person who has an obvious axe to grind with SMS (most likely because you banned him at the official forums). There's one other person exactly like that, but please don't let them be the bar to judge this community by. They're lunatic fringe as you call it. The only reason they're still around here is because they manage to stay within the AUP (and all their insane claims are easily refuted).

At 11/10000 required signatures, I think it's also clear that hardly anybody is actually taking that seriously.

The axe I grind is I cannot stand cowboys. On a personal level I have always worked to the highest standard I can at all times, no matter where I've found myself. Willful disdain for that attitude has always made my skin crawl and it always will. Different people have different opinions etc. There's nothing lunatic about knowing your rights and exercising them. Deal with it rationally - calling someone a lunatic for behaving rationally does not make them a lunatic, quite the opposite in fact.

The petition is to let the people decide. If they decide not, then they will continue to get what they deserve. Up to them. Anyone can make a difference if they try but we spend too much time listening to those who insist it's futile. All I've done is offer an official voice for them rather than ranting on a forum, but I'm not really expecting anything to come of it other than a political awakening.

George Bernard Shaw said it best - "Democracy is a device that insures we shall be governed no better than we deserve."

 

[Davecar10]

I'd just like to say that I have had more fun/better races online in this game last night than I've had in GT Sport since release.

I guess you could count me as one of the people enjoying the game more so than talking about it. There's definitely room for improvement in some areas with patches but Project Cars 2 is the most enjoyable overall package out there today IMO.

 

[Wolfe]

Believing you can get into trouble, despite being an admission of guilt implying a whole other load of concerns, would suggest a large amount of ignorance on your part. But if you've had your eyes opened that a wilful dodgy release is not taken well by some, that can be taken as a measure of success. So you've had you eyes opened, what you should do now is accept it, learn and become a better person.

Do you say things like this and drop George Bernard Shaw quotes (over the subject of videogames!) expecting such an acerbic condescending attitude to convince people to listen to you? Talk like we're all adults here and you may find others to be more receptive.

 

[zr1chris]

To be honest I lost a bit of heart after giving GT Planet so much of our time to get a review 15% below the average. I took that though, noting our surprise and nothing more.

Then I read a thread here where our game, currently rating decimals above Forza and massively above GT Sport, has been referred to the UK government and petition started in said thread to get us into legal trouble (and 5 people 'liked' it! and voted!) for delivering 'the best Sim ever'. I lost a lot more heart at that.

But the kicker was to be accused of not communicating on four separate threads I was all over forums everywhere answering every question I legally could for months, both before and after release, to be told that SMS doesn't communicate with their users and takes them for fools etc etc..

So I decided to take a couple of weeks easier than normal...

Good to hear from you Ian! Keep up the good work. The game is great, just needs some polishing and a few fixes which I know you and your team are hard at work on. I have faith and looking forward to the next patch which I hear will be a big one..?

 

[TommySalami]

I'm unhappy about some bugs but I know they're being worked on and I'm still enjoying the game. Whining isn't going to help

 

[IBZ6L20VT]

Most of us are just enjoying the game.

Because we have limited amount of spare time, we dedicate it to play rather than being here writing about how much are we loving the game.

Also, if you praise too much a game, you risk earning an undeserved fanboy badge...

Keep the good work and remember that non-constructive criticism is quite noisy! Don’t let the noise disturb you.

 

[Harry Freq]

I can't blame him. He was on here everyday for months taking the time to answer questions and take part in general discussions. If people could learn how to be constructive with their criticism and not be so quick to rip something apart he would have probably hung around. It hasn't been just a few negative voices. The negative threads on this game far out weigh the number for GT and Forza. Two games that have just as many problems in their own right. GT takes years to come out with an online only game with 10 cars and 10 Tracks. Pcars with all it's bugs still offers way more content that can still be incredibly enjoyable. I'm not saying that one is better than the other but this site has been incredibly hard on a company that has been very open. Yes they didn't deliver on the quality they seemed to be so confident about but at least there was a chance to keep a professional conversation going with them about it. Zero chance you'll ever get that from Kaz or Greenwalt. Hey maybe they're better for it. Why give any of your time to a bunch of spoiled gamers.

Problem is some of the things Ian has said like the PS4 Pro version doesnt suffer from jaggies when its clearly a jaggy mess. Also the comment about it only having 5 or 6 bugs was pretty baffling.

It is great that he does come here and other forums but just stick to the truth instead of leading us up the garden path so to speak.

 

[davidt33]

....I don't know of any other studio head who spends anywhere near as much time engaging with the community as @IanBell does.

Ditto. We certainly don't hear a peep from Kaz.

 

[Fifi]

So sad to read that... SMS and Ian are the only one to listen for players... The game is not perfect (framesdrops, screen tearing and a lot of asliasing on consoles) but it gets better and will keep getting better as Project Cars 1 did because Ian and SMS are trully motorsport lovers ! And Project Cars 2 makes me feels this motorsport passion more than any other racing game, this is why PC2 is my favorite game far far far (and even more) beyond Forza, GT or F1 games (and even far beyond Assetto Corsa). Thank you @IanBell and thank you to your team !