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

[The_American]

Will the game support HDR?

Yes

@The_American
When does season 2 of The Grand Tour start?
That's what the people really want to know

Probably before GTS will be released

 

[DesertPenguin09]

@The_American Will AI be different from qualifying to racing? Knowing when a fast car is coming and let it go by instead of racing like it's down a lap?

 

[Ian Bell]

Just a word to apologise for being a little quiet personally recently as I've been swamped with meetings and contract work (among everything else) but you'll see I have a couple of my guys here and I've given them a fairly ('very' in this industry!) open remit to answer your questions.

 

[Ian Bell]

Nah, AI uses simplified physics. Not the "high definition" player physics. This test would prove nothing.

Just want to interject here to say that our AI are using a full brush model which as The American says, is simplified compared to our player car seta model, but it is also the same physics used by some of the best of our competition 'for' the player car...

 

[Ian Bell]

Will the game support HDR?

Yes, it's in already.

 

[fbetes]

Hi @IanBell, we've a dude, how is the maximum IA players we can play with (offline PS4 mode)? Thx

 

[DesertPenguin09]

Just want to interject here to say that our AI are using a full brush model which as The American says, is simplified compared to our player car seta model, but it is also the same physics used by some of the best of our competition 'for' the player car...

Are you saying that the AI cars' physics are different from my car's physics? Why?

 

[c172fccc]

Are you saying that the AI cars' physics are different from my car's physics? Why?

Performance reasons. More than one car with the Seta Tire Model would (most likely) make the game run in slowmotion.

 

[Ian Bell]

Hi @IanBell, we've a dude, how is the maximum IA players we can play with (offline PS4 mode)? Thx

We're aiming to get a full field of Le Mans in so 'a lot'.

 

[Ian Bell]

Are you saying that the AI cars' physics are different from my car's physics? Why?

4 AI cars running our Seta model would take up all of the power of a PS4 (and an Xbox). It's the first real time fully dynamic node based model used in a commercial game. Our AI run a brush model, like AC and Shift use for the player cars.

 

[Masscot]

Not sure if this has been answered already, but will the user have comprehensive control for on-track audio? I was playing Assetto Corsa the other night (or maybe it was pCARS, I'm flip-flopping between the two right now) and driving the GT3 MP4-12C. It sounded really insipid in cockpit view, but accidentally flipping to chase cam introduced a lovely throaty, raspy exhaust note that was previously lacking, and the whole audio seemed to come alive. Will we have the option to map audio to different views, or better still, have a series of sliders to fine-tune the sounds of the engine, exhaust, tyres, environment and (very important, this one) the cars around you?

I'm glad Ben Collins, Nic Hamilton and others are offering physics feedback but I'm concerned that they might be saying things like "you can't hear any exhaust note with your helmet on, everything is really muffled" or "you simply cannot hear the other cars over the noise of your own engine" and then those getting transferred to the game. Sound is a very important part of the overall experience, but some artistic licence (or user-adjustability) is I think needed to keep things exciting and informative. I'd love pCARS 2 to be as visceral as possible, and the audio has a big, big part to play in that.

 

[breyzipp]

Not sure if this has been answered already, but will the user have comprehensive control for on-track audio? I was playing Assetto Corsa the other night (or maybe it was pCARS, I'm flip-flopping between the two right now) and driving the GT3 MP4-12C. It sounded really insipid in cockpit view, but accidentally flipping to chase cam introduced a lovely throaty, raspy exhaust note that was previously lacking, and the whole audio seemed to come alive. Will we have the option to map audio to different views, or better still, have a series of sliders to fine-tune the sounds of the engine, exhaust, tyres, environment and (very important, this one) the cars around you?

I'm glad Ben Collins, Nic Hamilton and others are offering physics feedback but I'm concerned that they might be saying things like "you can't hear any exhaust note with your helmet on, everything is really muffled" or "you simply cannot hear the other cars over the noise of your own engine" and then those getting transferred to the game. Sound is a very important part of the overall experience, but some artistic licence (or user-adjustability) is I think needed to keep things exciting and informative. I'd love pCARS 2 to be as visceral as possible, and the audio has a big, big part to play in that.

I'd like to add something to that. If real driver feedback says that for helmet camera sound is really muffed then I would like that to be in the game as well. Each camera viewpoint should have as realistic as possible sound for that particular camera.

However, I also do regret in some games that the chase camera has such amazing sound compared to cockpit (what you mentioned Masscot is probably Assetto Corsa, in one of the Porsches I experienced the exact same when switching between camera views to hear the sound from all angles).

Gran Turismo 6 had a really great sound setting for this aspect even though it was a very poor game in the sound department. I believe in the audio settings you could set your sound source as follows :

* from camera view (default setting)
* always chase sound
* always bonnet sound
* always cockpit sound
etc.

If you would select "from camera view" then the sound source changed along as you changed your camera view. If you set it to "always chase sound" then you could choose for example to always hear the exhaust sound even when driving in cockpit view. I'm all for max immersion and max realism but because that Ford GT40's exhaust sound was so great (in GT6 terms) I was racing with cockpit camera but with chase cam sound.

So SMS, please keep the sound queues as realistic as possible but perhaps give the players the option to choose the sound source independant from the camera.

 

[HardRock]

Excellent! I really disliked the Z4 for this sort of thing.

I'm a bit curious, if I understand you correctly you are saying that the Z4 was the best in its class in pCARS 1?

 

[Masscot]

So SMS, please keep the sound queues as realistic as possible but perhaps give the players the option to choose the sound source independant from the camera.

Yep, options is where it's at in 2017. All manner of different people want all manner of different experiences. SMS can give users that power.

 

[The_American]

@The_American Will AI be different from qualifying to racing? Knowing when a fast car is coming and let it go by instead of racing like it's down a lap?

Yes, when they're not on their hotlap they will get out of the way. We're redoing the blue flag and yielding logic for AI. They shouldn't "always fight"

 

[doblocruiser]

@IanBell @The_American @The Owl

Can you guys share any information on the photomode and its features? Will it be more advanced than pCARS1's photomode?

I've read you have included Lemans in pCARS 2 and that the license for The new, the old and Bugatti are validated. Do you have anything special in mind for the content that can go with the track and what years / seasons are you looking at to include the content from?

 

[GenPattonX]

@IanBell @The_American

1) Have you guys considered adding an option to allow to disable the car views that one doesn't use? For example, I race with the "driver seat cockpit view", if it's an open-wheel I like the "helmet view" and every time I find myself on a long straight I like to change to the "3rd person view" and rotate the camera around the car, admiring its beauty at 300 kmh. XD Which means having to toggle ultra fast all the existing views between that and the "cockpit view" before I reach the incoming chicane. XD

2) Just one question still about AI physics bug. There is this situation that happens often at Le Mans Porche Curves, mostly with the Aston Martin LMP1 and the Audi R8 LMP900 where they would touch a part of a curb and simply go airborne. I have several videos of this:


(slow mo replay)


I like to think that in light of all the changes and improvements you guys have been making into the new game this problem doesn't exist anymore? Just like to check that anyway.

 

[Satco1066]

As they said, AI is completely reworked. That implies all old bugs done by AI are gone. But new bugs can rise now. Thats what the 8 months QA session until release hopefully will find and cut.

 

[Ewoc]

Will it be possible to choose your helmet livery and/or driving suit? I don't mean livery editor, but from existing helmets and suits.
I think that would be a nice little feature.

 

[GenPattonX]

I have asked for that, it's not gonna happen for now.

 

[TexasTyme214]

I'm a bit curious, if I understand you correctly you are saying that the Z4 was the best in its class in pCARS 1?

In my opinion, I think it is the best in overall pace over a number of tracks with respect to how easy it is to drive over a long period of time. It's never a terrible pick.

Edit: @IanBell how does the drone laser scanning affect development time for tracks, particularly city tracks? I seem to remember Azure Circuit taking a long time for all the buildings.

 

[warp9engage]

@IanBell @The_American Will it still be possible to simulate sessions (including races) with AI takeover like in PCARS 1?

EDIT: Will there also be AI mistakes, like spin-outs and crashes? I assume so. But feel like asking to make sure.

 

[zechariah]

@IanBell @The_American will we be able to choose what cars our AI opponents will be driving

 

[GenPattonX]

For now we can only pick the classes, I have already begged them to consider more than that, so let's see.

 

[Reiche]

Will the spotter/pit engineer be able to tell corner names, corner numbers (T1, T2,..) when giving information about yellow flags, static cars, etc? No idea what is planned, but with improved/re-worked flags it might come in handy.. Just imagine "yellow flag in sector 1" on the Nords. "Caution at Aremberg" would be more useful..
(I really liked the part with "track description" in AC a lot)

 

[ukfan758]

@IanBell Out of the currently disclosed information, what is your favorite car to drive and your favorite track to drive on in the game?

 

[SilentShadowfox]

@IanBell @The_American
Hi guys, Will the C7R be updated to 2016/2017? Model?
Will the BoP be better than the ACO le mans Bop?
What about the 488 GTE/GT3?
Not really trying to drive a outdated model
Last question.
Will we have the last two generations of Super GT500? IE the I4 Turbo cars and the Old V8s.
That was thing that was fun with Gran Turismo.
Also will we have a proper online Lobby?
Online lobbies on PC1 were extremely buggy.
Regardless, I do hope most of the sound bugs (IE the Corvette C7R getting quiet while driving).

I just want to be sure I'm getting something worth the money.
I really appreciate that you guys are able to go in and Add all the new cars.
that's what makes players happy

 

[FuriousDemon]

Ian and the rest of the pCARS crew, just want to ask about what improvements you guys are making for VR compared to pCARS 1.

I'm pretty sure as far as VR tech in use, the ASW is already in. Is Single Pass Stereo and Lens Matched Shading going to be something used for pCARS2, granted you have the right hardware? Anything else you can talk about that's VR specific?

Thanks!

 

[TexasTyme214]

@IanBell @The_American will AI adjust their lines in the wet, particularly as puddles change in size?

 

[The_American]

Will the spotter/pit engineer be able to tell corner names, corner numbers (T1, T2,..) when giving information about yellow flags, static cars, etc? No idea what is planned, but with improved/re-worked flags it might come in handy.. Just imagine "yellow flag in sector 1" on the Nords. "Caution at Aremberg" would be more useful..
(I really liked the part with "track description" in AC a lot)

No, good idea but that would have been a lot more work. It's a bit more imminent and he (well I) says more generic messages like "crash ahead, stay left". In practice it works well so far. Was testing earlier and the spotter called out "crash ahead, stay low" and at first i didnt see it but like a second or two later sure enough i saw couple AI cars collected on the outer wall.