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

[Sick Cylinder]

Interesting...I didn't even know there were multiple setups planned.

"
I just learned that it turns out that the devs ran out of time to implement a controller-sensing default setup, so there will only be one default setup per car, and it will be tweaked for pad-playability only (because market realities dictate that pC2 HAS to be drivable on pads out of box).

Yes, it's not ideal and nobody is happy about it internally. I'm HOPING that default, SMS-blessed wheel setups will be made available somewhere. The guys at SMS are open to this and there's an ongoing discussion about how we (WMDers) can help make it happen.

Terribly sorry that this functionality didn't make it in. It's definitely not because SMS didn't care enough -- sometimes **** just happens...
"

That's a real shame and hopefully gets changed soon. I host online championships which use default setups as these tend to create closer racing and are more suitable for a wide ability range which includes novices. If all the default setups are for pads I hope this doesn't mean all the cars feel pretty much the same and all have understeer - that has been my experience in the past using default setups with a wheel which were aimed at pad users.

 

[FuriousDemon]

That's a real shame and hopefully gets changed soon. I host online championships which use default setups as these tend to create closer racing and are more suitable for a wide ability range which includes novices. If all the default setups are for pads I hope this doesn't mean all the cars feel pretty much the same and all have understeer - that has been my experience in the past using default setups with a wheel which were aimed at pad users.

Yes, I think that means understeer as default setup. Still, I think there may be a solution to this now. If the sharing feature works as I suspect it would, you may be able to have everyone on the same setup at just a few clicks of a button.

 

[Ian Bell]

Interesting...I didn't even know there were multiple setups planned.

"
I just learned that it turns out that the devs ran out of time to implement a controller-sensing default setup, so there will only be one default setup per car, and it will be tweaked for pad-playability only (because market realities dictate that pC2 HAS to be drivable on pads out of box).

Yes, it's not ideal and nobody is happy about it internally. I'm HOPING that default, SMS-blessed wheel setups will be made available somewhere. The guys at SMS are open to this and there's an ongoing discussion about how we (WMDers) can help make it happen.

Terribly sorry that this functionality didn't make it in. It's definitely not because SMS didn't care enough -- sometimes **** just happens...
"

Quite poor wording there.. If that all came from Umer then I suspect he's tired or on the happy juice.

We are defaulting the standard safe and solid setups for both wheels and pads just as we've always done.

Two minutes in the setup menu will give you a more oversteer based setup if you want it.

Failing that we have an in game race engineer who can tweak the handling in that direction for you.

And ignoring all of the above, we're still considering shipping a more 'Loose' set as an option in game.

 

[Markeeez18]

Can we still use our keyboards/button boxes on PS4/Xbox like in PC1? Not enough buttons to assign on wheels lol

 

[RomKnight]

The assignment menus should accept any button/key of any input method recognised by windows and therefore the game.

 

[F1Racer68]

The assignment menus should accept any button/key of any input method recognised by windows and therefore the game.

He was asking about keyboards on PS4

 

[RomKnight]

Isn't it the same on a ps4? I though you could use a keyboard and button boxes just map the impulses to ASCII value anyway so it's the same.

 

[AllReD]

Can we still use our keyboards/button boxes on PS4/Xbox like in PC1? Not enough buttons to assign on wheels lol

Curious as well. Doing some wheel research (Thrustmaster TX) and it appears that you are limited to the number of button assignments on the controller (xbox); meaning you end up with multiple buttons on the wheel which do the same thing.

 

[grooks10]

Curious as well. Doing some wheel research (Thrustmaster TX) and it appears that you are limited to the number of button assignments on the controller (xbox); meaning you end up with multiple buttons on the wheel which do the same thing.

That's exactly the case for me. It's a bit annoying at first, but it's manageable.

 

[ThunderLips]

I know we're looking at different builds and things are changing everyday but that said I have only one question/hope.

The replays truly look amazing. But as far as audio we're still only really hearing the players car like pcars 1. It seems as though the soind is pulled right from what you hear while driving. Example in the replay you could be 500 yards away from your car amongst 20 other cars but can still hear the romble strips and pebles as if you were right there.

There's just not this general roar of engines with each car having its own scream when it passes the camera ala RL and Assetto Corsa.

Is there still being work done with audio?

Thanks

 

[Johnnypenso]

I know we're looking at different builds and things are changing everyday but that said I have only one question/hope.

The replays truly look amazing. But as far as audio we're still only really hearing the players car like pcars 1. It seems as though the soind is pulled right from what you hear while driving. Example in the replay you could be 500 yards away from your car amongst 20 other cars but can still hear the romble strips and pebles as if you were right there.

There's just not this general roar of engines with each car having its own scream when it passes the camera ala RL and Assetto Corsa.

Is there still being work done with audio?

Thanks

There are sliders for opponent car volume and various other parameters.

 

[ozwheels]

@IanBell @The_American
Is the rubbering in of the track and the formation of a drying line controlled purely by where cars are driving on track? Or is there an ideal line that rubbers in and dry up the same each time with the cars just affecting how fast it happens?

 

[HardRock]

@IanBell @The_American

Looking at the recent videos, the amount of options we have to customize the driving experience is through the roof. I would like to see something added to the AI setup though, one thing I really missed in PC1 as well: a slider for the difficulty spread throughout the grid. As far as I can tell, even in PC2 there's a wide gap between the driving skill of the AI at the front compared to the backrunners. Any chance we could adjust this gap in later patches?

 

[Markeeez18]

@IanBell @The_American

Looking at the recent videos, the amount of options we have to customize the driving experience is through the roof. I would like to see something added to the AI setup though, one thing I really missed in PC1 as well: a slider for the difficulty spread throughout the grid. As far as I can tell, even in PC2 there's a wide gap between the driving skill of the AI at the front compared to the backrunners. Any chance we could adjust this gap in later patches?

This is a good idea, maybe you can set your maximum difficulty that apply to the front 6 for example, then more groups of cars with less difficulty all the way to the back backers.

 

[HardRock]

This is a good idea, maybe you can set your maximum difficulty that apply to the front 6 for example, then more groups of cars with less difficulty all the way to the back backers.

To be honest, I want a no spread option the most.

 

[Bealdor]

@IanBell @The_American
Is the rubbering in of the track and the formation of a drying line controlled purely by where cars are driving on track? Or is there an ideal line that rubbers in and dry up the same each time with the cars just affecting how fast it happens?

It's fully dynamic. No "scripted" drying line.

 

[bleeder]

To be honest, I want a no spread option the most.

I'd like all the AI drivers to hack it off the line so I don't make loads of places up by turn 1. This is why I do rolling starts. Makes for better races IMO.

 

[HardRock]

I'd like all the AI drivers to hack it off the line so I don't make loads of places up by turn 1. This is why I do rolling starts. Makes for better races IMO.

No doubt that will help a lot at the starts, but I would like to have 7-9 AI drivers that are competitive throughout 15-20 laps lets say, to better simulate an ideal online environment, where the other drivers are just about on my driving level, not just one of them.

 

[ThunderLips]

There are sliders for opponent car volume and various other parameters.

Its not a matter of sliders. Its an issue with the sound design. Sound is being pulled from within the same space as when your driving and is then placed over the replay. Opponent car volume aside. Assetto Corsa, Dirt Rally and Raceroom to name a couple have great replay sound. The cars sound like there outside, the engine noise changes depending on where your viewing it from, what direction etc. doppler, reverb, echo. This is all abesent in Pacars.

I know Ian knows exactly what Im talking about. So my question is are they still working on the sound in replays or is what we're seeing what we're going to get?

Im not complaining. I just want to get that goose bump effect.

 

[HardRock]

Sound is being pulled from within the same space as when your driving and is then placed over the replay. Opponent car volume aside. Assetto Corsa, Dirt Rally and Raceroom to name a couple have great replay sound. The cars sound like there outside, the engine noise changes depending on where your viewing it from, what direction etc. doppler, reverb, echo. This is all abesent inPacars.

No, it's really not, although this is more or less audible depending on the car. Not the best example, since this MX5 doesn't have windows to muffle the noise, but you can hear the difference still, wait for the camera change:



I've seen a video where the player was switching between all cameras while driving, with the sounds being different from each and every one, including between the cockpit and helmet cam. I'll try to find it.

As for the effects you mentioned. Doppler effect (also present in PC1):



Reverb and echo effect (also present in PC1):

 

[Tassie_tiger]

@IanBell
I had a rather large post typed up, but I'll go for an abbreviated version instead.

I'm curious about consoles.
Exactly the same game - AI count, lobby numbers, full Livetrack, features, etc.?
Console Esport?
Obviously graphical drops from PC - so 1080 unscaled at near enough 60? Targeting better?
No VR at launch, but maybe later, or just not enough power in the console?
Any chance of some dedicated console videos?

I'm struggling to find much info.
But perhaps that's because the versions are the same, except the graphic output, and there isn't any console specific details.

Any clarification would be appreciated.

 

[jake2013guy]

@IanBell
I had a rather large post typed up, but I'll go for an abbreviated version instead.

I'm curious about consoles.
Exactly the same game - AI count, lobby numbers, full Livetrack, features, etc.?
Console Esport?
Obviously graphical drops from PC - so 1080 unscaled at near enough 60? Targeting better?
No VR at launch, but maybe later, or just not enough power in the console?
Any chance of some dedicated console videos?

I'm struggling to find much info.
But perhaps that's because the versions are the same, except the graphic output, and there isn't any console specific details.

Any clarification would be appreciated.

For part 1, the only difference we know about is the ability for PC to export to a spreadsheet.

 

[FuriousDemon]

We can also assume smaller lobbies on consoles, most likely 16, but maybe 24.

 

[Tassie_tiger]

For part 1, the only difference we know about is the ability for PC to export to a spreadsheet.

Nice one. 👍

I wouldn't have been surprised if some of the numbers (like max. lobby players or AI) were a bit smaller for console.
Which I guess is why I was looking for that info.
I assumed/hoped all other features would be the same, but with console limitations I wasn't sure.

Thanks for the heads up. 👍

We can also assume smaller lobbies on consoles, most likely 16, but maybe 24.

Ahh.
Details still incoming then.
Roger that. 👍

 

[CHEN255]

Just curious about what the current build number is that WMD members are playing. Thanks in advance.

 

[Pigmachine]

Just curious about what the current build number is that WMD members are playing. Thanks in advance.

One number less then we have in a few hours .. not sure if it's official, but check a few recent, reliable videos, as they tend to have build-number included in info. Our build-number have been the same since Friday.

 

[Markeeez18]

I've seen in some videos objects in the background still appearing or disappearing in the distance, an example of this was at Texas Motor Speedway, the big building with the windows, the outline of people started to appear in each window as you got closer to it, is this a known problem or bug? Is it going to be addressed? @IanBell @The_American

Heres the video:

 

[ThunderLips]

No, it's really not, although this is more or less audible depending on the car. Not the best example, since this MX5 doesn't have windows to muffle the noise, but you can hear the difference still, wait for the camera change:



I've seen a video where the player was switching between all cameras while driving, with the sounds being different from each and every one, including between the cockpit and helmet cam. I'll try to find it.

As for the effects you mentioned. Doppler effect (also present in PC1):



Reverb and echo effect (also present in PC1):

Im only speaking to the audio effects when it comes to replays. Here's a perfect example/comparison.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...EIIDAC&usg=AFQjCNF1sHlk2z9QIx28jtvfnGP_UlkifA

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...CCMwAw&usg=AFQjCNF1sHlk2z9QIx28jtvfnGP_UlkifA

 

[SeriousFox]

I've seen in some videos objects in the background still appearing or disappearing in the distance, an example of this was at Texas Motor Speedway, the big building with the windows, the outline of people started to appear in each window as you got closer to it, is this a known problem or bug? Is it going to be addressed? @IanBell @The_American

Heres the video:

LOD work is not finished yet and it is well known by the SMS team and WMD members.

 

[HardRock]

Im only speaking to the audio effects when it comes to replays. Here's a perfect example/comparison.

Those links don't load anything for me, regardless of the browser being used. Could you link them another way?