Hello everyone, I'm back at it once again - this time, I've finished a badly needed rework on one of AC's most beloved mod tracks: Reboot's Cadwell Park.
Link to track:
cadwell_park_2022
This Cadwell is a classic - and given how close later sim renditions are of this track to this one, no doubt it will more than stand the test of time. With Masscot's updates, it looks modern and performs excellently.
However, the stock AI has always been disappointing for as long as I've driven this track. The undulating esses and the hill chicane have always caused problems, but the killer is the final corner.
The fast lane hits the apex too hard and the right hand sideline doesn't compensate - meaning that each and every AI car I've tried hits the small hill/bump on the apex and flips cars over the barrier. Generally, it leads to 7 or 8 retirements in a 20 lap race - all of them in spectacular fashion.
With my rework, I sacrifice a few hundredths to slightly miss the apex and keep the fast lane clear of the hill - and compensate with a tighter sideline to essentially eliminate the issue.
Of course, this line is also much quicker - about ~1.4 seconds a lap faster in Fuzo's TCRs in comparison to stock, and about 1.1 a lap in small formula cars.
The big upgrade, though, is the safety - there are only ~0-2 realistic-looking retirements a race in every car I tested. I've decided I will be intentionally keeping natural-looking mistakes and contact going forward - as I don't want my lines to be "too safe" to the point where it's just a procession with nothing happening.
Tested in Fuzo's Hyundai TCR, the RSS Formula 4 2017, the Kunos Tatuus, the URD Radical SR3 and Shaun Clarke's Ginetta GT4. Tuned as a jack-of-all trades line with a meticulous ai_hints.ini file, as always. Feel free to edit it to your liking.
I also tested with the Guerilla Mods GT4s, but in doing so I learned that their car AI is trash. It is in desperate need of an AI edit - but it's encrypted, and if I want to get in touch with them, I have to pay into their Patreon. Sad.
Feedback welcome as always. Enjoy.
And if you enjoy the mod and would like to support my work, consider donating what a coffee used to cost at ko-fi.com/xninezero.
