PCARS first impressions!

  • Thread starter mister dog
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That's more like it ;)

The twitchy counter steering is what the patch should help to fix as I understand it by using one hundred percent of the controller instead of just sixty at present.

Would anyone else using the Xbone version be able to confirm whether their rumble/impulse triggers work during acceleration and braking? On PC I think they use a modified 360 pad driver to control the Xbone pad so no rumble but on console it seems to work fine for me if a little crudely. Again the patch should help with scaling this according to the notes.

What I'm not expecting it to do is improve the graphics. Trackside detail may seem a little low res in places but the varied lighting conditions and weather more than make up for it for me.
 
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mister dog
I'm on PC, imagine how many rain races against the AI WMD members must have performed in the last years. It's not like it's hidden deep inside the code, just do one rain race against those bots in the wet and it's that obvious that Stevie Wonder would notice.
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As someone else mentioned though, it's quite possible this hasn't always been there. The impression was that AI was being heavily worked on in the last couple of months before release, so could have been introduced then rather than always being there and being ignored.

Ive yet to hit a rain race mind...
 
I would add to the AI behaviour on wet conditions, that @mister dog mentioned, their massive speed while off track.

The damn bots run you over and go flatout on grass, sand and what have you. Was pretty annoying.

I hope this get a fix soon.
 
bleeder
that's true, those Ravenwest guys were ridiculous in all the Grid games. fair point, consistency is definitely key to winning.
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I like the fact in Pcars some drivers are better at some tracks...like one guy was in the top 3 at Snetterton but was in the back markers at Silverstone. I think im hoping between a mix of this and what GRID AS was like....im kind of missing the team individualty in Pcars...whereas in Grid i could get to know the teams on track well, like Kicker and Oakley.

I do like forming rival AI drivers in championships and battles between teams..
 
Following up on some of the responses to my comments:

I understand the setup selection a bit better now, but I still find it to be a bit counter-intuitive. If I make wholesale changes to a setup that don't work, I need to go all the way back to the "my garage" section to reload a set from another track....am I missing something here? I just don't see the benefit or why they felt like changing from the tried and tested.

And in regards to the AI consistency through the championship, I just won the Clio Cup title on my first attempt, 100% AI. I won just one race and going by overall round results, I went 1st, 11th, 9th, 3rd and 4th. Second in points went 4th, 2nd, 2nd, 7th, 11th. It was a challenging and enjoyable season, but it definitely didn't feel like I was in a cutthroat title fight. With those results, I would have been expecting to be fighting for a top-5 spot (and it would have felt spot on as well).
 
legatoblues
Following up on some of the responses to my comments:

I understand the setup selection a bit better now, but I still find it to be a bit counter-intuitive. If I make wholesale changes to a setup that don't work, I need to go all the way back to the "my garage" section to reload a set from another track....am I missing something here?
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Make a default setup on any given track (a basic one), go to garage, load the setup (track name), edit setup, save to all.
Next time you go to any given circuit that setup will be automatically loaded, and when you make specific setup changes for that track in particular it will save that too for each track afterwards.
 
UKMikey
Would anyone else using the Xbone version be able to confirm whether their rumble/impulse triggers work during acceleration and braking? On PC I think they use a modified 360 pad driver to control the Xbone pad so no rumble but on console it seems to work fine for me if a little crudely. Again the patch should help with scaling this according to the notes
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I don't think mine are working. If they are they're being overwhelmed by the very robust pad vibration so I can't feel them

I was under the impression that this is a known issue that will be addressed in the upcoming patch?
 
mister dog
Make a default setup on any given track (a basic one), go to garage, load the setup (track name), edit setup, save to all.
Next time you go to any given circuit that setup will be automatically loaded, and when you make specific setup changes for that track in particular it will save that too for each track afterwards.
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I've figured that much and understand how it works, but still find it strange that I can't save a default setup incase I get too far in the wrong direction with a setup, or for cars with more complex choices, make and save step by step changes, reverting to what works if making a change in the wrong direction.

But it isn't such a big deal and I don't want to seem like I'm making it one. So with that, a more positive note after day two of my PCars journey:

After winning the Clio Cup title, I was given options in the G40 Junior and FGulf categories. I turned some practice laps in both cars to help make a decision and the biggest standout to me is how genuinely diverse each of the cars feel. That's now just five cars I've driven, but each has been dramatically unique in their characteristics.

The Ginetta felt like it would be fun to throw around, but it understeered a tad too much for my liking and the mid corner rotation felt a bit off. The front end also felt a touch light compared to my preferences.

Then into the Formula Gulf and my word, was it an experience. Instantly it felt like a proper race car. I know that's what the Clio and Ginetta are, but compared to those two, it felt razor sharp and very fast (even if in the grand scheme of things it isn't). The other small detail I was taken by was the perspective - while spotting a brake marker I noticed how big they appeared compared to what I was used to...of course! The Gulf is much, much lower than the Clio and it definitely feels it. This car testing experience was fantastic and I chose the Formula Gulf for my next season.....

......and then accidentally signed on with a Ginetta team. Oops. But that's ok, back to the track I went. I decided to work on a baseline for the Ginetta to find some comfort in the car and that went supremely well. The way that the cars respond to changes is extremely satisfying and it didn't take long for me to have it dialled in and putting a big grin on my face.

So that whole process was a great experience, however, in the first practice session of the new season, I was over 4 seconds than the AI. I don't feel like I'm exceptionally fast, so this was a bit disappointing, but hopefully it will be patched in the future.
 
I did an invitational with the McLaren F1 on Zolder. I had no prior experience with Zolder, so I didn't know the track at all. When I first tried this particular car on this particular track, I thought the car was a pig. I had a lot of trouble just keeping the car on the track (no assists, not even ABS), especially on cold tires. I seriously thought that the thing was undriveable. And at the end of the practice session I think I was something like 5 or 6 seconds off the AI pace (100% AI). So I then quit the session and practiced in Free Practice mode. After about half an hour of driving, I kind of got the hang of it, so I went back to Qualifying for the invitational race. The first try I think I qualified 11th, but the entire field was separated only by about 0.5 seconds, and I think I was only 0.2 seconds off pole. I restarted to see if I could do better, and ended up on pole by 1.3 seconds. So practice really makes a big difference in this game. I went from thinking I'd definitely be dead last by a huge margin to qualifying on pole by a large margin.

The race was pretty tense though. The AI kept me honest for the entire 100% length 30min race. I'm not going to lie, I restarted a few times because I crashed. And the time of day was really annoying because it was during sunset, and the sun was in my eyes for parts of the lap. Even though I suppose some people like the effects and atmosphere of a race during sunset time, I think it's really annoying and it hurt my eyes. I imagine Zolder is a pretty scary track for fast cars, because there were a couple of places where I got airborne. Doesn't seem particularly safe. The 2nd place AI never let me get away from it by more than 4 or 5 seconds the entire race. Then I'd make some mistakes and it would cut my lead back down to almost nothing, and I'd have to build it again a tiny bit per lap. By the end I was just drained from the intense concentration. This game is definitely the best video game racing experience I've ever had by far. The only game that I've played that comes close in terms of overall experience is GRID AS, but the physics in that one falls far short.
 
Question:

How can I watch more than 2 minutes of my replays? I can't find the "replay saving button". I have the PC version if that is of any importance.
 
kikie
Question:

How can I watch more than 2 minutes of my replays? I can't find the "replay saving button". I have the PC version if that is of any importance.
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Yeah i was wondering about that too. There is a save icon on the little menu on top i think though, saved a couple myself already.
 
mister dog
Yeah i was wondering about that too. There is a save icon on the little menu on top i think though, saved a couple myself already.
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you can watch the entire race replay if you make it to the end of the race. if you stop during the race and watch one then it only shows the last 2 minutes. should really play from the beginning no matter when you select it IMO.
 
Awong124
I did an invitational with the McLaren F1 on Zolder. I had no prior experience with Zolder, so I didn't know the track at all. When I first tried this particular car on this particular track, I thought the car was a pig. I had a lot of trouble just keeping the car on the track (no assists, not even ABS), especially on cold tires. I seriously thought that the thing was undriveable. And at the end of the practice session I think I was something like 5 or 6 seconds off the AI pace (100% AI). So I then quit the session and practiced in Free Practice mode. After about half an hour of driving, I kind of got the hang of it, so I went back to Qualifying for the invitational race. The first try I think I qualified 11th, but the entire field was separated only by about 0.5 seconds, and I think I was only 0.2 seconds off pole. I restarted to see if I could do better, and ended up on pole by 1.3 seconds. So practice really makes a big difference in this game. I went from thinking I'd definitely be dead last by a huge margin to qualifying on pole by a large margin.

The race was pretty tense though. The AI kept me honest for the entire 100% length 30min race. I'm not going to lie, I restarted a few times because I crashed. And the time of day was really annoying because it was during sunset, and the sun was in my eyes for parts of the lap. Even though I suppose some people like the effects and atmosphere of a race during sunset time, I think it's really annoying and it hurt my eyes. I imagine Zolder is a pretty scary track for fast cars, because there were a couple of places where I got airborne. Doesn't seem particularly safe. The 2nd place AI never let me get away from it by more than 4 or 5 seconds the entire race. Then I'd make some mistakes and it would cut my lead back down to almost nothing, and I'd have to build it again a tiny bit per lap. By the end I was just drained from the intense concentration. This game is definitely the best video game racing experience I've ever had by far. The only game that I've played that comes close in terms of overall experience is GRID AS, but the physics in that one falls far short.
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I can so relate to this, I even posted in the "least favorite cars & tracks" thread that the Mclaren F1 was my least favorite car. Then up comes the invitational driving the Mclaren F1 at Zolder (only difference was this was a 3 hour event??). Anyway thought I better practice in solo mode, specially on cold tyres. After some time I got a better feel for it so did the 3 hour race & won :cheers:
Feeling more confident with the car after the win I though I'd try the same car & track combo in time trial mode just to see how I would get on. Turned out I set the 3rd fastest time in that car on Zolder in my region. Still can't quite love the car, but certainly don't hate it, not by a long way.
 
McKiernan
I can so relate to this, I even posted in the "least favorite cars & tracks" thread that the Mclaren F1 was my least favorite car. Then up comes the invitational driving the Mclaren F1 at Zolder (only difference was this was a 3 hour event??). Anyway thought I better practice in solo mode, specially on cold tyres. After some time I got a better feel for it so did the 3 hour race & won :cheers:
Feeling more confident with the car after the win I though I'd try the same car & track combo in time trial mode just to see how I would get on. Turned out I set the 3rd fastest time in that car on Zolder in my region. Still can't quite love the car, but certainly don't hate it, not by a long way.
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It's the same event you're referring to. For me, the event says that it's 3 hours, but for some reason even after I set it to 100% race length it still ends up being 30 minutes. I thought it was how it was meant to be, but maybe it's just a bug that I encountered.
 
Awong124
It's the same event you're referring to. For me, the event says that it's 3 hours, but for some reason even after I set it to 100% race length it still ends up being 30 minutes. I thought it was how it was meant to be, but maybe it's just a bug that I encountered.
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Yeah probably a bug with the race length slider. Wish I had it as 3hours in that beast was tough going, I've a blister on my hand today lol. Oh and the time of day progressed into darkness after some time so the sun was only an issue for a while. I figured that's just what drivers have to cope with so I just took it a little easier while I was partially blinded. It did look beautiful when I could see though.
 
legatoblues
My copy finally arrived yesterday and after a good solid evening of track time, I'm fairly pleased overall. My thoughts on positives and negatives from experience so far:

+ The cars I've driven all behave and respond in a manner I would expect them to (1M, Escort, Clio).
+ Setup changes provide noticeable differences in car behaviour
+ Real-world setups are effective in game (Clio, thanks to Ridox2JZGTE)
+ Weather changes have a noticeable impact on car behaviour (not just wet / dry, but temp and cloud cover as well)
+ FFB is excellent
+ AI races well

- Inconsistent AI speed, perhaps even too slow at some tracks
- Scripted / accelerated weather in career mode(?)
- Inconsistent AI performances throughout a season (no serious championship contenders)
- Saving a setup is awkward and confusing, creating a database seemingly not possible? (Can't save multiple setups for one track, can't rename setups)
- Lack of information from the pit box prior / during a session (weather info / forecast, lap charts, split times, notes, etc)
- Lack of context to the career mode

Overall it sits at a solid 7.5/10 for me. I really enjoy driving the cars and the races have been a good experience as well, but it's lacking some of the extra information I would want to really extract the most performance out of the car and I'm not 100% convinced about how the replay value will be down the track.

Looking forward to pushing on though!
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Saw that you won the clio cup :) 👍 I sent a PM about damper setup that has been test by another member here, might help to get the clio better for you :)
 
UKMikey
That's more like it ;)

The twitchy counter steering is what the patch should help to fix as I understand it by using one hundred percent of the controller instead of just sixty at present.

Would anyone else using the Xbone version be able to confirm whether their rumble/impulse triggers work during acceleration and braking? On PC I think they use a modified 360 pad driver to control the Xbone pad so no rumble but on console it seems to work fine for me if a little crudely. Again the patch should help with scaling this according to the notes.

What I'm not expecting it to do is improve the graphics. Trackside detail may seem a little low res in places but the varied lighting conditions and weather more than make up for it for me.
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Agreed, lighting and weather's spot on - I've wanted this in a driving game for a LONG time... being able to race any track at ANY time of day.

Mate, I do not believe the game supports rumble triggers. Remember reading that in a review; will try to find the link for you.
 
Johnnypenso
If the pad sucks as a controller in the game, how can you talk objectively about physics when your interface with the physics is borked by your own admission?
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Not so. I could try and control a real car with a saxophone hooked up to audio interpretive gear, feeding radio transmission of inputs to the car, and I assume it would suck. It wouldn't make the physics any less real though, and the car would obey the laws of physics regardless of the shoddy input.
 
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Speedster911
Agreed, lighting and weather's spot on - I've wanted this in a driving game for a LONG time... being able to race any track at ANY time of day.

Mate, I do not believe the game supports rumble triggers. Remember reading that in a review; will try to find the link for you.
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Mate, I suggest you look at my previous post and follow the link. Let's wait and see what the patch brings.
 
LeMansAid
Not so. I could try and control a real car with a saxophone hooked up to audio interpretive gear, feeding radio transmission of inputs to the car, and I assume it would suck. It wouldn't make the physics any less real though, and the car would obey the laws of physics regardless of the shoddy input.
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Do you think you could judge the efficacy of a saxaphone by blowing air into it with an air horn while playing it using chopsticks? I don't think so. If you can't make accurate inputs into the simulation, there's no way you can accurately judge the physics of it.
 
Guess who chickened out and installed the game again?

Yes, yes, there are lots of bugs and glitches going on, some of them driving me crazy, but I can't stress the pure joy of driving in this game when everything is right.

After a bad start, it's growing on me. Probably some old Alfa Romeo effect going on: you know that, eventually, the car will burst into smoke, but nevermind that, you can't live it.

The driving in this game is so solid, the feel that you get is so rewarding, that I'm actually in love with a tilkodrome: the Formula Gulf/Dubai combo is lots of fun.
 
wowbaggerBR
Yes, yes, there are lots of bugs and glitches going on, some of them driving me crazy, but I can't stress the pure joy of driving in this game when everything is right..
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Sums up the game up the game for me atm.

The driving and racing is so good,i can forgive my car literally exploding coming out of the Zolder garage.
 
Johnnypenso
Do you think you could judge the efficacy of a saxaphone by blowing air into it with an air horn while playing it using chopsticks? I don't think so. If you can't make accurate inputs into the simulation, there's no way you can accurately judge the physics of it.
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A wheel merely makes it easier to feed finer inputs into the simulation. You can always judge the output based on your input. Even if you have the controls set to literally snap from lock to lock in an instant, the car ought to behave the way it would in real life if you could snap the steering from lock to lock in an instant.

You don't need a wheel or force feedback to assess handling dynamics or whether the limits of traction are realistic. To make accurate assessments, all you need is an understanding of how inputs on the analog stick translate to steering angles within the game -- the steering wheel in cockpit view is a handy indicator for that. The physics engine produces the same output from a given input (steering angle) no matter how you play.
 
Wolfe
A wheel merely makes it easier to feed finer inputs into the simulation. You can always judge the output based on your input. Even if you have the controls set to literally snap from lock to lock in an instant, the car ought to behave the way it would in real life if you could snap the steering from lock to lock in an instant.

You don't need a wheel or force feedback to assess handling dynamics or whether the limits of traction are realistic. To make accurate assessments, all you need is an understanding of how inputs on the analog stick translate to steering angles within the game -- the steering wheel in cockpit view is a handy indicator for that. The physics engine produces the same output from a given input (steering angle) no matter how you play.
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Yeah... That must be true. That's why F1 teams have simulators with pads. Because that's all it's needed ;)
 
Wolfe
A wheel merely makes it easier to feed finer inputs into the simulation. You can always judge the output based on your input. Even if you have the controls set to literally snap from lock to lock in an instant, the car ought to behave the way it would in real life if you could snap the steering from lock to lock in an instant.

You don't need a wheel or force feedback to assess handling dynamics or whether the limits of traction are realistic. To make accurate assessments, all you need is an understanding of how inputs on the analog stick translate to steering angles within the game -- the steering wheel in cockpit view is a handy indicator for that. The physics engine produces the same output from a given input (steering angle) no matter how you play.
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You're moving the goalposts. It's not wheel vs. controller its broken controller interface vs. physics. The original point of contention was passing judgment on game physics while at the same time saying the controller interface was broken.
 
Still my first impression, have no time for making second impressions. This game is so fun that I can't even make another impression about it (maybe I would, but not sure).

The only thing letting me down right now is the tad bit of hiccups in frame rate (might be my graphic settings being too high for my PC), the bugs, and the lack of cars.
 

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