Project CARS 3: General Discussion Thread - Out August 28th, 2020 on XB1/PS4/PC

  • Thread starter jake2013guy
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I don't think the game deserves all the trashing it gets. It's just so far off from what it could have been that it's difficult to appreciate it for what it is.

It's one step forward, two steps back all over the place. Custom liveries and selectable suits/helmets, but no meaningful motorsports experience or team-/contract-based gameplay. Upgrades, put into practice with incongruent racecar classes. Race winnings and progression, but no practice/qualifying or ability to adjust race length like in the previous games (with career races that are mostly too short). Comfortable analog stick steering, but no more rallycross for which it would be well-suited.

No one who asked for what's new in PCARS3 had asked for all these cuts and omissions.
 
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2days-20hours played - 3700 miles driven / Observations / Comments / Suggestions

The game still takes unusually long to boot up on PS4. Like several minutes on occasion.

I also learned that tuning saves must be tied into application save total, so saving replays are definitely more limited than previously thought.

Are cockpit FOVs are determined by the developers in any particular way? The views don’t seem consistent from car to car.

It’s well known the game has an amazing track library, not to mention every single track has 24 hour time, all four seasons, and variable weather. Granted two weather slots may seem less than PC2, but it works for shorter events. Though simulating a quick rain spell (dry/rain/dry) would be nice. And if we’re only getting one weather change, let it be random instead of exactly at half way through an event.

The soundtrack is great, always has been for this series, and the way the music fades and transitions between menus is well done. 👍

Now for the good stuff, the tires. After doing many long 15-20 minute runs using the same car, under the same conditions on the same track, I’ve got the impression the tires do fade slightly and lose grip after a while. Maybe I’m crazy, maybe it’s some self medicating placebo, but I’ve read the developer’s blog about the tire model and is this what they’re describing? Or are they only talking about how tires heat up and flex under load?
 
I thought I'd just pop my head up in this thread again to mention that I've recently bought PC3. I've been through tweaking all of the settings and I've got to say that I'm quite enjoying it so far. That's on a wheel and liking the FFB. :scared:

In fact yesterday I probably had a couple of the best races I've had against the AI in any game. OK it was against quite a varied field of cars that I'd not normally see together on track but the different performance between the mixed bag of cars added to the appeal somehow.

After nearly a week comprising of a few "career" events, custom races and hot lapping my thoughts...
Handling - Is fine once I'd got used to it. I jumped in and kept crashing - which was often the case when someone tried PC2 for the 1st time. Just like swapping between different games, I had to adjust and now I like the new "feel".

A.I. - Can be a little robust (and twitchy) but I've adjusted them and adapted to them. They are certainly more competitive than in PC2 putting up some pretty good scraps.

Graphics - Pretty good I think, every track seems more alive. Performance wise there could be improvements for sure, especially on some tracks. Plus some graphical glitches could do with sorting out. (PS4 Pro)

Sound - Hmm, oddly that has both improved and degraded. It's hard to put a finger on it. That's not to say it's bad at all just different.

Classes - Yeah a bit strange after coming from PC2 but it sure does mix up the grids. Shame you can't be more selective in the custom race mode. If they just added that option it would solve a lot concerns and add to it's appeal.

Like PC2 had before it, PC3 needs a few more patches before it's seen at its best. The game has crashed a couple of times.

Overall it's a different approach from PC2 and I was expecting that. But at the same time there are still a lot of similarities. It's a refreshing change of direction I think, that perhaps would have benefited from a lack of the 3.


cjr3559
Are cockpit FOVs are determined by the developers in any particular way?
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I'm assuming the FOVs are all the same - set by the figure in the options. It's the seat/viewing position that changes from car to car - which is like real life I suppose.

The game still takes unusually long to boot up on PS4.
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I think that's because it's trying to do something via the internet on startup. I tried disconnecting my connection and it seemed quicker. Although you do of course loose some network features then.

Though simulating a quick rain spell (dry/rain/dry) would be nice.
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I was known as the "Weather Man" for the PC2 league I run in so I'm slightly disappointed in the slimmed down weather features. But they have added something that's useful, the starting track condition. So you could try starting with a dry track surface then have rain to clear in the weather settings. It might be near to what you want.
To try out this new all weather tyre format I recently tried the Dodge Hellcat race car around a damp surfaced but drying Brno circuit. How the grip levels changed without a tyre change, great fun!
 
IfAndOr
I thought I'd just pop my head up in this thread again to mention that I've recently bought PC3. I've been through tweaking all of the settings and I've got to say that I'm quite enjoying it so far. That's on a wheel and liking the FFB. :scared:

In fact yesterday I probably had a couple of the best races I've had against the AI in any game. OK it was against quite a varied field of cars that I'd not normally see together on track but the different performance between the mixed bag of cars added to the appeal somehow.

After nearly a week comprising of a few "career" events, custom races and hot lapping my thoughts...
Handling - Is fine once I'd got used to it. I jumped in and kept crashing - which was often the case when someone tried PC2 for the 1st time. Just like swapping between different games, I had to adjust and now I like the new "feel".

A.I. - Can be a little robust (and twitchy) but I've adjusted them and adapted to them. They are certainly more competitive than in PC2 putting up some pretty good scraps.

Graphics - Pretty good I think, every track seems more alive. Performance wise there could be improvements for sure, especially on some tracks. Plus some graphical glitches could do with sorting out. (PS4 Pro)

Sound - Hmm, oddly that has both improved and degraded. It's hard to put a finger on it. That's not to say it's bad at all just different.

Classes - Yeah a bit strange after coming from PC2 but it sure does mix up the grids. Shame you can't be more selective in the custom race mode. If they just added that option it would solve a lot concerns and add to it's appeal.

Like PC2 had before it, PC3 needs a few more patches before it's seen at its best. The game has crashed a couple of times.

Overall it's a different approach from PC2 and I was expecting that. But at the same time there are still a lot of similarities. It's a refreshing change of direction I think, that perhaps would have benefited from a lack of the 3.


I'm assuming the FOVs are all the same - set by the figure in the options. It's the seat/viewing position that changes from car to car - which is like real life I suppose.

I think that's because it's trying to do something via the internet on startup. I tried disconnecting my connection and it seemed quicker. Although you do of course loose some network features then.

I was known as the "Weather Man" for the PC2 league I run in so I'm slightly disappointed in the slimmed down weather features. But they have added something that's useful, the starting track condition. So you could try starting with a dry track surface then have rain to clear in the weather settings. It might be near to what you want.
To try out this new all weather tyre format I recently tried the Dodge Hellcat race car around a damp surfaced but drying Brno circuit. How the grip levels changed without a tyre change, great fun!
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Well thought out post. You make me want to play it again
 
Meh, i just play pc2 with the buddies. Full damage, tire wear and pit stops. PC3 is just dead. The racing has been really good but the population between the two is ridiculous. I prefer to race online and pc3 just doesn't do it for me. I would have enjoyed a qualification for the online lobbies, at least. Its just a let down all around.
 
slthree
Well thought out post. You make me want to play it again
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Actually I've been playing it more than PC2, although that's also the new game factor at work. I didn't think I would but I actually like the ownership of the car, upgrade and customise idea. And even credits! It reminds me of GT but is better because of the custom mode where I can still try anything. There's a Cayman GT4 at half price in today's sale and I'm pondering wether to spend my few credits on it. I didn't get that in PC2. :)

We'll have to give it a go online sometime. It would be a perfect game for my new short Monday series. Everyone could have their own customised car if they "owned" it and if they didn't they could still use it. I could add weather without worrying about drivers having to change tyres - since most of the tracks I'm using don't have pits anyway. I think there's quite a lot in it's favour for having some fun.
 
the13PeSK
Don't even wonder if you should get today's offer Cayman GT4 it's one of the best cars in the class.
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Yes I like it in PC2. I've only just started Road E class though so the Cayman could be a little bit above my current rating. :P
It's good that you can pay to unlock the higher classes though. It can make progression more varied.
 
They really need to prove themselves for the next game to earn back the trust of sim racers. Nobody is gonna take anything he says seriously after the gong show of PC3, especially after being lied to.
 
Sentry87
We'll see... I held off on buying pc3 because of what I saw in the trailer and gameplay. I'll trust my instincts again with whatever SMS decide to make.
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I wish I had the discipline that you had to not buy the game.

Not only did I buy it but I bought it for both the PS4 Pro and the Xbox and I bought a third copy for my son-in-law's Xbox.

All three copies were deluxe so they were not cheap.

I knew what the game was going to be but I was so desperate for a new racing game I could not hold back. I guess I can say I had fun with it for a few weeks but more than anything, it just sent me back to project cars 2
 
I've really been enjoying PC3 on my PC. I look at this game being like Forza/GT , rather than a true follow on for PC2 or a serious sim.

I built myself a new gaming PC, but I used older parts that were really good in their day. I have the following

i7 4790 running @ 4.2ghz
MSI GTX1080Ti 11GB DDR5
Kingston Hyper X 32GB 2033mhz
Corsair M.2 SSD
ROG Hero Maximus motherboard

My wheel/pedals are the Fanatec CSL PS4 version

I am almost running everything set to their highest setting, in 4k and I've got a perfect 60fps. If I go to 1080p my screen is able to run at 120mhz. I'm using a 43" screen to game on.

The one complaint I have is it seems very weak with the FFB. With everything set to 100, the wheel still feels light, unless I set the wheel to 120%.
 
And in my vote for the most hilarious tweet I've seen today we have...

Screenshot_20201215-031204_Twitter.jpg


...but PC3 is already all the sim I could apparently want?

@IanBell, do you honestly think many people are going to trust a word you say?
 
That way I see it is that sms were contracted to produce one more project cars for Bandai and said to hell with it, we’ll fire out a slimmed down easy to make arcade game and dress it up like we’re aiming for an easier entry to the world of sim racing.

Now that they’ve been cut free from Bandai contract they’ve decided to come clean and state their real intentions moving forward with the pc series going back to its roots.

Thats the optimistic side of my mind, the other side was that this was an appeal to the masses arcade title badly gone wrong, that if it had been a sales success might have spelt a more definite death to the more sim oriented direction of the first two project cars.

Either way I’ll take these new tweets from @IanBell as encouragement that we may see the return to the project cars we all loved from the start of the franchise.
 
Scaff
@IanBell, do you honestly think many people are going to trust a word you say?
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To be fair, no mixed messages have surfaced for the upcoming game. With Project CARS 3, we were informed it would be the spiritual successor to Shift (implies a more accessible approach) and also all the sim you could ever want (implies a hardcore sim-racing experience). The problem is those messages contradicted each other and it ended up being more of the former, leading to dissatisfaction from the sim racing crowd who were initially hooked by the premise of the latter key quote.

So far, we've only been told the next project will more inline with Project CARS 2 with everything turned up to 11. As long as @IanBell suddenly doesn't mention that it is becoming more accessible than PC3, I expect the final product to be more focused on being a motorsport simulator.
 
If the backlash was truly that severe for Bell to reconsider and bring the next pCARS back up to sim standards, then he and Nathan really need to be more open and honest that PC3 was a massive mistake.

The sim community SMS threw under the bus won't take kindly to being lied to again.
 
Heh, the marketing for PCARS4 started earlier than I was expecting


"Most realistic simulation ever made" Big words there.
 
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FrankieStail
Now that they’ve been cut free from Bandai contract they’ve decided to come clean and state their real intentions moving forward with the pc series going back to its roots.
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The issue with that is on PC we don't need SMS anymore, as AMS2 is already way ahead of where SMS has got to in regard to the Madness engine.
 
It's a bit ridiculous to even be talking about PC4 already.
However, A lot of people would have been happy if PC3 would have just been PC2 with additional, new, updated content and a more thought out Career mode. Quite frankly, I dislike PC3's career mode and feel it's just phoned in gibberish to say you passed through something. I don't really get the feeling of starting from the bottom and working through different tiers of racing, especially when I have to drive cars through colored blocks with numbers on them. Ridiculous.

Having tested the mods coming to AMS2, there is promise in a couple different ways but still some downfall.
Bad - modding in the madness engine is somewhat limited. We can't just add tracks like in AC and in cars we see shared assets and a way more complex modding system.

Good - AMS2 has shown that the madness engine can work and work good. Project Cars can draw from these successes and at the very least match the performance of what's been done in AMS2. I can't see PC4 being of a lesser caliber than AMS2 and if we're going to be honest, PC3 actually pushed the madness engine into a direction that shocked a lot of us. Even though PC3 as a whole is not looked upon as a success, there are some new aspects that were used that could be incorporated in a full sim. Maybe we can keep a PIR system while retaining real life race categories such as GT3/4/5/6 and not a mish mash of different race categories. Leave intricate upgrading for road cars. Maybe we can still turn road cars into race cars though and we can integrate fictitious street car race builds into real race car categories. GT4 is a good example of that. I'm all for some fiction, this is all virtual anyways and the key point being we get the choice to integrate this or not and not a forced choice of car categories.

Maybe the mistake that is PC3 can lead to something that will create an even better PC4 and not just throwing new content into PC2 and calling it PC3.
 
The Drift Pack has been leaked via Steam achievements, and it is pretty much what you would expect for something called the Drift pack:

Nissan 370Z
Nissan Silvia S15
Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86)

However...
The only achievement I can find related to the new location is "Stadium master". Probably suggesting we are getting a stadium-based track of some sort?
 
Well, that might rule out Ebisu, which is a shame because I liked driving there in NFS ProStreet and the Shift games, and I don’t even like drifting. Would be great to drive there again.
 
Beezer215
Leave intricate upgrading for road cars. Maybe we can still turn road cars into race cars though and we can integrate fictitious street car race builds into real race car categories. GT4 is a good example of that. I'm all for some fiction, this is all virtual anyways and the key point being we get the choice to integrate this or not and not a forced choice of car categories.
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The issue with that is SMS already did that with Shift 1 & 2 and managed to do it better in those titles that we got in PCars 3.

AMS 2 does indeed show what the Madness engine is capable of (and that it still has its limits), what discourages me the most is that SMS themselves were not able to do with it what a small team with less experience managed. Which points potentially to issues within SMS being the root problem, which runs the risk of continuing.
 
Scaff
AMS 2 does indeed show what the Madness engine is capable of (and that it still has its limits), what discourages me the most is that SMS themselves were not able to do with it what a small team with less experience managed. Which points potentially to issues within SMS being the root problem, which runs the risk of continuing.
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The key is focus. SMS always shoots for the biggest and broadest thing, which means they end up with titles that try to do everything. A smaller, focused team can take a handful of things and execute them well. Still, SMS did make the Madness engine so can't say they have incompetent devs. :)
 
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