And here I am. Used PMR for a majority of the night last night and had a great time. Imagine that. 😄
I'm sorry but GT7 just doesn't reach the level of physics that engage people who want a simulation experience. I'm not in the group of people who want something to be too easy for the sake of being too easy. PMR already creeps into game territory with tires in older car classes that grip like mad and magic brakes that stop you in no time. A good example is Group 5 cars.
Speaking of which.
Please tell me you're going to do the same on PMR. I'd love to hear your impressions as you compare the two
I used the Capri in PMR and then in AMS2 if that makes any difference? The AMS2 version is obviously going to benefit from the updates to the physics and Madness Engine even though it being a mod. The values however start out from what's available from PC2 and then added to so not a far stretch.
The first immediate thing you can notice is that the car is a lot easier to drive in PMR. The tires are more reminiscent of GT3 tires. (and if you look into the tires files, there's a lot of lines of code with "GT3" in it.) They don't really drive like they have the old late 70's radials. Not necessarily the worst thing, there's a lot of grip available though. The cars also brake like modern technology. That seems to be an issue with a lot of the cars in PMR though, magic braking on a dime.
The differences in the two Ford Capri Group 5. AMS2 has more bumpy track surfaces. The car shakes, vibrates and bounces on the track. Spring and damper adjustments are sometimes needed to go from a track like Sebring to Silverstone. In PMR, a lot of this is toned down. The tracks don't have as much deviated mesh that really throws a car around.
AMS2 has a nice vintage tire model. You're not going to get the front end bite that you get in PMR. The rears will also light up and spin a bit more frequently in AMS2. PMR has the cars more planted.
AMS2 does not brake like PMR. You have to start your braking earlier than what PMR will afford you.
PMR has a better sound. Unfortunately we can't add new sounds to the Madness Engine for mod cars so we have to make the best of what we have.
All in all, both cars were completely enjoyable. The one in PMR is fun, more accessible and still gives the feel of what a Group 5 car would be like. AMS2 might have it more in line with an original Group 5 car. You're going to have to have more throttle control, more corrective steering. That's part of the fun though. Nobody that drove Group 5 cars ever said they were easy.
One thing I noticed last night after driving the Sauber C9 and the Ford Capri Group 5, is that the cars don't really come up to their full potential until about 5 laps or so depending on the size of the track. I tried the C9 at Mid-Ohio because someone said that the car was undriveable. I noticed that it wasn't until about lap 6 in where I could finally start throwing the car around more haphazardly. The tires stuck more, the brakes braked more. Way more confidence. Same thing with the Group 5 Capri. I was already a full lap around Nords and the car was still gaining grip and confidence. It seems to me that the cars in PMR take a long time to reach their height in performance. Which is even longer than AMS2. That surprised me.
If you're only doing 3-5 laps in a car in PMR, I don't think you're even getting to the full potential of the car yet. I would try doing 20 minute or at least 10 lap races to make a better assessment of how PMR handles and feels.
My opinion anyways.
