Spirit of Le Mans/Patch 6.00 AI too strong?

  • Thread starter Ghaek
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Ghaek

Ghaek

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Spain
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Ghaek
So I was trying the new LMP1's, but I noticed the AI was much faster than me, it looked like if they had unlimited hybrid energy, at Mulsanne straight I couldn't even get close to them if I didn't use 100% of my hybrid energy. After 3 laps, I was at last position and the next car was at 8 seconds from me. I tried all of the cars and I even did specific Le Mans set ups for them but the problem persists. I don't know if this happens only to me or if it is a normal thing (I tried AI at 100% and 85% with agressiveness of 40% and 50%).
 
I experienced about the same problem yesterday with Lotus 49, AI were set to 120 and agressiveness at 85 - they are very slow in the corners, but stupidly fast at straights (Sugo track).
Acctually I don't know how it was earlier, because it was my first offline race.
 
My experience so far after spending a few hours with the new lmp1s:

AI difficulty level at 100 and Agro at 100;

- the r18 (controlled by the AI or by myself) reaches higher top speed than the others;
- the toyota seems to be the one with the lower top speed, on average I reach 324km/h, only a couple of times I got it past 330km/h;
- I lose vs the AI with the 919, mainly due to the KERS, it seems the opponents always have KERS for longer no matter what strategy I try to apply;
- I win vs the AI with the toyota, even though it loses a bit on top speed, there always seems to be plenty of KERS available to use;
- I strugle a bit with the porsche in some situations the car just wants to slide a bit at the mulsanne chicannes, it feels a bit unstable when reducing to third and second gear.

AI at 100 is doing lap times between 3.25, maybe a high 3.24, and 3.27 ish. At the moment I am doing 3.24/3.25 with both porsche and toyota, with the r18 I did a 3.22 without much effort.
Edit: 3.20.906 with the r18, now need to increase AI difficulty...

I don't know, I feel like the toyota should be able to reach 350km/h, I think I saw that somewhere on the web, and the r18 seems a bit too strong, if we are talking about reality accuracy, 2016 model of the r18 performed worse than the models before, if I am not mistaken, but if I am right, it's curious how reality gets inverted in the game so easily, hehe.
 
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"it seems the opponents always have KERS for longer no matter what strategy I try to apply;"

That's basically it.

At Mulsanne straight EVERY car (Audi, Porsche or Toyota) overtakes me by far even if I apply a good KERS strategy. And it is specially a pain in the *** after Indianapolis, where you can't use the Hybrid energy for the rest of the lap, but the AI seems to have unlimited KERS.
 
Note that I said that when playing with the porsche 919, i don't feel a KERS problem vs the AI when driving the audi or toyota.
 
Ghaek
So I was trying the new LMP1's, but I noticed the AI was much faster than me, it looked like if they had unlimited hybrid energy, at Mulsanne straight I couldn't even get close to them if I didn't use 100% of my hybrid energy. After 3 laps, I was at last position and the next car was at 8 seconds from me. I tried all of the cars and I even did specific Le Mans set ups for them but the problem persists. I don't know if this happens only to me or if it is a normal thing (I tried AI at 100% and 85% with agressiveness of 40% and 50%).
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I tried last night with AI strength set at 65 and I still got smoked. I was at least 3 seconds per lap slower than the AI in either the Audi or the Porsche. I'm going to try the low downforce Audi tonight to see if it makes any difference.
 
Napalm_LT
I experienced about the same problem yesterday with Lotus 49, AI were set to 120 and agressiveness at 85 - they are very slow in the corners, but stupidly fast at straights (Sugo track).
Acctually I don't know how it was earlier, because it was my first offline race.
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Over 100 the cars get extra straight line speed to make up the lap times so at 120 they will be quicker than you in a straight line.
 
I'm having issues finding a good balance. I usually have AI set somewhere between 80-100 and aggression at 90 but they bump way too much because they have pace (when set near 100) and the high aggression means they don't back out.

When I put it at 100/75 or even 100/50 they slow up way too much due to being cautious even though they still have a higher speed based on level I set it to. If I put it at 50/100 then they will be way too slow and just a mess every time we try to battle.
 
DesertPenguin
I'm having issues finding a good balance. I usually have AI set somewhere between 80-100 and aggression at 90 but they bump way too much because they have pace (when set near 100) and the high aggression means they don't back out.

When I put it at 100/75 or even 100/50 they slow up way too much due to being cautious even though they still have a higher speed based on level I set it to. If I put it at 50/100 then they will be way too slow and just a mess every time we try to battle.
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I tried AI strength at 50 and it's still too high. The Audis just seem to fly away from everything else. But I've driven both the Audi and the Porsche and they're still 3 seconds or so slower than the faster AI laps. I did switch to a rolling start which helped me not to get beat up trying to launch these cars. I guess I'll try 35 AI next time just to see what that does although I hate going down that low but I really don't want to abandon this class this early. The Audi race I ran at 50 I finished 18th I think but there was this huge gap to 17th and it looked like a funeral procession behind me :(
 
Jezza819
I tried AI strength at 50 and it's still too high. The Audis just seem to fly away from everything else. But I've driven both the Audi and the Porsche and they're still 3 seconds or so slower than the faster AI laps. I did switch to a rolling start which helped me not to get beat up trying to launch these cars. I guess I'll try 35 AI next time just to see what that does although I hate going down that low but I really don't want to abandon this class this early. The Audi race I ran at 50 I finished 18th I think but there was this huge gap to 17th and it looked like a funeral procession behind me :(
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Which track?
What are your laptimes?
What's your hybrid deployment strategy?
 
Bealdor
Which track?
What are your laptimes?
What's your hybrid deployment strategy?
Click to expand...

I'll have to get home tonight to double check but most recently it was Nurburgring GP and I think my fastest lap in the Audi was in the 1:48's and the AI's fastest lap was in the 1:44's or 1:45's I think but I'll have to look and see. There I deployed on the front stretch, a small burst between turns 4 and 5 because the AI cars seemed to want to run all over me there, and then deployed on the long bit before the final chicane.
 
Jezza819
I'll have to get home tonight to double check but most recently it was Nurburgring GP and I think my fastest lap in the Audi was in the 1:48's and the AI's fastest lap was in the 1:44's or 1:45's I think but I'll have to look and see. There I deployed on the front stretch, a small burst between turns 4 and 5 because the AI cars seemed to want to run all over me there, and then deployed on the long bit before the final chicane.
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I hate to break it to you mate but you're 12s off the leaderboard times. You have to use the hybrid much more. Essentially after almost every corner.
 
Bealdor
I hate to break it to you mate but you're 12s off the leaderboard times. You have to use the hybrid much more. Essentially after almost every corner.
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Oh I don't doubt it being that far off leaderboard times. I've never cared about getting close to leaderboard times and I really don't think I've ever looked at the leaderboards. When I get home tonight I'll run it again and use the hybrid more in both the Audi and the Porsche but it's not going to make up 12 seconds and I'm not wanting it to. I just want to get to a spot where the races are competitive and I at least have a chance instead of getting my head bashed in each time.
 
Jezza819
Oh I don't doubt it being that far off leaderboard times. I've never cared about getting close to leaderboard times and I really don't think I've ever looked at the leaderboards. When I get home tonight I'll run it again and use the hybrid more in both the Audi and the Porsche but it's not going to make up 12 seconds and I'm not wanting it to. I just want to get to a spot where the races are competitive and I at least have a chance instead of getting my head bashed in each time.
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Maybe grab a tune from the leader on the boards see if it helps ?
 
Jezza819
Oh I don't doubt it being that far off leaderboard times. I've never cared about getting close to leaderboard times and I really don't think I've ever looked at the leaderboards. When I get home tonight I'll run it again and use the hybrid more in both the Audi and the Porsche but it's not going to make up 12 seconds and I'm not wanting it to. I just want to get to a spot where the races are competitive and I at least have a chance instead of getting my head bashed in each time.
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Caring about the leaderboard times IS useful when you are trying to beat the AI at a certain level. AI at 100/100 are usually within a second or two of the human record holders, and they dropoff maybe 1 second per minute-lap of every 10 change, depending on length of circuit. So if AI 100 is doing 1.44 at 50 they will be approx 1.41 at 30. Every circuit has it's own ratio depending on number and strength of turns. Sooo....knowing what the fastest humans can do in your car and track combo can tell you whether you are trying the impossible, or there's something you're missing. If I'm getting times within a second or 2 of the leaders I wont change my tune any more I will just practice with it. If I'm 5 or more seconds down my tune is probably off so as suggested above will check tunes of the leaders.
I get where you are coming from, you want to have good races but are NOT bothered about 'competing' against other humans or care how fast they can go. The AI doing well when at 100/100 it equals the best human times, so setting an AI best for you requires working backwards from the leader-boards.
 
I did a little testing and another race in the Audi this time deploying the hybrid more and I moved the AI back to 65. I didn't really exhaust it in places other than the two longest straights but I did bursts coming out of most corners just trying to stick with the leaders.

This was the test session.



This was the race. That's much better. I can take finishing 2nd to Rene Rast.



Thanks for the tips. :)
 
Well its good to read others struggle with this class, too. I got smoked today with the Porsche against 50 AI, they seemed to race in their own class at Le Mans. Really sad to see SMS messed up again.
 
RaceFuchs
Well its good to read others struggle with this class, too. I got smoked today with the Porsche against 50 AI, they seemed to race in their own class at Le Mans. Really sad to see SMS messed up again.
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I'm racing this class with the same AI setting I'm always using and I don't experience this at all.
A good hybrid deployment strategy is crucial to keep up with the AI though.
 
Wait for deployment until you're in 3rd gear. In lower gears you'll waste energy because of wheelspin.
Don't use KERS above ~270-280kph.
Use 0/0 downforce, increase tire pressures to reduce rolling resistance.

Most importantly: Accept that the Audi will always be a bit quicker. Its weakness is the fuel consumption. Porsche and Toyota can do 13 lap stints easily, 14 if know how to save fuel efficiently. The Audi can only do 12 laps.
I know that doesn't help you in quick 10 lap races but that's not what those cars are balanced for, neither in-game nor in real life.

Edit: Don't use too much KERS on the start/finish straight. Save it for Hunaudieres.
 
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I will give this a try. Wasnt sure when to use Kers honestly (out of corners? on top of high speeds?) I still get the feeling the AI boosts too strong, but lets see how it goes tomorrow.
 
You have to use it to quickly accelerate out of corners. Top speed doesn't matter, getting up to high speed immediately on every straight is most important.
 
Bealdor
Wait for deployment until you're in 3rd gear. In lower gears you'll waste energy because of wheelspin.
Don't use KERS above ~270-280kph.
Use 0/0 downforce, increase tire pressures to reduce rolling resistance.

Most importantly: Accept that the Audi will always be a bit quicker. Its weakness is the fuel consumption. Porsche and Toyota can do 13 lap stints easily, 14 if know how to save fuel efficiently. The Audi can only do 12 laps.
I know that doesn't help you in quick 10 lap races but that's not what those cars are balanced for, neither in-game nor in real life.

Edit: Don't use too much KERS on the start/finish straight. Save it for Hunaudieres.
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I've only tested the Toyota and it wasn't allowed to deploy once I entered the Porsche curves. Is that as far as hybrid can be used on a lap?
 
Jezza819
I've only tested the Toyota and it wasn't allowed to deploy once I entered the Porsche curves. Is that as far as hybrid can be used on a lap?
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Well, the car can use 8MJ per lap. With a power output of 300kW (probably a bit less on average) you can use the hybrid power for ~26.7s.
How you manage this over one lap is totally up to you.
The Audi only has 6MJ per lap available and most of the time I still have a little bit hybrid power left after the Porsche curves.
 
Bealdor
Well, the car can use 8MJ per lap. With a power output of 300kW (probably a bit less on average) you can use the hybrid power for ~26.7s.
How you manage this over one lap is totally up to you.
The Audi only has 6MJ per lap available and most of the time I still have a little bit hybrid power left after the Porsche curves.
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Ok. Yeah I still had quite a bit left after the Porsche curves.
 
Bealdor
Don't mix up battery load status with energy left for the lap. The HUD only shows the former. The hybrid will still be cut off after 8MJ even if the batteries aren't empty.
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At a 3:37 best lap I've got a lot of figuring out how to use all of this stuff.
 

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