It’s a great time to be a PC sim racer. In the last month, major updates have been released for some of the most popular sim racing titles. rFactor 2 received a redesigned UI last month, while the TT Circuit Assen was added to RaceRoom. Now, Reiza Studios has released a massive update for Automobilista 2.
Announced on Reiza’s forum, Automobilista 2's first update of 2022 adds Road America, some classic single-seater cars, cockpit camera improvements, and so much more.
Road America arrives in Automobilista 2
Part of the Racin´ USA Pt2 DLC pack, Road America is the main highlight in the latest Automobilista 2 update. Measuring 4.048 miles long, the high-speed circuit is best known for hosting American racing series such as NASCAR and IndyCar.
This could be one of the most accurate versions of Road America in a racing simulator, though it's not clear if the track has been laser-scanned. Watkins Glen International and the Cleveland Burke Lakefront Road Course are also included in the DLC pack.
As for cars, the Racin´ USA Pt2 DLC pack puts you behind the wheel of two classic American single-seaters: the Reynard 2Ki and Lola B2K/00 open. Available now on Steam, the Racin´ USA Pt2 DLC pack retails for £10.99. For a limited time, it's on sale with 50 per cent off, reducing the price to £5.49.
Race the legendary McLaren MP4 1C
Formula 1 fans are in for a treat. While it’s unclear if classic cars will return in F1 2022, you can now race the legendary McLaren MP4 1C in Automobilista 2. Added for free to the new F-Retro Gen3 class, the McLaren MP4 1C was driven by the late Niki Lauda in the 1982 and 1983 Formula 1 seasons.
Joining the MP4 1C in the new Gen3 class is the F-Retro Gen3 Turbo and F-Retro Gen3 DFY Aspirated. In addition, the update also adds the VW Polo GTS and Virtus GTS to the TSI Cup class.
As well as new content, the update makes some changes to the cockpit camera, as Reiza explains on the forum:
- Before V1.3.3.0, the camera g-force effect was only enabled longitudinally (braking and acceleration), with no lateral g-force effect (from corners) or vertically (from bumps & suspension movement) even at 100% g-force setting; we have now added settings for lateral & vertical g-force effects like in AMS1.
- Before V1.3.3.0, g-forces, leaning effect, and look to apex effects would only work in helmet camera mode - now these effects apply irrespective if you´re running helmet camera mode or not.
- As of V1.3.3.0, TrackIR users are able to change the camera g-force.
- Before V1.3.3.0, VR and trackIR users were forced to use the SMS legacy camera head movement mode. Now, VR and TrackIR users can enable our camera head movement mode in the camera settings screen if desired. It allows for example for the driving to align with the horizon in banked corners like Daytona's without having to resort to camera orientation. Note however that for existing profiles your previous VR settings are preserved, so nothing will change for you unless you decide to change it in camera settings screen.
That’s not all. Reiza has also improved the physics, AI, and audio effects in the comprehensive update.
Check out the full list of changes in the Automobilista 2 V1.3.3.0 update below.
Automobilista 2 V1.3.3.0 patch changelog
Content
Tracks
- Added Road America (part of the Racin´ USA Pt2 DLC pack)
Vehicles
- Added F-USA Gen3 class featuring Reynard 2Ki, Lola B2K/00 (part of the Racin´ USA Pt2 DLC pack)
- Added F-Retro Gen3 class featuring McLaren MP4-1C, F-Retro Gen3 Turbo, F-Retro Gen3 DFY Aspirated
- Added VW Polo GTS & Virtus GTS to TSI Cup class
General
- Enabled G-forces for cockpit camera (previously G-forces were only enabled for helmet camera)
- Made the helmet and cockpit cameras orientation change that comes from G-force effect be scaled by the G-force slider settings (previously only the camera position change was scaled, not the orientation)
- Fixed in-game session details not accounting for session scaling in championship mode and rounding to multiples of 5 in multiplayer.
- VR Camera Settings: Enabled legacy/new head movement toggle for VR users; World Movement renamed to 'Head Movement' (current user World Movement setting will be maintained and converted to an equivilent 'Head Movement' setting)
- Enabled camera G-force settings for TrackIR users.
- Enabled look to apex and leaning in cockpit camera
- Shared Memory: Updated header to V10; Added Tyre temp L/M/R, Ride height, Session duration which were previously only available via UDP; Added DRS State; Added session additional laps information; Extended CarFlags to include TCS/SCS active state; Latest header/changelogs/sample project now available in the 'Support' directory of the game install
- Fixed an issue with championship editor which would lead to incorrect race 2 starting order if both races did not use the same duration type. Added a fall back to find any race 1 result as the basis for race 2 in existing savegames
- Default weather progression for official championships are now sync to race
- Fixed an issue where default weather progression for official championships was extremely high (existing saves will revert to sync-to-race on load if out of range)
- Made brake pedal sensitivity linear by default for most Thrustmaster wheel types.
- Fixed issue where HUD leaderboard would cut off the local player row in some cases
- Fixed stale drive button state requiring double click of race ready button if a user drove a previous session of a Multiplayer event.
- Actual timestep is now passing to FFB scripts
UI & HUD
- Added Front/Rear tyre selection to quick setup menu
- Fixed selected row visual states on Game control assignments tab
- Added current lap info to position widget HUD in timed races
- Fixed in-game camera options screen not correctly hiding VR options
- Corrected engine displacement info for F-Classic Gen3 models 2 & 3
Physics
- Minor tyre tread adjustments for F-Reiza, F-V10 G1, F-V12, F-Ultimate F-Classics (all gens), Group C, Group A, BMW M1 Procar
- Added driveline elasticity modelling for cars that still didn´t feature it (Lancer Cup, TSI Cup, JCW Mini, Copa Truck, F-Ultimate)
- TSI Cup: Improved clutch smoothing
- Revised wheel spin inertia for all cars
- Reduced front splitter pitch sensitivity for Group A & Procar
- Slightly improved rear wing baseline downforce of Group A cars
- Disabled now redundant autoclutch forced off in semi-auto F1s (fixes cars stalling even with autoclutch set on)
- Adjusted Corvette C3-R final drive ratio
- Further clutch heating/wear improvements and adjusted update rate
- Reinstated auto-clutch logic for sequential shifts that do not have autoblip/autolift
- Updated clutch models to include flash and burst parameters
- Changed clutches on some cars
- All street cars now have clutch damage
- Revised F1 driveline inertias
- Improved sequential F1 shift reliability
- Added clutch damage and heating model.& clutch damage attributes for DPI, GT1/GTE/GT3, C3/C3R/Omega, multiple F1s
- Prevented needless autoclutching in clutchless sequentials
- Updated default setups for M1 Procar, Groupa A (both models), GT3 (all models), Corvette C3-R, Porsche RSR 1974, Ginetta G40 Cup, G40 GT5, Porsche Cup, Stock Car 2021 / 2022, Mercedes CLK, AJR (all variants), MRX (all variants), Roco (setup reset recommended), F3s,
- Adjusted engine wear increase with boost settings for F-Classic turbo engines & eeduced default wastegate setting to account for higher engine wear at higher settings
AI
- Increased hardcoded radius values for AI detection of corners ahead (this should fix some existing AI logic not triggering in some corners)
- Added a AI series-specific radius check and distance ahead to look at before trying to overtake (customization per car type still to be implemented)
- Adjusted AI decision behaviour when an AI driver is attempting to avoid cutting the track but has a player vehicle on opposite (should prevent some cases of AI hitting player laterally)
- Added a per-weekend based consistency personality logic for AI
- AI calibration pass for F-Classics (all gens)
- Slightly increased AISidecalc range to further reduce chance of AI cars being "scared" out of the way by player coming up behind it
- AI rolling resistance adjustments for GT3, GT4, GTE, P1, P2, P3, P4, Stock Cars
Audio
- Updated crash sound effects
Tracks
- Updated weather & climates change in European and North American locations to ease transitions in seasonal foliage (so early spring the foliage is still looking dry, early summer still lush green; and early autumn still green)
- Adjusted rolling start and TT start points for Kansai, Monza, Ortona, Silverstone, Snetterton, Spielberg, Velocitta, Velopark, VIR
- Watkins Glen: Added barriers on the bypass road for inner loop layouts
- Monza: Added missing grandstands, ad boards / gantries; grounded floating poles at Lesmos in Monza 1991
- Silverstone 1975: Add more cones marking pitent/pitex, Adjust a few 3d people, LOD adjustment on flags
- Ortona: Fix for outer houses LODs; Trimmed the apex corridors
- Daytona: Updated AI lines & corridors
- Updated trackside cameras for Brands Hatch, Curitiba
- Nurburgring: Fixed Cam 01 clipping
Vehicles
- Reynard 98i: Fixed left mirror bug): Added dirt/damage texture; Changed rain tyre texture; Updated cockpit tyres
- BMW M8 GTE: Fixed brake discs glow issue
- McLaren F1 GTR: Fixed conflicting #8 livery
- Adjusted suspension animations for all F-USA models