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[TylerDurden4321]

I'm surprised there aren't more people complaining about the career mode. It's utterly pointless in terms of progression or sense of accomplishment. It's worse than DC's tour mode, at least that had some sort of goals to it.

Let me join you then.

Scenario:
A friend tells me about this new racing game, no BS like car pokemon or in-game credits you can buy with real world money, no "you have to drive these cars that you totally despise before we let you drive the cars that you bought this game for". Just a pure racing sim career with difficulty settings for everyone and all cars and racing leagues unlocked at the start.
I say "hell yeah! This is awesome, no more time-wasting and getting penalized even though I bought the game at full price".


The reality for me:
Got first place with 13 seconds gap to 2nd place in this career race weekend. Hmm, let me turn the turn the difficulty up a little. Ok, this is cool now, I only got 3rd in Qualifying... then the race starts and it's fucking pouring. I fuck up the start on the wet surface, am in 5th place after the first corner, try to find the edge of grip in the next 3 corners in this new conditions, screw up and spin out. I restart the race, check my tires... the game has no rain tires for my Ariel Atom. I quit the race, set a lower difficulty and restart the race. It's not raining anymore and I'm in first place with a big gap, again.

Changing the difficulty all the time makes me feel like I'm cheating, but in some leagues and events some of the select-able cars are just very handicapped. Also, the AI drivers don't seem to have the slightest amount of fear in rain races. The way to do rain-AI right imo, is to make some AI-drivers a lot slower in the rain and others more competitive than they normally would be on the set difficulty, but then make the chance to spin out higher for those better-than-usual AI-drivers(you also need to consider the set race length for this chance-to-spin-out calculation).

Ok, why do I even want to be in first place? I don't need to difficulty-adjust-cheat, I don't get anything from it. In fact, why do I play this career? It's just a list of scenarios from solo-play race weekends.
It's a fucked up thing to say, but for people like me car-pokemon and rewards depending on the difficulty of your task make racing games more fun and give my gaming focus. Forza, GT and DC know better how to give you either the "yessss! I did it!"- or the "I'm getting somewhere, I'm really close to my goal"-feeling. The most rewarding thing PCARS offers imo is the mastery of the car handling, which of course is a very important thing in a racing sim, too.

To everyone who is thinking about buying the game:
I bashed the AI in the paragraphs above, but if you find the right AI-difficulty for a race, then the AI in this game is SUPERB(!). You will find packs of cars as well as lonely drivers that are lost in last place with a big gap, no rubber-banding or similar tricks like the guy in first place infront of you spinning out on the last corner. AI-drivers try to take their chances constantly to overtake you where possible, but mostly back off before making contact. Yet still, subtle contacts like in real racing happen all the time. The overall AI-behavior is just great.

 

[cackhyena]

Let me join you then.

Scenario:
A friend tells me about this new racing game, no BS like car pokemon or in-game credits you can buy with real world money, no "you have to drive these cars that you totally despise before we let you drive the cars that you bought this game for". Just a pure racing sim career with difficulty settings for everyone and all cars and racing leagues unlocked at the start.
I say "hell yeah! This awesome, no more time-wasting and getting penalized even though I bought the game at full price".


The reality for me:
Got first place with 13 seconds gap to 2nd place in this career race weekend. Hmm, let me turn the turn the difficulty up a little. Ok, this is cool now, I only got 3rd in Qualifying... then the race starts and it's fucking pouring. I fuck up the start on the wet surface, am in 5th place after the first corner, try to find the edge of grip in the next 3 corners in this new conditions and screw up and spin out. I restart the race, check my tires... the game has no rain tires for my Ariel Atom. I quit the race, set a lower difficulty and restart the race. It's not raining anymore and I'm in first place with big gap, again.

Changing the difficulty all the time makes me feel like I'm cheating, but in some leagues and events some of the select-able cars are just very handicapped. Also, the AI drivers don't seem to have the slightest amount of fear in rain races. The way to do rain-AI right imo, is to make some AI-drivers a lot slower in the rain and others more competitive than they normally would be on the set difficulty, but then make the chance to spin out higher for those better-than-usual AI-drivers(you also need to consider the set race length for this chance-to-spin-out calculation).

Ok, why do I even want to be in first place? I don't need to difficulty-adjust-cheat, I don't get anything from it. In fact, why do I play this career? It's just a list of scenarios from solo-play race weekends.
It's a fucked up thing to say, but for people like me car-pokemon and rewards depending on the difficulty of your task make racing games more fun and give my gaming focus. Forza, GT and DC know better how to give you either the "yessss! I did it!"- or the "I'm getting somewhere, I'm really close to my goal"-feeling. The most rewarding thing PCARS offers imo is the mastery of the car handling, which of course is a very important thing in a racing sim.

To everyone who is thinking about buying the game:
I bashed the AI in the paragraphs above, but if you find the right AI-difficulty for a race, then the AI in this game is SUPERB(!). You will find packs of cars as well as lonely drivers that are lost in last place with a big gap, no rubber-banding or similar tricks like the guy in first place infront of you spinning out on the last corner. AI-drivers try to take their chances constantly to overtake you where possible, but mostly back off before making contact. Yet still, subtle contacts like in real racing happen all the time. The overall AI-behavior is just great.

Yeah, my biggest gripe with the game. I love it overall, but the career just falls flat. Believe it or not, my dudes giving me props over twitter isn't enough to make me feel like I'm getting somewhere.

 

[VE3TRO]

Chicane 11 at Azure (Monte Carlo) needs sorting. The A.I tends to fucks up and ends up driving down a blocked area only to be stuck there for the entire race. It will reverse but only for a second then go forward again.

 

[Vaga]

This page...

Lack of progression complaints, achievement bitching.

Sim racing meets casuals.

Calling someone casual cause they want a proper career mode in fully priced racer geez how old are you?

And it's not even a hardcore sim iracing would want a word.

 

[Mascot]

I agree, I think it's best to take everything the mods say with a grain of salt until the SMS developers comment on anything.

Not only the devs, but the head of the studio, Ian Bell, is commenting plenty on the public WMD forums. They are acknowledging the errors, bugs, glitches and requests and actioning them ASAP. Example: the Xbone controller issues have been identified, corrected and submitted to MS for release.

Seriously, if you care about this game, you need to contribute to the discussions there.

http://forum.projectcarsgame.com/forum.php

 

[leng jai]

Seriously though what is going on with the PC version? My stuttering issue when going off track is insane. I get a constant 60fps on the road and as a I screw up the whole game starts stuttering like mad, skipping multiple frames and the audio starts glitching out. It's killing my enjoyment right now.

 

[Logsi]

Really? I love the dof, helmet, even the menu music. I did add camera shake early on.

I just felt it detracted too much from being able to lay down solid lap times. I wanted the cockpit view but with looking into corners.

 

[Jimmyfenix]

I just tried this remote play and it is surprisingly playable.

 

[Mascot]

Imagine leaderboards. If there's a complaint about a leaderboard, do you automatically assume it's stupid to complain about leaderboards? And assume they're playing the game just to get a high score?

And who cares if someone buys a game for cheevos? It's stupid to me too, but it doesn't bother me. People game for different reasons.

I just find it fucking hilarious that the difficulty of achievements and trophies are being whined about when there are game-breaking bugs still to be resolved. That's just me, I guess.

 

[danowat]

Having no cars to unlock is a fundamental design decision, the usual path of progression for car games is the unlocking of cars.

Considering this isn't present, how would people think that career progression would work?

Personally, I am happy with the way it is, I don't need incentives or prizes to drive, the action of racing is the reward.

 

[Azzawon]

Not only the devs, but the head of the studio, Ian Bell, is commenting plenty on the public WMD forums. They are acknowledging the errors, bugs, glitches and requests and actioning them ASAP. Example: the Xbone controller issues have been identified, corrected and submitted to MS for release.

Seriously, if you care about this game, you need to contribute to the discussions there.

http://forum.projectcarsgame.com/forumdisplay.php?113-Project-CARS

I'm already on there, and I'm a backer! I'm just saying that sometimes the forum mods can contradict what the actual devs are saying haha, particularly with this 'first party reasons' thing on XB1.

 

[RP912]

The career mode is ok.. I actually like the idea because it feels like you are a actual race car driver. The problem is the fact that it's not in depth like a typical career mode. Beyond the tweets of "you rox" and a email or two...it's just a quick weekend race on different days of the month. I know some people in this thread don't care for a sense of reward system, but that's what makes most racing games stand out. The idea that you are pushing hard to reach that podium and win money for a upgrade or a new car is fulfilling.

Bottom line, Project CARS is a good game, but with the bugs, performance issues, and a somewhat bare bone career mode....it's just Assetto Corsa with nice graphics and

Spoiler

shitty physics :/

.

 

[Mascot]

I'm already on there, and I'm a backer! I'm just saying that sometimes the forum mods can contradict what the actual devs are saying haha, particularly with this 'first party reasons' thing on XB1.

Ah, cool.

Please note, I corrected the URL I posted above so that it shows the whole forum, inc PS4 and Xbone sections:

http://forum.projectcarsgame.com/forum.php

 

[Megasoum]

FYI for people looking for a PS4 racing wheel

https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/597759507939201024/photo/1

 

[TylerDurden4321]

Having no cars to unlock is a fundamental design decision, the usual path of progression for car games is the unlocking of cars.

Considering this isn't present, how would people think that career progression would work?

Personally, I am happy with the way it is, I don't need incentives or prizes to drive, the action of racing is the reward.

It's not just the car-unlocking for me. DC (I know, not a sim, not comparable, but this game mechanic is not per se driving related) would feel rewarding with all cars unlocked from the start, because you get 1 to 3 stars for some very different challenges. It makes you want to try harder and then, when you finally did it, it can feel very rewarding.
[Btw, overall, I absolutely didn't like the driving in DC, either make a real ostentatious arcade racer or try to make your braking and cornering more sim'ish. So don't think of me as one of "those GAF-DC people"]

 

[GHG]

Calling someone casual cause they want a proper career mode in fully priced racer geez how old are you?

And it's not even a hardcore sim iracing would want a word.

PCars has a proper career mode. It actually has a more open ended and adaptable career mode than most other racing games.

If you need a leveling system or in game credits to feel like you are getting somewhere then the spirit of a game like this will be lost on you.

And no its not iRacing, but its as hardcore a sim game that consoles have had for many a generation.

 

[ValfarHL]

The career mode is ok.. I actually like the idea because it feels like you are a actual race car driver. The problem is the fact that it's not in depth like a typical career mode. Beyond the tweets of "you rox" and a email or two...it's just a quick weekend race on different days of the month. I know some people in this thread don't care for a sense of reward system, but that's what makes most racing games stand out. The idea that you are pushing hard to reach that podium and win money for a upgrade or a new car is fulfilling.

Bottom line, Project CARS is a good game, but with the bugs, performance issues, and a somewhat bare bone career mode....it's just Assetto Corsa with nice graphics and

Spoiler

shitty physics :/

.

Is this really the case? Is AC's physics so much better? I think I must buy it to check.

 

[cackhyena]

I just felt it detracted too much from being able to lay down solid lap times. I wanted the cockpit view but with looking into corners.

Word. I'm giving it a go now without the helmet, just to see.


If I'm seeing tearing when moving my camera around in cockpit view, what do I do to fix that? It's the only time it shows up. I hardly ever do it, so it's not that big of a deal.

[/b]

Is this really the case? Is AC's physics so much better? I think I must buy it to check.

I like the physics just fine. *shrugs*

 

[Dilly]

One thing AC really does better is the feel of weight shifting to the front wheels under heavy braking, which is pretty absent in the FFB of pCARS.

Think that's a canned effect though, but the result is very good.

 

[danowat]

It's not just the car-unlocking for me. DC (I know, not a sim, not comparable, but this game mechanic is not per se driving related) would feel rewarding with all cars unlocked from the start, because you get 1 to 3 stars for some very different challenges. It makes you want to try harder and then, when you finally did it, it can feel very rewarding.
[Btw, overall, I absolutely didn't like the driving in DC, either make a real ostentatious arcade racer or try to make your braking and cornering more sim'ish. So don't think of me as one of "those GAF-DC people"]

They weren't, they were locked in to car and driver levels.

 

[RP912]

[/b]

Is this really the case? Is AC's physics so much better? I think I must buy it to check.

I played it the other day and the cars feel marvelous. The thing with Project CARS is that I'm afraid to turn a corner or else I die . I know you are suppose to be careful in racing sims but the physics are like trying to hold a damn baby. It becomes tedious and not fun when it comes down to some cars in the game.

 

[Azzawon]

Is this really the case? Is AC's physics so much better? I think I must buy it to check.

AC is the real deal IMO. Nothing against pCARS, but the physics in AC just feel so much more believable and you really get a feel for the car in that game.

 

[Momentary]

I am now in the process of asking (pleading) with my wife to get this Fanatec chair, wheel, pedals, and shifter. She just doesn't understand!!!!!
Might need to sneak some funds out of the old dividends account and ask for forgiveness later.

 

[Fortinbras]

If you need a leveling system or in game credits to feel like you are getting somewhere then the spirit of a game like this will be lost on you.

The structure of the Project Cars career mode is really refreshing. I'm glad I don't have to grind credits like in Forza/GT.

 

[RawNuts]

I have a simple question for people who own the game that I can't get an answer to after searching around a bit.

If you set up an endurance race, like 24 hours of le mans or something, are you able to save at all during the race and continue it later?

 

[kie25]

I have a simple question for people who own the game that I can't get an answer to after searching around a bit.

If you set up an endurance race, like 24 hours of le mans or something, are you able to save at all during the race and continue it later?

Not yet but I heard they are adding a patch for this.

 

[danowat]

I have a simple question for people who own the game that I can't get an answer to after searching around a bit.

If you set up an endurance race, like 24 hours of le mans or something, are you able to save at all during the race and continue it later?

Two points on that, firstly, no, you can't, secondly, PCars doesn't support (user made) timed races at the moment, the 24hr event is an invitational event as part of the career.

Edit : I should probably add that it is possible to pit and have an AI take over.

 

[kie25]

I've just took 3rd on the merc gt3 community event, on ps4. Going to push for top spot later.

 

[shadowhunter89]

Tempted to buy this, I love the Dirt, Grid, and need for speed series. But all I have is a Xbox One and Xbox 360 controller...

 

[kie25]

Tempted to buy this, I love the Dirt, Grid, and need for speed series. But all I have is a Xbox One and Xbox 360 controller...

Not sure on xbox one how pad is but my friend on ps4 eb4ticky has took top spot beating all wheel users on pad in merc community event.

 

[RawNuts]

Not yet but I heard they are adding a patch for this.

Two points on that, firstly, no, you can't, secondly, PCars doesn't support (user made) timed races at the moment, the 24hr event is an invitational event as part of the career.

Edit : I should probably add that it is possible to pit and have an AI take over.

Thanks for the answers! The AI driver is a good idea, but I really don't want to leave the game on for that long at a time. I look forward to them adding the option in a future patch.

 

[danowat]

Tempted to buy this, I love the Dirt, Grid, and need for speed series. But all I have is a Xbox One and Xbox 360 controller...

I'd hang fire till the patch.

 

[TylerDurden4321]

They weren't, they were locked in to car and driver levels.

That's why I used "would".
If you could have selected every challenge and every car from the start in DC, I still would have wanted all those stars. That the difficulty and assists are locked (because there aren't any options like that in the game anyway) for all the challenges made trying and trying harder fun.

The argument "then this game is not made for you" is totally valid in my case. I understand that hardcore sim-guys don't need gamification or a meta-game in their racing. The game is still fun for me, just not the career mode so much. Hope you got my point

 

[danowat]

That's why I used "would".
If you could have selected every challenge and every car from the start in DC, I still would have wanted all those stars. That the difficulty and assists are locked (because there aren't any options like that in the game anyway) for all the challenges made trying and trying harder fun.

The argument "then this game is not made for you" is totally valid in my case. I understand that hardcore sim-guys don't need gamification or a meta-game in their racing. The game is still fun for me, just not the career mode so much. Hope you got my point

Yeah, I get that, I understand it, I am just trying to get my head around the ways it would be possible to try to gamify it with the way everything is unlocked from the get go.

I don't need all that, but I appreciate that I am not everyone else, and I wonder if there is a suggestion for the game that would satisfy both camps.

 

[nib95]

Having no cars to unlock is a fundamental design decision, the usual path of progression for car games is the unlocking of cars.

Considering this isn't present, how would people think that career progression would work?

Personally, I am happy with the way it is, I don't need incentives or prizes to drive, the action of racing is the reward.

For me progression in the game is simply about the excitement of trying out different classes of vehicle, through accepting the different contracts and doing different championships etc. Unlocking cars is nice, but not exactly necessary. I spent a few hours just testing different vehicles, adjusting to the physics, and getting my controller settings right before starting the career. If the vehicles weren't unlocked from the get go, it would have been frustrating having to constantly re tweak each time you unlocked the next class.

 

[marvelharvey]

I've only played Project Cars for 4 hours now, and I've already relegated it to my 'Games that aren't quite ready yet' category in my Steam library. Like AC, it has an impressive visuals and a great list of content, but the core needs some work before I return.

 

[TylerDurden4321]

and I wonder if there is a suggestion for the game that would satisfy both camps.

An easy way would be to make an additional locked career, where you can't select in which class you start (or maybe optional start in Kart or FWD-road cars). Then make the contract options depending on the difficulties you chose in the events (lower difficulty=slower progression). And maybe SOME unlocks tied to the locked-career mode milestones (even if it's just the availability of the coolest paint-jobs and special achievements/trophies).

That would probably be gamification enough for me.

 

[Pjsprojects]

How come some tracks don't match the PC version on the consoles. I have just been on my console version and thought the track seemed short.

Console.

PC.

Also whats with the cars not being the same colour?

Console.

PC.

 

[Lightning Count]

After my scepticism regarding the car list I decided to give this a go.

My conclusion, well worth it, I love how deep and customisable basically everything is I am also finding the difficulty a welcome change in pace, playing Forza had made me too complacent. I am actually improving and sharpening my skills knowing that I can't just modify my way to victory. The last racer to force me to up my game like this was Ferrari F355 Challenge (a game I still rate very highly to this day) which was mercilessly difficult, here I am adapting all the time, doing subtle things like gradually building pace at the start of a race to get heat into the tyres.

In short, I was formerly a doubting Thomas, now I'm hooked.

 

[SmokyDave]

Also whats with the cars not being the same colour?

Different liveries. You can change 'em in the garage, although I don't know how to make them 'stick'. Seems like no matter what I do, the liveries are random.

On that note, must start looking for some BTCC Sierra liveries tonight.

 

[Lightning Count]

Loving the practice and qualifying modes, none of this automatically starting at the back of the field nonsense. Also the ability to choose between rolling/standing start is a huge boon.

 

[Pjsprojects]

Different liveries. You can change 'em in the garage, although I don't know how to make them 'stick'. Seems like no matter what I do, the liveries are random.

On that note, must start looking for some BTCC Sierra liveries tonight.

Ah thanks. Any idea on the tracks?

 

[Mascot]

Speaking of liveries, what's the deal with the ones on the DTM cars? They look bloody awful. I'm guessing a licensing issue or something?

 

[Nyteshade517]

How come some tracks don't match the PC version on the consoles. I have just been on my console version and thought the track seemed short.

Also whats with the cars not being the same colour?

No idea about the tracks but the cars have different liveries so they won't all be the same color

Edit: beaten

 

[Mascot]

How come some tracks don't match the PC version on the consoles. I have just been on my console version and thought the track seemed short.

Console.
[IMG ]http://i.minus.com/iehdiyr0V1Ejk.png[/IMG]

PC.
[IMG ]http://i.minus.com/ibrwhLuafCQZc8.png[/IMG]

Also whats with the cars not being the same colour?

Console.
[IMG ]http://i.minus.com/ibgVa5T9u6ejyG.png[/IMG]

PC.
[IMG ]http://i.minus.com/iMVhhx0fJhNZY.png[/IMG]

That's very weird, but more to the point - how do you get numberplates on the console version?

Different liveries. You can change 'em in the garage, although I don't know how to make them 'stick'. Seems like no matter what I do, the liveries are random.

On that note, must start looking for some BTCC Sierra liveries tonight.

Don't forget to post pics of your new racing cockpit Dave.

 

[danowat]

Speaking of liveries, what's the deal with the ones on the DTM cars? They look bloody awful. I'm guessing a licensing issue or something?

Yes, they are all fictional liveries, some of them remind me of the dark old days of PES, Michel Ewan and David Bickham.

 

[Mascot]

Yes, they are all fictional liveries, some of them remind me of the dark old days of PES, Michel Ewan and David Bickham.

Yeah, they are rotten. Most (all?) of the liveries are fictional in pCARS though, aren't they? And they're pretty good, generally. Wonder why the DTM ones are so... arcade racer?

 

[Graphics Horse]

Ah thanks. Any idea on the tracks?

Conversion error for the length, it's correct on console but showing km distance on pc.
Not sure why it's showing 14 turns.. is that the full course number? But the length is definitely not from the full course anyway.

 

[SmokyDave]

Ah thanks. Any idea on the tracks?

Nope. That's really weird though.

Don't forget to post pics of your new racing cockpit Dave.

Heh, I don't think I'll be spending any time soon. I can feel the missus' third eye passing toward me as I type.

I've got an OK setup to be getting on with for now. My wheel and shifter are securely bolted to a huge desk (my PC uses a 42" HDTV for a monitor) with the pedals underneath. There's a bit of wheel-induced wobble with the TV, but I'll survive for now. New PC arrived today so I have the joy of setting that beast up when I get in.

 

[Mascot]

Fanatec settings for PS4 from a user on the WMD forums. Worth a punt. Will try later. Supposed to help with deadzone quite a bit.

Meanwhile I use these modified settings for my GT3, originally postet by Biker77, thx! A lot of members in another forum confirmed them as very usefull:

Start the game using it in PC Mode.

On the wheel:
Sen 800
Ff 100
Sho 100
Dri off
abs 000 (finally didnt work)
Lin 000
Dea 000
Spr 4 (minimize the steering clearance noticeable, although the wheel is in the PC Mode)
dpr off

Menu Controls:

Controller input mode 3

Steering Deadzone 0
Steering sensibility 100
Throttle deadzone 0
Throttle sensibility 60
Brake deadzone 0
Brake sensibility 80
Speed sensibility 0
Controller filtering 100
Force Feedback 100

Advanced: off

Setup for every Car and Track (adjustable with in 30 seconds and storeable):

Force Feedback:
Master scale 180
Fx scale 148.00
Fy scale 150.00
Fz scale 142.00

Arm angle 200

Button assigning:
Necessary at every game start. The Handbrake and KERS must have been assigned to save the adaption.

Nope. That's really weird though.


Heh, I don't think I'll be spending any time soon. I can feel the missus' third eye passing toward me as I type.

I've got an OK setup to be getting on with for now. My wheel and shifter are securely bolted to a huge desk (my PC uses a 42" HDTV for a monitor) with the pedals underneath. There's a bit of wheel-induced wobble with the TV, but I'll survive for now. New PC arrived today so I have the joy of setting that beast up when I get in.

Not sure if it's your first wheel but having the pedals absolutely rock-solid is absolutely essential. If they slide around even the tiniest bit you will kill bystanders.