Octopus Overlords

Posted: **Sat Dec 31, 2022 1:29 am**

Not the old Pole Position from the arcades.

Makes me want to play Dirt.

Posted: **Sat Dec 31, 2022 1:35 am**

Here are some excerpts from the race I mentioned above. I'm racing the Brabham BT46B at Kyalami in South Africa, the 1976 circuit configuration.

Practice at 10am local was dry and sunny, but at 11am when qualifying occurred it had clouded up. Between the end of qualifying and the start of the race it had rained, but it has now stopped and the sun is breaking through. Note as you watch the race, the shadows of the clouds on the track. Also, the track is pretty wet at the beginning, but by the end of the race after five laps there is a lot less spray.

As you watch the race, note the small black dots on the track. Those are rolled up pieces of rubber, dubbed "clag" by David Hobbs, and during the course of a race they will accumulate. Furthermore, they do effect your car, you'll feel little bumps as you go over them. I think (not sure) that they do actually affect the grip of that tire till they wear off, but I'm relying on my memory which may be faulty in this regard.

The video below is an edited version of the replay camera, showing only the first and last lap. Notice how wet the track is on the first lap, but by the last lap there is much less spray. Also a lot of the spray comes from places like the apexes of corners where water has accumulated.

Posted: **Sat Dec 31, 2022 2:11 am**

Today saw the release of the V1.4.5.2 update, plus the release of three DLC. I've noted some of the new cars and tracks in the posts I've made today. Here's the article with all the details: Automobilista 2 V1.4.5.2 & New DLC Packs RELEASED!

Automobilista 2 V1.4.5.2 Update is now released, along with 3 new DLC packs: Brazilian Racing Legends, Supercars & Historical Track Pack* are all available now!

*Please note Bathurst 1983 is part of this package but not yet available in-game, will be added over the course of January.

Beyong the new content, the new update brings a long list of valuable improvements - check out the complete list below.

Spoiler:

And the game is 70% off till the end of the Steam Winter Sale

And the Season Pass is 40% off. Don't know why the image says "Supercars Pack Pt1", the rest of the text is complete as it the link it contains.

Posted: **Sat Dec 31, 2022 2:14 am**

A look at the newly added McLaren Senna hypercar in Automobilista 2. This is a lap at Laguna Seca, the first part from in-car, then an external view.

Posted: **Mon Jan 02, 2023 2:03 am**

A special treat for New Years, a cockpit view of a hot lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife ("North loop") 2020 circuit driving a P2 class Sigma P1 (yes, it is a P2 class car).

First of all, welcome to the "Green Hell", as Jackie Steward dubbed it. In this configuration, which doesn't use the extra length of the GP circuit, it is just under thirteen miles long. With well over 100 corners, it is the longest track which is still used for racing. And you can even bring your own vehicle there (if it has the right safety equipment) and run it yourself. I first ran this track (on a computer

) back when I was playing Grand Prix Legends when it was released in 1998. So it is pretty familiar to me, yet I still suck at it

My car is a Sigma P1, which oddly is a P2 class car. It is, as far as I can tell, a car made up for the game, not an actual race car. Still, it looks pretty slick.

And so on to the video. It starts just before the Start/Finish line and ends just after one lap. I thought I did a reasonably decent lap, but I'm 53 seconds slower than the leader

. It is the cockpit view only, but I think that's more fun.

Posted: **Mon Mar 06, 2023 5:56 pm**

A new update is coming and I've downloaded the Release Candidate to take a look at the new Formula Inter car and the new Bathurst 1983 track configuration.

Posted: **Mon Mar 06, 2023 6:55 pm**

I'm here again at the Bathurst 1983 circuit, driving a Formula Inter car against twelve others. I started at the back of the field, moved up a bit and then disaster struck.

Posted: **Mon Mar 06, 2023 7:05 pm**

Posted: **Mon Mar 06, 2023 8:37 pm**

Isgrimnur wrote: Mon Mar 06, 2023 7:05 pmOops

Oops indeed

. That's a nasty section of the track, going up and down as well as side to side.

Meanwhile, it's a wet race at the Velopark 2010 configuration with the Formula Inter cars. It's only five laps but I manage to go from last to first. Check out at the 1:30 mark when an AI car takes out the 100 meter brake marker board and it goes flying in pieces. Later on at that corner there is a piece of someone's wing sitting there too. By the last lap the marshals have cleared it.

Posted: **Tue Mar 07, 2023 9:58 am**

This is a short race at the Road America track. I'm driving a P1 MetalMoro AJR Chevrolet. It is supposed to be a five lap race, but I don't make it the whole way. Thankfully this car has TC and ABS or I'd never make the first lap.

Posted: **Tue Jul 25, 2023 2:16 pm**

Haven't posted here for awhile, even though I know that everyone

is eagerly awaiting the latest news. There's a new article from the devs concerning the soon to be released Automobilista 2 V1.5 Physics Development Update is about chassis and tire physics:

Every physics front - chassis, aerodynamics, suspension, driveline, engine, brakes and obviously tires for each of the 272 physics variants in the game have been at minimum double-checked, and at maximum completely rewritten: suspension geometries are considerably more accurate to the model simulated; spring and damper rates (critical to tires and aerodynamics) exhaustively revised, differentials fine-tuned, engine torque curves adjusted, and new car-specific systems and functionalities such as frontal DRS for the Sigma P1 G5 and Metalmoro AJR Gen2 or e-diff systems for the Mclaren 570 GT4 or the VW TSI Cup cars implemented; the force feedback for each of the variants has in turn been carefully fine-tuned for each car´s characteristics for a much more detailed feel for the revamped tire and suspension physics.

Lots and lots of data:

And of course, a video, this time of a tire flexing

Posted: **Fri Sep 29, 2023 5:24 pm**

In order to get my somewhat arthritic limbs ready for the release of Forza Motorsport next week I've set up my wheel and pedals and am giving Automobilista 2 some time. I used to do different tracks and different cars in one session, but this week I'm going to try to stick to just one track each day. I'll start off with a lower performance car to learn the track and then maybe switch off to a higher performance one (or two) and see and feel the differences. Yesterday I was doing Road America, today I'm at Long Beach.

A lap around the Long Beach race course while driving a Fusca Classic FL.

From the cockpit view

With all camera views (not of same lap)

Posted: **Fri Sep 29, 2023 6:36 pm**

Best Lap of Long Beach driving the BMW M3 German Group A

Posted: **Fri Sep 29, 2023 11:19 pm**

Since Reiza doesn't have the license, this is DEFINITELY not an Indycar, specifically a Lola T95/00 Ford-Cosworth which did compete in Indycar in 1995. A video from trackside cameras of a lap at Long Beach.

An in-cockpit view of my fastest lap, preceded by a look at selecting the car and loading the track.

Posted: **Sat Sep 30, 2023 12:07 am**

A lap of Long Beach driving a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 3.8, cockpit view

Posted: **Sat Sep 30, 2023 11:51 pm**

A special treat today, a lap of the Monza course in Italy, circa 1970, the one with the banked oval corners and flat road track combined. The car is a Formula Vintage Gen1 Model1 from the same era. It is intended to represent the Formula One cars from the 1960s.

If you've ever seen the 1966 movie "Grand Prix", this is the race course where the final event is held. The movie was filmed at the actual circuit and those shots of the banked corners are very accurate. The car in the movie that was called a Jordan-BRM rather resembles the car I'm driving in the video. Interestingly enough, there actually was a Jordan-BRM a decade later, and later on there was also a Jordan F1 team founded by Eddie Jordan.

Posted: **Sun Oct 01, 2023 12:04 am**

A quick video, three views of a Porsche 962C Group C car at Monza hitting the unprotected end of an Armco barrier.

Posted: **Sun Dec 24, 2023 11:39 pm**

I realized that I'm probably the only one interested in this game

, but I'll still mention that if you are interested, the game and the season pass are on sale with a total bundle discount of 73% till January 4th. Note that the 2020-2022 season pass actually covers most of the content released in 2023 as well.

Content updates will continue to the base game in 2024 and new DLC is being released as well, including Le Mans and a number of cars from the WEC, including the new Hypercar class. UPDATE: I see now that the Le Mans DLC is actually scheduled to be released this week unless there are some last minute glitches.

And of course, there is a demo available.

Ignore that title of "Supercars Pack Pt1", this actually is the Season Pass.

Posted: **Mon Dec 25, 2023 12:29 pm**

You’re not the only one jz, this has been my go-to along with iracing, but I just let that sub expire because I’m mostly playing single player now and I find AMS2 better for me (I do miss the Modifieds and Late Model short track content)

I’ll be adding the latest DLC and LeMans this week.

Posted: **Mon Dec 25, 2023 7:06 pm**

Glad to know that there is someone else out there enjoying this game. I've got in almost ninety hours on Forza Motorsport, but I finally just decided that I felt like there was too much grinding to do. Also the physics, while good, just aren't at the level of AMS2. I just fired up AMS2 after not playing for awhile, selected a car and a track...

...and just drove a test day session. It reminded me of how much better the physics are than in FM. Not that I've ever driven a race car, but they just feel more like I imagine a race car to feel. It helps that I have a good pedal and wheel set.

Posted: **Mon Dec 25, 2023 8:08 pm**

Kicking the tires on the two new DLCs, the Formula HiTech and the Historical Track Pack Pt2, running a HiTech Gen2 car on the Montreal 1991 circuit, one lap.

Posted: **Fri Dec 29, 2023 8:37 pm**

For those who might be confused about all the DLC and which are included in the Season Pass and the various packs, here is a handy-dandy guide, not prepared by me.

Posted: **Sun Dec 31, 2023 11:59 am**

Automobilista 2 V1.5.5.0, Le Mans & Endurance Pack Pt1 RELEASED!

It´s the end of an incredible year for Automobilista 2 - one that brought the sim major gameplay developments, many exciting new cars and tracks and scores of new players. It has also been its highest grossing year, almost four years after its initial release.

To celebrate the end of this great year in style with old and new players alike, the very last day of the year brings a new game update as AMS2 hits v1.5.5 along with Le Mans and several state-of-the-art 2023 Endurance race cars. The two new DLCs will remain free for all at release and into the first few days of 2024 so everyone gets to enjoy AMS2 at its very best.

Besides the two new DLC, which are part of today's update, there are a bunch of fixes as well. There are also some important notes on changes which didn't make this update but are planned to be released in the future.

Posted: **Sun Dec 31, 2023 7:19 pm**

A short video showing me driving a Porsche 992 GT3 Gen2 car in Automobilista 2 at Le Mans during rain and lightning.

Posted: **Sun Feb 04, 2024 1:47 am**

This is me participating in a fifteen minute race at Long Beach, driving a Ginetta G40 in the GT5 class. There are twelve competitors. Since I finished last in the first of two races that day, I started at the tail end of the field. On the first lap I managed to work up to eighth, then back down the field to eleventh, then twelfth, then back to eleventh, but a late penalty due to being out of limits for the sixth(!) time added twenty-one seconds to my overall time, dropping to a final place of twelfth. And there were a few bumps and bangs along the way.

Posted: **Fri May 31, 2024 6:36 pm**

Since the last time I posted I have undergone hand surgery which made any racing game that used a wheel impossible. I'm finally recovered enough to be considering firing up AMS2 once again. And to motivate me, there is a new developer update:
Automobilista 2 May 2024 Development Update - The Road to V1.6 Pt1

As announced in our previous catch-up in March, the team have since been completely immersed in the work for what is promising to be the biggest AMS2 update yet – as with previous milestone updates, V1.6 will introduce major developments to every front of the game, the collective effect of which to constitute a leap that should surmount event[sic] that of V1.5 last year – the game will look, sound, feel and race better than ever, wrapped by a completely overhauled user interface and boosted by some of the coolest premium content we have ever worked on.

The depth of the changes in AMS2 V1.6 is such that we couldn´t possibly cover it all within a single dev update – given we are still several weeks away from its release, we will instead break the news in parts to give everyone the chance to digest all the features and content incoming with this update.

For those who don't have any interest in reading the rather long update (OK, you can all put down your hands

), I can summarize

At Least Seven New Premium Car Brands to Join AMS2 in 2024 - Audi being the first announced one. Some cars free in the base game, some premium content.
Road Atlanta Incoming! - As part of the plan to recreate the 2024 IMSA season, this will be one of the three tracks in a new premium DLC
A big physics revision, more realism on tires and brakes, a tuning of the energy recovery systems for hybrids
Visible Tire Wear & Damage
Pit lights at every track
Racing line realism adjustments
Vehicle windshield representations
Improved particle effects

More info on the next update sometime in June.

Posted: **Fri May 31, 2024 6:38 pm**

Videos of a couple of the above updates:

Posted: **Sun Jun 02, 2024 12:43 am**

Welcome to the Nordschleife!

The ne plus ultra of race tracks, over fourteen miles, over 100 turns, a track that Jackie Steward dubbed "The Green Hell". In Automobilista 2, the Nürburgring Pack DLC includes not only the modern Nürburgring track in several configurations, but also the whole Nordschleife in its modern configuration, as well as the 1971 Nürburgring featuring the Südschleife ("South Loop"), Nordschleife ("North Loop") and Gesamtstrecke ("Whole Course") in an incredibly detailed and faithful recreation of this glorious race track as it was back in the day.

Today I'm running on the 1971 version of the Nordschleife

To keep things as historic as possible, I'm driving a Formula Vintage Gen 1 car (this is the AMS2 of the Lotus 49 of 1967 vintage, but with no wing).

First Attempt

This was my first of three race attempts. I started at the back of the field in 25th, but there is a big crash ahead of me (at the 35 second mark) and I managed to get up to 17th after only hitting a couple of traffic cones

. Unfortunately in less than another minute I get tagged from behind and hit a guard rail, causing significant damage.

Second Attempt

I restarted the session. Again I'm in the back of the field and again there is an accident just after the first corner and again I managed to drive around it. But I end up in a guard rail again

Final Attempt

Once again I restarted the session and again we start. This time there was no opening wreck and I stayed at the back of the field. The Nordschleife is one of my toughest challenges and so even with the AI at 80% I'm not running at their speed. I managed to stay on the black stuff for most of the distance, but just before the long final straight I again whacked a guard rail. I limped the car back to the pits so everyone could see what a pitstop looks like, but with my significant damage it wasn't worth waiting till the repairs were done.

Posted: **Thu Sep 19, 2024 12:09 am**

Fired this game up again after more than three months away due to medical issues. I had just been running a car in Forza Motorsport and I selected the same car in AMS2 and there was quite a significant difference, the AMS2 physics just feeling so spot on.

And speaking of physics, there is now a part 2 preview of the upcoming 1.6 update. It's a pretty long posting with lots of geeky goodness in it. For instance, here's more information on the upcoming changes to how rain will affect tracks and car handling.

The evolution of track conditions under rainy weather as it grows damp and then soaked with water is more clearly visible, especially at lower saturation levels.

These saturation levels also better correlate with the amount of water spray being generated over various segments of the track. The visuals of water spray itself have been further improved, with volume escalation according to the level of water saturation becoming more natural.

In terms of track physics, the buildup, evaporation, and dissipation of water on track, and the dynamics involved have received many adjustments to better factor track characteristics in those dynamicss. This includes road inclination, drainage properties (both natural and track-specific), and interaction with the cars themselves. As a result, puddles don’t accumulate as easily or deeply as before, even on older and / or regional tracks where drainage systems are more limited.

Even when puddles do form, the updated wet tires in V1.6 are much better equipped to dissipate water, reducing the risk of aquaplaning.

But the biggest development to LiveTrack in V1.6 is the increased effect of water when overlaying the rubber on the racing line, making it a lot more slippery than before —the more rubber build-up on the racing line and the more saturated it is with water, the slipperier it gets and the more the driver has to explore different lines to avoid it.

And a video to demonstrate the changes:

Posted: **Thu Nov 28, 2024 1:38 am**

And hour long video, part one of two, showing in detail the current state of the game as well as the changes coming with the 1.6 update, which are pretty huge. If nothing else, watch the first minute which will give you an idea of how big a game AMS2 is.

Posted: **Fri Nov 29, 2024 5:12 pm**

For those with the game, or who might be interested, be aware that the major 1.6 update has been released, (link to Changelog & Release Notes). Also released are the IMSA Track Pack, Endurance Pt2 & Lamborghini DLCs. And as always, the DLC will be available for free this weekend to try out, access will be removed come the end of the weekend unless you purchase the DLC.

And the base game is sale for 50% off till December 4th. And as always there is a demo available.

Posted: **Mon Dec 02, 2024 1:29 am**

This is a 20 minute race at the Ciritiba circuit in Brazil, driving a Formula Inter MG-15. I qualified on the pole, but I suck at racing and while I managed to pass a number of cars I also spun a few times. The video is longer because I used the Instant Replay in the game to replay some of the action.

Worth noting that in 1.6 there is now an option to have a full track map on the HUD.

I recorded this video using the new Steam in-game recording system, then exporting the file and uploading to YouTube.

Octopus Overlords

Automobilista 2 racing sim - demo available

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Re: Automobilista 2 racing sim - demo available

Re: Automobilista 2 racing sim - demo available

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Re: Automobilista 2 racing sim - demo available

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