Automobilista 2, or AMS2 Is another great sim to keep In mind. Quite a recent sim In the racing sim community 2020, (AMS 1 In 2016) which has It´s foundation base on the MADNESS engine also used by Project CARS. Personally I really like this sim and find it has a bit of everything, It also get´s right the Importante stuff, fun, physics, FFB, content etc. The game looks and feels real nice IMHO.

Automobilista uses ISI´s rFactor game engine. Sill very well regarded among the community, although a bit outdated In the graphical department compared to newer titles, but superior to rFactor. Great open wheeler sim with a lot of classics.

Home site:
Reiza Studios Home site (In construction).





Red

Mods In the video description.

New update Is live.

Things are moving with AMS 2, and for the better with a new update...

Update log:
AMS 2 Update Log

Podcast

Got the base game very recently for only a few bucks.

It is a wonderful title very well supported from Reiza, the developer. Like their older games based on the ISI engine which were all just fantastic!

Though I was lucky enough to participate in some great organized multiplay action in different series with different cars (even here at SimHQ with GSC), that was exactly the problem with those older Reiza games.

Lack of online racing outside of leagues or clubs.

Right now there are around 700 people playing AMS 2 on Steam while around 10x or 15x the numbers are playing ACC or AC. On a weekend.

Maybe I´m in a minority as I´ m not much interested in offline racing, only as as a preparation/test for online racing.

Hope AMS 2 will get some more popularity as the number and quality of their tracks is astounding!

AMS2 has been Improving at a very good pace lately, and the Improvements have been quite significant. Some folks have been put off because not all cars were up to date In there recent updates, so you had a batch of good serious cars, with some not so good one´s, and not everyone knew which were which unless you were keeping track of development, or simply new offhand. It´s definitively a sim to keep an eye on, or play It.

I also got this sim In a bundle, but as so I Invested In the two part DLC (Racing USA) showing my support, might pick up other DLC´s (tracks) soon because recent updates are showing that this sim Is going In the right direction, and It´s a passion project for sure by Reiza. Most of my time In the sim have been spent with the Formula Ultimate gen 1, and lately gen 2. But yesterday I tried this recent update with the Cadillac DPi on Ibarra and really enjoyed the laps, had a lot of fun.

Multiplayer Is there, and you can host your own race which Is cool and how I would like other sims to do. I haven't jumped Into any ones MP race yet so I can´t say how that goes, but AMS 2 runs great and looks great too so I don´t think there should be any Issues with that regard. You also have In-game Championship, and a bunch of content with a lot of disciplines, a bit of everything, a complete sim IMHO.

My only grips are the AI, and that the UI could be more modern/attractive, looks a bit poor. Some cars (stock) have simple dashboards which In those cases makes the sim look cheap. AI needs some work, can do the job but like I said In other post, AI Is tricky unless you have the aggression set to very low, along with low AI strength and/or limited, which then makes racing against them a walk In the park.

Now that It seems that most of the cars have been updated to the recent wheel structure among other Improvements, I think It´s a good time to dedicate ones racing to this little hidden and sometimes forgotten gem.

I was told yesterday I have to get this, so what's the deal with the two packages Steam is selling?

The more expensive one seems to have less stuff, but that must be in the description of which DLC/passes are included.

How does it work?

It's marked down a touch so I think I'll pick it up.

Derek, the slightly more expensive bundle includes the the ultimate (all DLC included) AMS 1 game + the AMS 2 base game.

The other is AMS 2 + all DLC included from 2000- 2022. So basically everything released so far plus the upcomig stuff for this year.

Did a few laps today on Virginia International Raceway with one of the Formula Trainer cars.

What a blast to drive such an old school car without any downforce and driving aids (TC/ABS) on such a great track!

So the difference is the more expensive bundle has the first game, but they both have all DLC for the second game? And going forward with all to-be-released DLC?

Do I want the first game?

Among other things (see change log posted above), recent update stands as follows with regards to cars...

Last month the newer Stock Cars and Formula Ultimate vehicles received tire model physics tweaks that most players saw as an impressive step forward in the handling and feel of the cars in game, and these tweaks have now been applied to more vehicles.

Additionally, select vehicles received significant improvements outside of the tire model changes. The Cadillac DPi, Super V8, Formula Ultimate, Puma GTB and Porsche Cup were each given multiple fixes and improvements in this update.

Reiza´s update schedule Is on a monthly bases, so we can expect other Included cars get the full treatment In the following months.

Only the less expensive bundle has the DLC for AMS 2.

Don´ t think so if you get the second game and have a PC to run it with high/max gfx.

Thanks guys but I'm still lost here.



But the more expensive one says

Buy Automobilista 2 + 2020-2022 Season Pass

What's a season pass if not the DLC?

Nevermind, I see the season pass for the less expensive option is the DLC for AMS1. But this is not what Frank is saying. Could there be different bundles due to region?

I installed AMS2 plus the other bits.

Did a couple of standard steps, like turn off bloom, and music, and see if the wheel is recognized. Mine isn't in the list but I picked something and killed all deadzones.

My first exposure to this sim was the McLaren F1 (the road car) at the 24 hour version of the Nordshleife. Amazing. Seriously, that was the best feeling virtual driving I've ever experienced. I've been doing this a long time and have a bunch of top sims, but that was simply sublime. Wow, I want to jump back in and do that again.

I hadn't been on this track in years, but as I unwound out of the current GP track on to the old course it all flowed back to me. It looks so different in a modern sim than GPL, lush. Shadows cast across the tarmac, kerbs. But the lay of the land was familiar, as I turned a corner and the terrain fell this way or that I felt that connection of all those laps I turned before. The McLaren F1 is a wonder as well, and of course I took it easy. Went around twice without crashing, but only the second was timed. 9:51! Haha, that's slow, but what a wonderful experience. The engine note on this car just cuts right through you. Beautiful and vicious.

And the handling, the feel of the wheel and the connection to the road was simply the best. Maybe because I was driving an all-time hypercar, but the ability to sense, feel and correct was unlike any other sim I've driven. Routinely making the corner when I would be sliding wide in another sim because I came in too hot.

Like I said I was told I should get this sim, and thanks for that! We wanted to get it because you can have AI in MP races, and with so little coming together around here we can get some racing in against fuller fields. I'm also a big open wheel fan and this sim has a top open wheel rep. But good grief if it's any better than the F1 at the Ring then I'm done. My cup runneth over, having added AMS2, ACC and rFactor2 to the sims I had before like F1 2020/21, AC and the rest.

It would now be hard to hold an event around here that I wouldn't be prepared for

Knew you would like it!

Just waiting for a sale to get the complete DLC for the game right now.

Maybe we could try a MP event with some AI on the grid during the next days if you´re available?

Yes, let's

Yeah I really like this one, you guys were right. But honestly all of these racing sims I've been picking up are good. Each has its strengths. But the visceral sensations in AMS2 are fantastic. After making that post I did indeed jump right back to the Ring. I switched from the 24-hour track to the 2020 version, which is much closer to what we drove in GPL except for the start-finish area, where it used to loop around through what I think was called north and south curves, or the loop. Been too long. Anyway, with a little seat time now in the pocket I kicked the F1 up a notch and turned a 7:31. My first sub-8 at the Ring haha!


Here I bring the McLaren F1 to a smoking entry




Then I switched to the car I'm driving in ACC, the 991 GT3 R at Interlagos. The feel of this sim is fantastic. They way it all rumbles and shakes, the feel of the road, the insane turbo whine, how connected it all is. The soundscape inside that Porsche at speed is just amazing. It has to be experienced to be believed.

Yes, let us try.

Pick a track and a class or whatever for me to focus on in the build up to the big event

I bought the full bundle so I guess I have it all?

This feels like the way forward here to get some racing action going.

How is difficulty handled? I set it to 'authentic' and I guess that is the way to go? I want realistic and factory, so that the car I am driving has all -- and only -- the technology it has in real life.

I bought the full bundle for AMS2 yesterday at 10% off for $125! Today I see it is now 25% off for a lot less money and now includes AMS1. The bastages.

Tried a Formula Vee race with 18 Ai at classic Oulton Park starting in the middle.

Wonderful clean racing. The AI gives way but not without a fight and it goes for every overtaking opportunity presenting if given the chance.

Something like that car/track combo would be my recommendation for our first test.

OK cool, yeah I just needed something to focus on -- that you already have -- and I'm up for anything. I'll give it a whirl this evening. I might be around tomorrow day time if you are. And most evenings on the east coast are good too.

Do you mean the little open wheel 93hp things? I hope so because what fun that is.

Didn't like the handling at all out of the box, so yeah, just like that I have reason to explore yet another setup menu and options. Different physics too, in some ways I am sure. These Formula Vee's are about what you or I would have if we were serious about real racing haha. As such they aren't fancy, can't change the diff, no wings or some other stuff. So it's old school springs, bars and brakes. Managed to even her out a bit and start putting in a few laps. There's plenty of time to find here, this is some drift driving. But with cars like this there's no aero, power or torque to make up mistakes. Really fun, and basic and grounded class of racing machines

And I am now the world record holder. Well what do you know. Good to get in on the ground floor I reckon.

That'll last until frank sees this.

Sh!t, Steam just flashed that Frank has gone in game. How long will I be a world record holder? The world wonders....

It's too late to be sim racing in Germany.

Congrats Frank, I had my reign

DBond (former world record holder)

Did you crush it or nip it? I should check.

Don't let on about this car/track combination and we can keep trading world records haha!

I imagine your lap was like your fifth tour around, ho-hum, and when you put your mind to it you'll smoke this lap. But I'm happy enough to crack off a good one.

Everyone should jump in and take a shot at the record. We have it all to ourselves here for the moment.

And I see Frank just used default setup while I took a crash course -- in how to make better, then worse, then even worse than that, then pretty darn good -- chassis setup in AMS2. But I like this stuff of course, and I learned a heck of a lot tonight, and with a car that isn't all that configurable.

And this is a Formula Vee

Tonight I tried to set up GPL in AMS2. This drives like GPL. How can I describe it but if you played it you know. And it's only my opinion, but yeah, it felt right. My old PB in GPL here was 1:28.177 in the Eagle, as it should be

But tonight I drove the car that is like Jim Clark's Lotus, but called a Vintage Gen 1 I think. Right specs, 3.0l V8, 600kg. Turned a 28.6 and now sit fifth on the leaderboards for that chassis. Obviously there are a lot of options in this racing stuff, but I gotta say AMS2 has the goods for GPL vets. Good racing against the AI, championship mode. But I don't think there's a full grid's worth of unique cars? I didn't notice.

The vintage F1 stuff in AC is great, but it felt wrong, or I struggled. It wasn't how GPL felt. That sim was always challenging, but the real challenge was to go fast. Just keeping it on the tarmac wasn't a problem after some seat time if you were serious about it. But in AC I feel so sloppy, like I'm on worn tires or something you know? Looks great, sounds great but doesn't drive right. The thing I drove tonight at 1971 Monza felt right. Not like good enough, but really felt like GPL. How do you describe it but like when you're ripping out of Parabolica, and right out there on the edge with just a hint of drift creeping you closer to the wall on the left as you rocket down the straight. It's right there on the edge of adhesion, or probably slightly over it. But you can commit to it. It feels right.

I can't say for sure why AC and AMS2 feel so different with these cars, could be one of a hundred things. But if any GPL vets are looking for a fix it's in this sim for me.

Derek, your second sector is great!

Don´t know how you do it, trying to reach it I´m always on the brink to desaster.

Yesterday afternoon I went around the Nordshleife 24 hr track in the (Lotus 49) lookalike... used the Thrustmaster gear shifter instead of the paddles on the wheel.
Had some close calls and spun out once, but yes, great stuff, not been around that track for years so I couldn't remember all 88 corners!!!... and you have to think ahead when manually using the clutch and gear shifter instead of the lightning fast paddles, but I wanted to make it as realistic as possible, lol!

Ah, stick shifting, that's the stuff. Nice one Troop. A very authentic experience.

Congrats Frank. As a two-time former world record holder I can only congratulate you on your fine lap around Outlon Park. Classic.

I busted my ass to crank out that lap time, and you smoke it with ease. Yep, that's about right.

Honestly my advantage in sector two was just one turn, the looping righthander that leads on to the backstraight. I got a little ahead on the approach here, called the Island Bend, for some reason my car seemed to accelerate better down the straight out of turn 3 called the Cascades. So I could make up the gap you set in to turn 3 by the time I got to turn 5 called Shell Oils. I just kept my foot in it a little bit around that turn 5 which gave me the speed down the long backstraight. Up the hill in the lead but it starts to fall apart out of Druids Corner where you regained some time and through the final two turns to the finish line. So yeah, just a single turn I managed to go faster than your old PB. Beating my lap by a full second is strong I reckon. Nicely done.

Now please try the GPL stuff, I'm interested to hear your thoughts. What can you do about my 28.6 at '71 Monza?

I asked about difficulty, and how are you setting it? Is authentic the way to go? How is it handled in time trial? On the timing screens there is a car icon to the right, split in to like five bars. Is that a settings indicator or something? I want to be sure I'm on whichever settings are considered proper at the top levels.

I am looking at Automobilista 2.
Seems you guys really enjoy it.

So what`s the required DLC except the main game?

@DB.
Keep on the motivation work.
I `m sure it will pay off so we soon will have forum members going online.

I am still in learning process.
Struggling with timing.
If I just could do some improvement in the turns I`m sure I would gain the seconds I need to not be an embarresment to myself.

Hey Wigean, good to hear from you and yes I will keep plugging away. I think it's worth it. It's so much freakin' fun and we are just old dudes having fun racing and I want to share it with the rest of you.

If feeling like you are a bit slow to join is holding you back I just have to say don't worry about it! I know that's easy for me to say and you should follow your instinct. But I guarantee rapid improvement comes from this. I mean just sit back and watch Frank's in-car and you'll learn a ton!

As for AMS2 I just bought the boat. Not sure what is required really, as I have it all, but think I can speak for Frank, and I, and say we would be fine running whatever anyone has access to. If you just want the base game we'll run that stuff. No worries. I mean look at how much fun we had just running the most basic cars in the game.

I am far from the fastest racer, but if I had one random piece of advice for someone looking to get faster in sim racing, I would have to say don't shift gears so much. It was one of the things I learned in the GPL days. It doesn't feel right at first, and that you should be in a lower gear and winding it out for each corner. But I got significantly faster when I sat back and analyzed my laps and saw how much time could be gained by reducing my gear shifts. The car is a factor, because of course sequential paddle shifters in a F1 car cost no time at all, but the manual transmissions in GT cars, or vintage cars can cost gobs of lap time. Yeah, probably too random and anyway I have no idea of your shifting habits haha

Oh, my shifting habbits?
Well , most of the time I use the auto . Just to exclude one factor and consentrate on plain driving.
I have been wondering if that is a problem though. I just have the idea that manual shifting could improve the braking when entering turns compared to the auto mode.(?)

I guess the boat means it all, as the game plus the premium track pack. Or The game plus the season pass? (My level of language knowledge again)

And where and how can I watch Frank in-car?

Yes, shifting with a "f" in it

OK, auto's fine. Yeah, I'd have to think the additional control you get from manual shifting will help improve your times, but that can come later when you feel ready. Things like short-shifting out of a tricky corner, or using the engine braking is possible in manual and I think improves car control and makes you get around faster. But of course it also introduces something the player can foul up when automatic is always the same. Reliable.

Well, you can only watch the in-car by joining us! You can sit in one of our cars as we lap and see where we shift, where the braking points and turn-ins are, the lines to show you some alternatives to what you have worked out already. For example I found a chunk of time at Bathurst running with Frank. At the end of the very long backstraight there is a right-hand kink to the braking zone. I watched Frank use more of the track, and actually a spot that's sort of off-track, but intended, to set out wider for the turn and maintain better speed through this section. I would never have spotted this myself I don't think.

That said, maybe he saved a replay from our racing? Not sure if that could be put up here? Speaking about embarrassment! If so, anyone could watch the action, but that's for the future.

Yes, the 'boat' is just a way to say "all of it". Full boat. An American thing I think.

Oh yeah , (f) is in.:D

So I went to Steam and bought a tugboat .....(?)

If I like it I may buy some DLC for it to tow.

Downloading know.

OK awesome Wigean. Let's work out a time and get together. Just for fun, for practice laps, for talking sim racing. No need to run a race event. Just noodle around in whichever racing cars we want to. Another thing that failed to take off is any talk of chassis set up. And that's something else I could maybe help with. Suggest tweaks to dial in your car's behavior and make it feel better. Well, offer's open

Thank you DB.

It can suddenly happen.

Haha, yeah, that's what I'm hoping for! Have fun and let me know what you think of AMS2 after turning a few.

They have added a custom championship mode, where I think you can set it up any way you want. Set the cars and class, pick the schedule and order, choose how points are awarded and well, everything. I'll have a closer look at this and report back on what I find.

I've been full of praise for AMS2 but it's probably a good time (or a little late in Wigean's case) to talk about some weaknesses. I'm still new and maybe it's just a setting, but so far all the pit-in and pit-out is controlled by the game. Hopefully that's just a toggle as we should have full control at all times.

The car set is growing, but it all started as a 'Brazilian' sim, with a strong focus on series and cars that are popular there. It is expanding, and not limited to Brazilian racing, but something to be aware of at this stage. Drifting the Lotus 49 around the green hell is decidedly not Brazilian

The track-day UI is limited. I mean, if I turn twenty laps in practice I don't think I can see them all, only the fastest lap. Maybe I'm missing it? And I don't see a way to know what settings are enabled or disabled in the server screen.

It's not popular. I'm not one for racing with randos so not a big deal for me. But when Frank and I were on yesterday there were less than 20 populated servers in the list. We have added it to our bandolier because we can add AI and fill out the field since attracting humans has proven difficult. And it's my favorite feeling sim of the bunch so there's that too.

On the other hand, they say the VR is implemented beautifully. I have a VR but don't use it. I might do to see how I get on with it in racing sims. Does Track IR work with this? I should try it and see.

AMS 2 Career

That looks like a very nice alternative to simulate an actual racing carreer in AMS 2 as long as there is nothing implemented in the sim itself.

Interesting, thanks for the heads up. I'll give this a closer look.

+1

I've found plenty to like in AMS2, and one more thing is the hotlap setup with the multiple ghost arrangement. You can choose up to I think five simultaneously. World record, PB, fastest friend, chassis record, class record and so on. This is a really nice setup for hotlapping if you like to use ghosts.

Le Mans to hit AMS 2!



Red

They're really coming into their stride..The Le Mans addon is probably not good news for LMU but choice is good for the customer.

i agree, In the end the more competition we have In sims among them self´s, the better quality we users will get In return. Everyone Is stepping up their game, except ACC which Is probably working on AC 2 In the backroom. Hopefully It will be a good year for sim racing.

Personally, I think it's a pretty big hit. It's a blast.

I haven´t tried the new update yet as I have some arm injury (healing), but did a month ago and for me, It´s very playable now. They fixed the slip and slide physics Issue and the AI works a lot better. If you add that the sim looks great and has day/night transitions then you have there a very promising formula IMHO. What I also liked about this new updated Is that the LeMans track Is laser scanned which for me Is something that was missing In AMS2. Spa for example Is not laser scanned and when transitioning from other sims like rF2 It really bothers you, so I wish they give the same treatment to the rest of tracks, or at least the newer Incoming tracks.