Automobilista 2 to Implement Wet Racing Line Physics?

Porsche RSR GTE & Caddilac DPI at a wet VIR in Automobilista 2.jpg
When it starts to rain, a race can change in an instant. Sim racers are often used to mostly dry conditions, but have to face the tricky task of navigating a circuit with considerably less grip once the heavens open up. The simulation of a correct wet line has been lacking in simulations thus far, however - but Automobilista 2 might change this in the future.

For most sims, rainy conditions mostly mean reduced grip and puddles in key places, which some titles generate in fixed positions while others accurately calculate them depending on the state of the track. What is not really taken into account is the behavior of cars on what would be the racing line in the dry - real-world racers would tend to avoid that when a session transitions from dry to wet.

The reason is simple: Over time, cars lay down tire rubber on the racing line in the dry, increasing its grip. Once it starts raining, this rubbered-in line starts to become more slippery, so drivers stick to a wet line until all the rubber is washed away and the previous line becomes less treacherous.

Simioni Teases New Feature​

This is something sim racers might have to take into account in Automobilista 2 soon: A discussion on the Reiza Studios forums about this topic prompted Lead Developer Renato Simioni to answer a question regarding the lack of grip on a wet racing line as follows: "Reduced grip on racing line rubber when wt is not currently simulated in AMS2. Emphasis on "currently":whistling:".

AMS2 uses the Madness Engine and its Live Track system, meaning the state of a circuit changes accurately through calculations rather than baked-in effects. An update to the tire physics is in the works for v1.5 and due to be released in late June - so some patience is needed to find out if this feature is going to be part of this update already.

Your Thoughts​

What do you think about the hint Simioni dropped in the official AMS2 forums? Are you looking forward to more accurate wet weather physics? Let us know in the comments below!
About author
Yannik Haustein
Lifelong motorsport enthusiast and sim racing aficionado, walking racing history encyclopedia.

Sim racing editor, streamer and one half of the SimRacing Buddies podcast (warning, German!).

Heel & Toe Gang 4 life :D

Comments

AMS2 is by now so full with unfulfilled promises and hints for maybe or maybe not content...I stopped believing in it.

18 Months ago there was an official Dev Update AMS2 screenshot with an Aston Martin Vantage V12. Guess what car never made it into the game. There was also dev talk about The soon arrival of safety cars and animatzed marshals with flags. Let's first see what the tire physics remake in 1.5 will bring.... and how long it will actually take to apply it to ALL cars currently in Game.
 
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I have been waiting ages for a sim to finally implement a proper track model that simulates real life wet lines. I cant believe its taken this long to get a accurate representation of wet track driving.
 
Premium
I have been waiting ages for a sim to finally implement a proper track model that simulates real life wet lines. I cant believe its taken this long to get a accurate representation of wet track driving.
rFactor 2 has correct wet track physics. Rubbered line is slippery when wet, so you will have more traction in the "wet line".
Over time, the rubber will be washed away and the grip will increase on the normal racing line.
Also, traffic dries the track where there are more cars going through.
Is it perfect? No, but it's pretty good.
 
The people in this thread say that the rubbered line doesn't become more slippery in the wet in rFactor 2:
Without being ironic then actually placebo does work.
I guess both ways.
If you feel the rubbered line get more slippery after a while - or if you feel the ideal dry line get more grippy after a while.
The whole medicine industry does know about this placebo thing when they as example decide the colours for their pills.:cool:
 
Premium
The people in this thread say that the rubbered line doesn't become more slippery in the wet in rFactor 2:

That thread is very old, well before Real Road 2.0 was implemented in July 2022.
And what one of last and most recent posts possibly corroborates the fact that the rubbered line is slippery (a guy complains that he has no grip on rain tyres, with 30% wetness - which appears to check fine, contrary to what he believes).
 
Premium
Without being ironic then actually placebo does work.
I guess both ways.
If you feel the rubbered line get more slippery after a while - or if you feel the ideal dry line get more grippy after a while.

BæTheWay: The whole medicine industry does know about this placebo thing when they as example decide the colours for their pills.:cool:
It's not placebo. It's an old thread, preceding Real Road 2.0.
As I said, it's not perfect, but it's by far the most believable in that regard.
Sadly it does not have puddle resistance/aqua-planning (ACC does, but not the wet line/slippery rubbered line).
 
For proper wet weather racing simulation they need to make your monitor fog up and have you race in wet socks. Phooey to wet racing.

I would add that PC2 was better in terms of the AI would adapt to rain more closely to the player. When it rains in AMS2, I'm on ice where as the AI streak off in the distance. In PC2, I still have a chance.
AMS2 in wet conditions is a complete waste of time. AI is totally random, it can be 10 sec faster than you with the same type of tyres. I can't see why they would bother in implement dry line on it.

Edit - I read some posts about RF2 which is unable to make AI cars pit to wets or, if they do, they start to pit every lap in a row. Quite pathetic. If you consider what Micropose GP3 achieve in 1996 delivering a reliable variable weather race you must recognise this segment of game industry was not blessed with the best heads after Geoff Crammond. Just wondering here what he would produce with a i913900K + RTX 4090 TI.
 
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AMS2 in wet conditions is a complete waste of time. AI is totally random, it can be 10 sec faster than you with the same type of tyres. I can't see why they would bother in implement dry line on it.

Edit - I read some posts about RF2 which is unable to make AI cars pit to wets or, if they do, they start to pit every lap in a row. Quite pathetic. If you consider what Micropose GP3 achieve in 1996 delivering a reliable variable weather race you must recognise this segment of game industry was not blessed with the best heads after Geoff Crammond. Just wondering here what he would produce with a i913900K + RTX 4090 TI.
That indeed did happen due to the AI actually paying attention to what the user was doing. If the user skipped practice, warmup etc, then the AI also skipped those sessions and couldn't learn what the conditions were and that was a royal failing. But that was fixed recently.(there are still many issues that need fixin' I'm not denying)
I admit, It's been nearly 30 years since I used one of the Crammond titles so remind me if I forgot any of these? Did he have real time changeable weather? Did he have to pump out 30 bazillion pixels per second? Did the F1 titles have online capabilities where dozens could all race at the same time? Did any of his titles allow team mates from around the world to share a car?(not the hot swap). Did his tracks allow for rubber build-up? Did his titles allow for Indycar mods? Nascar mods? ANY mods? could you swap custom painted skins?
There is a lot that Crammond got right, but also a lot he never had to worry about.

P.S. look here for continued AI fixes and improvements. This patch was just released this morning.
 
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Just wondering here what he would produce with a i913900K + RTX 4090 TI.
Right? He's gotta be somewhere reading the recent influx of commentary on how brilliant GP3/GP4 were. In some respects, I wish early release and DLC were banned. That way we get a finished product for once...
 

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