Automobilista 2 v1.6: Reiza Shows Multiplayer Improvements In Road Atlanta Test

Automobilista-2-Oreca-07-Road-Atlanta.jpg
Images: Reiza Studios
The wait is not over yet, but Automobilista 2 v1.6 still appears to be on a great path: A replay of a multiplayer session by developer Reiza Studios shows both online and other developments of the incoming update.

With update 1.6, Automobilista 2 is due an extensive overhaul that affects essentially every area of the sim. Initially slated for a summer release, the update still has not deployed yet - but it seems like it cannot be too far off anymore. At least this is what a new video on the studio's YouTube channel implies.

The video shows a multiplayer test session in the v1.6 beta version, including both the IMSA GTP and GTD (read: LMDh and GT3) classes at Road Atlanta. The contest lasts for about half an hour and was hosted by Low Fuel Motorsports, one of the third-party multiplayer platforms Reiza is working with to improve the online part of AMS2.


While the main focus of the test was to show the developments in regards to netcode and the stability of multiplayer sessions with large grids (in this case a full 32-car field), it also includes other improvement, namely to the visuals and audio of the sim. It is worth noting that the session is shown in replay mode, too.

The sessions does appear to be stable and run smoothly, with a few exceptions. Early on in the video, an Alpine A424 can be observed to be moving erratically, called "warping" in the video, at one point due to the driver's high ping and the grid being comprised of drivers from around the globe.

Other insight includes the now much trickier nature of the LMDh cars, which we noticed in our hands-on sessions with the beta as well. While these prototypes do have a lot of downforce and grip, they are not on rails, something that Le Mans Ultimate also demonstrates quite well.

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Progress For Online Modes​

What is encouraging to see is that even once the slower GT3-class traffic becomes involved, things do no get messy netcode-wise. According to Reiza, LFM has received "overwhelmingly positive feedback from internal testers" from a number of multiplayer test sessions like the one in the video - which should bode well for the multiplayer side of things in AMS2.

After all, many sim racers seem to think a decent online experience is what holds Automobilista 2 back compared to the competition. Could this be about to change once version 1.6 is deployed? It certainly seems possible, and Reiza looks like it is taking its time to ensure things are working properly - even if that means the release target of summer might turn out to be summer in the southern hemisphere.

What are your impressions on Automobilista 2's multiplayer impovements? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our AMS2 forum!
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!).

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Comments

My guess is that it will arrive by the end of December, if we're lucky, but I doubt it. It's OK that Reiza is a small studio, but they're dragging their feet a lot ... and on the multiplayer I seriously doubt that it will be the improvements that so many are expecting. Single player certainly, but by now it is a fact that AMS2 and multiplayer do not go together, it is not iRacing that was born exclusively for that ... You have to make peace with it, whether there is or not the community of LFM what changes in the end? Not a damn thing, maybe it will have a lot of hype and affluence at the beginning but then it will drop, as usual, and you'll find yourself on the servers with people who only do selfies without being able to moderate in any way those who do blatant misconduct.
 
Nice... now with 32 stable online cars, the lobbies will improve from 3/24 to 3/32.

Serious, I'm glad Reiza is improving things and I believe they must keep on, but is more important a working ranked races system that will must probably bring more players to the MP that work over the netcode, that is good enough for the current demand. You know... priorities... the ideal is to improve both and at least they are working on the right direction.
 
Nice... now with 32 stable online cars, the lobbies will improve from 3/24 to 3/32.

Serious, I'm glad Reiza is improving things and I believe they must keep on, but is more important a working ranked races system that will must probably bring more players to the MP that work over the netcode, that is good enough for the current demand. You know... priorities... the ideal is to improve both and at least they are working on the right direction.
Ranked multiplayer on it's own doesnt move the needle at all in terms of users, as RF2 and Raceroom already proved.
 
Nice... now with 32 stable online cars, the lobbies will improve from 3/24 to 3/32.

Serious, I'm glad Reiza is improving things and I believe they must keep on, but is more important a working ranked races system that will must probably bring more players to the MP that work over the netcode, that is good enough for the current demand. You know... priorities... the ideal is to improve both and at least they are working on the right direction.
What do RaceRoom, rF2, LMU and AMS2 have in common? They don't know how to advertise themselves well and even if they are much cheaper alternatives people (who really want to compete a bit decently, even in 'public servers' prefer iRacing by far, and I'll tell you ... since they put the dynamic weather (and also thanks to the recent news of updates and various features coming) I prefer it too ... Much better to invest more but also have more choice, not to mention that iR has much more frequent updates than the other sims previously mentioned, put together ... we know rF2 is already dead and buried, the community will keep it alive with a few events but we'll keep the thousands of problems that still plague it forever;
 
Premium
My guess is that it will arrive by the end of December, if we're lucky, but I doubt it. It's OK that Reiza is a small studio, but they're dragging their feet a lot ... and on the multiplayer I seriously doubt that it will be the improvements that so many are expecting. Single player certainly, but by now it is a fact that AMS2 and multiplayer do not go together, it is not iRacing that was born exclusively for that ... You have to make peace with it, whether there is or not the community of LFM what changes in the end? Not a damn thing, maybe it will have a lot of hype and affluence at the beginning but then it will drop, as usual, and you'll find yourself on the servers with people who only do selfies without being able to moderate in any way those who do blatant misconduct.
As someone who has been testing the beta I can tell you, you are wrong on at least 3 of your points.
 
Premium
Ranked multiplayer on it's own doesnt move the needle at all in terms of users, as RF2 and Raceroom already proved.
And LMU. Reiza have made no secret that MP is not their priority. But they have put the effort in here because a lot of their userbase asked for it, again and again. Of course it won't be the new iRacing, the server architecture simply doesn't support it. But for the communities/league racing scene, what they have done will massively improve the reliability. At the moment, you can't have a grid of more than 24 without major problems. That has moved up to 30 with 1.6, which is a significant improvement. And at 30, its pretty much flawless, with the odd sync issue for people on high pings. I've seen worse on iracing, with bouncing cars and people ghosting in and out of view before appearing inside your car and wrecking you.
 
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Nice... now with 32 stable online cars, the lobbies will improve from 3/24 to 3/32.

Serious, I'm glad Reiza is improving things and I believe they must keep on, but is more important a working ranked races system that will must probably bring more players to the MP that work over the netcode, that is good enough for the current demand. You know... priorities... the ideal is to improve both and at least they are working on the right direction.
I race weekly in public lobbies and they are most of the time full. So you probably look at the wrong times.

"What are your impressions on Automobilista 2's multiplayer impovements?"
Great that they do their best to improve the multiplayer. For me MP is the way to race in AMS2!

1.6 is going to be a gamechanger.
 
I use LMU but would rather race in Auto2 because of the triple screen.
both work perfectly for my triple, but one is far superior about physics and FFB....the other one is a too much low level standard to play it. ACC, rF2/LMU, iRacing, Raceroom, AC are far better with my rig.
 
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I use LMU but would rather race in Auto2 because of the triple screen.

@dayglo I quoted wrong post I was refering to who you quoted.

I think you might find LMU is killing ... FPS. Whereas AMS2 is far smoother for visuals soon to be updated in 1.6.

I have both and can honestly say they will be equal for Hypercar and dare i say more of a pull to AMS2 for the performance of the engine if nothing else. I am also having a blast in LMU with season pass, so no bias I like the official aspect, but when Im frustrated with choppyness and what LMU needs to fix (and will) , AMS2 is the one I go to.
 
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Premium
@dayglo I quoted wrong post I was refering to who you quoted.

I think you might find LMU is killing ... FPS. Whereas AMS2 is far smoother for visuals soon to be updated in 1.6.

I have both and can honestly say they will be equal for Hypercar and dare i say more of a pull to AMS2 for the performance of the engine if nothing else. I am also having a blast in LMU with season pass, so no bias I like the official aspect, but when Im frustrated with choppyness and what LMU needs to fix (and will) , AMS2 is the one I go to.
I'm also playing both, and agree with you. They both do prototypes better than iRacing..we will see what happens with the December iRacing update.
 
iRacing has the worst netcode of any sim I've ever seen. I guess when you are so financially invested in something though, it's hard to admit it's faults.

Edit: R3E is about the best as far as netcode that I've seen.
 
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My guess is that it will arrive by the end of December, if we're lucky, but I doubt it. It's OK that Reiza is a small studio, but they're dragging their feet a lot ... and on the multiplayer I seriously doubt that it will be the improvements that so many are expecting. Single player certainly, but by now it is a fact that AMS2 and multiplayer do not go together, it is not iRacing that was born exclusively for that ... You have to make peace with it, whether there is or not the community of LFM what changes in the end? Not a damn thing, maybe it will have a lot of hype and affluence at the beginning but then it will drop, as usual, and you'll find yourself on the servers with people who only do selfies without being able to moderate in any way those who do blatant misconduct.
This is so hard to read with the lack of grammar and punctuatuion. You need to reread before you click post. I cant even make heads or tails of what this individual is trying to say....?
 
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