Modding, Advanced AI, Content: Our Community's Assetto Corsa EVO Wishlist

AC EVO onboard.jpg
Image: Kunos Simulazioni
Assetto Corsa EVO is looking like it wants to take sim racing to the next level - but what do sim racers want from the title? We asked, you answered - and here are some of the elements on your wishlists.

It is not too much of an exaggeration to claim that the upcoming Assetto Corsa EVO is the most hyped sim racing title of recent memory. The game will release in early access in January 2025, and we had the chance to play the game in pre-Alpha already to get an impression.

Over the last few weeks, lots of info on the sim has appeared, but not every element has been touched upon. And with the majority of sim racers unable to try AC EVO themselves as of yet, we asked for your wishlists for the sim a while ago.


Some of your entries have already been confirmed, others have not been talked about, but might still make it into AC EVO - and some of you had other really good suggestions that we want to highlight.

After reading the forums and looking over our recent poll, here are some of the features we really like that have been suggested by you, our community. Let's dive into it!

Modding​

Easily the most-requested feature, modding continues to be a key question for many sim racers. Kunos has clarified that it is indeed set to be a part of ACE at some point down the line, just not immediately as soon as the game enters early access, and it might not be when the game has its full release. But it certainly is planned.

Kunos co-founder Marco Massarutto stated they wanted to "create a system of curated mods, as we must take the licensing agreements with the brands seriously. However, we are also considering a system that would allow mod creators to participate financially, but free mods should also be possible."

Over two thirds of those who participated in our multiple choice poll want to see modding in AC EVO, and Kunos knows about its importance. Since modding can be a tricky area when it comes to IP rights of real-life cars, tracks and logos, as well as the potential of a third-party modder using assets that do not belong to them, it will be a system for curated mods.

Watkins Glen AC mod.jpg

This Watkins Glen mod is a prime example of the incredible quality of mods for Assetto Corsa. Image: @LilSki

Since they have made it clear that they would like to host mods officially, these mods need to go through the process. Whether that means they will only be allowing mods they approve is another matter, and certainly the playerbase will not be happy with limitations on the mods they can install.

Looking at the forum thread started by user @Matthew327, it appears to be the consensus. But user @gamma123152 makes a good point about mod quality fluctuation and the hassle of installing along with the updates through the third-party Content Manager launcher. Therefore, a means to maintain the level of quality and scrutiny as well as simplifying the process whilst maintaining the freedom, that will be a tricky balancing act.

A good suggestion from @Tennisbiki is a certification board for mods with Kunos providing tools to modders to help train them to optimise their products for the game. That would be very helpful and go a long way to helping make the mods across the entire space as high quality as possible.

Advanced AI​

Trailing modding in a surprising second place in our poll was Advanced AI - or is it perhaps not so surprising? Considering that half of you voted for "offline" in our poll about where you would race next, it is not really all that unexpected.

It is no secret that AI in racing games are not always great. The original Assetto Corsa's is a prime example, even on first party tracks.

We learned from our experience with the title that the AI for ACE is at least raceable, although that was only limited to a single scenario. However, we were told that AI drivers will be learning in real time and reacting to errors they may have made on previous laps by braking earlier, for example.


The consensus regarding Kunos' previous attempts at AI driving is that the original AC has terrible awareness in on track battles, and that ACC's are not as bad but still stick religiously to their line and seemingly would not go on any alternate bits of track. Great to help test for consistency, but not amazing to race with. AC's AI can of course be improved upon with mods, like the one above by @Stig_F1.

But when it comes to mainstream racing sim titles and their AI as it is in the base game, they often are not great. There is a fine line between overly-aggressive AI that are difficult to race, and then having AI that tip toe through corners like on the Gran Turismo games. Speaking of GT though, they do have their rapidly evolving Sophy AI, which is really quick and intelligent, but still limited in access.

The promise is there for ACE's AI, so hopefully it wins over the community.

Livery Editor​

A frankly brilliant suggestion by @HighTechJunky is to implement a livery editor in-game. The world of PC simulation racing titles allow for the extraordinarily creative amongst us to create liveries through third party software, many of which we host here on OverTake.

However, there are those for whom the use of image editing software might be too steep a learning process. Plus since AC EVO is promised to release for console, those custom designs cannot be made for those platforms (as ACC players on PlayStation and Xbox can attest to), so what to do? Well, again in quick succession, the answer may lie in Gran Turismo.


The livery editor introduced in Gran Turismo Sport and continued in GT7 is relatively simple, providing decals and a means of applying it directly to the car's 3D model. Plus, players can upload their own custom decals in an uncomplex manner, making for some amazing creations that they can share in-game to others.

This is an absolute must in simplifying the livery making process. More people being able to create liveries can only be a good thing, not just those who have a degree in digital art and advanced software.

Driving Academy​

Marco Massarutto has already gone on record stating that there will be a Driving Academy so players can learn the basics of racing and car physics, which is already a great first step. But there are a few things perhaps everyone can learn beyond surface level car control.

User @illia92 believes introducing some advanced scenarios would be immensely beneficial to the entire playerbase, and we are inclined to agree. It could be something like lessons in racecraft (which many a random open-lobby racer could do with quite frankly), and especially in multiclass situations, in which the top class' drivers across many titles continuously send divebombs even if the slower traffic are knocked off the track.


Along with this, perhaps it would help a great deal in limiting the amount of incidents in an online race. A Driving Etiquette course and an attempt to demonstrate the application of what is learned could work wonders for improving the online racing community in AC EVO.

Car Customisation​

One noteworthy conclusion from our poll, car customisation is surprisingly in high demand. For players of 'simcade' titles like Need for Speed and even Gran Turismo 7, aftermarket customising of cars whether it be visual like spoilers or even performance modifications can be applied. It would appear that Kunos will be doing this.

Game director Davide Brivio has already confirmed that performance and visual modifications can be made. Kunos intend to work closely with brands who work with manufacturers, so it would appear you cannot just bolt a massive turbocharger to the Ferrari 296 GTB so it ends up producing over 2,000 horsepower. These modification capabilities would be in-line with how the manufacturers intended the car to be.


With AC EVO's emphasis on road cars, there may be an attempt to appeal to various car cultures. Not just the motorsport fans but the drifters, the street cruisers, JDM fans, the stanced/slammed enthusiasts, even the widebody scene. By having options for car modifications that are not too far removed from reality, every motoring subculture can have their niche represented.

Cars & Tracks​

It was inevitable that we got to this bit - what are the cars and tracks that players want the most? The problem here is that with the variety of content that could feasibly be added, it seems to be more of a case of what players do not want in ACE.

For years, ACC players were constantly begging Kunos to add the Nordschleife but they could not because ACC was only meant to include content from GT World Challenge and other series organised by SRO. It made it quite easy to narrow down what could be added to the platform. Of course, circumstances changed and they were able to add the Nordschleife.

But we found a few people able to propose some interesting choices.


User @Rennie01 put together a great list if you are a historical racing nostalgic, something that would probably make an Automobilista 2 enthusiast jump ship very quick. As for what we could expect, some of the tracks that did not feature in the original Assetto Corsa but did in ACC may be included, if the inclusion of Mount Panorama in the gameplay reveal is any indication.

With Kunos being an Italian studio, it is perhaps safe to assume we will get a bunch of tracks from there like Monza, Imola, Mugello, Misano (which despite featuring in ACC, it surprisingly was not officially in the original AC), Vallelunga, Adria and more. Of course, you can list out all the other major tracks that featured across both the original and Competizione, and we already have confirmation of Fuji which was not in either of those.

Of course, Assetto Corsa EVO will be more open regarding content than ACC was, so let your imagination run wild. Any car could realistically be added, and nothing is off limits, it seems.

What other features do you hope are available in Assetto Corsa EVO? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our forum!
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RedLMR56
Biggest sim racing esports fan in the world.

Comments

A request that some people might find stupid...

But since it will have a more casual free roam, would be neat to have police cars. Nothing crazy... but the same way as the old Test Drive: Unlimited. There was no ramming or any of that NFS stuff. Arrest cutscene simply appeared, if your car was too close to a chasing patrol car for X seconds. You had to pay the fine with in-game currency.

There was sometimes 3-car roadblocks, in which case you had to make an U-turn. And a couple of patrol cars on pursuit. Nothing crazy, just very simple AI that doesn't try to ram you, just catch you.

Of course if you adhere to traffic laws and aren't seen doing speeding, they just ignore you. Like in TDU.

In the freeroam I think you should also pay repairs, if you damage the car. Drive to a workshop, or if you break it badly, call for a tow. That way you'll drive more carefully, and there's stakes even without racing.

Or these could be optional, in the settings.

Also the old TDU games had hitchhikers, which would reward you for driving them around. So that there's a meaningful reason to drive from A to B. Or urgent deliveries, as a way to earn in-game currency.

I don't know how far they will take this "TDU element" but taking ideas from those old ones isn't a bad thing IMO. People who love the idea of freeroam, probably loved TDU.

Just keep it grounded and realistic. Cops coming after you if you drive like a jackass would be kinda good for immersion. I don't mean it should be a big focus, it wasn't in TDU.
 
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For me it’s simple, make the whole AI complete adjustable in every aspects. Players are even with the best AI still complain while if they can adjust there own AI behavior on every detail, this will be reduced.

Also being very curious on how to judge, besides the copyright & license aspects, which mod is welcome in the DLC store and which not.
 
You know I was wondering, I am making Super GT mods and those are already difficult to search references for and getting anything out of the drivers are impossible for obvious reasons, so they never reply.

If I want to make, let's say, Team äpr's GR86 GT300 then they would ask both äpr and Toyota for me? And when can we submit our mods, when it's completely ready for the game? Because I would be worried if when I have made a fully done mod, spent 4-6 months on it and then either Toyota or äpr wouldn't approve, then I wasted months of my life making a mod that will never get released...
 
I wish it doesn't shy away from having amazing physics and car handling to get you dead immersed and focused in while you push the car more and more each lap patiently as you are learning it, discovering it. Very drivable, yet requiring respect and teamwork. And then when you are done and park the car you go: "wow, wtf was that, it is amazing".
 
You know I was wondering, I am making Super GT mods and those are already difficult to search references for and getting anything out of the drivers are impossible for obvious reasons, so they never reply.

If I want to make, let's say, Team äpr's GR86 GT300 then they would ask both äpr and Toyota for me? And when can we submit our mods, when it's completely ready for the game? Because I would be worried if when I have made a fully done mod, spent 4-6 months on it and then either Toyota or äpr wouldn't approve, then I wasted months of my life making a mod that will never get released...
I think that you would benefit from communication with the Japan Automobile Federation and the 'GT Association' that runs the series.
However, bearing in mind that Polyphony seem to have fairly close links with the series through their Gran Turismo series of games, I feel it unlikely that they will sanction an official/paid mod, but may/could be open to not gating you for work you provide for the community for free (but I ain't no Lawyer)
 
OverTake
Premium
For me it’s simple, make the whole AI complete adjustable in every aspects. Players are even with the best AI still complain while if they can adjust there own AI behavior on every detail, this will be reduced.
This is true up to a point, if the settings become too fine grained and unwieldy it risks having the opposite effect, especially when users feel it's only good enough after spending a lot of time tweaking things.
 
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Premium
Ai Engineer
Ai Race director/ Team Manager
Killer audio
Aussie DLC

Don't care about modding.
 
Every single time Overtake runs a poll.....

"A surprising number of people don't care about online racing and want a good offline experience."


Personally, good offline racing, customisable grids with the cars and liveries I want, tracks that match the era of the cars as best as possible, everything else secondary.

Suspect this won't be the game for me, but let's wait and see.
 
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The only developments I expect in a car game are :
A fully autonomous game, that is to say functional in offline mode.
A gamepad that is fully configurable according to the player's preferences (unlike ACC, which I threw away because of the imposed assignment for certain keys).
A complete game (without DLC) with clean but simple graphics, which does not require the purchase of a €1500 PC.
Finally, real racing cars (we don't care about driving an electric Hyundai...) and real circuits.
Without this, it will be an immediate refund...
 
Its mind boggling that most of you dont get what this game really is going to be. The devs have basically told you in very carefully worded (evasive?) language, but denial is strong.

This site is going to need a hotline when reality finally hits people in the face.

And wait til the reality of the modding situation finally hits home ... IF it even ends up existing to begin with.

Honestly, I cant wait. Im even more excited about rubbing this is peoples faces than I was about LMU.
 
Its mind boggling that most of you dont get what this game really is going to be. The devs have basically told you in very carefully worded (evasive?) language, but denial is strong.

This site is going to need a hotline when reality finally hits people in the face.

And wait til the reality of the modding situation finally hits home ... IF it even ends up existing to begin with.

Honestly, I cant wait. Im even more excited about rubbing this is peoples faces than I was about LMU.
I suggest you get a life, because rubbing stuff on people's faces is a clear sign of someone who needs one.

As for ACE, i think you will be the one disappointed. You really think that people won't crack whatever Kunos will try to put in place to prevent free independent mods, even if they would think about doing that?...

So here is someting to rub on your face: Kunos will have a mod marketplace sure, but they will do nothing to stop free independent mods,because a) They can't, and b) its not even in their interest to stop them.
 
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Premium
I suggest you get a life, because rubbing stuff on people's faces is a clear sign of someone who needs one.

As for ACE, i think you will be the one disappointed. You really think that people won't crack whatever Kunos will try to put in place to prevent free independent mods, even if they would think about doing that?...

So here is someting to rub on your face: Kunos will have a mod marketplace sure, but they will do nothing to stop free independent mods,because a) They can't, and b) its not even in their interest to stop them.
That is my assumption as well, a curated mods platform, and just over there, The wild wild west where anything goes but its not really acknowledged.
 
Its mind boggling that most of you dont get what this game really is going to be. The devs have basically told you in very carefully worded (evasive?) language, but denial is strong.

This site is going to need a hotline when reality finally hits people in the face.

And wait til the reality of the modding situation finally hits home ... IF it even ends up existing to begin with.

Honestly, I cant wait. Im even more excited about rubbing this is peoples faces than I was about LMU.
I'm glad you have something to look forward to, because it sounds like your life is otherwise really crap.
 
Premium
I suggest you get a life, because rubbing stuff on people's faces is a clear sign of someone who needs one.

As for ACE, i think you will be the one disappointed. You really think that people won't crack whatever Kunos will try to put in place to prevent free independent mods, even if they would think about doing that?...

So here is someting to rub on your face: Kunos will have a mod marketplace sure, but they will do nothing to stop free independent mods,because a) They can't, and b) its not even in their interest to stop them.
Won't change the fact the majority of mods will still be low quality like it is right now. The amount of people living in fantasy land about this game's modding capabilities is borderline funny. The Patreon/facebook modding community, pirated conversion modders, no hesi, and drifting modders just prove me correct. Thankfully RSS and VRC exist to show that quality is meant to be paid for, and the few generous souls on here that are willing to upload high quality mods for free.
 
Premium
It will be very difficult for Kunos to regulate mods in a way that suits Kunos' wishes, that modders feel free enough to invest a lot of time and energy in making nice mods and that users can choose between a selection of reliable good mods and the freedom to try out "hobby projects".
I understand that Kunos does not want to officially support mods without permission from the rights holders. But AC has become great because of the freedom of modding. And realistically, what car manufacturer really cares if a hobbyist in the attic puts together a mod and it is downloaded 200 times or maybe even 2000 times worldwide without anyone making money from it? As long as mods are shared for free, it is just advertising for the car manufacturer. Only copies of other mods without permission should not be allowed, and certainly not illegal copies of other racing games.
Kunos can do a lot of harm if they try to regulate mods too strictly. I hope they understand this.
 
It might be a small detail, but I would really like it if there was a way to clean a windscreen in ACE. With AC some (mod) cars have a dirty windscreen by default. It can be really tricky if you're driving towards the sun. With it being advertised as a driving simulator, it would be very nice if you could clean the window. Just a thought.
 
Premium
With AI it can sometimes be a challenge to give the AI a challenging speed, so that they are not too easy to overtake but that it is still possible with some effort. In the current generation racing sims this is a matter of trying again and again, depending on the car and the track.
It would really be an innovation if the sim accurately tracks your performance and adjusts the speed of the AI accordingly, so that every race against the AI is always challenging, without having to figure out how fast you should set the AI for that. And that regardless of how good or bad you are as a sim racer. So Kunos, do your best with AC EVO.
 
Premium
Another innovation would also be an advanced racing coach. With AI, I think it is not that complicated that a racing coach accurately monitors your driving and gives tips while driving to brake earlier or later, to accelerate earlier or later and to steer earlier or later. And then preferably with an option that allows you to choose whether you have a nice coach with mainly constructive feedback or a very harsh one, who shouts and curses at you if you do not do it right quickly enough. With all the variations in between.
And a racing engineer who keeps you informed of the developments in the race during the race, gives you your lap times, when you should save tires or push.
 

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