Sim Racing, But Chill: Why You Should Try Free Roaming

Free Roaming in Sim Racing Here is Why You Should Try.jpg
Sim racing is extremely versatile. There is barely any era that it is impossible to find cars or tracks of, be it modern or vintage. Different disciplines are no problem, either. If the actual racing gets too intense at some point, it is possible to make use of a relaxing alternative: Free roam tracks are perfect to just switch off and drive.

I have to admit that I did not understand the draw of these free roam maps for a long time. Driving around aimlessly while being far from the limit in a non-racing car did seem rather boring to me. The moment of realization came at RETRO CLASSICS BAVARIA, where one of the simulators of the Virtual Racing Lounge was running “LA Canyons” in Assetto Corsa for a while. I had heard of it before as it is one of the most popular tracks in RaceDepartment’s download section, but up until then, I had never tried it.

After repeated recommendations, this changed at Nuremberg. And suddenly, I got why this kind of sim racing, or rather sim driving, is popular with a lot of people: You can choose your own tempo to enjoy the driving itself, search for the limit if you want to, or just cruise around the streets in a relaxed manner.

I gave “LA Canyons” another try on my rig at home afterwards. At dusk, the track by modder Phoenix77 that uses real-life roads north of Los Angeles, looks absolutely spectacular. My car of choice was a Ferrari F40, and to get some more 80s flair, I put on a Synthwave playlist on YouTube in the background. Manual transmission, an exciting location, darkness creeping in – this scenario was tough to beat in the atmosphere department.

Time flew by, and the session did not get boring at any point despite there not being any other traffic on the road – the free base version can be upgraded to a paid VIP version to add this feature and more road sections as well to make the canyons come alive a little more. Another free roam map by Phoenix77 called “Pacific Coast” does the same using a voluntary donation system, so it can be done for free as well. Numerous YouTube videos of both maps show that it would be absolutely worth it.

Another alternative to enjoy free roam scenarios is BeamNG.Drive: As a racing sim, the game is not up to the standards yet, but as a vehicle physics simulator, it is far above anything else, especially when it comes to crash physics. The sim is extremely detailed when it comes to driving physics and the effects of different components on the driving feel – and it is being improved steadily. Even rally scenarios are very well done now, so there is a ton of potential in BeamNG – not just for racing, but also to kick back and enjoy driving cars.

Should you have never tried a free roam map, maybe for the reasons mentioned above, I can only recommend to change this and jump into it. You might miss out on a really cool feature sim racing has on offer otherwise.

What are your favorite free roam scenarios? What is you favorite sim to do them in? Let us know in the comments below and feel free to leave some recommendations, too!
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About author
Yannik Haustein
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

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Comments

S
These comments are a microcosm of why I hate the internet. "An article on how good something is? I MUST COMMENT WHY IT'S BAD!" Good grief.:rolleyes:

Since I got into race simming I always wanted to have like the Forza Horizon experience with a decent sim engine. (Okay prior to FH I didn't really have a game I could point to for it.)

My ideal has always been a procedurally generated world you can drive around and explore. But to have it be good quality so it'd be interesting to drive around as well have proper car handling etc... I imagine we're years away from that.
 
Quikslvr
Premium
I've always been purely a racing guy, but I must say I've found pleasure in freeroaming in Assetto Corsa (with CSP and SOL, of course) using "walkabout mode," with which you can get out of the car and wander at will (SirSpats has a helpful video on this if you've never done it:
). Bella Vista is a great place for it. See a body of water off to the left of the road beyond that hill? Park the car, get out, and walk to it. Check out the wildflowers in the field and the sun on the water. Sunrise or sunset coming? Drive to a suitable overlook and watch the sun come up or go down (preferably with a little time multiplication). Better yet, got a race at one of the more detailed street circuits (like Monaco '66) the next day? Visit in the early evening in your preferred street car, get out wherever you choose, and walk some of the track. Check out all the incredible trackside details that contribute to the great atmosphere at a lot of these circuits; you certainly won't see them while you're racing. Some of them will blow you away. And while you're at it...when you've exited your car, step back and take a look at it with an empty cockpit in whatever lighting you've got. If it's raining, revel in the sound of the rain when you step out and feel somehow "dry" when you get back in. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think this adds a really neat dimension to the hobby.
 
Tony Bew
I love all the long free roam tracks in AC. With traffic, without traffic I don't mind. For me Abulzz's Targa Florio, although not strictly a free roam track and not completed yet, is my favourite. Also Santa Monica Mountains could be the best if ToddK manages to finish it in photogrammetry. Fluela Pass is another newcomer showing great promise for me. But really they are all great for a drive in whatever mood I find myself. I enjoy racing especially on Brands Short, Le Mans, Bathurst and a few more that I know well enough to post a fast time on but more and more I am drawn to the long and the lovely.
 
Daniel R.
Premium
My wife is currently in driving school.
Before she had her first driving lessons in the car, she practiced in Beamng with proper clutch and shifter.
Getting Handy with shifting (finding the gears without looking on it), using indicators, parking the car, get forward from standstill up a hill.

It was brilliant to see!!
Can fully recommend this procedure!
 
C
Steve Parsons said:
These comments are a microcosm of why I hate the internet. "An article on how good something is? I MUST COMMENT WHY IT'S BAD!" Good grief.:rolleyes:

Since I got into race simming I always wanted to have like the Forza Horizon experience with a decent sim engine. (Okay prior to FH I didn't really have a game I could point to for it.)

My ideal has always been a procedurally generated world you can drive around and explore. But to have it be good quality so it'd be interesting to drive around as well have proper car handling etc... I imagine we're years away from that.
Click to expand...

And your post is an example of the current culture we have where people can only exist in an echo chamber of their personal likes and dislikes.

Free roam tracks and the culture of free roam is to me rubbish, on AC even worse, poor graphics, repetitive trees bad textures.
Made for a certain type.... fast and furious types...
The kind who in real life hang around in McDonalds car parks with their 'crew' in badly modified cars....
 
Kyuubeey
cpubound said:
And your post is an example of the current culture we have where people can only exist in an echo chamber of their personal likes and dislikes.

Free roam tracks and the culture of free roam is to me rubbish, on AC even worse, poor graphics, repetitive trees bad textures.
Made for a certain type.... fast and furious types...
The kind who in real life hang around in McDonalds car parks with their 'crew' in badly modified cars....
Click to expand...
Is this some kind of meta-irony thing?
 
guidofoc
cpubound said:
And your post is an example of the current culture we have where people can only exist in an echo chamber of their personal likes and dislikes.

Free roam tracks and the culture of free roam is to me rubbish, on AC even worse, poor graphics, repetitive trees bad textures.
Made for a certain type.... fast and furious types...
The kind who in real life hang around in McDonalds car parks with their 'crew' in badly modified cars....
Click to expand...
It is interesting how you decided that people who don't like what you like must have some kind of issue. You understand that your behavior is that of a self-entitled idiot, right? I hope you get better with growing up. Good luck for now.

Also, not sure what country you are from, but it's written "each to their own", not "each to there own".
 
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C
guidofoc said:
It is interesting how you decided that people who don't like what you like must have some kind of issue. You understand that your behavior is that of a self-entitled idiot, right? I hope you get better with growing up. Good luck for now.

Also, not sure what country you are from, but it's written "each to their own", not "each to there own".
Click to expand...
Triggered much?
If you like it and have a 'crew' fill your boots.
Have confidence in your choices Karen.
 
rup.car
cpubound said:
And your post is an example of the current culture we have where people can only exist in an echo chamber of their personal likes and dislikes.

Free roam tracks and the culture of free roam is to me rubbish, on AC even worse, poor graphics, repetitive trees bad textures.
Made for a certain type.... fast and furious types...
The kind who in real life hang around in McDonalds car parks with their 'crew' in badly modified cars....
Click to expand...
lol...I'm a racer first and foremost, but i love free roaming for the same reason I like simply driving. It's an almost meditative experience, and the sim help me experiment with cars and places I would never even have a remote chance of trying.

Whether the free roaming push comes from guys which might not share my own tastes, it will help create a demand which will eventually help my own needs. Ultimately it's more people playing AC, and mobilizing and motivating its modders, including Ilja and Peter. Being part of a community means that you have something, not everything, in common.
 
Alex72
I love to drive older more alive cars and being able to throw them around anyway i want is a lot of fun.
 
Peter Kerényi
rup.car said:
Being part of a community means that you have something, not everything, in common.
Click to expand...
Yet when I say I do not like it for whatever subjective/objective reasons, and explicitly say I'm happy for those who do enjoy it and get immersed, suddenly it becomes a reason for someone to hate the internet and the reason the community is the most toxic ever. Like document your issues with screenshots, spend time, give effort to describe why you aren't on the same page as the general consensus might be, and get responses like that.
 
O
Freeroam isn't just for cruising.. having it morph into street racing is where its at lol.

Doing a lap of LAC with a quick group in a stock road car.. thats the best.
 
D
I would love free roaming if:
  • It features the real world. Would love to cruise around Ireland. Then cry tears because memories. Imagine being 70+ and you're driving around that area and towns you visited in the past for years.. or driving through your old town that has been changed into metropolis...
  • It features obeying traffic laws and all that
  • I can interact with some objects here and there, like getting a pint from a pub, hehe.
  • It feels lively and alive.
  • Perferably has VR, FFB and all that.
 
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McClusky
orange400 said:
Freeroam isn't just for cruising.. having it morph into street racing is where its at lol.
Click to expand...
In FH5 solo mode if you get behind or next to an AI car they will start to race with you. Its a lot of fun even though they follow what seems to be a pre-determined path so if you get in front of them they might turn down a side road leaving you to find another AI car to toy with.
 
Lyfe610
Injafaz said:
For roaming the immersion is always broken for me as most roads are not driving on the left. Also when you get in the car the steering is not on the right anyway so never feel real. How hard would it be to introduce this as a setting.
Click to expand...
Westernize yourself lol I wondered if you guys where accommodated in that area that sucks very little right side driver cars.
 
guidofoc
Here a couple of examples of what I like. It's not really about "free-roaming", it's more about proper aggressive driving on a realistic road. This is why I am not interested in Forza or others, I want the car physics to be a close approximation of the real car. In order to drive these cars fast in AC one needs to understand weight transfer, trail braking etc. You cannot just jump in the car an expect to be fast. It takes a bit to understand what the car wants and does not want to do, to understand the limits, and then when you get "in the zone" they are amazing to drive.
This is the recording of an almost complete lap of the standard LA Canyons road, driving the LaFerrari in anger. Not as easy as it looks.
And this is a bit slower, trying to drive the 488 GTB fast at Pacific Coast while staying in my lane. Challenging in its own way.
 
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