AI's IMPLEMENTATION into iRACING

[M D Gourley]

Hello everyone,
Now we know that AI is coming to iRacing at some stage...can iRacing Staff give some more information about how it is going to work?. Just a few Questions below

1/ How is it going to be Implemented?...Do we sign in as usual and go to another part of the Website to access the AI component?

2/ Can iRacers use their existing purchased content with AI or do iRacers have to repurchase the content they want to use with AI?

3/ What Car Series and Tracks will be available with AI?...All eventually or just a selected amount.

4/ Will the AI component be updated / improved as per the existing iRacing procedures ie' Updates Required'

5/ Will AI be used to fill up a Grid in Human races?

6/ Can the AI component of iRacing be played 'OFF LINE' without having to sign in or be connected to the internet?

7/ How is the OVAL racing going to work?...Full flag, pit stops etc much like the other Nascar games.

These are just a few Questions and I am sure many more can be added.

I am personally excited about the inclusion of AI into iRacing and will purchase missing content to make good use of the AI component when it gets here....exciting times ahead.

 

[Giovaneveterano]

My biggest fear is that we have to pay to create sessions like we do with the hosted races.

 

[M D Gourley]

Tony Gardner was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to answer my questions below. (cut and pasted from the iRacing Forums)

1/ How is it going to be Implemented?...Do we sign in as usual and go to another part of the Website to access the AI component?

Yes you would just sign up/join as usual. AI will be on the Beta UI. You will see a section that right now says "Race Against AI", just like you see for Official Races, Hosted, Time Attack etc. Click on Race Agaisnt AI . Then you will click on button Create a Race/Season. Click That. You will then be the admin to select your options, settings and various choices. Then hit the Big Race button like you always do. Simple as that. I wish it was simple as that to develop.

2/ Can iRacers use their existing purchased content with AI or do iRacers have to repurchase the content they want to use with AI?

Yes you can use your existing content. There is no extra charge for AI. Just added value as part of your membership.

3/ What Car Series and Tracks will be available with AI?...All eventually or just a selected amount.

All eventually I hope, it certainly is looking that way. Certainly, some special case bugs to work on, however. Right now for example the AI does not like going over jumps with the GRC cars but we do have all the cars "working" now in various states. I was just watching 40 completely different cars go around Bristol at once. It was pretty funny seeing F1 car out there flying around legends car, dirt cars and things like that. You won't be able to do that however but you will be able have multi-class AI like IMSA for example.

4/ Will the AI component be updated / improved as per the existing iRacing procedures ie' Updates Required'

Yes, will update the same way and same time as everything else.

5/ Will AI be used to fill up a Grid in Human races?

No. If a strong demand we could consider doing for hosted/private only someday but that will not be in the initial release. [

6/ Can the AI component of iRacing be played 'OFF LINE' without having to sign in or be connected to the internet?

No. Think of it like testing currently. That is essentially off-line but you still need the Internet and to login for various reasons. We do have a commercial version of iRacing we call the Trade Show Version which has a different Interface and works completely without the Internet, we would have AI available for that as well. That is purchased as a commercial license.

7/ How is the OVAL racing going to work?...Full flag, pit stops etc much like the other Nascar games.

Yes there will be pit stops, cautions, flags, etc. all that fun stuff.

These are just a few Questions and I am sure many more can be added.

I am personally excited about the inclusion of AI into iRacing and will purchase missing content to make good use of the AI component when it gets here....exciting times ahead.

 

[Giovaneveterano]

These are great news! Very very good!
I'm excited about it and I can't wait to have a spin against the AIs!

 

[M D Gourley]

These are great news! Very very good!
I'm excited about it and I can't wait to have a spin against the AIs!

Absolutely agree...Looking forward to some Oval action myself as it is not well known over my side of the world as much as GT / Touring car racing is.

 

[dcully]

Well considering its going to cost me €180 for content to run just one series despite spending close to €400 on content over the years [thats how iracing do it, always adding new tracks to series one already participates/participated in] my €400 is useless to me unless i buy more content.
Atleast with the ai i might be tempted to sub.

 

[Giovaneveterano]

The AI will adds some variety into the game and will be a great way to train my skills in race conditions without the worries of SR and iRating. I'll try overtaking moves and if I'll crash who cares!

Then think about this: every other racing title lets you decide the AI strength. I often found myself so frustrated because the opponents are too fast or too slow and their speed changes in every track/car combo. I'm sure iRacing will use cleverly the way it rankes the players right now to perfectly match the AI speed based on your ability. If they to this it's gonna be MINDBLOWING.

At the moment the online competition is awesome, but I need to take it seriously and practice hours just to to join a session to be sure not to drive like a complete asshole.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

very interesting answers, thx for passing on. since the other developers seem to be trying to implement their own iRating / safety rating versions atm, iRacing is quickly losing this unique feature. only logical to spread their offer to turf traditionally occupied by the other games. i will probably not use it, since the human competition is the one thing that makes me gladly pay a good deal of money for the service provided in the first place. for AI, RRE is fine for me every once in a while.

 

[F_B]

Funny to see how many guys on the official forums are against AI, they’re really afraid that it will have an impact on the online participation. I don’t get that, I think AI will be a nice training tool and/or you can have a little race in a car of your choice where you don’t have to think about "Will this be official? Will there be enough people to join?”

 

[M D Gourley]

Funny to see how many guys on the official forums are against AI, they’re really afraid that it will have an impact on the online participation.

Yes there is that and the possibility that iRacing's AI may be very good....the irony is possibly that if I did not want AI ...saying AI is not like racing against a real Human, yet it is a Human that is coding the AI to race against us.

 

[Giovaneveterano]

The point is not how good the AI is in term of speed, but racing, as every other sport, has a big part of mental game, concentration and skills.
I feel excited about racing against a real player knowing that he can do mistakes if I put pressure on him or wondering what pit strategy is he using. I know they can code the AI to FEEL like a human, but the mere fact that I know it's not breaks the magic.

As long as iRacing will keep the AI away from official sessions I'm fine and very very happy to race "offline" in a more casual situation.

 

[M D Gourley]

The point is not how good the AI is in term of speed, but racing, as every other sport, has a big part of mental game, concentration and skills.
I feel excited about racing against a real player knowing that he can do mistakes if I put pressure on him or wondering what pit strategy is he using. I know they can code the AI to FEEL like a human, but the mere fact that I know it's not breaks the magic.

Great points you raised there...but I personally Sim Race in it's most basic form and do not really focus on those points you have mentioned like 'mental game', 'pressure on them to make mistakes', 'pit strategy' etc , but still really enjoy Sim Racing...as I have mentioned in other threads.... 'Sim Racing is an Individual Pursuit'
...and agree on keeping AI away from official sessions....

I know they can code the AI to FEEL like a human, but the mere fact that I know it's not breaks the magic.

...if it is just a feeling, I wonder if I could really tell the difference if some AI were to be added to official sessions, but were not told that AI have been added?

 

[Kurupt CDN]

...if it is just a feeling, I wonder if I could really tell the difference if some AI were to be added to official sessions, but were not told that AI have been added?

It wouldn't be to hard to notice AI in Rally X......they would be the ones NOT drifting and crashing into everything

 

[Giovaneveterano]

Oh yes yes. The "mental thing" is the key of all sim-racing, expecialy in endurance races. The AIs DO mistakes, but it's just the code saying what they have to do. This small thing changes everything for me and puts human opponents on another level.

I'm not saying I'll be surely able to spot AI cars when I drive against them, I'm just saying that playing against humans is more rewarding.
I'm sure everyone agrees on this last bit.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

... I'm just saying that playing against humans is more rewarding. ...

couldn't agree more. to the point where, after starting online racing 12 years ago and discovering league racing 10 years ago and finally iRacing six years ago, my AI playing is down to 2-3% of all time spent on racing games. and I bet if I played other computer games / genres it would be the same.
I also seriously doubt I would recognize a handful well-progammed AI on a grid of human players, it's just knowing there is another mind working on peripherals somewhere on this lovely planet of ours at the very same time that beats any AI any day.

 

[jason_peters]

Any view on the drop date for the initial AI code

Looking forward to it and can then remove some other sims from my PC

 

[M D Gourley]

Any view on the drop date for the initial AI code

Looking forward to it and can then remove some other sims from my PC

Not as yet...but I am keeping a watchful eye out.

 

[bsmooth]

I was an Iracing member for quite a few years, and had a blast racing the Skippy, actually managed to win a few races too, probably more from pure luck.
Eventually though iRacing and my schedule just didn't seem to work out, and I wished they had an AI so I could race on my schedule as opposed to theres.
I primarily did all my sim racing with iRacing, so it was with deep regret when we parted ways.
Then I discovered Automobilista and Assetto Corsa, I had been so busy with iRacing I hadn't looked into any others.
So now I have and own both of them, and use them pretty much on a daily basis.
So I have been pondering whether to start getting iRacing again once it has AI.
Not sure If i really want to, I already have two great sims with AI and I have a blast, and I also don't have to pay every month to do it.
So now that iRacing will soon have AI, I'm not sure If its enough to get me to pay every month to get it again.
If it had a discounted price maybe, but it seems a bit much just to race against AI.

 

[Ayem22]

do we have a date ?
cause i have not many times to race regulary, and AI could be a good solution.
iRracing physics are very good.

 

[Seagoon]

I had been an iRacing member for a long time but let it drop a couple of years ago.
Reason is that I became utterly fed-up with racing against humans.....for the usual reasons.
When AI is introduced I will renew my membership.
Thank you, iRacing.