Greetings everyone!
It´s great to be back with another Development Update after missing out on our usual catch-up last month, for which I´d like to apologise to anyone who was disappointed by it - a combination of circumstances meant there was neither time nor material to post a substantial update then.
We´re gonna try make up for that now with a slightly early October Development update, to present you all with some very exciting news about what we have been putting together for our next Automobilista 2 update :)
THE ARC OF PROGRESS
This month marks the completion of two years since Automobilista 2 went into production with the new Madness engine, and a mere 8 months since the very first Beta was release to backers. A lot of ground has been covered in this time, and we´re very proud of what we have managed to achieve in what is by all measures a relatively short window of time in game development.
Although we take pride on the work done so far, we remain aware that we really must continue to push hard in order for AMS2 to keep evolving to fulfill its potential - one that gets closer to being realized with every monthly update.
To this end we have obviously been commited to a very aggressive development schedule, and when you´re moving that fast to try make big strides towards releases on a monthly schedule, occasionally some rough edges will slip into public releases. This is deliberate and we do find this to be the way we can make the game grow better, faster - which ultimately is what we all want. We do aknowledge that approach has on occasion lead to a stumble here and there that has disappointed some users.
We´re also adamant that not all users are aware of this methodology or find it to be the right way to go, and conscious about the fact releases need to grow tidier and more reliable as we tick off the boxes in our dev plan. As always we emphasize that AMS2 was designed to evolve over time - the first version of anything will always be the least developed version, but that won´t stop us from continuing to push to make it better.
With this said, we have been working specially hard in the last couple of weeks to ensure a tidier release for what we believe will be a landmark update for Automobilista 2, with plenty of exciting new content combined with some major core improvements along with the usual round of polish to the existing cars and tracks. Here are some of the highlights:
PREMIUM GT3 & GT4 CARS ARRIVE FOR AMS2
There is no doubt GT3 racing has grown to become one of the most popular in motorsports, be it real or simulated - and there are good reasons for it: a perfectly balanced power-to-weight ratio packaged with sublimely optimized 21st century aerodynamics and technology, wrapped under virtuoso designs produced by the most prestigious brands in the world make them both uniquely attractive, and despite their impressive performances incredibly accessible for drivers of varying skill levels.
Our goal for Automobilista 2 is to provide the most diverse sim racing buffet we can put together, and that would never be complete without these mighty machines. We are thus delighted to confirm our initial batch of GT3 & GT4 cars will finally come for Automobilista 2 in our upcomign update.
This release will be boosted by the addition of two major licensing agreements - we are very proud to announce two new licensing partnerships with Porsche and Mclaren Automotive, which will see a number of their cars added to the game in the next few releases, adding to the growing list of premium brands and models officially represented in Automobilista 2.
The recent licensing agreements with these prestigious motorsports icons have been a long time coming in what has been a difficult year for businesses all over the world - that only adds to our gratitude for getting these over the finish line.
The deals will see a long catalogue of very exciting cars making their way to Automobilista 2 in the coming months - the vast majority of which will be added to the game as free additional content.
The initial batch in the upcoming release should include the following models:
GT3:
- 2015 Mercedes AMG GT3
- 2016 Porsche 911 GT3-R
- 2019 Mclaren 720S GT3
- 2019 BMW M6 GT3
GT4:
- 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport
- 2017 Camaro GT4-R
- 2018 Mclaren 570S GT4
This release will also feature the Porsche Carrera Cup cars as raced in the Brazilian series in 2020.
ENTER THE GREEN HELL
Another major milestone in our upcoming update is the release of the most challenging race track in the World - the Nurburgring , featuring both the modern GP layout as well as the infamous Nordschleife, both developed with the aid of laser scan data.
The track will be available as a standalone DLC, and also as part of both the Season Pass and Premium Track Pack.
This initial release will not however be the extensions of our plans for the "Green Hell" - we will continue to develop new layouts of the track including a Historical version, with a release targetted at some point next year, as a free addition to this DLC package.
CORE GAME DEVELOPMENT
The new content is obviously great additions to AMS2, and we hope they will prove a popular boost to the game, but these also call for the game to evolve with it - to that end, we have continued to hard both in developing new features to the core game, as well as fixing issues with existing functionalities and content. Here are some of the highlights to feature in the upcoming release:
Livery custmization will now be possible and template for all models release with the next update, so users will be able to paint their own liveries to replace (but not yet add to) the original ones without needing to fudge with external tools.
We have a substantial Force Feedback upgrade, providing enhanced feedback during braking, enhanced road feel, improved scrub effect, effectively eliminating the FFB "deadzone" around center in some cars, and generally adding a more distinctive oversteer / understeer feedback
Physics revisions of the engine at large as well as specific car models continue to take place, with fuel and tyre wear specially expected to have a full pass in time for release.
We are also continuing our intense AI development program, further cleaning up some poor behavior and doing further performance callibration passes which should see a more consistent and reliable racing jumping from class to class.
Further work on 3D Animations is also ongoing, on the car front with more cars receiving the complete damage model with deformable mesh, flapping & detachable parts, dirt & scratch maps, and tracks beginning to get a bit more life with helicopters, drones and other objects
On the Audio front, and have added a capable extra set of hands to the team to help us get the best of the FMOD engine - that should earn valuable improvements on the longer run, with some already be noticeable on the upcoming new cars.
Championship mode has also received some updates, with further support for official Stock Car rules and the addition of a few new championships due for this update and the next.
PRICING RETAINED
Despite the growing list of premium licensed content to be added to the base game over the coming weeks and months and the game itself distinctively maturing into a very competitive package, we have elected to further postpone our planned price bump and stick with the current pricing for the time being, with the goal of boosting the influx of new players and stimulating the growth the active community around it. With seasonal Steam sales incoming you may expect some good deals also for DLC packs.
That covers it for this month and hopefully also for the last one - we look forward to sharing the latest results of our work with you all this weekend!