SIM Racer Volume 1 Issue 06

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WELCOME TO SIM RACER! Our sixth issue represents the end of our first year in production, and what a ride it has been! A huge number of hardware and software products covered, exclusive developer and driver interviews, and many hints and tips for newcomers and veterans alike. Sim racing is more accessible than ever; we’ve already seen the market evolve over this relatively short period, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store over the next 12 months.

The title with the biggest buzz throughout our coverage has been Project CARS; it’s finally here, stunning as ever. We have a full review this issue, if you’re still sitting on the fence. Thankfully SMS still have a raft of updates to come, so stayed tuned!

Following from his insightful interview with Renato Simioni last issue, Alex Martini is on hand with a deeper look at Reiza’s latest version of Stock Car Extreme. Alex has covered this industry for many years - he explains more in his column on page 62.

The summer sunshine in the UK is tempting us to venture outside, but it’s difficult to tear ourselves away from our dens when there is so much going on in the gaming space. E3 2015 was one of the best showings in recent memory, with many exciting announcements - the future of virtual racing has never looked brighter - take a look at our news section!

Special thanks to Logitech for supplying us with a test sample of the new G29 - the first one anywhere in Europe - and you can be sure we’ll be discussing the G920 when it becomes available too.

Stay tuned to our Facebook page for the latest updates - Sim Racer magazine has some ambitious plans for the next year, but please get involved - we’d love to hear your thoughts. Whether you’re a returning subscriber or this is the first time you’ve seen the magazine, thank you very much for your support.

Dominic Brennan

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TRIPLE THREAT!

DEVELOPER

Three screens - a ridiculous indulgence or a justifiable purchase?

Thanks to Ebuyer.com we’ve been able to take you through the process of configuring such a setup. Triple screens are more affordable than ever, and reasonably straightforward to install, but some compatibility issues remain. Sadly the developers have never agreed on a triple screen standard across all sims, so prepare for some tweaking!

Suddenly, we’re inundated with rally games, with DiRT Rally Early Access programme being the biggest surprise of the year so far. We sat down with lead designer Paul Coleman at Codemasters HQ to discuss their foray into realistic simulation. In this enlightening interview, we learn the inspiration behind Codemasters’ new direction, and their ambitious plans for the future. Not to be missed!

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9 NEWS

28 FEATURE BUILD

Sim racing has never been so alive with news and excitement.

Here’s a summary of the big stories from E3 2015 and any recent snippets of information that caught our eye.

Continuing with our previous PC build with the help from

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33 TRIPLE THREAT!

This month’s question - “Which virtual cars do you race and why?” An interesting mix of answers!

Is a triple monitor setup really worth the effort? Thanks to Ebuyer.com, we’ve been able to test a relatively affordable triple-screen solution; we explain how to set them up and discuss how each sim supports triple screens differently.

13 PROJECT CARS

Motherboard.

Project CARS is already a huge sales success. We take an indepth look at this year’s most-anticipated racing sim.

38 DEVELOPER

22 GP2 INTERVIEW

Our editor spent the day with Codemasters to discuss their exciting new rally simulation. We have an exclusive interview with Paul Coleman, lead designer on the project.

Our roving reporter Luisa was at the Monaco race weekend in May - she caught up with two GP2 drivers to ask them about racing, life and simulators!

42 TRACK GUIDE

24 STOCK CAR EXTREME After his engaging interview with Reiza Studios founder Renato Simioni last issue, Alex Martini takes a closer look at the latest version of Stock Car Extreme.

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Laguna Seca remains one of the most recognisable and popular circuits in all of virtual racing. But it’s incredibly to help!

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TECH DESK

FINDING SPEED

Along with several major PC builds, our Technical Editor is always receiving exciting new equipment to review, from speakers, headsets and sound cards, to keyboards and countless PC components. In this new section, it’s about time we showed you what fancy gear Connor has on his desk at the moment!

Last issue, we offered some advice to improve your race craft. This time, it’s all about speed. Perhaps you’ve found some consistency, but push harder and before you know it, you’re in the wall. Sometimes it can feel like you’ve reached the limit of your abilities. Don’t worry, we’re here to help! Why are the pros so much faster? We’ve got a few ideas...

47 MINI ITX BUILD best handle the cabling whilst doing so.

52 TECH DESK NEW SECTION Ever needed a little bit of help tweaking your PC? Want to know how to get the most out of your PC? Well Tech Desk will help you do exactly that! This month we look at Technical Editor Connor James’ weapons of choice.

55 GALLERY With real-time graphics more life-like than ever, and some handy ‘photomode’ tools in many modern simulators, virtual photography has never been more satisfying. Here’s a selection of our favourite images from the virtual racing world.

58 FINDING SPEED Last issue, we talked about the importance of ‘race craft’, but it helps to be quick too! With the right kind of techniques, everyone can go faster. We’re offering some tips on where you might be losing time. Time to smash some lap records!

60 COMMENTARY years, and from 2005 to 2012, the most in-depth coverage was via AutoSimSport magazine. Founder Alex Martini looks back at his time with the magazine, in this very entertaining column.

64 PITSTOP the new-generation Logitech G29 Driving Force wheel and Driving Force Shifter!

68 AWARDS The Sim Racer Awards! Over the next two months we will begin giving you a little more insight into the various entries to help you place your vote!

72 SUBSCRIBE NOW! Subscribe today and don’t miss an issue!

74 NEXT ISSUE A small taste of what’s in store next time.

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SIM RACER NEWS

E3 2015! HERE’S WHAT WE LEARNED AT THE ANNUAL GAMING EXPO IN LOS ANGELES: Logitech G29 LOGITECH announced two new wheels, the G29 (PS3/ PS4/PC), due to arrive in July, and the G920 (Xbox One/PC), expected in October; both were set up on the show floor running Project CARS on their respective consoles.

Logitech were kind enough to provide us with the G29 early - check out the review on page 66.

AMD Radeon 300 AMD unveiled new graphics cards; the Radeon 300 series (a product refresh based on existing GPUs), and the Radeon Fury/Fury X, which is using the new ‘Fiji’ GPU - the first to use High Bandwidth Memory, similar to what is planned for Nvidia’s ‘Pascal’ architecture due next year.

The Fury X is already available; while the initial benchmarks aren’t suggesting a huge leap over Nvidia’s similarly-priced GTX 980Ti, the numbers are competitive. The GPU race just became interesting again.

Oculus Rift CV1

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The most significant device at E3 was undoubtedly the Oculus Rift CV1. The final design was revealed in May, and was formerly unveiled at their pre-E3 ‘Step Into The Rift’ event. The specifications are very similar to the HTC Vive, with both designs running a 2160x1200 resolution across two portrait, 90Hz OLED panels. Unfortunately the release window is now ‘Q1 2016’. Engineering prototypes of the final hardware were available to try during E3, as well as their ‘Half-Moon’ prototypes of the newly-announced Oculus Touch. This controller design was presented as one of many future VR input solutions. Oculus have always stressed that there isn’t going to be just one form of input device for VR, which is why they have decided to include a standard gamepad in the box...

F1 2015 F1 2015 had a strong presence at the show, and it represents a big step forward for the series. Being Codemasters’ first title on the new generation of consoles, the engine has been overhauled, with improved graphics, audio, AI, physics and controller support. Expect a full review next issue!

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SIM RACER NEWS

Forza 6

Forza 6 was the sim creating the biggest buzz around E3. Initially revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January, Turn 10’s latest technology was finally playable, and it seems very promising.

Their tyre research continues with help of Calspan, and they’re introducing rain (with simulated 3D puddles!) and night racing for the first time.

Launching exclusively on Xbox One on September 15th in the US and September 18th in Europe, we’ll have full Forza 6 coverage very soon!

Star VR

Reiza - Stock Car Extreme

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Starbreeze Studios, famous for games such as Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and Payday, acquired the InfinitEye team to create StarVR - a new VR headset with a much wider FOV (210 degrees) than Oculus, HTC and Sony’s designs (around 100 degrees). This is achieved with two 1440p panels placed side by side, slightly angled in a ‘V’ and in a landscape orientation, combined with a complicated Fresnel lens system. A wide FOV would certainly be welcome for sim racing in VR, but with three top hardware teams deciding that the tradeoffs aren’t worth it, we have to question whether StarVR is going to be a viable contender.

In addition to yet more free content for Stock Car Extreme (the 1986 version of the Opala, and the historic Jacarepagua circuit), Reiza announced a crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo, to help them further develop content and upgrades for Stock Car Extreme and Formula Truck. Intended improvements include: Graphics and audio enhancements, tyre developments, drivetrain model, a hi-res UI design + HUD system (based on rFDynHUD code), support for long distance races, support for more controller inputs and newer hardware, custom championship tool so users can build their own seasons for offline racing, new multiplayer resources for leagues & public racing, plus an official online racing structure with dedicated multiplayer servers for semi-organized public racing. Reiza also briefly mentioned plans for a new simulator due in Q4 2016, incorporating all of these features and all existing content , while expanding the licences and using a DX12 graphics engine.

Project CARS2 In an awkward but unsurprising move, Slightly Mad Studios announced the plans for Project CARS 2, only 6 weeks after the launch of Project CARS. Crowd funding remains an important part of their strategy, so the early reveal was necessary in order to attract backers, as well as commence the daily build schedules. The ambitious plans include additional motorsport disciplines on loose surfaces, and a co-op career mode.

Sony Morpheus

We’ve been enjoying:

No sign of Gran Turismo in Sony’s presentation, but the next instalment is still expected in 2016.

Morpheus headset demos littered the show floor, as they also gear up for a VR launch on PS4 early next year. The PS4 version of Project CARS is expected to support the headset.

Project CARS’ online popularity - busy servers... busy servers everywhere.

The DBR9’s furious V12, recently launched in iRacing - a welcome change from the somewhat overused GT3 cars.

DiRT Rally’s Early Access programme.

Since the FFB update, the game has become a huge amount of fun. Do we have a Richard Burn Rally successor on our hands? Find out more about Codemasters’ new venture into realistic simulation on page 38.

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SIM RACER READERS LETTERS

readers

letters VIA OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, WE ASKED “WHICH VIRTUAL CARS DO YOU RACE AND WHY?” WE HAD OVER 400 REPLIES, WITH SOME INTERESTING RESPONSES. BELOW IS A SELECTION OF OUR FAVOURITES. WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF VIRTUAL CARS FOR YOUR GARAGE, TODAY’S SIM RACER APPEARS TO BE SPOILT FOR CHOICE. HOWEVER THERE DOES SEEM TO BE A CLEAR SPLIT OF FAVOURITES AMONGST OUR FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS...

ANDI SHELDON I’ll race most cars, but do find lower power cars like the MX-5s of iRacing or the Formula Rookies of Project CARS make for better, closer racing.

CHUJ WDUPE Tin Tops - for the thrill of close battles! :)

SHAWN BAGBY I drive the Modifieds in iRacing. Love those cars!

SEYMOUR HARDING The Skip Barber 2000 in iRacing. Such close, openwheeled racing, learning loads of race craft with a massive participation and crowd of genuinely helpful fellow racers. Need I say more?

JASON COOPER V8 Supercars! Best touring cars in the world...

MATT GALE Prototypes - l love endurance racing and not knowing what will happen over 24 hours on track.

NICK TOMARAS V8 Supercars - Australia, way out of this world!

KYLE GUILLORY I tend to stick with the MX-5 in iRacing because it’s the closest thing to the real world car I race.

Almost identical actually. But sometimes I’ll jump in the Daytona Prototype.

SASCHA WESLER Pro series driver in iRacing with my sponsor “Jollys-World Modellautos & Merchandise”!

JOHAN HELLEMANS BMW GT3 Blancpain Series in iRacing.

RAYMOND WHITE Why is there no BTCC Cars or series out there I would die for that to happen!

JOSE NUEVEDIECISIETE All Porsche cars...

MARK SMITH Any car that I don’t have to pay for!

CRAIG ATKINSON There are way too many cars out there to choose from. Take my advice (whatever sim you’re racing ), concentrate on one or two cars rather than keep on changing over as you’re not going to get anywhere!

VINCE STEAL I’ve been trying to race F1 type cars. Feel like they’re racing on ice, but I won’t let them beat me!

MIKE BURGESS Loving the choice you get with Project CARS right now, but would have to agree with the post up the page a bit - sometimes there is way too much content.

DAVID MAPLE I was brought into Sim Racing by the TOCA titles, way outdated now, so please bring back BTCC!

ALLAN SCOTT Having just joined iRacing I’m trying to enjoy the Mazda - I’ll emphasise “Trying”!

BEN DOYLE As an Ozzie I’m leaning towards the V8 s but boy are they a handful!

BILL FOSTER Tin Tops for me, love the close racing with them.

RICKY BUTLER I’m loving Project CARS and their choices, the BMW GT3s are sweeeeet! the AI is great to race against.

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LATEST ISSUE OUT NOW!

REVIEW!

SIM RACER

Perhaps it was due to the unique market positioning, the history of the studio, or the exposed development process, but never before has there been such passionate debate about a driving simulation than during the lead up to the launch of Project CARS. For some reason, this title continues to spark arguments more than any other; I’ve never known such divided opinions about software in this category. But now that the launch hype has settled, what are we left with? By Dominic Brennan In short, a fine simulation - but more on that later.

Let’s take a step back to 2011, when Slightly Mad Studios introduced their bold idea of crowd-funding a simulation title. Presented with some outrageously-detailed renders of a Lotus 49, well beyond the quality of any simulation software on the market and rather reminiscent of the infamous West Brothers project, you’d be forgiven for being sceptical. But with two Need For Speed games under their belt and a strong history as part of the old Simbin team (responsible for respected driving sims such as GT Legends and GTR2), many

people put their faith in Ian Bell and his team, the funding goals were reached and work was quickly underway. Originally known as the Community Assisted Racing Simulator, the development was on show from the very beginning, warts and all. The early builds were already demonstrating a level of graphical prowess that had never been seen before, yet also highlighted the mountain that needed climbing to bring the rest of the game (namely the physics) up to scratch.

With a rare opportunity to see a simulation at this early stage, the development appeared to

progress at an impressively fast rate. In reality, this pace of iteration is common practice, but usually away from the public eye. By early 2013, when progress seemed to be moving at a more steady pace, they had reached the stage where a traditional development programme would begin to ‘tease’ the title for the first time. There was once hope for a full release late that year, including PS3 and 360 versions. This idea was soon scrapped, and the decision was made to postpone the launch significantly. Understandable, as two years on, after a successful launch on PC, PS4 and Xbox One

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and the recent 1.4 patch, the game still has plenty of issues. Looking back, the original schedule was unrealistic; it was certainly not even close to the quality of product it has become in 2015.

And what is that product exactly? From the perspective of a console gamer, Project CARS is, in a nutshell, an interesting alternative to Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo. Views were divided from the start - those who only knew Slightly Mad for their Shift series were concerned it would be no match for Forza or GT in terms of realism, and those who knew of their PC background were concerned that the realism would be too ‘hardcore’. For a PC sim enthusiast, Project CARS was an even more difficult title to understand - a mysterious combination of mainstream appeal and uncompromising technology and data in the physics department. But do those two elements need to oppose each other? Project CARS is asking (and possibly answering) that question. Admittedly, I approached the title with that thought already in the back of my mind - could they really hit the mark across such a diverse audience? Is it possible to create a game that pleases the pick-up-and-play, gamepad-wielding gamer as well as the discerning simulation enthusiast with all manner of dedicated hardware?

In a sense it is difficult to pinpoint where this mainstream appeal manifests itself within the game, being a combination of many things, some very subtle. The unnecessary effects and enhancements that contribute to a more ‘visceral’ driving experience is a big clue, many of which are carried over from the Shift days, and it is easy to have one’s judgement clouded by such things.

Let’s not forget that many sim racers stick to a small selection of software that they have become very familiar with. Some will feel so far from their comfort zone that they will dismiss the game before giving it a proper chance. One glance at Project CARS with all the effects enabled (and many are by

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default) - such as motion blur, huge lens flare and vignette, speed-sensitive FOV and depth of field in the ‘helmet’ camera - can leave a very negative first impression. But spend some time in the menus and it can be hauled back to a more precise, clinical presentation where one can assess the underlying physics without distraction.

There are plenty of nods to the mainstream racing game style of presentation here, with video intros for each racing category, dramatic music in the menus, and a painfully cheesy (and sometimes completely unhelpful) race engineer giving you words of ‘advice’ and encouragement on track.

Win a championship and you’re presented with a celebratory video of your trophy. The Twitter-style feed is full of praise, and your Inbox becomes full of new contract offers. Mess up, and the ‘fan reactions’ are amusing. There is also a news ticker across the top (proudly endorsed by this magazine!)

- all of which add to a rich single player career presentation.

However, some aspects of the presentation are questionable. For all the slick visuals, there is no podium celebration and not even an animated chequered flag to catch. The menu systems have a sharp, modern style with a distinctive use of colour, but some of the layout choices are completely nonsensical. Having an interface with every element accessible by gamepad whilst still supporting mouse input has confused matters, and attempting to run triple screens highlights the problems further, with odd UI elements being sent to the far corners of the side monitors, and some of the videos playing back distorted across all three screens. The car select screen was one of several menus that looked like a work-in-progress throughout the development period, and it was one of the last be finalised. They ended up using low-resolution, highly-aliased images of each car, a far cry from the beautiful real-time rendering in ‘My Garage’, which is found in a completely

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separate section of the menu.

Presumably this quick car select menu was to reduce the time it takes to hit the track, but surely some smoothly-rendered images isn’t too much to ask?

The leaderboards have a frustrating habit of remembering your previous selection of both track and vehicle when you return to the page, but the list of top times always returns to the ‘shifter kart’ records, which happens to be at the top of the vehicle list. You have to reselect the vehicle you’re interested in (even though it appears to be already selected) before you are presented with the correct results.

Once in the sim, the pit box UI is also confusing.

There is an ‘Automatic by Weather’ tyre option in the garage menu, a boon for those who just want to jump to a race, but it adds an element of uncertainty for everybody else. Intentional or otherwise, the pit options menu saves your settings very easily, so for instance if you needed to pit for wet tyres after a sudden downpour, and the following race was dry but had a mandatory pit stop, there is a danger that you’ll be given the wet tyres you’d selected from the previous race.

Perhaps it’s a concession for the impatient modern gamer, or just the developers themselves wanting to show off the capabilities of the lighting and weather systems as soon as possible, but you can’t get through a season without witnessing an unnecessarily large range of conditions and times of day. Impressive at first, and the designers are clearly well aware of how a low sun enhances the beauty of an environment, but not every combination of lighting and weather works. I’ve seen fog descend over a track with the sun still in full view - the crepuscular rays cutting through the gloom in a strange, unrealistic manner. The lighting and weather combinations become so unusual that it sometimes no longer looks like you’re racing

SIM RACER

on Planet Earth, or at least, not as we know it. In more normal lighting conditions, the sim can look absolutely stunning, and it’s the subtle details that really make the difference. It seems the artists didn’t know where to stop when adding effects and enhancements to the visuals, but thankfully most of them can be removed, even on console.

Now for the positives. Project CARS presents a unique career mode. From a PC perspective, this is the best career mode you will find in any racing sim. In an unusual move, all cars and tiers are unlocked from the start, allowing you plot your own racing career on your own terms. While this does lose that element of satisfaction to unlock things methodically, the sense of accomplishment still rings loud and clear, with invitations to special events once you’re successful in certain tiers of racing. It’s amusing to jump directly into the pinnacle LMP1 series, but probably not the most sensible approach. The most common way to start a racing career in reality is to visit a go kart circuit, and that’s exactly the case here. The karts aren’t stand-out vehicles in the sim, but they can still

If you are interested in making Project CARS appear more in line with other simulators, I would suggest the following: under Visual FX, turn lens flare off, and both sun flares to ‘subtle’. Rain drops, vignette and screen dirt can be turned off too. ‘Rain drops’ only removes the effect that washes over the camera - the droplets on the windows will still appear.

Crepuscular rays can be disabled too, but it provides such a distinctive, often pleasant effect that I tend to leave this on despite rarely looking realistic. In the Performance tab, ensure that you have at least one form of anti-aliasing enabled - the deferred rendering tends to highlight edge aliasing more so than the older

graphics engines. Motion blur should be off, with the ‘render frames ahead’ option set to 1, for the least amount of latency (naturally v-sync is typically off for sims to reduce latency too). Ensure your field of view values are set correctly and that speed sensitivity is off.

Under Movement tab, there is no need for the high speed shake, and you can reduce much of the head movement relative to the cockpit by running a high value on the ‘world movement’ and a low value on the ‘G-force effect’. Having world movement at max and G-force effect at zero results in a completely locked cockpit view, which can be beneficial particularly for triple screen setups or motion rigs.

provide entertainment. The good news is, there are many other paths to take, so if you can’t stand karting, you can avoid them completely.

The Ginetta Junior is a sensible alternative place to start a career. The first couple of races are very easy, but don’t be fooled - try to complete the 5-event season before thinking about raising the difficulty. The digital representation of the Ginetta Junior in Project CARS is one of the best in the sim. An underpowered machine for 14 to 17 year-olds to compete on many of the famous tracks around the UK, it feels sharp and racy, saveable yet punishing when you make a mistake.

You have to be very respectful of kerbs - Westfield Bend at Brands Hatch caught me out a several times for example. It is a momentum car, and snaps around viciously if you don’t recover slides quickly, making it a excellent learning tool.

The AI can be frustrating - turned up to max, they have a tendency to dive-bomb certain braking zones and are overall too aggressive.

But the difficulty scales down well, and can provide close, fun racing. Until recently, there was a serious problem with AI pace in changeable conditions - start the race in the wet, and all is fine, but receive a rain shower mid-race and the AI suddenly appeared to have the grip of a wet tyre instantly without pitting. This caused a huge imbalance in a career mode that likes to show off the weather system, with certain races becoming incredibly difficult due to a minor downpour. The 1.4 update addressed this to some degree, making the career difficulty a little more consistent, but there are still problems in determining when the AI should change to a different type of tyre, and the over-effectiveness of using wet tyres in the dry.

Many have stumbled into the new bug after the 1.4

update - tyres going instantly flat after leaving the pit lane. I could feel the car sit lower to the ground, and all the cornering performance was lost. The team is working on this as a priority, and could be addressed by the time you read this review.

The flat tyre bug was actually an interesting one to find - having a dramatic but highly believable effect on the force feedback. With such a bizarre bug, it would be understandable if the physics or FFB ‘glitched out’, but it didn’t, and instead gave me a very clear indication of how communicative and direct Project CARS’ force feedback system is.

I knew instinctively that my tyres were flat due to a change in FFB output, even before my eyes could process what was going on. Along with the visuals, the force feedback is a stand-out element of the game, even at default, and there are many values to tweak to your heart’s content.

But there’s no need for great FFB if the rest of the physics can’t deliver. Thankfully, Slightly Mad’s polish over the final quarter leading up to launch really made the difference. A common criticism is that most of the cars are prone to understeer, particularly on turn-in. It appears that the default setup of the cars has some concessions towards the average gamepad user looking for an accessible racing experience, being very stable and quite lifeless, and I have no doubt that these setups have contributed to the premature dismissal of the title by many sim enthusiasts. While it doesn’t take long to dial-in a more lively rear, it may have been a good idea to offer an ‘advanced’ setup in the options for each car alongside the defaults.

Need For Speed Shift and Shift 2 are thorns in the side of Slightly Mad Studios, each time physics, handling or realism enters the conversation. The early C.A.R.S. builds had many characteristics of

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Recommended settings

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the Shift games, so people were rightly questioning it. However, those days were a distant memory once the new Seta tyre model was introduced.

This sophisticated, physical tyre model is worthy of comparison to the established players on the market, such as iRacing and rFactor 2, and it doesn’t take long to discover the merits of the system once you’re out on track. Cold tyres out of the garage behave in a believable way, and the sensation of grip once they are ‘switched on’ is very satisfying. Slide out of a corner and you’ll have to take extra care in the following corner to compensate for the slight overheating of the tyre surface. Push the car too much over a series of laps and you’ll start to notice a gradual drop in pace. This is likely overheating striking once again, rather than wear. Ease off a little, drive smoother, and the grip should start coming back to you. Tyre wear is certainly something to be aware of however, the most obvious way to achieve this is in a localised area from locking the brakes, causing a flat spot which transmits realistic vibrations through the FFB. There are many small question marks over the handing. Inconsistent behaviour when dropping a wheel off the asphalt for example - there’s no problem touching a wheel to the right of Oulton Park’s Island Bend at incredibly high speed, yet brush the dust on the exit of the much slower Turn 10 at Laguna Seca and you’re facing oncoming traffic in an instant. They are fairly different corners, surfaces and cambers, so there could be an explanation for that, but Project CARS is the only sim that has caused me to spin at Laguna Seca’s Turn 10 due to dropping a wheel over the white line. I also have to question the forgiving nature of the handling when in extreme peril. Several cars have exhibited this behaviour - and all would be seen as serious, intimidating race machines.

The Alpine A450 for example - a terrifyingly fast car, capable of fishtailing and snapping its rear in an instant - but go light over a crest in a certain way, allow a rear slip angle far beyond what seems reasonably saveable, and without any clever pedal tricks, just full opposite lock, the car somehow breaks traction at both ends and simply slides across the surface in a perfect four-wheel drift, as if it suddenly achieved perfect 50:50 weight distribution, scrubbing away all speed and danger, with plenty of time to straighten up and carry on. It’s moments like that when I expect to be embedded in a barrier but instead leave unscathed, where I start to question the tyre model, at least at very extreme situations.

This unexpected behaviour doesn’t seem to happen at lower speeds and slip angles - where the cars spit me into the walls with great enthusiasm. But it’s safe to say I’ll never find myself at full opposite lock in a real A450, so take that as an observation rather than a criticism.

Roll-over physics require some attention.

The initial roll onto two wheels is fine, but once you’re upside-down, most of the cars tend to slam themselves into the ground with a much greater force than gravity would normally allow. Hilarious to watch from a replay camera, but not much fun if you were just behind the crashing car - it makes the incident impossible to predict and much tougher to avoid.

But let’s not get carried away into the endless world of physics discussion, and look at the other elements that make Project CARS so exciting.

The game looks and sounds spectacular, and presentation goes a long way, even in this simulation

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world that can appears stagnant at times in the graphics department. Thankfully the audio has been reworked from the days of Shift 2, with cars sounding quite authentic rather than tuned by a hooligan.

The same can’t really be said for the visual effects - with all the enhancements enabled, it presents an exaggerated sense of photorealism, but nevertheless eye-catching and a match for the most attractive games on the market. In terms of simulations, it is on the cutting edge of visuals, surpassing Assetto Corsa its closest competitor - in the dry, and including a full weather system for dynamic wet racing - something that the Italian sim has yet to introduce. It does so with fairly reasonable system requirements - a GTX 600 series or HD7000 or greater the recommended GPU performance level. Although unusual in the modern era of GPU-bound graphics engines, but not uncommon for simulators, Project CARS is CPU-intensive and is one of the few titles that truly benefits from multi-threaded processors. If you were wondering why you ever bought that i7, when everyone with i5 2500Ks are still doing fine, Project CARS is where you’ll start the see some advantage.

If one has to be critical about the tracks, there is a noticeable difference between the accuracy of the laser-scanned tracks compared to the others. All are detailed in their own right, and none are far off the mark, but where I can switch comfortably between

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the spookily accurate Spa-Francorchamps in iRacing and Assetto Corsa, the non-scanned version of PCARS feels just that little bit different, not so much in terms of track surface and cambers, but in terms of surrounding details that you’re subconsciously using as reference points. There are some great choices of track, such as Snetterton, Oschersleben and Sonoma Raceway. The Azure Coast (or Côte d’Azur) is an interesting location - a 12-mile stretch of road, treated as a point-to-point course, very different to the purpose-built tracks and something of an anomaly. It’s a way of getting into the mood for Monaco (in this case the ‘Azure Circuit’) and a nice place to test the road cars, and perhaps to imagine what it would be like to drive some of the race cars on a public road too.

At launch, Project CARS hit number one in the UK sales charts. Simulators rarely see this much attention from the mainstream, so during this period, the online servers were incredibly active as you might imagine. This resulted in some hilarious events, such as an entire grid of Lotus 98Ts not even making it to the first corner without stuffing them into the barriers. An incredibly challenging car to drive; some rookies just have to learn the hard way.

But amongst the carnage, there was some great action too - the sim immediately showed promise online. The lobby system isn’t perfect, but it’s quick, as are the load times. Now that the dust has settled, the servers continue to be very well-populated.

The novices remain, and there are just as many ‘wreckers’ as you’d expect of any game, but there are also plenty of considerate and skilled drivers around, and the sim has already provided some of the most fun I’ve ever had on a public server. At first I thought such races were flukes, but it keeps happening, long after the honeymoon period.

With just over 65 cars (not including DLC), this is no direct replacement for Gran Turismo or Forza, nor does it aim to be. Instead of quantity, they have picked a specific range of cars with a clear racing focus. The variety of racing classes available is particularly appealing (classic DTM is always a winner), and the depth of the handling and tyre model combined with the dynamic environments means that it is leaning towards that PC simulation mindset of concentrating on a small number of cars, learning every nuance of their characteristics, treating every event as a refreshing challenge rather than worrying about which car to use next.

Project CARS can deliver the atmosphere of a race event due to sheer graphical prowess and superb audio. Many of the smaller complaints that I’ve picked up on are almost completely forgotten when I’m in the heat of battle, soaking it all in. A full grid of GT3 cars through changing light and weather conditions is a magnificent spectacle - it’s hard to dislike. A much misunderstood gem, Project CARS is an unusual mix of qualities that is worthy of a place in any sim enthusiast’s library.

You’d have to go back to Race Pro on the Xbox 360 to find a driving sim on console that has such a serious approach to realism, yet Project CARS is much more accessible, being very well-configured for gamepad use. The Xbox One gamepad is a superb controller for racing games due to the motorised triggers, and that provides a small advantage here.

It saw a more troubled start compared to the PS4 version, but the recent 1.4 patch addressed a number of issues. A variable framerate still exists - not something you want from a serious simulation. There have been big strides here, as the engine is benefitting from Windows 10’s DX11 and DX12 optimisations, some of which can be applied to Xbox One. There are further performance improvements to come, and it is likely that the Xbox will have

a stronger relationship with PC gaming in the near future.

It’s undoubtedly the most realistic sim on the platform, but Forza 6 might have something to say about that - stay tuned!

Forza 5 maintains a higher image quality and a more consistent framerate, as it doesn’t attempt time-of-day simulation or weather.

We’ve recently discovered the follow-up will have more night races and introduces weather, but it is not dynamic.

The Xbox One version of Project CARS is a solid racing game, despite the fact there are still times where it fails to hold 60fps, such as during heavy rain with large numbers of vehicles on screen. Be aware that Forza 6 is due as early as September 16th, but Project CARS is still worth picking up before then.

PS4 version: With no sign of Gran Turismo at this year’s E3, PlayStation owners have a different kind of decision to make, particularly if the visuals attracted you to Project CARS in the first place. Driveclub is a compelling alternative, and the better looking game in several areas.

However, it is absolutely no match for Project CARS in terms of physics, not least because it runs at half the framerate. Project CARS is simply the more realistic game, with more depth, and is closer to that new-generation Gran Turismo we’re all looking forward to. It is absolutely worthy of filling that gap, and if you’re coming from GT5 or GT6, your ears will thank you.

The DualShock 4 is a comfortable controller, and the default settings felt fine, but using a wheel is absolutely the best way to play this

sim and completely transforms the experience.

The biggest issue specific to the PS4 version has been addressed with the 1.4 update - the ghosting created by the anti-aliasing solution.

It is much improved.

To answer a common question about racing games on consoles - there is no split-screen whatsoever.

The options to adjust certain graphics settings on console is a pleasant surprise - but do not fear, this is not suddenly a minefield of PC settings for performance optimisation, instead they are simply for personal preference - options such as lens flare, bloom and motion blur are attractive to some and pointless/distracting to others, so it was an excellent decision by SMS to allow these settings on the console versions.

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Xbox One version:

PC PREVIEW

SIM RACER

YOYOTECH WARBIRD GT REVIEWING NEW PCS MEANS TWO THINGS FOR US - FIRSTLY IT MEANS WE HAVE THE CHANCE TO GET VERY HANDS-ON WITH SOME OF THE LATEST TECH ON THE MARKET, AND SECONDLY IT MAKES OUR WALLETS VERY LIGHT AS WE ALWAYS END UP GOING OUT AND BUYING SOMETHING NEW TO SATISFY OURSELVES WHEN THE REVIEW PC GOES BACK TO ITS SOURCE. THIS MONTH SAW US TAKE A LOOK AT ANOTHER PC FROM YOYOTECH; THIS TIME THE WARBIRD GT.

S TO R AGE PATRIOT BLAZE 120GB SSD This is the first time I’d ever heard of, let alone seen the Patriot Blaze SSD, so it was a nice little surprise! What you would class as a hugely inexpensive solution to your SSD needs, the Patriot Blaze does what it says on the tin…

Whilst they won’t be winning any awards here, it definitely does help keep prices down, which is always a good thing!

C P U: INTEL I5 4460 QUAD CORE 3.2GHZ The Intel i5 4460 Quad Core 3.2GHz gives you the driving power you need at a very good price, and is YOYOTech’s brain of choice for the Warbird GT. With the ability to run at 3.4GHz via Intel’s Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, and further scope to later over-clock, the i5 4460 is a more than capable CPU and will handle both day-to-day use as well as any gaming you may or may not be getting up to!

OPERATING SYSTEM WINDOWS 8.1 64-BIT When Windows released Windows 8, the Operating System was very much hated; riddled with various problems and bugs, with many people opting to move back to the brilliant Windows 7 or simply not transferring to 8 in the first place. Thankfully Microsoft went away and revised the OS, and came back with Windows 8.1 - a more refined version of what was a terrible OS.

R A M 8GB DDR3 (2 X 4GB) YOYOTech like to cut costs where they can to keep the price points of their PCs down, meaning that their customers bank balances don’t go down as much as usual! One way to make significant cuts is to go with unbranded RAM, cutting out the premium paid when buying branded RAM. It all does the same thing, so don’t be too dismayed that you don’t have some fancy-looking RAM in your new PC!

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SIM RACER PC PREVIEW

CASE: AEROCOOL DEAD SILENCE The Aerocool Dead Silence Mini ITX Gaming Case is slowly but surely becoming one of our favourite Mini ITX cases on the market.

Complete with everything you need from a case, the Aerocool Dead Silence brings both good looks and ample room inside to install your components. A top case for a top build, bravo YOYOTech!

FREEBIES! MOUSE AND KEYBOARD The system also comes with a FREE Multimedia Keyboard which has been ergonomically designed with 2 level adjustable height and laser-carved keys. This keyboard has amazing multimedia functions with 20 hot keys for easy access. You can swap out the directional keys with 8 blue coloured caps with the key removal tool provided.

Also included is a FREE LED Gaming Mouse which features a gaming sensor with a 1000 DPI setting and rubberised coating to increase grip. This mouse has been ergonomically designed to minimise user fatigue.

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S TO R AGE SEAGATE 1TB SATA III HDD Seagate are a name synonymous with hard drives, pumping out fail-proof products for storing a ton of different programs and media for years. With 1TB to fill, you’ll no doubt have more than enough room, but if you don’t, fear not as we’ve more than one form of storage here!

GR A P HIC S C A R D : NVIDIA GTX 960 2GB This is the first time we’ve been able to test the new Nvidia GTX 960 since it’s launch, and we were very excited to finally get our hands on a PC with the 960 already fitted. Without giving too much away, the Nvidia GTX 960 is everything a mid-ranged card should be. Check back next issue for a full look at the GTX 960!

YOYO Tech have been in business since 2002, and in that time their reputation as a premiere system integrator has grown exponentially.

For more than 10 years, YOYOTech have been one of the world’s leading manufacturers of custom built PCs and overclocking.

They have held the world performance record on several occasions and take great pride in the creation of every new system.

As testament to their acumen, YOYOTech have won numerous awards from industry publications.

Everyone who works at YOYOTech is an enthusiast and they all have their areas of specialised knowledge. From complex NAS systems to multi-screen gaming, no matter what you need, they have an expert who can help you.

Their reputation and experience allows them to negotiate hard with manufacturers allowing them to bring their customers the most competitive prices. Pair with this their brilliant Livestock system, you’ll be able to find out if products are in stock, and if not be informed via email as to when they are available for purchase once again.

Having quality products, stellar customer service, and a superior reputation has allowed YOYOTech to grow year on year, starting out in a garage to occupying a major retail and production facility by satisfying the requirements of like minded enthusiasts, Now in 2015 with the backing of Centerprise International Ltd, they truly are looking to the stars.

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interview!

SIM RACER

OUR ROVING REPORTER LUISA GHIBAUDO CAUGHT UP WITH THE TWO TALENTED DRIVERS OF THE TRIDENT GP2 TEAM AT THE MONACO RACE WEEKEND TO DISCUSS RACING AND SIMULATORS...

BY LUISA GHIBAUDO AND ALESSANDRO MATTIODA

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René Binder At the end of 2014, you took delivery of a GP2 simulator which was built by Heusinkveld Engineering; the rig carries Sim Pedals Ultimate, a purpose-built GP2-physics model, and a proper GP2-steering wheel coupled to a direct-drive motor-system. Can you tell us more about this system that you’re using at home?

I got in contact with {former F1 driver} Giedo van der Garde because last year, during the race weekends, I saw his simulator, and I was really impressed with that system. I asked Niels {Niels Heusinkveld, Lead Technical Developer at Heusinkveld Engineering} to build this simulator for me if possible, and he made it for me. I have to say that, for most of the circuits, it works really well. Just on some circuits the track model is not perfect, the system is not perfect, but for most of the circuits it’s working really well.

Have you helped to develop the system?

It was basically like this: Niels came to my house, we spent a day together, and we installed the brake, the steering wheel, and everything else.

Everything was very well prepared by him already, so after a few hours, everything worked, and it’s still working now after half-a-year. I train a lot on it, and it’s really simple because it’s like a switch on/ off system.

Do you use any other commercial sims at home?

At home I don’t use any other simulation, no, because basically mine is the best system I can have at home.I also use the simulator that we have in our workshop, at {his current GP2 team} Trident Racing, which is even better because the tyre model and everything works a bit better. I’m really happy about the simulator that we have at Trident.

Can you compare the two simulators—the one at Trident, and the one at home?

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The thing is that mine is a still standing platform, and the Trident platform is in the real car, so everything moves, and you get a better feeling in the Trident simulator, but the steering engine is the same as I have at home, so the feeling is quite similar.

How beneficial is the simulator for you?

It’s difficult to say if it has been a benefit or not, but I think that, if you go to a new track which you don’t know, in your first season for example, it is important to do a lot of testing on the simulator. At this level, in GP2, on the driver side, you need to do everything you can to be competitive.

Aside from the obvious benefit of learning tracks, how useful are simulators in terms of, for instance, testing setups?

We don’t really test setups. I don’t do it at home, and also in the Trident simulator, we don’t really do that because I don’t think the simulator is at a level where you can test a setup. You would need a better simulator to do this. But to get the rhythm of the circuit, and to get the rhythm of braking points and eveything else, the simulator is extremely useful.

We hear a lot of talk about drivers spending their off-days on the simulator. What are they doing? Getting a better understanding of the track? Or are they testing specific parts/setups and so on?

Basically you start in the simulator with a lot of laps. We also do some qualifying simulation, like here in Monaco, we simulate only doing 2 or 3 laps in the simulator. In the simulator, though, it is even more difficult to do one perfect lap than it is in the real car. At the same time, though, it is also sometimes too easy to push too hard in the simulator: it gets too easy to push too much.

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Can you describe the advantages and disadvantages of a simulator?

One of the advantages for sure is that you are well prepared for the race weekend, and I think that 20 years ago, nobody had the possibility to use this system, but nowadays everybody is using a simulator. I also had a problem one or two years ago with the simulator, because I often got motion sickness, but it’s fine now. I have to say, in the early years, you know, maybe 20 years ago or so, the level of the drivers was not as high as it is now.

You’re not an Academy Driver like your team mate Raffaele “Lello” Marciello: this could be an extra motivation for you to do your best?

Its not an extra motivation, it’s good to have him on my side because I can learn a lot from him—he has the best opportunities, and for sure he has big experience with other cars, so yes, I can definitely learn something from him.

René Binder’s Rig: Fast Gaming Computer 3x 144hz 27” Monitors SimSteering Force Feedback System SimSteering XAP (real-life) GP2 Steering Wheel Strengthened Playseat Formula Cockpit Heusinkveld Engineering Ultimate Pedals (up to 130KG Brake Pedal Force) GP2 Physics Model For rFactor With Accurate To Life Car Handing And Performance

What are you testing when you use the simulator?

The tracks are more or less the same every year, so if the track is new, you train to get a feel for the new. Usually we use these sessions to get a better understanding the gear ratios and speed differences, particularly with the DRS which has been introduced this year in GP2. We also try and find the idealaero balance as well as doing generalised setup work.

As Sauber’s third driver this season, have you tried their simulator?

Sauber don’t have a simulator. They use the Ferrari simulator, and when I use it, I do it to test or Ferrari only.

Do you use the Trident Motorsport simulator?

The simulator that we use in Trident is made by Collin Sport. When I’m at the GP2 simulator, I work closely with the team, who will monitor me in all aspects.

So would we be correct in saying that the F1 simulator is of little use for GP2?

The F1 simulator is useful for many things that are not needed for GP2. For instance they also use it to simulate ERS, and the fuel economy of the engines and so forth, so they have two different simulations for that. The one at Ferrari is much more complete and dynamic than the GP2 one.

If we are looking to make a comparison between the reality of driving a GP2 car and the GP2 simulator, and the reality of driving a F1 car and the F1 simulator, which one is closer to reality?

Both are very good, they both get really close to the reality, but it remains difficult, and perhaps impossible, to do the same replicate as reality.

But as for the sensations derived from locking up the brakes, or by the lack of traction on the rear wheels, the simulators are very good. It’s like you are driving in reality, but things—sensations—are a little toned down from what you would experience in real F1.

Do you have a simulator at home? Do you use commercial sims, also just for fun?

No. I live in Lugano with my family during the weekends, and during the week I’m in Maranello, so I don’t have much time, and what time I do have I spend at the gym or with the simulator, so when I go home I don’t want to see simulators anymore!

When you’re at home, in your spare time, what do you do for relaxation?

I go at home only during the weekends, so I don’t have much time; I try to rest physically from the week, I go out with my friends, I lead a really normal life.

who are selected. Anyway, if you’re good at the simulator, I don’t see why you can’t be good in reality. Being exceptional, though, that’s a different story.

You’re a former Formula 3 European Champion.

We know that Formula 3 is a great learning category, many drivers have jumped in the past from Formula 3 to Formula 1. In recent years, though, we have seen the addition of many preparatory classes, such as GP2, Formula Renault, GP3, and so on. How do all these series figure in a driver’s rise to F1?

Not too much. As you go to higher series, the more they approach F1 in terms of power, and it forces you to get used to the speed, and also to the Pirelli tyres.

As a member of the Ferrari Academy, how important is it to win? Or is it just a matter of showing that you’re always quick?

It’s very important, and it isn’t ... everything is relative. F1 isn’t about being the fastest anymore, there are many other factors at play, but winning certainly doesn’t count against you!

There are plans to make the transition from sim-racer into real-life driver—which we see in the GT Academy series—more of a reality: what do you think about these projects that tend to replace the normal path from Karts, with one that uses the simulator to bring up new talent?

The idea may be right because, if you look at Jann Mardenborough, he’s doing really well in real races.

It isn’t the same of course, but GT Academy will conduct all sorts of real-wold tests for the drivers

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As a Ferrari Driver Academy driver, have you used the Ferrari simulator?

Yes, I use two simulators: the Collins Sport for GP2, and the Ferrari simulator, known as the “spider”, the one that Dallara {who make the GP2 chassis} also use. I use it very often, at least four or five times a month.

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STOCK CAR EXTREME - REVIEW

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An Old Time

Stock Car Extreme Review

AFTER A COMPELLING INTERVIEW WITH REIZA STUDIOS’ FOUNDER RENATO SIMIONI LAST ISSUE, IT WAS ABOUT TIME WE SAT DOWN AND GOT TO GRIPS WITH STOCK CAR EXTREME. CAN IT STILL COMPETE AGAINST THE BIG GUNS? BY ALEX MARTINI Opalas at Taruma. Just remind me, because I’m old. Before that, let’s take a quick tour through this new sim from Reiza Studios, released in March 2015, and available on Steam for 23 bucks. A tour that is best described as visiting an ‘emerging’ nation; you’re going to find a lot to stir the spirit hidden amidst the poverty of ageing systems and failing infrastructure (or is that just New York?). This is the sequel to Game Stock Car (2011), which really was a majestic little simulator, and comes, again, with the official license for the Brazilian Stock Car series (2013 and 2014), and adds to that the official Brazilian F3 and Formula Vee series.

Reiza have also thrown in a whole bunch of unlicensed

THE UGLY & THE BLEH How best to describe the initial look of Stock Car Extreme? Imagine New Jersey on your way to Newark airport after the apocalypse.

We are firmly entrenched herein the past, in the world of rFactor clunk. SCE has kept up somewhat with the times, though; on start-up for instance, you need simply select your wheel/controller from a menu and you’re ready to go racing. (Well, sort of …

I’m going to do you a favor and tell you what you need to do right out of the box: wheel setting at 540 degrees, fix wheel ratio in ‘Garage 1’ menu to 22 for most cars. You’re welcome.) The intro screen, meanwhile, is

(I presume) a paean to the Golan-Globus productions of the 1970s (minus Chuck Norris). You can also add to rFactor clunk a brilliantly counter-intuitive menu system that managed to confuse me for ten minutes before I finally figured out how to find (find, not select!) any series other than the officially licensed Brazilian Stock Cars. I tested my ineptitude with someone who actually has a brain, and he too was stumped (though only for fifteen seconds).

Adding to the clunk is you, clicking and pounding and swearing your way through those thousand and one options ala rFactor, mapping this and that and the other and whatever - I hate this, you hate this, so let’s just pretend it doesn’t exist and move on.

Some of the tracks on my system were glitchy, sometimes tearing, some of the tarmac looked faded, and other visual mishaps were common on certain tracks.

The quality of the tracks is variable, though; some are dated visually, particularly at certain times of day (you get the whole sun travelling through the sky thing, and you can select time of day for your session), while the new entries - Buenos Aires, old Montreal, Imola (before they ruined it with the chicanes), Suzuka and a few others - are top-notch. There’s no weather - but then, it never rains on the Copacabana, does it?

Oh, and I must mention the ‘flags’. This is a challenge for me, to describe these flags in

a way that can convey their total and utter awfulness.

Okay, so that’s the ugly covered. The menus, the feel of the sim (off-track), the guitar music that hurts my old man ears, it’s all shantytown and favela-ugly. Given we are in gMotor2, this should come as little surprise. Yes, flags in the pits flap, cars have working lights, and yes, when you hit cones or other stuff around the track they fall over or go flying, but we are firmly entrenched in the past here. There’s been work done to inject some life into this aging platform, but it’s on life support.

Okay, so that’s the ugly out of the way, and if you’re anything like me - old - you’re probably wondering why you’re still here.

Me too. Oh wait, right, I almost forgot. The good. Glad you reminded me, actually because now it’s time for Opalas at Taruma.

THE SAMBA OF THE OPALA AT TARUMA What is a Taruma, you ask? What is an Opala? Taruma is a race track built in 1979 down in the south of Brazil. It’s a dirty, filthy track really, and we’ve all been to one of these places to watch a local club race where some chap named Pedro keeps winning in a 1978 big-block Chevy, right?

They say this is the fastest race track in Brazil; a short thing with six actual turns and a couple of kinks that serve only to

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STOCK CAR EXTREME - REVIEW

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set you up for death. It’s fast in open wheelers like the F3 (YouTube Ingo Hoffmann F3 Taruma), insanely quick in the F1s, but to understand this sim - and to get a sense of the tyre model - it’s here that we should spend some time in something suitably slow.

The reason for that choice is that this sim proves its best with cars that don’t have much aero. On those high downforce cars, of which we have many beautifully modelled and sounding examples, such as the “V12” (F1 1995), and Formula Classic (F1 late-1980s) - what we notice is that, under combined longitudinal and lateral loads, all the fundamental problems with this ageing engine re-emerge yet again. No-one has solved it, no-one ever will, and that’s not where you find the soul of this sim, despite having working DRS and stuff for the modern, torque-beast F1s. This sim is as its imperious best in cars that have nigh on zero aero grip like the legendary Opala.

The Opala is the bedrock for what is now known as Stock Car Brazil, but honestly, any alien would have a tough time figuring out how the 1979 Opala evolved into the fire-breathing race cars in which Rubens Barrichello won the championship last season amidst, one imagines, copious amounts of cheap champagne and the flowing tears of the clown.

What we have here, in the Opala, is a simple and brutal race car; a 1,100KG Chevy with about 165BHP from a V6 4.1 litre engine running ethanol fuel.

We have four gears, a suspension that is made of sponge along with a live rear axle and an open diff.

Translated into English, that means sideways action!

Right, let’s get nice and snug and go racing. Sitting in the pits in our virtual cockpit, we are welcomed to the world of Brazilian stock cars with … ambient sounds. This is really a lovely addition to the sim; you can hear someone having a chat out behind you while someone else clears his throat before some chap named Fabio wields a hydraulic wheel-nut gun. Out in the distance you can hear the sounds of birds, and it’s all really convincingly done. Every car sports different sounds when the ignition is switched on, and the Opala sounds like a tuberculosis victim; it literally coughs to life, and you half expect the thing to choke to death on its own phlegm. The cockpit is functional; actually, the cockpits are all really gorgeous places to spend your time in SCE, the Opala’s being just your basic steering wheel, rev counter, and rev-shift light with a lot of rusting metal tubing running about the place. Oh, and the gauges actually work in all the cars (here you have a fuel indicator, and oil pressure).

Right, so let’s get going. Firstly, you find you get a nice kick when you shift first to second. (Check out the brief plume of gun smoke from the rear wheels in your rear-view!) The sound of the engine,

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I’VE NEVER HEARD A BETTER SOUNDING V12 THAN WHAT YOU’LL FIND HERE

meanwhile, is fantastic. Indeed, the engine sounds in SCE are all quite outstanding, and I’ve never heard a better sounding “V12” than what you’ll find here.

You can run the cars with no auto-clutch, but that doesn’t mean you need to use a clutch while shifting gears. This is somewhat of a disappointment, but hey, it’s the same in every sim (because apparently the most fundamental part of race driving isn’t something sim-drivers want, or so the developers keep suggesting), and anyway, I’m going to use three pedals because I’m old. Taruma being such a cheap track, they actually paint the brake markers on the track. But that’s what we love about Taruma.

It has turgid mud banks and not much run-off, and they’d once wanted to get some grandstands up on the main drag, but that never happened because someone probably got drunk on Caipirinhas and forgot all about it.

Okay, so our first lap at speed (because we just spent—and we will ignore how we learnt this lesson—a few minutes warming up our tyres and brakes (brakes have an optimum range and are susceptible to fade), we approach the fearsome turn one at 5600RPM in fourth gear. Turn one is where men and boys are divided (men die, boys just get maimed); in the F3s, this thing is almost flat; in the Opala, it isn’t even close. In the Opala, turn one is four-wheel drift time. Find a spot that may resemble an apex to aim at, get off the throttle, and let the rear lose traction. This is simply done because getting off the throttle at speed and turning your wheel in SCE is lethal, as it should be. Now, light up your Derby cigarette and take a good puff because you won’t need the wheel for a while; drifting is accomplished by throttle commands only. The tyre model is absolutely sublime in the non-aero cars, and how the chaps at Reiza have managed to bleed this type of performance from an engine that is so notoriously skittish is beyond amazing. Yes there

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are limitations, the empirical tyre model being one which, by necessity, ends with a lack of variance, and a predictability to what is happening on every lap; add to that the lack of track ‘progression’, and things can feel a little more static than what we are now perhaps used to from the new generation of simulators. The force feedback, however, is as good as anything you care to name; wonderfully responsive and, as you feel the rear getting away, just let your hands off the wheel and allow it to spin before grabbing it firmly once more and injecting some more power. Now you’re looking like a hero and heading off to turn two where you will need to brake. See the ‘100’ painted on the tarmac? Yup. And now the ‘50’? Okay, so if you aren’t on the brakes as the ‘50’ vanishes under your car, you’re going to die. If you were, sensibly, on the brakes before the ‘50’, you will discover that things are about to get hairy anyway. The thing about being old, and having gone through the whole genesis of sim-racing, is that you can recall the moment when everything changed in the genre; here I am reminded of the first time a car’s mass actually influenced your braking (that was Aris Vasilakos’s P&G mod for GT Legends); in SCE, that mass makes braking really tricky, as it should be. With three pedals, things are even more complicated in the Opala. The braking in this sim is second to none. If you are sideways, or steering when you hit the brakes, or God forbid going downhill (Imola, I’m looking at you), the back end will get away from you; you can try and engage a bit of throttle, and that will help, but if you’re late-braking or even trail-braking, and if you’ve just gone through one of those kinks of death at Taruma, you can expect to see the scenery from up-close. What you will then learn is the following: firstly, the gravel and kitty-litter are difficult to get out of; secondly, these cars actually stall (so make sure you’ve mapped a button to your starter/ignition or you’re walking back to pits); and thirdly, the damage model is amusingly juicy (your bonnet and boot will fall off, your wheels will go flying into the horizon, your car will dent,

really brilliantly modeled and authentic. As for the Formula Vee, from the way the car behaves mid-turn when you lift the throttle, to the feel of the thing as you roll through the turns keeping your momentum up, this car is right up there in terms of feel, as is the Chevy Camaro, designed to unleash your inner cowboy (and you get to drive the pace car if you want!). As with all the non-winged cars in this sim, it’s spot-on accurate.

So here we are then, having to conclude our tour of Stock Car Extreme. Reiza Studios have created a wonderful sim here; in truth, and inescapably, it shows the age of the platform on which it is based, yes. At times, the clunk will make you weep and punch your dog in the face. But ignore all of that.

You know those moments when you’ve found some alone time—the dog and family out on a Saturday afternoon, and you’re in your man cave (because you get to do fun stuff like work on weekends) with your dusty sim-rig sitting forlornly in the corner, and suddenly the urge filters into your old-man brain, and you start wondering what to run. You’re not in the mood to race online because you’re rusty, and you know by now open servers are a smash fest anyway, and you’re not in the mood for some meaningless testing in some Italian sim - suddenly you’re on lap 35 in your Opala against the boys from Brazil, and your brakes are fading and the sun is setting and you’re drifting around the final turn hitting the rev-limiter and it’s all so delightful, that’s when it comes to you; what you actually think of Stock Car Extreme. It’s an old-time sim; it works best with old man cars (slow), it works best offline racing against AI (that no-one even bothers with anymore), it works best on tracks no-one even remembers anymore (the old Österreichring!), it works best when you’re drifting a crappy Opala around a dodgy track in some dusty frontier town called Taruma.

And you know what? You can keep your exotic million dollar flashy Lamborghini getting shafted by some twelve year old pretending to be a race-driver online in some laser-scanned Silverstone, because this old man has just remembered how wonderful sim-racing can be at its most basic; a well-modelled car, a fantastic tyre model, a great track, fabulous sound, wondrous immersion, fantastic cockpits,and intelligent, functional AI. So why don’t you meet me at Taruma, in any non-aero car, and I’ll bring the Caipirinhas and Derbys. We’re sure to have a great old time in this solid, if slightly dated offering from Reiza Studios.

THE CARS 2013 & 2014 Peugeot Stock Car V8 (451hp, 1340kg) 2013 & 2014 Chevrolet Stock Car V8 (451hp, 1340kg) 1979 Opala Stock Car (165hp, 1100kg) Mini Challenge (174hp, 1240kg) Chevrolet Camaro (376hp, 1850kg) Brasileiro de Marcas Chevrolet, Ford, Mitsubishi, Toyota (246hp, 1160kg) Direct drive kart, with and without bodywork (30hp, 155kg) Shifter kart (38hp, 175kg) Rental kart (9hp, 190kg) Rental race kart (12hp, 170kg) Superkart (94hp, 220kg) Metalmoro MR18 (450hp, 850kg) Formula Vee (84hp, 530kg) Formula 3 (225hp, 565kg) 1976 Formula 1 (419hp, 650kg) 1988 Formula 1 (566hp, 620kg) 1995 Formula 1 (636hp, 595kg) 2012 Formula 1 (666hp, 620kg) 2014 Formula 1 (705hp, 692kg)

THE TRACKS KART: Floripa Grandja Viana Interlagos Ortona

(4 layouts) (6 layouts) (3 layouts) (4 layouts)

HISTORIC: Bologna (Imola) Montreal (1988) Interlagos (1976 - 2 layouts) Jacarepaguá Johannesburg (Kyalami) Spielberg (Österreichring 1977-1995 layout) MODERN: Brasilia Buenos Aires Campo Grande Caruaru Cascavel Cordoba Curitiba Floripa Goiania Guapore Interlagos Jacarepagua Kansai Londrina Ribeirao Preto Spielberg Salvador Santa Cruz Taruma Velopark

(2 layouts) (4 layouts)

(2 layouts)

(2 layouts) (4 layouts) (Suzuka, 2 layouts) (2 layouts) (2010, 2012) (Red Bull Ring, 2 layouts)

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and in the formula cars, you will lose wings and so forth). You will also end up burning to death, and the sound of it is like a lovely camp fire, so bring some marshmallows if you’re the last of the late brakers.

And that, alas, is what happened to my Opala; burnt to death in a terrible shunt going into turn two.

That, of course, means I’m ready for a race weekend (you can also do a championship if that interests you, the default using only Brazilian tracks—awesome!). The racing against the AI is as good as you’d expect; the AI is exceptional, and remains the gold standard in sim-racing. Online, too, is bullet-proof; sadly, you will find loads of sparsely-populated servers. League racing is the way to go if human competition is what you’re after.

Having now parked the Opala, it’s time to go through the car-sets. I want to start with the disappointments. Given I don’t have that much space to offer an acceptable review of all the cars, I’m going to be brief (unfairly so). The Formula Retro (1976 F1) effort is bleh (you’ll find the 1970s Ferrari 312 in Assetto Corsa to be a generation ahead of what is on offer here); the ‘Metalmoro MR18’, which is the Audi endurance car, is good, but doesn’t really inspire; the Formula Reiza (F1 2012) is a cracking drive, but the default setup on this (and many other cars) requires way too much work for me to give you an accurate indication of how good this car really is (and finding a suitable track is also a bit difficult); the Formula Extreme (F1 2014) comes with DRS (as does the Formula Reiza, I should add), and it works well.

This particular car is a torque monster; if you enjoy modern V6 turbos (and can’t afford a psychiatrist to cure you of this sick fetish), you might find this to your liking. I was unconvinced, though, and found that this car, along with the Formula Reiza, loses the rear-end under power in a way that just left me frowning; it is almost as if your grip level goes from twenty tons to zero in the blink of an eye. It doesn’t feel right to me, and it reminded me—distastefully— of rFactor’s F1 car of 2005.

That out of the way, let me tell you about the juicy stuff. Starting with the licensed Brazilian Formula Vee. Here again, we have no wings— think Skip Barber—and a tight, underpowered single-seater that will provide you with endless hours of joy on all those tiny Brazilian club tracks.

This car demonstrates the top-notch tyre physics at work behind the scenes, as do the karts (125cc that comes with its own track, and a 6-speed 250cc that is mind-blowingly fast); indeed, the karts are

SIM RACER NEW BUILD

PART

2

STRIPPING YOUR PC

new build

WHEN XFX GOT IN TOUCH WITH US WITH A PC BUILD IN MIND, WE HAD THE PERFECT PROJECT IN WHICH TO INCLUDE THEM. THE BOSS HERE AT SIM RACER HAD BEEN COMPLAINING FOR MONTHS THAT HIS PC JUST WASN’T WHERE HE NEEDED IT, AND PALED IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHER PCS OWNED BY STAFF MEMBERS. SO FAR WE’VE STRIPPED HIS OLD PC DOWN IN PREPARATION, THIS MONTH WE’LL START TAKING YOU THROUGH A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE OF THE FIRST STAGE OF BUILDING - INSTALLING THE MOTHERBOARD AND THE RELATIVE COMPONENTS. STEP 1 REMOVE CASE SCREWS

First things first, you’re going to want to place your case on a firm surface, somewhere you’re not going to lose things - preferably a clear workspace such as a table.

Once you’ve found yourself a suitable working area, start by removing the screws located on the rear of the case.

You’re going to want to remove the screws on the righthand side. Once this is done remove the side casing, this simply slides off.

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STEP 2 INSERT MOTHERBOARD PORT COVER

Before inserting your motherboard, you’re going to want to make use of the port cover removed from your old PC. If you’re using a new motherboard you’ll find your port cover in the motherboard packaging. However, as we’re using an old one we’ll just be using the previous port cover. This simply snaps into place, and it’s fairly obvious where it goes.

Don’t be afraid to apply some force here to make sure it ‘snaps’ in.

STEP 3 LOCATE MOTHERBOARD RISERS/SCREW INTO CASE

STEP 4

STEP 5

LINE UP MOTHERBOARD TO CASE RISERS

SCREW MOTHERBOARD DOWN

A relatively simple step. After screwing in all of your case risers, you need to then line your motherboard up with these. Align carefully, then place the motherboard down in preparation for the next step.

Once again you’re going to want to take a look in the box provided with your case and find the motherboard screws. Once you have located these screws, start securing your motherboard. We find the best technique here is to make sure you have all the screws partially inserted before tightening them up. This will stop your motherboard being pulled in certain directions due to only tightening one side up at a time.

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Next you’re going to want to locate the motherboard risers. These are provided with the case; and in this example are in a brass finish. You’re then going to want to take a look at your motherboard and take note of where the holes are. Then you need to screw the risers into the corresponding holes in your case. You’ll find the usual pattern is 3/2/2 or 3/2/3, but your motherboard may be different.

SIM RACER NEW BUILD

STEP 6 INSERT CASE INPUTS (POWER BUTTON)

new build

When you opened your case you would’ve noticed a ton of wires that you should have pushed to one side.

These are the case inputs that allow you to use your case power button, USB ports and any other LED lights.

We’re going to start with the biggest cable of the bunch, which stands out massively compared to the other cables. Looking at your motherboard, this cable inserts on the right hand side, usually slightly off centre.

STEP 7 INSERT CASE INPUTS (USB)

Your next step is to insert the USB cable. This is easily distinguishable due to having ‘USB’ written on it! This cable plugs into the motherboard via a port located at the bottom of the motherboard; directly in the middle.

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STEP 8 INSERT CASE INPUTS (OTHER)

new build

The final case inputs to insert are a fiddly selection of either single or two-pin connections. These are plugged into the motherboard via a selection of pins located off-right at the bottom of the motherboard. You will need to look at the motherboard to ensure these plug into the correct pins. Both pins and motherboard have labels on them to make this easier.

And it should look like this.

As you may have noticed, we haven’t had to insert our CPU or RAM as we simply left them in place when removing our motherboard from the previous PC. However if you are building from new these are fairly simple to install. Check out our Mini ITX build for help with this in Volume 1 Issue 2/3.

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GUN REVIEWS ¤ GAME REPORTS ¤ HOW-TO GUIDES ¤ GEAR TESTS

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THEJOY OF

TRIPLE TRIPLE TRIPLESCREENS A SPECTACULAR CENTRE-PIECE TO ANY SIM ENTHUSIAST’S ROOM, THE TRIPLE-SCREEN SETUP HAS BEEN SEEN FOR YEARS AS THE ULTIMATE RACING SOLUTION. THIS MONTH WE SEE WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD ONE, AND WHETHER IT IS REALLY WORTH THE EFFORT

BY DOMINIC BRENNAN

A common discussion amongst the sim racing community is the ‘field of view’ (FOV) option that can be found in every graphics menu, and indeed many other first-person games on PC. While it is often increased in a first-person shooter in order to spot your foes over a wider angle, simulators recommend using a more accurate value. After all, there is only one correct setting, based on the size of the display and the distance it is from your eyes, if you consider the display to be a ‘window’ into the virtual world. The benefit of using the correct value is a heightened sense of being properly placed in the cockpit, and you can judge scale and distance more naturally, making you feel more connected to the car. Unfortunately, if you’re using a single, relatively small display, let’s say 23” or lower, the accurate value is going to be extremely low, i.e. less than 40 degrees (horizontal), even if you can bring the display as close as possible behind your wheel. This ‘window’ is going to feel extremely restrictive at this size, giving you no sense of peripheral vision and an extremely low sense of speed, particularly if you’re used to playing standard FOV values (70-90 degrees is commonplace) in other genres on the same screen.

As such, the correct FOV is not always enjoyable with a single, small display, and many people choose to compromise on the FOV value, running it higher in order to give themselves a ‘better’ or more familiar view. However, the benefits of using an accurate FOV are undeniable - you only need to look at the VR future for that, where there are no FOV options, only the correct one for your eyes. The best way to experience accurate FOV on a flat screen is to use a single, very large display, perhaps a greater-than 50” HDTV or projector, or to create a dedicated triple-screen setup. Why buy three screens when you could have one enormous 60” screen? Well for a start, the single screen would likely only be 1080p, and that resolution so close to your eyes on a surface so large is not going to offer the best fidelity. And secondly, the image would be displayed on a flat plane, so the distortion would be significant near the edges and you’d never be able to achieve that ‘wrap around’ feel. Triple screens enable you to run the two side monitors at an angle, giving you a better FOV over a more efficient spread of pixels.

But why even bother with triple screens when virtual reality is just around the corner? Well,

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TRIPLE SCREENS

SIM RACER TRIPLE SCREENS for a start, virtual reality requires extremely specific support that can feel terrible if even the slightest element is not right, causing headaches and nausea.

Of course this can also happen with triple screens, or even a single screen for that matter, but to a far less severe degree. Virtual reality is a bold new era, but right now the support amongst sims is mixed, and there are two solid players gearing up to blow our socks off in the form of the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift; it’s still too early to say which will be the better buy. With the consumer Rift being pushed back to Q1 2016, those set on buying the Oculus headset still have a long wait. The Vive is still aiming for November, but for now it is totally unproven when it comes to driving sims, whereas Oculus have laid some solid foundations and have the mind share. If you want VR sim racing today, the only option is the Oculus DK2, which has ended production and is in extremely limited supply. We had a full review in our previous issue, and while it offers a glimpse at what VR has to offer, it also has all the drawbacks of a non-consumer product, and is frankly a bit of a hassle to use. And at the end of the day, it’s not even the real deal, with a limited sensation of ‘presence’ and a level of fidelity that is

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borderline unacceptable for driving. The consumer headsets are going to deliver a dramatically better experience, making the DK2 difficult to recommend at this stage. For now, triple screens are the most-established, reliable way of achieving that sensation of being in a cockpit, albeit in a limited fashion compared to VR. Alright, but aren’t triple screens really expensive?

For someone preparing a high-performance PC for VR, not really! Triple screens are more affordable than ever, and couldn’t be easier to set up. The recommended spec for the consumer Rift headset was recently suggested to include an Nvidia GTX 970 or AMD 290 - single cards, both of which are perfectly capable of running triple screens. Gone are the days where you need multiple GPUs to achieve decent triple screen performance. Of course, there are different types of screens that you might like to use, including high-end gaming monitors with 2560x1440, 144Hz panels. But not only are they very expensive, running at a combined 7680x1440 they demand a higher-than-4K resolution and simply too much for a single GPU. However, 1080p monitors are now very affordable, and the combined 5760x1080 resolution of triple 1080p screens is a much more reasonable proposition, and in some cases you can buy all three monitors for the price of a single 1440p 144Hz display.

For our triple setup, we decided on three BenQ

GW2760HS monitors, kindly supplied to us by Ebuyer.com (currently available at £174.99 each).

A 27” 1080p display is, in our opinion, the sweet spot for triple screen use. Normally, 1920x1080 is considered to be slightly too low a resolution for monitors of this size, as the 1920x1200 resolution has been offered at the 24” size for many years.

This is partly why 27” 1080p displays have become affordable, in addition to the move towards 1440p and 4K, not forgetting the rise of the smartphone, with 1080p or higher resolutions becoming the norm. This relatively low PPI means the GW2760HS wouldn’t be our first choice for a primary work monitor, but it is absolutely ideal as part of a sim setup. Considering the distance of the screens away from your eyes, the PPI is sharp enough. Any bigger, and you’re moving towards the HDTV market (there are few 1080p ‘monitors’ bigger than 27”) - the setup starts to take up a large amount of space, and the pixels start to become more visible. Any smaller, and the screens simply don’t span enough distance to create that wide FOV you’re really looking for, and the height of the screen is pretty limited too.

But why the BenQ? While there are many 27” displays on the market, the BenQ comes up trumps in several areas. It is a very impressive screen in its own right, using an AMVA panel which is capable of delivering deeper contrast than TN and IPS technologies, whilst offering the viewing angles and colours only a small step away from IPS. TN is often the go-to technology for gaming monitors due to their fast response at the expense of

power bills, and this efficient technology means the screens are also very thin and light, so won’t put too much strain on your desk or stands.

Talking of which, we’re using GT Omega’s triple monitor stand, available directly from GT Omega for £179.99. Of course, the cheapest way to set up your three monitors is to simply align them on a table using their own stands, but this can cause problems if you’re also clamping your wheel to same table - the steering forces can move them out of alignment. Best to use a separate stand if possible, and GT Omega’s does the job admirably.

It has three highly-flexible arms (arguably a little too flexible!) that allow you to position these three BenQ monitors at the perfect height, alignment and with the side monitors at 45 degrees. The construction is extremely solid, and being a free-standing structure, the monitors don’t wobble around at all while you drive. It’s easy to knock a side monitor out of alignment if however, so keep that template you created to find the perfect 45 degree angle handy.

Running on a GTX 980, which has primarily DisplayPort outputs, we had to buy a few DP-to-HDMI cables in order to connect to the HDMI ports on the BenQ. Once connected, the setup is straightforward - Nvidia has a very simple system for spanning a display across three monitors.

Windows will initially see three separate 1080p displays, but once Nvidia Surround is running, it is treated as a single 5760x1080 display. There is a simple bezel compensation system, asking you to line up a piece of road the spans across the two joins. Once aligned, the system creates a new, slightly wider resolution which then becomes selectable in games. If you run this

bezel-compensated resolution in a game, the additional pixels are effectively eaten by the two joins, so that the rendered image spans across all three displays in a more seamless manner.

Despite triple screens being popular for many years, the support is not consistent across the sims. There are several expectations for good triple screen support. Multi-screen rendering this means that the side monitors render using a separate FOV in order to eliminate the distortion generated by running a single FOV across side monitors at different angles to the centre. Bezel compensation - removing the unwanted pixels that would end up ‘behind’ the two joins. FOV calculator - enter all the required values and let the sim determine the correct FOV. Side-angle adjustment - not everyone will want to run the side monitors at the same angle. Without doubt, iRacing leads the way, with multi-screen rendering, built-in FOV calculator, bezel-compensator and side angle adjustment. Assetto Corsa runs a close second, with a triple screen ‘app’ that offers similar features to iRacing. rFactor 1 and rFactor 2 (along with Reiza’s sims) are next; they have no FOV calculator, the multi-rendering option assumes your side monitors are 45 degrees and can’t be changed, and there is no bezel compensation. Project CARS and RaceRoom share the bottom spot - no bezel compensation and neither have any form of multi-screen rendering, so the side monitor views become very distorted.

The lack of bezel compensation is resolved by running the custom resolution created by the Nvidia Surround drivers, but a lack of multi-screen rendering support can’t be resolved by graphics drivers. This means Project CARS and RaceRoom are lagging behind the other sims significantly in this area.

Running on a GTX980, i7 4790K and 8GB RAM, there are no major performance problems, with all the sims running above 60fps with a few graphical adjustments. The extremely demanding settings in Project CARS such as reflections and shadows needed to be dropped down a couple of notches, but otherwise everything runs smoothly at very high detail.

Are triple screens worth the effort? If you’re serious about sim racing, you won’t be disappointed.

It serves as a good performance test for VR, as the demands will be very similar. It certainly doesn’t deliver the sensation of ‘presence’ like VR, but it offers other benefits - having a wider FOV than VR headsets are currently capable of, and much higher fidelity. The wide, correct FOV is very useful for racing situations, allowing you to race side-by-side more reliably, and it simply allows the driver to enjoy the feeling of sim racing that much more. And let’s be honest, it’s also a really stunning way to complete a sim racing rig!

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image quality, but BenQ’s VA panel achieves similar performance to many TN monitors - it is one of the most responsive panels that the folks at TFTCentral have ever tested, delivering incredibly low input lag for a 60Hz display. Just make sure you spend some time calibrating the screens - the default settings are ridiculous, with a face-melting brightness at 100; it doesn’t need to be any higher than 12. One of our panels seemed slightly more green than the other two - easy enough to balance out in the menus, but don’t assume they’ll all need exactly the same settings.

Importantly for triple screens, the bezels are very narrow, so you can place them tightly together with very little distractions from the two joins. The screens have a pleasant matte coating that reduces reflections without any signs of grain, and the design looks sharp, with a carbon fibre-like finish on the back. The only downside is the gloss frame, but that can be covered with electrical tape if necessary. Using a White-LED backlight, the BenQ is easy on the

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CODEMASTERS SIM RACER

narrow forest track. That instantly became our focus - we tried using our old engine to do that and we got close, but a lot of stuff wasn’t right, so we took the decision to strip it all down and start again. In the old engine we had four-wheel drive and front-wheel drive cars behaving pretty okay in Greece, and to a certain extent Wales, but rear-wheel drive was just wrong. A lot of the effort went into making a MK2 Escort drive properly. It’s been a labour of love and a tough fight to get it to where it is today.

interview!

IN A REFRESHING MOVE, CODEMASTERS’ LATEST RALLY GAME LAUNCHED ON STEAM’S EARLY ACCESS IN APRIL, MUCH TO THE DELIGHT OF THE PC GAMING COMMUNITY. DIRT RALLY IS A SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE FROM EARLIER GAMES SPORTING THE DIRT NAME, RETURNING THE FOCUS TO PURE RALLY DRIVING, WITH A MOVE TOWARDS REALISTIC SIMULATION FOR THE FIRST TIME. I SAT DOWN WITH LEAD DESIGNER PAUL COLEMAN TO DISCUSS THE PROJECT.

BY DOMINIC BRENNAN Having spent the day with the handling team, I’ve been impressed by their dedication to realism. If anyone was in doubt about whether DiRT Rally is a sim, they would only need to look at the software tools being used to develop the cars, and the complexities of the tyre and surface model.

But from your perspective, do you see it as a pure sim, or are there some concessions in the design of the game that are in place to not alienate the more casual player?

Something I’m keen to say when talking about stuff like this is that if every rally car - racing car even - was set up to be incredibly difficult to drive and be very likely to kill the driver, there’d be no drivers left! Sims should not just be hard for the sake of it. We have had to take a much more sim approach to Dirt Rally - to get the cars driving properly down a narrow stage, with lots of undulations and gradient changes, we had to make the cars behave more realistically.

If you go at it with an arcade spin, the tracks naturally have to become wider, because the car is behaving in a way that simply doesn’t suit driving down a narrow stage.

Certainly we’re leaps and bounds ahead of where we’ve ever been within the studio, and that’s come about from opening the Pandora’s Box that was our physics engine, used for everything pretty much since Race Driver, and it has just been layered and layered on. Steve Hughes was the first guy brave enough to work out what was going on under the hood - and lots of stuff was fundamentally wrong. Components were talking to each other in the wrong order, so the engine would talk to the wheels, which would then talk back to the transmission, rather

than being done in the order you’d expect, i.e. engine, clutch, gearbox, hubs, tyres, surface, and then back again. That’s the sort of thing that has been fixed, and it has made everything more intuitive. With our previous titles, you weren’t learning to drive; you were learning to play the game. In my mind, that’s what makes a game arcade versus sim - in a sim, it should behave in the way you expect a car to behave in real life, which is where the force feedback issue was our biggest letdown, because the wheel wasn’t doing what you’d expect. But underneath, the car itself was doing a pretty good job. I don’t want to say it’s a pure sim - if anyone comes out saying they’ve made a pure sim there is some lack of truth there. But we’re much closer than we ever have been, and it’s a really solid foundation to be improving on.

What made you decide on going in this direction in the first place?

Listening to what our fans wanted and actually sitting in a rally car and competing for real. I was co-driving, but that was enough to know that what we were doing wasn’t right. We really wanted to focus deeper into the sport we were trying to represent, rather than going as broad as we had done in the past by showing lots of different ways to drive off road. The reason why I believe people were playing DiRT 3 was to play rally, but what they were getting was quite cut down - still the biggest part of the game, but not a true, focused experience. With DiRT Rally, we had to do things more in-depth to get across the atmosphere, the passion and the skill required to man-handle one of these machines down a

I noticed when running a ShadowPlay recording of DiRT Rally, the folder was named ‘Dirt 4’ [this has since been changed!].... Was that from the graphics card drivers?

I believe so yes.

Yeah it was known as Dirt 4 internally for a while, along with many other names...

But you don’t really consider it to be ‘Dirt 4’, right?

I really wanted to call it simply ‘DiRT’, with everything from that point considered to be an update. Sometimes those updates would require you to put money down again, but it was decided that it wasn’t the right thing to do at the time. Some people would say calling it DiRT 4 would be a bit of a misnomer as people would buy it expecting it to be spiritual successor to 3, and it’s not really the fourth game anyway, with DiRT Showdown on the list.

The one thing I’m really keen not to call it is a ‘spinoff’, because it isn’t at all - it deserves its own space - but at the same time we didn’t want people to miss the game by not calling it DiRT at all, as we knew the press like the franchise and it was important to get that coverage. Calling it ‘Codemasters Rally’ would’ve been odd!

I think when DiRT Showdown and Grid Autosport released, a lot of people saw them as spinoffs, and they didn’t seem to be moving Codemasters into the new generation of technology as quickly as people wanted - I think the same could be said about F1 2014 as well. Would it be fair to say that Codemasters have struggled to make that jump to the new hardware?

It’s been an incredibly tough three years now.

I designed a ‘DiRT 4’ game off the back of DiRT 3, and then we needed to put Showdown out to meet some objectives, so we did - that was literally 9 months from high level design to shelf, and that is without a shadow of a doubt, the most intense experience in my gaming career.

While it was a game that was quite fun to test once we put it together, it was an uncomfortable timescale - crunch almost all the way through and no one really felt the passion for it I think.

That said, I put my little nephew in front of it and he absolutely loves it. I don’t think it was a ‘wrong’ game; it was just a game that was made as a stop gap, so it felt like a stop gap.

GRID Autosport is perhaps the game the GRID 2 should’ve been, and there is a some design documentation that would suggest that that was the original plan... but again, companies make decisions about stuff, and you can’t change the past and I definitely don’t believe there’s any

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use in crying over spilt milk. I’m hoping DiRT Rally shows there are passionate and talented individuals working here, and that it does answer some of the criticisms of those previous games.

As for F1, it’s a different beast altogether, not just from a development perspective but also a licensing perspective. There are things that the guys in Birmingham have to deal with that we don’t even have to think about. One of the main limitations they’ve been facing is that the branch of the engine being used for the F1 games was derived from the engine we were using around Grid and DiRT2. There was a lot of stuff in there that wasn’t suitable for those cars. They needed stuff that the old engine couldn’t provide, so they took the opportunity to build a new engine (for F1 2015). The idea was to make an all-singing, all-dancing engine that was going to suit everything and anybody - but that turned out to be a difficult transition. I think we’re back on track now with DiRT Rally, and we’re proving that you don’t necessarily need an entirely new engine to make something feel very different and very exciting.

i nte rvi ew

I wanted to ask about audio, as it has been a highlight of DiRT Rally for me so far - it seems to have come a long way...

To make the audio in a game sound great, you need to have great car recordings. But we’ve always had industry-leading car recordings.

When those recordings get brought back into the studio, Dave Sullivan has to package them up into engine bundles. The first thing that bundle relies upon is the physics engine. It’s looking to the physics to know how it should be playing a particular sound. Some of the live recordings you get from these cars would make you weep - you sit in that 7.1 room listening to a GT40 and you’re in tears because the sound is spectacular, almost better than if you were standing behind the car, because your ears can’t take it all in. But the mics can, so when it’s processed and played back, the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. But if you put that though a dud physics engine, that only looks at certain bits of the rev range, doesn’t react under load, doesn’t get feedback from the surface so you’re missing that wobble as you you’re trying to apply that torque to go up a slope, you’re taking that 100% awesome sound and giving the players 10% of it!

So now having much more sim-based physics, there’s been some examples where we’ve taken recordings we took from DiRT 3 and put them through the new physics engine and suddenly the cars come alive. I always knew Dave did great work - I’m so glad we’ve been able to showcase that properly now. But it’s not just Dave, there is Chris Jojo who works with Dave getting the recordings and Stuart Ross our audio designer, who has to be applauded as well because the focus on the cabin sounds has all been achieved with technology that he has championed, then there’s the surface noises probably the most overriding sound when I sit inside a rally car is the stones hitting the metal.

All of that has been packaged up into a lot more coherent mix. There are some things that we’ve ‘gameified’ a bit because you don’t get the seat-of-the-pants feel; a lot of people rely on the audio to know when the tyres start to slip,

040

so we’ve tied a lot of the physics into audio to enhance that. It’s a mark of those guys’ skills, but it’s also a mark of the improvement in the simulation.

Early Access is a new way of launching games for Codemasters - do you know when the game will leave this phase?

I think we’ve got a pretty good idea of when we’re going make those decisions. But those decisions have become more interesting due to the game being more successful than we were expecting.

Have you been surprised yourself by the reaction?

I’ve been surprised at how positive the feedback is. We’ve always have the more positive end of the spectrum with the Dirt games, but there was still plenty of negativity. We seem to have flipped that now - to the point where we’re almost expecting negativity and people are out there defending us and saying ‘oh they’re listening, it’s good’. A lot of that is down to Lee Williams and the work he done with our community for years now - this isn’t just something that has been decided recently, it’s built up over time. I knew the consumer we were aiming for - when I was 12, I had played maybe 50 complete 100% seasons on Geoff Crammond’s Grand Prix, because I was an only child, I loved motorsport and Formula 1, so I know what it’s like to be that person, and I know what people want from a simulation experience. Making every decision along the way for DiRT Rally has been about taking those people into consideration wherever possible. I know there are even people who want to drive 150km between stages, but we’re not going to do

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that! (laughs) As cool as that would be, seriously, just play Euro Truck Simulator for two hours and then jump back in to DiRT Rally! (laughs) I believe we can still speak to that audience we were going after before, but if you can get the guys who are passionate about motorsport, simulation and specifically rally on board then those guys will come along as well. We’ve ignored the sim audience before, which was silly, because what we’ve achieved in the time we’ve spent just making this game has taken us so much further than when we were iterating on our previous products.

I’m pleased that our new physics model has been well-received, and I hope that our FFB update was seen as a huge step in the right direction, and those who’ve been holding off buying are reconsidering now. It’s really painful when I see people talking about it being an arcade game. I’m almost certain that they haven’t played it, and they are just drawing the conclusion that Codemasters couldn’t make a sim, even if they tried, ‘because they’re Codemasters’. What they don’t realise is we’ve got one of the best mathematicians I’ve ever met working on the physics. Steve is incredible, and he’s so fiery passionate about the problems thrown up when trying to make a rally simulation.

We’re not breaking sales records at this stage, but in terms of user ratings on Steam, in terms of response, and in terms of passionate feedback from the community, it’s leaps and bounds above anything we’ve done before.

Sales would certainly improve if it came to console - can we expect PS4 and Xbox One versions?

You have rallycross coming - is terrain deformation something you see as more relevant for that, with multiple cars on track at once, or more for traditional rally stages with the surface evolving over the course of an event?

I worked on Sega Rally, and the reason why that had three laps was because otherwise, you’d never see what you or the other cars had done to the surface! Rallycross is where you’d see that showcased the most, but having been 100th in the running order in a national rally event... you wouldn’t believe the stuff we were hitting on the racing line, including a huge rock that completely decimated our left front damper. At the start of a gravel rally event, it’s all loose and slippery - sweep that away and it becomes more grippy - there’s a nice period in which all the top seeded guys can go through and tear that up (laughs) but eventually all that gets excavated and dumped on the outside of the corner and you’re through to rocks and big ruts. Once you’re down to 50th in the order you’re spending much less time in contact with the ground! I’d like to simulate that evolution from slippy to grippy to bumpy, even if you’re not seeing the cars ahead running through the stage, with the corners and the braking points where stuff is getting moved around the most. With rallycross, the tyres they’re using are more like cut slicks so the effect they have on the surface is less than that of a gravel tyre, which is actually cutting into the surface and excavating it to get grip. So it will be less pronounced in rallycross even though you’ve got six cars rattling through doing six laps...

It’s amazing just walking down a rally course after a stage has been completed - touch the gravel and it’s like powder. 365 days later, all the logging lorries have been through and it’s back to normal again. 150 rally cars go through and it’s all back on the sides of the road! It’s one

of the things that I consider really important to a rally sim - actually I’d say the most important thing is that you never ever drive exactly the same road twice. But that’s a big one to get right! (laughs) I think the technicality we already have within our stages is making them much harder to master than our tracks have ever been before. Add deformation and you’d turn that into something that you can’t really practice - you could recce it perhaps but not practice. And then it really becomes about the driver and co-driver, and not about memorising a course. We’re offering an element of that with our daily challenges - actually I’m a little bit annoyed that we show what the track and car combination is - it might be better to keep that hidden, so you can’t practice beforehand.

One thing to note about the real sport is that you’re often not allowed on the stage. In the pro series, you recce it. But they stop you from doing that in the local version because there’s not enough time or availability of the forest tracks for every team. So they send one guy with a camera to go out and write route notes; you get a video of him driving his Impreza at 20mph through the stage. The roads look totally different because they’re all forest tracks, plants growing down the middle.. by the time you get there they’re completely different!

The corner shapes are still the same but the way you attack them - very, very different. If we could bottle that and put it into an experience then that would be the best rally game ever made because that is what it really is - go on the internet, recce the video with your friends, write the notes and then you’ve just gotta go and do the stage. It’s just about holding it all together and getting the best time you can. So that’s... for the future I think!

Well thank you for your time, and your very thorough answers! (laughs) No problem! With a game like DiRT Rally, so much blood, sweat and tears has gone into it - I think it deserves the thoroughness.

DiRT Rally is available now on PC (Steam, Early Access)

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i nte rvi ew

Richard Burns Rally is over eleven years old now, still being used and updated by the community who have embraced it as the go-to rally simulation on PC. Do you think DiRT Rally has the potential to have that kind of longevity, and do want it to be ‘moddable’?

Having interviewed a guy who worked on RBR while we were building a team to make DiRT Rally, and listening to the decisions that they were making and the process they were going through - we’re both trying to do the same thing. It was the most remarkable thing about the interview, that he was talking about doing exactly the same thing over a decade ago. But then I was sent the design document for Colin McRae Rally, and the language used in it, the intent and the brief and the design pillars everything was identical to what set out to do with DiRT Rally as well. The key thing that these three games have in common is that they all wanted to make the best rally game ever made, and they all... did, except DiRT Rally isn’t finished yet! We’ve recently spoken to some rallycross teams and they’ve given us some really useful information. We’re leaning on our tyres a little too much to give us the grip that we need, and there’s some chassis simulation that we haven’t been doing properly - once that is addressed, all our cars are going to be reworked. It is quite possible that once we get there, I don’t want to say we’ll be better than RBR, but we’ll be at an equal point in the conversation. What I will say is that I think our surfaces are already better than Burns, and there’s more we can potentially do with that, including the dreaded word ‘deformation’. Not in a Spintires kind of way but having the ‘racing line’ in a rally stage actually affect the amount of grip available. If we can nail that on top of a really strong and industry-leading simulation engine, then we’ll be well beyond what was possible 11 years ago.

So the ambition remains to make the best rally game ever made; we’re not there yet but we’ve made a pretty good first stab at it, there

is a good roadmap for improvements and a vision beyond our current project plans - and I do believe modding is part of that. We have some other ideas too, but not quite ready to talk about them just yet!

CODEMASTERS

The ultimate aim is to get this out to as many people as possible, and there are many people out there who aren’t going to go out to buy a PC come rain or shine. Whether that means DiRT Rally goes to console or whether the knowledge gained from DiRT Rally is fed into a new experience - at this stage I just can’t say.

But I don’t want us to go backwards, let’s put it like that.

SO THE AMBITION REMAINS TO MAKE THE BEST RALLY GAME EVER MADE

PRO-DRIVER TRACK TIPS

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JEFF WESTPHAL WWW.JEFFWESTPHALRACING.COM

MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA TRACK GUIDE

THANKS TO ITS OWNERSHIP OF A REAL-WORLD RACING SCHOOL, THE SIMRACEWAY PERFORMANCE DRIVING CENTER, BASED ON SONOMA RACEWAY IN CALIFORNIA, SIMRACEWAY’S ONLINE RACING WORLD PLACES GREAT EMPHASIS BOTH ON DRIVER TRAINING AND THE SYNERGY BETWEEN VIRTUAL AND REAL RACING.

WHO BETTER, THEN, TO PRODUCE A NEW SERIES OF VIRTUAL TRACK GUIDES PENNED BY PRO DRIVERS? THE LATEST GUIDE IN THIS SERIES OFFERS THE INSIDE LINE ON THE LEGENDARY MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA. SIMRACEWAY’S RACING SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR AND SCUDERIA CORSA DRIVER, JEFF WESTPHAL TAKES US AROUND ONE OF HIS FAVORITE TRACKS IN HIS GT RACECAR.

TURN 1

1

TURN 2

2

>LEFT

ANDRETTI HAIRPIN

>LEFT

TURN 3

>RIGHT

3

Turn 1 should be taken full-throttle. On passing the start/finish line, stay within one car width of the inside wall, with a slight left bend in the wheel heading to the apex. You’ll need to apex at the crest of the hill to be in the correct position on the right-side of the track to tackle Turn 2.

From just after the Moto GP curb on the right at the exit of T1, bend the car left to create an almost straight line towards the first apex curb in Turn 2.

Then brake and downshift as you approach the inside, running over the first apex curb with the left tires and slowly turning the wheel left in second gear while releasing the brake.

In the middle of the turn, the car should be running slightly wide of the inside of the track. It’s tempting to get on the gas at this point, with 75-90 degrees

of steering input, but that would be a mistake as the corner flattens out and tightens after its halfway point.

With the car mid-corner and halfway across the track, it should be pointing at the second curb on the left. Use all of it, and all the exit curb on the right, then slowly start accelerating.

Due to the lack of camber, you may be tempted to use more throttle than the grip allows, but it’s important to be very progressive on power to avoid powersliding.

From the exit of T2, head straight. That should put you on the left side of the track by the “3” braking board of Turn 3. As you approach the board, put a little right-hand bend in the car to avoid a tight, sharp turn in the braking zone.

Brake lightly at the “2” board and trail a light and reducing brake pressure in third gear to the apex curb

on the right. Brake pedal use is a real art form here.

I typically have a small rear slide, which I use to point the nose of the car. When I am ready for the slide to stop, I lightly touch the gas pedal to squat the rear of the car.

Once I feel the slide diffuse, I start adding throttle as I unwind from the apex curb to the exit curb on the left.

Use every inch of this curb!

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TURN 4

<RIGHT

TURN 5

4

<LEFT

5

TURN 6

6

TURN 7

7

<LEFT

<RIGHT

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You will have upshifted to fourth after T3 and, upon reaching Turn 4 you will need to apply the same braking principle as in the previous corner. Lift and brake lightly between the “2” and “1” boards, just enough to put the nose down and dig in the front tires while you slowly turn right. Aim to use the flat portion of the right-side apex curb.

Once you’re confident

you’re not going to run out of room at the exit, add throttle gradually, so as not to create a slide in fourth gear, and head all the way left to the exit curb, which you can ride on for 3-4 car lengths if required.

You will probably arrive at Turn 5 in fifth or sixth gear, depending on gearing. The braking zone is flat and straight, so be aggressive as you pass under the bridge.

Apply initial pressure between the “2” and “3” boards and then release the brakes gradually as you turn left into the banking.

Momentum is key here, so carry as much speed as you can without sliding the front tires. At the apex, the angle of the car will make it seem like you haven’t

turned enough, but the exit tips uphill, so the car will continue to slow and turn sharper more willingly. This means you can pick throttle back up earlier than you normally would.

The exit curb is opposite the corner’s banking, so you can be dragged off the road pretty quickly. Aim to use one tire width on it and you’ll probably use the whole thing.

You’ll likely arrive in fifth gear and will need to brake and downshift to fourth at the “2” board. As fourth gear engages, release your medium initial brake pressure smoothly and start turning left at the “1” board, ensuring you have fully released the brake.

Aim for the inside of the road and be prepared for the car to bottom out at the apex curb.

As your car drops into

the compression at the apex, add throttle to stop the rear rebounding. If you get to the gas too late, you may have an unstable car at the exit. On exiting the apex, unwind your hands as much as you can to avoid oversteer, and use the exit curb for a long time up the hill.

Turn 7 should be full-throttle. The only reason for mentioning it is because car placement here will help with the exit of Turn 6 and the entry to the Corkscrew.

On exiting T6, many drivers move left immediately while heading up the hill. This is wrong for a couple of reasons. First, the hill is steeper on the inside, and you are pinching the car by turning left.

Secondly, the road has a jog

to the right up ahead, so the right side up the Rahal Straight will literally become a straight line for the left edge of the road where you turn into T8.

TURN 8 & 8a

CORKSCREW

<LEFT/RIGHT

8

8a TURN 9

RAINEY CURVE

9

TURN 10

10

TURN 11

11

<LEFT

<RIGHT

<LEFT

From the left edge of the track, just before the crest of the hill, steer right to parallel the edge of the road beyond the crest. Then get your braking in as it will be a while before efficient braking is possible again.

Downshift to third before the descent and make sure to do it while the car is touching the ground!

Turn-in from the right half of the road and use the apex curb at the inside.

At this point you will be pointed off the drop, with no racetrack in your vision other than the exit, which is some 50 meters to your 3 o’clock. Looking

straight ahead, you will see a tree that appears to lean to the right. This is your target. Unwind your hands, head straight for a second once the nose of the car is pointed at the tree, and then go to throttle.

It’s important to note that massive momentum here will create understeer and make the car jump, causing you to be late to throttle at the exit. It’s best to carry 95% of your potential rolling speed here to avoid this. As you head down the hill, start bending your steering right even before you can see the road beyond the hood of the car.

Approach Turn 9 from the middle of the track, hard on the gas, and in fourth gear.

Start turning before the bridge and begin relaxing the throttle to let the nose of the car down slowly.

Don’t turn down to the inside yet, however—just feed steering input in order to apex the inside toward the end of the corner.

Lightly brake to aid front grip as you roll downhill towards the apex curb on the left. As soon as the

left-front tire touches the start of the curb, get off the brake and patiently add throttle in fifth gear.

Just as you are looking to exit, the road cambers away from the inside, which pushes you wide, so make sure you don’t pull the trigger too hard, too soon.

You will need some of the exit curb on the right, and don’t relieve your left hand steering input as then you must quickly set up for Turn 10.

Turn 10 has a diagonal approach, coming from the right to set up on the left, with just a short brake and downshift to fourth needed.

Brake at or just after the “2” board and then release just before the “1” board to pick the nose up off the ground and sail fourth

gear into the banking without sliding the rear of the car. Kiss the apex curb in the middle, and start releasing your tight grip on the steering wheel as you request throttle, ensuring you use the entire track width to the exit curb on the left. Then accelerate hard as soon as possible.

The last corner looks like it’s 90 degrees but it’s actually 130 degrees, so it sucks you in if you carry too much speed. Therefore you’ll need to brake hard between the “3” and “2” boards and downshift to second gear as you trail a light brake pressure with you to the apex curb on the left.

As soon as my left-front wheel touches the curb at the inside, I open the

steering wheel 10-20 degrees and start applying throttle for what I anticipate to be a power sliding oversteer with a slight slip so that my corrections don’t pass beyond a straight steering wheel. I slide the rear gently out to just beyond the right curb as the car digs forward and then I grab third gear and prepare for another lap of this awesome track.

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SIM RACER COMPUTER BUILD

CO NT IN UE D...

MINI ITX

BUILD EVERY NOW AND THEN I GET BORED OF MY CURRENT PC AND DECIDE TO SIMPLY BUILD A NEW ONE. WHETHER THAT BE SIMPLY BUYING A NEW CASE AND INSTALLING MY OLD PARTS INTO SAID CASE OR A COMPLETE RE-HAUL; SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS VERY RARELY. HOWEVER, AFTER GETTING HANDS-ON WITH A RANGE OF MINI ITX CASES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS I HAD MY NEXT PROJECT IN SIGHT… BUILDING A MINI ITX POWERHOUSE!

INSTALLING THE HARD DRIVES The next step of the build is to get our hard drives in place. This build sees the use of two separate hard drives - One normal HDD and one SSD. This is done for a number of reasons. Firstly, large SSDs are expensive. If we were to go out and buy a large SSD, it would have affected our budget hugely.

Instead we simply opted for a small SSD at 128GB. Using this SSD in conjunction with a 1TB Seagate HDD meant that we were able to install any important programs onto our SSD, leaving the other stuff on our HDD. After a couple of months of use, our SSD currently has our Operating System,

a handful of games that are played regularly and one or two applications such as Photoshop. Our HDD sees the full brunt of our game library, with 3/4 of its space purely filled with games from either my Steam or Origin libraries. The rest is either used as storage for work related things, or simply unused at this current moment in time.

So, without further ado, we shall start!

One of the hindrances of working in the computer gaming world is the amount of stuff you get to play with.

Sure, at first it was like being a kid in a candy store, but you soon realise that the huge nerd-gasm can’t last forever and review items slowly begin being given away as competition prizes or returned to their place of origin.

Review PCs are simply the worst when it comes to this feeling of detachment when they’re sent back to their respected companies. A lot of these companies will pimp their high end machines right out, and it’s no surprise that these high end machines are the ones they want us to review.

They’re often the all singing, all dancing machines that have been a part of your dreams for a while - top-of-the-range motherboards, two 780Ti in SLI, fancy water cooling systems… And at the time there was me sitting there with my cheap and cheerful, running a video card that was worse than my hot laps.

Usually I was able to grit my teeth and bear it, or simply decide to swap an item out occasionally. But after playing with Mini ITX systems from both Chillblast and YOYOTech, I simply had to bite the bullet and splash the cash.

Then it came to me in a splendid brainwave… I now work for a computer gaming PC, I can put the majority of these parts through the company and not even have to pay for them myself, using the ploy of ‘Oh, I’m doing a PC build article and need a ton of components to fully realise the potential of such an article!’

So over the next few months I’ll be talking you through the process of building a Mini ITX machine, something that has proven to be a lot harder than I initially thought.

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SIM RACER MINI ITX COMPUTER BUILD

CO NT INU ED...

STEP 1

REMOVE HDD CADDY /REMOVE CADDY PINS Our first step is a simple one. With your PC open, the right-hand side will be laden with HDD caddies. Simply grip the two protruding clips, and pull it out of the HDD bay. Once you have done this, you will notice small silver pins in each corner of the caddy. Remove these.

STEP 3

STEP 4

Next, you’re going to want to dig through the small brown box that came with the case to find some small screws. These act as the screws to secure your SSD in place due to its smaller size.

Once you have located your screws, the next step is fitting your SSD to its caddy. On the back of your SSD you'll find screw holes; you will also notice holes in the same place on your caddy. Simply line the SSD up with these holes and screw it into place.

FIND CADDY SSD SCREWS

STEP 2

SECURE HDD IN CADDY Once you have your pins removed, you simply need to insert your HDD into its caddy and then replace the small silver pins, making sure you line up the HDD correctly. These pins will hold your HDD in place.

SECURING SSD IN CADDY

STEP 5

STEP 6

Your HDDs are now both in their caddies! Your next step is to locate your SATA cables. These are small black and white headed cables. Once you have located these you will need to plug them into your motherboard. It’s quite self explanatory where these cables go once you’re looking at your motherboard.

The next step is to simply feed your SATA cabling through to your HDD bay. How this is done is entirely up to you. If you’re using some elaborate cabling system, then so be it… We simply just threaded them through as our case has no way of viewing the inside without opening it.

INSERTING SATA CABLES INTO MOTHERBOARD

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FEED CABLES THROUGH TO HDD BAY

STEP 7 INSERT CADDY TO HDD BAY

Once these cables are threaded through to the HDD bay, your next job is to install your caddies.

This is a very simple task. Simply push them into the empty bays and you’re done. Stick to the bays at the bottom of the machine though as we will be removing the HDD bays at the top of the machine.

STEP 8

STEP 9

Now you need to get your SATA cabling and simply plug it into the back of each of your HDD/SSD. This is a really simple procedure so not much more needs to be said.

We’re now at the final step! Take a look into your power supply box and you'll find a range of cabling. What you want is a cable with two small, thin and black power connectors. Simply plug these into the designated port on your power supply, run the cabling to your HDD bays and insert them into your HDD/SSD. You now have functioning hard drives!

INSERT SATA CABLES INTO HDD/SSD

NEXT TIME...

INSERTING POWER CABLES INTO HDD/SSD

NEXT

MONTH

NEXT MONTH WE START TO ADD THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO OUR BUILD!

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SIM RACER

WHAT’S ON OUR DESKS? WITH THE VAST AMOUNT OF PC TECHNOLOGY THAT COMES THROUGH THE OFFICE DOORS, WE THOUGHT IT ABOUT TIME THAT WE START TO SHARE SOME OF THIS TECHNOLOGY WITH YOU. HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT WE’RE ‘PACKING’ IN TERMS OF PC EQUIPMENT? WELL HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO FIND OUT!

The great thing about PC technology is that it’s always advancing. Whether companies simply add new LED lights to an old keyboard and release it, or they come up with a completely new design, there is always something new and shiny to capture the attention of PC gamers across the globe.

Collectively, we will happily admit to being a group of people who spends far too much money on PC peripherals and components, which leads us to exactly where we want to start this month's article… This month we’re taking a look at what’s on Connor’s desk at this current moment in time!

Mini ITX Build

Turn to page 47 to catch part 3 of our

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You might recognise this Mini ITX build!

PC… Yes, it is in fact the very Mini ITX PC that is currently being built within the pages of Sim Racer. In regards to PCs, it’s probably the best gaming PC I’ve used in a long, long time. However it is currently making use of a Nvidia GTX 980 as opposed to the 770 originally purchased for the build. Why? Well simply because we were given a GTX 980, and it had to go somewhere!

BenQ True 122Hz Monitor Now the first thing I’ll start by saying here is that I know there are a couple of 122Hz BenQ monitor models out there, but unfortuantely this was bought a while ago, and the box was burned so I haven’t a clue what the long product code is for this. What I can tell you though is it was bought Mid 2013 from Overclockers, it’s made by BenQ and it’s the TRUE 122Hz model.

Now again, the monitor like the keyboard, was purchased in a bid to help competitive gaming. For years I had dealt with a 40” TV, which simply put was not good enough for any form of competitive gaming. It was too big, its refresh rate sucked… It

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just wasn’t a gaming monitor essentially.

The BenQ range was suggested to me by a few friends who I played Counter Strike with at the time and after a week of shopping around Overclockers had put a deal on and I found myself with a new monitor!

Overall it was a huge upgrade, and it’s still serving me to this date. Sure, I’d eventually like to go up a weight category and grab the 144Hz model, but it’s by no means a big ‘must have’. And I sure as hell won’t be looking at any 4K solutions any time soon!

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Corsair K70

the Corsair mechanical range was the one for me. Shortly after I received my K70.

Since the purchase I haven’t looked back, and I’m thoroughly impressed with the keyboard.

Whilst the price point on these keyboards is fairly high, and the average sim racer is more likely to invest that into a steering wheel or pedal set, having a good keyboard is paramount to a good gaming PC - especially if you dabble in various genres.

response with any key you press.

There’s a full key matrix anti-ghosting mechanism for perfect signal quality, and the full key rollover on USB ensures accuracy no matter how fast you play. The aluminium frame is lightweight and durable for hours and hours of intense play.

DESIGNED FOR PERFORMANCE GAMING Cherry MX Red Mechanical key switches provide fast, linear response and low-noise operation.

Since the K70 is fully mechanical, you’ll get that

The all-important WASD and 1-6 keys are contoured and textured, so you can find them fast, and enjoy fast gaming action with less chance of your fingers missing their mark.

Razor Deathadder After the SteelSeries Sensei Wireless died on me, it was time to go out and invest in a new mouse.

With there being such a huge range of mice on the market, it is always a bit of a pain in the proverbial backside to choose your next. Usually people have such good experiences with one brand they tend to stay loyal to that brand, however after the mishaps, I had to look elsewhere.

Razor are a company that have been on my radar for a very long time. In the past I’ve owned a fair few Razor products, but of all their range, I’d say their mouse game is the strongest.

The Razor Deathadder is a fairly simple mouse in regards to design. Being the left-handed edition, there are two side buttons on the right-hand side of the mouse, accompanied by a mouse wheel and left/right mouse buttons. Pretty much the bare

KRK Rokit 5s minimum.

Thankfully I didn’t want an all singing all dancing mouse, instead I wanted something very simple, very sleek but most importantly it had to fit my hand correctly. I’m pleased to say the Deathadder is all of these things, but it’s most impressive feature is it’s responsiveness.

Over my years of playing a wide range of games, I’ve yet to find a mouse as reactive as the Deathadder. And if it continues to work as is, I’ll definitely be looking towards Razor for my next mouse!

Part of our Group Test last month, the KRK Rokit 5s are primarily used for music production, and were bought for such a purpose. However, they sound so damned good for everything else that they are now my general go-to speakers for everything!

Scarlett Solo USB Soundcard In that group test, we mentioned that if you want to purchase the KRK Rokit 5s, you’re going to have to go out and purchase a sound card of some description as they use specialist connectors for better sound quality. The Scarlett Solo cost me around £80, and whilst that may seem pricey for a sound card, it has certainly done its job more than adequately.

We chose to opt for the USB sound card purely due to the fact that we had no expansion slots available for an onboard sound card. The use of a USB sound card also allows us to simply unplug it from our PC and plug it in elsewhere to make use of the speakers on various platforms.

Overall, a pricey but needed purchase that has provided me with amazing sound quality!

SteelSeries Siberia Pro Headset The Siberia Elite is potentially one of the best headsets on the market, combining brilliant sound and speech features with comfort like no other headset I’ve owned. The design of the Siberia headsets has been favoured for years, and the Elite carries on that tradition with an all new take on that classic look.

Unlike many headsets out there that simply use a single headband to keep it securely on your head, the Siberia Elite makes use of a ‘suspension’ headband’. This suspension headband offers unrivalled comfort, and allows for a beautiful steel arc to be incorporated for extra strengthening.

To add to the innovative design, SteelSeries were the first company to bring retractable mics to gaming headsets, and the Siberia Elite certainly makes good use of this. Not only are retractable mics absolutely brilliant for getting your mic in the perfect position, they also make your headset highly transportable; simply retract your mic and you’ve not got to worry about any damage that might be caused whilst in transit.

Of all the SteelSeries products I’ve tested, this is unfortunately the only one that is still in use.

However, it is by far the best product in their entire range in my eyes!

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The Corsair K70 has been my keyboard of choice for just over two years now, and has yet to fail me.

In fact I’m positive that it will keep on giving, only to be replaced when I feel like a change, rather than due to it breaking. But what exactly made me go out and spent a little over £100 on a keyboard?

Well there were a few reasons really. For years I had played First Person Shooters semi competitively, but had always used a cheap and cheerful setup in regards to mouse and keyboard, opting for a simple wireless combo pack from the local PC store. Over the years it became apparent that if I wanted to step up my game, I’d need to look at some keyboard and mouse solutions that upped my gameplay. This brought me to looking towards mechanical keyboards as a solution.

After shopping around, a personal friend of mine went out and bought the Corsair K90, the bigger brother of the K70. Now all the K90 has over the K70 is a range of macro keys, something that didn’t bother me whatsoever. That said, after playing around with his K90, I was adamant that

YO U R RE ND E RS I N P R I NT

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SIM GALLERY THERE IS SOME REAL TALENT IN THE WORLD OF VIRTUAL PHOTOGRAPHY HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO SHOWCASE YOUR BEST IMAGES TO THE WORLD! SEND US YOUR HIGH RES SIM RACING RENDERS TO ‘PAUL@EBCON.CO.UK ‘ AND WE’LL MAKE YOU FAMOUS! PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME, NATIONALITY AND RENDER DESCRIPTION. W W W.SIMRACER-MAG.COM

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DE RS N E R R U O Y IN P RINT !

S I M GAL L E RY A COUPLE OF STUNNING SHOTS FROM PROJECT CARS - MARIO MATANOVIC, FROM ST. LOUIS, USA

DRIFTING THE M4 SAFETY CAR IN GRAN TURISMO 6 - DAVID, FROM VIRGINIA, USA 056

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THE TERRIFYING 205 T16 IN DIRT RALLY - JACKSON M, FROM MT. KISCO, NEW YORK

LAFERRARI AT SPA IN FORZA 5 - JORGE MARTINEZ, FROM PINTO, SPAIN

PROJECT CARS SUNSET

LOTUS 49: PROJECT CARS

DUELLING COBRAS IN ASSETTO CORSA - CHROMATIC9, FROM UK W W W.SIMRACER-MAG.COM

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GROUP 5 ACTION: RACEROOM

SIM RACER THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

FINDING

SO YOU’VE REACHED THE STAGE WHERE YOU CAN NEGOTIATE A TRACK WITHOUT CRASHING, AND YOU’RE BECOMING FAIRLY CONSISTENT IN TERMS OF LAP TIMES, BUT YOU’RE STILL OFF THE PACE. PUSH HARDER AND YOU START MAKING MISTAKES - IT CAN FEEL LIKE YOU’VE REACHED THE LIMIT OF YOUR ABILITIES. DON’T WORRY, THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE - ANYONE CAN GO FASTER, WITH THE RIGHT MINDSET AND THE CORRECT TECHNIQUES. In the last issue we discussed race craft, but without fundamental speed you might rarely be in a position to ‘race’ effectively! Race craft and speed go hand in hand, and with qualifying sessions to consider, a decent one-lap pace can place you near the front of the grid, which is already a huge advantage in terms of staying out of first-corner troubles, and allows you to defend your position from the chasing pack and learn even more from the quick drivers up front. Here are some thoughts and tips on finding speed.

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Practice makes perfect, right? It’s the standard response; any amount of time you spend in a car is going to be beneficial in some way. But there are many ways to approach a practice session, some more useful than others. If you simply repeat the same lap with the same line over and over, you’ll not make much progress. If you push too hard and end up crashing and resetting too regularly, you’re just wasting time. It pays to be methodical.

What’s the first step? Consider your driving technique, and assess it with a critical eye.

Smoothness is very important, particularly in terms of pedal inputs. Use a sim that displays your inputs on screen, and watch how you’re applying brakes and throttle. Cars with ABS tend to deal with erratic brake inputs very well, disguising some of the problems. Try disabling ABS or use a car without the feature. You’ll be much more conscious of threshold braking in a car that locks up easily, and it is important to learn that brake pedal muscle memory for all cars. If you’re using 100% pedal pressure many times during a lap, you’re braking too hard.

Throttle application is equally important, even in underpowered cars. The temptation is to floor the throttle out of every corner when it feels like the rear isn’t going to slide. It can even ‘feel’ faster to stamp on the pedal to get the best exit, when often the opposite is true. It’s somewhat counter-intuitive, but less

throttle out of a corner is often considerably faster, even when it doesn’t seem like you’re losing traction at the rear.

Understeer destroys speed. It is the most common problem that drivers overlook. This is because slight understeer is less noticeable than oversteer, and many drivers aren't sensitive to it. Understeer feels safe; road cars tend to be set up this way, as it’s comforting to feel the steering becoming slightly less effective rather than the dramatic sensation of the rear starting to come around. It is also a natural reaction to apply more steering angle when a car is not responding, which tends to create even more understeer. Try driving a lap of your favourite circuit at 30mph (you can speed up on the straights but ensure you’re back to 30mph well before the next corner!) - observe how little steering input is required to negotiate every corner at this speed. Unless you’re in a road car with an unusually large steering lock, chances are you’ll not have to turn more than 45 degrees off centre, and even a tight hairpin can probably be negotiated with no more than a quarter turn of the wheel. At race pace, many would assume that you have to apply more steering lock due to the additional speed, but this is not the case - in fact, with a more lively rear end at speed helping to rotate the car, you might even have to apply less steering compared to driving slower. If you’re using a sim that supports accurate steering locks and you’ve calibrated your wheel to be 1:1 with the real thing, and you find yourself turning more than 90 degrees (i.e. crossing your arms) on regular basis during a hot lap, you are likely understeering, causing the front tyres to scrub, slowing you down. Quite simply, cars move fastest when their wheels are facing forwards, so try to steer as little as possible.

Using weight transfer to influence a car’s cornering ability is a fundamental aspect of driving quickly, and it can be difficult to understand how to avoid the understeer problem if you are unsure what it takes to make a car rotate. The key point is this - steering a car at speed is not done with the wheel. It is done with a precise combination of pedal and wheel inputs based on the particular attitude and inertia of the car at any given moment. With correctly-timed inputs, cars can do remarkable things around corners, and can be achieved at will once you become truly ‘connected’ to the car.

Use all of the track. The only way to achieve competitive lap times is to make the most out of the surface you are given. In an ideal scenario this

means approaching a corner from the widest angle available, brushing the while line on the outside, turning-in to hit the apex, and exiting the corner going as wide as possible once again. Sometimes you have to compromise your entry position for one corner in order to achieve a better entry into another, but the general idea is to ‘straighten’ the track as much as possible in order to maintain higher speeds throughout a lap. It is a good idea to make a mental note of the corners in order of importance, with the corners leading on to the longest straights being the most critical. It makes sense to compromise your line in order to take these corners at the highest speed, as you then carry the most speed along the straights where you are at the mercy of your car’s power and aerodynamics. The lap will make more sense in your head once you’re aware of this order of importance.

Almost all sims today have a driving line feature, which has questionable value in terms of finding speed. It’s a useful learning tool, but turning it off and finding your own line is the best way forward once you’re reasonably comfortable with the track. A ‘delta bar’ is a much more useful tool. This allows you to see a real-time representation of whether you are up or down relative to another lap with an intuitive bar that blends from green to red whilst also showing the split differences. The best example of this is in iRacing, accessible via the Tab key, where you can cycle between different lap and sector comparisons.

There are useful plugins for Assetto Corsa and rFactor 2. One can only hope all sims can offer this feature natively in the future.

Telemetry data, if available, can be useful if you’re serious about finding those final few hundredths of a second, but can be very confusing if you’re further off the pace. While this data is invaluable for drivers in the real world, we have the benefits of unlimited replays and camera angles, which can be much more insightful than looking at graphs. Besides, if you aren’t comfortable with the balance of the car in the first place, trying to perform the same applications of throttle and braking of a fast driver might seem an impossible task. For example, the data might show they are back on the power so much earlier, but if you go on the power at the same time, you spin out. Only once you’ve learned how to settle the rear of the car much earlier during the corner can you start to apply an earlier throttle.

Watch as many replays as possible. The easiest way to discover where others are finding time is to watch a hot lap from a fast driver, and then compare it to your

own best lap. You’ll find many shared replays on sim forums, and there are countless hot laps to watch on YouTube. It is particularly useful if you can download the original replay data to load into your sim to play back in real time, as you’ll be able to view the lap from multiple angles and watch the pedal inputs. Watching the car from a high chase camera is a good way to see how a fast driver uses all of the track - you’ll regularly see their outside wheels touching the white lines on entry, hitting apexes precisely, and using all of the space available on exit. A fast driver will likely be very economical with steering input, making the entire lap look effortless.

TRAIL BRAKING An essential skill to learn.

‘Do your braking in a straight line’ - a common tip that makes an awful lot of sense in terms of safety, but it is very difficult to put together an ultimate lap if you abide by this rule. Instead, the concept of trail braking suggests that you do your heavy braking in a straight line, but then continue to use reduced brake pressure while you turn into a corner.

Heavy braking from high speed is going to initiate a large weight transfer towards the front of the vehicle. This causes the rear to become ‘light’, and therefore the rear tyres have significantly less grip than the fronts. Under a severe weight transfer like this, it is essential to be travelling in a straight line, as the front tyres take the load evenly and the rear tyres remain balanced. A steering input during this weight transfer would result in the rear of the car becoming unbalanced, swapping ends very easily.

Trail braking uses this unbalanced rear to your advantage, applying steering while braking, but in a controlled manner. By reducing (trailing away) the brake pressure as you turn in, the car will rotate much more efficiently than if it was done entirely with the steering. If timed correctly, this rotation can be controlled almost entirely with the brake pedal, with little or no steering required. In this delicate state of balance, you are effectively steering the car with the brakes, allowing you to straighten the wheel as you approach the apex, and therefore carry the most speed through the corner. It also means that you can leave your initial braking a little later, as you end up completing the braking phase closer to the apex too.

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SIM RACER OLD SKOOL

BACK IN THE DAY FOUNDER OF AUTOSIMSPORT MAGAZINE, ALEX MARTINI REMINISCES ABOUT THE GOOD OL’ DAYS. ALEX IS FILLING IN FOR A POORLY JON DENTON THIS MONTH - WE WISH HIM A SPEEDY RECOVERY.

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“2005 is shaping up to be the best year for sim-racing since - well forever. And we have to be thankful - not since the halcyon days of 1998 do we have so much to look forward to - rFactor, LFS S2, mods galore, and, of course, the superb GTR playing at a pick-up race nearest you. A motley crew of sims then, but with onething in common - they are all produced and created by the sim dependents without whom we’d all be stuck playing Need for farking Speed on the PS2.

With this in mind, then, AutoSimSport’s first edition features a few of these sim dependents, as well as features on the modders without whom we’d all be verymuch the poorer. Here’s to a great 2005! And in case you’rewondering, yes, GTR is fabulous! A dawn, wet race at Spa is the most atmospheric moment I have ever felt in any sim ever. Period. So sit back, eat your cornflakes and enjoy our first ever edition!”

The first paragraph of the first issue of AutoSimSport, published in January, 2005. A decade has passed since that Tuesday when first we went live with a 5MB PDF that featured Live For Speed (remember that?) as well as an interview with ISI’s Gjon Camaj about his

up-coming rFactor sim. I still remember my shock when, after a week, we received our first download numbers - seven odd thousand. It was quite a scoop getting Gjon on that first issue, but I had met him back in 2002 at Lou Magyar’s place, which at the time was the place for sim-racers to go party during the F1 weekend at Indy. Lou and Gjon remained on good terms, and Gjon was always supportive of the little magazine I founded in Manhattan over the winter of ’04 when my marriage and health and career had fallen apart. The magazine was started out of frustration, I suppose, but also from a sense of opportunity; having been around the sim-racing community since its ‘real’ start with VROC back in the 90s, I figured the genre had grown up enough to warrant its own magazine. VROC - man, we are going back nigh-on twenty years now, and I wonder what happened to those guys, SAVATS, and Chaz Wood, against whom I had the first ever live-broadcast race (17 players joined to watch us race at Silverstone in a grudge match in the GPL Ferrari!).

Looking back, I have no idea how we kept the magazine running for as long as we did; one issue

Gjon and the ISI crew were always available for AutoSimSport, and Gjon was kind enough to be interviewed for our very first issue.

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Sergio Bustamente became a close partner with AutoSimSport, and Sergio’s outfit -- GPLegacy -- ended up as a main sponsor for the Mexican A1GP

was over 90,000 words, which is about the size of your average novel, and managed 70,000 downloads. Crazy. I guess not sleeping helped, and that’s my excuse for some of the crazy stuff that happened through the years. As for its success; we were fortunate that Jon Denton, Bob Simmerman, and Lou Magyar came on board with issue two. They set the tone for a magazine that was always informative, irreverent, and smart. Sergio Bustamante joined us too, in ’05; he was a crazy Mexican who’d send me his copy ten hours before we were going live, half of it in Spanglish, and all hooked together by about 890 date-and-time stamped photos without any context (including some of naked women, I should add, which generally brought the editing to an abrupt halt). Jesus, I hated that man; but wouldn’t you know it, his side of the magazine became so successful it ended up as a sponsor on the Mexican A1 GP team! Sadly, Sergio fell ill in ’08-’09, and his leaving was a wound I have never really cauterized. We were occasionally joined

by Steve Smith, too, a seasoned journalist who also wrote the manual for Grand Prix Legends, and I was so honored to be allowed to re-edit its tenth anniversary edition as a free giveaway (still available at autosimsport.net/downloads.php) on our magazine. I did all the editing, line-editing, and the layouts for the magazine, but that really was incidental to my actual talent - crap-stirring!

Like the time I decided to run some ‘art’ in the magazine, including a lovely pencil sketch of a close-up vagina. Did we get hate email for that one! And remember the time we published a doctored photo of Dave Kaemmer crushing Redline’s GTP mod in his hand? ‘You can have your GTP mod—when you pry it from my cold, dead hands’ ran the caption. Holy Jesus we got into trouble for that one, too. This after the GTP mod for NASCAR 2003 had been withdrawn by orders from on-high as Kaemmer prepared to announce iRacing. Back in ’05, though, the sim-racing arena was grim. Kaemmer had packed up Papyrus, ISI hadn’t released rFactor yet, and all we had was GTR made by some Irishman named Ian Bell who was living in a bedsit in some low-rent part of London. With NASCAR 2003 modding banned

Bob Simmerman wrote and I edited the original rFactor manual. It’s still around somewhere, as is the Grand Prix Manual REDUX and dozens of other manuals we wrote and edited for sims and mods through the years.

an email from John Henry thanking us for our coverage of iRacing back when they were getting started. Of course, when I asked him, some years later, to consider writing a blurb for my novel (Tracks: Racing the Sun, go buy it!), well, I never did get a reply. But you know, I can honestly say that every single developer we dealt with through the years shared a passion for this hobby of ours, and they always treated us with respect and dignity. That’s really the one take-away; these guys are in competition, yes, but the respect they have for each other, and the industry itself, is genuine.

We folded, after eight years, in a way that I now regret; we promised to return with another issue, but our hearts weren’t in it anymore. We were arguing, Bob was angry, Jon was exhausted, I was working on a book deal, and Lou was fed up with the lot of us. We remain friends, though, and occasionally we chat about reviving the magazine, but I think we all know those days are over; no-one really has time for a 10,000 word article on tyre physics. Sad in a way, because I think our magazine was quite important in terms of setting a direction for the community.

So ten years later, what’s changed? Little and everything. ISI and iRacing and that Irishman Ian Bell (no longer in a low-rent part of London from what I gather) are still leading the charge. But

The ARCA Sim Racing DVD cover; Bob wrote, and I edited the manual on this one too

things have changed, too; the sim developers have matured, and they have a far better sense now as to what drives physics as well as sales. Back in ’05, no-one really knew what the community wanted; now the developers know the hardcore is a minority, and a simulator like Grand Prix Legends, with one season-pack worth of cars and tracks, will never again be seen unless it comes from the modding community. I doubt we will ever get another AutoSimSport, either. I looked through the books while writing this column, and I figure we made a little less than $7,000 between January ’05 and April 2012. In that time, we managed over one million unique downloads. We ended on a high, though; the final issue featured interviews with Ian Bell (PCARS), Dave Kaemmer (iRacing), and the world’s first look at Assetto Corsa. Not bad, right? In many ways we grew up with the community, and now, when sometimes I scan the forums, I hardly recognize anyone from the old days. I see a familiar name here and there on iRacing, or Assetto Corsa, and I can’t help thinking - it’s been two decades I’ve been racing against that guy. If you were born the year Grand Prix Legends was released, you’re off to college this year; imagine that. Time has moved on, and a new generation has taken over, and that’s as it should be, of course. Still, I sometimes miss stirring the crap; problem is, that guy from RSC is now my friend on Facebook, and I really don’t have anyone to hate anymore. I guess I’ve grown up, too.

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(this after the much-publicized court case where someone got sued for violating the game’s EULA, and which AutoSimSport covered in its usual sarcastic way), we were facing what seemed to be troubled waters indeed.

Even more trouble was our (okay, my!) constant war with RSC, which at the time was the biggest sim-racing website in the world. I can’t remember why I hated them now, but it may have been because I’d been banned about twenty times for having a big mouth. Then one day I got an email from someone (I’ll never reveal my source!) telling me RSC’s servers were being sponsored by one of the big developers (not iRacing). So we published that, suggesting their bias was financial in nature. Naturally RSC published their response, calling us liars, and it all kicked off from there!

How did it end? Well, two of RSC’s chiefs had been hired by iRacing about the time the issue went live, and cue a phone call with me, the two guys from RSC (now in Boston!), and one of the big chaps at iRacing playing referee. That conference callwas rather, shall we say, terse. In the end, the guy from iRacing interrupted my lengthy rant with, ‘so what do you actually want?’ As I recall, I didn’t really have any idea aside from ranting, so my reply was something like ‘justice’! I was probably fortunate that the guys at iRacing are a decent bunch. That was also when the magazine became an LLC, just in case we ever got sued!

ASS was never afraid to ruffle some feathers, though, but we were always truthful, and our reviews always honest. Except for Bob Simmerman, that is. Back then we always had a score for our reviews, and the inside joke was that Bob started at 235% and worked his way down from there. Jon Denton, on the other hand, was always the cynic, and I recall receiving one review from him so scathing that I had no choice but to send it to the developer for their, uh, edification.

They must have thought it was a blackmail review because they offered us a giveaway for the magazine on condition we buried the review under ten tons of rock! I believe the closing line was,“the uninstall button is the only decent thing about this sim”.

In our time, we dealt with all the major developers; I don’t know if they liked us, but everyone came to us at some point. I even have

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SIM RACER PIT STOP

geAR PULL IN AND FILL UP WITH OUR GUIDE TO SOME OF THE LATEST KIT TO HIT THE SIM RACING WORLD. THIS MONTH WE’VE BEEN TESTING LOGITECH’S LATEST SIM EQUIPMENT - THE G29 DRIVING FORCE, AN ATTRACTIVE GAMING CHAIR FROM ELEMENT GAMING, AND THE USEFUL AND COMPREHENSIVE DASHBOARD SOFTWARE FROM ZBLUESOFTWARE

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LOGITECH G29 WHEEL & SHIFTER REVIEW Logitech G29 Wheel and Shifter Review Logitech are back with their first new wheel in over 5 years. Once thought to be moving away from the game controller business, we’re pleased to see this popular brand return with the G29, successor to the G27 and compatible with PS3, PS4 and PC. Its full name, the G29 Driving Force, hints at some of the design changes - you’ll find many of the buttons from Logitech’s hugely popular Driving Force GT being put to good use here - but the similarities are not only skin-deep. The switch located just behind the LED shift lights allows the user to select between PS3 and PS4 modes.

In PS3 mode, the wheel is seen on PS3 and PC as

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a Driving Force GT, meaning that any game that supports the DFGT on PS3 or PC (i.e. almost all driving games from the last 8 years!) will likely operate without issue on the G29. This kind of ‘legacy’ compatibility is very welcome, particularly for those who still race on Sony’s older console.

Compatibility is a theme that continues to the rest of the G29’s design. The bases of the wheel and pedal units are identical in shape and material to the G27, meaning the hard-mount points are in the same positions - a relief for racing rig and rig accessory makers everywhere. And there is more reason to hard-mount the pedal unit this time - the brake pedal has been upgraded to

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something considerably stiffer, with a much more realistic feel than the G27. The effective carpet grip function remains, but the force required to max out the brake is substantial so you’ll likely want something behind the pedals to brace against at least. A quick disassembly revealed a stiff rubber block that sits inside the brake spring at about half its height, resulting in a slightly shorter throw and a feeling similar to a load cell once you hit that bumper. It is very similar to the original ‘NIXIM’ brake mod designed for G25 and G27 pedal sets, so a very welcome improvement. You can of course remove the rubber block in minutes, if the brake force is too much and you’re not in a position to hard mount the unit.

The only changes to the wheel base internals are improved rotary encoders. The G27 was generally a reliable device, but the steering sensor was a known weak point. It remains to be seen whether the new encoders have solved the problem, but if there’s one thing you can count on, it’s Logitech customer support. It is the main reason why we would still consider this wheel in a market of tempting and competitive devices from other manufacturers.

Logitech’s support for wheels since the MOMO days has been stellar, and the reliability has improved over the years too. While the G29 doesn’t represent a major step forward, the design on which it is based is solid and well-proven, meaning one can buy with confidence - being another iteration towards perfecting the mechanical reliability.

That said, the G29 feels noticeably tighter and crisper than our old G27. This could be partly due to wear and tear, but the G27 never felt quite this good. It is essentially the same however, with all the pros and cons of the helical gears and dual motor feedback. The same strength, the same smoothness, and the same strange clicks and rattles when going

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over bumps or when experiencing certain types of slip, depending on the game. The slight rocking or clicking feeling at the centre point remains, due to the metal gearing. Much like the G27, this gearing works better in some software than others - the stand-out sim being Assetto Corsa, where it just feels perfectly communicative and direct, arguably better than any of the belt-driven wheels, whereas rFactor 2 requires some adjustments. On PS4, Project CARS is all set to receive the G29 with open arms; it feels every bit as good as it does on the PC version, and you can expect all racing games on PS4 to support the wheel from now on.

The most obvious change is in the design of the wheel itself, and while the bright colours aren’t going to please everyone, and the extra buttons giving it a less elegant appearance than its predecessors, the changes are absolutely for the better from a usability standpoint. The diameter of the rim remains the same at 28cm, but shape is more comfortable to hold around the 9 and 3 area, and the centre stripe is striking and useful.

The D-pad and PlayStation-themed face buttons are in the ideal position for your thumbs - much more useful than the G27 buttons placed awkwardly in a

row, too close together and flush with the spokes.

The unusual positioning of the L and R buttons (in light blue) make much more sense after you use them for a while, being easier to find by feel and commit to muscle memory.

Being the first sample to arrive in the UK, the PC drivers were not ready for us to test, so we were mostly using it in DFGT mode - meaning the clutch and optional shifter were not yet functional on PC. But the story is the same here - the clutch pedal feels a little stiffer than the throttle, just like the G27. Unlike the previous G wheels, the ‘Driving Force Shifter’ is a separate accessory, and with all the additional buttons on the wheel compared to the G27, Logitech felt no need to add buttons to the shifter, giving it a much simpler appearance.

The design is otherwise unchanged from the G27’s shifter however, meaning it is a 6-speed and push-down reverse H-pattern with no sequential option. The internal construction remains the same, as does the design of the exterior clamps and mounting points, and the leather ‘boot’ around the shaft and the leather-wrapped shift knob. The new

shifter is compatible with the G29 and upcoming G920 (Xbox One version) only.

Removing the shifter from the main package has allowed Logitech to price the G29 at £299 - a £25 reduction on the G27 launch price here in the UK. However, Logitech is returning to a more competitive market in 2015, arriving at an identical price to the Thrustmaster T300RS. With a clutch pedal and leather rim as part of the base package, the Logitech product presents its value in a different way, but it remains to be seen whether that price can hold. Much like its predecessor, the G29 is an excellent product, and a great way to kick-start your sim racing hobby on PlayStation or PC.

FROM: WWW.LOGITECH.COM PRICE: £299 (OPTIONAL SHIFTER £49)

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ELEMENT GAMING CHAIR REVIEW A fresh name on the scene, Element Gaming is a new UK company specialising in gaming peripherals.

In addition to their range of mice, keyboards, headsets and other equipment, they currently offer a pair of gaming-orientated office chairs, and we’ve been testing the ‘black and white’ version - in our opinion the more sporty of the two. In terms of appearance, this fits the popular mould of race car-inspired design, incorporating harness holes in the back, with stitching and other white and silver accents contrasting neatly with the main black surfaces. Element Gaming logos are embossed subtly within the headrest both front and back, matching the overall understated, attractive design.

The chair is surprisingly broad in both seat and back, without the torso-hugging side bolsters you’d find in a performance car. As you’re unlikely to be experiencing much lateral G sitting in front of your screen, this is understandable, and thankfully there is support where you need it most - in the lumbar region. The choice of foam seems to be the ideal density too considerably stiffer than the Arozzi Monza chair we tested in Issue 3, feeling more

supportive over longer periods.

There are indeed many similarities with the Arozzi, including the assembly, which uses the armrests to secure the seat to the back using a few bolts and the included Allen/hex key. A common design but still a little awkward even after putting several chairs of this type together. It must also be noted that this construction means the armrests are non-removable (not ideal if you want to position a gear shifter to your side), and the angle of the back can’t be adjusted separately from the seat. However, there is a lean feature that locks solidly in the normal position. The nylon casters perform their job smoothly and silently, but you’ll want to remove them or consider purchasing locking casters if you’re planning to push a heavy brake pedal.

We were pleasantly surprised by this chair, as It matches more expensive chairs of this construction in terms of quality (the stitching is particularly precise), and is less garish in appearance compared to many racing-inspired office chairs. As with all PU leather upholstery, it isn’t breathable and can cause a heat/sweat build-up, so not the first choice for the endurance racer. But for the general gamer or anybody looking for a smart, comfortable office chair, this is an excellent choice at a very competitive price.

PRICE: £89.99 FROM: EBUYER.COM

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Z1 DASHBOARD SOFTWARE As discussed in the triple screen article on page 33, a correct or near-correct FOV value is an important part of setting up your gear. Default FOVs tend to be wide enough to include the instrument panels in cockpits views, but as attractive as they are, the correct value often removes them partially or entirely from the display. Of course, there are ways of overlaying the hidden information with various HUD solutions, but this can be inelegant and can distract a driver from the task at hand. Many people would prefer a completely clean view, if it was possible to display this information elsewhere. zBlueSoftware have a solution, in the form of the Z1 Dashboard. This software has been thoroughly tested with all the major PC sims, and offers that missing instrument panel information and many additional features via a very simple interface.

Naturally, you’ll want a separate monitor to place this software on, and it works well on any standard LCD - floating it just above the centre monitor is a popular spot. zBlueSoftware offer their own ‘Z1 LCD’ from their website - a very compact panel that can be placed just behind your wheel, depending on your setup.

Installation couldn’t be easier. Run the installation package, launch the application, and you’re done. On startup, the display flashes ‘waiting for sim’ - you simply launch any sim as normal, and the Z1 software detects it instantly, defaulting to a MoTeC-style dashboard display, showing shift lights, RPM bar, RPM counter, gear indicators, speed, lap time, fuel and more - cleanly presented and intelligently laid out. If a MoTeC-style display doesn’t suit the car you’re driving, it’s no problem - 45 different dashboards are available in the options, including dedicated designs for oval and road racing.

Amongst the selection are special dashboards for those looking for more detailed information, such as telemetry data, track maps and timing and scoring - all customisable. The usefulness of these displays

depends on the sim being used, as not all sims provide the relevant information for the detailed tyre displays and the like. Track maps can be generated on the fly for all sims apart from iRacing, so zBlueSoftware has created maps for iRacing, and is continuing to expand this support to other sims.

It is already fully compatible with Project CARS, and was recently endorsed by Sam Maxwell, creator of some of the finest custom wheels available for sim racing, who has designed a new F1-style rim with a built-in Z1 Dashboard-powered LCD panel.

Without doubt this solid piece of software would be a brilliant addition to any sim rig, whether you have triple screens or not.

PRICE: $24.99 FROM: HTTP://WWW.Z1SIMWHEEL.COM/DASHBOARD/

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VO T

E!

DRIVER

AWARDS WE WILL SOON BE GIVING YOU THE CHANCE TO HAVE A VOICE IN THE SIM RACING COMMUNITY AND VOTE FOR THE BEST IN CATEGORY. OUR EDITORIAL TEAM OVER THE PAST YEAR HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO ALL MANNER OF SIM RACING PRODUCTS AND HAVE COME UP WITH THE SHORTLISTED FINALISTS IN EACH CATEGORIES. THIS MONTH WE’RE TAKING A BETTER LOOK AT THE ENTRANTS, GIVING YOU OUR REASON BEHIND THE CHOICES, AND TO HELP YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION WHEN THE POLLS GO LIVE! BEST SIM IRACING

BEST RANGE OF CARS IN SIM

PROJECT CARS

IRACING

ASSETTO CORSA

PROJECT CARS

RFACTOR 2

ASSETTO CORSA

STOCK CAR EXTREME

SIMRACEWAY

BEST SOUND IRACING RACEROOM RACING EXPERIENCE DRIVECLUB STOCK CAR EXTREME PROJECT CARS

STOCK CAR EXTREME

BEST RACING GAME RACEROOM RACING EXPERIENCE F1 2015

BEST RANGE OF CARS IN GAME

FORZA MOTORSPORT 5

RACEROOM RACING EXPERIENCE

DRIVECLUB

DRIVECLUB

GRAN TURISMO 6

FORZA MOTORSPORT 5 GRAN TURISMO 6

BEST IN-GAME GRAPHICS PROJECT CARS

BEST PHYSICS

EASIEST LIVERY DESIGN PROJECT CARS IRACING FORZA MOTORSPORT 5 RFACTOR 2

STEERING WHEEL MANUFACTURER THRUSTMASTER

ASSETTO CORSA

IRACING

LOGITECH

FORZA MOTORSPORT 5

RFACTOR 2

MAD CATZ

DRIVECLUB

ASSETTO CORSA

STEELSERIES

STOCK CAR EXTREME

FANATEC

SIMRACEWAY

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THE 2015 SIM RACER DRIVER AWARDS SIM RACER

DRIVE R AWARDS

PEDAL MANUFACTURER

RACING RIG - STATIC

DIALS AND DASHBOARDS

THRUSTMASTER

GT OMEGA

SIM RACER HARDWARE

MAIN PERFORMANCE PC

OBUTTO

DEREK SPEARE DESIGNS

FANATEC

RSEAT

SYM PROJECTS

DEREK SPEARE DESIGNS

GAME POD

DASHMETERPRO

HPP

SHIFTER MANUFACTURER

RACING RIG - MOTION ATOMIC MOTION SYSTEMS

THRUSTMASTER

VESARO

FANATEC

SIM EXPERIENCE

DEREK SPEARE DESIGNS

CXC MOTION PRO

TSW

HEADSET MANUFACTURER

BEST ONLINE FORUM INSIDE SIM RACING NO GRIP RACING

THRUSTMASTER

RACE DEPARTMENT

TRITTON/MADCATZ

GT PLANET

STEEL SERIES LOGITECH

TO MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT WILL SHORTLY APPEAR ON OUR FACEBOOK COMMUNITY. WE WISH ALL OF THE SHORT LISTED FINALISTS THE BEST OF LUCK – THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN OUR SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER ISSUE

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AWARDS ENTREE SPOTLIGHT BEST SIMS iRacing PRODUCED BY

LAUNCHED

simulation products available, and will no doubt be a benchmark for years to come.

iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations August 2008

INFO iRacing has been the staple of the simulation racing community for years, offering a huge range of tracks and cars, doing so with a fine attention to detail in regards to driving physics and vehicle and track accuracy. iRacing is one of the most established racing

THE GREAT Large range of tracks and cars The most active online community Industry-leading aerodynamics and laser scan technology THE NOT SO GREAT A large amount of additional content to purchase Intimidating for new drivers Significant time investment needed to enjoy the service

Project CARS PRODUCED BY

LAUNCHED

Slightly Mad Studios Bandai Namco May 2015 (Full Release)

INFO Project CARS has been long anticipated by sim racers, with the hopes of combining jaw dropping graphics with realistic physics.

With the full release of the game now available, sim racers and enthusiasts around the world have been eager to discover if Slightly Mad Studios have delivered. See our full review in this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue.

THE GREAT Jaw-dropping graphics Easy to pick up and play regardless of your experience Intense single player experience with a unique career mode THE NOT SO GREAT Early teething problems, particularly on console Will need a powerful PC to run smoothly Confusing presentation at times

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THE 2015 SIM RACER DRIVER AWARDS SIM RACER

Assetto Corsa PRODUCED BY LAUNCHED

Kunos Simulazioni November 8th 2013

INFO Assetto Corsa is probably Project CARSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; closest competition in the simulation racing world. Boasting an exciting range of cars, stunning graphics and realistic but approachable handling, you can definitely see why it has been such a success since its PC release in 2013. Coming to console in 2016, will it prove to be a big hit on other platforms?

THE GREAT Stunning Graphics Excellent range of vehicle dynamics Becoming embraced by the modding community THE NOT SO GREAT Limited track selection Poor single player career Lacking a complete set of online features

rFactor2 PRODUCED BY

LAUNCHED

Image Space Incorporated 2013

INFO rFactor 2 builds on the highly successful rFactor, taking all the development knowledge and features to the next level. rFactorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success was largely down to its modding potential and advanced physics. rFactor 2 has improved the physics further, particularly in terms of tyre and surface simulation, but the ease of modding has suffered as a result.

THE GREAT The most complete simulation of tyre, surface and environment dynamics Good AI for single player racing Established community

THE NOT SO GREAT Limited amount of in-house content Difficult for simulation newcomers Struggles to compete graphically

Stock Car Extreme PRODUCED BY

Reiza Studios

LAUNCHED

11th Feb 2015

INFO Stock Car Extreme is one of the most highly-regarded racing simulators for the PC. A unique title with a Brazilian focus, the sim takes the aging isiMotor2 (rFactor 1 engine) to new heights, with every vehicle and track created with a loving attention to detail.

THE GREAT Remarkable vehicle simulation despite the old engine Well-supported with free DLC Offers good value and a very polished product THE NOT SO GREAT Multiplayer is poorly populated Outdated interface and visuals Requires some tinkering to get the most from it

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