Introduction
[p]Yesterday, we rolled out a new update for RaceRoom! You will find the full list of changes at the bottom of this article.[/p][p]We're about to deliver the next step of our graphic engine upgrade, which means we have lot of code and art changes that are still WIP and that I couldn't include in the build yesterday.[/p][p]As a consequence, the changelog revolved solely about physics and AI improvements and therefore the work of our physics & a.i. designer: Alex Hodgkinson – the man behind the feel of the cars in RaceRoom. It was a great opportunity for him to take the stage and share a bit more about what went into this update and give you a closer look at the work involved and help understand what some lines found in the changelog actually mean. Hope you enjoy the read! [/p][p]Best regards,[/p][p]J-F[/p][p]Head of Studio, KW Studios[/p][p][/p]About Alex Hodgkinson
[p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/4043123/93cf19ddbca6e4946e0918d656b6fabe2c70153b.png"][/img][/p][p]Hi, I’m Alex – the physics / handling / A.I. guy here at KW Studios. I’ve been deep into real motorsport since I was 10, long circuit kart champion in England and eventually moving up to single-seaters and GT cars. I have a degree in motorsport engineering and before joining RaceRoom, I was teaching at track days.[/p][p]I’m really passionate about bringing the feeling of real racing cars into sim racing. And that’s exactly what this latest update is about.[/p][p][/p][p][/p]What’s new in this update?
[p]As ever, this round of updates has focused on improving the accuracy of our car handling as well as delivering user-friendly base setups. With the vast depth of car selection we have it’s taken a while to be able to return and update some of our older content, but finally it’s happened! Proudly we have managed to bring the KTM X-Bow RR and DTM 2013 to 2016 cars bang up to date. So let’s dive into what’s new with those;[/p][p][/p]DTM 2013–2016
[p]While some parts had received updates over the years such as engine behaviour, brakes, tyres and aspects of aero behaviour the main handling decider suspension components had remained untouched. Starting afresh and using our (now very large) library of car data, the suspension behaviour has been rebuilt to much more accurately represent cars of this era.[/p][p]Aerodynamics have been reviewed and updated which adds another layer of dynamic behaviour, especially from the large venturi tunnels underneath these cars. [/p][p]We also made the decision to keep performance levels across the years the same so that any car from this era can race against each other.[/p][p]Be warned: any old setups will absolutely not be compatible from here on with these cars.[/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/4043123/d6a105afefa5ae39082260c5b64b5ed4c2716c9c.png"][/img][/p]
KTM X-BOW RR
[p]This is a clean slate with absolutely everything updated; there is nothing carried over from previous game iterations of the RR.[/p][p]It’s worth mentioning to begin with that our version of the car is the first generation cup car. Second generation added a large rear wing and for good reason – it can get very loose at the rear end. However that is something that should be embraced and to master it will develop useful skills which can be applied elsewhere in our car selection. This means it stands out somewhat as a loose track-day type car as we don’t have anything else like it in game.[/p][p][/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/4043123/f1ce3e9bcdce96d7892c60ab5948ea00e05932b7.png"][/img][/p]
Suspension kinematics & accuracy
[p]You’ll see this note often in relation to physics updates. In the context of suspension kinematics refer to the motion of the various moving components and the arcs they describe when moving. It’s something absolutely critical for car handling as kinematics decide how much camber the tyre has in given conditions, how much load is transferred through springs or geometrically and a lot more.[/p][p]Updates of this type focus on making this behaviour accurate not necessarily perfect. Often a car’s behaviour quirks are down to design compromises made in this department. [/p][p][/p]Damper tuning
[p]Dampers main task on a racing car is to minimise the load variance of the tyres. As tyre load varies so does grip level, and that is something which can make grip unpredictable. If you minimise that load variance a car will become more compliant and profitable at the limit. [/p][p]Lessons learned from our parent company KW enable us to apply real world solutions to our car’s suspension. These updates are another which are often mentioned and are all about ensuring all of our cars are at an equal level in terms of damper tuning. [/p][p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/4043123/c353e2f9ee8d2b849e9843c0f1fd22aa678c25ea.jpg"][/img][/p][p][/p][p]Thanks for reading – and enjoy the experience! As always, let us know your feedback![/p][p]Best regards,[/p][p]Alex Hodgkinson[/p][p]Physics Designer, KW Studios[/p][p][/p]
Full Changelog:
[p][/p]Update details:
[p] Download size = 2.9 GB[/p][p] Client version = 0.9.6.60 [/p][p] Client BuildID = 18917494[/p][p] Dedi version = 102.0.1556[/p][p] Dedi BuildID = 18903086 [/p]- [p]All cars - Updated default gear ratio for all track layouts[/p][/*]
- [p]Aquila - Rear suspension geometry tweaks[/p][/*]
- [p]Audi TT cup - Tuned dampers and improved baseline setup[/p][/*]
- [p]Audi TT RS VLN - A.I. improvements, tuned dampers, improved baseline setup and reduced tyre heating[/p][/*]
- [p]BMW M1 Gr 4 - Tuned dampers, increased accuracy of suspensions, improved baseline setup, adjusted engine cooling[/p][/*]
- [p]BMW M1 Procar - Tuned dampers, increased accuracy of suspensions, improved baseline setup[/p][/*]
- [p]BMW M2 CS - Increased accuracy of suspensions, tuned dampers and baseline setup, tweaked tyre heating curves and engine heating[/p][/*]
- [p]BMW M4 GT4 - BoP adjustments[/p][/*]
- [p]Chevrolet Daytona Prototype - Improvements to the baseline setup, updated brake discs composition[/p][/*]
- [p]Chevrolet Greenwood Corvette - Increased accuracy of suspensions[/p][/*]
- [p]Crossle 90F - Increased accuracy of suspensions, tuned dampers and baseline setup[/p][/*]
- [p]DTM 1992 - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]DTM 2013 - Physics updated[/p][/*]
- [p]DTM 2014 - Physics updated[/p][/*]
- [p]DTM 2015 - Physics updated[/p][/*]
- [p]DTM 2016 - Physics updated[/p][/*]
- [p]DTM 2020 - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Fabcar 935 - Tuned dampers, tweaked tyre heating curves and baseline setup improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Formula RaceRoom 2 - Tuned dampers, updated brake discs composition (cooling and inertia), increased accuracy of suspension, tweaked tyre heating curves and baseline setup improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Formula RaceRoom 3 - Physics updated[/p][/*]
- [p]Formula RaceRoom 90 - Increased accuracy of suspensions, tuned dampers and baseline setup, tweaked tyre heating curves and engine heating. Increased downshift blipping.[/p][/*]
- [p]Formula RaceRoom U.S. - Increased accuracy of suspensions, tuned dampers and baseline setup, tweaked tyre heating curves and engine heating[/p][/*]
- [p]Formula RaceRoom X-17 - Increased accuracy of suspensions, tuned dampers and baseline setup, tweaked tyre heating curves and engine heating[/p][/*]
- [p]Formula RaceRoom X-22 - Increased accuracy of suspensions, tuned dampers and baseline setup, tweaked tyre heating curves and engine heating. Updated brake discs specs.[/p][/*]
- [p]Group C car class - Tuned dampers and baseline setups, tweaked tyre heating curves[/p][/*]
- [p]Group 5 car class - Updated drag sensitivity to body ride height/rake[/p][/*]
- [p]GTE car class - Improved rear suspension kinematics[/p][/*]
- [p]GTO car class - Increased accuracy of suspensions[/p][/*]
- [p]GTR 2 car class - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]GTR 3 car class - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]GTR 4 car class - Reviewed tyre heating curves, increased accuracy of suspensions, improvement to baseline setups, tuned dampers and radiator cooling[/p][/*]
- [p]Hillclimb Icons car class - Increased accuracy of suspensions, improved baseline setups[/p][/*]
- [p]KTM Xbow RR - Physics updated[/p][/*]
- [p]NSU TTS - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Pagani Zonda - Increased accuracy of suspensions, tuned dampers and baseline setup[/p][/*]
- [p]Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 - Increased accuracy of suspensions, tuned dampers and baseline setup[/p][/*]
- [p]Porsche 911 GT2 RS CS - Baseline setup adjustments[/p][/*]
- [p]Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup - Increased accuracy of suspensions, tuned dampers and baseline setup[/p][/*]
- [p]Porsche 991.2 GT3 R - Increased accuracy of suspensions, tuned dampers and baseline setup[/p][/*]
- [p]Praga R1 - More downshift blipping in lower gears, tuned dampers, increased accuracy of suspensions, improved baseline setup, reduced radiator cooling[/p][/*]
- [p]RaceRoom Truck - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Silhouette car class - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Super Touring car class - A.I. improvements, Fuel usage tweaks, Dampers tuned and some adjustments to baseline setups[/p][/*]
- [p]Tatuus F4 - Rebalanced dampers[/p][/*]
- [p]Aragon - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Brands Hatch GP - Fixed some starting grid spawns that had gone rogue[/p][/*]
- [p]Brno - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Daytona Road Course - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Dubai - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Hungaroring - Moved time attack spawn[/p][/*]
- [p]Laguna Seca - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Monza - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Motegi East - A.I. improvements, moved time attack spawn[/p][/*]
- [p]Nogaro Caupenne - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Norisring - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Oschersleben - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Road America - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Sachsenring - Moved time attack spawn[/p][/*]
- [p]Silverstone Classic GP - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
- [p]Zhejiang - Moved time attack spawn[/p][/*]
- [p]Zolder - A.I. improvements[/p][/*]
