Another episode in the ongoing drama surrounding the experimental development cycle of Slightly Mad Studio’s new racer, Project CARS, highlights the internal problems occurring as the game nears its spring release date.
While rumors have flown around that paint the forums and overall development of the game as high conflict, with several users outright banned or kicked out of the large project simply for daring to ask the wrong questions, these problems have really only existed behind closed doors and couldn’t be accurately demonstrated to the masses.
The thread inside the general discussion of the WMD forums titled “To be honest – I miss proper races” includes sixteen pages of forum users upset with the direction the game has taken. The complaints about the current state of Project CARS are very simple: the game was initially marketed and presented as a hardcore racing sim, rivalling rFactor 2 and Assetto Corsa, while still remaining accessible to fans of Gran Turismo wanting a little more. Recent changes made to Project CARS, such as the numbification of the game’s rather detailed damage model, are not sitting well with the community who fear that Project CARS is on the same path as the two Need for Speed Shift titles, games that were incredible in the early stages of development but had many features and effects suddenly disabled at the eleventh hour.
SMS developers occasionally respond in the thread, claiming these removed/ignored features will be included in “post-release patches.” A large portion of the WMD community seems to resent these comments. During the game’s closed-door development in 2012 and 2013, many features suggested by the community were acknowledged by the developers, and the developers responded by saying Project CARS is still heavily WIP and we’ll be sure to implement these great features soon! Now, with the release only seven weeks away, users have begun questioning why the game’s comprehensive damage model has been almost entirely removed, as well as basic features required in a racing simulator, like DNF’s, caution flags, and AI that slows down to avoid incidents. SMS developers are now claiming basic features like these, pretty damn essential for a game of this caliber, will be included in “post-release patches.”
Apparently questioning why entire features have been removed or severely gimped, and noting that even if you add in features post-release, the game’s reputation will still suffer if it’s not very good at launch (which is something every gamer knows and DriveClub is a perfect example of) – this is all too “painful” for the developers to read, and is worthy of a ban. That’s right, a ban. SMS is literally banning people from the forums for saying “hey, I don’t like what’s going on because you’re lying to us and making changes to the game nobody asked for” – which was exactly how this whole WMD process was supposed to work. Like, that was the draw. That’s why people got into Project CARS.
Other users attempted to inject their own revisionist history into the thread and claim pCARS was never supposed to be a hardcore sim as a way to get back on the good side of SMS to avoid getting into a confrontation with the staff. Some users swiftly jumped into action, claiming otherwise.
The following user was also on the receiving end of the banhammer; in broken English he questioned how SMS could spend four years developing a racing sim that lacked features essential for a racing sim, and how SMS could say everything the community wants will be in post-release patches, when it was clear from the beginning what the community wanted and they had four years to get it into the game beforehand.
I noticed a constant schema in our discussionn:
1. some points to some lacks in pCars
2. In the past Remco answered: pCars is still WIP. Recently the answer has been changed to: it will be released in after release DLCs
I’m really not sure what should I think about. I know that we are tight regarding time. I know we cannot reach some features which has been promised (directly on as expected part of simulation). How can we believe that something will been fixed/added after release? Could any of SMS members provide signed list of such improvements, with dates pls.
Please don’t make us fool. It’s clear, that after a few patches which will fix most important things, and after DLCs with some content (which some will be provided for some fee), resources will be moved to next project. I hope it will be pCars2.
But for projects like pCars it’ss impossible to maintain infinite development.
I just don’t believe that all desired features and changes will be included into pCars in future patches. From this point of view I would like to not see answer “will be released in post-release DLC” everytime we asked about some features expected in core product.
This issue has come up in another racing sim currently on the market: Assetto Corsa. Kunos shipped AC lacking an entire host of features that severely limit the online league capabilities of Steam’s highest selling racing game. However, Kunos is hard at work on these “post-release patches”, while SMS seems to be using this term as a scapegoat to explain why many features the community requested throughout the development of pCARS are still nowhere to be found (going against the entire purpose of the project), or why other features are severely gimped or have been removed without reason
It is also important to note that while WMD members are quick to call the banned users known troublemakers outside of the WMD forums, inside the WMD forums the exact opposite sentiment is expressed.
After this story went viral overnight, pCars community members were quick to downplay the dismissal of two community members by claiming they were “known troublemakers” – and you can see this in the comments section of pretty much anywhere this article’s been linked, the most recent being GTPlanet.
Again, look at the screencapture above. These guys were hardly troublemakers.
All signs point to Slightly Mad Studios releasing their third game in a row that was significantly better in development than it was when it landed on store shelves.
And while the game is seven weeks away from release, already Super Moderators are saying the members of WMD need to make excuses for how incomplete the game is because there are going to be things potentially not as ‘complete’ as hoped at release.
Yes, I’m totally going to pay $60 for this.
Especially when the community surrounding the game is no longer contributing to the game’s development (as was the original goal), but rather a large group of third party marketers. Posts like the one below make me doubt any positive feedback made about Project CARS in public, considering WMD users blatantly lie about what’s actually included in-game just to generate hype.
Fuck you for showing these screenshots. Fuck you for writing this article. Fuck you for trying to hurt SMS reputation. Fuck you for trying to hurt some members’ reputation. Fuck you for taking this story out of context. Fuck you.
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And your comment is making things better for SMS? ;-)
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I am getting the Impression you want to fuck me, I would advise against this as I currently have a severe case of bad aids.
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Bad aids, as apposed to good aids? :P
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PCARS Damage control ^^^^^^^^^^^^
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Meh, the fact that pCARS are dropping some features or aspects of the sim-racing thing is really nothing new when it comes to these games. We had the same issue with Kunos not 2 months ago. Yes their RC had great optimization and many bugfixes and introduced a new car, it still didn’t address the issues that many people in the forums were pushing for like MP functionality, flag rules, better collision, etc.
However, Kunos forums didn’t look THAT bad. I don’t even know if it is because of the WMD forum members or their mods, but this is really bad. You don’t encourage suggestions and then just ignore them when the time for coming good on your promises comes by. It’s sad how they handled this process. You also don’t advertise your game as the best racing sim out there when it doesn’t even have flag rules. it’s like they want their followers to be like iRacing followers who just keep repeating that their game is the best sim out there and all others are inferior.
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Because Kunos is baning everyone to. They ban Users and Delete negative comment’s. I think if you do an Early Accsses Programm you have to accept critism and People that say theyre Oppinion. Kunos did not bring the half of the Feauters that where planned from begining. There is no Day/Night cycle, no Rain, you cant make Presets for the Pit-Stop. The only thing is made is new Cars to get more Money out of the People. There is a Bunch of bumplickers/Fanboys if you say anything against the Game you get Hated and offended. If you Report this and maybe say some Words in a rude Language as the other Guy did guess who gets banned. I woud like to see such an Article about Kunos because they deserve it. They are lying all over the Place and fooling People from Start to Finish. They even Deleted and chaged theyre planned feauture Content ond the official Page to hide it. Btw there is still Collision Problems…
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Not true at all. If anything Kunos leave all comments up on the Forum but close the thread. You only get banned for the usual forum infractions and most of the features you mentioned were never going to be in Assetto Corsa anyway, ie they said no night/day cycle, they even said multiplayer was less important than single player (if like me you are a online racer that seems a bit backwards, but Kunos have done their research). The difference is Kunos listen and change direction according to the community not as PCars has done ‘In spite of the community’.
I think you have visited an alternate world Kunos Forum. Yes there are heated debates, yes there are fanboys (I am one) but what you are writing is as far from the truth as possible. Even PCars had a good thread dedicated to it, for sure a lot of it’s failures where expressed and some of it’s achievements also. Still it is an Assetto Corsa support forum not a chit chat social media outlet.
As for the long journey ahead of Assetto Corsa, the main point of the sim is there and working better than anyone could have expected. Tyre models, physics, the precision detailed cars and tracks, community apps/tracks/cars/sounds/special effects/skins etc etc etc is mind blowing. Kunos set out a five year program for AC and they seem to be doing just that.
You Sir need to check your reality if you think any differently. If you were banned from the site it is only usually a week ban. I have been naughty a few times but only ever been warned in a friendly but strong manner from the dev’s. I have never seen a member of the AC community being called out the same way Ian Bell seems to find appropriate at WMD. If anything the big cheese’s only reply when necessary and usually in a very informative professional manner.
I will sign off with the thought that most of us Sim racers should have, it’s great to have so many sims vying for our cash. What more can we ask than that? rF2, iRacing, PCars, Assetto Corsa etc etc. We really are spoiled for choice I go with AC, but pick the one that fits your needs and desires.
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Funny how you mention “closed door development”, yet you are publishing internal forum posts (and without permission from SMS or the people who’s posts you have copied!).
The people who have had bans have had previous warnings about their attitudes….
at this point in the development, getting the basics right to make a playable game is more important than being able to add some bells and whistles to satisfy a small minority… because whatever your view of the physics, which seems to range from far too hard sim, to pure arcade, according to the previews, this is still a game and needs to sell to recoup money so SMS can continue the excellent work they are doing. If, after all the time people have followed SMS as they make this title, they still have no faith in their ability or honesty, then SMS have the right to show them the door..
Project CARS certainly ticks all the boxes on what I was promised as a game.. something that has a great career mode with excellent AI, MP, TT, and doesn’t put me in a little box to say I should play the game a specific way to grind for cars.
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you must have very low standards or be using a joypad if you consider the ai to be great
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You’re wrong dude. I’ve been banned for asking why a certain feature is more important than another one. I didn’t get any warnings, not even a message that I have been banned. I just wasn’t able to login anymore. It just said ‘you’ve been banned’ when trying. After spamming the fb page I managed to get a refund. I also requested to delete all of my data but when I try to login it still says that I’ve been banned, so my mail acc must still be saved.
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If they need to get the basics right now, what were they doing the last 4 years? You need to get the basics right from the start, then add the bells and whistles within the time you have available. Now you have funders who thought they had some added value to this “community assisted racing simulator” and now see their contributions put into the freezer or, in the worst case, being binned.
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‘at this point in the development, getting the basics right to make a playable game is more important than being able to add some bells and whistles to satisfy a small minority’
It should be the complete opposite. The ‘basics’ should have been the very first thing they nailed and now with only a couple of months until release they should be polishing the product.
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I agree…And they lie about how the game is ;)
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Yall a bunch of whiney sissy ass haters, pcars is the next level of simulation racing. I bet yall a bunch of forza and gt5 fanboys. Pcars will wipe floor with everyone.
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Lmao PCARS is a joke
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Next level? I can floor the throttle in a RWD 500bhp car mid corner with cold tires on a cold track and nothing happens…just a little bit of understeer? Yeah, next level sim right there…
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HAHAHAHAHA YOU MADE MY DAY!!!! Next level Simulation hahahahaha you must be a pro Racedriver omfg hahaha.
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Great piece of reporting. If only video game “journalists” had the cojones you do!
Great article on insidesimracingtv as well!
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I think someone is butthurt and had to make this blog.
Please, change the tittle of your blog to “Pretendjournalism”
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If anything, you’ve described your own comment
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i like turtles
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pCars and R3E have one thing in common they look and sound great but their physic, FFB and Road Feel are completely horrible.
I want a driving experience that are as close to real life as possible.
That’s why I choose Assetto Corsa ! – There is still work to do but the devs are hard at work and WILL deliver !
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Cool story brah!
Now go pick your paycheck, your work here is done.
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How is the AI and online racing in AC? Enjoying the flags? The weather is great isn’t it? Day night is so cool too. Collision physics are great too eh? Oh wait…
No game is perfect but each game seems to have it’s followers. I am new to sim racing and enjoying each game I’ve tried in it’s own way and I expect the same thing from PCars. Maybe the physics won’t be advanced as AC, but AC has a slate of weaknesses as well.
To each his own. I don’t see why the sim racing community has to cannibalize itself over every new title, seems silly to me.
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I do not have access to pCars, but I play both, AC and R3E and disagree on your opinion. Physics aside (I don’t feel really competent to discuss this and make coparisions) I find FFB and road feel better in R3E, I fell I’m getting much more feedback on car behaviour in R3E. Also there can be absolutely no comparison in terms of sound quality, tracks quality and AI behaviour, R3E is light years away from AC in this regard.
As for pCars, I’ve made preorder for this game somewhere around previous release date, but after seeing this I’m seriously considering cancelling it.
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I was pissed about no flags or penalties in AC too. They now say it is coming in a couple weeks but that really should have been in the official feature complete release. At least they are actually doing it though and they don’t ban people from their forums for not sucking their continually sucking their dicks. PCARS should ask themselves, do they want to be a racing simulator or are they content with being a hot lapping and screenshots simulator?
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AC has no forums to ban people from because it’s not crowd developed is it?
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They do have a forum, it’s full of faggots like all official game forums, but they don’t ban people randomly, especially not for legit complaints or suggestions. More importantly, they are finally implementing flags and penalties so it can be used for actual league racing, which is like the entire point of a racing sim.
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“Full of faggots” Very mature. Or perhaps you’re British and referring to bundles of sticks?
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Check dis out. ;D
http://alturl.com/zmqw4
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The Aston has the best brakes
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The guys that can’t make a lap in iracing and that are a dozen seconds or more off the pace in AC are going to love this game. Wet grass has the same grip level as a rubbered in track and every car has the exact same handling characteristic; slight understeer that is remedied by simply inputting more steering, absolutely minimal oversteer that completely goes away after a lap.
As just another sim-cade racing game, it is decent enough but the only people that are claiming this is a hard core sim are guys that either are too young to have ever actually driven a car, or guys that are getting paid (or hoping to get paid).
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iRacing. enough said.
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The biggest insult was stating that the game was PC and Wii U exclusive then giving the finger to the supportive community and launching on XBOne and PS4 before anything.
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Another part of the sim racing community that spit you out, Austin?
Don’t worry, I’m sure one of your scene skanks will comfort you.
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Fantastic article. Thank you.
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Nice to know what is happening behind the courtains. It is that it is in tho open that the sugercoated subject is being bullied and ruled by a dictatoship of SMS … :/
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