Hockenheimring is now available!

Host of the German GP 37 times, the Hockenheimring is one of the tracks with the richest heritage in the world of motorsports. Historically known for its bygone classic layout with long straights through the surrounding forests, the track was reformed for the 2002 German GP, becoming much shorter modern circuit but retaining a high speed, flowing nature perfectly suited for wheel-to-wheel racing with all types of cars.

This pack features 4 distinct versions of this legendary track from 4 different decades - 1977, 1988, 2001 and 2020, along with extra modern layouts (National, Short A & B).

This the first DLC to be released for Automobilista 2, and it is FREE to all current AMS2 owners and for those who purchase AMS2 over the weekend (July 24-25-26 2020) - by July 27th the Hockenheimring Pack will be sold as an independent DLC to AMS2, and also as part of the 2020-2021 Season Pass.

For those who have already purchased the Season Pass, be assured its value will be preserved with the addition of a 6th DLC pack to the five originally included in that package.

Along with the Hockenheimring we are also deploying the first major update post V1 release - similar updates around this time of the month will be a regular fixture for the foreseeable future.

The exception will be in August when we are releasing not one but two major updates (including a LOT of new content) at the beginning and end of the month.

The next update (scheduled for August 7th) will feature substantial developments to championship mode and introduce portuguese, spanish & french localization.

We remind all users that AMS2 is a long term project that will continue to evolve and expand in a monthly basis for years to come - all fronts of the game will still have major improvements, with a lot of it to make it in before the end of the year. If you want to learn more about what´s incoming make sure to check out our July Development Update next week, where we will expand on these plans including some great content announcements!



CONTENT

• Added Hockenheimring 2020 (GP, National & 2 Short layouts)
  
• Added Hockenheimring Historic versions (1977, 1988, 2001)

UI & HUD

• Fixed incorrect logo alignment on initial splash in some resolutions
  
• Added Session duration information to In-Race Info Layer
  
• Add 'Skip Cooldown Lap' option after race is finished
  
• Tweaked text colour and background opacity on timing/delta messages
  
• Increased name area on relative positions HUD unit
  
• Fixed championship standings screen only displaying first driver
  
• Added markers for DLC content
  
• Fixed Single Official Championship autoloading.
  
• Fixed lower case button labels on pause menu return to pits button.
  
• Corrected inconsistent size in Kart thumbnails
  
• Fixed Caterham Academy gearbox information
  
• Fixed error in Superkart name
  
• Slightly improved lighting in showroom
  
• Corrected Stock Cruze 2020 Thumbnails
  
• Fixed position 6 selecting position 5 vehicle on monitor leaderboard
  
• Fixed looping issue when trying to invite players to lobby via steam overlay
  
• Added more fonts assets
  
• Updated splash screen content logos
  
• Added hud colors + HUD class logos for Montana and G55

PHYSICS

• Implemented optimal brake temp ranges (this adds an optimal brake temperature plateau to the brake response curve, making them slightly less peaky)
  
• Revised load damping for all tyres & sidewall & tread stiffness tweaks to F-Retro, F-Reiza, F-V10, F-Ultimate, Caterhams
  
• Adjusted F-Classic, F-Trainer, F-Retro & F3 tyre treads
  
• Adjusted carcass stiffness for karts & superkarts
  
• Reduced carcass heating for Truck tyres
  
• Added new Differential hump mode values (this affects how the viscous locking torque varies by fluid temperature inside the diff, reducing locking torque as slip starts to increase the temperature, then virtually seizes with high locking torque as thermal expansion dominates at higher temperatures)
  
• Removed air restrictor setup option
  
• Reduced front ride height range & default setting, rear brake torque for G55 Supercup
  
• Revised rear wing efficiency & distribution for G55, Stock V8 2020 (both models
  
• Further adjusted F-Retro aero yaw & rake sensitivity
  
• Reduced wheel contact factor (hopefully contributes to excessive collision issues)
  
• Slightly increased FFB max force range
  
• Fixed Push-to-Pass button being available for Stock Car series in Time Trial mode
  
• Fixed wrong default preload following range correction in v1.0.0.3
  
• Added antistall clutch to all karts
  
• Kart brake heating updates
  
• Adjusted Copa Truck tyre temp optimal window
  
• Reduced engine inertia for superkart
  
• Adjusted head physics (slightly better bump damping in cockpit view)
  
• Minor adjustment to MRX & Sigma P1 FFB max force
  
• Corrected default wing setting for F-V10, F-V12 (one click more in both ends for both cars)
  
• Reduced baseline anti-roll bar stiffness for F-Reiza
  
• Opalas: Reduced brake heating, moved default brake bias slightly forwards
  
• F-Classic: Small tweak to FFB max force
  
• Increased DRS effects for all cars that feature the device

AI

• Added new AI start logic (AI cars now are more creative off the line in looking for spaces and getting out of single file over first lap)
  
• Added opponent names & personalities for F-Ultimate, F-V10, F-V12 drivers
  
• Adjusted AI blue flag behaviour to reduce erratic movements when lapped in races
  
• Minor AI performance callibration pass for P1, P2 models
  
• Slightly reduced AI Grip for Bathurst
  
• Revised Classic cars AI performance & throttle application (fixing some inconsistencies added with late pre-release changes)
  
• Callibrated AI performance for Copa Fusca, Copa Uno, Copa Clasic, Karts, Caterhams, G55 Supercup series
  
• Increased AI effects for DRS

AUDIO

• Reduced default tire skid & surface volume to 50%

TRACKS

• Brasilia: Fixed vehicles popup behind the tents at turn 1
  
• Cascais Slightly improved performance in replays
  
• Guapore: Reduced garage depth (stops AI crashing on pit exit)

VEHICLES

• Fixed bug in sorting cars of the same class in a quick race grid (now grid is always randomised within same grid grouping value)
  
• Fixed Gol & Passat grid grouping in Copa Classic FL & Hot Cars
  
• Added Gol wiper animations and cockpit vibrations (all variants)
  
• Сhevette: Wiper pivot point correction
  
• Added Copa Truck wiper animations and cockpit vibrations (mirrors/window net)
  
• Added Puma GTB, GTE,P052, Chevette wiper & cockpit animations
  
• Added cockpit animations, wipers & windscreen cleaning animation to ARC Camaro and Passat (all variants)
  
• Added suspension animations and cockpit vibrations to F-Classic G3M2
  
• Updated Vitor Genz KTF livery
  
• Added New Ginetta G58 livery
  
• Corrected F309 undercar shadow
  
• Corrected cockpit POV for F-Classic G3M2
  
• Temporarily disabled some suspension animations fro F-reiza, F-V10, F-v12 and F-Ultimate
  
• F.Reiza: Fixed numbering on liveries
  
• Updated Formula V10 Gen2 liveries: (2 New Teams - AsiaTech Factory Racing #24 #25 / Dominilab Racing #26 #27) + Updated/Revised #05 #06 #09 #10 #11 #12 #18 #19
  

This is the third and final hotfix to complement last week´s v1 release with some immediate fixes & additions - another more substantial update is already in the works and should be deployed towards the end of July.

We´d like to take the opportunity to inform new users that might not have followed the development of AMS2 that the plan is for major updates adding a mix of new features, content and fixes to be deployed at the end of every month for the foreseeable future, occasionally being complemented by hotfixes such as this one.

V1.0.0.3 Changelog:

• Added real driver names to Stock Car 2020 series & fictional names to ARC Camaro series (all series will feature dedicated driver names and AI personalities by the next update)
  
• Bathurst: Adjusted track, curbing and wall geometry in several places: elevation at The Cutting, curb height at Quarry, curb width & angle at McPhillamy Park, walls at Forrest's Elbow, curb width at The Chase and curb height at Murray's corner; tweaked foliage placement & types; added more details to the roads & environment; added crowds; added several buildings; added distant villages; finished power lines & night lighting; adjusted livegrass placement; adjusted shadows and optimization; added hires adverts textures; Fixed wrong normals on 150m board
  
• Recalibrated brake marker spacing at Goiania, Cascavel, Guapore
  
• Corrected object orientation and reset pivot on dynamic brake marker objects. at Velopark, Interlagos, Campo Grande
  
• Adjusted onboard cameras for Camaro SS, Chevette, Fusca, F-Trainer, Uno, MCR2000, Sprint Race, Ultima GTR (full revision to follow in next update)
  
• Super V8: corrected RPM display range
  
• Sprintrace, Corolla, Stock Car 2019, Copa Uno: Fixed stickers flickiring and interior LOD issues
  
• Added wiper animations to Copa Uno & Uno Copa Classic B
  
• Corrected windshield wiping animation for MIT Lancer R & RS, Stock Car 2019, Copa Montana, Metalmoro AJR, Sigma P1, Opala 1979, 1986 & Old Stock
  
• Fixed Goiania layout for first round of Stock Car 2020 championship
  
• Added missing Stock Car Push-To-Pass functionality (not allowed in 1st lap, 5s delay between button pressing & activation) to Copa Montana, Stock Car 2019 & Stock Car 2020
  
• Stiffened front tyre sidewalls for F-Reiza, F-Ultimate,Stock Car, Ultima GTR (Road & Race), Copa Truck, F3, F-Trainer, Sprint Race, Montana, Caterhams & all Prototype classes
  
• Removed medium tyre compound option for StockCar 2020 (only hards available now as per 2020 rules)
  
• Lowered default diff preload & viscous lock settings (requires setup reset to take effect)
  
• Minor AI callibration to Stock2020, F-Retro, G55 series

This is the second of three scheduled complementary updates to hotfix minor issues & add remaining assets complementing content added in the V1 release.

As planned for official release, the Time Trial leaderboards have been fully reset with new boards going up for the new content - get your laps up there!

Please note the HUD updates will reset previous customizations.

V1.0.0.2 Changelog:

• Updated opening splash screens & main menu background
  
• Added interface toggle & updated "Back" button in monitor screen
  
• Updated position/lap counter HUD widget
  
• Set display current lap instead of completed laps in position widget
  
• Reduced number of positions displayed in overall standings hud widget
  
• Added relative positions HUD widget
  
• Tweaked default positions for HUD elements
  
• Updated StockCar 2020 cockpits & wiper / windshield animations for both Cruze & Corolla
  
• Updated wiper mask & animation , SuperV8, Sprintrace, Sigma P1
  
• Added wiper & windshield animations for Fusca (all variants)
  
• Added new liveries for GX390 Kart
  
• Updated liveries forSigma P1, AJR Judd, Ginetta G58, F-ultimate
  
• Reduced max AI strentgh grip multiplier to reduce issues with AI misbehavior @ 120% setting
  
• Minor increase of AI peak mid corner grip in modern-slick shod cars
  
• Reduced F-Retro aero yaw sensitivity (all models)
  
• Bathurst: added dynamic brake markers; added fences / armcos / other tweaks to barriers around the track; corrected wall height on the hill; added hotel building (still WIP), club house, farm buildings and some other buildings; Added powerlines (still WIP) Fixed a hole in the terrain in the Chase corner
  
• Granja: Added night lighting
  
• Velocitta: Fixed player DQ when leaving pits
  
• Spielberg: Recalibrated DRS and braker marker sign spacing/distance and reset pivots on dynamic brake markers.
  
• Interlagos: Removed static DRS signs
  
• SuperV8 sound updated with Rev Limiter, pitlimiter and pitlimiter trigger sounds
  
• Ginetta G55: external sound update.
  
• FClassic G3M1: Updated engine positional audio

V1.0.0.1 hotfix has just been deployed:

• Fixed loading screen crash when joining in-progress multiplayer sessions
  
• Adjusted FFB clipping, aero & default steering ratio for Stock 2020 & corrected minor wheelbase / track width discrepancies
  
• Adjusted Ginetta G55 & G58 max FFB force to reduce clipping
  
• Bumped up SuperV8 engine output slightly to bring it closer to latest engine specs
  
• Bathurst: Updated road & trackside ads textures, fixed triangulation glitch in main road at the pitwall area
  
• Added missing Cascais loading screen
  
• Fix DRS trackside board issues at Interlagos, Kansai, Spielberg
  
• Corrected windshield water wiping animation for Ultima GTR Road version

After a gruelling 3 months of work since its first Early Access release, we are thrilled to finally bring you the official release of Automobilista 2!

We are also happy to say we have also fulfilled the majority of the goals we had set out to achieve during Early Access, and the little bits that are still due should not take much longer. The official release of course does not mean the game is done - as we keep stressing AMS2 is a long-term project which will continue to see major game updates covering every front of development and bundles of new cars and tracks (free and paid) being released in a monthly basis all the way to the end of the year and beyond - the V1 milestone is all but the end of the beginning, a solid baseline upon which we will continue to build on for a long time.

With release time coinciding with the Steam Summer sale we have elected to keep the current 20% Early Access discount embedded in the pricing for a few more weeks. Not only that - with Hockenheimring scheduled to be our first DLC soon, everyone who bought the Game in Early Access or comes to buy it before the end of the Steam Summer Sale will receive the Hockenheimring DLC (which includes 1977, 1988 and 2001 historical versions) for free!

Please note the Stock Car 2020 series, Bathurst and championship mode as very late additions to this release and are still considered WIP - there should be complementary builds tomorrow and Friday to wrap up a few loose ends on this release, but nothing that should greatly deter your enjoyment!

Below is the full V0.9.7.0 - V1.0.0 CHANGELOG:

CONTENT - NEW TRACKS

• Added Bathurst Track
  
• Added Brasilia Track (2 layouts)
  
• Added Granja Viana kart track (4 layouts)
  
• Added Cascais Portugal Track

CONTENT - NEW CARS

• Added Stock Car 2020 Series
  
• Added Copa Montana series
  
• Added Opala Stock Cars 1979 Season
  
• Added 2018 Camaro SS to Street Cars Series
  
• Added F-Retro Gen1 Series (also featuring official Brabham BT44, Lotus 72E, Mclaren M23 Grand Prix cars)
  
• Added Ginetta G55 GT4 Supercup Series
  
• Added Ginetta G58 prototype to P1 Class

GENERAL

• Added DRS rules for F-Ultimate & F-Reiza series ( valid only for tracks with DRS zones - Azure, Kansai, Interlagos, Montreal and Spielberg)
  
• Reduced fraction of a lap that invalidates the next one if driver goes off track in Time Trial mode
  
• Provisionally set pit speed limit to 120 km/h & added pit speed limiter for all historical cars to minimise potential issues in initial release (may revisit this later for historical accuracy when required features for proper functionality is coded in)
  
• Reduced distance required for AI to pick up speed leaving pits
  
• Removed stop-go from first speeding penalty
  
• Reduced stop-go penalty from speeding penalty a 2nd Time
  
• Doubled speed tolerance for temporarily going over speed limit
  
• Reduced pitstop time penalty from hitting crew or wrong area
  
• Reduced slowdown time to pay track limit penalty
  
• Corrected F-V10 pit speed limit
  
• Increased time to remove player from session when black-flagged

UI & HUD

• Fixed Old Stock info to display correct number of gears
  
• Corrected Jacarepagua Historic length info
  
• Corrected Copa Montana Gearbox information
  
• Added missing ibarra HUD trackmap

PHYSICS

• Added DRS functionality to AJR Chevy V8, Sigma P1, F-Reiza, F-Ultimate
  
• Added parameter for blending Physx & original physics for vehicle collisions with walls (hopefully eliminating "sticky wall" effect)
  
• Front and rear wings for all formula cars now detatch with damage
  
• Slightly reduced draft effects
  
• Further revisions to adhesive friction curve with velocity & minor tread adjustments for all tyres (dry & wet)
  
• Slightly increased load stiffness with tyre pressure for F-Ultimate, F-Reiza, F-V10, GT, Prototype classes
  
• Increased front tyre sidewall stiffness for Stock Car, Ultima Race, Sprint Race & all prototypes for better compliance & less bouncing at high speed
  
• Stiffened up default SuperV8 suspension rates
  
• Fixed Metalmoro AJR excessive brake duct cooling
  
• Revised aero & suspension damage properties for cars that still had provisional values
  
• Fully revised kart physics & AI (all classes)
  
• Further callibration of AI throttle application
  
• Minor adjustments to P3, P4, Super V8, F-Vee, Copa Fusca, Copa Uno, Opala 1979 & Old Stock tyres
  
• Decreased brake fade when below optimal temperature
  
• Adjusted default steering lock for Karts, F-Vee
  
• Revised F-Vintage & F-Retro V12 engine torque curves
  
• Removed onboard brake bias and adjustable roll bars for cars that shouldnt have it
  
• Slightly inreased base tyre carcass load stiffness for
  
• Minor tyre tread adjustments to F-Retro, GT4 tyre treads
  
• Lowered FFB smoothing for F-Trainer, F-Vintage, MCR
  
• Lowered brake heating for steel brakes
  
• Slightly increased SuperV8 downforce
  
• Fixed minor innacuracies in F-Ultimate & F-Trainer tyre diameter
  
• Reduced Camaro SS tolerance for shifting without clutch
  
• Adjusted suspension damage thresholds
  
• Adjusted Sigma diffuser aero
  
• Fixed Opala Old Stock engine (now uses proper 300 HP variant)
  
• Reduced ARC Camaro default steering ratio
  
• Moved Fusca default brake bias slightly rearwards

AI

• Improved AI throttle application logic so it differs from slow to mid & high speed corners (less hesitation exiting those corners)
  
• Enabled different throttle, brake and line accuracy ranges according to AI driver skill (custom AI drivers per series to better explore these ranges still to be added)
  
• Reduced range for AI drivers to stray off ideal line & smoothed transitions when exploring different lines
  
• Adjusted AI damper rates to avoid bouncing / rolling over higher curbs
  
• Further increased AI Strength range (slower @ 70%, faster @ 120%) for all cars
  
• Slightly increased AI willingness to condede position when overtaken
  
• Adjusted AI speed under blue flag / off track / damaged car
  
• Reduced maximum AI lateral offset from ideal line

AUDIO

• Adjusted surface sound gain (prevent crackling on limiter)
  
• Disabled automatic toggling of headphone downmix mode.
  
• Fixed error where 4.0 channel configuration in windows resulted in 5.1 mixing mode in-game
  
• Placed limiter on surface sound bus .
  
• Limiter in stereo output mode is controlled from game code; output set to -6dB to avoid possible output overloading
  
• .F-Vintage: Updated gear change sound
  
• Ultima GTR (both versions) adjusted gearchange sound volume.
  
• Adjusted engine sound position & gearbox sound position for all cars (gearshifts should no longer be offset to the side)
  
• Fixed "moving" shift sounds on multiple open wheelers
  
• Improved Caterham Academy engine loops
  
• Improved loops on several 4-cylinder Duratec engine sounds

TRACKS

• Updated trackside advertising for international tracks
  
• Updated 3D grass shader
  
• Updated road shader
  
• Disabled 3D grass rendering in rear view mirrors
  
• Adjusted far fog climate values (adds a little more haze to the horizon)
  
• Imola: Fixed transparent trees
  
• Kyalami Historic: Improved AI fast line
  
• Revised trackside TV cameras for Adelaide, Adelaide Historic, Interlagos, VeloCittá
  
• Fixed bug with Ortona crowds
  
• Fixed Azure map coordinates
  
• Added ambient reverb to new tracks that still didn´t have them

VEHICLES

• Added wiper animations and cockpit vibrations for Metalmoro AJR, Sigma P1, Opala (all variantes)
  
• Added DRS wing animation for F-Ultimate, F-Reiza, Sigma P1, AJR Chevy & Honda Turbo
  
• Added suspension animation for F-Ultimate, F-Reiza, F-V10, F-V12, F-Vee
  
• Adjusted driver model & animations for Ultima GTR, AJR, ARC Camaro, Puma GTE, F-Classic G1M2, G3M2
  
• Corrected bugs in 3D animations of F-Vintage, F-Trainer
  
• Adjusted MRX collision mesh
  
• Revised backfire logic for all cars that have it (less backfiring in upshifts, more in downshifts / lifting)
  
• Increased headlight range at night for all cars
  
• Fixed duplicated Uno in Copa Classic B
  
• Adjusted upper driver model LOD switching (fixes the driver appearing to "duck" as car approaches TV cam)
  
• Fixed RPM bar / lights for G55, Opala
  
• Improved Vertex AO for F-Classic tyres
  
• Added batch of new liveries for Kart GX390

Greetings everyone! Slightly early development update this month to bring you all some exciting news!

In last month´s development update we estimated AMS2 to come out of Early Access some time in mid June - as it turned out we ended up stretching that a bit further, but we can finally confirm Automobilista 2 will be officially released at some point tomorrow, June 30th!

Since the last Early Access update we have continued to push hard these last couple of weeks to ensure v1.0 is a big jump from the latest v0.9.7.0, and that I think we have achieved - v1.0 packs a ton of new content, several key developments in all areas of the game, as well as the new championship mode (albeit limited for this first release).

We are happy to say we have also fulfilled the majority of the goals we had set out to achieve during Early Access, and the little bits that are still due should not take much longer. The official release of course does not mean the game is done - as we keep stressing AMS2 is a long-term project which will continue to see major game updates covering every front of development and bundles of new cars and tracks (free and paid) being released in a monthly basis all the way to the end of the year and beyond - the V1 milestone is all but the end of the beginning, a solid baseline upon which we will continue to build on for a long time.

As I write this we are still working around the clock to get this release ready tomorrow so let´s go straight to what you should know about what is coming tomorrow:


Those coming from v0.9.7.0 will find plenty of new content to enjoy in v1.0: of the cars and tracks previously released in Automobilista 1, we have added the original Stock Car season from 1979 complete with historical liveries; the reformed Granja Viana kart track with its latest configurations; revived the much missed Autodromo Nelson Piquet in Brasilia and Copa Montana series, rounding up our AMS1 upgrades for AMS2 release. More oldies will be added later on this year so don´t lose faith you´re see one of your old favorites back!

The highlights however are in the brand new stuff: there´s a classic portuguese track, our first two of several recently licensed Ginettas (G55 GT4 Supercup & G58 that competes in P1 class of Brazilian Endurance), the revamped F-Retro series in its first generation, featuring no less than 3 classic Grand Prix cars - the Lotus 72E, the Brabham BT44 and Mclaren M23 - tossing these cars sideways around one of our growing roster of historical tracks which already includes 1970s versions of Interlagos, Imola, Kyalami, Spielberg, with Hockenheimring and Silverstone soon to join that list in full variable weather glory is bound to be one of the most enjoyable experiences you will have with Automobilista 2!

For fans of such historical cars and tracks, keep in mind there is a lot more where these came from to join Automobilista 2 in the coming months :)


Those of you who have been keeping track of our Early Access plans will be aware that the game has had a built-in discount during this EA period - 40% to begin with, 20% currently with release supposed to bring us to the eventual full price of US$ 49.99 / €44.99

With release time coinciding with the Steam Summer sale however we have elected to keep the current pricing for a few more weeks. Not only that - with Hockenheimring scheduled to be our first DLC soon after v1 release, everyone who bought the Game in Early Access or comes to buy it before the end of the Steam Summer Sale will receive the Hockenheimring DLC (which includes 1977, 1988 and 2001 historical versions) for free!

After the sale Hockenheimring will be sold independently and as part of the AMS2 2020-2021 Season Pass.



The Stock Car Brasil series has a special meaning for Reiza, as it was the subject of our very first sim back in 2011 it has since continued to be a regular fixture in our titles, and one with which we enjoy a close relationship with.

Automobilista 2 pays tribute to this long term relationship by including several Historical seasons (the very first one from 1979, the classic 1986 and soon also the 1999 season, the last using Chevrolet Omegas, alongside the well-known last gen cars from the 2019 season.

We now take a step with the series into the future as AMS2 release will have the honor of introducing the new 2020 generation of Stock Car Brasil - now featuring two manufacturers with the Toyota Corolla joining the Chevrolet Cruze.

This new generation of Stock Cars have been redesigned to bring the cars closer to its roots - although still based on the same chassis of the JL09 that fielded the series in the last decade, these have been reprofiled to become a little more Stock, a little less prototype, featuring several elements of their production counterparts and a lot less aero components relative to the cars of 2019.

The series is scheduled to kick off with its first race this weekend, but before that drivers will be entering the virtual track to compete on the first round of the official E-Sports series this Wednesday July 1st!


We do have one last thing to hopefully make Automobilista 2 v1.0 a truly enjoyable ride for all sim racers. You will not have to wait long to find out what it is!

See you all on track tomorrow...

Another housekeeping update with Automobilista 2 now hitting v0.9.7.0, ticking off some more remaining must-haves for official release and rectifying a couple of errors from v0.9.6.1 released earlier in the week.

There are a couple of WIP developments in this build to take note of - while several cars now have working wipers, several others still don´t and the wiper animations does not yet quite match the water being wiped from the windscreen. This is just a result of the work here not being quite finished as of v0.9.7.0, all cars will feature fully functioning wipers in time for v1.0 release.

Another unfinished development is the placing of actual sponsors for the trackside advertising - only the ones in the Brazilian Stock Car calendar have received these updates so far, with all other tracks still to be updated with proper trackside ads for V1.0 release.

V0.9.7.0 CHANGELOG:

GENERAL

• Added custom pit speed limits per series regulations; baseline is 60km/h for national & club series, 100km/h for modern Formulas, 250 km/h for Historical content
  
• Corrected series / class grouping and grouping within series so different models are sorted in the grid (when series feature cars of different classes) or randomized (when they are of the same class)
  
• Disabled visual ghost effect in pit lane and pit exit

UI & HUD

• Fixed vehicle info for F-Classic G3M1, G3M3, MRX

PHYSICS

• Revised adhesive friction curve with velocity for all tyres
  
• Reduced wheel contact factor (reduces chances of "exploding" collisions with wheel-to-wheel contact)
  
• Fixed minor tread width innacuracies in F-Classic, F-Trainer tyres
  
• Further areo revisions to MRX, F-3, F-V12, Ultima GTR (Road)
  
• Further car-specific FFB fine tuning (max force, smoothing, scrub radius)
  
• Further engine inertia revisions

AI

• Reduced AI front buffer distances (AI is slightly less tentative when a pack of cars is ahead)
  
• Reduced AI lifting off the throttle over puddles
  
• Reduced wall check function (AI is less tentative when driving close to walls)
  
• Reduced ranges for AI drivers inconsistency & performance loss from stamina over longer races
  
• Adjust AI steer smoothing to improve pitlane mobility
  
• Adjusted AI Grip multipliers for Velopark, Adelaide, Azure, Montreal, Londrina

AUDIO

• Fixed AI engine sound position being on wrong side for seevral all cars.
  
• Added dedicated sound effect for grasscrete material
  
• Fixed odd ducking of sounds over curbs, lessened crackling on tyre sound effects
  
• Improved sound in stereo mode
  
• Replay onboard engine audio properly positioned.
  
• Starting sound correctly positioned

TRACKS

• Added Stock Car series trackside advertising for tracks in the 2019/2020 calendar

VEHICLES

• Added wiper animations for Ultima GTR, Stock Car V8, Super V8, Sprint Race, Caterham Academy, Lancer Cup (WIP)
  
• Fixed driver animation for F-Trainer
  
• F-Reiza: Fixed bug restricting field to a single livery

V0.9.6.1 has now been deployed - this is a hotfix to complement changes from the previous v0.9.6.0 update.

The Speed Sensitivity slider now added to the Control Configuration UI should be useful for gamepad & other digital controllers; it should otherwise be kept at 0% for those running with a steering wheel.

V0.9.6.1 CHANGELOG

UI & HUD

• Added "Speed Sensitivity" and "Minimum Shift Time" configurations to Controller options
  
• Minor UI label fixes

PHYSICS

• Revised yaw sensitivity for aero elements in all high downforce cars
  
• Adjusted steel brake heating build-up
  
• Revised slick & road tyres tread performances on wet track
  
• Minor tyre tread adjustments for Super V8, F-V12 & F-Classic Gen3
  
• Revised rear wing efficiency for F-Classics, F-V12, F-Reiza, F-Ultimate, F301 & F309
  
• Various minor default setup adjustments
  
• Slightly increased FFB tyre scrub effect for all cars (through FX slider)
  
• Slightly Increased bump noise from curbs
  
• Minor fine-tuning of car-specific FFB values
  
• Fixed excessive front brake cooling in Caterhams
  
• Revised engine output for F-Vintages (V8 & V12)
  

TRACKS

• Minor revisions to various climate lighting & fog values values

AI

• Increased the range of AI performance at both ends of the scale (slower @ 70%, faster @ 120% relative to v0.9.6.0)
  
• Further revised AI throttle application gaps for GTs & formula cars
  
• Increased AI side buffer distance (helps preventing AI cars merging back to the racing line too soon)
  
• Increased Field speed perception, reduced length ahead factored (slightly less slowdowns in packs)
  
• Reduced minimal lateral distance for defensive moves
  
• Increased AI lateral rate of movement when calm
  
• Further reduced AI brake power in GT / prototypes
  
• Further increased AI care with human players
  
• AUDIO
  
• Fixing Super V8 AI Interior Engine sound position

VEHICLES

• Fixed missing F-Reiza rain lights
  
• Further adjusted brake glow ranges

This build introduces the new AI Strength logic - now the setting works more similarly to how it did in AMS1, as a more straight-forward AI Grip multiplier, without affecting other aspects of AI performance & behavior, to offer a much wider and more consistent scalar for setting up AI difficulty.

As in AMS1, the AI Strength slider is now restricted to a range of 70-120%, with default setting being 90% and a setting of 100% being equivalent of real world performance. Beware however that the AI in some series may still misbehave at extreme ends of the scale, and that that the new system still requires further callibration for consistency from series to series.

Given the relevance of the AI Strength development to making game more adjustable for a wider range of player skills, we´ve decided to roll this on to release already rather than hold it for v1.0.

V0.9.6 also features further physics & FFB fine tuning and a new batch of car suspension animations. Below is the full V0.9.6.0 CHANGELOG:

UI & HUD

• Reinstated time acceleration for Single Player events

FORCE FEEDBACK

• Revised code to fix (or at least mitigate) issues with FFB causing wheel to pull hard right or left in some circunstances
  
• Increased input rates to 500Hz and limited FFB rate to 360Hz to minimise potential issues with asynchronous rates
  
• Further fine-tuned all car-specific max force, filters & smoothing levels to suit final FFB system and latest tyre physics developments

PHYSICS

• Fixed stalled player engine in rolling starts and in some cases when switching from AI control (still needs multiplayer testing)
  
• Minor tread adjustments for F-Vintage, Trucks, GT, SuperV8, prototype & road tyres
  
• Reduced default brake pressure to 90% (same as AMS1 - setting remains adjustable from car setup for player preferences)
  
• Slightly increased optimum brake temperature ranges for both steel & carbon brakes
  
• Reduced contact factor in open wheelers (further minimising extreme reactions in wheel-to-wheel collisions)
  
• Reduced incremental lift with radiator opening setting
  
• MRX: Fixed wrong brake fade ranges in all variants
  
• Ultima GTR: Fixed rear brake cooling on Road version
  
• F-Vintage: Adjusted default differential settings for better driveability

AI

• Added new Opponent AI Strength logic
  
• Clamped opponent AI Strength range to 70-120%
  
• Added customized parameter per car for AI brake application
  
• Further reduced AI throttle application gap dependingon AI driver skill level
  
• Further callibration of AI performance
  
• Further reduced AI brake grip in GT / prototype

s
TRACKS

• Jerez: curbs UV2 mapping correction; fixed LOD issues with inner grass; conformed started grid lines to latest road noise & other minor fixes
  
• Interlagos: Updated trackside cameras

VEHICLES

• Toned down dirty layer on rear view mirrors
  
• Added suspension animations for all Caterhams, F-Trainers & F-Vintage

Hello everyone! We´ve reached the end of another month in 2020, which of course means it´s time for our monthly development roundup. We have a lot of ground to cover this month so let´s get to it:


The Early Access period ended up stretching a bit from our original estimate of 8 weeks, but AMS2 EA is finally set to wrap with little over 10 weeks as we gear up for official release sometime in mid-June. We´re happy to say that we´re on track to meet all the core targets we outlined for v1.0 release, even if some of the developments haven´t quite made into the game yet.

Car animations are now finally in process of being exported to the game, and expect to have all the most important ones for wipers, drivers and suspension parts include by v1.0 release.

The Multiplayer Dedicated Server Tool has been released albeit in Beta, with some core features still to be added in the coming weeks to help leagues get some championships going by the time v1.0 is out.

The Multiplayer Ranking system is already working in the backend, however this is one feature we want to be careful not deploying too soon so the timeline for its public release will remain open.

On the content side, v1.0 will also see more of AMS1 oldies-but-goodies being included, fully revamped to AMS2 standards.


We also have some really exciting news incoming for the Brazilian Stock Car series in Automobilista 2 which they should announce at some point next week, so stay tuned!

The work on the old content is of course ongoing in parallel to an intense development plan to bring a lot of new cars and tracks to Automobilista 2 in the coming months, some of which already for v1.0. One of them is this glorious pearl from the portuguese Riviera:


Another bunch confirmed for v1.0 is Classic Grand Prix Cars announced last month, which includes the Brabham BT44, Lotus 72E and Mclaren M23, bringing 1970s Grand Prix racing to Automobilista 2.

Those of you keeping tabs will recall this glimpse of the Brabham BT44 we included in the January Dev Update:



The BT44 is in game ready to go, just waiting for its sparring partners to enter the track which should be happening over the cours of the next week.




We have even come up with a redesigned F-Retro to help fill up that grid, and unlike the classics above which were all powered by the famous Cosworth DFV that dominated most of the 70s, our generic F-Retro will also feature a V12 variant.


Final important note: Save for an eventual minor hotfix for anything that really needs fixing, v0.9.5.X is the last AMS2 build deployed during Early Access. The next intermediate build will be released only for Automobilista 2 Beta, as we focus on testing & wrapping up of all the core features needed for v1.0 release.


While generally speaking we can count ourselves among the lucky few that have not had our operations largely affected by the ongoing pandemic, the same unfortunately can´t be said about other businesses, including some we are doing business with. Motorsport activities have obviously come to almost a complete halt, which among other things makes it harder to schedule a recon trip for a track we have licensed, or to collect data & recordings for cars we are modelling.

The main bottleneck caused by the current circunstances has been on the licensing front, specially with cars as the big manufacturers have been forced to greatly limit their operational capacity - unfortunately that includes marketing, legal and financial departments, all pipelines a licensing deal needs to go through before we can include their cars in the game. Things are progressing but very slowly, and this unfortunately is already compromising our planned release schedule, and even the ability to announce these upcoming cars.

We had estimated release of a couple of sweet german cars to the end of this month but those aren´t clear to go yet, and at the current rate it seems unlikely the GT3/GT4 cars we had scheduled for end of June will be all clear to go until then. Under the current circunstances we can´t even be assertive as to how quickly these will eventually come through - can be a week with one brand and a month for another. That could cause us to reasses our release strategy, going for staggered brand-centric releases instead of class bundles - we´ll need to wait and see how things develop in the coming weeks before we can decide and confirm how we go about it, so please bare with us for a little longer before we can provide an updated schedule.

The good news is that even though the process is moving slower than we would have hoped, none of our licensing targets are stuck or in serious risk of not coming through - most of the deals in fact have been secure for a while with the models they cover are already far along in production, and they make for quite a dreamy list - from 60´s/70´s vintage touring cars to 80´s Group C beasts, 90´s British & German touring cars and mighty GT1s, to modern supercars - there is something incoming for every motorsports taste, and once it rains it will pour as many of them are already in-game. As soon as we get them through the remaining licensing hurdles we will add them to AMS2 Beta for some bug hunting, and to release not long after. Best part: with the exception of the Street Supercars, all cars on the classes listed will be free additional content.

That´s the story on the car front - on the track front we´ve been having a bit more luck, and for the tracks already announced we´re well on track to keep the schedule we had proposed for them.

Obviously Hockenheimring and its historical variants will make up the first AMS2 DLC so the release is held up until shortly after v1.0 is out, but it´s coming along nicely.


Mount Panorama is likewise taking shape, with trackside objects being modelled parallel to the main mesh previewed below - release schedule is for June 30th, with our first post v1.0 game update.


Silverstone & historical variants are also very advanced, well on track for release in its planned July 30th schedule.


And now we have one more premium track we can add to this growing roster...



At this point Spa has become such a motorsports mecca that arguably no sim can be considered complete without featuring it - we are therefore delighted to confirm that Spa-Francorchamps is also coming for Automobilista 2, in full modern and past glory!


We figured that if we are going to tread the ground of this magnificent venue we might as well do it full justice - the modern version will feature laser scan data, and we will also develop a couple of historical variants - the infamous 14km layout as it was in 1970, and the modern layout as it was in the late 80s, with no run-offs at Eau Rouge or Blanchimont, high curbs and the old double chicane Bus Stop - the complete men-from-boys filtering kit.


We already have a good jumpstart on these massive projects so the timeline for them is less than you may expect - The Spa-Francorchamps Pack will surely be released for Automobilista 2 before the end of the year.


There´s been a bit of understandable confusion regarding the Season Pass availability and pricing at the start of Early Access, so we felt appropriate to shed a bit more light into what it includes, who is it for and whether it may or may not be of value to you.

Firstly some explanation on the rationale behind making the Season Pass available during EA: When we released AMS1 in Early Access back in March 2016 we did not include the Season Pass, which only became available at v1.0 release in August 2016. Some users complained about having to buy the Season Pass separately at full price, while new users had the benefit of getting both at once with a discount. It seemed like a fair complaint so this time we decided to offer both from the get-go.

With regards to the Season Pass pricing, while it may be unusually high compared to the base game it is very fairly priced in light of what it includes. Let´s take for example the three track DLCs already confirmed: Hockenheim, Silverstone & Spa will sell for US$9.99 each, well within the range of track DLCs for other sims - with the caveat our tracks also include several historical versions. Production of the Silverstone and Spa packs for example include modelling of versions of those tracks so distinct they are akin to producing several completely unique tracks for the price of one - if you consider licensing for these tracks often include additional fees for historical versions, they are really sweet deals by any measure. The Season Pass covers at least two other premium DLC tracks with similar formats and pricing to be released in the 2020-2021 timeframe, and buying these individually would already cover half of the Season Pass cost.

Then there are the Expansion Packs - these are packs currently confirmed, arranged to a certain theme, featuring cars, tracks or both, with base prices ranging from US$ 9.99 - US$ 19.99:

• Brazilian Grand Prix Legends - Pack featuring several World Championship cars won by Brazilian drivers
  
• Historical Track Pack - Pack featuring historical variants of tracks featuring in the game
  
• Street Supercars - Pack of road-legal Supercars
  
• Racin´ USA - Pack featuring several North American cars and tracks, modern and historical
  
• Adrenaline - Pack featuring several off-road & Extreme Motorsports cars and tracks

The release order and their exact naming may still change but they will all be released in the 2020-2021 timeframe. We can´t yet detail what each of them include of course as some of the licensing arrangements are still ongoing, but these are rich, comprehensive packs that we feel add up enough value to warrant their asking pricing. Unfortunately this will only become obvious with the benefit of hindsight, but we don´t foresee many sim racers regretting their early purchases!

It should be clear however that no user needs the Season Pass now, nor do we antecipate many would want to pick it up at this point while there are no DLCs available, unless you´re in that group who prefer to buy complete packages at once. And if you are not a fan of either Hockenheim, Silverstone or Spa you may safely ignore the Season Pass until at least September as that´s the shortest timeframe for another DLC release, or Decemeber when the first Expansion Pack is due out.

You may also disregard the Season Pass altogether if the DLCs don´t interest you, if you´d rather pick some of them individually or if you are satisfied with what the base game offers - which is plenty on its own right as the game will be constantly expanded with free, premium additional content. There is no shortage of content for users on any level, and no shortage of options to pick them up only if and when they prove to be worthwhile to you.


That covers all we had to share with you this month - we´ll catch up again next month for the first post v1.0 Dev Update, with more exciting news about what´s coming up for Automobilista 2!