AI update

Just a word about the AI. Can we expect an update to the AI any time so, in regards to their behaviour. I'm kind of fed up with them just barging in to me as if they don't know I'm there, and the fact that I bounce of them as if there had been an explosion doesn't help. I know the PC version of the AI is the latest version, but can you confirm that the console version of the AI will be updated in this regard.

 

It will, eventually. Probably in upcoming patch.

AI on PC isn't perfect though, while constantly improving. On PC it doesn't hit you, unless you drive like a complete jackass. And AI on PC now actually spins too, if you hit them. Reason they didn't spin before was that they instantly calculate perfect opposite lock + have some stability control. In current PC version they react more human-like to contacts. They also vary their lines more on straights, less snaking.. and AI overtakes more than before.

AI on consoles is based on 1.4 or 1.5 (not sure which) and it's come far. It's still pretty fast though, and choosing bad line or too high AI level (you can't keep up with them, and are too slow in corners) can result in getting hit. But that would happen in real F1 or GT3 too, the thing is pro drivers IRL have similar pace (and rarely do severe mistakes, unlike gamers) so hits don't occur often. Most likely place to get rammed by another car on PC is now Multiplayer.

 

They still do that; even if you perfectly correct for a slide, there's not much you can do if a car hits you in line with your rear axle... The reason they can spin now is pretty much only because of SC being removed following a collision.

 

Thank you, that all sounds good to me. Can't wait.

 

AI is just retarded, they don't behave bit naturally or"smart", I've wrote about this problem earlier and in the upcoming patch they will balance AI and I hope that they'll fix the dive bombing, aggressive driving, ramming, Hiting....I mean, driving in Mugello with 599XX and the first corner it's undriveable almost so in Monza as well, it's obviously coded that the AI drive XY line and if you cross the XY line you'll be hitted and land in the Barrier.

Looking forward to the upcoming patch though.


Pedal to the metal

 

AI has gotten better, but there is still some posts on PC forums, where people complain AI "hits them". Players using too high difficulty setting and/or bad lines. Improved AI doesn't of course mean that player can choose whatever line/speed he wants in corners, and dive in front of AI with considerably less speed, if you do so they will still hit. You will have to drive like they are human opponents, using sensible/somewhat predictable lines and give them space. They need some "reaction time" and braking space to avoid collision.

 

If they drove like human opponents they'd understand the cost of crashing and slow down when you dive in front.

 

Them banging into you is completely avoidable. Keep an eye on when they're doing it because they almost never do it for no reason, it's usually from you going into them when going for an apex, exiting a corner, or navigating through traffic. You have to be sure that they're not along side of you before you do that sort of thing. They're not going to get out of your way just because you don't see them there. It's the same way in real life in most cases. Most real life drivers will move to avoid you hitting them but it's still you hitting them not the other way around.

I noticed this behavior a long time ago in AC, and I never get into accidents with the AI because I know what not to do. You need to learn that yourself.

As far as bouncing off them, yea, it's a problem but that's not really fixable because of the way the AI is programmed. The AI reacts instantly to you hitting them so that's why it seems like you're hitting a brick wall rather than a car. They make corrections so much more quickly than a human can. I'm not sure they can do anything to fix that but you shouldn't be hitting them in the first place frankly.

 

Yeah this is what I meant. I haven't had the problem of AI hitting me in long time, their behavior has improved but people shouldn't expect them to be just moving barriers that will happily step aside to make room for the "star of the game" (player), if you directly block their racing line or take weird routes through corner. They don't stop existing after you pass them and don't see them anymore. Pay attention to the red triangles.

 

Exactly. People need to learn to stay in their lane or if they are gonna try to get in front of another car that they're sure that it is actually behind them. Otherwise they'll be causing the crash, not the AI.

The funny thing though is when racing directly side by side with the AI, they sometimes will get out of your way. That's one thing I'd like them to do less of because it's a little unrealistic. A real driver, or even the AI in other sims would stay there and race you door to door while sometimes in AC when door to door I see the AI going onto the grass to completely avoid me LOL


One thing I will say about the AI is they are not afraid to pass you, AT ALL, and they are not slow either. On alien they are blisteringly fast most of the time.

 

I'm all for giving room and respecting the racing line, but quite often I'll be side-by-side with an AI car and if I get ahead they'll simply drive across and fishtail me. Literally no reason to do it but still they do. It's the single most annoying behaviour the AI currently has. Hope it's better in the latest patch.

 

That's never happened to me. You must be driving into their lane. They don't just turn into you like that.

 

Nah, I've had it happen a fair few times, especially at the start of the race. I stick to my 'lane' with the AI next to me, I overtake in a straight line, the red indicator goes behind me... Then BAM! Snagged.

It's happened too many times to be an accident. Perhaps we get to that particular point before a corner where they're programmed to turn in no matter who's around them, but not always. I actually worry when passing them sometimes, and I'm not talking about crazy divebombs on my part, in fact I've been giving those guys way more room and respect than the pCARS AI but it can still be carnage.

But thankfully the open wheeler AI it's quite a bad as pCARS' IMO but they're still not exactly aware of their surroundings.

 

Open wheel AI is tricky.

 

and they're damn quick, even on easy!
But generally I think the AI in F1 2016 looks pretty decent in terms of collision avoidance, not played it myself though.

 

Yea I was gonna say that. Especially the modern F1's, they are insanely quick. Takes quite a bit of practice just to beat the medium AI. Easy is tough as hell without practice too.

I agree about F1 too, although those aren't perfect either but generally some of the best AI in the business that I've raced against a lot. Only wish they had more difficulty levels as in 2015, I fell between the Hard AI and the next one up. 1 was a little too easy, the other was too hard. Also love the AI in Driveclub. Not exactly realistic since people can abuse the fact that you can bump into them without damage but generally they're an absolute blast to race against for AI if you try to keep it clean. One of the few games where I think the AI is more fun to race against than real people online

 

Yeah, I think the rubberbanding AI actually helps Driveclub a lot. It means you're always in the thick of the action; an intentional design choice I'm sure. Man, haven't played that game since pCARS came out... long time. Was great fun though, although I only really found a small handful of cars I actually enjoyed driving, something that's not the case with AC as so many of them are really very nice, even with the stock setup.

 

Actually it doesn't have rubberbanding. They even came out and said that nothing like that is programmed into the AI because a review complained about rubber band AI when it actually doesn't exist in Driveclub. They're just very quick coming out of corners, they don't brake early, they know how to drive really well. It's impressive.

I haven't played much Driveclub either but the racing was always fun. Problem is that it's not a sim and cars tend to feel to similar to eachother. Maybe it's different with hardcore handling mode but it's impossible to be competitive with that so I don't use it.

 

"Into their lane"?? Dude, when you hit the apex first for example Then there no"theirs lane", then the line is mine rigt?! Such situations happen to me in every race (almost). I've the feeling that the AI is programmer do drive XY line and when you charge for the corner and you get pass him he'll continue to drive his line even tho you're in front.


Pedal to the metal

 

It's a bit hard to compare, we are using different versions of AI. The AI in Assetto Corsa was atrocious for a long time, they would drive like the player isn't there. Can't remember anymore when the critical update happened, with fix. Long time ago anyway.

But still, even if you hit the apex first, if you barely made it there first, and went in front of a much faster car while doing that it's still your fault. It took some time for me to learn that I have to gain some speed to be sure I'm not just ½ past opponent (in which case you gotta hold your line). Clean passes are always harder