Free track traffic

AC is a sim I pretty much drive for essentially just the pure joy and experience to drive. I do not need achievements and competition nece3ssaily, just logging lap after lap and trying to get it right is where the fun for me already starts.

Obviously, I would welcome it if in practice mode there would be randomly generated traffic by other cars, say 2-7 cars on track at any time, of just any car class and livery. Private visitors like me visiting the track, doing so like me: logging some laps, and then leaving again, and somebody else arrives (or not). Just some life all around the track, not one flock of cars that stays together and pits together.

Even more polished it would be if one could, on a separate option screen, in a simple cross-referencing table, tick which car classes should be allowed on which track, and how many cars should be allowed minimum and maximum on each track.

But at the core of things, I am about making practice sessions a bit more filled with everyday life.

Obviously one would not want to have traffic in hotlap mode.

 

I've been thinking about this too. I feel that it's so empty when I drive around alone. I want to see some other cars!

 

AI Track Day! GREAT idea!
Much of my problem with the AI stems from the utter chaos in the first lap, and the fact there's a certain point or distance to drive to. Having a number of cars going in and out of pits in intervals would make the track have a decent spread of cars...

Especially when the Ring arrives it would be very sweet to be able to have a quick go-to session of different car types on track already.

There's not always an option to go online for several reasons, so having this as AI would be a unique solition of any sim, ever made as far as I know!

 

This is a very good idea, few cars on the track is better than a deserted runway, obviously making this a additional option.

 

Wouldn't this be possible by just adding difficulty of AI separately on practise mode? Shouldn't be too hard to make into the game... I like the idea

 

Yes.
~Bailey

 

I support this! We need a track day mode.

 

Brilliant. I did not thought of this additional benefit.

The more I think about it, the more I like your reasoning there.

 

As a matter of fact, several racing sims have this idea included, it hardly is originally by me.

 

Gents, I've been doing "track days" a whole lot in AC which works well for the race cars (quicker cars in general). What I do is choose 5-6 evenly matched cars and then add 3-4 slower cars that aren't matched to one another - 10 lap race. First lap is hell, so I immediately go to pits and wait to hear the pack coming around. I exit the pits and join the pack from the rear (but ahead of the slow cars). The next few laps are amazing because the group hasn't formed that single file line yet. JUST when they are about to become full slot-car robocars we staret to lap the slower cars - one by one the quicker cars find ways around and the slight chaos has lead to some really enjoyable racing. Just respect the AI as if they were track day privateers in thier own cars, exhibit caution as in real life.

The AI is far from ideal, but most complainers have NEVER raced a car or know what it's like to risk an expensive private vehicle on the track. I see a lot of gents hotlapping through AI traffic and then complaining when the AI rams them. Are you clipping apexes off pace with traffic behind you? IRL 80% driving feels DANGEROUS by yourself, let alone next to someones absolute pride and joy. Mix in that it might be their first track session alone. I mix these thoughts into the sim to help my own experiences flourish. Hopefully this type of perspective helps some unhappy fringe players find that they also have to actively/defensively avoid AI as in IRL on a track.

All that said, MP will have me on house arrest for weeks! I can't wait to look back at this post and giggle!!

 

Oh?
Do enlighten me, as I've yet to find that in any sim I've tried? Or I simply missed the option...

 

Like it. There was a mode in PGR, where you have to pass several slower cars. A "kind" of a slalom could be possible too.

As another special event that could have potential rather then just a fixed single race.

 

GTR-2 for sure, although there were only 2-5 other cars in free practice.

Free traffic in GSC 2013 as well.

In both these sims it can be switched on and off. The option is called "private practice allowed", or something like that

Then GTR Evolution, and Race 07.

I think I saw it on a friend's installation with GT Legends as well, but I am not sure on that anymore, its long time ago.

And in netKar.... - wait, no. Obviously not in netKartPro.

 

Yeah I think this is a must in free practice. Like others said this is already in some other sims. But maybe instead like it is in GSC/rfactor/Simbin titles, where you have cars from the same class you're driving, in AC you could freely choose what cars drives with you.

 

I would like to say that in some of those games you can chose any car, just like AC.
~Bailey

 

Hmmm, I don't think so. At least not in free practice and not through the UI. It just puts cars from the same class/series your car is from. I could be wrong tho and can't fire up my simrig atm to check it out.

 

A new track day mode would be great. Would definitely give more life to the solitude of making a setup or just wanting throw down some laps. Definitely need different class cars to get the whole track day feel that many of these cars are about, no lap count no places just a bunch of drivers enjoying their cars. Might even be a fun mp mode drive what you like, just hang out and drive with some friends or make some too.

 

Like rFactor's AI in practice mode.

 

When you chose your mod select 'All Vehicles' or something to that effect. Then you will be able to mark the boxes of which cars and classes you want on the field.
~Bailey

 

I've just reinstalled Win to my simrig and have only GSC2013 and AC installed atm so can't check, but I'm sure you're right.