Firsttimer logging in...

Greetings, new driver in R3E over here.

Since release of the tech demo I was exclusively driving Assetto Corsa. I am totally convinced by its superior physics and feeling to drive a car with real mass that is subject to the laws of said physics, AC delivers the most convincing illusion for this, I would say. Also, the car's looks are great, and the level of physical detail and realism of laserscanned tracks just cannot be beaten. The moddability is great, there are so many tracks available, and the sounds are maybe not the best, but they do fine, taken for themselves. Finally, Kunos is extremely customer-oriented, and their offer and price policy is EXTREMELY cheap, even more so when considering the immense quality they deliver. And of course: laserscanned tracks like Spa and Nordschleife are arguments that have overkill potential.

HOWEVER :

Being almost exclusively interested in SP, I recently more and more became impatient regarding the poor state their AI is in - and is in since quite a long time already. Several overhauls and improvements there were released, but the key problem of the AI is still existent, almost unchanged: it does not like to overtake, and is way too pacifist, it does not battle and duel, also seems to be unable to overtake on the outside of the AI racing line. I'm waiting since a felt 8-9 months now that they finally get this big thing fixed. But so far they don't.

And so i started to check once again for alternatives.

GSC it was not, it simply shows its age, the engine is really old now, and the driving never really convinced me. Its a good package, all in all, but it simply is years behind now, I would say. Nascar 2003 is nice with latest season mods, but also: it shows its age. Race07 and Evolution never really got my into them, I have to admit, my last real immersive racing title I used a lot was GTR2 - another oldie you just cannot go back to when you got a taste of AC's superior physics. Lets give it to AC: it really does some things very, very well, namely physics.

rF2 I repeatedly tested in demos since it was released, but it also feels and looks - old-fashoned, linear, like a slightly improved GTR at best. I just did not like it, the latest demo I tried was from just some weeks (edit: not years, as previously mistyped...) ago. Project cars still is an unknown variable to me, I only saw some videos. Looks are good, the rest - remains to be seen.

I have to admit the last title that I expected to get me hooked as an alternative to AC, was - R3E. I downloaded it to test it by its free content, and honestly said, I did not expect much, even less so since I did some reading about it while the stuff downloaded (took 13 hours here...).

After 30 minutes of testing the free cars on the free tracks and went through two races - I was electrified.

One day later I bought Mid-Ohio at discount, the DTM 1992 pack and the European track pack. Next day I added the hillclimb classic car pack, and Suzuka. And another day later I bought the remaining tracks, the WTCC, the ADAC 2013 pack, and three other cars individually I was interested in. All in all 90 Euros were spent, but I now have all tracks and a nice representation of the various car classes present in the game - I consider it to be fair value for good money.

Thats what I would call "convincing somebody with flying colours!" Its not the cheapest racing title I ever got, but still: I found it acceptable, obviously.

It is as if R3E is there to fill right those gaps that AC still leaves wide open. Namely the AI and the way the action and the fast-paced events on tracks unfold. The AI is not perfect, I think it still needs good amount of finetuning, but already now it is so much better than in AC currently, I can forgive that the first one or two turns on lap one quite often are a mess, because after the first lap it unfolds quite nicely - and sometimes dramatically. Just to see the AI giving itself some fire and several AI cars duelling themselves, is so much an improvement over what i had to live with in AC so far. The collision model is better, allowing to lean on other cars, or AI cars not being glued to the tarmac like in AC, but being able to spin and turn like player'S car, too. Collisions and spins happen in a believable way. Not too easily, not to rarely - just right.

The sounds - are awesome in so many cars, this is no doubt amongst the very best sounding race sims I have ever played, and being an older guy, having already played Geoff Crammond's first Grand Prix in 1991, I really have seen quite some racing sim titles, probably at least tested all the major releases since then.

I like the looks in R3E. The tracks my not be laserscanned, and I notice the physics differences in shared tracks like Monza and Nürburgring, yes: without remorse one must admit that regarding the realsim, as far as driving the tracks is concerned, AC simply is the far better competitor. Still: driving the R3E tracks nevertheless is extremely pleasant an experience, and absolutely worth it! The visual style in which the tracks are "painted" in R3E, the friendly and lighter colour scheme, the environment in which the tracks are embedded and that is more detailed and feels more "alive", has its own charm, and I have fallen in love with it, really. I would hate to miss Kunos' nordschleife and Spa, and the lasertracking they do in general , but that R3E does not do laserscanned tracks - IS NO DISADVANTAGE, and the visual style of its graphics does a good amount of compensation. I only save the Nordschleife from these comments: Kunos version of it currently just is not to be beaten, since physical realsi8m is all so important there, more than on any other track one could mention.

And the driving - in R3E, you soon realise that the physics are not as complex and dynamic as in AC. However - driving in R3E nevertheless is - MUCH FUN! Its physics may be simplified in comparison, but they feel consistent, believable, and simulation is about creating believable, consistent illusions anyway. In R3E iIt is not like what AC does regarding the driving of a car, but it is far better than what I saw and experienced in GTR, rF, GSC and the like - it is a very pleasant and convincing experience. And absolutely enjoyable, and predictable.

The FFB - I honestly do not know how to judge whether it is more or less realistic, i cannot judge that. What I can say is that in AC the effects are more subtle, softened, while R3E delivers a more robust feedback - which I like. And so I do not say that I think the FFB in R3E is realstic, I say instead: I like the FFB. In fact I like it very much. Wouldn'T mind to have the FFB in AC replaced with R3E system.

I take from my internet reading, that the makers of R3E years ago made many business and design mistakes, and it seems it costed this sim dearly. Not many know it, even less consider it, many have simply left it behind and will not come back, it seems, for Sector 3 it seems to be an uphill battle now to catch up with customer's trust that was lost very early by releasing it way too early. I consider myself to be lucky, seen that way: I missed the drama years since 2012, and when I first met R3E, it already was in a very pleasant state - I had no chance to get disappointed and so to forget it despite the improvements that took place 2 years later. This sim now is the only racing sim that resides beside AC on my HD, and that already tells something about its potential and quality; also, other competitors like iR and rF2 are already disqualified from receiving this honour, while R3E has outstayed them - this also tells something about its potential and quality! I hope the developer runs healthy policies now and is in an economical state where he indeed can survive the years to come and keep this thing alive. It'S a very good product he now can offer, though unfinished and still needing completion and polish, but already in the state it is in: it is a very, very good product. So: keep this baby racing, Sector-3!

P.S. It is ironic that a sim that as I understand it was planned and designed as a dedicated multiplayer/online experience, helps me out to compensate for my unfulfilled single player racing needs in AC... If that is not a bit queer!

 

Awesome to hear the enthusiasm Just one detail I'd like to correct:
The physics engine under R3E is proven to be just as good as any of the other simulations out there when fed proper, accurate data.

 

Also don´t know what´s wrong R3E physics. Maybe the simulation of earth´s curvature is not correct or atomic decay had been led out. Who knows?? ....

 

Amen brother

 

The real problem is that S3S has never updated the geomagneticnorthpole.rcs file and they're still using the geographic one.
Guys come on fix those 10degrees in your physic engine!!

 

Sorry, I must disagree on that physics thing, although it is hair-splitting on very high niveau. I have over 500 hours in AC, and the differences in the "feeling to drive", are subtle, but complex. I do not know about the number output of R3E, but in the resulting feel and the needed way in which I need to handle the cars, it is - less subtle, and slightly less dynamic. Still: very consistent as a model taken for itself, predictable, and pleasant. Sorry, i do not know how top put it in another way. However: that is no real criticism, and certainly no "contra". The way in which the driving in R3E feels, is very, very well done, amongst the very best I have ever witnessed in any sim of the past 25 years. Better than RF2, better than iR. Considering those calibres, that really is a major compliment. Its just that physics-wise, AC currently plays in a league for itself.

Checking out the update now. Feels like Christmas at Eastern! Since it was the failing AI in AC that led me to this sim and that made feel enthusiastic, I cannot wait to see the new AI!

 

The past two races I just did, reveal the truth in what you said! Cannot wait for an even better AI! Just do not overdo the cake.

P.S. Ironically, the kind of customizable season there now is, I had suggested as a replacement of AC's boring special events "career mode", just ten days ago or so. Did you read my mind? Have you done some voodoo stuff to lead me here?

 

Better AI?Should be awesome.
Its already the most fun I've had racing SP in years!

 

Happy to hear you've found the sim, and even happier to inform you that both SPA and Nordschleife are being worked on and will be added to the sim sometime in the future. Nords is also being made from laserscan data, don't think SPA is but the amount of detail going into it is no less impressive though;

 

H-h-h-holy cow! Laserscanned Nordschleife...? And Spa?

That are major game changers in my book.

Sector 3 could turn me into a complete apostate, if AC does not get some acts together this year.

 

That's exactly my story!


Coming from AC and others...

 

Agree with the OP. I have just really got stuck into R3E and it's a lot of fun. I now own all cars/tracks! Looks to be heading in a great direction. I love the race feeling, and the licensed experiences/series - not many games offer those, and this game nails the adrenaline. Totally agree with what Jay said about AC in his Simpit interview, it lacks on the racing side but is great with the driving/road car.

Yes, AI needs work - but as above they are working on that.

Main complaints:
- I wish H-Shifter cars would default to use it like AC does, too much hassle to swap over all the time.
- Clutch support - doesn't seem to function properly even with H-shifter chosen, can switch gears without using clutch.

Tracks are looking great, new ones especially. A few of the early ones could probably do with a bit of a makeover but that's a small complaint.

When V8 Supercars come in - game set match!

 

When V8's come in you might as well stick a drip in my arm and a bucket under the chair

 

irl clutch is not needed to shift up but it is hard on the transmission in full manual cars (if you have driven with damage on you will find the gears will begin to slip but i don't recommend driving with damage as the model is very incomplete).

 

You don't need to swap anymore. Once mapped you can use either(paddle or h-shifter) while in race without changing anything. ( t300 with th8a )

And I agree V8 at the level of details and care Sector 3 has, it's going to be epic.

 

'Larko' describes the v8sc
timestamp=5.00

 

Thanks. Problem was I though H-Shifter had to be 'on' in settings, but it doesn't