Do all the AI drivers use the factory default setup? If not, how can we see what setup an AI uses? If so, is it possible to assign a different setup to an AI?
Also do the AI use a wet setup in the rain? I was testing in the rain and the AI looked as if they were driving on ice so i thought they still had slick dry tyres on.
Good question, I've been wondering this too. For example, with F1 @ Spa I use longer gears for a higher top speed. I've had to max out the AI at 120% just to get it to be competitive with me (and even then I still have problems because of the poor racing line around a couple of turns).
Does the AI have to build up traction by heating their tyres and brakes up? It seems to me they have more breaking power, at least in the Megane.
Odd really as I find the opposite with the 68 cars. They're noticably slower on the brakes but sometimes seem to have obscene cornering grip.
I noticed the same thing with the FR3.5 at Malaysia. I watched an AI around the track. On some corners it shows grip that I had trouble believing. I tried to duplicate some of the curves it pulled off, with the exact same setup, and I couldn't do it. Now I'm very far from being a good driver, but I should be able to copy one corner with the same setup on the same curve at the same speed. Yet my car slides off (okay, maybe I suck more than I thought...). I have a theory that the AI is making zillions of rapid micro adjustments on the steering. I think it's getting its information direct from the vehicle's data stream, and therefore is much more aware of the car's state than we can be via the FFB. So it's making better decisions, quicker.
Preeeeetty much. It's most noticable at Monaco in the harbor chicane for me - I can make it through with a brief lift but they don't even seem to need to do that, even the ones without wings. If I am less than half a second ahead of a car in to that turn, even if I've outpaced them for most of the lap, there's no way I'm getting out the other side without them ramming into the back of me. If I even try to take it close to flat I will inevitably lose the car. The next corner isn't a fun one either as they seem to be able to carry about 5 - 10mph more in to that over the crest. The rest of the track, especially the slow corners, I can outbrake them and out-accelerate them but that's a real trouble spot. It's almost like the relief and pitch of the track doesn't affect them as much.
AI still need fine tuning in all these areas. Last update fixed some issues, but you'll still be seeing some for a while, and they will get 'broken' as the AI gets improved (and therefore need to be slowed or sped up appropriately). AI don't get the level of physics you do, so there is a certainly amount of smoothing to be done.
That explains it. Thanks for letting us know. Can I say in passing how much I appreciate such information? You guys could seriously teach some other game companies how to communicate with their customers.
