Which driving/racing sim?

[Harris_I]

Yes I've searched online but can't find a clear comparison - most of the PH threads on racing games seems to be self-contained topics about one particular sim. I'm not keen on reading online reviews by non-petrolhead gamers or non-motoring magazine reviews, hence why PH is probably the best place to ask.

My last contact with computer games is the BBC B from the 1980s so go easy on me...

I'm planning on surprising my 10 year old with an XBox (yes, OK, I might have a little play as well). Before you ask why XBox, his friends all have one so that pretty much makes the decision for me.

As I will probably be hanging up my club racing boots this year, I thought I'd indulge in a little armchair fantasy instead. I'm looking for a sim that is realistic enough for me but not so techy and difficult that it will put a 10 year old off. I've had a look at reviews of the usual suspects: Project Cars, Forza Motorsport and Horizon (wondering why anyone would bother with Horizon?), Assetto Corsa, etc. But really struggling to differentiate them. Need to hear from a hardcore gamer/PHer who's tried them all.

Would like to have:
- as realistic a physics model as possible with perhaps an easier mode for arcade quality (is that having my cake and eating it?)
- a variety of tracks and cars to sample: particularly would like UK circuits (Brands, S'stone, Goodwood) plus the 'Ring. I grew up with Group B so that sort of era (as well as older Porsches, McLaren F1 and the like) tends to interest me more than the modern supercar stuff. I note that many games tend to have a standard list and then additional modules which is kind of annoying as no game seems to offer Porsches as standard. Ideally I'd like to be able to use the sim to help me learn a track with the physics as close as possible to my 996 GT3 track car (weight transfer, trail braking etc) - am I asking too much from a video game? Does the current generation of games differentiate well between different models of cars or are they all basically the same with a different shape and sound?

I will probably get the Logitech wheel. I'm not overly fussed about online community. I have no real idea what this means plus I don't want to dedicate my life to playing in leagues or distracting the boy too much from his homework, but it would be nice for him to connect with his friends every now and then.

As I said I'm a tech dinosaur, so discussions about frame rates and 1080 vs 4k (whatever that means) will go straight over my head.

Over to you...

[GrumpyTwig]

As an avid fan of Assetto Corsa I would say out all of them for you and your lad Project Cars would be the better middle ground, while also being better graphically.

For an out and out 'Sim' Assetto Corsa is the better imo but as an actual game Project Cars is much better while still being pretty full on if you turn everything off, iirc with all the assists on it basically drives itself so it scales to ability.
If you can get two I'd get both, the ring in Assetto Corsa is superior to my eyes.

The other games are pretty much just arcade racers.

Yes the cars feels vastly different these days

[Dave.]

Racing against AI is st on any console, I dunno why, I'm sure TOCA and Grand Prix Legends were never that bad!

If you don't want to race online, all you'll be left with is hotlapping (which I enjoy doing, but I have very limited game time, any long periods are spend plying other games with variety).

I recon PC sims are way better than console, but I've not tried the latest gen stuff other than GT6 on the PS3, and currently Forza 6. Neither keep me amused for long, as above, st AI and pretty much a rammer in every race online with ransomers, although phers are more likely to me more gentlemanly to be fair.

Forza 6 is a bind offline, AI that either crawl round corners, take bad lines, or set them high enough to corner properly and there's not much chance of catching them, but you have to finished 3rd or better iirc to progress to the next.

I used to play sports car gt many moons ago, I just wish there was something similar today with the same community created cars and track, there's too much emphasis on splurging a new game out, then selling add on cars and tracks.

Anyway...

[craste]

Read my last post on the Assetto Corsa thread.

The game is amazing but save your penny's and get a wheel, something like a t300rs.

[Harris_I]

Thanks chaps. I see that Project Cars is half the price of Assetto Corsa. I assume that's because they have a shorter list of cars and therefore their licensing costs are lower than big budget rivals?

[Harris_I]

craste said:

Read my last post on the Assetto Corsa thread.

The game is amazing but save your penny's and get a wheel, something like a t300rs.

Ah just saw your post. Good that AC has a Porsche GT3! T300RS seems over budget for me. I was planning on starting at the budget end with a Logitech and take it from there.

[born2bslow]

Harris_I said:

Thanks chaps. I see that Project Cars is half the price of Assetto Corsa. I assume that's because they have a shorter list of cars and therefore their licensing costs are lower than big budget rivals?

Not a shorter list but no Ferrari, Lamborghini licences in PC. More tracks as well in Pcars, the main difference is AC came out later than Project Cars so is maintaining higher price still. If you can spring for both get them, they're both a great experience, although as said above PC is more flexible, AC is more technical. Career mode in PCars is better imo, as is the AI although still prone to crazy lunges and corner cutting.

[born2bslow]

Harris_I said:

Ah just saw your post. Good that AC has a Porsche GT3! T300RS seems over budget for me. I was planning on starting at the budget end with a Logitech and take it from there.

If the G920 is the same as G29 (g27) it's a cracking wheel. Not the most up to date tech but a good deal if you can drop on one on sale. I got a g29 in recent sales for £129.99, bloody bargain. I know what I'm getting I've used a g27 for years.

[Harris_I]

Yes, that's the one I believe. Thanks for the recommedation.