Hallo Assetto Corsa Fans,

im Internet habe ich ein aktuelles, sehr ausführliches und interessantes Interview gefunden, welches DrivingItalia.net mit Marco Massarutto von Kunos geführt hat. Das gesamte Interview wurde in italienischer Sprache veröffentlicht, daher habe ich es Dank Google ins Englische übersetzt. Die Übersetzung scheint soweit ganz sinnig zu sein.

Es wurde über den aktuellen Stand der Entwicklung gesprochen, aber auch was zuküngtig noch kommen soll oder auch nicht . Jetzt gehts aber los ...

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Pending the release of the final version 1.0 of Assetto Corsa, which is getting closer, we passed the Vallelunga racetrack for a new visit to the headquarters of the Kunos Simulations. The occasion was propitious for a long chat with Mark Massarutto, executive manager and now famous "hunting license" of the Italian software house, who answered all of our questions, revealing also tasty previews! Run to read the full interview and refer to this forum topic for questions and comments.

Q: So Mark, finally, after much work, the expectation of your Assetto Corsa 1.0! The available release corresponds to your initial expectations?

A: If the initial mean the ones we had when we announced the title at the end of 2011, went much further, from all points of view. With Assetto Corsa our goal was to continue the positive trend that started with the re-launch of netKar PRO in 2008, the 500 Abarth Trophy Online in 2009 and Ferrari Virtual Academy in 2010.
These products are considered as very positive overall, but that also corresponded to the number of content and gameplay, the size of the KUNOS Simulations: very good physics engine, a good graphics engine, but few cars and circuits, online game features and hotlapping, and little else. When we conceived Assetto Corsa wanted to continue the positive trend of expanding modes of play and the number of content in order to achieve more production "round" and give a gaming experience more complete. But what happened next, if I look at what is today Assetto Corsa, is unbelievable. So the answer is no, we went much further.

Q: AC did not disappoint fans of the purest simulation, while "opening up" so to speak even the least demanding racing gamers. Just you have hinted at a possible chance to see in the future sim also on Playstation 4: the purists have to worry about?

A: The purists should be happy, if such an opportunity were to be realized. Let's start with a premise: Assetto Corsa PC is already a reality. So, whatever we do in the future, it will undermine the simulation that has already been produced and the 1.0 release which is in the finishing straight. That said, imagine what it would mean to use a simulation as Assetto Corsa without having to worry about driver incompatibility and all the problems that physiologically the PC world brings with it, because of the infinite number of combinations available hardware and problems that this creates. Think about the ability to turn on the console, steering wheel, Assetto Corsa launch on PS4, see it take full advantage of the features of the hardware, and street driving. From the point of view of realism, a Assetto Corsa console could not be other than the PC counterpart: coming later, would be preceded by the reputation that is being built for simulation of reference: it would make sense to buy a console user and then being in front of a simul-arcade. Also, I think that by now there should be no doubt about who are our guidelines: our company is called Kunos "SIMULATION", we have behind only titles and the last simulation is emerging as the simulation racing reference. What else should therefore be Assetto Corsa on consoles, if not "the" simulation?

Q: AC, in addition to inflame the minds of the simracers on the forums and specialized sites, has attracted attention, and with rave reviews, even the press dedicated to video games, but then the driving simulator "for all" is not a utopia? What is the secret of your software?

A: Since netKar PRO, our philosophy has been to think about before the physics engine to build around everything else. In doing our work, we never thought that the dynamic model is one of the "things to do" to make a racing game. It is rather the heart, which runs everything else. When we called you and the other 130 journalists at the presentation at Vallelunga, allowing you to drive on the track car for more than 400CV, is not only to make you touch the analogies and similarities between reality and our simulation. All have driven sports cars on the track for a total of nearly five hours, without a single incident occurs, or off the track. And many of those present not only had never driven such a car, but had never seen a racetrack. Yet, many of them have turned up some interesting times. What do I mean? That driving on the track within the reach of many people: some of them have the potential to push the car to the limit, but most of them are still able to drive on the track with no problems. To be realistic, the simulation should not be "frustrating" must return a feeling "natural".
For Assetto Corsa we have worked for years to create and refine a tire model and a mathematical model that could reproduce the true dynamics of the car and the tires, and we did today, when we reproduce a new model, we need to "make it behave" in a realistic way. We "limit" to enter the real data on suspension geometry, weight distribution, etc. Once you complete the deployment and operated a general fine-tuning, the model becomes another "real" car, and behaves exactly as you expect it to do. Do you know one of the greatest satisfactions that gave us AC? Read comments of players that I did try to tell their girlfriends, wives or mothers and find that not only had fun, but were able to drive effectively. And they often do not mollavano over your steering wheel! This means that with Assetto Corsa we have also reduced the phase of adaptation that is required when testing for the first time a simulator. Why do cars in Assetto Corsa effectively acting like you'd expect.

Q: Even the general, and high-level liked AC, highlighting the fact that a small Italian company has been able to rise worldwide, including over foreign software companies much larger. But it is strange that so much a reality of ours knows how to work so well? What are the strengths of the Kunos Simulations? And those weaknesses?

A: Surely the Italian gaming industry does not stand out particularly, at least in terms of numbers of the Milestone software house, for instance, there is only Milestone. So as a production Assetto Corsa has been certainly an interesting novelty that is giving the profile of the Italian. But the Italian territory, actually it's hard to get noticed abroad. But Italians know how to work well there is no doubt: just think of Marco Corbetta, who signed productions such as Far Cry and Crysis, or the same Milestone. And now there's Alberto Belli and his Storm in a Teacup that next year will come with Black, exclusively on Xbox and PC One, a title of which speaks very well.
Our strengths: in Kunos Simulations are few, so we know each other very well. We have different personalities and tastes, but we are a close group and we are all working towards the same goal: each of us carries the best and does not just do what is asked. And there are no "rock star" elements that work only for themselves: even Stephen, who conceived and wrote more than 90% of the total number of AC, has never done anything that constitutes nuisance or interference to the work of other. For all of us, Assetto Corsa is like a son, and as such we are dedicated to it with all our energy. He gave us so much, but we also asked a lot. The weaknesses? We are just a few ..: DE we are in Italy, which makes it extremely difficult, frustrating and often does not allow us to be able to compete with foreign competitors: in fiscal terms, of bureaucracy, infrastructure. Think about the fact that in Italy the crowd-funding is not allowed (and only now is slowly changing anything, but for example, Italy can not open a project on Kickstarter).

Q: We have already talked about the fact that having the seat Autodromo Vallelunga was an added bonus for you, but the drivers, teams, technical motoring real came into contact with this "reality simracing" for many new and unknown, as placed against your and Assetto Corsa?

A: In the world of automotive and motorsport high level there is a high suspicion, but understandable when you show up to a team manager, you know what you want, but you could be anyone for him, sent by someone. The advantage of the study for research and development on the first floor of a racetrack, allows you to display within a couple of minutes to your partner who you are and what you're actually doing. It 's something that, by contacting the automobile racing team or in any other way, it would be impossible to do, or would take much longer. Until a couple of years ago my work in this area was certainly more difficult today very often, when we come out of the pits to introduce a new team, they already know who we are and above all many of them have already Assetto Corsa is successful eg Audi Sport Italy, while the Nova Racing team that competes with the Nissan GT-R GT3 us know in advance that he would come at Vallelunga for the tests, so we can meet. I could not ask for more (except to try the GT3 race track ...)

Q: How does the experience of recent years (with netKar Pro, the 500 Abarth Ferrari Virtual Academy etc ...) has influenced the development of Assetto Corsa?

A: From a logistical point of view, providing some of the resources needed to produce Assetto Corsa. Since the development by providing know-how learned from starting netKar PRO and the subsequent experiences in motorsport. With netKar PRO and FVA came a series of technical requirements from companies wishing to take advantage of those software for professional, industrial or promotional purposes. We have collected those needs, creating a new engine that would be able to meet them right away, rather than adjust it later. Obviously with FVA, we have deepened our knowledge and experience and we approached for the first time for us new technologies such as Laserscan, which has since been adopted by the tracks made for AC. Thus, although Assetto Corsa does not share any code with netKar and FVA, without these products, you probably would not exist at all.

Q: What, the current release of AC, we fully meet and what will work instead of the software sector in particular now to improve it further?

A: I would say that for the dynamic model are very satisfied with the general level, and then future development will focus on four-wheel drive and some suspension geometry is not yet implemented, relating to additional cars we're working on. On the chart we are satisfied and we expect to achieve a fine-tuning in terms of the balance of the effects and performance. FMOD for the audio gave some unexpected problem as the library is less mature than we expected, but once established implementation, there will be a fine-tuning of the effects and the addition of others that are now extinct as a matter of compatibility and stability. The netcode compared to the first release has been completely rewritten and is now very stable. The objective in the medium and long term is to work on additional features to make it more accessible to a less specialized, and to give the fans a few more tools for reporting race and other features. Also on AI continue to work to improve their effectiveness in critical situations. One of the secrets to success of AC is that it never fully satisfy us, and we work every day to continue to improve. Think of the technology preview, which represented the beginning of 2013 the best expression of what we were doing at the time, and look Assetto Corsa Today, in overall terms. Research and development, willing and able, you never run out. When you love what you do, there is a start but there would never be an end. Think about GT5, that after three years continued to be updated and improved. Utopia, in the console world, and yet Yamauchi is a true enthusiast, trying to do my best at what he does.

Q: Several months ago it was only the dream of fans, and has become a real hope, finally transformed into reality in AC we can even run on the legendary Nordschleife, also in the laser scan, but what were the difficulties of such an undertaking ? And be able to give us a nice Christmas gift? ...

A: When, in a moment of pause during the reconnaissance of the Nurburgring GP for Ferrari Virtual Academy I and Valerio (photography, video, and logistics) went to shoot for the first time at the Nordschleife, we had a video camera on board and said, "what would you think this track reproduced in Laserscan. "It was a utopia. True utopia. When I see that video I shudder, thinking that in the end we succeeded, and reflecting on what has prompted the succeeding. The deal took about two years, because as you know the property was under special administration, and therefore all assets were frozen. I do not know how many times we got one step from the agreement, and then again in limbo. A real nightmare. After the issue has become the first economic, the cost of the license, and then logistics for the acquisition and management of Laserscan (almost a terabyte of data), for the rental of the track, and so on. But now that we are in an advanced stage of development, every spare moment is good for track days and I can say it was worth it. I realize that those who never went to shoot at the Nordschleife may not be able to fully appreciate the work we have done (and advice from real fans to go there at least once in a lifetime), but who knows, I guarantee you will go out of my head ... Maybe if you go back, Assetto Corsa would have 50 cars and track A, and you ask no more! For the release date, we're a little long as at least one of the cars provided for in DreamPack has four-wheel drive, we are still implementing, plus a couple of our employees live in Ukraine and the civil war has created and is creating a lot of their problems, so we had to revise our plans and we are now catching up. In any case, if it is not in December, it will be in January.

Q: The official licenses present in AC are already numerous and continue to arrive from there new: now you can even show the product and the success achieved so far, it is easier to obtain a license from a car manufacturer or a circuit? Should we expect more surprises in the next 6-12 months?

A: Normally, a licensee who does not know your company and actually asks to see what you've produced in the past clearly now my job is much easier, three years ago I had to be very convincing and licensees had to go beyond appearances. And I am very grateful to those car manufacturers and circuits who first trusted in our ability to realize a project for a company of our size seemed even then very ambitious.
The surprises: if you were to disclose the would no longer be such, and certainly there will be. Of those already known, I confirm that between Audi, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Mercedes, Toyota, Nissan, General Motors, Ford, Abarth will arrive in 2015, including Dream Pack, upgrades and add-pack, over 30 new car models. Even for circuits there will be some news on which they are working these days.

Q: Have you thought about the license of an entire season in order to play, such as the International GT Open, the F3 Euroseries and the Blancpain GT?

A: It 'an assessment we are doing, because it might be cheaper than the cost of individual licenses. But if your reference is wrong, is likely to play content for which you thought to have a license, then comes the parent and instead of doing Assetto Corsa 2, bring the books in court ...

Q: The end of 2014 racing titles of this are pretty much the same as 10 months ago, as well as Assetto Corsa, we find RaceRoom, rFactor 2 and Project CARS. But while AC is complete (and will also come additional content), the Sector3 (ex SimBin, passed for a "restructuring" ) shall still work in progress, the ISI appear to be back again (despite having made great strides in recent times) and slighly Mad Studios has even postponed his game to the March 2015! For if your title did "break the bank"?

A: A few weeks ago, the GameConnection Paris I had the pleasure of meeting Pete Morrish, Lead Producer at slighly Mad Studios when we shook hands has created a shock wave mica laugh! : D We joked a bit and I told him that, as a developer, I'm absolutely certain that the cancellation of pCARS November may not have to do with Assetto Corsa, but announce that pCARS was postponed to March 2015 two days after the release the release candidate of AC, it was definitely a poor choice of time! But I am sure that the decision had been made long ago: at that point, going in and out of the retail platform, should already have been in GOLD stage for a while, and the version available on Steam suggests that there is still some work to do. That does not depends on the quality of AC. As for the Simbin now Sector3, they are given a new dimension best suited to the revenue that their products are generating, which is always a good way to start, and maybe be able to give R3E that sense of accomplishment that perhaps lacks.

Q: While often fans of this or that sim tease on the forums, it seems that among the various software companies, even competitors, there is deep respect and sometimes even friendship and admiration: the Kunos Simulations, despite being a young company, felt from this climate?

A: We met for the first time Simbin at the Nurburgring in May 2012, before the Gamescon in Cologne, and showed them a preview of AC was a pleasant experience. We met again in August of the same year in Cologne us with a couple of simulators at the Acer booth, a booth with their impressive for the launch of RaceRoom Experience: We had a long talk, they gave us many tips that have proved valuable, and are still in regular contact with some of them. As I said before, I met some members of the SMS and we had a joke together when we broke up, I brought greetings di Montezemolo (Ferrari license in Assetto Corsa) and they made me their best wishes for rain (a feature brightest pCARS)!
There is respect among developers because they know how much work, money and sacrifices behind the development of a video game, and are able to recognize the value of their competitors, who are not enemies, but people who do your own work. Then there are the special cases, those who act borderline at the edge of legality and beyond the boundaries of ethics. But if the goal is to do business with those people to buy yet another Ferrari, I would not create a problem, I'm interested in doing the job I love, and have created an opportunity to work for people I respect really.

Q: The total openness to the modding of AC proved to be an instant hit, with dozens of extra cars and tracks available: you are happy with what we have seen so far?

A: I would say stunned. I was thinking yesterday while I was in the car, coming back from the office: I have the feeling that the modding absorb Assetto Corsa as the vegetation would with a house in the woods. I'm beginning to seriously think that thanks to the modding, Assetto Corsa will become a viral phenomenon like Minecraft, that never runs out. In addition, to put our development tools available for modder has given us the opportunity to explore and verify in the field the ability to fine modelers. We regularly receive curriculum 3D graphics with very interesting portfolio, but in the past, sometimes the transition from a high-poly model of a real time did not lead to the desired results. Today we have the opportunity for future productions, to engage modelers who demonstrate results in hand, you can do an excellent job. After the experience with Mec0, who created the Cobra 427, now also UnitedRacingDesign work with us and are producing 3 of the cars that will be available in DreamPack.

Q: Sometimes there are unfortunately modding cars or tracks of very poor quality, if not converted illegally from other titles, this material could be confusing especially newbies. What do you think?

A: Unfortunately, it is something that happens also for our content, and from a practical point of view one can do very little. We have a policy specified on the official support forum that does not allow share material ripped or converted without authorization from other titles.

Q: The Steam platform also offers a service specifically dedicated to modding with download and automatic update of the various addons. Have you evaluated the possible use?

A: Not only do we have evaluated, but we have already implemented for compatibility with Steam Workshop, which will not only allow you to find all the best mods made by fans in a single container, but allow you to install them with a single click, directly from Steam. It 'a feature currently in testing and will be available after the release of Assetto Corsa 1.0.

Q: As the dream came true at the Green Hell, we can dream about the future of AC also the variable weather and night?

A: Let's start with a premise: in Assetto Corsa you can compete in endurance (in the future even in single player) over a period of 10 hours. So those who love endurance races has not been left on foot. It lacks only the condition of total darkness, and the ability to create sources of lighting (lights and lights on the runway) multiple. This does not mean turning on a lamp post, which is not a problem and that with the headlights of the cars they already do, but to ensure that the light sources actually lit up the surrounding area. A feature like that, unless it is done with a work-around (as it was, so to speak, with the GTR, or as in iRacing) requires rewriting of Engine and feel, and this is not in the program, because with the same resources and time spent on this matter, we can make other kinds of content of interest to a larger number of new users.
Rain: In netKar PRO, when the project was finally established and was loved, became a pressing demand. In one of the last release we introduced, and I must say it was not all bad: puddles, aquaplaning, drops on the visor, different levels of grip. Applause, and great satisfaction. Oddly enough, the PRO version of netKar who introduced the car KS2 (performance and carattestiche similar to a GP2) had a consensus and led to much higher sales. If you do business, you can not afford to ignore what choices you will profit objective (for new investments), and which will bring you much gratitude takes but a few. I do not claim that this statement is nice, acceptable, or that all are in agreement. But it remains a fact from which one can not ignore.
KUNOS simulation is successful, resources and operational capabilities of a fifth or a tenth, lower than its competitors to create a sturdy product, convincing and that is having success NOT right now we're going in directions that may be a misstep by a strategic point of view, logistical and commercial, to satisfy the desires - legittimi- a very limited number of people. On this subject, I was confronted with other game developers guide, which I have confirmed, statistics in hand, that dark or wet ACTUALLY represent a very small part of the total hours of play. But it is something that "you can not say" no you unleash the wrath of the hardcore community.
With Assetto Corsa we had the courage to continue to invest in simulation. With success. And, considering that the orientation of the arcade racing genre is coming back strongly with Driveclub and The Crew, does not seem the least. But we are a company that needs to respond to market demands. Night and weather variable interest (read "would be actually used by" ) a very small number of people, but it does not do that to ask this. That gives the feeling that everyone else does not want. Not so, trust me. In any case, one of the most frequently asked questions about AC is "how did you do that ?!". And one of the answers is, thanks to a highly targeted use of resources. Resources, mean time, people and money. Assetto Corsa is an extremely targeted to meet your specific requirements. We are content that the players ask for, and then there are the contents that ACTUALLY use. THESE are the contents of that drive a person to buy a product. As for "buying" is taboo, it is a fact that without money, you can not do anything.
Let me share with you a message from a fan on FB:

"do not spend money on other cars or tracks in laser scanning is the most important fusion engine or beauty simulation weather with relative safety car"

This is the philosophy that led us into the concept and realization of netKar PRO. With disastrous results. We are not going to come back to make the same mistakes. In conclusion, our current approach is that in the future there may be plans to introduce the variable weather conditions, technically feasible but which at the moment are not confirmed as certain. I doubt we will introduce instead of driving conditions at night in Assetto Corsa.

Q: The average lifespan of a video game today is about 3 months, with very few exceptions: the Kunos intends to grow old with long AC DLC and future developments, or you think of a Assetto Corsa 2?

A: But we are never on vacation? Look, if the KUNOS Simulations were destroyed by a meteor, probably the modding would give Assetto Corsa longevity similar to Grand Prix Legends! For our part, only additional content we have at least one year of work ahead of us that will allow us to also make assessments based on the response and interest of the public in the medium and long term. Assetto Corsa is having a success that can transform from a successful game, a successful brand. If it will, there will definitely be a future Assetto Corsa 2 (with rain and night racing ...), but right now we are focused on the finalization of AC and on future upgrades.

Q: We want to close this exclusive chat with an anticipation of "myocardial simdriver"?

A: But yes, long ago we revealed that we have acquired the license for five Alfa Romeo models, but we had not revealed all. While, in relation to licensed Ford we have not leaked anything, except for the new Mustang 2015. premiere, know that in addition to the Myth Quadrifoglio Verde, Alfa Romeo will be the fifth Daytona Type 33/2, while Ford will reproduce the GT40, in the mythical version of history and modern version of the GT3, as well as another much loved car that will reveal in the future. Is it enough?

By Nicola "Velocipede" Trivilino

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