What's wrong with a sandbox type game?

[Atlas]

While many discussions here revolve around the dichotomy of 'track racing sim VS open-world sim,' I ponder a different perspective. Does anyone else here view the original Assetto Corsa as a unique sandbox game?

When I was introduced to AC many years ago, I thought it was super cool to have a sim-racing sandbox where you essentially have the tools to create any experience you want.

I've always enjoyed games like Garry's Mod and Minecraft because of the freedom to do whatever you want... In Garry's Mod, there isn't a set objective, but in Minecraft, there is... IF you want to do that. It's all a choice. Assetto Corsa is no different.
Assetto Corsa is a treasure trove for those who appreciate diverse playstyles. Whether you're a fan of open-world exploration with realistic physics, you prefer the thrill of realistic drifting, or you're a traditional track racer, Assetto Corsa has something for everyone.

My vision for the future of Assetto Corsa Evo is one of continued freedom. I hope the franchise will maintain the same level of openness, allowing us to explore various aspects of racing simulation without feeling constrained to a single style.

Anyway, that's just my take on it.
Yes, this post was written with the help of AI (Grammarly ftw), but all of these opinions are my own.

[Oggmeista]

What's wrong is that could easily create the scenario and imho totally unwanted situation, where the general focus of play is not what it was actually designed for ie unadulterated realistic wheel to wheel racing ...and instead give way to what has become in the original title of alternative nothing to do with actual racing, modes prioritising online play like trash and imho ( zero objective ) shotoku repetitive and again meaningless practice servers, or otherwise unrelated and nothing to do with actual racing or why i and many others buy sims, drift servers. completely dominating the server choice online, and unbelievably not even having a single racing server on the players officially favourite track even recognized by Kunos themselves , the Nordschliefe

Yes that is correct, there is not a single public server which allows for actual racing on sim players overwhelmingly voted favourite race track, not a single one..cseriously can you F** Adam and Eve that!??

That in a nutshell is the blatantly obvious concern with your idea,,,,ps and i always hated minecraft, c'est la vie.

However if you are asking me whether being open to mods is a good idea, yes of course, it is, but i would be horrified at the idea that what happened to AC might also happen to ACE

And please do not attempt to patronise me and or suggest ,joining sim racing clubs to be able to race, I do not make this post to be suggested the same lame idea quite simply iwe should be able to simply log online and play public race servers of virtually any car/track combo whenever we decide to have a casual race, this idea of being forced to join clubs to do what the game was designed to do is totally preposterous and frankly a disrespectful joke.

[Atlas]

Originally posted by Oggmeista:

What's wrong is that could easily create the scenario and imho totally unwanted situation, where the general focus of play is not what it was actually designed for ie unadulterated realistic wheel to wheel racing

This is exactly the point of my post. I really can't see how the main focus of the original Assetto Corsa has to be wheel-to-wheel racing, especially when the game shipped with different game modes and even drift car builds. Kunos themselves said that they make simulators, not "games". Most simulators I know are very barebones, just like AC. They don't tell you what to do; they just give you the tools to find your own fun.

You're clearly one of the players who prefers that type of playstyle, and I adore it; I like to dabble in it occasionally, too.

Originally posted by Oggmeista:

there is not a single public server which allows for actual racing on sim players overwhelmingly voted favourite race track

Correct me if I am wrong; you're saying that there are no racing servers in AC on Nordschleife? If so, a quick search on Content Manager can show you that there are plenty. Even if there wasn't... Be the change you wanna see. Start your own, build a community around it... Which leads me to my next point.

Originally posted by Oggmeista:

And please do not attempt to patronise me and or suggest ,joining sim racing clubs to be able to race, I do not make this post to be suggested the same lame idea quite simply iwe should be able to simply log online and play public race servers of virtually any car/track combo whenever we decide to have a casual race

Let's not forget, multiplayer games thrive on community. And since this is a simulator, it's not unreasonable to compare it to reality. In the real world, professional race car drivers have sponsors, teams, and a whole support system. So, why should it be any different here?

In the end, my post was about freedom of choice. Let's not take away that freedom because we stick to our own playstyle so religiously. This is the exact thing I am trying to "prevent." All of our playstyles can coexist. It doesn't have to be either/or. If you don't like one playstyle, like SRP, just ignore it and don't participate.

[Oggmeista]

right, and where's my freedom of choice eh?, again i just checked cm fliltered online servers for Nordschleife (which i use as an example because it is regarded as the best track) so if any tracks were going to host servers it would should be the Nordschleife right? wrong of course, yet again i don't see a single actual race server on this track.., think about that, because to me it defies comprehension

You think i want any part of this sequel if i were too know now, it is going to follow the same path?.. and be starved of actual racing content?..p

I'm not against expanding the format, but completely killing it's designed intention, that's something else altogether which to be honest horrifies me and makes me angry, so i'm making this known now, because i'm pretty sure i'm not the only one..

[Atlas]

Originally posted by Oggmeista:

right, and where's my freedom of choice eh?, again i just checked cm fliltered online servers for Nordschleife (which i use as an example because it is regarded as the best track) so if any tracks were going to host servers it would should be the Nordschleife right? wrong of course, yet again i don't see a single actual race server on this track.., think about that, because to me it defies comprehension

You think i want any part of this sequel if i were too know now, it is going to follow the same path?.. and be starved of actual racing content?..p

I'm not against expanding the format, but completely killing it's designed intention, that's something else altogether which to be honest horrifies me and makes me angry, so i'm making this known now, because i'm pretty sure i'm not the only one..

Well, I can't argue with ignorance. Have a good day.

[Zero McDol]

While I'd like to see a actual open world Assetto Corsa, this series doesn't have it and mods don't count. It's a track racing game.

For me, I treat it as such and only play it when I'm in the mood to run on one of the tracks. I don't do multiplayer, nor pvp, nor any of that. I literally, only play Assetto Cora games when I feel like running on a track, which isn't very often unfortunately. Open world is more my thing and even to that note, I look more at GTA Online and less at Forza Horizon.

[Atlas]

Originally posted by Zero McDohl:

While I'd like to see a actual open world Assetto Corsa, this series doesn't have it and mods don't count. It's a track racing game.

For me, I treat it as such and only play it when I'm in the mood to run on one of the tracks. I don't do multiplayer, nor pvp, nor any of that. I literally, only play Assetto Cora games when I feel like running on a track, which isn't very often unfortunately. Open world is more my thing and even to that note, I look more at GTA Online and less at Forza Horizon.

It's important to acknowledge the significant role of mods in keeping the OG Assetto Corsa alive. Mods are not to be dismissed, as they breathe new life into the game. Without mods, Assetto Corsa would just be a 10-year-old shell with good driving physics. Hell, even the product page for Assetto Corsa talks about how it is made to be customizable.

It may be released with the primary focus on tracks, but it doesn't have to be. If you play the game for the realism, shouldn't you be able to do whatever you want with that? Why limit ourselves? That is ultimately my point with this entire post. People really want to limit the game just because they don't want it to have other labels than what they are comfortable with.

If your heart beats for circuit racing, that's perfectly fine! It's a crucial part of the game, and I, too, find myself enjoying it on occasion.
My heart beats stronger for open-world and drifting, and that's totally fine, too, because what I really like the most is being able to do whatever I want while still having amazing physics and graphics.

[Mr2it3881]

Go buy Need for Speed or Forza.. AC is fine the way it is, pretty soon some of you guys will ask for a campaign.

[Atlas]

Originally posted by Mr2it3881:

Go buy Need for Speed or Forza.. AC is fine the way it is, pretty soon some of you guys will ask for a campaign.

If you have nothing to contribute, don't bother posting.

[Quick☢420™]

Originally posted by Atlas:

While many discussions here revolve around the dichotomy of 'track racing sim VS open-world sim,' I ponder a different perspective. Does anyone else here view the original Assetto Corsa as a unique sandbox game?

When I was introduced to AC many years ago, I thought it was super cool to have a sim-racing sandbox where you essentially have the tools to create any experience you want.

I've always enjoyed games like Garry's Mod and Minecraft because of the freedom to do whatever you want... In Garry's Mod, there isn't a set objective, but in Minecraft, there is... IF you want to do that. It's all a choice. Assetto Corsa is no different.
Assetto Corsa is a treasure trove for those who appreciate diverse playstyles. Whether you're a fan of open-world exploration with realistic physics, you prefer the thrill of realistic drifting, or you're a traditional track racer, Assetto Corsa has something for everyone.

My vision for the future of Assetto Corsa Evo is one of continued freedom. I hope the franchise will maintain the same level of openness, allowing us to explore various aspects of racing simulation without feeling constrained to a single style.

Anyway, that's just my take on it.
Yes, this post was written with the help of AI (Grammarly ftw), but all of these opinions are my own.

Without mods the game is a track racer and that is what it was designed to be. Modding possibilities are endless if you choose to change the game, but it remains a track racer at heart, just like EVO is designed to be.

[Atlas]

Originally posted by Quick☢420™:

Originally posted by Atlas:

While many discussions here revolve around the dichotomy of 'track racing sim VS open-world sim,' I ponder a different perspective. Does anyone else here view the original Assetto Corsa as a unique sandbox game?

When I was introduced to AC many years ago, I thought it was super cool to have a sim-racing sandbox where you essentially have the tools to create any experience you want.

I've always enjoyed games like Garry's Mod and Minecraft because of the freedom to do whatever you want... In Garry's Mod, there isn't a set objective, but in Minecraft, there is... IF you want to do that. It's all a choice. Assetto Corsa is no different.
Assetto Corsa is a treasure trove for those who appreciate diverse playstyles. Whether you're a fan of open-world exploration with realistic physics, you prefer the thrill of realistic drifting, or you're a traditional track racer, Assetto Corsa has something for everyone.

My vision for the future of Assetto Corsa Evo is one of continued freedom. I hope the franchise will maintain the same level of openness, allowing us to explore various aspects of racing simulation without feeling constrained to a single style.

Anyway, that's just my take on it.
Yes, this post was written with the help of AI (Grammarly ftw), but all of these opinions are my own.

Without mods the game is a track racer and that is what it was designed to be. Modding possibilities are endless if you choose to change the game, but it remains a track racer at heart, just like EVO is designed to be.

Again, with the assumptions. I don't remember seeing Kunos ever say it was only a track racer. And I think it's unfair to say so when there are literally different game modes built in.

[Hyperion Biga]

Originally posted by Zero McDohl:

While I'd like to see a actual open world Assetto Corsa, this series doesn't have it and mods don't count. It's a track racing game.

Kunos themselves flirted with the idea, by adding 2 official road tracks into AC1. Highlands and Black Cat County. It made sense, because AC1 had mostly street legal cars, that are not raced on track. Actually it's ironic that people complain that "open world is not realistic". Having random races at Brands Hatch with road cars is not either. Yet AC1 was mostly that

From that, there's not so long way into a game with a larger network of similar roads as Highlands had... plus some AI traffic. You could close off segments, for closed races. Similar to what Highlands had.

It could be even added into what is primarily a circuit sim. Just increase the maximum map size, add some forks into the roads, and add AI traffic. When it's going to have road legal cars, would make sense to have roads too.

At least with a better support for big maps + proper AI traffic, so modders can create more open roads. Maybe Kunos can release just 1 open road map, with optional AI traffic. Let modders to do the rest

EVO is said to have "road cars, classics, hypercars, and race cars" (from store page) so I guess it's going to be again like AC1, a random assortment of random vehicles. Sometimes without any competitors in the same class, just a singular car. In a circuit sim, I would prefer complete series, where you have full grid of cars for each racing discipline. Not 1 or 2 cars

But anyway, if you have road cars, why there is no roads then

[64bitmodels]

Originally posted by Mr2it3881:

Go buy Need for Speed or Forza.. AC is fine the way it is, pretty soon some of you guys will ask for a campaign.

NFS and Forza (which, motorsport 2023 sucks btw) don't have realistic physics and good wheel support.
Gran Turismo would be all things to all men but it's not on PC.