Automatic Downloader/Updater for Project CARS 2

If you have purchased into the Project CARS 2 development, as I have, then you will know that in its infancy the game can be rather annoying to keep updated! Every build must be downloaded individually, with periodic clean installs required. It can be a hassle to keep up with what version you have, what version you need, and the correct path to get there. Not anymore!

Of course SMS will be making their own streamlined process for updates, and then later on the game will be updated through Steam, but what about the here and now? Check out the Project CARS 2 ATDIU (Automatic Torrent Downloader, Installer and Updater)!

Project CARS ATDIU was developed by Teemu Kosinen and Thomas Taschler from sga-gaming.com. I've been using it for weeks now, and it's been fantastic. A must have for any pCARS2 tester until a more official solution is released.

Note:
You must be logged in to your WMD account to access the below forum link.

http://pcars2.wmdportal.com/showthread.php?23282-Project-CARS-2-ATDIU-v1.2-(Automatic-Torrent-Downloader-Installer-and-Updater)

Get Involved!

PKW Racing is ramping up our online events for you to participate in! Check out our current list of events here:

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/pkwracing#events

Also, as events proceed, I try to upload at least one video from each race night, you can check out the official PKW Racing YouTube Playlist here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvd8LXtXHimYoF_DJj7B99FOacEcH7M3

Hope to see you in game soon!

It's a Sure Thing, Project CARS Will Be Released This Week!!!

Call in sick, send your wife and kids off to her mothers, stock up on Red Bull, Mountain Dew and Doritos, because Project CARS comes out on the 7th! The long, long wait is finally over, and Project CARS will be released onto the great gray pavement of public release! Multiplayer rooms will be brimming, arcade racers crying and all the naysayers will have nothing left to say. The greatest racing game of all time will be officially released, get your pre-order now!

PKW Racing on Watkins Glen in Formula Gulf on Wet Tires!!

This is a recording of the first PKW Racing event of the new year! We have played some other games, but this was our first run in Project CARS of the year!

I was able to win this race, although there was some trouble after a couple laps. I kind of felt bad starting in first place, but we didn't have a qualifying run so luck of the draw put me there.

Not sure why we were running on wet tires, must be some kind of bug in this current build. It was pretty crazy though! The tires were running super hot pretty much the whole race, and it was interesting at times to keep the car on the road! Lots of down force helped, though.

It was a close race! Paulbfc and Kamalski were running with me, along with some AI at roughly 60%. I think I accidentally bumped Kamalski off the road towards the end of the race, but until then he was right there with us! Could have been a different result if it weren't for my blunder. Paulbfc was less than a second behind me when we crossed the finish line. It was an awesome race! Very aggressive, but mostly clean.

If you're looking for a group to run with, check us out here:
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/pkwracing

Blowing Up an Aston V12 Vantage GT3!!!

I really was driving like a complete hooligan during this race, bumping the walls, bumping other cars, way too aggressive for such a tight track. I shouldn't have been so surprised when my engine blew up. After the first couple laps, I had mostly secured myself 7th place, and toned it back a bit, but not before nudging the wall one last time.

My temperature started immediately rising, I made it around almost exactly one more lap, and at 143 degrees, my car gave out. You can see the external damage much better in the spectator view.

Moral of the story, don't drive crazy, and watch your gauges!

Project CARS - Swapping Drivers During Pit Stops & Blowing Up an Engine!

Here are a few interesting video's I've made in the past week or so, they maybe of interest to you! The first demonstrates the ability to swap drivers during a pit stop, this will be useful in the very long races, such as 24 Hours of Le Mans. The second video, I blow up the engine of an Aston Martin... basically just demonstrating that the game does not tolerate wreckless driving. Finally, I've made a new preview of all the camera's in the game. Enjoy!

Switching Drivers


Blown Engine


Camera Previews

Project CARS Artificial Intelligence at 100%, as of Build 887

For a long time, the AI in Project CARS was not one of it's strong points. AI were rather slow, and made a point of ramming into the player controlled car, as well as each other. Thankfully, that's now starting to change! It used to be virtually impossible to play with the AI at 100%, but they are now shaping up, holding a decent line, not murdering the player at every opportunity, and still pretty quick! Below are some video's I made (same race, different views) to show how the AI is behaving now. There's still room for improvement, but they are vastly improved over how they used to be. Enjoy!

Spectator View

Helmet View

Driver View

Get Project CARS for FREE!!

Project CARS will be released in the US on March 17th, and March 20th in Europe. Because of this, the promotion will run through March 20th.

No purchase is necessary to enter this contest, all you must do is publicly subscribe to this channel, and preferably, watch a bunch of the channel video’s! This channel is mostly for gaming. I generally upload video’s from whatever game I am currently playing, though Project CARS is a rather consistent star on the show. When I watch other gameplay video’s, I usually just want to see the game, and get annoyed by the pointless voice-over that many channels use. Because of this, the majority of my video’s are commentary free. I try to use other methods to communicate to my audience, and in the case of games like Project CARS, they really speak for themselves. I do use commentary on some video’s, such as this one, when I feel it adds value.

The reason your subscription must be public is because there is no other way for me to see that you subscribed to my channel. If I can’t see you, I can’t throw your name into the raffle, and if you aren’t in the raffle you can’t win.

 If the channel has 800 total subscribers by March 20th, one subscriber will be randomly selected to get a gift copy of Project CARS through Steam. At 1400 members, two subscribers will receive the game for free, and at 2000 subscribers, 5 will be selected to receive the game for free! The game will be purchased through my personal Steam account, and gifted to you directly by me, so you must be willing to accept trades to receive the gift.

I am located in the USA, so the gift copy of the game will be from that region. Because of this, the promotion can only officially be open to people in countries that can accept game trades from the USA. I don’t think there would be any issues with redeeming the game in any other territories, so the raffle will include everybody on the subscribers list, and trades will be attempted with all winners. On the off chance that a trade is not possible with one of the winners, then another winner will be selected in their place.

Within a week of the contest ending, a new video will be posted announcing the results of the promotion, and the subscriber(s) who will receive the game. The winning subscriber(s) will also be personally contacted through their YouTube accounts discussion board. The winner(s) should reply within a week of the new video being posted, so arrangements can be made to get the game to you.

I reserve the right to change the details of the promotion as needed for unforeseen circumstances that may turn up. The prizes and promotion goals will remain the same. Please post any additional questions in the comment section.

Project CARS Now Runs Great on Surface Pro 2!

A while back I did a video of Project CARS running on the Surface Pro 2, and it ran, but only barely, on on the least detailed track in the game. I always felt like I could get the game to run better... just wasn't in the mood to install such a large program on my tablet again... until now. :)

My first video this time around was on California Highway, at 1080p with 6 cars on the track, and it ran pretty good!I recorded this video with my iPhone.



Still, I wasn't fully satisfied. The frame rate seemed a little low, and from outside the car, the framerate dropped significantly. As I was making the above video, I remembered that running the game in 720p when I had my 560Ti greatly improved the performance, so why wouldn't that work now? Sadly, on the Surface Pro 2, it's not as simple as just dropping the resolution in game. The Surface tablets put a black border around the game when you do that. I looked online for a bit, and the best solution I found was to set the desktop resolution to 720p, and then launch the game at 720p. It's a bit of annoyance, but if you wanna play Project CARS on your tablet, it's worth it. You can also install beta drivers for the Intel HD card directly from Intel, but I didn't want to bother with that. Below is my first video on the Surface Pro 2 at 720p, with rain and lightning, running great. This video was also recorded with my iPhone 5S.



After this, I got ambitious. I asked myself, what if I plugged my Logitech G27 into the Surface Pro 2, and ran a full grid of cars? Would it work? A rather impractical question, as the whole point of the Surface Pro 2 is being mobile, something the G27 is not... but I still had to know. Setting things up so that you could see my G27 setup, and the Surface Pro 2 screen together wasn't easy, but I did it! The picture quality is terrible, and if you want to see whats going on in the race, you pretty much have to view in full screen, but for demonstration purposes, this video works pretty well. There were 43 cars on the track during this video, and the Surface Pro 2 handled it fantastically. No input lag, no FPS spikes, just a smooth, clean drive.


I was sad the game didn't run well enough to use FRAPS to record it... but wait, maybe it does? For my final Surface Pro 2 video, I decided to try recording a race with FRAPS, just to see how well it worked. The framerate does drop with FRAPS, but it's still manageable. For this race, the grid is full of 38 cars. The AI was turned to 25%, and the player's AI car was placed in the back of the pack, to overtake as many as possible. Again, the game runs awesome!



This will be my last video on the Surface Pro 2 for promotion of the game running on this platform... at least until the official release of the game. You may see more Surface Pro 2 video's of Project CARS popping up here and there though, as I'm traveling. I'll be in Miami for a week during Christmas break, so one or two might pop up then as well.

Hope you enjoyed this article as much as I did making it! I bought my Surface Pro 2 used from Amazon, you can find a link to it on the left, as well as a link to the G27 which I also bought there.

Project CARS Build 859 - E30 M3 at California Highway with Actual Logitech G27 in Picture

I did a video similar to this for BeamNG.Drive, and is was pretty popular, so I decided to do the same thing for Project CARS. Not only do you have the standard driving view, but you can see me manipulating the wheel in real time on the second view. I recorded the second view with my iPhone 5S.



This video is a first attempt for me, picture-in-picture-in-picture! Not only do you have the standard driving view in the corner, but you can also see me manipulating the wheel in real time on the second view.

Project CARS Build 858 - Controlling Cars w/ Keyboard & Keyboard and Mouse

Someone on the Steam forums asked if this game had the ability to use the mouse for steering. I assumed so, but I didn't really know until now.

The answer is a resounding yes, the cars in the game can be controlled with the mouse! Though it's not easy, especially for me, I haven't tried to steer a car with a mouse since Need for Speed 3: Hot Pursuit in 1998. It took me about 10 practice laps to get around the track without spinning out. I used the Renault Clio RS Cup car because it's one of the easiest cars in the game, I highly doubt I could have achieved three clean laps with a Lotus 49.

Still though, if you're one of the few who still to play racing games with your mouse, then it is possible with this game. The only assists enabled are the ones that would be on the real-life counterpart of this car, plus auto-clutch, with manual shifting.



After making the keyboard/mouse video, I decided to make a video using just the keyboard for control. First, I must say, this is an utterly miserable way to play the game. You can get an XBox 360 controller w/ wireless PC receiver for $30-$60 brand new. While I recommend a good wheel (starting with the Logitech DFP) the X360 controller is the next best thing for the petrolhead on a budget. Personally, I am absolutely against using only the keyboard in this game... but there are some who insist on it, and, as someone who hasn't used the keyboard for steering in 10 years (Nascar Racing, 1994) I have proven that it is possible in Project CARS. The only assists I use are what would come on the real-life counterpart of this car, and auto-clutch with manual shifting.

Granted, it took me a few laps to get it right... and I highly doubt I could have done it with any of the RWD cars in the game, but as you can see, it clearly is possible. For those of you who are die-hard keyboard steering enthusiasts, I'm sure you would be better at it.

For the rest of you... at least use the mouse for steering, but for goodness sake, if you can't afford a real force feedback wheel, such as the DFP, or G27, the wired X360 controller costs less than half of what my mouse did.

Car List w/ All Car Showcases!

So, that thing I was working on with the showcases, I'm ready to reveal it! I have the main complete showcases video uploaded and also video's with all showcases from each of the manufacturers put together. I'm still going to publish all the single-car showcases as well for those what just want to see the showcase of a particular car, but for now you can check them all out here!




Here are the showcases broken up into individual manufacturers.

Stay Tuned!!

I've got a huge update on Project CARS showcases in the pipelines... stay tuned over the next couple of days to see what's coming! Nothing has been published yet, but watch my channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Karrdeful/search?query=project+cars

To see new showcases as they are published.

Project CARS Stress Test - Running Full Fields w/ Full AI and Full Weather Effects

I wanted to run a stress test on the game to see how well it could handle the hardest settings all combined together. I must say, it did pretty good! The frame rate isn't idea, but it is playable, and the game still looks great. Check it out for yourself!

Computer Setup:

ASUS M5A99FX Pro R2 Motherboard

AMD FX-8150 Zambezi 8-Core 3.6 Ghz Processor

32GB G.SKILL Ripjaws Z DDR3 2300 RAM

Thermaltake 750W PSU

PNY GTX 770 OC2 4GB Video Card

MSI N560GTX-Ti 1GB Dedicated PhysX Card

Windows 8.1 64-bit OS

Project CARS - Graphics Level Comparison

In this video, I wanted to compare various graphics settings that people would commonly use to start optimizing the game for their PC. In the upper left hand corner, absolutely everything is turned off, or on minimum. Beside it to the right, I have turned on all the visual FX settings, but turned all the fidelity settings to medium. In the lower left hand corner, visual fidelity is on high, and on the bottom right corner, everything in the game is completely maxxed out. I used to play the game on this setting no problem, but recent patches have put a bit of a strain on my PC, so I switched to the settings you will find here:



Here I optimize my game settings so that I could get 60 FPS while running on ultra settings. Nearly everything is still on ultra, but I turned down my AA and texture mapping to get better FPS with minimal visual degradation. Lastly, I wanted to show a full screen video of everything either turned off, or at minimum settings, in the video below:


As you can see, the game actually still looks pretty good on minimum settings! This video is for all the nay-sayers that think the game can't run on less than an nVidia Titan, or that it will look terrible if everything isn't on ultra. Yes, I play the game on Ultra, and I love it, but if I could only play on minimum settings I'd still love it.


Computer Setup:
ASUS M5A99FX Pro R2 Motherboard
AMD FX-8150 Zambezi 8-Core 3.6 Ghz Processor
32GB G.SKILL Ripjaws Z DDR3 2300 RAM
Thermaltake 750W PSU
PNY GTX 770 OC2 4GB Video Card
MSI N560GTX-Ti 1GB Dedicated PhysX Card
Windows 8.1 64-bit OS

Project CARS - Zero Assists vs. All Assists - Side by Side Video Comparison

For this video I decided to compare no assists to all assists. Personally, I always drive with no assists, or real assists (with everything turned off) but decided I wanted to show people the difference between the two.

Many people seem to think Project CARS is an arcade game, or a simcade, but that's simply not the fact if you drive it as intended. Yes, the game does have a very dumbed down version of driving to make it accessible to everyone (I was actually quite surprised how easy the assists make everything) but when you turn them all off, it's a whole other ballgame.

I chose this track because I'm very familiar with it. I chose the car because I find the Caterhams to be the hardest cars in the game to drive with zero assists. If you brake too hard, you will wipe out, guaranteed. And that's exactly what I like to do... brake too hard at the last second. So it's quite a challenge without ABS. With all assists turned on, it might as well be a Civic Si. Driven by your grandmother.

So anyway, next time you think Project CARS doesn't look very realistic, just remember, not everyone drives with the pro settings. I'm no pro... but that's still how I choose to roll.

PS. The input monitor's were a nice touch, but they track the cars inputs, not the user inputs. So on the All Assists side, most of the time that it shows me modulating the gas or the brakes, I'm actually just holding the go pedal down to the floor. And of course, I'm never using the clutch, which the game shows. Kinda wish they only showed the user input, not the assists input.

Don't Miss Out, Remember to Pre-Order Project CARS!

This is by far the best simulator ever made. Best graphics, best physics, best weather, best controls, best interface, you name it. There's a reason this game has been in development so long... it's to make it perfect. I became a backer quite a while ago, and I started actively participating in the development of the game around build 500, and it's been awesome to see the improvements made in the game. I recently uploaded a comparison of my first video of California Highway at Build 531, and currently at build 811. I remmeber when I used to think the game was amazing at build 531, but at build 811 it's so much better.

I can't recommend this game any more highly. This is the driving game I've always wished existed. I rememeber when night time driving was a huge deal, but this game has set the bar incredibly high with the fantastic weather options available. At the time of this review, not all the cars are finished, but the ones that are have impeccible physics and handling characteristics. Speaking of cars, the selection is fantastic. There are cars available all the way from a lowly 50cc kart to the 6800cc AMG Red Pig, and many cars even more powerful. Even better than the fantastic car list, is the remarkable track list! There are 44 tracks, with over 100 configurations, no game has ever beat that on release day!

But enough of my babbling... let the game speak for itself. You can find the complete car and track list at the bottom of these video's.













Complete Car List:


Complete Track List:



You can buy your own G27 from Amazon here:
http://amzn.to/1sfHy5v?

Purchase pCARS for PS4 or XBOne here:
http://amzn.to/1sMwUW8?

Project CARS - Complete Replay Camera Preview

In this video I thought it would be cool to do just a short lap, and show you all the replay cameras available. The drive was done during a thunderstorm to show how the different effects look in each view. As you can see, there is still a bug that doesn't show the windshield wipers during replays, and the instrument cluster lights aren't on when they should be, but this will be fixed before release.

The view order goes:
1. Drivers View
-- This is recorded while I'm driving, so its the view you get as the player of the game.

2. Interior View
--This view is from the center of the car, kind of looking over the drivers right shoulder.

3. Helmet View
--This is a favorite of many. It replicates the view from inside the helmet, , simulating the line of focus of the driver and looking towards the apex of corners.

4. Roof View
--A look from a roof mounted camera. A neat view not commonly seen on YouTube.

5. Chase View
--This is what most old-time racers are used to. This view one one of the most common views before cockpits were accurately rendered in the majority of racing games.

6. Spectator View
--This is my personal favorite for watching replays, primarily because I've already seen the inside of the car while driving, so I like to see the beauty of the car in motion after my race.

7. Front Bumper View
--This is the other most popular vintage racing view before cockpits were common. I think many people still use this view anyway.

8. Hood View
--This view is from a camera mounted on the hood of the car. Similar to front bumper camera, but higher, and with part of your view obstructed by the hood.

9. Cockpit (Drivers) View
--This is the same as the drivers view, only recorded from the replay. The next camera will be the drivers view (again) to show the differences between the actual driving view, and the replay view. The driving view has many more pieces of information on it, and the interior animations work properly.

10. Drivers View
--Again, this view is what the game looks like while I'm driving, it is not recorded form a replay, but while I'm actually turning my lap. I included this view again to show the contrast between the replay cockpit view, and the drivers cockpit view.

Project CARS Build 825 - SuperKart at Nordschleife - pCARS Glued to the Road? No Way!

This video is my official rebuttal to all the comments that vehicles in Project CARS are essentially glued to the road. Watch this video, and you will clearly see that they are not! Many times my little kart with no suspension was ready to fly off the road and into the dirt, or wall, or a tree....

Of course this is an extreme example, but sometimes extreme accusations require extreme responses to counter the prejudice.

Nobody said that Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher's driving was unrealistic because their cars stuck to the road. Granted, virtually nobody with pCARS is that good, but why is it, that when people who own Project CARS make tens if not hundreds of laps around a circuit to make a good looking video, you claim it's because the game is too easy, and assume it can't possibly have anything to do with the driver? This 9 minute video took me over an hour to make. I had to adjust my driving in several ways to get that kart around the track without wrecking. You don't see all the times I wrecked... you only see the final product. And in the case of this final product, I think it's a lot more apparent that it wasn't an easy ride, compared to cars with a full suspension where you can't tell what's going on underneath the drivers view.