Assetto Corsa 2 (AC2) is set to release in 2024. So due to that, we still need to bide our time for a while. Traxion.gg did an interview with Marco Massarutto, co-founder of Assetto Corsa’s development Studio, Kunos Simulazioni. According to him, this new racing simulator is currently in planning phase. So what better time to write up a wishlist? Having really enjoyed Assetto Corsa 1 and Assetto Corsa Competizione, I just want AC2 to live up to the expected qualities. So without further ado, here comes my wishlist for AC2:
1. Officially Supported Modding
Let’s start off big. I WANT MODDING. AC1 was brilliant and still is to this day, thanks to the vast opportunities for modders. Whether talking about new cars, tracks, graphics or entire weather systems, this is what made the original a masterpiece. Now in the above mentioned interview, Marco Massarutto noted the switch away from Unreal Engine for AC2. If they wrote a custom engine from scratch, they could make all the space for moddability they’d need. However, Kunos’ co-founder also mentioned the need to not have all code written by their lead programmer.
So either they will be looking for backend programmers for their next game engine or taking another existing engine. Now what are the possibilities there. . .
2. Please no isiMotor engine for Assetto Corsa 2!
At least not the same decade-old thing we know from rFactor, Automobilista 1 and 2000s F1 games.
What I could see working is a collaboration with Image Space Incorporated (ISI), the makers of isiMotor for a completely new engine. But what we don’t need is a clone of rFactor 2, a sim that came out in 2013 (full release)!
Another possibility here would be to just work on the physics engine together with ISI. The reason being isiMotor, to this day, having the most adequate vehicle physics out there (in my opinion).
However I view any cooperation as pretty unlikely, since rFactor 2 (rF2) would, in 2024, probably still be a direct competitor to Assetto Corsa 2. And ISI is not only the engine developer, but also a publisher of rF2. On the other hand, since I have no idea how Studio 397’s, developers of rF2’s, acquisition by Motorsport Games played into those relationships, there might be a chance.
But to reiterate, no taking the decade old engine Kunos!
3. Laser-Scanned Content par Excellence
You have the laser-scan data for the ACC tracks, so put that to good use and re-use it for AC2. I don’t even care if therefore you disallow mods for these cars and tracks. If you continue with the great quality, especially of tracks that you so far released for ACC and even expand on that, I’m sure your DLCs will sell well. Just price them competitively. And do not overprice them like another sim does.
4. No Subscription Model!
I know in the modern times this is a bit of an oxymoron, but I still want to have the feeling of owning a game. So offering AC2 like you did with ACC and AC1 via online storefronts (Steam release please!) is the way to go.
It would be negotiable to have a subscription model IF all content were accessible through the subscription. A complete no-go however would be using the iRacing model and making the completionist SimRacer have to take out a loan to play.
Assetto Corsa has never been about subscription and I sincerely hope Assetto Corsa 2 will not have to change that.
5. Ranking in Assetto Corsa 2
SimRacers like to brag. Or they like statistics. Whichever the case, there’s no two ways about that. So why not incorporate that in your system and include one of the things iRacing does so well. An Elo-based or otherwise similar system to rank all drivers. And why not take it a step further?
Here comes my idea: Don’t just allow official ranked servers to contribute to that ranking. Allow trusted private championships to also go into the ranking. I imagine this as, when creating a server for a scheduled race, championship or not, the server creator can tick a box saying something along the lines of “Counts towards ACRating” (impressive naming, I know). If that box is ticked, the private race takes all the drivers ACRatings into account and calculates the resulting rating changes at the end of the race.
Either this, or have 2 different ratings, one for official competitions, one for private races. This would not only help official competition servers have a meaning, it would also help my next point.
6. Reward/Incorporate Private Communities
Now one of the greatest things I have realised when starting to SimRace is that there are private communities. Some of those are pretty cool. And the sense of being in a group of likeminded people really helps the spirit of racing.
But if those communities do not calculate their own ratings in private (which almost nobody does), there is less sense of achievement. Or sense of bragging. So one idea, as already mentioned, would be to include communities into an official ranking.
A more simple matter of inclusion would be to host a website or in-game directory where community owners could register their communities. This way players can find likeminded groups directly from in-game (Or you could work together with services like Simracing.GP).
Or just make an official discord server. I was shocked to find there are official rF2 and RaceRoom discords, but nothing for Assetto Corsa. Come on, get in touch with your fans a bit better.
Neither is this list exhaustive, nor does one of these options exclude the others though 😉
7. FRONT WHEEL DRIVE
Touring cars. Door to door. Wheel to wheel. Action to action. I know RaceRoom and rFactor 2 already offer this. But I would really like some non-almost-decade-old sim for that. Please.
8. Included (and working!) Safety Car AI / Full Course Yellow
This is not just immersion stuff, but also integral for several racing series. Actually very many. WTCR, F1, FE, NASCAR, GT3, all of them have the options of safety car or a full course yellow in real life. Now we’re just missing the sim to replicate that. Please be the one Kunos.
9. Low-End Support
Some people, especially from poorer circumstances, cannot run ACC. Now what if you were to include something like a potato-mode? How about that? If not it’s okay for me personally. But you might be missing out on a few sales. All I’m asking is to please check this possibility. For your financial good and for some of my compatriots access.
10. Offerings for both SimRacers and Casuals
To help SimRacing grow, find a way to get casuals in the mix. Take their fear off screwing up in a competitive setting. Now I actually have no Idea how to do that, I’m leaving that in your capable hands. As you have already eluded to in the interview mentioned earlier.
These are my 10 wishes for Assetto Corsa 2. Of course, this list does not include everything you could possibly want. So are there any topics you want covered in AC2? Let me know in the comment section below, also let Kunos know, they are the ones who decide what to do in the end.
And a massive thanks to Samuel McGill aka. Yamy on Instagram for allowing the use of their gorgeous ACC screenshot at the top of the article.
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