“Need for Speed is nothing.” Revelations of Champions Motorsport

Edition 4PDA with the support of experts repeatedly tested popular games for their credibility. Under the scope already got famous fighting games, kosmoopery and even experienced snipers could not avoid the keen eye of our experts. But what’s next? On the shelves now will release a rally simulator DiRT 4 — so why not discuss race. Hold on to the wheel, dear readers: today professional racing drivers Andrew Dubinin and Alexander Rusanov will tell how realistic the Need for Speed and Richard Burns Rally.

Andrey Dubinin — repeated winner of various stages of the STi-club Winter Cup. Alexander Rusanov — candidate master of sports in motor racing, the winner and prize-winner of many Russian and international tournaments.

Career in Motorsport — it was a twist of fate or you deliberately chose the way in life? The role your solution played a sports simulation?

Andrew: Directly rally I do four years, and cars in General and Motorsport in particular interested in early childhood. When I was little, like every guy my age loved cars, simple toys on the computer. Then I grew up and got my license, began to practice driving in the family car. Then in my courses defensive driving. And perhaps this was the starting point of my professional interest in rally.

As for realistic racing games, just recently tried DiRT for the first time and informed quite a lot of time had to hold for Gran Turismo 5. However, it was necessary for business, not for fun. I was going to Germany to participate in races on the famous nürburgring race track, and therefore decided to study all the features of the race track on the screen.

The experience was very positive, because that, that, and the tracks in the simulations recreated in minute detail. However, virtual career rider I’m afraid, not destined to continue, as the real racing action in your life lacking in abundance (smiles).

The famous Nurburgring racetrack in Gran Turismo Sport.

Alexander: Five years I have been in Amateur Motorsport and about three years in professional. I entered the world of Motorsport at the age of 17, when one of the friends I was interested in the upcoming world rally championship. Plus at the time I was actively playing the racing game Richard Burns Rally, which spent some astronomical amount of time having passed more than 100 thousand combat miles in online races. Then I grew up, I got my own car. First, domestic, then save up for the more serious “device” — all-wheel drive Subaru, and began to practice. I soon came in his first major tournament — FST Winter Cup in Elektrostal, which, to his surprise, finished on the podium. And our car was atmospheric, the entire 160 horsepower and we were competing with the turbo Impreza and Evolution. Then began the long and hard way to the top.

How realistic a car behaves on the monitor compared to the actual track? It is clear that the whole range of impressions from actual-in, sitting on the couch not sense, but what about the physical behavior of the car, its aerodynamic properties? They are on the screen correspond to reality?

Andrew: Ring simulators in recent years has advanced very much. To the extent that they are used during the training professional athletes. With the rally simulation the situation is somewhat worse. Still perfectly smooth canvas of the racetrack, the car behaves much more predictable, which greatly facilitates its virtual simulation. Rally car and the rider is affected much more extraneous factors.

A frame from the upcoming DiRT 4.

The key difference simulation of real racing, in that they do not involve the vestibular system of a pilot, and this is extremely important to control the car. The second important difference is the roll of the machine, which on the screen can only visually see, but not feel. If the civilian cars of business class, even put special stabilizers, the driver does not feel roll when maneuvering in Motorsport roll is an important part of the feedback from the car. Rolls allow the pilot to better understand how the balance of how the car loads of the wheel.

I know that the developers Abrosimov use sophisticated mathematical models calculate the behavior of equipment on the track. “A circle of Kamma” allows realistic enough to simulate how the tires of the car. Similarly, simulated suspension work (springs, dampers, stabilizers), the way the wheel is loaded, as it rises in emphasis, as it starts to slide — all this reflected in the game is quite realistic.

Alexander: of Course, the feeling in the virtual races are quite different. In real life you can feel what is called the “fifth point”, but in the virtual act more instinctively, responding to the algorithms used in the computer model. One of the obvious advantages of simulators is that they can “feel the edge”. That is, simulate life-threatening situations which in reality you just don’t have the stomach.

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I tried a simulation. I can tell you that arcade racing like NFS is about nothing. But Richard Burns Rally 2004 — the best that I’ve played, in terms of physics and car settings. The graphics in the games since then have leaped forth, like a physical model from that time only steadily degraded. The behavior of the car on the highway is Richard Burns Rally thirteen years ago is still there.

Spoilers, spoilers, wheels original designs, a Hyper exclusive lounge tuning, nitrous oxide… All this abundance of “bells and whistles” really helps in the race or is it just an element of the marketing sponsors, audience attraction and creative expression riders?

Andrew: Here the question is to configure. In reality, the car is configured for each specific track, and in rally for each section of the road. On a non-adapted car to go to the race, of course, impossible. And setup before the race is not colouring and aggressive airbrushing, and calibration of the angle of the wheels, adjust the stiffness of suspension springs, adjustable shock absorbers. Of course, tuning is always a compromise. Is to configure the car can be in only one turn. So the engineers of the teams are working hard to develop the optimal set of options for each specific track. In circuit racing simpler: the engineer will optimize the settings so that they give maximum speed. And the case of the pilot — to adapt to them.

Photo from the personal archive of Andrey Dubinin.

In rally you have to consider many other factors that I cannot even list. Let me just say that in a rally car is adjusted not on the stopwatch, and the feelings of the pilot. This is due to the fact that the ring racer rides on a learned route, preparing for the familiar turn for 50 meters and knows that there are no surprises arise. Rally is always a kind of improvisation, where a single turn can be radically different in the first and third terms, for example, due to the fact that the previous car when entering made the huge piece of ground. If the track is gravel, those pilots who go later have an advantage due to the fact that the “pioneers” sweep the track with loose gravel and stones. The same thing happens on snow and ice tracks. All of these factors realistically reflected in the virtual model is difficult, so ring simulators are not in the example more realistic rally.

Alexander: real discipline “rally” all strictly according with the technical requirements prescribed in the regulations. If we are talking about sports simulations, except for visual effects it does nothing. Another question — tweaking, where you can change any of the parameters adjustable in such a huge and complex organism, like a sports car. This is really can play a major role.

What, in your opinion, lacks the racing game for home gaming systems to be perfect?

Andrew: Hmm… that’s what I strongly like in DiRT series is how there’s a transcript track, which is read just awful. Despite the fact that the behavior of the car in the game is quite adequate. Don’t quite understand those who complain about the complexity of the control in this game. I, for example, without preparation, turning off all helpers and hints went fairly quickly. And here’s the transcript — just a guard. By the way, I will explain what a transcript.

Transcript of the rally route.

Usually the pilot and the Navigator have two directions to explore expensive, and they are obliged to go, observing all the traffic rules and the speed limit. In the first passage, the pilot dictates Navigator turns, the distance between them and any particular roads that will allow him to go faster in the race. For the second time already the Navigator tells the pilot what they recorded — the crew checks the transcript, amends.

The task of the Navigator is to read the pilot positions so that had to think through and to not cause unnecessary questions. After all, decisions have to be made sometimes in fractions of a second. Not very experienced Navigator can read the position on the map sooner or later, that rider is crucial. Therefore, the synchronization of the Navigator and pilot in the races it is difficult to overestimate.

Alas, the virtual Navigator is not sinhroniziruete. Meanwhile, trust in the crew is very important in order to make some maneuvers a pilot can perform just. If we talk about the DiRT, there is a virtual co-driver reads the position or at close range when you don’t have time to make a decision, or too much in advance. Again, seriously swim the distance, a gradation of turns, a lot of extra words… and read them the Navigator is not quite so, as is common among professionals. I even have occurred to you that the developers are trying to simulate the error of the Navigator. But then this is a very strange approach.

Photo from the personal archive of Alexander Rusanov.

Alexander: of Course, the transcript — the main drawback of virtual rally racing, although the role of Navigator here I would not overrated. In real races it is not more than 30% in the virtual — 20-25%. The pilot primarily relies on its own experience, the speed and the picture before my eyes. Try a blindfold and go through his apartment, not having taken any bumps, even if the Navigator will indicate you the direction and identify obstacles. So the role of the transcript I would not be exaggerating.

If we talk about the transcripts in DiRT and even in some parts of the Richard Burns Rally… They are, of course, are worthless. In real life, after the third or fourth turn with a similar transcript of the crew can go to the cemetery. However, the positive changes there are in this aspect. So, one of the best Russian crews of Alexey lukyanuk and Alexey Arnautov even recorded their transcript for the latest Richard Burns Rally. Here it is possible to go any route that is called “sheet”. I would say that the main problem of the races — a very limited number of tracks that you eventually memorize at their fingertips, and they simply become boring.

In General, the industry is not standing still. I am sure that over time cheaper exclusive simulators with hydraulics, which simulates the cockpit. Anyway, the people who are developing games, knowingly receive their money. I am sure that they will soon come up with something fundamentally new and interesting.

Can a gamer grow a real racing professional? How do you assess the experience of Nissan GT Academy?

Andrew: the Main advantage of the GT Academy that she showed that the transformation of a gamer in a game that is indeed possible. Gran Turismo incredibly popular in the virtual races involved a lot of people with really good potential pilots. Nissan and Sony have done, that gave a chance to the real fans of racing. To teach strong virtualdeco the actual racing is just a matter of time. The main thing that brains have already turned in the right direction.

Competition Nissan GT Academy.

Alexander: to Grow a real racer on the virtual simulation is possible. To the detriment of the virtual training just will not go. But, of course, reseeding with a gamepad for a real steering wheel, immediately quickly the rider will not go — simply because elementary to be killed, and if you try to go the same way as in the simulator. In any case, required tests, training, physical training and physical strength. Especially in winter, when a lot of struggle with the nervous machine, in heat, when during the race you can lose a few pounds.

And finally. How valid is the stereotype that gamers are accustomed with impunity to accelerate to astronomical speeds and to arrange a mind-blowing crash the computer, lose the line between real and virtual, and often get into accidents in the real world?

Andrew: Here, rather a question in the minds of man. The pattern of behavior that you have described, is characterized by mostly small children and those who are not out of this age. A normal person with adequate sense of self-preservation feels good in the car and the limits of reality. So, as you described, can act only children of the racing section on the kart track. And then only once. After that the brain usually fall into place.

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Alexander: I think it is not related moments. What perform these people simply lack the gray matter and skills of driving at serious speed. To such comrades I am strongly opposed and wish that their energies are directed at driving on the specially prepared tracks. I, for example, a civilian car is the simplest — Mitsubishi Lancer 116 HP, and I basically don’t even accelerate on the highway above 130 kilometers per hour, because the meaning of it is not any.

Interviewed By Gregory Spitsyn

Source: 4pda.ru