Sorry rdo I meant the drivatars in FM5 before the update that tamed them.
Drivatars are a much better option than the old AI was. I would like to see them be the ones who have at least purchased the game as opposed to any game in the Forza series. In Horizon 2 a good number of the drivatars in my races were level 1 indicating the gamer associated with the tag did not even own the game. This happened with those on my friends list who chose not to get Horizon as well as the random ones who fill out once your 5 friends are in the series. I think that having my Horizon 2 drivatar turn up in FM6 would not endear me to a lot of people, especially If my cross country alter ego is the one to show up. My FM5 drivatar is, I hope, a more respectful driver.
Drivatars are total bull. The AI isn´t really better than in Forza 4. Drivatars just represents the level of aggression, which you can adjust in racing sims like rFactor for your own taste from 1 to 100%. IMHO the by far most realistic AI in all racing games you will find in Raceroom Racing Experience. You´re always driving in a field of cars and the car in the back will overtake if you make a little mistake. In Forza 5 i was mostly driving alone after one lap when racing in this free mode in every AI level or just overtaking cars which are to slow in the career mode. This is not racing. The AI in R3E is like racing multiplayer with fair opponents.
1 Like
Especially since they dont even overtake properly as I found out on the Mulsanne track. Just stay behind each other in one line constantly braking until a turn comes up; prefer Fm4’s AI (Freeplay at least not career as that was too easy.)
2-3 lap races is not exactly sim.
It’s a Motorsport game.
2 Likes
Since when ??
1 Like
Lap count has noting to do with simulation. Forza uses data from Calspan for its physics, laser scanned tracks etc in other words you could have a one lap race Forza is still a sim.
there are alot of games, very few sims. sim is what makes forza more desirable than need for speed or pgr. i gree 2-3 is not sim, but motorsport needs to get back to sim. leave the “just a game” stuff for horizons.
2 Likes
The drivatars have been my biggest gripe about this game. I don’t know how many times I’ve benn dive-bombed from 10 car lengths back. Motorsport 5 is a simulation… A stress simulation. I go into a race and I’m constantly paranoid that I’m going to be taken out. I’ve been playing on unbeatable and the “AI” is just way to aggressive. Always trying to pass at any given corner. The next step down is to easy. I was doing a private race 20 laps around Road America and got through the field in 3 laps then left them after that and nearly lapped the back markers at the end.
Longer races would help I think. Its kinda dumb having to beat and bang your way from 10th in 2-3 laps just to get a gold in a career race. Also they need to somehow build a way that the drivatars can asses the situation and determine if a pass could be made successfully. Not just hail mary it in every corner. Sure every once in a while in a big braking zone they would try to out brake you. but its all about risk vs reward. And to the drivatars there isn’t that. The only other thing I have to say on the subject of these drivatars is there way of getting back on track. Something is programmed into them that as soon as they leave the track they must make it back to the racing line ASAP. That is another think that always bothered me. You think your clear and then Bam! A car is in your door because he wants to get to the racing line.
At this point for me all forza motorsport is good for is rivals. Big waste of $60 imo. And as a fan of the series since the first. It is very disappointing and could very well be likely the last motorsport I purchase. Sorry that was so long winded.
4 Likes
Lol.
Literally now the only reason I put the disk in is for series racing. I’m not so serious as TORA stuff, but the races my club holds are enough to keep me coming back. Nothing like a grid of 10+ players keeping it clean in a long race.
I would say though, that I did used to enjoy the Drivatars on the long private races on unbeatable. I think as long as your aware you may get a dive bombed if one is behind you, you can have really fun races. That being said, I have deleted people off my FL because of their Drivatars…
1 Like
Am I the only one that hasn’t had a bad experience with the Drivatars?
2 Likes
I have not had any memorably bad experiences with the Drivatars. I would like to see them continue to get development, naturally. It is true that they don’t really drive exactly like the person they are based on, but they still behave in less robotic ways than traditional AI. They can pressure you and challenge you on the track, or sometimes they can mess up bad an wreck themselves spectacularly in ways normal AI just doesn’t. True, the aggressive behavior is learned, and I think slightly longer races might make a difference there. Since you will have time to pass patiently and not have to ram your way into 3rd place or better from the back within two or three laps, your Drivatar will also learn to be more calculating in its passing behaviors. I still think it’s a brilliant concept and I hope to see it carried forward and improved upon further.
1 Like
No Sonic6L, I have the same problem with Drivatars, I think the problem is that because many people drive aggressively against the drivatars, the drivatar that is simulating that persons driving style and so the drivatar drives aggressively lol. And like PGT Claret said: I have ended up deleting friends online because they’re drivatars are crazy and stick to you like glue, even if your 45 seconds ahead off the other drivatars you friends drivatar is still right behind you and chasing you.
Lol. I deleted them because they seemed to be men possessed - ramming their way through the field and making it impossible to race properly. I don’t mind finishing last - so long as I’ve had a good fight for position.
It’s pretty weird, some people’s Drivatars are awful, yet I know they’re good clean racers. Do the Drivatars “learn” from online or offline play?
The Driveatar consists of two parts. The first is a replica of how you drive a circuit for example if I take turn one of Silverstone constantly wide then my Driveatar will take that wide line. Then there is the AI side that you train to race against you, if you are a basher n’ crasher (Or simple lack the racing skill) with the AI then you will teach them thats how you like to drive, and the AI bash and crash you back. I am a clean racer so have taught the AI to drive properly for an example of clean racing with the AI watch the video link under my sig.
I think you misread my post. My experience with drivatars has been good, I’ve raced against my friends drivatars and not had an issue, even with random drivatars I haven’t had an issue. I have had an issue where there is a massive gap between 2nd place and 1st place but I can catch up fairly easily, just not quick enough, the only problem there is, is that the races are too short. I can go from 14th to second within a few corners.
I like the Drivatars :).
maybe both but defiantly off line. i completed the career before ever going online and my sync was up there. i didn’t have test track, the drag strips, or that virus playground since they were not in career mode but it defiantly syncs in single player mode.
I respectfully disagree. Use whatever physics you like - it in no way makes it a sim. Forza has always been advertised as Motorsport rather than sim. GTA has weather cycles, that’s not sim. ( pardon the bad example)
I appreciate many try to use it as sim - myself included - by running series style races, but tyre wear, fuel consumption, and complete lack of in-game options prevent that.
There’s not even any rules to the game, other than cross the finish line first. No flag system, penalty system, nothing.
There’s no qualifying, or point system, and you get gold for finishing 3rd.
In single player you start every race in the series in the same place, and in drag you have no time to set up revs.
4 Likes
I think you are confusing physics with race rules. If Need for Speed (Not knocking the game its a great game just using it as an example but its an arcade racer) had flag rules or higher tyre wear would it be a sim, of course not it would still be a arcade racer. Professional F1 teams use simulators but they don’t have flag rules are they simulators, yes they are. To be a simulator you have to try and recreate a model of the real world physics as close as possible. So with Turn 10 using data from Calspan (amongst other data providers past and present) and laser scanned tracks is Forza a sim, yes it is.
Just for fun here are some F1 Sim links (No flag rules were hurt in the videos) 
McLaren’s F1 Simulator with Gary Paffett
Mark Blundell tests Williams F1 Simulator
You mean cross the finish line 3rd.