The BBC reports:
'Wiping out is a fundamental part of the fun in a driving-based video game. Crashless gaming is an indication that the player is not pushing hard enough. And when the crash comes, gamers want the experience to be as realistic as possible. New work by designers and engineers means crashes are getting more spectacular and frighteningly accurate than ever.
Modelling a smash-up is a complicated physics problem for a game designer, and arguably the last frontier for driving-simulator game development. Plastics, metals, glass and other materials all deform and fracture at different rates and in different places. Every crash is unique in its destruction, and the anatomy of a crash is boggling in its complexity and speed. A modern car may have a plastic bumper, aluminium hood and a rigid steel safety cell, which all crease or fold, absorbing some of the crash energy. Then there is rebound from all these systems, as parts of them bounce back. The whole process is over in about 70 milliseconds (0.07 sec) faster than the proverbial blink of an eye (0.1 sec).
Carmakers use super-computers to run crash simulators to recreate these explosive events, and to test new vehicle designs without actually destroying anything. The idea dates back to software company ESI, which in 1978 presented a simulation at a conference of a fighter plane crashing into a nuclear power plant.'
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[Ed note: this is a quite old story, but might lead to interesting discussion. What kind of simulators have you operated and how well did the prepare you for the real-life activity? Which ones were successful? Which ones were not?]
Back in 2013, TopGear brought in simulation champion Greger Huttu from Vaasa, Finland to drive a real racing car to investigate how well simulator skills transfer to physical racing. In a nutshell the answer is quite well, aside from the motion sickness.
After one installation lap to check everything's working, he starts his first flyer. All eyes turn to the final corner, a swooping downhill-right with a vicious wall on the outside, ready to collect understeery mishaps. Here comes Greger. The engine revs high and hard and his downshifts sound perfectly matched. Then he comes into sight and, to the sound of many sucked teeth, absolutely bloody nails it through the bend, throttle balanced, car planted. His only hiccup is a late upshift, that has the rotary engine blatting off its limiter. "Time to crank up the revs," says Alan. "He's quick."
The telemetry confirms it. His braking points are spot on. He's firm and precise on the throttle. And in the fastest corner, he's entering at 100mph compared to an experienced driver's 110 - a sign of absolute confidence and natural feel for grip. Remember, this is a guy who has never sat in a racing car in his life - he's only referencing thousands of virtual laps. Then, on lap four, he pops in a 1:24.8, just three seconds off a solid time around here. He reckons the car feels more grippy than it does online, but that's probably down to set-up and baking-hot tarmac. It's a weirdly familiar experience, he says, like déjà vu... with added sweat.
The air temperature is 34 degrees; in the cockpit, it's probably closer to 45. It's just too extreme for the increasingly sickly looking bloke from the Arctic. Then there's the g-forces. Road Atlanta is a bucking, weaving, undulating place, where your tummy floats over crests, then smashes into your intestines through compressions. This is another first for Greger. He's never been on a rollercoaster, or even in a fast road car. In fact, the quickest he's ever been was on the flight over here, which also happened to be his first plane ride. Which would explain why, as he hurtles down the back straight at 100mph, he throws up, right inside his helmet. When he rolls into the pits, little flecks of sick roll down his visor and his overalls are soggy around the neck.
For the most part, he handled the car quite well.
Previously:
(2020) Video Game Approved as Prescription Medicine
(2020) Pacman Turns 40 Years Old
(2016) Aircraft Are Now So Automated Pilots Have Forgotten How to Fly
(2014) Video-Game Vehicle Crashes Get Real
(Score: 3, Funny) by yellowantphil on Sunday July 06 2014, @02:12AM
Including whiplash? Being trapped in your burning vehicle? Death? I imagine that games just want a realistic depiction of the crash on their screen, plus maybe some relatively gentle force feedback in their chair and steering wheel. I'm not going to sign up for an iron rod through the chest, even if it is more realistic.
If these on-screen simulated crashes become realistic enough, could we use them for additional safety testing of cars? It can't be cheap to crash a bunch of brand new cars just to see how they crumple when they hit a barricade.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday July 06 2014, @02:26AM
You beat me to addressing the idea, although as a bloodthirsty American I want to see some realistic ragdoll physics with regard to the driver inside the car. Like the head bashing through the side window, breaking it and spraying blood everywhere, or even the driver being ejected from the windshield (no seatbelt mode) and flying headfirst into another car traveling the opposite direction at highway speeds.
Splat!
(Score: 2) by meisterister on Sunday July 06 2014, @04:41AM
Why not go the action movie route and have minor bumps cause massive explosions?
(May or may not have been) Posted from my K6-2, Athlon XP, or Pentium I/II/III.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday July 06 2014, @05:06AM
Because Ford stopped making the Pinto [youtube.com] years ago.
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Sunday July 06 2014, @11:20PM
What you want is the Flatout [gog.com] series [gog.com] which even has a series of mini-games for how far you can launch the guy out the car, including a "high jump" and a giant dartboard you score points by launching the driver through. And if you want crashes so huge you will squee like a girl at a Beiber concert try Burnout:Paradise [steampowered.com] which can have wrecks that literally go on for MILES, with metal shards and glass acting like its the 1950s with all the pieces flying everywhere...you'll be gobsmacked at just how bautiful your crashes can be. Oh and they always replay your crash in slo-mo so you can enjoy the insane carnage you have wrought...you're welcome ;-)
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Hairyfeet on Sunday July 06 2014, @11:25AM
TFA is BS as what gamers want is "INSANE-O CRASHES 4 THE WIN!!!!" because those are FUN with a capital F and isn't that what games are for? I got Burnout:Paradise from a Humble Bundle awhile back and along with the copy of Flatout II that I got on the GOG summer sale I'd have to say they got crashes right. Put the replay in slo-mo and let us enjoy our fantastic wreck in all its glass shattering metal crunching glory, thanks.
If you made the crashes realistic? You'd be bored to tears as all a modern car does is crunch at the crumple zone. This is why demo derbies are practically dead as any car made past the early 80s only gets hit once then its just a crumpled ball around the driver....yawn. Compare to BP where a typical wreck gets you airborne, even flipping end over end on occasion, with metal flying and glass acting like pre safety glass and going everywhere? Now THAT is entertainment!
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Pslytely Psycho on Sunday July 06 2014, @04:43PM
Hey Hairyfeet, you might enjoy The Next Car Game from Bugbear (The Flatout peaple). It is way over the top.
It's an Alpha state game, with an incredible physics engine (still in development, as it is being written specifically for this game.)
It is very playable at this stage and gets better with every update.
The crashes are major exaggerations of destruction, a fully destructible environment, and exceptional fun.
I love the more 'realistic' racers as well, but something like F1 2013 is completely unforgiving and sometimes you just want a celebration of destruction. (There are two destruction derby arenas and three tracks, tarmac, sand, gravel, with more to come.)
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Sunday July 06 2014, @11:01PM
If its from the Flatout guys? I'm there. I mean any company that puts a "how far can you launch the guy out the car" contest in their game? is major fun.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Monday July 07 2014, @12:01AM
http://www.bugbear.fi/ [bugbear.fi]
It's one of the most fun racers I have ever played. Although I don't know it 'flying out the windshield' drivers is slated to be incorporated or not. (Static drivers were just added two updates ago)
It is still in very early development.
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday July 06 2014, @02:15AM
TFS
Philip K Dick - Ubik [wikipedia.org]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Sunday July 06 2014, @07:01PM
TFA
BeamNG is creating a driving game with improved physics.
The summery isn't even a summery. Just a copy/paste of the first half of the article. The rest of the article is about the BeamNG game......
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 06 2014, @10:04AM
...Have a look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKdOz1_TFI8 [youtube.com]
Or the GTA IV Carmageddon Mod
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E6E5pmIT3c [youtube.com]
Hilarious (yet DISTURBING) fun! :D
(Score: 2) by EvilJim on Monday July 07 2014, @12:18AM
So in the 70's it's fine? but do that now and you'll be assassinated by drone strike.