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F1 22

Porpoising in F1 22 would've been "a really unpleasant experience for a gamer"

We talk with Lee Mather about incorporating yearly physics changes to both cars and tyres.

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Even though you can read our review and some players got early access to it already, F1 22 officially releases today on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, and as part of our coverage we sat down with EA's creative director Lee Mather to learn more about this year's intricacies other than the creation of supercars.

"Obviously when the season started we'd pretty much locked down the base physics", Mather reminds in the video below about the margin Codemasters normally has to add mid-season changes, when asked about the infamous porpoising and bottoming effects. "We hadn't locked down the season order, that's something that always changes and fluctuates, and we do update the cars post launch as well to accommodate that. We didn't do porpoising, we believed it would be very upsetting for the player experience and we've since tried it just to make sure that we were right and it's really not comfortable to play, because if you are in a vehicle and bouncing around the eye compensates. If you're looking at the screen, literally what the screen is doing is bouncing, so it was a very, very, unpleasant experience, and in VR too it would've most likely seen people feeling not exactly great. We were certainly hoping it would have been resolved in the sport by now, but it seems that a number of teams are still having issues with it. It's one of those things that while it's part of the sport, it shouldn't be part of the sport for much longer, hopefully. But it would have been a really unpleasant experience for a gamer".

Tweaks due to larger tyres in 2022

Besides, we also discussed this year's larger tyres that take some time to get to the ideal temperature.

"This is really interesting. What we've done is not just follow what we needed to do for the rules, but we've been constantly pushing to improve our tyre model", Mather explains. "One of the biggest changes you'll find is the feeling of how much bite you get from the tyre. They feel really direct, really accurate. You no longer turn a little before the apex, you turn for the apex and the car feels really direct. When it goes into a slide it's a very snappy procedure but it's very catchable. It doesn't feel lazy, it feels as you would expect. There's a degree of weight to it because the cars are heavier this year, so you certainly feel that through the physics. But also with the tyres, because of the extra unsprung weight you get from the 18-inch wheel and tyre package again does change the experience. So, it's a mixture of what they've done with the sports, that we've recreated, but also the big stride we've made in multiple areas: the tyre model, the way that the transmission works and also the way that the suspension works, because the suspension plays a big part in it more than it ever has done this year, because previously the 13-inch with the high sidewalled tyre, the tyre acted as a damper to a degree, whereas now there isn't that. The suspension is doing all the work because the tyres are much more low-profile, so again there was a shift in how the whole system works together".

How much do you like simracing to recreate real racing conditions? Leave a comment below.

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F1 22Score

F1 22

REVIEW. Written by Daniel Andersen

The new Formula 1-season is well underway, and now we also get the annual edition of the official video game, F1 22.



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