As recently disscussed, PCM10 has AI issues, there is unrealistic results in sprint and hilly classics. Lack of sprint train is obviouly a bug, but for hilly classic, I think it's hard to claim it a bug and there may be another way to make the gameplay more realistic.
Many members criticize there is always a large group sprinting at Amstel and Huy, yes it is, when I play with offical db, there is about 60-80 riders for the final uptill sprint. But I think the more annoying part is the small gap for the final results and more importantly, lack of tactics. In real life, it is great fun to watch La Flèche Wallonne, becasue the final sprint is very unpredictable, you must ride very smart to go at the right time, if you go too early (Like Kloden and Anton this year) you will be empty later and be dropped. But in the game, what you have to do is hit you leader to the first place before the climb and click sprint. For this climb, a bike's length is much more important than the bonus you follow someone. It's funny that Mur de Huy is 1.1km long but you can sprint at 1.5km left. I have to say the stage map is realistic but the gameplay isn't. In the game the sprint may last for only about 10secs(this shouldn't happen on the steepest climb in cycling, even in game), with so little time you can sprint at 1.5km and still have yellow and red bar left. So the result is mostly decided by the position you hit the climb, no tactics needed(the best is to go as early as climb starts), I think it's not much fun to play that.
I think there is a way to both solve this and make the results more realistic, just modify the stage and make Huy longer, it should be at least 2km long, maybe 2,5km. With that change, you must plan when to make your move, it's no longer possible to attack far early or you will pay for that on later slope. In order to win you must be very experienced and intelligent(like Evans this year). That will give more fun. And as the climb is harder, there won't be so many riders with the same time and the gap will be similar to the real life, also the chance for a top rider to win is higher.
So I think Cynaide do not need to change their code for hilly AI, because gameplay in other hilly stages is acceptable, just not so good in Andernes Classics(especially Amstel golden race), if you don't want so many rider left in the final, you can also change the profile a little, make the hills slightly tougher, for example, set the 3% slopes to 3.5%, I'm sure many riders will be eliminated before the final.
The stages are just the way they should be. Shure, there are some minor elements that arn't 100 % realistic, such as sprints starting 2km before the finish line and not 200 meters. No, the stages are great, the AI needds a good fixing over
