Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 229: Evolving the Automation Build Generator (and Creating Another)

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 229: Evolving the Automation Build Generator (and Creating Another)

Recently, I updated the instructions for the Convertible, Fleet/Passenger, Concept, and Custom/Tuned spaces on the Type wheel (the first one on the top row of the Automation Build Generator spinner wheel set) to read "Respin x1" (in parentheses), to reflect the fact that a single respin of that wheel is required if it lands on any of those spaces. However, apart from this, I have not yet added, removed, or even renamed any spaces on any of the wheels in the Automation Build Generator. 

On the other hand, I've been toying with creating a simpler version of this set (or adapting the current one instead), with fewer segments on some of the wheels, but this would entail merging multiple different spaces into a single option on a particular wheel - an operation that would have to be performed multiple times. Specifically, the Type, Market, and Color wheels could be reorganized as follows:

• Type: Kei/Bubble/Micro, (Sub)Compact Hatch/City Car, Family/Premium Sedan, Luxury Sedan, Wagon/Estate, SUV/Crossover/4x4, (HD)Pickup Truck/Ute, MPV/Van (Cargo/Passenger), Coupe, Convertible, Muscle/Pony, GT Car/Luxury Coupe, Sports Car, Supercar/Hypercar, Concept, Custom/Race (16 total)
• Market: North America, Central/South America, UK, Italy, Germany, France, Europe (other), Africa/Middle East, China, Japan, Asia (other), Australia/New Zealand
• Color: Red/Maroon, Orange/Brown, Yellow/Gold, Green/Lime, Blue/Cyan, Purple/Violet, Pink/Magenta, White, Silver/Gray, Black

The resulting condensed version would be more like the original CEL Challenge set, but without provision for positive or negative modifiers, while retaining the possibility of selecting from various color options, albeit with a condensed set of choices.

As for expansion of the current Automation Build Generator spinner wheel set, splitting some of the existing options on the Type wheel into two new ones is possible; if I were to do so, it could be as follows:

• Compact Sedan/Hatch: Replaced with Compact Sedan and Compact Hatch. Both are identical except for body style.
• Midsize/Premium Sedan: Replaced with Midsize Sedan and Premium Sedan, the latter of which is more upmarket than the former.
• Sports/Super Sedan: Replaced with Sports Sedan and Super Sedan, the latter of which is more upmarket and places more emphasis on performance than the former.
• Fullsize/Executive Sedan: Replaced with Fullsize Sedan and Executive Sedan, the latter of which is more upmarket than the former.
• Premium/Performance Wagon: Replaced with Premium Wagon and Performance Wagon, the latter of which emphasizes performance more heavily than the former.
• Premium/Performance SUV: Replaced with Premium SUV and Performance SUV, the latter of which emphasizes performance more heavily than the former.
• MPV/Passenger Van: Replaced with MPV/Minivan and Passenger Van, the latter of which is generally larger than the former.
• Sports Car: Unchanged, but has a new option (Premium Sports Car) added immediately ahead of it. This option, slotted directly behind the Supercar space, is more upmarket by comparison.

Another optional expansion would involve adding and/or renaming options on the Market wheel, as follows: 

• Central America/Caribbean: A new option, placed directly after Canada but directly behind the South America space.
• Spain: Could be added between France and Scandinavia.
• South Asia: Could become a separate space, placed immediately before Southeast Asia, which in turn sits just behind another new space, titled Asia (Other).

The last candidate for expansion would be the Respin x1 wheel, which would have four spaces for each of its three options instead of one or two, as was the case previously.

It should be noted that implementing any (or all) of these expansions will not invalidate any previous combinations made using this particular set; however, considering the further increases in complexity they entail, the resulting set would have to be referred to as "Advanced Rules". The simpler version of that set, with fewer options, would be called a Basic Rule Set. As of now, the Advanced Automation Build Generator, with all three expansions implemented, would look like this:

Above: The Advanced Automation Build Generator after further expansion, with some spaces on the Type and Market wheels being renamed while new ones were added to both. In addition, the number of spaces on the Respin x1 wheel has been doubled.

And here are some of the combinations (including respin results, where applicable) that it generated after several experiments:

Above, from top: Some examples of combinations (complete with their corresponding respin results) generated at random using the Advanced Automation Build Generator.

I have since renamed the Lime Green and Sky Blue options on the Color wheel to "Lime/Bright Green" and "Sky/Bright Blue", respectively, as well as doubling the amount of spaces per choice on the Option wheel, but I haven't made any other changes to the set; the further updated version is shown below. However, while I will continue to use the original Advanced Rules set for when a more specific description is required or preferred, I will also use a simplified version (the "Basic Rules" variant) in its place whenever the greater precision afforded by the original set is neither necessary or desirable.

The simpler Basic Rules version of the Automation Build Generator (above) is closer in spirit to the original CEL Challenge spinner wheel set (or my Remix set based on it), but the more complex Advanced Rules variant (below) allows for a more precise result to be generated with each iteration.

In short, creating a simpler Basic Rules spin-off of my heavily revised and expanded Automation Build Generator (which I've since called the Advanced Rules set) should help restore its appeal to less experienced users, without compromising the greater depth desired by more highly skilled users who prefer the Advanced Rules variant. However, the Year wheels in both sets are exactly identical - and retaining it for both sets ensures that the trim year selection under Basic Rules is not too vague.