Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 31: The Kee to Success

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 31: The Kee to Success

When I was given my first chance to host CSR in over a year, I immediately jumped at the chance. However, having seen how the previous round failed to utilize the full potential of UE4, I realized that I had to find a way to avoid this problem, and the only way to accomplish this was to revert to the original Kee version of Automation until UE4 was fully sorted. Being the enthusiast that I am, I themed CSR61 around sports coupes on a moderate budget ($25000 with a 20% markup) for the 1999 model year. I could have made CSR61 about economical compacts for the 2009 model year, but chose not to do so, the reason for which will be discussed at the end of this post.

Within a day, I started receiving entries from other users. Given that the reviews for CSR26 were very long, I decided to make them much more concise this time around, but as was the case back then, I made a draft of the reviews as soon as I had received the corresponding entries. And as before, the plan worked. This time, I only received 25 entries, but this was still a big undertaking. Inevitably, the reviews provided quite a few surprises... and a few things that weren't so surprising.

The first thing I did was to narrow down the field to a few contenders. If it didn't handle well enough, was too difficult to drive, had insufficient power, or quite simply lacked the looks, it was out on the spot. That left me with just nine cars to choose from - but for some strange reason, five of them were totally identical to each other (and also five of the cars I had cut previously) under the skin, so from that lot, I was forced to cut all of them except for the best-looking one, which, like the other four finalists, remained in contention purely on merit.

Then came the time to test-drive the last few remaining cars: the Orion XS-1, Centauri Buffalo GTZ, JHW Huntsman, Dragotec Vienna and GBF La Astuzia. After this second round of research, the Huntsman was cut for being too tame, and the XS-1 was the next to go, due to not feeling enough like a premium product despite its impressive technical specification. Separating the top three was much more difficult, though.

The futuristic La Astuzia took the bronze medal. It looked, felt, sounded and drove like a true thoroughbred, but its complex suspension was much more maintenance-intensive than I wanted, and so it could not finish any higher. The Vienna also looked and felt like a potential winner, and was without doubt the best all-rounder of the top three, with astounding performance stats across the board. What held its back were its merely average build quality and reliability. This, combined with its relative lack of drama, ensured that it would finish a close second, behind the V8-powered Buffalo. That car was not only more reliable, but better built as well.

The Centauri Buffalo GTZ - bold, brutish and brilliant on the road.

After awarding the win to the big blue Buffalo, I pondered on what to do with the clone cars. It took me around an hour of deliberation, but I settled on a brutal car chase along Highway 1 from Santa Monica to Malibu, with all 10 clone cars chasing the Buffalo. Five of the "clones" were destroyed in a crash just before the tunnel, and the rest were wiped out on the westward run to the junction at Sunset Boulevard. To be fair, the epilogue was not entirely necessary, but I added it anyway just because I hadn't done so before.

Given that CSR62 recently reintroduced UE4 Automation to CSR after that version received several major updates, it is possible that CSR61 could be among the last few rounds to use the original Kee version. Still, I'll look back on this round as a fairly pleasant experience for all involved. I will give a rundown on CSR62 after it has concluded. In the meantime, I'll see you back in the brave new world of UE4 - but I will still revisit Kee when I have to.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 30: Unreal Problems

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 30: Unreal Problems

CSR60 marked a milestone for the long-running competition, for it was the first one to use the UE4 version after 59 straight rounds in the original Kee version. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but... there were teething troubles, more on which later. In the meantime, here's the premise for this ground-breaking round.

Rather than take the safe route by making a round about affordable stuff like economy or family cars, the host requested the entrants to build and submit premium sporting convertibles from the years 2018 to 2020. Given that performance cars were my forte, entering this round was a no-brainer. I opted for a fairly simple approach - a big normally aspirated engine up front, driving the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, all wrapped up in a two-seat body. The resulting car, the LAP LE52, was submitted using the exact same method as used in Kee - by attaching its associated export file to a PM for the host. We assumed there would be nothing wrong with this feature, as had always been the case previously...

Unfortunately, the import function for UE4 Automation was bugged to the point of uselessness, so the host requested an alternate method: sending a zip file containing screenshots from the trim (design, overview, wheels/tires, brakes, safety and suspension) and engine (one showing an overview of the engine variant, and one showing its dyno sheet) tabs, with exactly one additional screenshot from the photo mode included. I duly obliged, but was miffed about being used as a guinea pig for a new, unproven take on such an established competition. In fact, this round is not likely to be remembered as fondly as it should have been for that glaring issue alone. And no matter what the results are, I won't be as satisfied as I would usually be after wrapping up a round of CSR.

One major consequence of this botched round is that until the UE4 version has been properly sorted, CSR is highly likely to revert to Kee for the time being, starting with the next round. I have mixed feelings about this. While the previous round used the Kee engine, its obtuse scoring and pricing systems put many users off, me included. So returning to a more conventional scoring method made perfect sense. On the other hand, I was giddy with anticipation after finding out that this round would be a leap of faith into the unknown world that was UE4 Automation, and only now, just before the deadline, have I realized that it is still very much half-baked in comparison to Kee; thankfully, the host has also realized his mistake, and is unlikely to repeat it again. Here's hoping that CSR61 takes place as normal, in the Kee engine, without anything as farcical as what happened this round, or the previous one for that matter.

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 4: Back In The Black

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 4: Back In The Black

Watching this year's Golden Globe Awards, where nearly everyone wore black, gave me an idea: What if all four of the characters I have made so far (or plan to) actually attended the ceremony? To that end, I gave each of them a black gown, but they would be paying tribute to victims of sexual abuse, rather than someone who died recently, as is customary in Western cultures. Here is how each of them would look.

First up is Tiffany Ellis, my first doll. Her dress is a recolored version of one I made for her earlier, teamed with emerald jewelry - a homage to the suffragettes who campaigned for women's rights a century ago, and often wore green.

Next is Michelle Hawkins. I gave her chunkier earrings and a diamond necklace, along with a dress which has a more voluminous silhouette and a slightly different neckline.

The next character is Katherine Meyer. Her dress is shorter and slimmer, and is in fact the simplest design here. You should expect to see much more of her in the near future.

Finally, the fourth and last character here, Jessica Burton, has the longest dress of all, and wears red statement jewelry - a logical decision given that red is her favorite color. Like Katherine, she will be making more appearances on this blog in the coming posts.

That just about does it for now, but in subsequent posts, expect to see other outfits for these characters (especially the last two). In the meantime, I'll reflect on yet another CSR round that didn't end well - stay tuned for details.

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 3: Sweet Sunshine

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 3: Sweet Sunshine

After creating Tiffany, my first Azalea's Dolls character, I realized that I wanted to create another one. Having already made purple the color of choice for my first "doll", I turned my attention to the opposite side of the color wheel - yellow, to be precise. This second character, whom I shall refer to by the name Michelle Lee Hawkins, is Tiffany's close friend.  

Above: A card for my second doll, Michelle Lee Hawke - Tiffany's best friend. Here is how she would look in a bright yellow dress.

I gave Michelle dark skin and a warm complexion, as a counterpoint to Tiffany's cool, pale skin tone, and set it off with yellow garments such as the strapless dress shown above. To complete the look, I added gold jewelry, as though to make it look like she is radiating endless sunshine all around her. In addition, she would most likely have a sanguine temperament - extroverted and outgoing, in contrast with Tiffany's melancholic temperament, which is more introverted and conservative.

Beyond these first two dolls, I have two more in the pipeline. Stay tuned - these two are meant to complete the four-temperament ensemble I have been planning for a while.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 29: New Year's Resolutions... And Revolutions

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 29: New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year to all the Automationeers out there! This post is where I will summarize some of my new year's resolutions as a Steam user. 

First and foremost, my aim is to be a better Automationeer overall. Given that I was running out of ideas in the UE4 version, I realized that the only way to do this was to opt into the recently released open beta for the latest UE4 build. I've only been using it for two weeks, but already this one is well on track to being kept: the addition of hints and warnings is proving useful whenever I design a new car. And in response to criticism from other users in the past, I have been making concerted efforts to improve the exterior design for each of my cars.

Another part of my new year's resolution is to revise the lore for my first all-UE4 Automation car company, Morton. Since the recent UE4 update renders all previous designs non-canon, it serves as the perfect opportunity to redesign every model they have made, along with all their engines. So far, this plan is off to a decent start. For example, the Morton Kestrel, the flagship sports car of the range, has not only been redesigned with a more aggressive front end, but according to the new lore, is also introduced two years sooner compared to previously. Moreover, its engine will be shared with other Mortons, as was the case in the previous timeline.

Finally, I will also commit to more all-UE4 competitions, or, for recurring competitions such as CSR, enter more rounds which require the use of UE4. With increasing amounts of realism being built in to this release, it is no wonder that participating in these challenges ought to be a much better experience than it once was, especially as more and more of the bugs are fixed over time. That said, UE4 in its current state is still a long way from being polished (and missing scenarios and a Lite Campaign - I can't wait to try those after they've been reintroduced). On the other hand, the earlier Kee version is a long way from being replaced altogether by UE4, especially since other challenges use it out of necessity.

In short, the recent changes to UE4 are so comprehensive, and the extensive rewrite of Morton's backstory resulting from them, effectively ensure that my new year's resolution is effectively a revolution rather than evolution. So sit tight and buckle up - 2018 is going to be an exciting year for sure. 

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 2: Purple Passion

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 2: Purple Passion

In the previous post I described how getting the latest UE4 Automation build was like receiving a Christmas present of sorts, but also a means of achieving my New Year's resolution earlier than expected - the extra realism, combined with the addition of more hints and warnings, ought to help me design better cars, and so far it has. It's no surprise that I used this opportunity to return the favor and show a redesigned version of my first UE4 car, the Morton Kestrel. However, I also have something else to show you this holiday season- and this time, it's not a vehicle of some sort, but a fictional character made using the Heroine Fan Art Creator on Azalea's Dolls.

The first step was to give her a name. I settled on Tiffany Marie Ellis, since my original plan to use Evans as her last name was scuppered by the mere possibility that someone else had used it first. With that issue dealt with, I soon began to examine various possibilities for her appearance. In the end, I gave her short, light blonde hair, pale skin and sky-blue eyes, since I felt that it would harmonize with her favorite color, which is purple. She also had a roughly triangular face and a long nose. Finally, I depicted her smiling (almost) all the time to reflect her upbeat personality.

Then came the part where I had to give her a set of outfits. The first one consisted of a coat over a V-neck top and short skirt combination, embellished with gold earrings and an amethyst necklace. For want of a better term, I called this one her "everyday" outfit. I later created an alternate version of this outfit after I redesigned her basic appearance, this time without the optional coat and different jewelry, among other changes.

In addition, I also created a casual outfit consisting of low-rise jeans and a tank top. Here, I swapped the high heels for sneakers and ditched the coat altogether. Another change was the replacement of the diamond-shaped earrings with annular ones, which I felt were more suited to a laid-back look such as this one.

The next three designs depict Tiffany in a variety of dresses. The first of these, which swaps the more usual set of heels for a pair of flats, is meant for less formal occasions, while the other two are primarily reserved for black-tie events such as movie premieres. You may notice that Tiff's skin is even paler in the third picture. The reason is simple - I revamped her slightly so that her skin tone would not clash with her purple outfits as much as it used to. Also, I swapped the pearls for amethysts and added a sparkling gold belt to the bodice.

Here is another idea I had for a casual look. This time she has ditched the ab-baring tank top and binned the sneakers in favor of a pair of boots. I made this for anyone who thought the previous casual outfit was too revealing.

I felt it would be remiss to depict Tiff in activewear, so I gave her a black crop top and leggings with purple accents. This is also the first time I chose not to add any jewelry at all to the outfit. Also, I reinstated the white sneakers from her second outfit.

Finally, this eighth and last outfit shows Tiff holding a book while wearing a T-shirt. It could be that she is studying; alternatively, she could be relaxing after a long day of work. Unlike her other outfits, this one includes a pair of spectacles, presumably to fit the contemplative mood conveyed by the picture above.

I also created a pool party outfit and a mermaid outfit for Tiff, but have chosen not to show either of them here simply because I consider them to be too vulgar for this blog. Even so, these outfits should serve as a reminder of the nearly limitless possibilities that can arise when using the Heroine Fan Art Creator. But for me, creating Tiff was just the start. She will soon be joined by other dolls, and their stories will be told in subsequent posts. Stay tuned...

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 28: A Holiday Surprise

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 28: A Holiday Surprise

First of all, merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all the Automationeers out there! This holiday period has brought a pleasant surprise to me. Specifically, the latest update to the UE4 version of Automation is now in its open beta phase. While this renders all cars and engines made in prior versions incompatible with the latest build, it also introduces some much-needed extra realism - and a chance to redo any cars from whatever new companies I have which have any sort of lore, however rudimentary. So without further ado, here is a brief rundown on the changes.

An assortment of hints for the car designer introduced in the latest UE4 Automation open beta

The first thing I noticed was that some menus now have a set of hints, which are very useful to say the least. Many users, including myself, have been asking for this feature ever since the UE4 version was released, and to say that they make designing cars much easier is clearly an understatement. In addition, the inclusion of minor warnings (indicated by a blue exclamation mark icon) alongside moderate warnings (which have a yellow icon) and the existing major warnings (with red icons) ensure that any problems with a particular car can be easily pinned down and rectified. They are too many to list individually here, but they all add a sense of realism absent from earlier releases.

Some of the revised trim options introduced in the UE4 open beta

More importantly, though, it is once again possible to adjust fixture and body quality independently, and select the number of seats in each row for purposes of practicality, utility or weight reduction. Driving aids now have their own quality slider, while cars can be equipped with cross-ply or radial tires, the latter becoming available only in more recent model years. On top of that, increasing the top speed makes tires more expensive by increasing their speed rating accordingly. Finally, when tuning a car's suspension, it is possible to test the suspension system with several different combinations of cargo and occupants, although the corresponding functionality has not been added yet.

The competitiveness bug in action.

This build is still some way off from a public release, though, and one of the reasons is that the competitiveness stats in some demographics are severely inflated. For example, the reimagined Morton Kestrel - my first UE4 car design, and now introduced as a 2011 model year vehicle - currently has a competitiveness value of 370.7 in the Fruinian Muscle Premium market at its pre-markup price of $28000, since competitiveness calculations only consider the effects of user-made cars and ignore the pre-built competitors entirely. I expect this issue to be addressed in a future update, by which time the only new chassis material option - light AHS steel - will hopefully receive a full description. Even so, there are many other bugs waiting to be found and fixed, which explains why most forum competitions still use the earlier Kee version for now.

An overview of the reimagined 2011 Kestrel. Previously it was listed as a 2013 model but I changed this in accordance with my planned lore revisions.

In short, despite all the bugs, glitches and crashes that the latest UE4 release is susceptible to, the multitude of additional features, and the extra realism that comes with them, ensures that this build is light-years ahead of its predecessor. Considering that it fixed many of the problems that plagued the first few UE4 builds, this is saying something. In the future, UE4 Automation will evolve even further, building on the developments introduced in the current release - including the presence of a Christmas tree (complete with presents!) and a pair of filled stockings in the car and engine designers, respectively, during the holiday season. Until then, I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!