Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 132: Looking Ahead to 2023 and Beyond

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 132: Looking Ahead to 2023 and Beyond

In the previous post, I showed a brief look back on what 2022 was like for me as an Automationeer. This time, however, I will be looking forward to 2023 and what it will bring to the Automation community. Specifically, I will describe some of my predictions for the New Year. The most important of them are as follows:

• Even more content, features, mods, and bugfixes: This is especially important, especially since 2022 saw the addition of a lot more content and features (including mods) than expected, in some cases replacing obsolete equivalents, some of which dated back to the Kee era of Automation. Moreover, 4.27 had a lot of bugs when it first entered open beta just before the start of 2022, but had become much more stable by year's end. That said, there is still room for improvement (in terms of content and stability, and I expect the Automation community to once again (over-)deliver in this regard.
• Increased standards for challenge hosting: Given that 2022 saw some of the most well-regarded Automation forum challenges (along with other challenges on the official Discord servers), it should come as no surprise that I would expect the challenges scheduled for launch 2023 will raise the bar even further. By now I've learned many lessons about hosting and joining challenges, but there is still scope for me to improve my skills, whether as a host or as an entrant, especially when developing a car intended for entry in a forum or Discord challenge (not just in terms of engineering, but also for interior and exterior design).

Fingers crossed my predictions for 2023 are correct. I hereby wish it and everyone who contributes to it a Happy New Year!

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 131: 2022 Year in Review - A Time of Change and Looking Ahead

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 131: 2022 Year in Review - A Time of Change and Looking Ahead

In regards to my hobby as an Automationeer, 2022 has proven to be a whirlwind year, with many ups and downs along the way. First, the bad news: I still haven't won an Automation forum competition... Yet. Worse yet, one such challenge, the Automation Legacy Challenge, intended as a showcase for the evolution of the fictional country of Araga, ended up in limbo after debuting with so much promise, although the Letara History Challenge has since filled the void it left behind. However, in the many challenges I have entered this year, I have learned many important lessons on how to build a car for a specific purpose, especially with the game having received many huge updates over the past year, thereby forcing me to re-learn some fundamental car-building skills.

Speaking of which, those updates have rendered everything I made in the previous game build obsolete, but this brings us to the good news: I treated this as an opportunity to make a fresh start. To that end, I exploited every new feature that was introduced for the newest release build (4.27); they have allowed players like myself to make cars that are more visually detailed and realistically engineered than ever before. And the really good news is that by now, the game has received a lot of new content, not just from the developers, but also from the thriving modding community, opening up lots of new possibilities. From new car body sets to extra trim and fixture options, as well as aesthetic advanced trim settings, designing a car in Automation has never been more enjoyable. Also, the community challenges hosted over the forums and Discord server are now generally of a higher standard than ever before. 

Keeping all of this in mind, 2023 should be a big year for us Automationeers, as I expect developers and modders alike to build on the work they've done over the past year, giving everyone a chance to take full advantage of the possibilities the new game build has provided us with, thereby raising the standard for car-building and challenge hosting to unprecedented heights. Here's to many more years of fun with Automation - I'll see you in the New Year, because that's when some of the challenges will wrap up, having being announced at some point in 2022, but are still ongoing as of now.

A Lifer's Diary, Part 5: A Brief History of Retirement Strategies

A Lifer's Diary, Part 5: A Brief History of Retirement Strategies

Ever since its debut in 1960, Hasbro's Game Of Life has had many format changes, but the one constant throughout them is the retirement mechanic that occurs when a player reaches the Retirement space at the very end of the Path of Life. However, each generation so far has handled retirement differently. Thus, a retirement strategy for one particular generation is seldom valid in another. Without further ado, here's a look at how retirement has evolved through the generations, as stated in the manuals for each one.

Retirement in Generation I

In Generation I, the Retirement space was not referred to as such, and was called the Day of Reckoning space. Any player who reached it would receive $20,000 per child and repay their debt at 25% interest ($25,000 for every $20,000 Promissory Note), before choosing to either go to Millionaire Acres or attempt to become a Millionaire Tycoon (but not both). A player who attempted to become a Millionaire Tycoon must place their mover (or their cash if they have any) on one of the ten numbers on the board, before spinning the wheel again. If the number spun does not match the number chosen, that player becomes bankrupt and moves to the Poor Farm. However, if the number spun matches the number chosen, that player instead becomes a Millionaire Tycoon, thereby winning the game immediately.

On the other hand, a player who chose to go to Millionaire Acres would have to spin again and move that many spaces towards that space. The first player to reach it would collect a $100,000 bonus and opponents' Lucky Number fees. The latter was determined as follows: Spin the wheel once, and the number on which it lands becomes their Lucky Number. For the rest of the game, a player with a Lucky Number can collect $10,000 from any opponent who spins it every time they do so, and that number can still be used for Side Bets. To distinguish them, each Millionaire Acres retiree must place their mover on their respective Lucky Number.

Finally, if none of the players become a Millionaire Tycoon, the game ends when the last player reaches the Poor Farm or Millionaire Acres. Every player then counts their money, and will receive a $50,000 bonus for owning a Stock Certificate, as well as $3,000 for a Life Insurance Policy. Once these bonuses have been added, the wealthiest player wins.

Retirement Strategies for Generation I

Attempting to become a Millionaire Tycoon is tempting, but since it carries a high risk of becoming bankrupt, it is only advisable to do so if you have very little money compared to your opponents. Otherwise, it is better to head to Millionaire Acres instead, preferably as the first player to do so, thereby earning a $100,000 bonus.

Retirement in Generation II

Generation II brought the single most significant change to how retirement would be handled in The Game of Life to date. The two options for retirement were now called Countryside Acres and Millionaire Estates; there was no longer any chance for a player to become a Millionaire Tycoon or go bankrupt. In addition, the space immediately before Retirement was now called the Pension space; any player who landed on it must spin the spinner once and collect $20,000 multiplied by the number spun. As in Generation I, all players must repay any and all of their outstanding loans upon retirement. Also, in Generation 2.5, sell their house (if they have one) by spinning the wheel to determine its resale value, as shown on the reverse side of their House Deed, with the money obtained being added to their net worth. Finally, upon retirement, each player must also place their Career and Salary Cards out of play, along with any Insurance Policies they own, although they will still retain any and all Stock Cards in their possession.

As for the actual retirement options, Countryside Acres was the safer of the two choices available. Anyone who retired there would receive a Life Tile (taking from another player if the draw pile was emptied, if possible) and their own Life Tiles could not be taken by other players. Retiring at Millionaire Estates was a riskier alternative. Although a player who retired there could have their Life Tiles taken from them if the draw pile was depleted; the wealthiest player to retire at Millionaire Estates would receive 4 Life Tiles after all players have retired. Moreover, if two Millionaire Estates retirees have a tie for the highest net worth, both of them will receive 2 Life Tiles each.

Once all players have retired, each player must reveal the combined value of any and all Life Tiles in their possession and add it to their net worth; as before, the wealthiest player wins.

Retirement Strategies for Generation II

I would recommend retiring at Millionaire Estates only if you are certain that you will be the wealthiest (or in some cases only) player to retire there. Otherwise, Countryside Acres would be a more viable option. Even then, collecting the 4 extra Life Tiles for being the richest player to retire at Millionaire Estates won't guarantee victory, but at least it makes you more likely to win the game. Not so much in Generation 2.5, where Life Tile values have been reduced fivefold compared to earlier prints of Generation II, but it's still a significant bonus nonetheless.

Retirement in Generation III

Generation III made it even riskier than before to retire at Millionaire Estates, since only the first three players to retire there would receive a Life Tile, and other players could still take Life Tiles from anyone who chose this option if the draw pile was depleted. On the other hand, although players retiring at Countryside Acres could not have their Life Tiles taken after the draw pile was emptied, they would not receive any additional Life Tiles either. Speaking of Life Tiles, their value remained unchanged from Generation 2.5.

Pension was nerfed for this revision. Previously, landing on this space would require you to spin the wheel and collect $20,000 multiplied by the number spun. Now, however, you could only collect $10,000 multiplied by the number spun if you landed there - a 50% reduction compared to Generation II. Nevertheless, pension bonuses can still yield a sizable amount of money at times. However, after retirement, players must still spin on their turn for Long-Term Investments.

As before, all players must sell their houses and repay their loans upon retirement, as well as placing their (College) Career Card out of play, but this time house values are fixed amounts. In addition, upon reaching the Retirement space, players will now receive $10,000 for every child they have. And just like in Generation II, once all players have retired, they must reveal the value of their Life Tiles and add them to their net worth. The player with the highest net worth (including Life Tile bonuses) still wins the game as before.

Retirement Strategies for Generation III

Retiring at Millionaire Estates is less viable than it once was, unless you have less cash on hand than some (or most, if not all) of your opponents. In such a scenario, however, opponents are more likely to overlook your stockpile of Life Tiles, and you have a better chance of holding on to them by the end of the game, thus improving your final net worth even further. Otherwise, stick to Countryside Acres, since it will guarantee that you will retain every Life Tile you had at the time of retirement.

Retirement in Generation IV

In Generation IV, choosing where you retire makes no difference at all to your net worth. However, the retirement system received a huge shake-up. The first, second, third and fourth players to retire will receive $400,000, $300,000, $200,000, and $100,000 respectively. In addition, each player will receive $50,000 for every child they have upon retirement, as well as having to pay $60,000 for every $50,000 loan they have not yet paid by then. However, unlike in Generation III, players no longer spin on their turn after retiring.

On top of that, they will not only receive $100,000 for every Action Card they have, but they must also sell any and all of their houses with a simple spin of the wheel for each one. If the wheel lands on an odd number (which has a red background), the house will be sold for its minimum resale value (which is always less than or equal to its purchase price); if it lands on an even number (which has a black background), the house will instead be sold for its maximum resale value (which is always greater than its purchase price), with both resale values for a given house being printed on the reverse side of each House card. And as always, when all is said and done, the wealthiest player wins.

Retirement Strategies in Generation IV

In general, the sooner you retire, the better, but it is also beneficial to retire with more children and/or Action Cards, and with as little debt as possible. Moreover, you should always try to purchase at least one House before retirement, if only because for each house you buy, you have a 50% chance of selling it for a profit.

Retirement in Generation V

For the first time ever, there is only one option for retirement instead of two or more. Another new feature is the option to take a shortcut to retirement near the end by following a shorter path instead of the longer main route. This makes it more likely for you to earn the bigger retirement bonuses, but you will miss out on the benefits of staying on the main route. However, you will receive less money for retiring than before: the first, second, third and fourth players to retire will receive $200,000, $100,000, $50,000 and $10,000 respectively. Also, players can still collect investments and be affected by Action Cards drawn by other players after retirement.

As before, you will need to sell your houses and pay your debts upon retirement, but now you will receive only $10,000 for every peg you have (not counting the one you started with). Nor can you receive bonuses for Action Cards, since they must now be returned to the deck immediately after you have read their instructions. And unlike in previous versions of the Game of Life, there is now a tie-breaker system: if two or more players have the same net worth, then the first of those players to retire will place highest among those.

Retirement Strategies for Generation V

Mostly use the same strategy as before, but there is now less benefit to retiring earlier and/or with more pegs, although you can now choose whether or not to do so. However, if you feel that you can actually earn more money without an early retirement, you may be better off staying on the Path of Life, so make sure to consider the circumstances as you approach the Retirement space.

Conclusion

No matter what version of The Game of Life you are playing, retirement plays a key role in your tactics and strategy. It only happens at the end of a game, but entire games have been decided by players choosing the (in)correct retirement strategy. Retiring at the right place and/or time could save you the embarrassment of a humiliating loss - or at least make it less likely for you to finish last.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 130: Another Christmas Gift

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 130: Another Christmas Gift

Happy Holidays! 'Tis the season for giving, so I would like to share with you a gift in the form of a recent Automation build: the 2003 SVP Bearclaw. This is a retro-styled car with aesthetics reminiscent of the original, but reimagined for the 21st century, and with a fully functional aerodynamic package to keep it planted on the road, even at high speeds. Unlike lesser trims, it has a more aggressive appearance overall, thanks to its functional hood scoop.

Above, from top: The exterior of the 2003 SVP Bearclaw. Aesthetically, it evokes memories of the original, but underneath its retro skin are genuinely modern underpinnings.

This generation of the Bearclaw is built on an AHS steel monocoque chassis clad in treated steel panels, with double wishbone front suspension and a multilink rear end, aided by adjustable dampers. Power comes from a 6.0L overhead-valve V8 that develops 350 bhp and 375 lb-ft of torque, sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and a geared limited-slip differential. The GT trim shown here adds a premium interior and sound system with satnav - fairly high-tech for 2003.

Above, from top: The interior of the Bearclaw has all the mod cons its customers would need, and provides a great driving environment. The example shown is right-hand drive for the purposes of a forum challenge, as shown below.

The GT trim has 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance tires, as much for style as for function. Braking is via large 4-wheel vented disc brakes with a sophisticated anti-lock system, while stability and traction control are standard (although both can be toggled off if you feel brave enough). A full suite of airbags (for the front and side), along with other advanced safety systems, keeps the occupants safe in the event of a crash.

In terms of performance, the '03 Bearclaw GT would have been quite formidable for its time, with a top speed of 175 mph and a 0-60 mph time of exactly 5 seconds. And it would have been very good at turning and stopping, too - this is a 21st century machine, after all. If you're wondering why I made this build, by the way, it's because it was meant to be entered in an Automation forum challenge set in a right-hand-drive market, with a retro theme throughout - hence the retro-futuristic styling. So here's to a merry Christmas 2022 for my fellow Automationeers - and a Happy New Year 2023!

A Lifer's Diary, Part 4: Tie-Breakers

A Lifer's Diary, Part 4: Tie-Breakers

For much of its history, Hasbro's Game of Life did not include rules for when two or more players finished the game with the same net worth. This is called a tie, and so far both of my simulated games have ended in this fashion, with a three-way tie in the first game (based mainly on the Generation III rule set) and an even less believable four-way tie in the second (based primarily on the Generation II rule set). However, the official Generation II rule set stated that if two Millionaire Estates retirees had the same amount of cash on hand, they would receive two Life Tiles each.

Even so, it wasn't until Generation V that an actual tie-breaker system was implemented. The rule is simple: if two or more players have the same total net worth, then the first of those players to retire wins the game. Decades before this, however, some players realized that this would be a great way to resolve a tied game, and implemented it unofficially.

For this reason, I have decided that it would be best to implement this as an additional house rule in all of my simulated Games of Life going forward. As stated above, in the event of a tie for total net worth, the first player to retire wins - it's as simple as that. Let's face it - if this doesn't work, I might have to come up with a different means of breaking ties, but I hope it never comes to that.

Critical Hits in the Infinite Space Trilogy: A Key Aspect of Interstellar Combat

Critical Hits in the Infinite Space Trilogy: A Key Aspect of Interstellar Combat

Throughout the entire Infinite Space trilogy, one major aspect of combat between fleets of ships has been retained: the ability for weapons to inflict critical hits. This is called critseeking, after the strategy of the same name from the tabletop game BattleTech (and, by extension, its various adaptations such as MechWarrior - a brief description of it can be found here). However, within the Infinite Space trilogy, the implementation of critseeking varies slightly between games. 

What is a Critical Hit, and What Are Its Effects?

Simply put, a critical hit is one that damages or disables a piece of equipment installed on the ship being hit. For a critical hit to occur, however, the target's shields must either be offline (i.e. fully depleted and not yet recharging) or absent altogether. The effects of critical hits on various types of equipment are as follows:

• Weapons: Reduced fire rate.
• Engines: Traveling between systems takes longer.
• Thrusters: Reduced speed, thrust and maneuverability during combat.
• Shields: Reduced maximum shield strength.
• Targeting Computers: Reduced fire rate and accuracy for all weapons fitted to the target ship.
• Repair Systems: Reduced hull and equipment repair rate.
• Scanners: Reduced detection range outside of combat.
• ECM Systems: Reduced chance of deflecting incoming missiles.

Note that some equipment (Plasma Coil Cloaker, Anti-Graviton Shunt, Nebular Extent Calculator, and Nebular Prow) will always function normally if they receive critical hits, unless they are disabled by battle damage. However, if a Plasma Coil Cloaker is disabled, the ship on which it was installed will be unable to hide itself from enemy units, and if that ship was cloaked at the time the device was disabled, it will immediately revert to being uncloaked.

Can You Destroy Ship Equipment Through Critseeking?

In general, any component can be disabled if it receives enough damage via critical hits. However, in the original Strange Adventures in Infinite Space, it was possible for components to be destroyed altogether; if the component in question is installed on any of your own ships, it will be permanently removed from your inventory at the end of the battle, assuming your starting ship (which in this game is always a Terran corvette) survives. Also in Strange Adventures, if your fleet encounters a star flare (a rare event not found in any subsequent games), a random piece of equipment onboard one of your ships will be immediately be disabled (although some handheld ports make it possible, though rare, for a flare to not disable any equipment).

Can You Immobilize a Ship Through Critseeking?

Prior to Sea of Stars, any ship could be immobilized in combat if its thrusters were disabled by enemy fire, and any AI-controlled ship whose weapons were disabled would immediately attempt to escape if its thrusters were still functional. Due to balance concerns, neither of these are possible in Sea of Stars; however, a ship that enters combat without functional thrusters will be unable to move forwards for the duration of the battle (although it can still turn), as was the case in previous games in the series. Moreover, some factions (Tchorak, Yellow Kawangi) have ships that are completely immune to critical hits, i.e. no equipment installed on their ships can be damaged or disabled. Finally, fighter bays (which are only found on board carriers and space stations) cannot be damaged or disabled, either.

What Weapons Are Best for Critseeking?

In theory, any weapon can inflict critical hits on a target after its shields have been disabled (assuming it actually has shields in the first place), unless the target is immune to critical hits as stated above. However, just as in BattleTech, projectile weapons are generally the best ones for scoring critical hits, since they fire a single projectile (or a set of projectiles, in the case of the Micro-Meteorite Gun and Mass Driver) at a time instead of a continuous beam that lasts for a short period of time, and the projectile has a greater chance of hitting a single specific component instead of spreading its damage over the entire ship. This also applies to missile weapons, albeit to a lesser extent. The best weapons setup for crits therefore requires the use of multiple projectile weapons, preferably those that only require a small hardpoint at minimum. Larger projectile weapons such as the Gauss Cannon and Plasma Cannon can also have the same effect, but are less accurate and therefore less effective at critseeking.

What Ships and Builds Are Best For Critseeking?

Although any ship or space station in the Infinite Space trilogy is theoretically capable of critseeking with any weapon, Calatian ships, in particular their smaller ones (such as their destroyers and cruisers), are among the best choices available, since they all have at least two small hardpoints (with the larger ones also having at least one medium hardpoint), and their capital ships. Their small hardpoints can accommodate most projectile weapons, including the fast-firing and incredibly powerful Proton Blaster - the best weapon of its kind in the entire franchise. A Calatian destroyer or cruiser armed with nothing but these can be especially effective at disabling ship components, and I always incorporate such builds into my fleets when possible. However, even the humble Neptunium Railgun (which is a starting weapon) can be useful for crit builds, especially low-budget ones, since the Railgun costs only 89 credits to the Proton Blaster's 350.

Above: An example of a vessel inflicting critical hits on another through weapons fire. The Calatian destroyer (left) has bombarded an Urluquai Deep Hunter (right) with several salvos from its four Proton Blaster turrets, disabling many of the Deep Hunter's systems in the process. The diagram shows that both of its weapons have been rendered inoperable along with one of its interstellar drive segments and two of its onboard systems (including its shield generator). Thus, for the remainder of the battle, the Deep Hunter is therefore unable to attack, and its hull will remain exposed due to the ship not having an onboard repair system.

Does Critseeking Work Against Space Stations?

In general, critseeking (a strategy in which a player deliberately aims for critical hits on components) is viable in most battles, but it is particularly useful when attempting to complete the first part of the Urluquai Crusade quest, where you have to disable an Urluquai space station. By disabling its turrets, you will only have to deal with the fighters it launches every so often if there are none left on the battlefield (along with any escort vessels spawned alongside it on higher difficulties), and disabling its built-in Multibot Repair Drone will prevent it from repairing damaged systems; in both cases, this will make it easier for you to neutralize and board the station. In fact, critseeking is very useful against any space station, even Primordius, whose standard equipment list also includes a Multibot Repair Drone.

Is Anything Immune to Critseeking?

As stated previously, the only time when critseeking is inadvisable is when attacking a Kawangi or Tchorak flotilla, since both of these factions have fleets consisting solely of crit-proof vessels, i.e. their components cannot be disabled. And forget about critseeking fighter bays- these components are immune to it (unlike other equipment on carriers and space stations) Apart from these use-cases, however, expect to see a lot of critseeking during combat, both from you and your opponent(s) - entire battles can, and often will, hinge on it. 

In short, just as in BattleTech, critseeking is an important part of combat. Ignore it at your peril, and utilize it when you can.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 129: Lap of Luxury

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 129: Lap of Luxury

In between designing cars for Automation forum competitions, I often find myself creating test mules for random ideas I have floating around in my mind. On one recent occasion, I ended up being so satisfied with the engineering aspect that I decided to make a full-fledged build out of it. As it turned out, this was the answer to a question I had asked myself earlier, shortly after the 4.27 build of Automation reached the open beta stage: "What if I had built something for a challenge similar to CSR 142, but in 4.27 (with limited use of tech pool), and with a more liberal rule set and a much higher budget cap overall?

With this in mind, I set the car model, trim, engine family, and variant years to 1995 (the same year in which the actual CSR 142 was set). Choosing a body was easy - the Indicator body sets (unlocked in 1988, and recently introduced to the game as a replacement for a similar body set dating back to the early UE4 builds) are very versatile and their basic shape remains period-correct into the 2000s. With the focus being on absolute luxury, I went for the largest of these body sets, which had a wheelbase of exactly 3 meters.

The engine choice was a no-brainer - a 400-bhp 6.0L V12 tuned not for power, but for quiet smoothness. I did not use the sandbox tech pool here, except on the basic architecture, where I added 1 tech pool point to unlock (and use) aluminum/silicon as a material for the block and heads. Just to prove a point, I created a far more powerful variant of this engine and installed it in another car I made in Automation - but that is a story for another time.

Above, from top: An overview of the heart of the Ventnor V12 - a 48-valve dual-overhead-cam V12 with an aluminum/silicon alloy block and heads, tuned for silent, smooth and economical running under all conditions.

The exterior design was originally intended to be copied wholesale from an abandoned test build I had made on the second-largest of the Indicator body sets, but I ended up significantly revising it to be more imposing and less generic. The interior, on the other hand, was created specifically for this car, and I used a wide variety of materials to simulate leather, wood and aluminum for different areas of the interior fixtures.

Above, from top: The exterior of the Ventnor V12 from various angles.

Engineering-wise, my choices were generally geared towards comfort. I used a 5-speed advanced automatic transmission sending the engine's immense power to the back wheels, with a geared LSD to prevent excess wheelspin. 17-inch wheels (staggered towards the rear to induce understeer) wrapped in medium-compound tires were standard, as were large vented disc brakes at each corner, with an anti-lock system and comfort-focused brake pads for improved drivability. However, aerodynamic aids (including an undertray) were not fitted, since I deemed them unnecessary.

In keeping with my plan to make the build one of the most luxurious of its time (and kind), I chose a hand-made interior with a luxury sound system incorporating a CD and cassette tape player, and my choice of interior fixtures and materials reflected this. I also installed variable hydraulic power steering and traction control for improved drivability, but I chose to invest 2 tech pool points in assists to unlock stability control early, thereby increasing drivability even further. In addition to this, I chose the most advanced safety systems available in Automation for 1995 (assuming 0 tech pool points allocated to safety), and set the weight slider to maximum weight to improve comfort and safety even more.

Above, from top: The lavishly trimmed interior of the Ventnor V12.

As for the body and chassis, I opted for an AHS steel monocoque chassis (which required 1 tech pool point for the chassis to unlock) clad in treated steel bodywork, with double-wishbone suspension up front an a multi-link setup in the rear, plus air suspension with adaptive dampers and semi-active sway bars set up to provide a smooth ride with a hint of sportiness. Advanced trim settings were mostly limited to a raised ride height and a less concave wheel fitment that appeared almost flush on closer inspection.

Overall, I was very satisfied with this build - I enjoyed every second of its construction, and would like to follow it up with other body styles of this specific car if I feel like it.