Hotshot Tales, Part 9: Out of Bounds!

Hotshot Tales, Part 9: Out of Bounds!

The "out-of-bounds" bug is one of the few in Hotshot Racing that can directly affect the outcome of a race. It's quite rare, but can occur when a car is launched into the air and lands outside the boundaries of the track and falls through the ground (usually after being hit by another car), before respawning on the track shortly afterwards, losing time (and potentially places) in the process. Normally, this is little more than an inconvenience (unless the victim loses too much time to be able to reach the next checkpoint in time), but in Drive or Explode, it may lead to the victim being slowed down to the point that they can be eliminated due to either not being able to reach the current minimum target speed in time, or taking too long to pass the next checkpoint after the leader has done so.

A recent example of the bug in action is shown below:

Above, from top: The out of bounds bug in Hotshot Racing in action during a Drive or Explode race at Alpine Town. Here, I hit Aston (in a Shadow) from the right-hand side hard enough to fling it into the air, and since he landed outside the track entirely, he clipped through the map, lost a lot of speed, and couldn't catch up quickly enough after respawning to avoid elimination.

You could try to exploit this bug in a multiplayer Drive or Explode session (or even in other modes), but I wouldn't recommend doing so, since others consider it to be unsportsmanlike behavior (even for an arcade racer), and this form of unnecessary roughness would be grounds for expulsion (or the host withdrawing voluntarily and handing over duties to someone else). In a single-player race, however, it can be quite hilarious to witness this bug screwing over someone (including you!), even if it does not lead to a player's untimely demise.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 8: What If the Stalker STK-7D Existed During the Succession Wars?

MechDB Misadventures, Part 8: What If the Stalker STK-7D Existed During the Succession Wars?

For many, the 85-ton Stalker STK-7D is considered to be the epitome of Inner Sphere assault 'Mechs in MechWarrior Online, short of the 100-ton Atlas (and other 100-tonners such as the Annihilator). This is mainly because its cluster of nine torso- and head-mounted energy hardpoints make it well-suited to laser vomit builds, many of which rival Clan equivalents for raw firepower. One of these hardpoints is found in the head, and two more are situated in the center torso. As icing on the cake, each arm contains a missile hardpoint, but these are simply ignored in pure energy-based builds. The only problem with it is that it has very few quirks, but this variant doesn't really need them.

In the original BattleTech tabletop game, however, the STK-7D was introduced in 3062, during the FedCom Civil War era, and originally fielded by the Federated Suns. This made it too new for earlier eras such as the Succession Wars and Clan Invasion eras. As such, I was tempted to ask this question: "What would a Succession Wars-era take on the STK-7D be like?" To that end, I decided to create a build for it exclusively using equipment and technology that was widely available during that era, and nothing that was (re)introduced later. Thus, I had to limit myself to standard SRM and LRM launchers, regular lasers and PPCs, single heat sinks, and standard armor, structure, and engines, with no AMS, targeting computers, or Active Probes. This was the result:

Above: Had the Stalker STK-7D existed during the Succession Wars, this would've been my favored configuration for it. By putting all of my eggs in the energy weapon basket (4x Large Lasers + 5x Medium Lasers = 61 damage), I avoided the problem of ammunition explosions, and to cover the immense heat load, I installed 16 single heat sinks (7 in each side torso + 1 in each leg) to complement the 10 single heat sinks embedded in the 255-rated standard engine.

With 5 Medium Lasers, 4 Large Lasers, and a total of 26 single heat sinks, this Succession Wars-spec Stalker is reminiscent of an Ostsol, but slower, harder-hitting, and even more durable, carrying 16.5 tons of armor (three more than most Stalker variants). It would have been popular with every Great House worth its salt back then, and would have been a mercenary's dream come true - being able to fire constantly without having to worry about ammunition supply (as long as you have enough heat capacity) is a boon for prolonged engagements, especially since this configuration is a zombie 'Mech in the strictest sense - it can continue attacking even after both of its side torsos are blown off, as long as its head, center torso, and either (or in the tabletop, both) of its legs remain intact. And without anything in its arms, its effective profile is much narrower. Combine this with the cost savings resulting from not having any lostech whatsoever, and you have a nigh-unkillable direct-fire build that, in some ways, may well be superior even to an Awesome AWS-8Q for the same purpose.

In short, it's not as primitive as RetroTech (which isn't in MWO anyway), but it's still a handy fallback for when lostech of any kind is completely unavailable. Even in the dark times of the Word of Blake War and the subsequent Dark Ages, it could serve as a handy last resort for anyone desperate for an assault 'Mech that doesn't depend on any form of advanced technology.

Hotshot Tales, Part 8: Multi-Kills, Melee, and Killfeeds

Hotshot Tales, Part 8: Multi-Kills, Melee, and Killfeeds

One of the best bits about the Drive or Explode and Barrel Barrage modes in Hotshot Racing is that, unlike in the other modes, you can eliminate opponents directly. In the former, this can be done through melee (via hitting a car that is close to exploding); in the latter, you'll need to collect a barrel by completing a sector, and then place that barrel behind you such that an opponent hits it (although this will only result an elimination if the victim has 20% health or less, given that collisions with barrels only cause 20 damage each). However, with the former being a much rarer occurrence in Drive or Explode, most eliminations in that mode are the result of a player remaining below the target speed for too long, or taking too long to complete a sector after the leader has done so.

In contrast, direct melee kills are impossible to achieve in Barrel Barrage, but it is possible to achieve an indirect melee kill by pushing a badly damaged opponent into a barrel. Drive or Explode also allows you to achieve indirect melee kills, but doing so in that mode involves hitting an opponent so that they lose control, spin out, and fail to complete the sector or reach the target speed soon enough to avoid elimination. It's more likely, however, for a player to be eliminated on their own by not traveling fast enough (without the effects of a collision with another player) for too long, or to reach the end of the sector in time.

In both modes, however, it is possible for the same player to cause a multi-kill, whether throughout direct or indirect means, or any combination of the two. Here, a multi-kill refers to scoring two or more kills in the same event. It can even arise from hitting two very heavily damaged opponents at once (or at least within a second of each other), but this is extremely rare (as are multi-hits in general). Moreover, the game won't keep track of any times a player hits a barrel (unless you placed it yourself and/or it resulted in that player's elimination) in a single-player Barrel Barrage race. And therein lies the problem: that mode (along with Cops & Robbers and Drive or Explode) desperately need a killfeed (similar to that found in many first-person shooter games, and even some vehicular simulators) that constantly shows who hit/killed/turned whom. And for good measure, the post-race screen should also show how many hits/kills each player got during a race.

However, I have managed to achieve multi-hits and multi-kills (though rarely simultaneously) multiple times in Single Race modes other than Arcade Mode, and in some of my attempts, I even scored at least one melee kill, whether directly or not. Even so, winning a race in those modes after accomplishing any of these feats remains a challenge, although it is still possible with a lot of skill - and a bit of luck.

To give you an example, here's a recent Barrel Barrage race on Expert difficulty over the full 7 laps that resulted in me being the sole survivor.

Above, from top: Highlights from a 7-lap Barrel Barrage race on Expert at The Marina using Marcus' Carbon. I got at least 10 hits and 4 kills this time - an impressive performance considering that I came close to being eliminated at one point.

This race was chaotic from start to finish - my first kill was against Aston (in a Shadow) on the first lap, made easier by the fact that his car was badly damaged after completing just one sector. My second kill (against Keiko's Super F-90) came after I hit her car with five barrels (which took me three laps). By that time, Viktor and Toshiro (in a Blade and Wild Line, respectively) had already been eliminated, although I managed to push the former into a barrel to take him out. Just before completing the fourth lap, Mike's Athena fell by the wayside, and I went after Xing's Sentinel, which was now so badly damaged that a pair of barrels would finish it off - and sure enough, it exploded after I hit him twice with my barrels. And right before I started the last lap, I took out Alexa (who had just been lapped) with one last barrel; from then on, I just had to avoid the other racers' barrels for one lap to win - which is exactly what happened.

Above: A compilation of some of the greatest hits (including all four of my direct kills) from the Barrel Barrage at The Marina. I even managed to push Keiko into a barrel, taking some damage in the process - but I survived and was able to cruise to an uncontested victory after all of my opponents had been eliminated.

And here's an example of a direct melee kill I got in a Drive or Explode race at Temple Ruins.

Above: This is a rare example of a direct melee kill in a Drive or Explode race. I hit Alexa's Stallion from the right-hand side coming into the final turn at Temple Ruins, and since her car was already badly damaged, it was enough to eliminate her on the spot. I went on to win this particular race, with Xing's Alpha being the only other finisher, albeit several seconds behind and on the brink of elimination.

In short, it's always satisfying to get a direct kill in a Barrel Barrage or Drive or Explode race, and even more so if you manage to do it more than once (a rare feat, whatever the circumstances). Indirect kills will also have the same effect, though not to the same extent. In any case, I think a sequel should have a killfeed for both of these modes, to better keep track of who attacked (or eliminated) whom over the course of a race.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 183: Evasive Maneuvers

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 183: Evasive Maneuvers

For years, I've waited patiently for a rework of the '89 JDM coupe body set - it was originally introduced as a mod for early UE4 builds of Automation, and became vanilla content in later patches, but over time, its limitations soon became evident. In addition to a lack of body styles other than the 2-door coupe, it also had too few morphing zones, and was too wide. Moreover, it only came in two wheelbases (2.24m and 2.45m), which was simply not enough in a world where similar body sets from the same era offer much more variety.

Thankfully, a few months ago, the in-house 3D modeling community came up with a solution by creating a completely new (if outwardly similar-looking) body set called the Evade. Although it is unlocked in 1992 (3 years later than its predecessor), it looks far better, with a narrower, longer body and hence better proportions. Moreover, there are now two coupe body styles (a fastback and a notchback, the former of which has a wraparound rear window,) and two convertible body styles (one each with a hard and soft top) per wheelbase (for a total of four different body styles each). Speaking of which, there are now four of those (2.26m, 2.52m, 2.65m, and 2.89m), allowing for much more diversity in sizes. In short, the Evade is to the 1990s as the '05 Mercy and '83 Bean are to the 2000s (and later), respectively.

Above, from top: The '92 Evade comes in a wider variety of sizes and body styles (including convertibles, sedans, notchback and fastback coupes, wagons, and even minivans) than the '89 JDM coupe body set it effectively replaces.

In parallel with these sports car-like variants, there are also 2- and 4-door sedans, as well as 5-door wagons (complete with two different types of C-pillars), and even 5-door liftbacks, although these variants are placed separately from the others. However, they all have more cab-forward proportions and lack a sub 2.6m wheelbase variant, although they have a separate convertible version based on the coupes. Finally, there is a minivan version with a ~3.0m wheelbase, and that one has panel van and passenger van variants, unlike the others. So what is it that makes the Evade body sets so much better than their predecessors?

Well, for starters, they have many more morphing zones than before, especially in the front and rear ends, and even along the sides and roof. This allows for a greater range of adjustments, and in more areas to boot. In addition, there are now many more colorable areas (roof, lower front and rear bumpers, etc.) than before. Finally, the wheel arches are more correctly shaped, and larger wheel/tire combinations will more easily fill them. The only downside is that most variants (especially the smaller ones) have somewhat narrower engine bays than before, thus increasing servicing costs for wider engines (especially when combined with dual-wishbone front suspension).

Above, from top: Unlike the body set that replaced it, the '92 Evade also has a much larger number of morphing zones, with great range in each one to boot.

As described previously, the Evade's size range is also quite generous, and similar to that of the '87 Fatale and '91 Vendetta, but larger than the '83 Bean's (sub-2m wheelbase variant excepted). By being unlocked later than all of them, however, it can potentially retain a contemporary look for longer with skilled design work, though not by much. The sedan- and minivan-based variants, however, are unique to the Evade, and not found on many of tis contemporaries. They compare favorably with other similarly proportioned body sets (such as the '94 Lancer-like sedan body and the '93 minivan body) in terms of overall attributes, although the lack of a smaller variant of the Evade minivan (which should have a ~2.8m wheelbase) could be a problem.

For historical context, consider the '89 JDM coupe body set's '80s equivalent, the '79 wedge-shaped coupe body set. It, too, began life as a mod, but suffered from the exact same set of problems as its newer, more curvaceous counterpart, and has since been superseded by the similar-looking '72 Moore body sets, which actually debuted before the '92 Evade and followed a similar set of principles (more body styles and wheelbase lengths, more morphing zones, etc.). Most sizes of the '72 Moore even have mid- and front-engined variants, unlike the '92 Evade. In short, the '72 Moore, with its far more angular aesthetic, is basically to the '70s and '80s as the more recently introduced '92 Evade is to the '90s and '00s. In fact, the mid-engined variants were created to replace a similar-looking vanilla body from the Kee era that never made it to the UE4 transition several years ago.

Above, from top: The '70s and '80s equivalent of the '92 Evade, the '72 Moore, underwent a similar treatment earlier in that it also received a greater number of sizes and body styles compared to its predecessor, one of which didn't even make the transition to UE4 (except via the janky and broken legacy body mod pack).

Returning to the '92 Evade, I created several test builds using the coupe versions in various sizes to see how well it worked, and was generally pleased by the results. One of them, the TSC Tigerwolf IV, was a test case for how a mod fixture (specifically, a headlight fixture that's part of a fixture mod pack) could be turned into a modular headlight lens. Set the fixture's first transparent slot to clear, amber, or red glass as appropriate, then change its first panel material to body color, chrome, or whatever material color/finish you want, and assign something like plastic, aluminum, or even carbon fiber to the second panel material slot, while changing every other slot to a transparent material, effectively hiding them. This leaves only the lens, inner surface, and outer surround visible, allowing you to place whatever modular headlight bulb fixtures behind the lens as desired.

Above, from top: With this mod fixture, if you hide every part of it except for the cover, frame, and bucket, it can serve as the lens for a modular headlight cluster from the late '80s, the '90s, or even the early 2000s.

In short, the '92 Evade and '72 Moore are case studies of how the game has evolved since the UE4 transition - initially, we were content to live with a limited number of body sets, sizes and styles, but over time, we started clamoring for more of all three, and we eventually got them - something that we are eternally thankful for thanks to the greater freedom and graphical detail the UE4 engine has given the dev team and modding community..