Doll Maker's Diary, Part 32: Happy Holidays!

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 32: Happy Holidays!

Christmas Day has finally arrived, and to celebrate, I would like to send my followers a few special gifts - starting with an artwork I made depicting Tiffany Ward, my first ever Heroine Fan Art Creator character, in festive dress. Here it is:

Tiffany Ward wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Next is a pair of artworks I made in the X-Girl Creator depicting the women of CRASH Chronicles- including the newcomers - all glammed up at a holiday season party.

The women of CRASH Chronicles - including the newcomers - all wishing you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2020.

Last but not least, here's one last gift from me to my followers: a new artwork depicting the four original characters from CRASH Chronicles in the Goddess Dress Up Game, ready for battle with their swords drawn.

If the four original characters from CRASH Chronicles were warped into ancient Greek times and became mythological warriors, this is one suggestion as to which they might look like.

That concludes my holiday season round-up. I would like to take this moment to wish all you doll-makers out there a very Merry Christmas... And a Happy New Year for 2020!

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 77: Screen Time

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 77: Screen Time

The Automation Gamer Challenge was not the only spin-off of the Crowd Sourcing Competition to achieve major success in recent times. Since last month, there has also been a TV and Movie Car Challenge, in which the objective is to build a car suitable for a major role in a TV show or film. The first round of this new challenge was set in 2007, revolving around a social worker living in Sheffield and in need of a thrifty, practical and reliable car for daily use, with good drivability. Comfort, sportiness and aesthetics would be relatively minor priorities by comparison.

Shortly after the rule set was finalized, I set about developing a suitable entry. After testing several configurations, I settled on a small compact sedan with a front-wheel-drive chassis and a mildly tuned four-cylinder engine. The resulting car was named the GEC GC2 2.0 - a sleek, modern and simple design.

Above and top: The 2007 GEC GC2 2.0 as submitted in the inaugural TV and Movie Car Challenge.

The GC2 acquitted itself very well in judging due to being as cheap to buy and run as it was easy to drive, with highly reliable mechanicals and decent handling to boot. In fact, its relative lack of practicality was its only real weakness, and if the TV crew hadn't given as much thought to it, the GC2 may well have won. In the end, though, it finished second to a far more practical car - the Forea Connecta.

The winning car for MCC 1 - the Forea Connecta.

However, I was able to hold my head high in this challenge, given that I had simply made a very good entry. And since the winning user declined to host the next round, I decided to accept hosting duties in his place. As of now, I am considering a multitude of options for MCC 2, and will devote the next few days to determining an appropriate rule set for the theme I choose to use.

And since holiday season is in full swing, I would like to wish all my followers - especially my fellow Automationeers - a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

The Stats of Infinite Space, Ranked

The Stats of Infinite Space, Ranked

Infinite Space III: Sea of Stars is the first (and so far only) game in the Infinite Space franchise to feature a stat system for all ships. Hints of it were present in earlier games, but Sea Of Stars expanded on this by explicitly stating stat values whenever you selected a ship from your flotilla. These values depend on the equipment fitted to that particular ship and/or the size of its hull. However, some stats are clearly more important than others, depending on the situation. So here they are, in descending order of importance throughout all aspects of the game.

Above: Each ship in the game has 8 stat categories. For example, this highly upgraded Terran Advanced Destroyer has excellent defenses and offensive potential, and can travel through open space very quickly, but is a bit slow in combat and suffers from severe slowdown in nebulae.

1. Vacuum Travel: This stat is irrelevant in combat, but is nevertheless the most important one in the game because it is vital for exploring the entire sector as quickly as possible, and unlike every other stat (except for Nebula Travel), it applies to an entire flotilla. Even in maps with lots of nebular mass, there is always plenty of open space through which ships can travel, and as such, a high superluminal velocity is often the top priority.
2. Shield Strength: Durability in combat is not entirely dependent on how much armor a ship has. In fact, its shield strength is actually a more significant contributor, since shielding protects a ship from hull damage until it is fully depleted. Stronger shields are therefore among the first upgrades that starship captains should seek out.
3. Firepower: Supposedly measured in damage per second, this stat is also a major priority in combat. This stat is actually deceptive because weapons with more damage per shot tend to have slower fire rates, and are therefore best used in conjunction with targeting computers, which make them fire faster than they would otherwise.
4. Weapon Range: Randomly-generated AI fleets become more powerful over time, with larger ships and/or better equipment, but longer-ranged weapons can help neutralize this advantage. Being surrounded by multiple hostile ships at close range is seldom a good idea, so it is worth investing credits and/or coins to obtain weapons that can shoot farther (or in some cases, much farther) that what your ship is initially armed with.
5. Armor: Survivability on the battlefield is very important, and heavy armor is one way to improve this attribute. Larger ships generally carry more armor, but this stat is less important for any capital ships with a cloaking device; as long as this system is operational, a capital ship can camouflage itself against the background of space to avoid detection if it comes under attack. It is also irrelevant for fighters, which carry very little armor at all.
6. Combat Speed: Having a high sublight speed is fairly important when following a hostile ship that is targeting another AI-controlled fleet, and can be enhanced by installing more powerful thrusters (especially on smaller craft), but is not a necessity, since it can easily be negated by various long-range weapons, and serves no purpose outside of combat situations. However, high sublight speed is useful when your weapons outrange those of your target and you want to get within maximum range.
7. Nebula Travel: Most star drives won't work in nebulae, but there are a few exceptions. These special drives consume nebular matter and make traveling through these regions of space much easier. However, having a Zorg helmsman in your flotilla makes this stat much less relevant, since it grants you the option of traversing short distances by folding the spacetime continuum and therefore reducing your travel time drastically.
8. Maneuverability: This is the least important stat in the game because it is very easily negated with cloaking devices and/or long-range weapons, and like sublight speed above, is totally useless except during combat. However, there is a special case in which having good maneuverability and combat speed can be a lifesaver: If you are targeted by a Kawangi Dreadnought's Nova Cannon, a quick turn away from the line of fire followed by moving the ship to a safer spot will often cause the Nova Cannon (which fires extremely powerful unguided projectiles) to miss your ship entirely.

Ship equipment also has its own set of stats, with different ones for each category; these will be discussed in a later post.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 76: Salt in the Wound

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 76: Salt in the Wound

Over the past few years, I have seen many instances of Automationeers entering various competitions and then complaining after their entries were either disqualified for failing to meet regulations, or being rejected in the preliminary eliminations for not being sufficiently appealing to the host - behavior which the hosts consider to be "salty". Even though the host usually makes the requirements clear at the start of each competition, it still keeps happening every now and then. As such, us users seldom tolerate such behavior, especially in long-running recurring challenges such as CSR (Car Shopping Round) and TCC (Themed Car Challenge). A salty user may even be suspended, either temporarily or permanently, for spamming a thread with too many posts that are irrelevant to the topic of the thread.

So to avoid falling into this trap, I have some useful advice: Unless you have anything meaningful, on-topic and relevant to a given thread, don't bother posting it there. Otherwise, you will be considered "salty" and, at the very least, get chewed out for it. In fact, you might risk starting a flame war just by being salty. As for me, I have hardly ever been salty, and have surely learned my lesson by now.

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 31: Coronation

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 31: Coronation

I have been mulling over the design of a royal dress made in the Heroine Fan Art Creator for months, but one thing was certain: it had to convey elegance and beauty no matter what it looked like. To that end, I deliberately refrained from using color and shape combinations that looked too outlandish for such a formal occasion. After hours of deliberation, I came up with this design:

The definitive design for my royal gown made in the Heroine Fan Art Creator, as worn by Tiffany Ward, the first character I ever made in that game, and shown in white over deep blue.

Note that the belt, shoulders, lower fringe, crown and vase-like midsection are always of a contrasting color compared to the rest of the design, which can also be adapted for other themes and characters simply by changing the primary and/or secondary colors. In some cases, optional embellishments (sparkles, flowers, and even small animals) may be added as well.

The Heroine Fan Art Creator, however, is not the only game on Azalea's Dolls in which one can create a dress fit for a princess, queen or goddess. There are many other games on the site which allow you to create similar designs. However, the design I made in the Heroine Fan Art Creator is among my most memorable.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 75: Hotting Up

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 75: Hotting Up

Having already described my revisions to a few designs originally made by other Automationeers, I'll be focusing on one of my own designs this time. In this case it's the Morton M10 - a small and light compact front-drive hatchback. Given that a base model variant of this trim has already been made, it made perfect sense to create a sportier version. Here's how it happened.

The engine was the most obvious place to start. With a more aggressive tune, forged internals, high-flow headers, individual throttle bodies, a higher compression ratio and a searing 8200-rpm redline, it developed 180 horsepower (on 95 RON premium unleaded) - a huge improvement on the base model's comparatively minuscule 100 (on 91 RON regular unleaded). Although the power band had been shifted from the low end to the upper rev range, I considered it more fitting for the new trim's more sporting character.

Overview of the aggressively tuned engine found in the Morton M10 1.8 SR.

To harness all this extra thrust, the rest of the car also had to be tuned accordingly. The automatic gearbox was replaced with a six-speed manual, and a limited-slip differential was fitted. Uprated brakes with larger rotors and a sportier suspension tune helped emphasize the car's sporting intent. Visual modifications, however, were quite subtle, with a mild aero kit, reshaped wing mirrors, larger frontal air intakes and wider wheel arches (to accommodate a larger wheel and tire package with dedicated high-performance rubber) being the only changes made to the car's bodywork.

A Morton M10 1.8 SR in Sprint Red Metallic.

In short, the mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll character of the standard car had been replaced with a more aggressive Mr. Hyde feel in the 1.8 SR.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 74: Veracity in Velocity

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 74: Veracity in Velocity

One of the many cars I downloaded from the Community Redesign Centre thread on the Automation forums was a small, light mid-engined coupe called the Lavish Velocity. It looked nice enough on the outside, but I found the mechanicals to be in need of some improvement. There were also a few styling details that needed to be fixed. So here is an overview of the Lavish Velocity after it underwent its makeover.

For the exterior, the most noticeable difference was the replacement of the awkwardly shaped single side intake with two smaller intakes of unequal size. Up front, the air intakes were made functional, while the rear end gained larger air vents. In addition to this, a new set of 5-spoke wheels was fitted, while the pearlescent orange paint job made way for a more elegant deep metallic green. Even so, it remained fairly recognizable as a Lavish Velocity. On the inside, however, the changes were much more significant - and welcome.

Front three-quarter view of the tuned Lavish Velocity showing revised styling, including reprofiled front and side air intakes.

As originally built, the Velocity was powered by a rough-running V6, one that seemed at odds with the car's main selling point as a junior supercar. In its place, a flat-crank V8 was substituted. With 475 horsepower from 4.4 liters of displacement, it was a vast improvement on the original engine. To harness all this extra thrust, the gearing, suspension, aerodynamics and brakes were all tweaked to create a much more complete package.

Rear three-quarter view of the tuned Lavish Velocity showing larger rear vents.

With a top speed of nearly 200 miles per hour and a 0-60 mph time of just under 4 seconds, the Velocity lived up to its name more than ever, and backed it up with more street-friendly, but still razor-sharp, handling and braking.

Disclaimer: As with all of my revisions of other Automationeers' cars, some credit goes to the original creators of the vehicles that I revised - please respect their rights.

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 30: Wedding Dress Maker

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 30: Wedding Dress Maker

Just when I thought I had discovered everything that Azalea's Dolls had to offer, I came across yet another one of their games: the Wedding Dress Maker. This one gives you a chance to recreate your favorite wedding dress - but the possibilities are clearly not limited to those alone. You can also create a costume for a fairy tale princess, or a dress for a red carpet at an award ceremony, among other things. Here are a few examples. 

Some examples of designs made in the Wedding Dress Maker on AzaleasDolls.com - and they're not just for weddings.

You start out by choosing your doll's skin tone, facial features, hair style and color, before selecting the background color for her dress, as well as her shoe type (if any). From there you can select one of many combinations of skirt and bodice shapes and colors. Afterwards, you have the option of adding embellishments in the form of sleeves, shoulders, belts, veils, hair accessories, gloves and jewelry, followed by an assortment of miscellaneous accessories which you can drag and drop to add to the picture of your doll. Last but not least, you have a choice of background colors and patterns, and can even play with a few filters (either saturated, desaturated, or monochrome) for special effects.

That pretty much sums up the Wedding Dress Maker - it's short, but provides enough customization options to keep you interested enough for you to come back to it when you feel like it.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 73: Supernatural Beings

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 73: Supernatural Beings

A recent visit of the Community Redesign Centre thread revealed a few cars from other users that I realized could do with a visual and/or mechanical makeover. Among them was the Di Inferi Ozen Coupe, a two-seat grand tourer that thought it was an actual supercar. So I set about turning it into one - or at least, that was the theory. The result turned out to be much better than I expected - and here's why.

Above and top: The Di Inferi Ozen in its original form.

My first job was to fix the Ozen's minimalist aesthetic. For starters, the proportions of some of its frontal features seemed off, to say the least. Specifically, the main grille, side intakes and headlights were all too deep, giving the car an exaggerated and somewhat cartoonish face. So I made them slimmer, as well as adding a lower grille between the side intakes. I also added a hood bulge between the engine bay cooling vents.

The revamped nose of the Ozen, with a smaller grille making it look less like a caricature of a sports car.

Along the flanks, I swapped the stock mirrors for larger items and flipped the brake cooling vents upside down, while also adding a set of side indicators. At the rear, I moved the rear window line further forward to replace the original car's hunchbacked look with something more reminiscent of a jet fighter's canopy. In addition, I reshaped the rear fascia to accommodate a pair of rear fog lights, replaced the exterior color with a brighter solid blue, and changed the wheel design to a dual five-spoke arrangement.

The side profile of the redesigned Ozen, with a shorter glasshouse and flipped side vents.

Under the skin, the changes were even more significant. The original engine was a twin-turbocharged V8 with a conventional cross-plane crankshaft, but in a nod to the purist ethos I was pursuing, it was converted to a naturally-aspirated flat-plane unit delivering 540 horsepower - still sufficient given that the Ozen would end up lighter than it once was. Moreover, the stock dual-clutch transmission made way for a six-speed manual gearbox with a shorter final drive ratio.

Power is nothing without control, however, so I gave the Ozen a set of wider tires (by 5 mm at each corner) and retuned the brakes by resizing the rotors at the front and rear, while also changing the brake bias to suit the new setup. To complement this, I made some aerodynamic adjustments that would work in conjunction with the suspension tune I had planned for the Ozen. Speaking of which, I decided to go for fixed-rate steel springs in place of the original car's active setup, and tuned it to provide more responsive handling.

Given that the Ozen was meant to be a premium sports car, I deemed it necessary to install safety and infotainment systems commensurate with its positioning in the market place. To that end, I upgraded the safety suite to a more advanced setup and swapped the stock infotainment for a true premium system. No further trim changes were required, however - a testament to the Ozen being originally built on a sound set of underpinnings.

All these changes made the Ozen more of a purist's machine than before. As such, I called my version the Supernatural, in reference to its naturally aspirated engine. It was certainly slower than the original version, but it had a much more old-school, analog feel in comparison - something rarely found in modern performance cars.

This is the view you'll see of the Ozen Supernatural as it overtakes you on the road - but not for long.

This was quite a fun project for me to undertake, helped in part by the car not having a very large number of fixtures for me to work with. In truth, I have already carried out similar turbo-to-atmospheric conversions on a few other cars, either of my own design or sourced from other users, but this was my most satisfying one to date.

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 29: CRASH Chronicles Part 4 - Striker and Support Classes

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 29: CRASH Chronicles Part 4 - Striker and Support Classes

Within the relaunched CRASH Chronicles storyline, agents are classified according to how their abilities perform. In this post I will take a look at two of these classes: Striker and Support. These were the first two classes I created for CRASH Chronicles, but they were not the last. There will also be other classes as well, and those will eventually be described in later posts.

Above: CRASH Agents Ellie Watts (left) and Claire Hayes (right) in their training outfits. The former is a Striker, whose attacks tend to have a long range; the latter is a Support, whose abilities are focused on assisting teammates.

We'll start with the Striker class, which is geared mainly towards long-range combat. These agents are most commonly employed in a sniping role, keeping a watchful eye on their targets before unleashing their attacks on them. Strikers are generally fast-moving and highly agile, which decreases their likelihood of detection. Their only major weakness is their sub-par durability, although this can be negated if the Striker stays on the move and makes good use of cover. Ellie Watts is a classic example: she can launch powerful bursts of lightning across long distances and is light on her feet, but can easily be taken out with a few hard hits.

Support class Agents, on the other hand, have abilities that benefit the team they're on by assisting their teammates or hindering their enemies. Claire Hayes, for example, is capable of establishing a psionic link with other people within a certain range, allowing her to predict their actions, thoughts and movements more easily. In combat, it improves the accuracy of her allies' attacks; however, away from battle, it makes it easier for her to negotiate a peaceful resolution if there is a potential conflict - a useful trait given that CRASH considers direct combat to be a measure of last resort.

Thus ends my discussion of the first two character classes featured in CRASH Chronicles. Stay tuned for more class descriptions in future posts.

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 28: CRASH Chronicles Redux Part 3 - New Blood

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 28: CRASH Chronicles Redux Part 3 - New Blood

So far, my reboot of CRASH Chronicles has been limited to a visual makeover for all four main characters and updated info screens for each of them. Admittedly, however, it has made them look and feel much better than they used to, and that can only be a good thing.

Above, from top: The original four characters of CRASH Chronicles, dressed up for a night on the town, a training session at the gym, and for my upcoming story arc involving a tournament contested by superhumans.

Now, however, I feel like the time is right to introduce another set of characters, all of which would make for a decent supporting cast. Here is a preview of all four of these newcomers alongside the existing characters.

The original four CRASH Squad members alongside the newcomers in their training outfits (above) and in full battle armor (below).

All of the newcomers will be fleshed out further in future posts, with each one receiving its own info screen just like the original cast, so watch this space.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 72: B-Spec Tournament Review

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 72: B-Spec Tournament Review

Now that the B-Spec Tournament on the Automation Forums have concluded, I am pleased to announce that I have finally won it purely on merit. Well, sort of: I only won the Automation phase of the tournament; and placed fourth overall in the BeamNG phase (for the uninitiated, BeamNG is a game in which you can drive - and crash - cars that you've made in Automation, or one of many preset vehicles that come with the game). But this is my first win in any forum competition, and I am justifiably proud of my good showing there.

For the uninitiated, the tournament works as follows: Before the first race, users get to submit one car each to the host, who then chooses the best designs among them. These cars are then offered for download to anyone who wants to enter the three races in the Automation and BeamNG categories, with faster cars having a higher simulated price. This contest saw the users submit cheap and cheerful 80s economy cars, with modest levels of power and grip for each. Modifications for each car were relatively minor, in keeping with the amateur vibe of the competition; however, the budget for tuning would be increased with each successive race. After three simulated races in each game, the user with the most points in each category would be declared the winner of that particular category.

Before the season began, I checked the list of cars being offered for sale, and eventually settled on the Dragotec Via for both categories. I started by tuning the suspension, tires and brakes, before moving on to the gearbox and aero kit. For the last race, I retuned the engine for more power, while being careful to retain its efficiency.

The Dragotec Via after tuning for the Automation category of the B-Spec tournament. The version used for the BeamNG category is visually identical except for a light blue exterior color instead of a bright green one.

Unsurprisingly, given my tuning skills, I clinched first overall convincingly in the Automation category (helped by some users not entering the last race of that series), and even won the first race there. I also finished fourth overall in the BeamNG category, which also featured a very strong field.

Thus ends my report on this recently concluded competition. Stay tuned for an overview of a reimagining of a car recently donated by a fellow Automationeer.

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 27: CRASH Chronicles Redux Part 2 - Armaterasu and Starseeker

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 27: Crash Chronicles Redux Part 2 - Armaterasu and Starseeker

Having already reimagined Ellie Watts and Kayla Brooks as part of my plan to revisit CRASH Chronicles, I have done the same for Claire Hayes and Alexa Lowe and given them the code names Armaterasu (a portmanteau of "armor" and "Amaterasu) and Starseeker, respectively. Both characters were also part of the original roster, with the former serving as Ellie's mentor and the latter being the last to join the core team.

Redesigned versions of Armaterasu (Claire Hayes) and Starseeker (Alexa Lowe) in their training outfits.

And as expected, I have made updated info sheets for both of them to tie into my planned CRASH Chronicles storyline.

Revised info sheets for Armaterasu (above) and Starseeker (below). Among the four founding members of the CRASH Squad, Starseeker has fairly balanced stats across the board, while Armaterasu specializes in agility.

Finally, here is how the two would look like in their CRASH Suits, ready for battle - this is where the idea of the name "Armaterasu" came from. It's a portmanteau of the words "armor" (which is what CRASH Suits are primarily comprised of) and "Amaterasu", a Shinto goddess which also happens to be one of the randomly selected names for Zorg ships in Infinite Space III: Sea of Stars.

Armaterasu and Starseeker ready for battle, fully kitted out in their CRASH Suits.

Thus ends my overview of the original four CRASH Squad members. I still have plans for this series in the future, so stay tuned.

Sea of Stars Ship Reviews: Special Ships Compared - Kestrel and Damocles

Sea of Stars Ship Reviews: Special Ships Compared - Kestrel and Damocles

So far, I have not directly compared the Kestrel and Damocles, both of which are the only capital ships that are tied to a quest. This is because it is impossible to have a flotilla containing both of these ships, due to balancing issues. But what if you could? Which of the two is more useful? To find out, I have decided to compare them directly, not just with each other, but also with other similarly sized ships.

An example of the Kestrel fully upgraded with Multi-Missile Launchers, Proton Blasters and enough equipment to make it a fleet unto itself.

First up is the Kestrel. Originally from the indie roguelike game FTL: Faster than Light, this cruiser is about the size of a frigate, but has as many hardpoints and equipment slots as a Terran or Muktian Destroyer. Its smaller size makes it faster than either at the expense of having a smaller cargo hold. However, its weapons coverage is geared more towards a head-on attack than broadsides. As such, its greater speed can potentially be a useful asset in offensive maneuvers. Even so, its mass makes it slower and less maneuverable than smaller ships with the same kind of thruster. On the other hand, it is heavily armored and can inflict serious damage on an enemy fleet when armed with the right weapons, especially two each of Multi-Missile Launchers and Proton Blasters - a loadout so vastly superior to its default setup of a Gatling Laser and a Fusion Rocket Launcher that it is virtually a must-have for when you deploy it into an intense battle.

Behold! The magnificent Damocles in all its glory!

Next is Prince Arcturus' flagship, the Damocles. Unlike the Kestrel, it comes with plenty of high-end equipment from the get-go. With dual Cobalt Torpedo Tubes, three Proton Blasters (two aft, one forward), an Anti-Graviton Shunt (for traveling through black holes), a Temporal Flux Shield (the strongest shield in the game), a Nebular Sled Drive (for rapid travel through nebulae) and a heavily armored hull among its comprehensive list of standard equipment, it is the most powerful stock capital ship in all of Sector Prime. It's even slower than the Kestrel (and most other ships), but who needs speed when you've got a very large cargo bay (enough to carry 20 items) and more firepower, shielding and armor-plating than anything this side of a Kawangi Dreadnought? Even better, if fitted with a cloaking device and an advanced targeting computer (especially the Sardion Optimizer), it can become nigh-unstoppable, lurking in a far-off corner of the battlefield, only seldom decloaking to snipe its foes with a pair of highly explosive missiles launched from its torpedo tubes.

So which of these ships is the winner? The Kestrel is definitely faster and more maneuverable, and can even be tested in the Combat Simulator, but in terms of overall usefulness with its stock setup, the Damocles is still superior, and therefore gets the nod from me. You don't need to have both of these behemoths in your fleet to conquer Sector Prime, though - either one will suffice, especially after you've thrown some high-end upgrades on them.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 71: Themed Car Challenge Explained

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 71: Themed Car Challenge Explained

Before the debut of the Car Shopping Round, the Themed Car Challenge was the most important and popular challenge among Automationeers. As a successor to the Themed Engine Challenge (in which the objective was to build a suitable engine for a particular type of car), we expected great things from it. And for the relatively brief period of time it ran in its original form, it really was one of the most hotly-anticipated challenges on the forums. Now, after a two-year hiatus, it has returned for the latest UE4 release of Automation. So here is a brief explanation of how the Themed Car Challenge works.

In each round, users submit a car to the host according to the rules of the current round, and for each user, only the first submission is valid. Once the submission period ends (either due to the deadline being reached or after a certain number of users have submitted their entries, if there is an upper limit on the number of submissions), the voting period begins, in which any user can vote on a top three (originally a top five for the first two seasons) for the current round, with a vote for the winner being worth the most points for the entrant that received it; however, no voters are allowed to vote for their own submission, if they had one. The entrant with the most points earned through voting wins the round. In addition, the top two entries will be featured on a video series, called the Automationeer Standoff, in which various aspects of each car are explained in detail, followed by a final decision which determines the winner.

So far, there have been two full seasons (consisting of four rounds each) of the Themed Car Challenge; both of these, however, were held in the Kee era of Automation, long before the transition to UE4. In the first season, the themes for each round were as follows:

• Round 1: 1995 roadsters for the European market.
• Round 2: 1985 executive sports sedans, again for the European market.
• Round 3: 1990 entry-level cars, yet again for the European market, but with 91 RON regular unleaded gasoline required, and cast engine internals mandatory.
• Round 4: 1968 sports coupes for the American market, running on 92 RON regular leaded gasoline - regular unleaded gasoline was not selectable in 1968 with the then-current version of Automation.

For the second season, each entry had to use the same car model and engine family, and be based on a four-door sedan or five-door wagon body - usually that of a mid-sized/D-segment car. Uniquely, this whole season was also set entirely in a single era - specifically, the mid- to late-Nineties, when this particular kind of car contributed a far greater percentage to annual car sales than it does now. The themes for the rounds held during the second season of TCC were as follows:

• Round 1: 1995 premium executive sedans.
• Round 2: 1996 mainstream family cars.
• Round 3: 1997 off-road variants, capable of running on 80 RON low quality unleaded gasoline (in the current UE4 release, low quality gasoline is 85 RON).
• Round 4: 1998 high-performance variants, requiring 98 RON super unleaded gasoline.

There was also a reboot of the TCC for an early version of the UE4 release of Automation, set in 1990 and themed about affordable sports coupes for the European market. However, it wasn't until much later that the TCC was relaunched yet again, as TCC 2.0. This long hiatus may be justified by the fact that UE4 Automation is now drastically different from what was when it debuted, especially in terms of balance and realism. More specifically, in between the latest TCC and the previous one, Automation had been updated and rebalanced so often that it is now a much more complete game than it was when it transitioned to UE4, especially with the introduction of hundreds of mods on the Steam Workshop having added more aesthetic options for car designs.

Thus ends our discussion of what the TCC is, how it works, and its relatively brief history. In the meantime, stay tuned for a review and summary of the very first round of TCC 2.0 - it will be posted once the round has concluded.

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 26: CRASH Chronicles Redux Part 1 - Lightstorm and Hypernova

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 26: CRASH Chronicles Redux Part 1 - Lightstorm and Hypernova

Recently, I have taken some time to revisit the characters I had created for CRASH Chronicles, a series of short stories about some of the dolls I had made in X-Girl Creator. For this revamp, I have chosen to finally redesign all four main characters, as well as adding a partner for each one. I'll also accompany this with new code names for them, starting with series stalwarts Ellie Watts and Kayla Brooks: Lightstorm for the former, and Hypernova for the latter.

Post-redesign Lightstorm (Ellie Watts) and Hypernova (Kayla Brooks) in their training outfits. They look a lot more purposeful than they used to, don't you think?

As a sign of things to come, here are their stat sheets, intended for a story arc in which the CRASH agents are unexpectedly kidnapped by a mysterious force and later forced to fight each other against their will in an underground tournament:

The stat sheets for Lightstorm (above) and Hypernova (below). Lightstorm is the fastest of the four original CRASH agents, but is one of the least durable; Hypernova is not as fast or agile, but is slightly stronger, is more skilled in various forms of combat, and her powers have a longer range. The last sentence in the "Notes" section of the info screen is now reserved for introductory quotes.

Expect to see info sheets for the other two of the original four CRASH Agents, Claire Hayes and Alexa Lowe, in short order - I promise you they will receive the same treatment. Last but not least, here is an artwork showing Lightstorm and Hypernova in CRASH Battle Suits, heading into battle fully armed and aware of what they are about to face, regardless of what it is.

Do not mess with a CRASH Agent... to say nothing of two or more!

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 70: The Community Redesign Centre

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 70: The Community Redesign Centre

Recently, a new thread has attracted plenty of attention from Automationeers, including myself. It's called the Community Redesign Centre, and as its name suggests, it's where you get to redesign other people's cars and/or submit one of your own for others to re-imagine. The changes range from aesthetic makeovers (such as facelifts introduced later in the car's lifespan) to more comprehensive modifications such as trim changes (including retuned suspension, drivetrains, tires, brakes and aerodynamics), engine tuning, changes to the body and chassis, and/or replacement of the entire engine with one more suited to the recipient's design brief.

One of the vehicles I submitted on the thread was the 2018 Morton Gazelle. Derived from an unused entry for CSR 111, this mid-sized premium sedan was powered by a 3-litre turbocharged straight-six driving the rear wheels via an eight-speed advanced automatic transmission.

Above and top: The Morton Gazelle in 3.0 Sport trim as originally designed by me. This variant was subsequently submitted to the Community Redesign Centre.

There were two redesigns based on this car. The second of these was the work of the Chinese manufacturer Honghu, whose interpretation of my design incorporated their cutting-edge exterior design language but left the mechanicals and trim as they originally were before the redesign.

Above and top: The Honghu design proposal for the Morton Gazelle. Its appearance is much more futuristic and aggressive than before - a welcome improvement befitting its role as a sports sedan.

Unsurprisingly, I did not hesitate to approve of the redesign, since it lent a more menacing, avant-garde air to the car's overall appearance while also retaining its basic four-door shape.

In short, the Community Redesign Centre is a must-visit thread for any Automationeer. Not only does it give you the chance to redesign others' cars as you see fit, it allows others to do the same to yours according to your requests. The results are always worth seeing, and are testament to the design and engineering nous of the most respected Automationeers. 

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 69: The Conclusions to Contests That Almost Never Were

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 69: The Conclusions to Contests That Almost Never Were

It is very common for an Automation forum contest to finish satisfactorily once it has been announced. This is especially true of the Car Shopping Round, where most rounds go to completion in the usual way - the host receives dozens of submissions, excludes any which violate the rule set, gives the rundown on all the rest, and releases the final results. However, on very rare occasions, none of this happens. In such situations, there is usually a contingency plan in place: every entrant votes for a single submission from that round (which must not be their own), and the user with the most votes wins. Only then can the host for the next round be determined as per the general CSR rules - if the winner declines hosting duties, they are passed down to the runner-up, and so on down the line. 

This failure to complete a round first occurred in CSR 20, but just four rounds later, it happened yet again, much to the frustration of all the entrants in those rounds. Fortunately, in both cases, the contest got up and running again thanks to the use of the public vote system described above. By far the most egregious example, however, was CSR 112, which was the most recent round as of this writing. The trouble started when the host announced that the reviews and results would have to be delayed due to unspecified physical and mental health issues. This wouldn't have been a problem if entrants had been forced to wait for just a few days, but after a week without any progress, the host reluctantly cancelled the entire round, having realized that he could not complete the writeups at all, no matter how soon he recovered.

The Morton Maxivan as originally submitted for CSR 112

Fortunately, a public poll based on screenshots and stats for certain entrants (who would only volunteer for consideration if they wanted to host the next round) was swiftly put in place, ensuring that there would be a winner after all. Whoever received the most votes for their submission after a period of time would win. Not wanting to miss out, I submitted a screenshot of my entry - the Morton Maxivan - once more. In the end, though, a variant of the MEN Urbvan took overall honors by virtue of receiving the most votes; its affordability and simplicity made it the most attractive opposition overall.

A pair of MEN Urbvans parked on a desert road. Custom car builders would often add a few letters and rearrange the rest to make the badge on the grille read "MENTAL" - which is slang for "crazy".

And so a contest that could easily have ended farcically for all involved ended up having the satisfactory conclusion it deserved. In the next post I will take a look at a thread where users are free to re-imagine other people's cars as they see fit.

The Best Weapons in Infinite Space, Ranked

The Best Weapons in Infinite Space, Ranked

In the previous post I described all the weapons in the Infinite Space trilogy that aren't worth using, mainly because of their poor value for money in practice. This time, I will list the very best weapons the series has to offer, again in ascending order. For this list, the criteria have been changed: raw power is now the primary factor in determining a weapon's ranking. So here are the five weapons any hero of Sector Prime would aspire to owning more than any other.

#5: Graviton Disintegrator - This is by far the most powerful beam weapon in the game. It's so powerful, in fact, that you need to create it from a Timeless Bauble in order to use it in the campaign. The Kawangi Dreadnought is armed with several of these medium-range weapons, making it virtually immune to attack at short and medium ranges. However, even one of these bright yellow beams of destruction can tear up a target's shields and hull at alarming speeds - even more quickly than the next weapon on the list.

#4: Tachyon Ray Gun - It's not as powerful as a Graviton Disintegrator, but you don't need to sacrifice a Timeless Bauble to collect one unless none of them have spawned on the map. It also shoots farther and has a similar fire rate. Sometimes, you can even collect two of them, but as with the disintegrator, you only need one of these for an effective deterrent against fighters.

#3: Particle Vortex Cannon - This is a very versatile weapon overall. It fires a glowing sphere that discharges a lightning bolt at the nearest target. What makes it so effective is that it can target fighters and capital ships simultaneously. As such, it can cut through most enemy formations with ease. It also explains why Tan Ru Decimators (which have one of these beasts equipped as standard) are formidable opponents in combat. If you have already fitted one to any of your capital ships, and also have a Timeless Bauble, you may even create another PVC if you wish, giving you double the satisfaction. Eat Blazing Electric Death, alien scum!

#2: Cobalt Torpedo Tube - Prince Arcturus' flagship, Damocles, carries two of these long-range homing missile launchers as standard equipment. Their accuracy and range are part of what makes the Damocles one of the best capital ships in the entire game. Each tube fires a single missile at the selected target, and its inability to automatically target fighters actually makes them very predictable to use, unlike the more common Multi-Missile Launcher which will be discussed later. There is only one other weapon which is more useful - and it's the next weapon on the list.

#1: Nova Cannon - By far and away the most powerful weapon in the game, the Nova Cannon can destroy any ship with just one direct hit unless it has very strong hull armor and/or shielding. Along with the Graviton Disintegrator, it is a standard Kawangi weapon; as such, you must avoid being hit by it at all costs. Although it is an unguided weapon, its high muzzle velocity makes it very effective for sniping and ambushes - more so than any other weapon, in fact. Unsurprisingly, it is very difficult to acquire; the only way to obtain one in regular gameplay is to create it from a Timeless Bauble. However, when combined with a fast ship (especially a heavily shielded one), any advanced targeting computer (such as the Sardion Optimizer), and a cloaking device, you will have the most overpowered combat setup in the entire game.

Honorable Mention #1: Multi-Missile Launcher - All of the previously listed weapons are highly desirable, but there's no guarantee you'll be able to obtain any of them; however, the Multi-Missile Launcher is guaranteed to become available later in the game. Available to Terrans and Muktians, this weapon fires a long-range missile which splits into six fragments in flight, and each fragment causes heavy damage on impact. The sheer number of fragments contained in each missile also confuses point-defense weapons. In fact, its only limitation is its annoying habit of scattering fragments uselessly if it is fired at a certain range. Installing two or more of these on a capital ship will significantly boost its firepower, especially when combined with the second weapon to receive an honorable mention here.

Honorable Mention #2: Proton Blaster - If the Graviton Disintegrator and Tachyon Ray Gun are both unavailable, this weapon becomes the best option for dealing with fighters. With more power, accuracy and range than any other weapon of similar size, it is the perfect complement to a set of Multi-Missile Launchers. Also, its high muzzle velocity and fire rate, combined with its ability to target incoming missiles, make it ideal for any combat situation. A Calatian capital ship armed with at least four of these is a formidable opponent, capable of engaging and defeating most threats from any direction. Given that the Terrans and Zorg use it frequently in the later stages of the game, it is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after weapons in the sector.

Thus ends our ranking of the best weapons in the Infinite Space trilogy. Remember - knowledge is power, and power is nothing without control - so learn how to use these weapons effectively if you want to get the most out of them.