Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 58: Open Beta Test Build Example

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 58: Open Beta Test Build Example

After I finally got the open beta for Lite Campaign V3 build of Automation to work properly, I rediscovered the joy of being an Automationeer, but by then, many forum competitions had been suspended due to compatibility issues. Given the long wait before some of them would resume, I was left with no choice but to hone my skills further by building several cars in the LCV3 build, in anticipation of future developments. So without further ado, here is one of them.

An overview of the '92 MTR200 2.0T.

This particular car, the MTR200 2.0T, is quite an important car. First, it's an affordable machine for its time, costing just under $13000 in-game at its launch in 1992, not counting markups. Second, it's incredibly light by 21st-century standards, at just over 1 metric ton; this lack of mass greatly benefits maneuverability, agility, and efficiency. Speaking of which, it delivers on all three fronts: in addition to being able to pull over 1.0 g on a 200-meter skidpad, it can reach 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds, while still returning good fuel economy in the process. On top of that, its brakes are more than up to the task of bringing this budget speedster to a dead stop.

The turbo setup and dyno sheet for the MTR200's engine.

As for its engine, from a modern (late-2010s) point of view it's nothing special, for under the rear deck lies a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four running low boost pressure (0.6 bar, to be exact) - a configuration very commonly found in the vast majority of today's cars, much to the detriment of enthusiasts craving the crisp throttle response of a larger normally aspirated engine. However, back in the early 90s, they were much less common than they are now. And despite pumping out no more than around 200 horsepower, it's more than adequate for a car which weighs not much more than a ton; moreover, there is so little turbo lag that its performance is far more accessible than you'd think.

Above: the gearing setup. Below: the suspension settings.

The rest of the car is fairly straightforward, with a mid-grade cloth interior and tape deck on the inside, and ABS but no traction control. The only transmission is a five-speed manual transaxle hooked up to a mechanical LSD, while the brakes are four-wheel vented discs. And with double wishbones at each corner supporting 16-inch alloy wheels, it will easily hang with more powerful cars on twisty back roads. 

Eventually I arrived at the inescapable conclusion that, had it existed in real life, it would be a raw, analog contrast to the overabundance of driving aids and other electronic systems found in most modern cars. With ample power, no traction control, a short wheelbase, and tenacious grip, it would have been challenging and rewarding in equal measure. Moreover, the small footprint, good outward visibility and low fuel consumption make it more manageable for daily use - though not by much.

Thus ends my summary of this car build. In the future, I might end up incorporating the MTR200 into the lore of a new company I haven't made yet - but that's another story.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 57: Open Beta Progress Report

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 57: Open Beta Progress Report

After a long absence, I can finally return to the Automation Lite Campaign V3 Open Beta, and play it just as the developers intended. However, it was not without difficulty. To avoid any possibility of the game crashing just after startup, or when adding, editing, or deleting fixtures, I had to delete nearly every sub-folder in the Plugins directory and clear the cache from the game's launcher. It worked, but even then there were problems. 

For starters, most of the mods were no longer compatible with the most recent open beta build anyway, although some of them thankfully remained due to having been made available by default in time for the LCV3 update. A more pressing issue is that many bodies, some of them mid-engined, now have even smaller engine bays than previously, but strangely, it affects some of them more than others. Thankfully, a few of the other bodies carried over from previous versions have been fixed (in the sense that they have the correct internal dimensions), and some have even become available in different sizes as well and/or are unlocked earlier than previously.

In addition, the revised UIs for the engineering tabs are much more useful and informative, and the size chart in the engine tab finally displays the exact amount of engine bay space used for a particular configuration. Moreover, production unit and engineering time amounts in the sandbox have been adjusted to be more representative of those in the campaign. Finally, the game runs considerably faster, much to the benefit of those with lower-end systems.

By now, you may be wondering what has happened to the Car Shopping Round, given that there has been no news on that front for more than a month. Fortunately, it hasn't been permanently abandoned; it's merely being suspended until after the latest build of Automation receives a public release, by which time many compatibility issues should hopefully be fixed. For now, I am eagerly awaiting the return of CSR with bated breath, and have high hopes for the next round.

There is still quite a way to go before this latest open beta build finally enjoys a public release, so watch this space. In the meantime, happy Automationeering!

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 56: Fun In the Alps Redux

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 56: Fun in the Alps Redux

Last week's visit to Italy highlighted the importance of having less than 248 horsepower on tap. I am mentioning this exact figure for a reason: beyond this level of power, owners of any car registered there will be subject to extremely heavy annual taxes, much greater than anywhere else in Europe. However, quite a lot of today's performance cars have so much more power than this, to the point that their full potential is very difficult (if not impossible) to fully exploit on public roads. It had me thinking about making a true driver's car for modern times with modest levels of power, below the 248-bhp threshold. 

After a short period of deliberation, I realized that I already had one lying around: the Morton Sparrow. No, it's not the version I submitted for CSR78 - that trim, with 300 horsepower from its 2.0-litre turbo inline-four, would not be considered - but a detuned version with just 240 horsepower or so. I haven't actually made this less powerful trim yet, though, but considering that it may well be obsoleted in the Lite Campaign V3, I am now unsure as to whether I actually want to do so.

The Morton Sparrow in 300-horsepower guise, as submitted for CSR78. Since the rest of the car is basically spot-on, a 240-horsepower version of this model would be ideal for the Italian market (with its punitive taxes for anything with over 248 bhp) - or anywhere else for that matter.

Even with the drop in power, all of the Sparrow's other virtues - affordable price, light weight, small size, a well-balanced chassis, and a stout drivetrain - would be mostly preserved. As such, it would still be an ideal choice for tackling the narrow, twisting roads commonly found in Europe - but the reduced output would make its limits more approachable, especially at lower speeds. Moreover, with skillful tuning, the resulting car would end up being more economical as well. In short, it's the answer to a question I hadn't asked until now: "What if I made a version of my beloved Morton Sparrow better suited to the Italian market?"

That question, by the way, brings back memories of CSR36, which actually did feature the 248-bhp upper limit as an explicit requirement. As such, entering a variant of the Sparrow in a UE4-based redux of that particular round, detuned accordingly to meet requirements, would be a no-brainer. In that case, I would be confident of a good result - but with CSR currently on hold pending the public roll-out of the latest update, and the next round confirmed not to be about sports cars, it seems unlikely that I will enter the Sparrow in another CSR again.