The Game of Life on Steam, Part 2: A Walkthrough

The Game of Life on Steam, Part 2: A Walkthrough

This post is the second one in a series about the Steam release of The Game of Life. Having already covered the basics in the first part, I will now devote this post to a walkthrough of the game. I shall describe the spaces in the order in which they are encountered.

Starting out

You have two options for your first turn. They are as follows:

• Start College: Borrow $100,000 to pay for tuition fees, then spin and move as you would on any other turn.
• Start Career: Take one Career Card (not a College Career Card) and then spin and move as usual.

Each path has its own pros and cons, as described below.

College Path

Although this option forces you to start with $125,000 of debt (including interest) and has a longer path, it provides you with a better chance of getting a higher-paying career. At the end of this path is the College Career Choice space. When you reach this space, you must take two College Career cards (or one if all other College Career cards are taken) and select the one you want. Once you have selected a College Career, spin and move again.

Career Path

This option has a shorter path and allows you to earn money sooner and does not force you to borrow any money at the start; however, it usually doesn't yield as much money in the short term, since the regular Career cards tend to pay you less than the College Career cards do. This path merges with the College Path at the second Pay Day space.

Pay Day
These spaces are the main source of income for all players. You will receive your salary (including Pay Raises) whenever you land on or pass over them. Some of these are Pay Raise spaces, further details of which are shown below.

Pay and Collect Spaces
Landing on a Pay Space will cause you to lose money, with the payment usually being a fixed amount varying from $5,000 to $125,000. However, some Pay Spaces require you to pay a certain amount multiplied by the amount of children you have if landed on, instead of or in addition to a fixed amount. There is even a Pay Space that not only requires you to pay $40,000, but also earns you a Life Tile if landed on.

Collect Spaces have the opposite effect to that of Pay Spaces in that you will collect money if you land on them. Usually, this is a fixed amount ranging from $10,000 to $500,000. However, there is one space which will allow you to collect $5,000 per child from each player if you land on it.

Life Spaces
Whenever you land on a Life Space, you will receive a Life Tile from the draw pile. However, if the draw pile is empty, you must take a Life Tile from another player instead. Moreover, if all other players have retired at Countryside Acres and/or have no Life Tiles of their own, you will not receive a Life Tile at all from landing on these spaces. Please note that some Life Spaces will give you a child or two - further details are explained in the relevant section. Finally, one of the Life Spaces also requires you to pay the bank $40,000 if you land on it.

Take a Share The Wealth Card
Land on this space and you will receive a random Share the Wealth Card.

Get Married

Upon reaching this space, stop immediately, receive one Life Tile, and spin for wedding gifts. The value of the gifts received from each opponent is tied to the number spun as follows:

• 1-4: No gifts from any players
• 5-7: $5,000 from each player
• 8-10: $10,000 from each player

You will also have a person peg (of the opposite gender to the character you have chosen added to your car. Once you have received all your wedding gifts (if any), spin and move again.

Pay Day + $10,000 Pay Raise
Normally, Pay Day spaces require you to collect your salary from the bank (including Pay Raises) whenever you land or pass over them. However, some Pay Day spaces will also provide you with a Pay Raise. As such, when you land on or pass over these spaces, you will also receive a Pay Raise, unless your career has already reached its maximum salary.

Taxes Due

Anyone who lands on these spaces must pay the bank a specific amount of cash as stated on their Career or College Career Card. Please note that you cannot use a Pay Card if you land on these spaces.

Buy a Starter Home
You must stop immediately upon reaching this space, and then choose one of the six Starter Homes on offer (excluding any that have already been bought by other players). If the cost of the Starter Home you chose is greater than the amount of cash you have, you must take out at least one Bank Loan. You can only own one Starter Home or House at a time. Once you have purchased a Starter Home, spin and move again.

Lose Your Job
Anyone who lands on these space must replace their current Career or College Career Card with a regular Career Card (not a College Career Card), and also discard every Pay Raise they have. If no regular Career Cards are available, you will retain your current career, but must still discard all your Pay Raises anyway.

Baby and Twins Spaces
When you land on these spaces, a person peg (or two if you landed on a Twins space) - a pink one for a baby girl, or a blue one for a baby boy - will be added to your car. You will also receive a Life Tile and $5,000 in baby gifts from each player. In addition to this, you will receive $10,000 in gifts from each of your children upon retirement, as explained in the relevant section.

Lawsuit
When you land on a Lawsuit Space, you will be presented by a list of your opponents. Click on an opponent to sue him or her for $100,000. If successful (i.e. the player being sued does not use an Exemption Card), you will receive $100,000 from that player.

Spin to Win
When you land on this space, you must choose whether or not you want to Spin to Win. If you do, you must select a number on the spinner (two numbers with a 2x Spin to Win Card, or four numbers with a 4x Spin to Win Card), choose the amount you want to wager (in $5,000 increments, from $5,000 to $50,000) and then spin the spinner. If the number spun matches any of the numbers you chose, you will receive 10 times the value of your wager from the bank. If it does not, however, you will lose your bet and must pay the bank the amount you had wagered.

Note: In the video game adaptation that is the subject of this guide (and by extension, the original board game), Collect Cards cannot be used against anyone who receives money from Spin to Win, nor can anyone use a Pay Card if they lose money from Spin to Win. (As far as I am aware, the version featured in Family Game Night 3 omits this rule.)

Return to School or Continue on the Path of Life
When you reach this orange space, you may either pay $50,000 to return to school (the left-hand branch), or continue on the Path of Life (the right-hand branch) and not pay anything. Choosing to return to school leads to the Change Career space (see below). Both of these branches merge at a Lawsuit space.

Change Career or Get $20,000 Pay Raise
You have two choices when you reach this orange space. If you choose to change careers, follow the steps for College Career Choice as described above, except that your new College Career Card will replace your existing Career Card, and you must return any pay raises you have previously accumulated. If, on the other hand, you choose to take the $20,000 Pay Raise instead, you will receive two Pay Raises. Please note that if no other College Career Cards are available, you will automatically take the $20,000 Pay Raise option. Once you have made this decision, spin and move again.

Take The Family Path or Continue on the Path of Life
This orange space also leads to two choices. The left-hand branch leads to the Family Path, which not only contains four Baby Spaces, but also the Open Daycare space, which will cause you to collect $5,000 per child from every other player if landed on. The right-hand branch leads to the Path of Life, which contains a Pay Raise space but no Baby Spaces. Both of these branches merge at a Spin to Win space.

Buy a Better Home
When you reach this space, you must stop immediately and decide whether or not to trade in your Starter Home for a new House. If you choose to do so, you must choose which of the available Houses you wish to purchase. As with Starter Homes, If the cost of the House you chose is greater than the amount of cash you have, you must take out at least one Bank Loan. Once you have decided whether or not to buy a better home (and chosen a House to purchase, if you chose to sell your Starter Home), spin and move again.

Tax Refund
When you reach this space, collect the amount of money you would normally pay the bank when landing on a Taxes Due space as stated on your Career Card. Please note that Collect Cards cannot be used against any players who land on this space.

Safe Path or Risky Path
This is the last orange space on the board that leads to a pair of branching paths. The left-hand branch leads to the Risky Path of Life, which contains a few Spin to Win spaces and a Lawsuit space; the right-hand branch leads to the Safe Path of Life, which is shorter but lacks Spin to Win spaces. Both branches merge at a Pay Space.

Pension
This is the last space before retirement. Anyone who lands on it must spin and receive $10,000 multiplied by the number they spun.

Retirement
When you reach this space, stop immediately. Any and all of your outstanding loans will be repaid, and your Starter Home or House will be sold. You will also receive $10,000 in gifts from each of your children. More importantly, you must also decide where to retire. But regardless of where you retire, on every turn afterwards, you must still spin on your turn for Long-Term investments until every other player has also retired.

If you retire at Millionaire Estates, you will receive a Life Tile if fewer than three other players have already retired there; however, your Life Tiles can still be stolen by other players if the draw pile runs out. On the other hand, if you retire at Countryside Acres, you will not receive any Life Tiles; however, your Life Tiles cannot be stolen by other players if the draw pile runs out.

Winning the Game of Life
After all players have retired, each player will have their net worth calculated using the process described above. Then, the value of their Life Tiles will be converted into additional money. When all Life Tiles have been redeemed, the player with the most money is the winner.

The Journal of Life and High Scores
Upon completing a game, you will be able to view a Journal of Life detailing all of the important events that you had experienced, starting with the path you chose at the start of the game, and ending with the total amount of money you had amassed by the end of the game. In a solo game, you will be the only player to be afforded this privilege, regardless of whether you actually won the game or not. However, in a multiplayer game, only the winner will be able to view their Journal of Life, unless any of the other players managed to reach the top 10 High Scores list. Speaking of which, the game's High Scores list records the top 10 scores achieved by human players. This is also where you can view the Journals of Life accompanying the games in which the High Scores were earned.

This concludes my walkthrough of The Game of Life. In the next (and hopefully last) part, I'll show you some tips, tactics and strategies that can improve your chance of winning.

The Game of Life on Steam, Part 1: The Basics

The Game of Life on Steam, Part 1: The Basics

Important note: This new series of mine is a guide that covers the older of the two PC games released on Steam to be based on Hasbro's long-running tabletop game, The Game Of Life, specifically the version in print from 2007 to 2013. Much of the advice contained in this guide is therefore relevant to the actual board game as well. There is another PC game of the same name currently available on Steam as well, but it is based on a newer version of The Game of Life, one that is still in print today; as such, it will require its own guide, if I ever choose to make one.

Introduction
Throughout its history, The Game of Life, as it is most commonly known, has always depicted the life of the person you play as, from college to retirement. In this new series, I will describe how the game works, along with some tips and strategies that can help you win it. Let's start with the basics. The Game of Life is a game for two to six players, distinguished by its use of a spinner with ten numbers from 1 to 10 instead of a dice of any kind. In this game, the objective is simple: be the wealthiest player of all in order to win.

Starting Up
When you start the game, you will be asked to select the color of your car (which represents you on the game board). There are six colors available (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple). Once you have selected a color, you must now select from one of ten characters, five male (Bob, John, Malcolm, Ernie and Bernard) and five female (Rachel, Mary, Sarah, Joan and Zoe). Finally, you must select the number of players in the game. Note that the same color cannot be selected more than once for each game, nor can the same character be chosen more than once. Moreover, in a multiplayer game, you must select the number of players first before each player chooses a color and character.

Each player will then be given three random Share the Wealth Cards. For human players, this process is handled by selecting three of six random cards at the start, followed by being shown the type(s) of the cards selected. Each player then spins to see who goes first; the player who spins the highest number always goes first, followed by the player who spun the next-highest number, and so on. At the start of each turn, the player whose turn it is must spin the spinner; the number spun determines how many spaces that player will advance on the board.

Space Colors
The spaces on the board have one of four colors. They are as follows:

• Yellow spaces: These comprise the majority of the spaces on the board. Always follow the instructions printed on these spaces when you land on them.
• Green spaces: Collect your salary (including Pay Raises) as indicated on your Career Card whenever you land on or pass over these spaces. Some of these are Pay Raise spaces, which yield a Pay Raise (see below) if your career has either not reached its maximum salary or does not have one.
• Orange spaces: Stop immediately upon reaching these spaces (even if you have moves left), follow the instructions printed on them as you would for a yellow space, then spin again.
• Blue spaces: These spaces are reserved exclusively for lawsuits, in which you can collect $100,000 from any other player of your choice, unless they use an Exemption Card upon being sued. In that case, they will have to give that to the bank instead, and no payments are made.

Career Cards
There are a total of 12 Career Cards in the game: six normal careers and six college careers. Normal careers can only be selected upon selecting the Start Career option at the start of the game or upon landing on a Lose your Job space.  College careers can only be selected upon landing on the College Career Choice space (accessible only from the Start College option at the start) or by changing careers after returning to school.

The list of regular careers is as follows:

• Salesperson: Initial salary of $20,000; maximum salary of $50,000; $5,000 in taxes.
• Mechanic: Initial salary of $30,000; maximum salary of $60,000; $10,000 in taxes.
• Hair Stylist: As above.
• Police Officer: Initial salary of $40,000; maximum salary of $70,000; $15,000 in taxes.
• Entertainer: Initial salary of $50,000; no maximum salary; $20,000 in taxes.
• Athlete: Initial salary of $60,000; no maximum salary; $25,000 in taxes.

And here is the list of college careers:

• Teacher: Identical to the Police Officer above.
• Computer Designer: Initial salary of $50,000; maximum salary of $80,000; $20,000 in taxes.
• Accountant: Initial salary of $70,000; maximum salary of $110,000; $30,000 in taxes.
• Veterinarian: Initial salary of $80,000; maximum salary of $120,000; $35,000 in taxes.
• Lawyer: Initial salary of $90,000; no maximum salary; $40,000 in taxes.
• Doctor: Initial salary of $100,000; no maximum salary; $45,000 in taxes.

Long-Term Investments

Each player can buy a Long-Term Investment at the start of their turn for $10,000 if they do not have one already. There are nine such cards in the game; each one has a different number, from 1 to 9. Once a player purchases an investment, it remains in their possession for the remainder of the game; however, they cannot own more than one or trade it for another investment. Also, when anyone (including the investment's owner) spins the number on that investment, the owner will earn $5,000.

Houses and Starter Homes

There are two types of House Card in this game. Starter Homes are mandatory purchases early in the game, whereas trading them in for Houses later in the game is optional. The list of Starter Homes is as follows:

• Mobile Home: Costs $80,000; sells for $80,000.
• Condo: Costs $100,000; sells for $105,000.
• Log Cabin: Costs $120,000; sells for $140,000.
• Ranch Style: Costs $140,000; sells for $160,000.
• Small Cape: Costs $160,000; sells for $180,000.
• Tudor Style: Costs $180,000; sells for $200,000.

The list of Houses is as follows:

• Double Wide + RV: Costs $300,000.
• Executive Cape: Costs $400,000.
• Modern Victorian: Costs $500,000.
• Luxury Mountain Retreat: Costs $600,000.
• Penthouse Suite: Costs $700,000.
• Mansion: Costs $800,000.

Please note that each House will be sold for exactly the same value as its purchase price at the end of the game.

Life Tiles

Life Tiles are rewarded for landing on a Life Space (unless the draw pile is empty and every other player has either retired at Countryside Acres or has no life tiles of their own) and also for being one of the first three players to retire at Millionaire Estates. There are a total of 25 Life Tiles in the game, of which three are placed at Millionaire Estates. Each tile is worth one of five values: $10,000, $20,000, $30,000, $40,000 or $50,000. If the draw pile runs out, you must take a Life Tile from another player who not only has at least one Life Tile, but also has not retired at Countryside Acres, if there is one.

Share The Wealth Cards

Share The Wealth Cards are exclusive to this game, and can be collected by landing on a Take a Share The Wealth Card space, although the exact type of card collected is always random. There are five types of Share The Wealth Card; they are as follows:

• Pay Card: This may be given to another player when you land on a yellow Pay space, thereby forcing that player to pay you half of the amount you'd normally pay to the bank.
• Collect Card: This may be given to another player when he/she lands on a yellow Collect space, thereby forcing that player to pay you half of the amount he/she would normally collect.
• Exemption Card: When used, it prevents its owner from having to pay any money when sued or given a Pay or Collect Card.
• 2x Spin To Win: Using this card will allow its owner to select two numbers during Spin To Win instead of one.
• 4x Spin To Win: Using this card will allow its owner to select four numbers during Spin To Win instead of one.

When you get the chance to use a Share The Wealth Card, you will be asked whether or not you want to do so. Click on "Yes" to accept, or "No" to decline. In addition, if you use a Pay Card, you must choose from an opponent to give the card to so he or she must pay half of what you'd normally pay.

Bank Loans and Pay Raises

Bank Loans are automatically taken out if you have too little cash on hand to make a payment. Each Loan has a value of $20,000 and comes with $5,000 in interest. If you choose the Start College path at the start of the game, you must take out $100,000 in loans (for a total debt of $125,000, including interest) to pay for tuition fees. Any and all outstanding debts you have will be paid back automatically upon retirement.

Pay Raises are worth $10,000 each and are normally awarded when you land on or pass over Pay Raise spaces, unless your career has reached its maximum salary. You can also earn two Pay Raises at once by choosing to take $20,000 worth of Pay Raises after returning to school. However, all of your Pay Raises will be lost if you land on a Lose Your Job space.

That just about covers it for the basics of The Game of Life. In the next part, I'll describe a walkthrough of the game, covering specific spaces on the board and what they do.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 87: Where Does Hampton Go From Here?

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 87: Where Does Hampton Go From Here?

In anticipation of further rounds of the recurring Generations challenge, I have made several test cars bearing the Hampton badge for the purposes of being entered there. However, given that those rounds are several weeks away, I will not finalize these cars' actual specifications until the competition reaches that stage. With this in mind, here's one possible plan for the (far) future of the Hampton Motor Group, given that the second round is about to end soon and a third one is imminent:

• 1970s: Oil crisis forces downsizing of entire range; Hampton also undertakes extensive redesigns, focuses more on efficiency, and mostly withdraws from performance sector, with few (if any) exceptions.
• 1980s: Hampton Motor Group regains confidence as oil crisis ends. Performance models and larger cars make a comeback as the decade progresses.
• 1990s: Profits from consistently good sales allow Hampton Motor Group to invest more heavily in more advanced designs and engines. The company has the potential to be in a very strong position by century's end.
• 2000s: Hampton Motor Group may expand into SUV/truck market early in the decade. More new tech (including satellite navigation) is added to the range in later years.
• 2010s: Downsizing and infotainment are the new buzzwords, forcing a re-evaluation of the company's priorities. Amidst all the turmoil, Hampton maintains a presence in a wide variety of market sectors.

Please note that this plan for the lore of the Hampton Motor Group is subject to change due to the fact that the first round set in the 1970s or later is not scheduled to start for several more weeks. In the meantime, the third round of Generations II has been announced, and it has been confirmed to be set in 1966 as well as featuring a total of four categories (compact, intermediate, muscle and utility) per entrant - watch this space.

Update (March 26th 2020): The muscle car category for the third round of Generations II has been confirmed to be open only to variants of existing models from the compact and intermediate categories. Moreover, pony cars will also be treated as muscle cars under the new system. However, a new build of Automation has entered open beta testing, and as such the submission period has been delayed significantly.

And as a reminder that us Automationeers can still enjoy their hobby during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, I am using my self-quarantine period to devote more time to Automationeering. The pandemic will end eventually, but it will most likely be several months before it begins to peter out. Until then, stay safe and remain positive.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 86: The Transporter's Final Mission

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 86: The Transporter's Final Mission

For the second time in my tenure as an Automationeer, I was given the (un)enviable task of judging entries for a round of the Automation TV and Movie Car Challenge. This time, though, it wasn't my responsibility initially, and I only decided to take over the reins after the original host could not complete the round as intended due to a hardware malfunction, and no other user who had entered it wanted to assume hosting duties. Fortunately, the turnout for this challenge was very small, at just nine entries in total, but this was still a fun round to co-host nonetheless.

Close, but no cigar: three of the four finalists (above from top: Knightwick Solace Royal, Turból Loncil TTR and Marksman-Garrison Broadsword) in round 5 of the Automation TV & Movie Car Challenge looked good enough to win on paper, but all of them would ultimately be rejected for falling short in at least one key area.

Three entries turned out not to be eligible due to rule violations; two of the remaining six did not demonstrate sufficient aesthetic quality to reach the final round of judging, although all five of those submissions would have failed to make the final cut anyway based solely on objective statistics. This left a total of four cars: the Marksman-Garrison Broadsword, the Knightwick Solace Royal, the Turból Loncil TTR, and the Lacam D80 S. First to go was the Knightwick. It was the best-looking car in the final four, but was simply too soft and not sporty enough to threaten the podium. The Broadsword was the next to fall: it was the slowest of the finalists, and its cargo volume barely exceeded the minimum standard. The Loncil claimed second by virtue of being the sportiest, as well as being one of the flashiest - in a good way. It was not comfortable enough for the film crew's tastes, though.

Who would have thought that the subdued Lacam D80 S would take the top spot by virtue of being the best all-rounder of the four finalists?

And so, after a brief period of deliberation, I decided to award the win to the Lacam D80. It had most of its competitors' strengths and few (if any) of their weaknesses, making it the best all-around choice of the bunch. Thus ended a short, but still highly enjoyable, installment of the TV & Movie Car Challenge.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 85: Hampton Expands Further

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 85: Hampton Expands Further

The previous post showed how the Hampton Motor Group got started in 1948, as well has its entry into the lucrative American market in 1956. This one, however, shows how its range had expanded significantly by 1960. Most of its existing models gained new variants, and were available with more standard equipment along with significant mechanical upgrades. Even so, the only car in the lineup that was completely new for 1960 was the Vanguard, a full-size luxury sedan with a more lavishly appointed interior, and powered by the 3.5-litre straight-six from the newly revised Peregrine.

Some of the new additions to the Hampton lineup for 1960, from left to right: Peregrine 3.5 Sprint, Valiant 3.2 Deluxe, and Vanguard 3.5.

Both the Ferret (now offered with an optional 1.8-litre straight-four) and Valiant (which could normally be ordered with either a 3.0-litre or 3.2-litre straight-six) model ranges were now available as estates, with the former also being offered as a convertible; the latter could now be had in a fastback coupe body style. Also, for the first time ever, a high-performance version of the Valiant, called the Valiant Supreme, was offered, either as a coupe or sedan and powered by the Vanguard's 3.5-liter straight-six engine, while the entry-level Valiant Prime trim, distinguished by a vinyl interior, finally went on sale in North America for the first time. The Shrike was now available as a convertible as well as a coupe, and powered by a gutsier 2.0-litre straight-four to offset the extra weight from the addition of more standard equipment.

As for the larger Peregrine, it too was now offered as a convertible, while the coupe could finally be ordered either as a 2+2 or a two-seater; regardless of body style, its six-cylinder engine was enlarged to 3.5 litres, with a more powerful Sprint version (bundled with sportier suspension and a shorter final drive) optional. In addition, according to lore, every car in the range (except for the Shrike and Peregrine) could now be fitted with a 3-speed automatic transmission in place of the 4-speed manual. Front disc brakes were standard across the range, as were rear discs on every car other than the Ferret.

Above, from top: Peregrine Sprint, Convertible and 2+2; Shrike Coupe and Convertible; Ferret 1.8 Saloon, Convertible and Estate; Valiant Coupe and Estate

Hampton's revised lineup took center stage at the 1960 Automation Detroit Motor Show, where it received rave reviews. In particular, the Vanguard would be praised for its luxurious interior, while the Peregrine also earned plenty of plaudits for having more than enough performance to justify its premium pricing.

Three Hampton Valiants at the 1960 Automation Detroit Motor Show: 3.0 Prime sedan (left), 3.2 Deluxe estate (center), and 3.5 Supreme coupe (right)

In short, the expanded Hampton model range for 1960 was larger and more diverse than ever, designed to cater for many different types of buyers, from economy-minded buyers with tight budgets to wealthy enthusiasts craving excitement, and nearly everything in between.

Update (March 18 2020): I have already made a few test cars for the future Hampton range, in anticipation of upcoming rounds in Generations II. These cars may be revised at a later date for submission purposes, if I see fit to enter them in those later stages of the contest.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 84: The Rise of Hampton Motor Group

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 84: The Rise of Hampton Motor Group

Earlier in this series, I briefly described the rebooted Generations challenge and how it worked. Now that the first round has concluded, however, I feel that the time has come to give a summary on each of the offerings from the company I had entered in this challenge, plus a few more.

The first three cars in the Hampton Motor Group's range, from left to right: the entry-level Ferret, the upmarket Valiant and the Nevis off-road truck.

According to company lore, the Hampton Motor Group began manufacturing cars in 1948, based out of a newly rebuilt factory in Warwick, England. However, it was not until 1956 that they began selling cars in North America. For this first round, I entered three of their cars: the Ferret, Valiant and Nevis. While the Ferret was intended as an economy car, the Valiant was aimed at wealthier buyers who could afford more creature comforts. The Nevis, meanwhile, was a rugged off-roader built to carry heavy loads over rough terrain.

Mechanically, the Nevis had simpler underpinnings (separate chassis, leaf-sprung solid axles front and rear, and an overhead-valve engine) than the Ferret and Valiant. Both of them utilized unitary construction with an independent strut front suspension and a coil-sprung live rear axle. Also, the Ferret and Valiant were powered by overhead-cam engines, unlike the Nevis, and the latter had a more upmarket interior, in addition to being available with an automatic transmission.

All three of these cars received generally positive reviews, with special mention going to the Valiant for winning the Senior category on account of being better value for money than its contemporaries. However, these three cars were not the only ones in the company's lineup for 1956.

Three more new additions to the Hampton model range for 1956, from left to right: the Shrike, a lightweight sports coupe, the Peregrine, a larger coupe for those with bigger budgets, and the Transtar, a cheap and durable van sold only to fleet buyers when new.

During 1956, Hampton bolstered its lineup with two sports cars and a panel van. The Shrike was their entry-level offering, built on the Ferret's platform, and powered by an enlarged version of that car's straight-four engine. The larger Peregrine, meanwhile, had double-wishbone suspension at each corner, and utilized a 3.2-litre version of the Valiant's straight-six for propulsion. The final addition to the Hampton range was the Transtar, a four-cylinder delivery van sold only to fleets. However, the Transtar's engine was a bespoke overhead-valve unit, chosen in the interests of reliability.

And so the expansion of the Hampton car-building empire was complete - for now. However, this is only the first part of the story - so stay tuned for the next one.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 83: Funky Fresh

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 83: Funky Fresh

After two iterations of CSR themed around the search for a used car, the latest one brought something quite different. For starters, it was a period piece set in 1972, when big and bulky muscle cars and land barges were still all the rage throughout America. The premise was that an undercover police officer was looking for a new car after his previous one had been trashed during an intense pursuit through crowded city streets. I took a while to read the rule set carefully, and began designing my entry once I had finished.

After a few hours of designing and building an entry, I eventually came up with the MAD Corsair GTE. Powered by a 7.0-litre overhead-valve V8 driving the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual gearbox, its slab-sided design and separate-chassis construction (with a live rear axle) were typical of American cars of the era. However, I only settled on submitting it after finding out that the similar test cars I made using other bodies turned out to be inferior.

From the front, the Corsair GTE exudes a blend of elegance and aggression.

While some entrants chose to make decidedly extrovert designs for this challenge, I went for something subtler... but not by much. Although its dark red metallic paintwork, vinyl roof and chrome trim reminded me of a contemporary personal luxury car, it had a prominent hood scoop and sporty alloy wheels - two features more commonly found on high-performance muscle cars.

Now that's a rear view you will end up getting used to...

The engine was also typical early 70s muscle car fare, with a pair of four-barrel carburetors and plenty of displacement. However, for economy's sake, I used a lean air/fuel ratio and a mild cam profile, as well as a standard intake, dual reverse-flow mufflers and short cast-iron headers to keep noise levels down and the fuel consumption above acceptable levels, - an important feature given that the maximum loudness rating for this round was set at 35 instead of the more usual 40 or more, while real-life contemporary muscle cars seldom returned anything more than single figures in terms of miles per gallon. The result was a highly tractable, reliable engine with lots of torque in the lower rev range - ideal for daily driving.

There were other reasons why I decided not to go overboard with my car's engine: freer-flowing tubular headers cost more to make, thereby adding to the car's overall cost, and take up more space in the engine bay, which leads to increased service cost. A larger engine would have had a similar effect, but with the added disadvantage of more weight and thirst. I also decided not to spend too much on a more luxurious interior (and sacrifice some reliability in the process), even though it was possible to do so while remaining under budget.

In keeping with the Corsair's remit as a comfortable cruiser with a bit of sportiness mixed in, I went for a fully premium interior and 8-track player, plus 4-wheel disc brakes and a sporty suspension tune, to ensure that it wouldn't be left behind by other contenders. However, I forewent a locking differential for the sake of reliability and comfort. Even so, the Corsair didn't have too much wheelspin, and was still capable of reaching 140 mph flat-out.

Considering that many other users would opt for a more extrovert approach with their entries instead, I entered this round with some trepidation. However, much to my surprise and relief, some of the entries which were submitted turned out to be ineligible due to rule breaches (although, in fairness, most of these also had at least one other fatal flaw), and were consequently ignored. Mine wasn't among them, and in fact it managed to sneak into the top 10.

Unexpectedly, the Corsair managed to finish second overall in the final reckoning; in fact, the only car it couldn't beat turned out to be just plain faster and more aggressive-looking - just the ticket for the client. Overall, though, I could hold my head high, knowing that I had delivered my best performance ever in the long history of this challenge.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 82: Vanilla Nice

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 82: Vanilla Nice

When the Automation developers announced that they would be remaking the game' trailer with purely vanilla cars from other users (in the sense that they did not use any mods, instead being made using content that is included in the base game), I was intrigued, to say the least. Although I submitted a variant of the DMS Imperia GT for this challenge, it is worth noting that this car has already been discussed in an earlier post in this series, so I will be focusing on something else instead.

For my second (and last) submission for the devs, I decided to rework an existing car, and ended up with the first-generation DMS Cuneo. This was another mid-engined sports car, but smaller, lighter, less powerful and considerably cheaper. I positioned it as a purists' machine, with no driving aids or power steering. Powered by a high-revving, all-alloy, normally aspirated 2-litre straight-four, delivering 180 horsepower and 140 foot-pounds of torque to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox and limited-slip differential, this was a machine intended for serious drivers only.

The 1992 DMS Cuneo is as straightforward as contemporary drivers' cars could get - no assists, just you and the road, taking advantage of a well-sorted chassis and an engine with enough power for its lightweight body.

Aesthetically, the Cuneo is very much a product of its time, with a somewhat minimalist exterior design. Mechanically, it follows established sports car principles, with double-wishbone suspension at each corner. However, although it was originally intended to have a steel bodyshell, I opted for a fiberglass one to make it as light as possible. The omission of driving aids and power steering also helped, as did the fitment of modestly sized, 15-inch alloy wheels, with a staggered fitment. In addition, a close-ratio gearbox and a suspension tune configured for highly precise handling cemented its track-focused reputation.

Obviously, in making it so uncompromised, I had to make some sacrifices in drivability and comfort - but that wasn't the point of the design. Overall, I was very pleased at how well it turned out. This was quite a fun challenge to design a car for - especially when taking into account the explicit prohibition of any and all mods - and even if neither of my entries is included in the new trailer, I remain as proud of them as ever. Stay tuned for the next post in this series, in which I take a look back at a major milestone not just in the history of CSR, but also Automation as a whole.

The References of Infinite Space: Selected Examples

The References of Infinite Space: Selected Examples

The Infinite Space trilogy of roguelikes is filled with references to pop culture, from literature, tabletop games, movies other video games, and even real life in some instances. Some of them are obscure; others are obvious. Here are some of the more notable examples, in no particular order.

• Some of the default names for fleet captains are taken from real-life or fictional astronauts. For example, the list contains the last names of the crew of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission - Haise, Sweigert and Lovell. Presumably the developers were fans of the 1995 movie Apollo 13.
• In honor of The Blues Brothers (another one of the devs' favorite films), Aykroyd and Belushi (named after the film's lead actors) are among the default names for blue giant and supergiant stars. If both of these names are present on the map, traveling directly between them for the first time will yield the Blues Brothers achievement.
• Another possible name for a blue star is Skrillex, in reference to the dubstep musician of the early 2010s. It's likely that he was among the devs' favorite musicians.
• You may find a red giant star named after the short-lived Nintendo GameCube RPG series Baten Kaitos - presumably one of the devs' favorite games (other than their own, of course).
• Among the possible names for yellow and orange stars, some of them are taken from real-life science fiction writers such as Larry Niven, Roger Zelazny, Clifford D. Simak and Isaac Asimov.
• Haze is one of the possible names for neutron stars, which give off a purple glow - a reference to Jimi Hendrix's song Purple Haze.
• There are also references to H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos fantasy universe: one of the possible names for black holes is Azathoth, while Dagon is in the list of names for bluish-white stars.
• Cold desert planets may have names such as Nehwon (misspelled as Newhon in-game), Argimiliar, and Gormenghast, all of which are taken from various books and tabletop games, which the devs were fans of.
• One of the artifacts you can find is a Black Monolith, with the same dimensions and description as its counterpart in The Space Odyssey series of novels and films. In Weird Worlds, its discovery is even accompanied by a brief snippet from Richard Strauss' Also sprach Zarathustra. Further reinforcing this is the fact that Zarathustra is one of the possible randomly generated names for your starting ship.
• The Nova Cannon, a very expensive superweapon normally found mounted on Kawangi Dreadnoughts but also available by activating a Timeless Bauble and typing "Nova Cannon" in the text box that shows up afterward (or selecting it in the Combat Simulator), is based on a capital ship-mounted weapon of the same name from Warhammer 40,000.
• One of the lifeforms you can find is the Purple People Eater, a reference to Sheh Wooley's song of the same name - the creature's description is taken directly from the song's lyrics.
• The Tan Ru are named after an alien space probe featured in the Star Trek episode, The Changeling. The Zorg, meanwhile, are named after the main antagonist of The Fifth Element, but are neutral towards the player by default, unlike their namesake, and only attack when provoked; however, it is possible to form an alliance with them.
• The series has two references to The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy: Esmerelda, the notorious thief, will steal all the towels on your ship if your cargo hold has nothing of interest to her. Meanwhile, earlier games had an artifact called the Plastic Time Capsule, whose contents include a hastily written note that reads: "So long and thanks for all the fish".
• Weird Worlds' version of the Platinum Time Capsule may contain a random tabletop game, such as 4000 AD, Oi! Dat's My Leg!, or Voyage of the BSM Pandora. Earlier games also had a Titanium Time Capsule, whose contents included a copy of another tabletop game, Kill Doctor Lucky.
• The Golden Canister (which creates a Golden Disk when activated) introduced in Weird Worlds is an actual real-life artifact attached to both Voyager space probes upon their launch. The Golden Disk is actually a phonograph record which contains greetings in various human languages, among other sounds of terrestrial origin. In fact, the sound clip that plays when the Golden Disk is actually taken from the record, which says: "Hello from the children of planet Earth".
• Prince Arcturus' flagship, Damocles, derives its name and shape from an ancient Roman tale in which a sword was hung from the ceiling of a king's dining room by a single hair to symbolize his mortality.
• The Kestrel from the science-fiction roguelike game FTL: Faster Than Light appears as an abandoned vessel in the Swamp Pirate Rebellion quest; boarding it will trigger the quest and cause three pirate fleets to spawn on the map. To complete the quest, all three fleets must be completely destroyed. Further details on this quest can be found in an earlier post in this series.
• One of the life forms you can capture during your adventure is a Plasma Worm, whose description and icon are both homages to Digital Eel's first-ever game, Plasmaworm.
• Speaking of internal homages, one of the possible randomly selected names for a green star is Phosphorous, a name deliberately chosen in honor a graphic artist who works for Digital Eel, and uses an art style inspired by counter-culture art from the late '60s and early '70s.

What other references could be added if another Infinite Space game were to be developed and released? I do not know, but I remain confident that they will be as intriguing as the ones we already have.

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 35: Good Dolls in Worlds Gone Bad

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 35: Good Dolls in Worlds Gone Bad

In light of all the doom and gloom that's blighted the world over the past few months, I figured that I would dedicate this post mostly to artworks showing multiple dolls instead of one (or in the case of games that only allow you to make one per artwork, several from that particular game), with an overarching theme of cooperation and resilience in the face of a major threat. So here they are, in no particular order.

X-Girl: In this scene, my first four original X-Girl characters from CRASH Chronicles (Ellie, Claire, Kayla and Alexa) are joined by a quartet of newcomers in a dense, dark forest. All of them are shown having banded together to defeat whatever evil lurks behind the trees, and are shown in their armored CRASH Suits, with their weapons drawn, and their special powers ready for use.

A squad of X-Girls in a forest, about to take on a challenging mission some time in the near future. What threats are they going to face this time? And how will they be dealt with?

As a prequel to this, I made another artwork with these same dolls earlier, but in their training outfits, with the premise that they would undertake some basic training exercises to determine whether or not they are actually eligible for duty. Given that all eight were also present in the picture above, it's obvious that they all passed with flying colors.

The same eight dolls as above, but in their training outfits and about to do some basic training exercises to determine whether any of them are ready for the dangerous job of being a CRASH Agent.

Goddess Dress Up Game: The next artwork depicts six goddesses, each with a unique set of special powers, gathered at a hillside to discuss their plan for dealing with any potential threats to their realm. Each goddess carries a long sword, color-coded to match their outfit and adorned with a precious crystal on its hilt.

A sextet of goddesses on a hillside, armed with crystal-encrusted long swords, discussing how best to deal with any threats to their world.

And just for good measure, I decided to depict them clad in armor, ready for battle.

The same six goddesses as in the previous picture, but fully clad in armor, ready for battle.

Fairytale Scene Maker: If the scene I made in X-Girl had been set in the Fairytale Scene Maker, and thrown back several centuries, this is one suggestion as to how it could look like. The main difference here is that firearms have not been invented in this setting, and each heroine carries a long sword instead. Also, the eight heroines have been sorted into four teams of two, with the first, second, third and fourth teams having primarily red, blue, purple and yellow outfits respectively.

Four teams of two heroines each gathered in a forest, about to embark on an adventure the likes of which they may not return from... unless they defeat all of their foes.

Tudors Scene Maker: If the eight women of CRASH Chronicles were warped back in time several centuries, they might look like this:

It is rare to see eight women of royal blood gathered together all at once, but here they are, discussing their plans for the future.

In this scene, all eight women are pictured in the throne room of a vast castle, explaining their plans in a time of crisis, where the fate of their world hinges mainly on their actions, and the consequences of failure will be catastrophic.

Heroine Fan Art Creator: I decided to go with something approximating a Greco-Roman mythological theme for this one. Obviously, due to limitations in the designer, I had to take a few liberties with the designs for each doll. 

Above, from top: Updated versions of Greco-Roman-inspired designs for my original four dolls made in the Heroine Fan Art Creator, with new color schemes.

Most notably, I revised their color schemes to include an accent color, while gold now served as the foreground colors for each one. I couldn't give each of them a sword either, since no such item is present in this game. Even so, I am pleased with how well this one turned out.

And as an addendum to this segment, I gave each of my original four characters from CRASH Chronicles the same treatment.

Another set of Heroine Fan Art Creator cards, but this time depicting the four women introduced in CRASH Chronicles.

Sci Fi Warrior: I extrapolated the designs of all four original CRASH Agents from CRASH Chronicles into the Sci Fi Warrior dress up game, and ended up with the following artworks shown below.

Above, from top: The four original CRASH Agents (Ellie Watts, Kayla Brooks, Claire Hayes and Alexa Low) from CRASH Chronicles extrapolated into the Sci Fi Warrior Dress Up Game.

Here, Ellie is armed with a large laser rifle, Kayla carries a pair of smaller blasters, Claire wields a long sword (most likely a katana) and Alexa is shown activating her decloaking field.

I could go on and post many more possibilities with this theme, but this post would be much longer if I did. 

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 34: Out of This World

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 34: Out of This World

Having already explored the Alice in Wonderland Dress Up Game on Azalea's Dolls, I decided to try my hand at the Sci Fi Warrior Dress Up Game on their website. This one is different from all their other games I've tried so far in that it is primarily inspired by Star Wars and other science fiction franchises. Here are some of the artworks I made recently in that game:

Above, from top: Examples of dolls made in the Sci Fi Warrior Dress Up Game.

Star Wars serves as the inspiration for much of the designer's content, and it shows not just in the choice of backgrounds (each of which depict various scenes from the movies) but also in the list of clothing items that can be assigned to each doll. These items are classified into four sets: Martial Artist (similar to the Jedi and the Sith), Rebel (reminiscent of the Rebel Alliance introduced in A New Hope), Princess (evocative of royalty from Naboo), and Slave (very much like what Leia wore in Return of the Jedi after enslavement by the crime lord Jabba the Hutt). In addition to these, some of the options for a doll's basic appearance remind me of humanoid aliens (or similar-looking beings) such as Twi'leks.

As its name suggests, the game does indeed allow you to make your doll look like an actual warrior - but you can also have her resemble an ordinary civilian instead, among other options. And that is very much the point of this game - who in their right mind would not want to imagine a science-fiction heroine bringing hope to the people across the galaxy? I certainly would. In fact, this ties in very well with the theme of the next post in this series.