Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 165: Remaking Old Builds

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 165: Remaking Old Builds

The Ellisbury Update to Automation is currently in its open beta phase, and has since been updated four times so far. The upshot is that most (all?) builds made in the preceding game version (which the current stable release still uses) must now be reworked (or remade from the ground up, if the body set they were based on was deprecated in, and hence removed from, the open beta), and although this takes time and patience, the result will be far more realistic than it was in the stable release (and better-looking, to boot, especially when using one of the new body sets introduced in the open beta). I have done this several times so far, as much out of necessity as curiosity.

One such build was the LVC LF2, which I had made a few months earlier in the older, stable 4.2 build. However, with this car, I decided to clone the car and its engine, as well as shifting the model, trim, engine family, two years forward (from 1987 to 1989). With a more sensible techpool distribution (specifically, a maximum total techpool + lab cost of $80 million, as shown in the techpool menu), minor trim and mechanical adjustments, and a few slight aesthetic changes, the car (now renamed LF2R) now looks and feels better than it's ever been. Some of the changes I made for the 4.3 version of this build include a switch to an aluminum/silicon engine block, treated steel outer panels, a 1-inch increase in wheel diameter, and having anti-lock brakes as standard equipment.

Above and below: The LVC LF2 after being revised for the Ellisbury Update in Automation, now renamed the LF2R.

Prior to this, I also chose to revisit two more of my favorite builds from 4.2: the LVC LS60 (a recent pet project of mine) and the AMS Archangel (originally an early 4.2 build I reworked multiple times, and remade in greater detail for 4.3). Most of the changes made to the LS60 involved its mechanicals, but I also made a few aesthetic tweaks to its exterior and interior. Speaking of which, the Archangel finally received one, after well over a year lying fallow as other builds took priority. It also got a once-over engineering-wise, and when all was said and done, it was a real rival to the LS60. In addition, both cars were now listed as 1995 models, essentially making them direct successors to their wedge-shaped ancestors (the LS50 and Archangel Mk1 respectively).

Above and below: Reworking the LVC LS60 (blue) and AMS Archangel (red) for 4.3 involved quite a lot of work (especially when adding a fully detailed interior for the latter), but it was worth it in the end.

There are so many examples of old pre-4.3 builds that I have already reworked (or am considering revisiting with intent to update them) since the introduction of the open beta build that listing them all on this post would be impractical, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that I have been mightily impressed with the results every single time.

Update (December 14 2023): With the release of the sixth patch for the 4.3 open beta build of Automation, I have had to update my builds yet again, and the LF2R was no exception - in addition to having its engine mounted further forward, it now has smaller, narrower wheels and tires, along with retuned suspension, to reduce unwanted oversteer. This is what it looks like now:

Above and below: The LF2R after the sixth update to the Automation open beta build. It now has smaller, narrower wheels and tires, among other changes, for a reduced tendency to oversteer.

In addition to this, I have also updated the LS60 and Archangel, among other builds, to account for the changes brought on by this latest update - hopefully there won't be any problems with them this time around.