Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 187: The Fourth of Four, and More Ups and Downs

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 187: The Fourth of Four, and More Ups and Downs

After finally finishing the entire mid-engined LVC range for 1995, I realized there was a gap in their lineup for a front-engined grand tourer - the LS55. This was another two-seater, but with a larger front-mounted V12, displacing 5.0 liters (as opposed to the LS60's 4.0 liters) and developing 475 horsepower, sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and a helical limited-slip differential. Weighing just 1.4 metric tons, thanks to its use of a glued aluminum monocoque chassis and aluminum body panels, it was still the heaviest car in their lineup at the time, being the only car in the range to have a full luxury interior and sound system (a high-end CD/cassette tape stereo, in keeping with contemporary trends).

Above, from top: The LVC LS55 adapts the company's contemporary design language (characterized mainly by a pair of vertically stacked headlights on each side and an elliptical main grille at the front, plus two circular taillight lenses per side at the rear) for use on a front-engined platform, making it look like a predatory animal from any angle (especially in side profile).

Initially, I felt doubtful about the idea of having a front-engined car in the 1995 LVC sports car range, but had a change of heart after realizing that they also would've had to appeal to a more grown-up section of their customer (and fan) base, one that valued practicality as much as performance - and this combo was something even the mid-range LS35 could not offer. So I finally got around to finishing this build, having left it in limbo for months. As my last fully detailed build of 2024, I am quite proud of how it turned out.

Above: The interior of the LS55 is even more luxurious than those found in its mid-engined siblings - a boon considering its greater focus on comfort and usability.

Regarding the '95 LVC sports car/supercar lineup, if their entry-level six-cylinder sports car, the LS25, focuses on skill, being the smallest, cheapest, lightest, and least powerful of the four, then the V8-powered LS35 supercar strikes a balance between pace, usability, and cornering, while the LS55 leverages its gimmick of torque and practicality, being a front-mid-engined grand tourer (due to the engine placement slider set to its rearmost setting) rather than mid-rear-engined as its stablemates are. Finally, the LS60, a limited-run flagship hypercar, has more power than lesser LVCs, and exploits this to the fullest with its full carbon-fiber construction and race-tuned pushrod-actuated suspension.

Above, from top: The 1995 LVC 2-seater lineup at a glance - consisting of the six-cylinder LS25 (yellow), V8-powered LS35 (red), front-engined LS55 (green), and all-carbon fiber LS60 (blue) - covers all bases by appealing to four different types of buyers within their clientele. The latter two are both V12-powered, but are aimed at very different types of buyer.

To finish things off, I'd like to discuss some of my highs and lows of the year. For me, the highest point was being able to finalize the design and engineering aspects of all four cars in the LVC sports car lineup, as well as finally completing a forum challenge that I'd hosted after several months. The lowest point, on the other hand, was the fact that I got the scoring wrong in that particular challenge - which may explain why it took so long to finish in the first place. However, I did eventually own up to, apologize for, and fix that particular mistake, and as such, I won't be put off hosting any other forum challenges for a very long time. You'll find out more about the challenge that gave me so much trouble in a future blog post, but in the meantime, enjoy the group shots I made showing the '95 LVC range. I'll see you all in the New Year.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 186: Holiday Triple Threat

 Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 186: Holiday Triple Threat

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to my fellow Automationeers! As a gift to all my followers, I'm sharing a full model line of three trims of one car as a gift: the 1996 EMR EL3.

Above: The 1996 EMR EL3 comes in three trim levels: the base model, the 2.5 ES (left), the upscale 3.0 LS (center), and the sporty 3.5 SS (right).

The model range is as follows:

• 2.5 ES (white) 2.5L 160bhp 24v DOHC I6, 5spd manual or (as shown) 5sp auto, standard interior/CD player w/standard safety, and 15" alloy wheels on 185mm hard eco tires (f/r); open diff only. MSRP starting from $20k AMU.
• 3.0 LS (green): 3.0L 220bhp 24v DOHC I6, 5spd manual or (as shown) 5spd auto, premium interior/CD player w/advanced safety, and 16" alloy wheels on 205mm medium tires (f/r); viscous LSD optional. MSRP starting from $27.5k AMU.
• 3.5 SS (red): 3.5L 300bhp 24v DOHC I6, 6sp manual only, sport interior/CD player w/advanced safety, and 17" alloy wheels on 225mm sports tires (f/r); geared LSD standard. MSRP starting from $32.5k AMU.

Above, from top: It's amazing how a single model line can be so versatile - one trim level each focusing on value, comfort, and performance.

All trim levels are built on an AHS steel chassis with treated steel bodywork, and 4-wheel independent suspension (strut front/multilink rear).

Above, from top: Interior comparison of all three trim levels - 2.5 ES, 3.0 LS, and 3.5 SS.

This was a satisfying project for me to complete, and one of the last fully detailed builds I'll complete this year. I'll see you in 2025.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 185: An Early Holiday Gift

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 185: An Early Holiday Gift

In preparation for the holiday season, I have decided to continue experimenting with various ideas in Automation. One of these was to determine the viability of the '92 Evade body set (in 2-door notchback coupe configuration, with a 2.89m wheelbase) as the basis for a personal luxury coupe. The resulting build was called the SVM Sandtiger - and I had a lot of fun doing it.

Above, from top: The '92 SVM Sandtiger was the result of an experiment to determine whether or not any of the '92 Evade body sets could be used as the basis of a personal luxury coupe. As it turned out, the idea was indeed viable, although I must admit that using the same morphing settings on any size smaller than the largest one (with its 2.89m wheelbase) would distort the proportions too much.

A full-width rear reflector helped emphasize its width, while the flush-fitting headlights and egg-crate lower grille were very much in keeping with the style of the times. There were subtle (but non-functional) front and rear spoilers (simulated using body molding fixtures) As befitting a large, luxurious flagship, a powerful engine (a 300-horsepower 5.7-liter all-alloy overhead-valve V8) came as standard, as did a fully independent suspension (dual wishbones up front and a multilink rear) with air springs and adjustable adaptive dampers. On the LTC trim level (shown above), a 4-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission came as standard, as was a full luxury interior (complete with genuine wood and leather trim, available in multiple with a high-end CD/cassette tape stereo system.

Above, from top: The Sandtiger's interior was very luxurious for its time - despite only being a four-seater, it had rear-seat air vents (something that has become more commonplace in lower-end cars today) as part of its standard equipment list.

The LTC (Luxury Touring Coupe) trim level comprised the bulk of Sandtiger sales, but it wasn't the only one on offer. Alongside it sat the more performance-oriented STC (Sports Touring Coupe), which was aimed at younger buyers. It had the same amount of standard equipment inside and out as the LTC, but had wider, high-performance tires and larger alloy wheels, as well as a slightly stiffer suspension and, crucially, a 6-speed manual transmission as standard (although the LTC's automatic option was available at no extra cost). Apart from different badging and the use of plastic or color-coded (rather than chrome) exterior trim (except on the wing mirrors, which could be finished in chrome as on the LTC), however, there was little else to differentiate the STC from the LTC externally.

Above, from top: The Sandtiger STC (shown here in a rare 6-speed manual spec) was geared towards enthusiasts, but relatively few of them were sold throughout the car's lifespan.

With so little visual differentiation between the two trims, the STC sold relatively poorly during the Sandtiger's production run. However, that rarity has resulted in greater collectability today, especially for examples fitted with the manual gearbox.

In short, the Sandtiger (especially in STC guise) may not have been as much of a commercial success as its maker intended, but it still managed to act as a halo car for the brand, which would learn lessons from its development and production and apply them to the rest of its range. As for any future plans with the Sandtiger, I don't yet have any of those - except for a convertible variant of both trims (which would be heavier and less rigid, but potentially even more attractive), and a facelifted version coming within five or six years of the initial launch.

Comparing Mass Drivers in Infinite Space and BattleTech: Similarities and Differences

Comparing Mass Drivers in Infinite Space and BattleTech: Similarities and Differences

In the Infinite Space trilogy, a Mass Driver is a capital ship-mounted weapon that functions like a hybrid of a Micro-Meteorite Gun and Gauss Cannon. The resulting weapon spits out a cluster of molten metal fragments in a spread pattern over moderate ranges. However, the Tan Ru Dominator, is the only capital ship that carries at least one of this weapon in their default loadout, and even then, it faces backwards, to deter pursuers. There's a good reason for this, though: the Mass Driver's wide spread pattern makes it highly inaccurate beyond point-blank range (especially against unshielded ship hulls), which limits its usefulness. As such, it is best combined with other weapons (preferably longer-ranged ones) if you want to get the most out of it. Within its short effective range, however, it can be very devastating, especially when used in conjunction with a targeting computer of some sort.

Above, from top: Mass Drivers in Sea of Stars are not very accurate at longer ranges, but are very effective up close.

The range profile of the Mass Driver makes it well suited to sneak attacks using cloaking devices: stick it on a cloaked capital ship (preferably a fast one), get it close enough to a target, then have it decloak and attack - it will chew up its victim in seconds.

Mass Drivers in BattleTech, however, are nothing like the ones in Sea of Stars; they are instead massively scaled-up versions of Gauss Rifles that have not only been used by civilian mining and manufacturing companies, but also as capital ship and space station-mounted military weapons. Due to their extreme mass, size, cost, inaccuracy, and destructive potential, however, their use is highly restricted, even in the most desperate circumstances imaginable. Instead, the Clan Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle (and its Inner Sphere equivalent, the Silver Bullet Gauss Rifle) serve as the BattleMech-sized equivalents of Sea of Stars' Mass Driver. Both weapons fire a cluster of small-caliber slugs instead of a single larger-caliber shell, thus increasing the damage done and, in the case of HAGs, the amount of heat generated.

An example of a Clan Stone Rhino/Behemoth armed with an Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle 40 in each arm (above) and a King Crab carrying a pair of arm-mounted Silver Bullet Gauss Rifles (below) in MechDB, a tool for creating custom loadouts for MechWarrior Online.

The Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle and Silver Bullet Gauss Rifle are recent additions to the growing arsenal of weapons in MWO - both were only introduced in the past few years - but they are among the most powerful ballistic weapons available. Clan HAGs come in three sizes (20, 30, and 40), allowing you to choose a type depending on the amount of unused mass and critical slots available. Inner Sphere SBGs, on the other hand, are not yet counted towards the heat scale limit in the same way that regular Gauss Rifles and PPCs are, while requiring the same amount of mass and critical slots as a standard Gauss Rifle or Clan HAG does. Regardless, the tight spread of HAGs and SBGs makes them quite accurate at long range, although both of them are just as effective at closer ranges.

In short, the Mass Driver in Sea of Stars is very different from its BattleTech counterpart, but once you learn how, when, and where to use it, it can be just as effective as most other weapons in its price range.

Hotshot Tales, Part 11: Hell on the Heated Highway

Hotshot Tales, Part 11: Hell on the Heated Highway

Of the 20 map variants in Hotshot Racing, none give the AI more trouble in Drive or Explode than Heated Highway (the third variant of the Coast map set). Much of this stems from the AI's behavior shortly the start: they tend to take the second turn (a left-hand hairpin) too tightly, and end up slowing to a crawl as they hit the inner wall. This causes them to lose a lot of speed (enough to drop them below the minimum threshold), and if they don't recover in time, they will end up being eliminated, sometimes due to contact with another car (which may be your own). This makes the first sector of a Drive or Explode race on Heated Highway the best opportunity in the game to score a melee kill (whether by direct contact or indirect means). In fact, the tight, technical nature of this track configuration will cause a lot of early eliminations among AI players (and even unsuspecting human players), even on Expert difficulty. To prove a point, I'll show you a recent extreme example, in which I ended up being the sole survivor after just two laps of a seven-lap race.

Above, from top: A Drive or Explode race on Heated Highway is generally attritional, but this is one took it up to eleven - all of my opponents were eliminated within two laps.

At the start, I sideswiped Viktor's Blade to soften it up, and when he took the hairpin abnormally slowly (as the AI often does), he was eliminated seconds later. However, by that time, I'd already taken out Toshiro's Wild Line by bumping into it just before completing the second sector. Unbelievably, Xing and Mike had made the same mistake as Viktor, and bit the dust shortly afterwards. I then put paid to Alexa's hopes of victory by slamming into her Stallion from behind - she'd lost a lot of speed, time and health just by taking the last left-hander before the tunnel leading to the start/finish line incorrectly, which made her a sitting duck. On the next lap, I squeezed Aston's Shadow against the outer wall near the bottleneck before the second checkpoint; he dropped out of contention almost immediately. Finally, I pushed Keiko off the track at the second turn of the last sector, and from then on, all I had to do was survive for five more laps - which I somehow managed to pull off.

Above, from top: How my opponents met their end in this seven-lap massacre at Heated Highway after just two laps - some of the eliminations were self-inflicted, but for the others, I had to literally push them over the edge to their doom, leaving me all alone on the track until the end.

So if you want a real grade-A challenge, try an 8-player, 7-lap, multi-player Drive to Explode race on Heated Highway, with the difficulty set to Expert (to allow players to reach the highest possible speeds), to see who can truly master the art of survival. Expect the players to fight to the death for the top spot - with the tricky layout of this track, the eliminations will come thick and fast, more so than any other track, and you'll most likely find yourself down to just one player within three to five laps; even if that player doesn't make it to the end, he/she will just win by default.

In short, Heated Highway is the most difficult track for a Drive or Explode race, but also the most fun if you know how to survive long enough to be the last player standing.

A Lifer's Diary, Part 15: A Car-Themed Reskin of Generation III?

A Lifer's Diary, Part 15: A Car-Themed Reskin of Generation III?

After discovering that Generations II and III of The Game of Life were also available in at least one reskinned version each (including a Rock Star Edition), I immediately started thinking about what a car-themed special edition of Generation III could (and would) have looked like. Since the other reskinned versions replaced the text on all spaces to match the theme, this hypothetical version would've received the same treatment. For example, the Lose Your Job spaces could be renamed to "Join New Manufacturer", while the Get Married space would be renamed "Hire Test Driver". Moreover, as with the Rock Star Edition, the Baby spaces (including the Twins spaces) should be renamed to "Gain a Fan (or Gain 2 Fans)" spaces. On top of that, the Taxes Due spaces could be referred to as "Service Due" spaces, even though their purpose would remain unchanged; Pay Raises, meanwhile, would now be called "Tune-Ups" instead.

The biggest change would be to the Career and College Career Cards; whereas the Rock Star Edition, for example, had all cards from both decks renamed after band positions (and even referred to the latter deck as "Institute of Music Career" cards), this time, the Career Cards would have to be called Segment Cards (in reference to various automotive market segments), and separated into two decks (normal Segment Cards and Premium Segment Cards). It is highly likely that the normal Segment Cards would've been as follows:

• Subcompact (salary range $20,000 to $50,000; service $5,000; replaces Salesperson)
• Compact (salary range $30,000 to $60,000; service $10,000; replaces Mechanic)
• Midsize Sedan/Wagon (salary range $30,000 to $60,000; service $10,000; replaces Hair Stylist)
• SUV/Truck/Van (salary range $40,000 to $70,000; service $15,000; replaces Police Officer)
• Muscle/Pony (salary range $50,000 and up; service $20,000; replaces Entertainer)
• Sports Car (salary range $60,000 and up; service $25,000; replaces Athlete)

In addition, the Premium Segment Cards would also have been renamed as follows:

• Premium SUV/Truck/Van (salary range $40,000 to $70,000; service $15,000; replaces Teacher)
• Premium Sedan/Wagon (salary range $50,000 to $80,000; service $20,000; replaces Computer Designer)
• Luxury Sedan/Wagon (salary range $70,000 to $110,000; service $30,000; replaces Accountant)
• Luxury Coupe/Convertible (salary range $80,000 to $120,000; service $35,000; replaces Veterinarian)
• Supercar (salary range $90,000 and up; service $40,000; replaces Lawyer)
• Hypercar (salary range $100,000 and up; service $45,000; replaces Doctor)

The SUV/Truck/Van would still retain the ability to collect $5,000 from any opponent that spins a 10, as in the vanilla edition. This could be removed via house rule, though.

Also, unlike in the vanilla edition of Generation III, the movers for each player would most likely have had a sleeker look, more akin to a sports car or supercar (or even a hypercar) than a sedan, SUV or minivan (as has been the case with all the vanilla sets to date). And instead of being visually identical apart from their colors, they could even have different designs each: one or two with American design influences, another with an Asian-inspired design, and the rest having European-style aesthetics, for example.

To reinforce the retheming even further, the Starter Home and House Cards would've also been renamed as Starter Garage and Super Garage Cards, respectively. One suggestion for the Starter Garage Cards would therefore be as follows:

• Small 1-Car Garage (buy for $80,000; sell for $80,000; replaces Mobile Home)
• Medium Detached Garage (buy for $100,000; sell for $105,000; replaces Condo)
• 2-Car Detached Garage (buy for $120,000; sell for $140,000; replaces Log Cabin)
• 3-Car Garage (buy for $140,000; sell for $160,000; replaces Ranch Style)
• Small Independent Dealer (buy for $160,000; sell for $180,000; replaces Small Cape)
• 5-Car Deluxe Garage (buy for $180,000; sell for $200,000; replaces Tudor Style)

The Super Garage Cards, meanwhile, would most likely be named as follows:

• 6-Car Workshop (buy/sell for $300,000; replaces Double Wide + RV)
• 10-Car Deluxe Workshop (buy/sell for $400,000; replaces Executive Cape)
• Main Dealer Outlet (buy/sell for $500,000; replaces Modern Victorian)
• Club Circuit (buy/sell for $600,000; replaces Luxury Mountain Retreat)
• Luxury Super Dealer (buy/sell for $700,000; replaces Penthouse Suite)
• Grand Prix Circuit (buy/sell for $800,000; replaces Mansion)

As with the Rock Star Edition, the Long-Term Investment Cards would be renamed as Sponsored Part Cards, although they, too, would have had to be car-themed (with names reflecting a specific set of car parts), and one suggestion would be as follows:

• 1: Engine & Exhaust
• 2: Gearbox & Drivetrain
• 3: Forced Induction
• 4: Wheels & Tires
• 5: Aerodynamics
• 6: Brakes
• 7: Body, Chassis & Paint
• 8: Interior, Safety, and Audio
• 9: Lights and Accessories

Finally, the Countryside Acres and Millionaire Estates retirement options in the vanilla game would have had to be renamed to "Private Collector's Garage" and "Mega Motor Museum", respectively, although they would have retained the same sets of pros and cons as before.

These are just some of the changes that would have been made to a car-themed Generation III Game of Life set - there are many others besides the ones listed here (including having gray normal spaces with yellow text resembling roads, instead of yellow ones with black text, in a manner similar to the Rock Star Edition, and with text on all spaces changed accordingly to reflect the automotive retheming) - but the resulting reskin, had it been made, would have made the Game of Life even more attractive to car enthusiasts everywhere, by making it evoke the drive of a lifetime, and the memories it brings. Who knows, it may have aged better than vanilla, 50th Anniversary, or Rock Star editions of Generation III sets, and if I had been able to choose between either this or an Automania set, I'd choose the former every time.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 13: Zombie Bull Sharks

 MechDB Misadventures, Part 13: Zombie Bull Sharks

The Bull Shark, one of a few original BattleMech designs in MechWarrior Online, is another chassis that can be configured as a zombie 'Mech. However, among the various Inner Sphere and Clan variants, the BSK-2 is the only one that lacks provision for anything other than energy weapons. As such, it is the most obvious choice for a zombie build. One such setup is as follows:

Above: The Bull Shark BSK-2 in a zombie sniper configuration, with six ER Large Lasers (three in each side torso) and one Medium Laser each in the center torso and head, cooled down with 17 Double Heat Sinks, while five Jump Jets allow it to leap over obstacles. Without any arm-mounted weapons, its profile is effectively narrowed, and its convergence improved.

Another idea would be to employ the BSK-2 as a brawler, with the following configuration:

Above: This BSK-2 build focuses more on DPS with 3 Large X-Pulse Lasers, 4 Medium X-Pulse Lasers, and 5 Small X-Pulse Lasers - it may have a wider profile due to using all four arm-mounted hardpoints, but it's a necessary evil to accommodate the extra lasers. Even with one less Jump Jet, it will run quite hot, so don't fire too many of your weapons at once!

Or, if you want something that runs colder, you could try this instead:

Above: With six each of Small and Medium X-Pulse Lasers, plus 31 standard Heat Sinks, this build is similar to the previous one, but trades range and firepower for vastly superior heat management, and regains the fifth jump jet found on the sniper build.

Although other variants have at least one head- or center torso-mounted energy hardpoint each, the BSK-2 is the best choice for a zombie build due to its universal -10% heat quirk and greater number of side torso-mounted hardpoints. In short, if you want survivability mixed with agility and a total lack of ammunition dependency (except for normal AMS, if fitted), the Bull Shark with a standard engine and a mostly torso-mounted all-energy loadout is your go-to choice for an assault 'Mech.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 12: Zombierauder II

MechDB Misadventures, Part 12: Zombierauder II

Having discussed the potential of some Annihilator variants to be configured as zombie 'Mechs (ones that not only lack explosive components, but also can only be destroyed if their center torso, head, or legs are shot off, and may even be able to fight back without either side torso being intact), I will do the same thing for the Marauder II. To give you an example, here's a build based on the MAD-4A that exploits this characteristic, with extra heat sinks to cool it down more quickly and easily:

An example of a zombie build for the Marauder II MAD-4A carrying 4 each of standard Large and Medium Lasers. It may seem undergunned, but it has full jump capability and immense heat capacity - an asset in battles which are decided by how often you can attack without overheating.

Taking the idea further, you could place all (or most) of the weapons (and hardpoints) in the torsos and head, with two Large Lasers and a Medium Laser in each side torso, and by adding a ninth energy hardpoint (two in the center torso to complement the one that was moved to the head), you could mount three more medium lasers (necessitating the relocation of the center torso-mounted Class 1 jump jet to one of the legs). While I'm at it, I'd downgrade the engine to a standard 300-rated fusion item, trading speed for some useful spare mass. Some of this would go into a fourth jump jet in the opposite leg (made possible by giving the variant provision for four Jump Jets instead of the usual three), for 2 jump jets per leg (an arrangement similar to the Dark Age era MAD-6S). Finally, there will be room for 22(!) Double Heat Sinks (10 in the engine, 2 in the engine's expansion slots, 2 more in each side torso, and 3 in each arm) in total, plus Inner Sphere CASE (weighing 0.5 tons and occupying 1 critical slot each) to pad out any unused mass or tonnage - I'd only need to remove 6 points of standard armor (leaving 19 tons covering the standard internal structure) to reach the tonnage limit. The resulting 'Mech can not only absorb its heat load very easily, but also jump great distances despite its low ground speed.

As a further variant, if each arm also had three energy hardpoints each (bringing the 'Mech's total to 15), I'd swap out a Double Heat Sink in each arm (along with the CASE in both side torsos) to fit six Small Lasers there. While it will run hotter, it will be more potent at closer ranges. Upgrading to extended-range lasers is possible, but this change on its own will also increase the heat load even further. My advice would be to keep the three arm-mounted Double Heat Sinks, replace the regular Large Lasers with extended-range ones (for long-range poptarting), and retain the double CASE (or swap it out, along with a half-ton of armor, for an AMS with one ton of ammo if you're paranoid about missile fire), and leave everything else as-is. You'll have a true zombie assault 'Mech that can absorb immense amounts of damage and jump like a lighter 'Mech, while still being able to pump out near-constant alpha strikes (61 damage each) for surprisingly long periods of time until you get close to the heat limit (although using the Jump Jets will heat it up even more quickly, so don't do it too often!), all without any ammunition dependency or internal explosion issues to worry the crew.

There are other hypothetical non-canon zombie builds in the 100-ton assault 'Mech class, but the one I'm proposing, with an average-sized engine, 22 Double Heat Sinks to cover 4 and 5 Large and Medium Lasers, respectively (concentrated around the torsos and head) and extra jump range (for a 100-tonner) may well be the most zombie-like of them all. If this one really existed, prepare to annoy your foes to no end!

MechDB Misadventures, Part 11: Zombielator

MechDB Misadventures, Part 11: Zombielator

I've already discussed what the ultimate zombie 'Mech in BattleTech (in the truest sense) could (and would've been), but now I have another candidate from the Inner Sphere: an Annihilator ANH-SC(LGD) "Stone Crusher) armed with six(!) each of Large and Medium Lasers, arranged as follows:

Above: An Annihilator Stone Crusher armed with six Large Lasers (plus six Medium Lasers) is a tempting proposition for a 100-ton Inner Sphere zombie 'Mech, but there is room for improvement.

If I were to double down on a zombie build with this one, however, I'd add a third energy hardpoint to each side torso just to have the arm-mounted weaponry (3 Large Lasers per arm) swap places with some of the side torso-mounted equipment (2 Medium Lasers and 1 Double Heat Sink), thus making its primary weapons less vulnerable to being blown off. The resulting configuration - with three energy hardpoints in each arm and side torso, plus one such hardpoint in the head and two more in the center torso - would have provision for up to 15(!) weapons in total, and I'll call it the SandBlaster (for its ability to sandblast other 'Mechs with just one alpha strike). However, as crazy as it is, I've come up with an alternate loadout that would push my proposed 'Mech variant even closer to its limit, using the configuration below as a basis:

Above: If this loadout had an additional energy hardpoint in each side torso, I'd fill them both with extra large lasers, increasing the heat load but also boosting its firepower massively.

With the additional side torso-mounted energy hardpoints, I'd stick a trio of Large Lasers in each side torso, then place a Medium Laser in the head (to complement the two already in the center torso), and finally fill all six arm-mounted hardpoints with Small Lasers, thus yielding a theoretical alpha strike damage output of 91.5, and making the 'Mech even deadlier at close range. It still retains the 19.2 tons of standard armor and 20 Double Heat sinks found in the original version. In short, either loadout for the SandBlaster would be an effective, if slow and heat-intensive, way to fight a prolonged, drawn-out battle, without having to worry about any ammunition dependency concerns (and a post-3067 Small Cockpit conversion could even free up a critical slot for an additional head-mounted energy hardpoint). However, if you want to go all in on offense, you could swap out two Double Heat Sinks and a ton of armor to upgrade the arm-mounted Small Lasers to the same Medium Lasers fitted in the head and center torso, providing a whopping 99 alpha strike damage - at the expense of shutting down (or even melting down) unless you stagger your shots.

As for the Stone Crusher that was the original subject of this post, I've come up with two more loadouts for it:

Above and below: Two more offense-oriented layouts for the Annihilator Stone Crusher - a PPC boat that runs even hotter, but carries almost as much armor and hits even harder still, as well as a Succession Wars-era laser boat that carries as many heat sinks as possible, at the expense of being even slower and having less armor (though not as little as the ballistic-oriented variants). If you want to use the latter in MWO, it's be better to upgrade to a 300-rated standard engine and remove 14 heat sinks - in that case, removing an additional heat sink and fitting an extra ton of armor may be considered.

In short, the Annihilator Stone Crusher, with its low speed and tall profile, is not for the faint of heart (and nor is my proposed SandBlaster variant, for that matter), but anyone with good heat management skills should get a lot out of the various zombie builds based on this 'Mech chassis. And yet, it may not even be the only 100-ton Inner Sphere assault 'Mech for which I could propose a non-canon custom variant.

Confession of an Automationeer, Part 184: Descendant of the Gods

Confession of an Automationeer, Part 184: Descendant of the Gods

My latest fully detailed build is a collaborative entry - the LVC LS860. This is the modern-day successor to the LVC LS60 of the '90s, and like its forebear, it utilizes a high-revving normally-aspirated V12 for propulsion. However, with the Ellisbury update introducing a nerf to sports tires (which this car has), I have decided to install an advanced AWD system for maximum drivability, grip, and sportiness - it takes just 2.2 seconds for it to reach 60 mph from a standstill. This isn't too surprising given that its engine develops 860 horsepower, although to be fair, the LS860 weighs 400kg more. Much of this is due to having a high-quality hand-made interior (complete with luxury HUD-based infotainment), with exact specifications dependent on customers' requests. Finally, its active wing provides significantly more downforce - more than enough to harness its immense thrust.

Above: The LVC LS860 (left) may be a more aggressive design compared to the LS60 (right) of 25 years earlier, but it's still a true head-turner.

Unlike the LS60, I did end up entering it in a forum competition - one about high-end supercars set in the present day. As part of the collaboration, I delegated the exterior design (and part of the interior) to a fellow Automationeer, while I handled the engineering aspect. Eventually, I received the finished file and polished it off by adding some interior details that were originally missing from the build.

Above: Organic curves, accentuated by dual round taillights and sweeping air intakes and vents, are among the features that stylistically link the LS860 to the LS60 of 25 years earlier. Even the rear wing resembles a smooth ducktail when retracted.

There is room for further development of this build - a one-off commission based on it (designed by another Automationeer, but different from the one with whom I developed the original), along with a lightweight, track-focused version with a more spartan interior, a lighter exhaust and wheels, and retuned suspension and gearbox are in the pipeline. I could make a pure RWD version of it if I want to, if only to see how far I can push the limits of the platform with just one pair of driven wheels.

In short, the LS860 may be a far more complex and aggressively styled machine than the LS60 that inspired it, but it is still a thing of beauty by the standards of our time - or any other, for that matter - and a far more capable and comfortable machine to boot.