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.