Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 226: Copy That!

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 226: Copy That!

The Al-Rilma open beta update for Automation has brought with it a much-needed influx of new body sets, some of which replaced aging leftovers that dated back to the Kee era and haven't been updated since. Here are some of them. Granted, most of those that are shown here are first unlocked during the '80s or '90s, but they can be made to look appropriate for the 2000s and beyond with skillful use of body molding and other fixtures.

1975 Orion (11 variants, 5 wheelbases): Angular, as typical for the 1970s, this is quite versatile and can fulfill a wide variety of roles across the utility, family, and performance markets. It replaces a legacy body set which had only one variant (2-door coupe) across just two wheelbases.

Above, from top: The '75 Orion is a vastly superior replacement for its legacy equivalent, with a wide range of body styles across five wheelbases.

1986 Rosso (6 wheelbases, 9 mid-engined variants and 4 front-engined variants): Another replacement for a legacy body set, one that had exactly one wheelbase option and three body styles. This is a dedicated sports car/supercar body set, but within that niche, it's far more useful than its predecessor ever was. I used the 2.45m wheelbase mid-engined tunnel-back variant of this one for the 1990 Mantle Torpedo and its derivatives.

Above, from top: The addition of front-engined, targa-topped, and/or bubble-backed variants (in multiple sizes) to the '86 Rosso make it a far more attractive choice for a late 20th century sports  car/supercar build than its predecessor ever was.

1988 Copy Cat (5 variants, 7 wheelbases): This is a completely new body set, available in tunnel-back, fastback, and bubble-back coupe variants, as well as a soft-top or hard-top convertible.

Above, from top: The 1988 Copy Cat, one of several completely new body sets for Al-Rilma (as opposed to being a rework of an existing one), is notable for its voluptuous curves that contrast with the more traditional, angular shapes of the '86 Rosso.

1990 Kompetitor (7-13 variants, 7 wheelbases): Another rework of a Kee-era legacy body set, with much more variety in sizes and body styles. A worthwhile alternative to other similar body sets such as the '88 Indicator, '87 Boat, '84 Commoner, and '89 Ice Cream.

Above, from top: The '90 Kompetitor is essentially a debugged version of its Kee-era equivalent, but with far more sizes and body styles for added viability compared to its contemporaries.

1993 Loser (10-16 variants, 6 wheelbases): A new cab-forward sedan/wagon/MPV/SUV body set. While not really recommended for longitudinal RWD platforms, it's still a highly versatile choice throughout.

Above, from top: The '93 Loser may have seemingly awkward proportions at first glance (at least in 4-door sedan form), but it can still be made to look good with careful fixture placement.

1996 Kompact (7 variants, 6 wheelbases): Replacing a similar-looking mod body set last seen in 4.21 UE4 builds, this one offers multiple sizes and body styles (bubble-back, fastback, notchback, etc.), but with an edgier shape compared to some of its contemporaries, such as the '83 Bean, '92 Evade and '87 Fatale.

Above, from top: Compared to the pre-Ellisbury mod body that it replaced, the '96 Kompact is a far more adaptable body set for front-engined sports car builds, with far more variety in wheelbases and body styles, allowing it to be much more viable for low-budget, mid-priced, and even high-end builds.

1999 Slantnose (12-20 variants, 6 wheelbases): Another replacement for an early UE4-era body set that was never updated for 4.2 and beyond. Within this body set are two wide-bodied, mid-engined variants (one with a rear window, and one without).

Above, from top: Unlike its predecessor, which dated back to the early days of UE4-based Automation game builds, the '99 Slantnose has so many more body styles available that it is now infinitely more useful by comparison - as expected of the "newcomers" to the Al-Rilma body set list.

In addition to these, there are many other body sets that are new to Al-Rilma and were absent from the earlier Ellisbury builds, but the ones shown in this post are among my favorites. In short, the introduction of these body sets (among others) to Al-Rilma, after nearly a decade of UE4 development, has made me fall in love with Automationeering again.