Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 252: An Alternative Automation Build Generator?

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 252: An Alternative Automation Build Generator?

After years of playing with the Automation Build Generator spinner wheel set, I decided to create an alternative configuration, one that relies more heavily on in-game classification than the first one I'd made. To that end, I created the Alternative Automation Build Generator, whose layout is as follows:

Above: An overview of the Alternative Automation Build Generator spinner wheel set.

As with the original Automation Build Generator (and its Advanced variant), you click the Spin All button once, then wait until all six wheels have stopped, before commencing construction of your build (if the resulting combination is valid). The mechanics of the set are as follows:

• The top row contains three wheels, one each for the body type (sedan, hatchback, wagon, SUV, truck, MPV/van, coupe, and convertible), wheelbase (< 2.0m, 2.0-2.19m, 2.2-2.39m, 2.4-2.59m, 2.6-2.79m, 2.8-3.0m, and >3.0m), and layout (front-engined FWD, front-engined RWD, front-engined AWD/4x4), rear-engined RWD, rear-engined AWD, mid-engined RWD, and mid-engined AWD). 

• Three more wheels are found in the bottom row, one each for the interior type (Basic, Standard, Premium, Sport, Luxury, Hand-made, and Race), audio system (Basic/None, Standard, Premium, and Luxury), and respin options (two spaces each representing the other five wheels, plus two more with None on them; if this spinner lands on either of those spaces, no respin is required, whereas all other options lead to a respin of the corresponding wheel). 

• In addition, the Wheelbase, Layout, Interior, and Audio wheels each have a space marked Any, which allows for free choice among all other options on that specific wheel if landed on. Finally, if there is no valid combination of body type, wheelbase, and drivetrain layout in-game as suggested by the result, the current result is invalid and thus must be discarded.

It may be possible to combine this with either version of my earlier Automation Build Generator for a more complex and detailed build, but this new wheel set can also be used on its own if you don't need (or want) to introduce additional variables such as market, segment, trim year, and exterior color into the final result. So have fun and give it a whirl - you're guaranteed to enjoy it as much as the original one in either of its formats!

Hotshot Tales, Part 20: Showing No Mercy

Hotshot Tales, Part 20: Showing No Mercy

How would a "mercy rule" for Hotshot Racing (specifically, Barrel Barrage and Drive or Explode) affect gameplay? I've been pondering this question for a few years now, so here's how it could be implemented compared to the standard rules for both modes, in which the game will let the last remaining human player continue to drive until they run out of time, complete all laps, or are eliminated. While it gives that player a chance to survive as long as they can, I'll admit that even attempting to do so can be a challenge, especially on the more technical and/or narrower tracks. My proposed "mercy rule" removes that problem completely in two ways, as described below.

The first part of this rule deals with lapped traffic during a Barrel Barrage. In longer races, it is possible for a skilled human player to be the only finisher on the lead lap, if not the only one, period. However, any players who aren't on the lead lap (human or not) can still continue racing if they have time left to do so. Unfortunately, this can potentially result in them being hit, or even eliminated, by barrels placed by anyone who is on the lead lap. To avoid this problem, any players who are lapped should be given a small amount of time (probably 3, 5, or 10 seconds) to get on the lead lap, and will be automatically eliminated unless they do so within that time. This rule won't be implemented in Drive or Explode, in which it is impossible to finish a race a lap down on the leader due to its different rules.

The second part of this rule applies to both Barrel Barrage and Drive or Explode, and is much more direct in its approach. With the Mercy Rule on in those modes, if only one human player remains, and there are no bots (CPU-controlled players) left, the game automatically ends, granting an immediate victory to the sole survivor, without allowing them to drive all the way to the full race distance, and preventing them from having to avoid barrels or dropping below the minimum sector speed in Barrel Barrage and Drive or Explode, respectively. However, although it increases your chance of survival in such situations, it also prevents you from being able to humiliate the opposition even further by completing every lap as the last player standing.

If the "mercy rule" were to be implemented for both modes, it would have to be balanced by having the game award additional cash to the player for every lap completed (or at least reached) in those modes regardless of whether or not this rule was toggled on. Turning it on would thus deprive the player of those extra earnings if it were invoked during such a race, making it a matter of balancing risk with reward by giving the player a chance to play it safe and use it, or ignore it and attempt to increase their winnings. In short, it would be useful for less experienced players, but less so for more highly skilled ones, who would rather be brave and leave it off. Regardless, the idea should be something the developers should consider for the sequel - if such a thing were to be made.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 251: A Duo Reimagined

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 251: A Duo Reimagined

Having created the 2013 AAA Crusader, I began asking myself a question that had been on my mind for weeks: Would this have made even more sense as a 2000s build? To that end, I decided to use it as the basis for the 2005 Wolfram Wolfclaw - and I intended it to be the successor to the WSC-95 concept I'd made in Ellisbury a few years earlier.

Above, from top: Although aesthetically derived from the 2013 AAA Crusader, minor exterior changes helped set the 2005 Wolfram Wolfclaw apart from its inspiration, and a 32-valve dual-overhead-cam-per-bank V8 displacing 5.0 liters replaces the overhead-valve 16-valve 6.0-liter unit the Crusader had, thus guaranteeing WES 9 compatibility. The basic mechanical layout (front-engined, rear-drive, with a 6-speed manual transmission/helical limited-slip differential combo as standard) remains unchanged, however.

Broadly similar in performance to the Crusader, the Wolfclaw is slightly lighter, but more expensive due to a greater use of positive quality points, although given its more premium positioning, this extra quality is justified - especially given the increased redline (7500 rpm instead of 6500). In addition, the two-seat interior was retained - a 2+2 would've been too heavy, cramped, and therefore self-contradictory. Moreover, to more closely align with 2000s aesthetic trends, the roof and pillars are now color-coded instead of being finished in a contrasting color. The result is an even more cohesive and competitive offering for its time. However, it wasn't the only car I recently reimagined as part of my two-pronged plan.

Shortly before I finalized the 2005 Wolfclaw, I dusted off an old manufacturer name from my Kee engine days and created the Macale Manta, a mid-engined, V8-powered supercar with 500 horsepower, peaking near its 9000-rpm redline. This, however, wasn't the original specification - as originally built for a forum challenge, it delivered a more conservative 480 horsepower, and lacked the electronic limited-slip differential and adaptive dampers found in the final version on cost grounds, instead using a simpler helical unit with monotube dampers. Also, the color scheme was changed from a red exterior with a red-on-black interior to a deeper blue exterior with a blue-on-cream interior. Finally, its techpool was increased to a uniform +7 in all areas (except for +8 on the gearbox and suspension), which the Wolfclaw matched.

Above, from top: Duplicating the 2005 Macale Manta I'd previously made for a forum challenge to unlock its full potential was a no-brainer - but I had to increase its techpool allocation to what the Wolfclaw would use just to make that possible, especially since it gave me additional headroom left in the budget for more advanced components compared to the original design.

While the Wolfclaw is a better everyday companion due to its superior reliability, drivability, comfort, and safety ratings, the Manta's more exotic mid-engined look, combined with its slightly higher prestige score and greater sportiness rating (helped by taking 3.5 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill compared to the Wolfclaw's 4.1, among other things), make it more of a supercar than a grand tourer by comparison, and in an era and segment where competition was as fierce as it had ever been in real life, this is what would've mattered most to customers.

Above, from top: They may not have been direct rivals, but the Macale Manta and Wolfram Wolfclaw were among the most competitive options in the premium sports car/supercar segment in 2005 according to my lore.

In short, envisioning the 2000s Wolfram Wolfclaw as a brawnier, more refined counterpart to the contemporary Macale Manta (which itself underwent significant revisions after a cheaper, rules-compliant version of it had been submitted for a forum challenge) made a lot of sense for me - and allowed me to make direct comparisons between the two, to more easily justify their place in a highly competitive market. There is also growth potential in both model lines that could lead to additional trim levels - track-focused variants, convertibles, and even actual race cars come to mind - but for now, the base model for each of these cars will suffice.