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 on in-game classification than the 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 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!