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I think it's high time we had ourselves a thread for Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game; I mean, it's only been four years since the game first appeared in public!  Automation Website posted:Automation is a car company tycoon game in which you design and build cars from scratch. It is you who designs everything from the very core that is the engine, over the chassis, to the suspension and the car's looks. Several games have tried this before... but were able to merely scratch the surface. Go ahead, build your dream-car company, or simply aim to dominate the world markets with your superior design skills! Well, there's this vidya game being made by Camshaft Software called Automation (Get it here on Steam) or at AutomationGame.com that is basically a car company tycoon game, except this one is made by a team of serious car guys/gals, just like you and I! Unlike most tycoon-style games that kind of gloss over nitty-gritty details about the products you make, Automation has a very in-depth engine and car designer; in fact, it's kind of the defining feature of the game, and will be going forwards as well. Additionally, a small but very creative community has generated all kinds of mods and additional content for Automation, from new trim pieces, custom test tracks modelled on race tracks the world over, to all new bodies and other goodies - much of which is found on the Steam Workshop. With that in mind, the possibilities for your creations are almost endless. Want to build your empire on SUVs? Yep, you can do that:  Base your company on vehicles that drive the economy:  Build cars for the everyman...  ...or build them for the elite!  Build a classic muscle car? Sure!  Or how about a little sports car?  Old racing cars...  Or modern ones!  Cars with little engines...  ...or big ones!   Well, I'm not going to argue with that. The game is very complicated, and has had a long gestation, but with the current build in testing right now, LCV4.2, more and more of the game is complete, and a lot of the structure upon which the campaigns will be built will be finished. LCV4.3 will see the Car and Engine Designers functionally complete, and LCV5.0 will be a very campaign-intense update, which will start Automation into the home stretch to full release.  Well first off let me say good on you for buying this! Yes, the car designer is pretty complicated - ok, VERY complicated. Put simply, the best way to learn about the car designer is to actually mess around with it...see what you can come up with! Maybe try some of the scenarios that come with the game too - they're all pretty informative and endlessly challenging too. If you are still thoroughly confused, I have written a guide discussing how to build a successful racing car for an Automation design challenge I ran recently. In fact, that brings us to my next topic...  You can build cars of course! Until more of the tycoon aspect comes out, there is admittedly not a whole lot we can do...so I've taken it upon myself (along with many other members of the Automation community) to run design challenges, ranging from rudimentary business simulations where cars compete against one another for sales, comparison tests similar to what you see in car magazines, all the way to full-blown simulated endurance racing series. I run the big racing challenges every four to six months; you will find more information in the third post on what the current challenge is all about, and there will be links to the two other challenges I've run so far. Additionally, I am concocting some non-racing type challenges, so keep your eyes peeled for them as well! MrChips fucked around with this message at 03:42 on Apr 27, 2022 |
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Mar 1, 2016 21:03
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 There is an official Discord channel for Automation, the invite link is https://discord.gg/automationgame Also, follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AutomationGame, and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/automationgame/! CURRENT DEV UPDATE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73LXYsXTc9s More to come soon! MrChips fucked around with this message at 03:00 on May 23, 2023 |
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Mar 1, 2016 21:04
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 There are no challenges live on SA at this time; go check out The Automation Forums Community Challenges and Competitions Section in the meantime. MrChips fucked around with this message at 03:38 on Apr 27, 2022 |
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Mar 1, 2016 21:04
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We actually had a thread already http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3733316 but maybe this one will fare better  I have rebuild a certain 1987 sports car in the game I wonder if it will be legal in SASC 89.. Riso fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Mar 2, 2016 |
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Mar 2, 2016 18:10
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Riso posted:We actually had a thread already http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3733316 but maybe this one will fare better Oh jeez, I had no idea about that thread! Yeah...let's hope it will be a bit more successful. As for your certain sports car, there is a good chance it will fit into one of the planned classes...the rules aren't very well defined just yet, so for now I will say, yes...yes it will! Also, if you have anything you're willing to contribute in terms of content for the thread, I'd love to see it!
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Mar 3, 2016 03:34
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next BRC 1966 racecode:
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Mar 3, 2016 08:58
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The game's official IRC is on irc.afternet.org, #automationgame You can meet the devs in the channel but they live in NZ.
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Mar 3, 2016 12:16
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIQjyn95c-o
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Mar 3, 2016 17:02
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Riso posted:next BRC 1966 race For those that don't know, BRC is the largest and highest-profile design challenge on the Automation forums...typically there are over 60 participants in these contests. It's a series of short-ish races (typically an hour and a half), streamed live via YouTube from the tournament master's simulation program, called BROBOT. It's a neat thing to watch, and I think I will throw my hat in the ring for the next round when it comes around...you all should too! E: Here's the link to the Automation forums thread http://www.automationgame.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=8998 MrChips fucked around with this message at 22:26 on Mar 3, 2016 |
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Mar 3, 2016 21:22
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Well I guess I'll be checking out the stream this weekend. Thanks for the link!
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Mar 4, 2016 21:11
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BRC Round 4 is streaming live shortly! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5959UKp-xc
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Mar 5, 2016 19:05
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Riso - same Riso in the BRC then?
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Mar 5, 2016 22:14
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Yes, #88 is my car. You can watch previous races here https://www.youtube.com/user/Pyrlixx and qualifying, practice, test races are https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLpNV8n_SgUc_ziDJE-UHPg/videos
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Mar 6, 2016 09:25
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New dev update - talking mostly about the upcoming open beta, which should be live in a day or two tops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E6FoLi_ILI
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Mar 7, 2016 07:23
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That's a very through guide! Thanks for putting it together
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Mar 8, 2016 02:58
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Some things I've learned about turbos recently: 1) this post http://automationgame.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=9507#top 2) the torque curve influences drivability 3) as does boost pressure. I've heard suggestions to stick to 0.5-0.55 bar 4) low rpm turbos don't work properly in the game, so 5) stick to high revving turbos Other things to note building cars: 1) When you have AWD open diff works just fine 2) camber affects service costs 3) more expensive suspension options aren't always better 4) race over performance intake isn't worth it for the reliability hit and power gain
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Mar 11, 2016 12:07
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I've taken a little time to look into the open beta to see what's up, and there are a number of interesting changes, but it's going to make some things a lot harder to administer from a tournament organiser's point of view. Not impossible, mind you, plus it opens up a few interesting new overall limitations - an actual homologation rule, where the rules specify you must build X number of cars per year, for example, is now much more of a possibility. I haven't yet checked the new save format, though...that could be a sticking point going forward. Riso posted:Some things I've learned about turbos recently: I would go even further and say that unless you absolutely need a turbocharger to make the power you desire, the driveability penalty associated with a turbocharged engine can offset most, if not all, of the gains you have made from the additional horsepower. Additionally, turbocharged engines (at least in their current state) produce less horsepower per weight than a naturally aspirated engine of similar output, as any decent turbocharged engine needs to be intercooled (which adds weight), and to work most efficiently they need large-diameter exhausts as well, which also add a huge amount of weight. Some other things I have found about turbocharging as well: -Boost levels beyond 1 bar are not worth chasing in any situation other than a "build the best dyno queen" challenge. That much boost requires a very large turbocharger to achieve, which not only produces massive amounts of lag and adds weight (both of which reduce driveability, which is the dominant characteristic driving good lap times), but also comes with a serious reliability and fuel consumption penalty. -As I mentioned in my tuning guide, high AR ratios produce more power, but do so at the expense of turbo lag (which reduces driveability) and specific fuel consumption. Ratios greater than 1.0-1.2 almost always have more drawbacks than benefits. -Water-to-air intercoolers are not always the best choice, as they are relatively expensive and heavy. Also, if you keep your boost levels reasonable, they can be made completely unnecessary too. I also cannot emphasise your point enough; the most expensive option, not just in terms of suspension type but also many other components as well, often isn't the best possible choice. A prime example of that (for now) is differentials; not only do their costs go up acom hilarious rate from type to type, they are heavier and often end up being slower than a simpler type. This not only applies to the type of springs and dampers you use, but also to the suspension type you select when building your car. Double wishbone suspension at all four corners, despite being the fastest option typically, might not be the fastest option when cost or weight is factored into the equation. MrChips fucked around with this message at 18:26 on Mar 12, 2016 |
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Mar 12, 2016 18:19
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In like three hours the next BRC 1966 race will start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdEGfH4wpak Edit: I am starting from eighth! Riso fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Mar 19, 2016 |
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Mar 19, 2016 15:49
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You missed a great race with only 47/69 cars finishing. MrChips you might be interested: http://www.fia.com/Regulations/regulation/fia-historic-racing-championships-114/regulation/technical-appendix-j-period-178 They put up more regulations woo! Especially of note for you: 1981, 1985, 1990
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Mar 19, 2016 20:50
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Brobot powered endurance race. http://automationgame.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=10060 It's a one-off to test the simulation. Deadline is Monday, 28th and if you manage to have a car ready by Wednesday you will get to do testing. Fyi that retarded weight/capacity calculation is from a genuine real life set of rules.
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Mar 21, 2016 00:22
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Riso posted:Fyi that retarded weight/capacity calculation is from a genuine real life set of rules. Yeah I'm really not following that calculation. The curve graph helps for the NA/Turbo stuff though.
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Mar 21, 2016 03:46
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Riso posted:Brobot powered endurance race. Oh nice; if I can find the time (and there is no guarantee I can right now), I think I might put together an entry for this! Looking at the rules, I should be able to adapt my SA-GT 1975 car to meet them - all it needs is a new engine and a few tweaks I suspect. That said, a cursory glance at the rules makes me think that big, heavy cars will be the winners here; I mean, a 700 kilogram entry gets an NA engine of roughly 1200cc, which in 1976 should be good for about 130 horsepower, while a 1400 kilo car gets something like 7300cc, which should be good for at least 650 and more like 700 horsepower. Considering it is running on old Hockenheim, with relatively few, gentle corners, horsepower (and thus top speed) will be king here. Also, turbo cars are still heavily penalised; they will get something like 15-20 percent worse fuel consumption for equivalent engines, to say nothing of their driveability penalty. I mean, I used to think I was the king of clunky, obtuse Automation challenge rules, but I think this might take the cake!
MrChips fucked around with this message at 11:50 on Mar 21, 2016 |
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Mar 21, 2016 11:41
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Yeah, it's a top speed track which is why you want to do 300 kmh+. Don't bother with aero besides an under tray. It's all about going fast. You're also right about heavy cars being favoured thanks to bigger engines. My car weighs 1.2 tons and has a 4988 cc v8 doing <500 hp for a good time. Right now you are allowed to send two car designs in for comparison at the test. NA vs Turbo for most I imagine. Required post to estimate fuel economy and fuel tank size: http://automationgame.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=10060&start=60#top Minimum recommended times for cars: Turbo 2:21, NA 2:24 I can do the NA time but my turbo is still a second away. I'll probably stop trying. Edit: a guy's NA car is doing <2:21... Riso fucked around with this message at 16:28 on Mar 21, 2016 |
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Mar 21, 2016 16:07
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Well I'm in the BRC test now, with the CMW Rennsport M5100R. Let's hope
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Mar 22, 2016 06:03
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Reminder you can send two different cars to the test. I managed to get a 2:20 turbo working. Woo. Good handling too. Apparently the trick is going for a flat torque curve.
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Mar 22, 2016 15:19
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Could you guys walk us through an example of that ruleset for that competition? I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around those graphs.
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Mar 22, 2016 18:41
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extreme_accordion posted:Could you guys walk us through an example of that ruleset for that competition? On the first page are several ways to figure out that weight limit and at the bottom is a good spreadsheet you can download where you just enter your cars weight or the engine size: http://automationgame.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=103164#p103164 Once you got the engine size/weight you can take any body available between 1965-1976 to make it go fast. Don't forget to grab this mod pack http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=469666352 to get some good new car bodies. Edit: You might want to limit your suspension camber to -1.7 at most btw, beyond that the degradation gets really bad in brobot. Also -15 quality on the body in the beginning is never a bad idea to drop weight and gain money. You absolutely must remember to use the following tool to export your car and send it to Der Bayer https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4x5S3wQzQFlQXBoM0lOTDlfUGM/view?usp=sharing Riso fucked around with this message at 20:17 on Mar 22, 2016 |
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Mar 22, 2016 20:13
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Riso posted:On the first page are several ways to figure out that weight limit and at the bottom is a good spreadsheet you can download where you just enter your cars weight or the engine size: http://automationgame.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=103164#p103164 Made easy - thanks Riso.
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Mar 22, 2016 20:38
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On further investigation, it seems as though there is a sweet spot for engine power in this competition, beyond which any added power (for a given specific fuel consumption) slows the car down when you factor in the time it takes to refuel. Of course, that sweet spot depends on the body you chose (both in terms of aerodynamics and fuel tank size) and the specific fuel consumption of your engine.
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Mar 22, 2016 23:34
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The results are in from the BRC 1976 test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4YgdYpnxFk Seems I have a tire wear problem - not surprising considering how I dialed in the maximum camber front and rear... Still, 27th isn't exactly awful for my first ever run in a BRC event. I'm reasonably confident I can find some more speed and efficiency without too much trouble too, if I can find some time in the next week.
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Mar 23, 2016 22:18
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The times some cars do are ridiculous. I don't know how they get there. I need to try to get the turbo more fuel efficient but I know gently caress all about them. Some people squeeze 500 hp out of 1.6l and I can't even get that with 2.4. I had to use a 4l v8 to get there. Also you don't have next week for the car. It has to be done by the 28th. Lest I forget. There is now a Porsche 930 on the workshop. It was made for this competition.
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Mar 24, 2016 01:37
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Riso posted:The times some cars do are ridiculous. I don't know how they get there. Something tells me that at least a few of those cars setting the top times are doing so at the expense of, well, everything else...notice that some of them didn't even finish the full 20 laps because they were out of fuel. That said, there are a lot of very fast cars out there that seem to be the full package. Hopefully I can find some more speed to try and keep up! Also, I am pretty sure nobody is actually making 500 turbocharged horsepower out of a 1.6L engine in 1976...it's just not possible; i mean, it's barely possible when the game year is set to 2016, and even then only if you're willing to have terrible fuel consumption and reliability. Is that 930-esque body actually allowed in the challenge? See, that sort of thing is why I am very much against allowing third-party mods into these events. MrChips fucked around with this message at 06:16 on Mar 24, 2016 |
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Mar 24, 2016 06:08
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The Porsche is indeed allowed. We know who made it and it has been vetted.
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Mar 24, 2016 11:06
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I'll be trying to gin up an entry and have it submitted by Sunday.
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Mar 24, 2016 21:26
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Does the tire formula mean all tire qualities need to be 0?
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Mar 25, 2016 15:38
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extreme_accordion posted:Does the tire formula mean all tire qualities need to be 0? Yes. The tire quality slider needs to be at zero; anything else is fair game within the rules.
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Mar 25, 2016 21:45
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Don't forget to flare out the wheel arches for 265 tyres. If that isn't enough you might have to go down in rim size. Also something to note: if your engine has bad reliability, you can assign more cooling than necessary. Formula for engine reliability is cooling/required cooling*engine reliability. And don't forget: you can send TWO different cars.
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Mar 25, 2016 21:52
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Yeah I won't be entering - I cannot get a car that I like out of the 2:30 range. I do like the idea behind the race but the wedges are boring to me and that seems to be the route a number of people have gone.
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Mar 25, 2016 23:14
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Forget winning. Just try to build a car that will make it through the whole race.
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Mar 25, 2016 23:40
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Here you can look at all the trump cards for the cars submitted for the Hockenheim race. https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B4x5S3wQzQFlV0tEY0p6WWk4WW8&usp=sharing Edit: and they're gone again because there's a problem with the cooling figures that affect reliability of the engine. Riso fucked around with this message at 21:24 on Mar 29, 2016 |
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Mar 29, 2016 20:45
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