Automation 2 ideas?

General Chat Suggestions
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Apologies if this has already been discussed (I had a search but didn’t find anything) but I thought it might be a cool idea to collect together some ideas about suggestions for a hypothetical sequel - stuff that is understandably already too far gone for Automation to implement, but which perhaps we would like to see being built upon or implemented in a sequel.

Devs, please remove this thread if it’s too presumptuous. I don’t mean to invalidate the wonderful work you are doing in making Automation such a brilliant game, I think we are all agreed on that. In addition I think it might serve to divert away some of the distractions on other threads to do with the engine types etc. which are all now set in stone and seem to be asked about a lot, and I’m sure you are all tired of answering.

So I guess my suggestions would be

  1. a more character / human related UI with characters for each of the main departments (design chief, chief engineer etc) whose hair and clothes change over the years. Stereotype buyers to represent each market segment instead of coloured boxes (Jimmy the redneck farmer for Utility, Jonathan the architect for Premium etc.)

  2. a tech-tree style of progression more like an RPG or a Civilisation game where you don’t automatically unlock tech as time passes. I love that you can play through a game of Civ and become a superpower without even inventing the wheel or something! A Civilisation style diplomacy system could allow you to trade tech with competitor companies (particularly useful if you sell into different markets). Maybe my luxury brand shares some entertainment tech with an off-roader utility brand in exchange for improved 4-wheel drive that I plan to use on a GT car.

  3. set challenges - maybe Motorsport competitions which boost your marketability if you think you have the best driving car in the segment; or large contracts to produce police or ambulance versions of your models.

  4. a better visual representation of low quality or high quality body finish / prestige. Maybe this could be done by slightly offsetting the light reflection map by half a degree between panels to illustrate that it’s not a flush, tight fit. Variable panel gaps? Orange peel on the paintwork?

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I thought this was going to be a joke in the vein of “Despacito 2” or something

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Battle royale would be a great addition I think.

In more seriousness, Automation V1.0 isn’t even released, a bit early to talk about V2.0 don’t you think?

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558

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Sounds a bit like them rumors about he so-called PS5 being overheard “on the streets”…

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I think that this subject would be better to discuss when it’s completely clear what the finished product will look like.

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Online only open world factory building.
Lootboxes with more car sales inside of them.
Zombie survival mode.
Stealth factory building.
PvP death match.
Battle Royale.
Shark cards.
Sharks.
Branching storyline based on your dialogue choices.
Anime graphics style

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Laser sharks
download

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More freedom engine building-wise. Instead of set cylinder counts, just type in 11. Want a 154-degree Inline 9 for some stupid reason? Have at it.

EDIT: Inlines don’t have degrees, but I’m not going to change it.

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Rare footage of Automation 2 in early dev

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“all menu music will be Despacito 2”

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I love how 3 people take it seriously and everyone else is suggesting despacito 5 gangnam style 2 and battle royale

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Because why would you ever take a question like this seriously?

Also these are all legitimate things that should 100% be in Automation 2. I would also suggest that it becomes a card game with micro transactions.

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If you really want that, let EA take over

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Leaked image of automation 2’s 100 player online battle royale, i’m Pretty sure Daffy confirmed it’s going to be a mobile game as well.

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ASCAR got some depth, holy crap.

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Calvinator II, driven by Luis Fonsi.

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I can confirm, I’m working with the devs and we intend to include a Daytona Battle Royale. The soundtrack will also be only nightcore bass boosted remixes of Despacito 3.

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OP here, I don’t think it’s a ridiculous question.

Open-ended discussion about the main game has narrowed, naturally since decisions have been made. I’m not in any way bemoaning this fact because those decisions have to be made for the game ever to be released, and we all love the direction it’s taking!

But it is a fact. And since we all still dream of new features and ideas, I would argue there is no better place to discuss those than here.

It’s annoying to share an idea to attract real criticism, and only to receive from the community “duh, keep up, that window is already closed”.

For instance, let’s take an example - car interiors. Even though there’s no chance they will feature in Automation, I think there is an interesting and fruitful discussion to be had about exactly how that might be implemented. For instance, the basis of the interior might have to be scaled to be used on several models and take account of morphing.

But then there will be parts of the interior that don’t want to be scaled, for instance the steering wheel and dials perhaps still should be round. Maybe to keep the dials round, maybe the instrument binnacle should be a separate part that is not scaled, etc.

Would you want to choose between different interior styles in each era, or would one do for each? Maybe there’s one interior style for each size of car in a certain era - so luxury cars have one model, tiny city cars have another and family / medium cars sit in between?

Would increasing the quality slider in interior unlock interior styles that wouldn’t yet be available? Would this step increase give a bigger boost to the comfort value?

You might consider these questions boring and irrelevant and that’s fine, you don’t have to contribute.

Conversely, if you think there’s a good reason they would overcomplicate gameplay or be prohibitively difficult to implement, by all means contribute and point that out - your expertise and opinion would be useful and help others refine the parameters of what is possible or desirable.

Another example might be Watermelon’s idea about increasing the freedom of engine design. If that was brought up in its own Suggestions thread, everyone would pile in and say “urgh, stop it, it’s already been decided” and that would be true. But maybe me and Watermelon and a few other people would find it interesting to discuss how difficult it would be to implement; what the possible cost / rewards of that would be, how it might impact on gameplay etc. and if that doesn’t interest you then it’s not really for you to come in and tell us that we’re wrong to be having that discussion.

For my own part, I have no experience coding for games but my day job is as a parametric designer. I design models which will spit out objects within given parameters, and I would be quite capable of making a parametric model of an engine block where you can key in the angle, number of cylinders, etc. and with some more time could quite easily adapt that to visually design exhaust pipes, intake manifolds etc. so that they don’t interfere with one another and still fit within a certain space.

I think it would be super cool to have a VW style VR7 engine, for instance. Or a VR3! This would enrich the gameplay for my part. Maybe there are a lot of other factors I lack the experience to understand, like what the firing orders of these engines would be, how it would model their power output etc. and I welcome criticism from those who have expertise.

But the reason I started this thread is that I see a lot of suggestions that are just shot down as being not possible to implement in the current game, often from new forum members who might be really interested in the idea of the game and want to explore what might be possible, and I think it turns them away to say “it won’t be in the build, shut up, it might as well have battle royale lololololol”.

And if you think those people are stupid, then great - you can just point them towards this thread and you don’t have to deal with them.

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Memes aside, I think at the point where the development of Automation 1.0 is, this topic would be better off in General Discussion.

But if there ever is an Automation 2, I think the best thing would be to build the game on a more moddable architecture.

Literally all the problems would be solved. Want a Rotary? BOOM, four different versions of them on the workshop. Flat 2s? Check. Reverse flow heads, flat heads? X gon give it to ya. A literal copy of a GM LS block including bright red Corvette engine covers? Ka-ching. RADIAL THREE BANK 21 CYLINDER ENGINES?! BRING IT FAM.

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