I know that the engine designer is completed, but I was wondering if the calculations for emissions are final?
Currently they are pretty poorly balanced IMO. Cam profile has no effect on emissions, which is a pretty big inaccuracy and there are few other options for reduction. The methods of reduction that are available are either too overpowered, or too underpowered. Aluminum block/head is a big reduction in the early 70s, and then catalytic converters in 1975 even more so, but fuel system quality and especially top end quality make little difference comparatively. The lack of differing options makes what could be one of the most challenging and exciting periods in Automation’s timeline quite boring IMO…
The size of the valves should probably make some difference as well, wouldn’t it? It seems emissions don’t change regardless of how the bore (and thus valve size) changes… Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t a smaller bore and longer stroke make for less intake charge as well as better fuel atomization from increased air speed resulting in lower emissions?
I did a little test by designing a series of 1.6L I4 engines throughout the 70’s and into the 80’s and setting myself increasingly strict emissions limits based on the displacement of my engines. I also set a manpower/hr cost that increased as time went on, and tried to keep the engines within around a general price range.
I found that while there is a slight drop in power in the early 70’s, mostly to do with lower octane, by '75 catalytic converters are implemented and regardless of the other options available such as Mechanical fuel injection, its far too easy and much cheaper to use carbs and increase exhaust quality which with a catalytic converter greatly reduces emissions at a low cost… It would probably be easiest and cheapest to continue to use carbs until cheap SPFI is invented
Even though in the finished game we will have to spend tons of money researching new tech, it seems that regardless of how strict the emissions standards will be it will be far too easy to get around it with catalytic converter + exhaust quality and (of course) aluminum blocks.
Personally I would like to see more options than currently available such as smog pumps & emission reduction systems. I wouldn’t care if there were no graphics for them, but at least as an option… I guess its doubtful anything will be added at this point, so I’d settle for a re-balancing of the current options & cam profile having an effect.
I think how this period in history is modeled in Automation will make a huge difference in gameplay. At the start of the 70’s the player will have been playing for 24 or so game years, and that’s usually the point in most business games where things can get very easy if the player is doing well. However, a well implemented system of tightening emissions standards & options for reduction in engine design would challenge the player to be creative and make sacrifices to meet those standards & would be very enjoyable… at least IMO…
I could post the engines I designed for this test if anyone is interested.
