Wed May 23, 2012 2:30 am
Help us out: Forced Induction Scenarios
Forced Induction Scenarios
In the next few months we will finally implement forced induction options in the Engine Designer for those who have preordered the game.
The plan is to deliver not only a completely revamped / improved engine designer and forced induction options like compressors, turbos,
and twin-turbos, but also finally get Inline-6 engines added to the game.
With this big release we need to start thinking about the content early, and while our brains start disintegrating from thinking too much
about how the hell to make things work, we would like to ask you to help us come up with 16 (!) new scenarios for this release.
What kind of scenarios do we want this time?
This time things are different. We will have I4s, I6s and V8s to use, so limiting ourselves to one is... schtüpid. Like in the finished game
we want you to have all options - you get a problem, you solve it your way. Thus, we need very general scenarios that are not too limited
as in "use turbo!" "use I6!" "because RACECAR!". Come up with scenarios that allow vastly different approaches:
Do I want to meet the power requirement with a nice modern naturally aspirated V8, or a super-smooth high revving I6 maybe, or go for
a nasty little turbo-charged I4!? Options, choices, possibilities... and the 16 new scenarios must be of that type. Unlike the example below,
be creative!
Your favorite engine-design scenario in the demo
1) Provide a short scenario description. What is the challenge about?
Example: 1973, USA. The oil crisis has a hard grasp on the country, and people start to feel the pressure to maintain their mobility.
More economic car engines sure would help and turn the crisis into an opportunity!
2) What technical limitations should be imposed on the player in this challenge?
Example: Carburettors only, Cast Iron only, no DOHC
3) What technical specifications is the engine supposed to have, and how are those weighted in importance?
(Max. 5 different points)
Example: Economy better than x (50%), power more than y (20%), price below z (20%), MTTF in MRevs better than w (10%)
The respective number in 3) is a hard limit, you need to be better than all of these at the same time to successfully complete the
challenge. If this requirement is fulfilled, you get a higher score for larger margins you beat the threshold with. Because it is impossible
to have a perfectly balanced and perfectly realistic game at this stage of development, just use x, y, z, etc. instead of actual numbers.
The closed-beta testers will determine what actual values make for good demo gameplay in the current version of the Engine Designer.
You are most welcome to make suggestions! We will then be able to choose the best scenarios being presented here and save time in
the process. This thread will remain open for about 6 weeks, but the earlier we get your suggestions the better!
Use this template to post your suggestions:
How the Scenario Score Calculations Work
x0 = threshold value for variable x
x1 = achieved value, better than x0
px = statistical weight of variable x as a fraction
Score = int( [ (Abs(x1-x0)/x0 + 1)^2 * px + (Abs(y1-y0)/y0 + 1)^2 * py + ... ] * 1000 )
Features of this system:
> The base score for a beaten challenge is 1000 points.
> Beating a threshold by more than the threshold value yields quadratically more score.
> The score is balanced by the set thresholds and the defined statistical weights.
> The results are easily comparable.
An example with two variables:
Scenario: Engine must have more power than 100 kW (60%) and weigh less than 100 kg. (40%)
Beige: You managed to build an engine with 115 kW peak power output which weighs just 80kg.
(Blue: You managed to build an engine with 130 kW peak power output which weighs just 95kg.)
Power score:
Calculate base: (|115 - 100| / 100) + 1 = 0.15 + 1 = 1.15
Square and apply statistical weight: 1.15^2 * 0.6 = 0.7935 (1.014)
Weight score:
Calculate base: (|80 - 100| / 100) + 1 = 0.20 + 1 = 1.20
Square and apply statistical weight: 1.20^2 * 0.4 = 0.576 (0.441)
Total Score:
Add individual scores and multiply by 1000, dropping the decimal places:
(0.7935 + 0.576)*1000 = 1369,5 => 1369 (1455)
So your final challenge score is 1369. Note that with equal weighting, the 20% better weight of the engine would have been more than 5%
more valuable than the 15% higher power output. That is why the blue engine scored higher! Both a higher statistical weight and a "higher
above threshold"-value.
I hope this example clarifies the scoring system!
Cheers!
/Killrob
In the next few months we will finally implement forced induction options in the Engine Designer for those who have preordered the game.
The plan is to deliver not only a completely revamped / improved engine designer and forced induction options like compressors, turbos,
and twin-turbos, but also finally get Inline-6 engines added to the game.
With this big release we need to start thinking about the content early, and while our brains start disintegrating from thinking too much
about how the hell to make things work, we would like to ask you to help us come up with 16 (!) new scenarios for this release.
What kind of scenarios do we want this time?
This time things are different. We will have I4s, I6s and V8s to use, so limiting ourselves to one is... schtüpid. Like in the finished game
we want you to have all options - you get a problem, you solve it your way. Thus, we need very general scenarios that are not too limited
as in "use turbo!" "use I6!" "because RACECAR!". Come up with scenarios that allow vastly different approaches:
Do I want to meet the power requirement with a nice modern naturally aspirated V8, or a super-smooth high revving I6 maybe, or go for
a nasty little turbo-charged I4!? Options, choices, possibilities... and the 16 new scenarios must be of that type. Unlike the example below,
be creative!
Your favorite engine-design scenario in the demo
1) Provide a short scenario description. What is the challenge about?
Example: 1973, USA. The oil crisis has a hard grasp on the country, and people start to feel the pressure to maintain their mobility.
More economic car engines sure would help and turn the crisis into an opportunity!
2) What technical limitations should be imposed on the player in this challenge?
Example: Carburettors only, Cast Iron only, no DOHC
3) What technical specifications is the engine supposed to have, and how are those weighted in importance?
(Max. 5 different points)
Example: Economy better than x (50%), power more than y (20%), price below z (20%), MTTF in MRevs better than w (10%)
The respective number in 3) is a hard limit, you need to be better than all of these at the same time to successfully complete the
challenge. If this requirement is fulfilled, you get a higher score for larger margins you beat the threshold with. Because it is impossible
to have a perfectly balanced and perfectly realistic game at this stage of development, just use x, y, z, etc. instead of actual numbers.
The closed-beta testers will determine what actual values make for good demo gameplay in the current version of the Engine Designer.
You are most welcome to make suggestions! We will then be able to choose the best scenarios being presented here and save time in
the process. This thread will remain open for about 6 weeks, but the earlier we get your suggestions the better!
Use this template to post your suggestions:
How the Scenario Score Calculations Work
x0 = threshold value for variable x
x1 = achieved value, better than x0
px = statistical weight of variable x as a fraction
Score = int( [ (Abs(x1-x0)/x0 + 1)^2 * px + (Abs(y1-y0)/y0 + 1)^2 * py + ... ] * 1000 )
Features of this system:
> The base score for a beaten challenge is 1000 points.
> Beating a threshold by more than the threshold value yields quadratically more score.
> The score is balanced by the set thresholds and the defined statistical weights.
> The results are easily comparable.
An example with two variables:
Scenario: Engine must have more power than 100 kW (60%) and weigh less than 100 kg. (40%)
Beige: You managed to build an engine with 115 kW peak power output which weighs just 80kg.
(Blue: You managed to build an engine with 130 kW peak power output which weighs just 95kg.)
Power score:
Calculate base: (|115 - 100| / 100) + 1 = 0.15 + 1 = 1.15
Square and apply statistical weight: 1.15^2 * 0.6 = 0.7935 (1.014)
Weight score:
Calculate base: (|80 - 100| / 100) + 1 = 0.20 + 1 = 1.20
Square and apply statistical weight: 1.20^2 * 0.4 = 0.576 (0.441)
Total Score:
Add individual scores and multiply by 1000, dropping the decimal places:
(0.7935 + 0.576)*1000 = 1369,5 => 1369 (1455)
So your final challenge score is 1369. Note that with equal weighting, the 20% better weight of the engine would have been more than 5%
more valuable than the 15% higher power output. That is why the blue engine scored higher! Both a higher statistical weight and a "higher
above threshold"-value.
I hope this example clarifies the scoring system!
Cheers!
/Killrob
