Naturally Aspirated
Posts: 127
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2011 12:18 am
Location: Budapest, HUNGARY
Cars: 1991 Mercedes-Benz 200E
Reliability issues, testing a prototype
When you finish the design process of a car, there could be an option "Build a proto-type". Just like in "Detroit".
After the proto-tpye has been built, you'll have to setup the testing process. There should be a "Time" slider where you can set the duration of the testing in months. The longer the duration is the more expensive is the test and the more will be the delay to the new model's debut.
On the other hand the testing would improve the reliability of the car. The test division of your company would find the little shortcomings of the proto-type and would give these information to the engineers. The player would'nt get detailed report about this, but the new car would get a reliability bonus for each month of testing. This bonus would be limited of course, so ten years of testing wouldn't make you a bulletproof, never-stopping car.
A new model rushed into production too soon would have many glitches and it would be less reliable. This way the testing / prototype system would have more important role than it had in "Detroit", making the gameplay more interesting.
Another idea: the test division would give you advices what to modify in the design to make it better. The more test you do, the more advice you get. If you accept these hints your car would be better, but its debut would be delayed because of the re-design and the re-tool the production equipment. As in "Detroit" there could be check-boxes for what to focus on during the test-process: handling, economy, safety, ergonomy/luxury, etc. The advices would be according to this selection.
Reliability issues: there should be a possibility that a shortcoming of a car will be revealed too late -> by the public after the production began. For example the gas-pedal is prone to stuck under the carpet. The player has the following options:
1. Leave everything as is. It's the cheapest way, but it has risk of many accidents or many broken down cars.
2. Re-tool the production line in secret
3. Re-tool the prod. line, and recall all the cars produced so far with the glitch.