Public Release Build 1414

[Killrob]

Update 23rd Aug 2014

The fifth patch is our second release candidate, fixing a few more issues. This one seems to be the final release candidate and the public build will come soon.

• Fixed the tutorial video sound cutting off after a minute
• Fixed the sensitivity of resizing various fixtures, making it more responsive
• Fixed a bug where loading a VVL engine set the wrong lower cam setting
• Fixed an engine loading bug that caused the block config lua error
• Thumbnails are now deleted when you delete the model / engine it belongs to
• Fixed "steamroller" bug where wheels would become comically wide
• Fixed the spinning black rectangle being offset on the loading screen
• Fixed reliability requirements in multiplayer mode

You can get the new version installing this all-in-one patch: http://automationgame.com/gamefiles/Automation_b1362_b1414_Patch.exe
You can install it overall previous open beta versions too!
Try it out and discuss in this very thread.
Cheers!
/Killrob


Update 22nd Aug 2014

The fourth patch is our first release candidate, fixing the last big issues were seeing. If there are no big new problems with it, we're ready for going public this weekend.

• Wings/Lips no longer punch holes in the body shell
• Fixed Certain cars not being able to complete a lap
• Fixed Brake Disc offset
• New engines should no longer have their name replaced after you have named it yourself
• Fixed the proper gear delay being used on the test track
• Fixed previous service cost value
• Fixed Front Longitudinal AWD engine placement issues
• Moved all mid-engine intercoolers to be crammed into the engine bay, isn't perfect but it is a lot better
• Fixed front longitudinal turbo exhaust pipe sitting out by the left side front door
• Some other, minor fixes

Yes, there now is an empty slot in the engine designer stat fields... there is a reason for that. A video about it coming out later today on our YouTube channel:
http://youtu.be/WkUYdwRnXhE

You can get the new version installing this all-in-one patch: obsolete
You can install it overall previous open beta versions, too!
Try it out and discuss in this very thread.
Cheers!
/Killrob


Update 18th Aug 2014

The third patch took a bit longer, but here are the fixes and improvements:
Note: You may need to delete your models from Documents/Automation/Models if you get an error going into Sandbox!

• Fixed engine sound volume being too quiet in all tests
• Fixed various wheel and tire width and size related issues
• Added a note for minimum allowed tire profile (year dependent)
• Fixed poor readability of some fonts
• More fixes to windowed mode (fixed vertical size artifacts)
• Fixed issue where a car revision could be saved with the wrong engine
• Removed the ability to have mid engine cars with ladder chassis
• Revised the "Bottoming Out" calculations to be less harsh
• Fixed a gearing related crash in test track mode
• Fixed an error in the cooling area calculations
• Fixed an issue which made cargo space zero for cars
• Fixed car scenario descriptions not showing
• Fixed the power / torque figures appearing in the wrong place or being cut off
• Fixed an issue where the boost graph appeared when not applicable
• Fixed reliability stat in the engine manager now properly listed as unitless
• Fixed various morphing and body skinning issues
• Fixed double-clicking to revise an engine making the wizard disappear
• Changed test track lap times & split times to a minutes:seconds format
• Added a screenshot console command. To use it: ss("My Screenshot")

You can get the new version installing this all-in-one patch: obsolete
You can install it over B1408, B1409, and B1410, too!
Try it out and discuss in this very thread
Cheers!
/Killrob


Update 13th Aug 2014

The second patch of the open beta comes with a somewhat smaller set of fixes and improvements:

• Fixed a calculation bug in the safety penalty of older bodies and added a warning note
• Fixed problems caused by saving a car without having it tested
• Fixed the last aspect ratio related problems, the game should now scale properly in all modes
• Fixed the test track image bug
• Fixed the economy requirement in scenarios when using mpg
• Fixed the steamroller error
• Fixed an error where the mouse pointer was offset to where it was shown, making placing fixtures difficult
• Updated sounds and levels again

You can get the new version installing this all-in-one patch: obsolete
You can install it over B1408 or B1409, too.
Try it out and discuss in this thead
Cheers!
/Killrob



Update 12th Aug 2014

Here is the first big patch for the open beta that should solve many of the bigger problems with it.
The following is the list of changes included in the update:

• Mostly fixed the aspect ratio issue, (full screen + window) mode is still problematic
• Fixed game freezing when selecting years <1945
• Fixed a broken ambient sound (deep, annoying humming)
• Fixed the sandbox engine flow and year unlocking, you can now change engine year
• All old bodies are available in modern years
• Base safety will stop progressing 10 years after a body first unlocks, still a bit bugged
• The list of bodies is now sorted by year
• Rebalanced sound levels and touched up some sounds
• Fixed the "previous run" rear downforce stat
• Fixed the "More Scenarios" button
• Removed the floating engine test graph remnants
• Fixed bore and stroke having two decimals too few using imperial units
• Fixed the Yaw Rate graph cut off when using mph as a unit for speed
• Fixed top speed specs in scenario 1 and 6 showing km/h when using imperial units
• Fixed clicking quality sliders without selecting some items (Safety, Seats) etc.
• Fixed the crash caused by using MPH + dragging the top speed slider to top for high-revving engines (finally!)
• Fixed the "your engine was created in a previous version" message bug
• Changed to saving screenshots as PNG. If you turn off FXAA, and use the HideBuildings() command, you can take pictures of engines/cars on a transparent back-drop.

To update, download and install the following all-in-one patch: obsolete
Try it out and discuss below
Cheers!
/Killrob



Update 9th Aug 2014

We just had a little dev meeeting to discuss the current state of the open beta and what things to fix next.
The most important issues we want to address / fix at the start of the next week are:

• Fix sandbox flow, unlock engine year, as well as default it to the platform year
• Sort the car body list by year
• Make available all car bodies once past their unlock year
• Stop base safety progression of car bodies 10 years after their unlock year
• Fix freezing bug for <1945

Cheers!
/Killrob


Original Post 8th Aug 2014

Finally it is here, the next big update is upon you!

Open Beta means that this version still has some bugs and quirks that we want to get rid of before public release. Also the open beta
allows us to see if it is working as intended on a wider range of machines and configurations. The open beta will run until public release,
which is estimated to come within about a week of further patching. Apart from that, the difference between open beta and the public
release is that you don't get the open beta via the auto-updater. Instead you have to install it manually: just download the appropriate file
and then run it. If you need a full install, you need to download the game launcher separately from your user control panel here in the forums.

Note: So much has changed to the platforms that they are NOT compatible to this or any future updates. They would indeed crash
the game. Your engines might work in some cases though, so they are shown in the engine manager. Revise them and then save them again
to update their stats. A quirk that we'll fix soon is that the game needs to be run in a 16:9 resolution. If your monitor doesn't have that natively,
change to windowed mode and run a 16:9 resolution there, like 1280x720 for instance.

If you have any bug reports, please use this thread: http://automationgame.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=4570
If you have general feedback, please tell us here in this thread: what do you like, and why? What do you not like, and why?

Download Link for Patch (1362 -> 1408) 47.7 MB: obsolete


Change Log for B1408

Car Designer Features & Changes

• Added Mid Engine Cars
• Suspension Easy Mode
• Added Quality Sliders and dependencies for all car designer tabs
• Adjustable Rim Offsets
• Added Multilink Suspension
• Added the first automatic gearboxes
• Reliability and Environmental Resistance stats
• Passenger Space and Cargo Space stats
• Production Units, Costs and Service Costs stats
• Offroad and Utility stats
• Rebalanced Sportiness, Tameness, Comfort, Prestige and Safety calculations
• 9 Car Designer Scenarios
• Rebalanced material properties
• Many new part year dependencies
• Limited Cars to a Maximum of 2 wings, and 2 lips
• Added tire profile year limitation

New Car Bodies

• Large 60s Coupé
• 2 Large 70's Coupés
• Large 90's Coupé
• Large 60s Sedan
• Large 00's Sedan
• Small 80s Supercar
• Small 10s Supercar
• Large 10s Supercar

UI & Sound

• Completely reworked UI and UI flow
• Car Design Wizard for the whole car design process
• All new UI sounds
• Ambient sounds
• Added test track sounds
• New Car & Engine Manager
• Temporary changed the Platform/Model game mechanic
• Many more stats on the three different testing pages
• Updated graphs
• Updated test track UI
• Manual start for car testing on testing page

Engine Designer Fixes / Rebalances

• Reduced power gain when riching up fuel mixture
• Octane rating in VVL systems uses the lower cam setting
• Added bypass valve year limitation

General Things

• Changed "MTBF" to "Reliability" for less confusion
• New scenario scoring system implemented for car designer scenarios
• Fixed various aerodynamics calculations and exploits
• Changed all "Man Hours" to "Production Units"
• Added Console can be accessed by pressing tilde (~). Commands are help(), HideBuildings(), ShowBuildings().
  Useful for taking screenshots of Engines and Cars with no backdrops.
• Many more little fixes...

This is it for now! Enjoy
Cheers!
/Killrob

[Dragawn]

Yess yess yesss! Time to test this baby out

EDIT: more happened to engines than just in description (twin turbos became more expensive *sniff*), also I'm getting non-fatal errors loading old engines, but I assume this is normal.
Edit2: can't change the year in engine builder part of building a car and it seems to be on the standard year (2014). Year can be changed in sandbox though.

[8bs]

yeahhhhh \m/

[strop]

can't change the year in engine builder part of building a car and it seems to be on the standard year (2014)

Not to worry, this is a known issue (I brought it up just a few hours earlier!) and will be fixed once the UI flow is finalised!

[8bs]

So, can we compare the production cost value with any other actual currency?

[Killrob]

So, can we compare the production cost value with any other actual currency?

Production cost should be somewhat comparable to modern cars in dollars. Not included in the price are of course tooling, engineering and R&D.

[Discovolante]

Yesss thank you, you guys are all the best !

[SeriousSimon]

*heavy breathing intensifies*

[8bs]

So, can we compare the production cost value with any other actual currency?

Production cost should be somewhat comparable to modern cars in dollars. Not included in the price are of course tooling, engineering and R&D.

What about adding a currency converter in the options menu? We could insert an exchange rate to convert the values in our preferred currency? would that make sense?

[Killrob]

What about adding a currency converter in the options menu? We could insert an exchange rate to convert the values in our preferred currency? would that make sense?

Nah, that would not make sense because it's pretty complicated to track a currency's value over time, which would be an absolute necessity in such a system. The dollar has lost more than 95% of its value since 1945, for example.

[CNSpots1]

There were some curious changes, namely, why are we no longer allowed to use the 90's bodies and so on in the modern era? Severely limits the options for people who would like to build a car with modern tech.. Any chance of us getting old bodies back? It seems a bit silly to do away with them, as it only negates the effect of adding more bodies, because it looks like you have less. (Because technically, you don't have half of the body choices you had before, at least at 2014)

I'm also not sure if it's a bug, or just a problem with the new UI flow, but my FPS has severely dropped. To the point that the game is nearly unplayable.

[Killrob]

1) Body year limits, 2) Framerate

1) It is "unlock year" till "unlock year + 20" the bodies are available. Yes, that might be a bit too limiting right now with so few bodies. Having the older bodies available too would probably make sense if they are penalized in some way (prestige for instance).
2) SSAO on? I think it was kinda broken before, so now it comes with the full performance hit of rendering everything twice. Check that option and your texture quality slider.

[CNSpots1]

1) It is "unlock year" till "unlock year + 20" the bodies are available. Yes, that might be a bit too limiting right now with so few bodies. Having the older bodies available too would probably make sense if they are penalized in some way (prestige for instance).
2) SSAO on? I think it was kinda broken before, so now it comes with the full performance hit of rendering everything twice. Check that option and your texture quality slider.

#1: Perhaps a small Prestige penalty as well as a Safety penalty would make it logical to retain older body styles? That way you would have to put Tech Pool towards improving their safety levels in order to meet modern standards. But they'd have upsides, such as cheaper R&D and tooling prices(In Tycoon mode)

#2: I will make sure to check that the next time I attempt to launch the game. Thank you for your fast response.

[statman]

There were some curious changes, namely, why are we no longer allowed to use the 90's bodies and so on in the modern era? Severely limits the options for people who would like to build a car with modern tech.. Any chance of us getting old bodies back? It seems a bit silly to do away with them, as it only negates the effect of adding more bodies, because it looks like you have less. (Because technically, you don't have half of the body choices you had before, at least at 2014)

I'm also not sure if it's a bug, or just a problem with the new UI flow, but my FPS has severely dropped. To the point that the game is nearly unplayable.

although I'm super great to see this update finally come, I have to Totally agree with you. this decision severely limits the possibilities of car designing. for example, we no longer can create 50's Beetle styled car in 2010 with modern traction control, ABS, and modern interiors etc etc that REAL CAR COMPANIES DO (e.g Mitsuoka's "Galue")....

Link to "Galue": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsuoka_Galue

[utopian201]

There will also be no way to reimagine cars and recreate modern cars with retro looks, eg Camaros, Chargers and Mustangs are all inspired by their previous designs.