Can i just say!

[WilkyWoo]

Amazing, I have been dreaming about a game like this since about 7 years old (now 28) and finally its coming. Congratulations on a great idea and so far an amazing exicution.

It really is as though you have taken it from my thoughts and made it.

[Daffyflyer]

Thanks!

[Spookyashell]

I'm so buying this. Been playing Detroit and Car tycoon, but they simply don't have enough options.

The vids I've seen of this game looks amazing. Can't wait for it to be released.

I have a question or two though.
From the videos it looks like you only design chassis and engine.

1. Do you research and design suspensions, gearboxes and such too?
2. How long would it generally take to play from 1946 to 2020? Is it "realtime" or turnbased? Do you press continue to go to next month or next quarter or does time move along while you do things.

[Killrob]

1) You do unlock parts with research, yes, that is true for all parts of the game.
2) The playtime of the grand campaign very much depends on what your playstyle is. It runs in realtime, but you can pause at any point in time... so if you want to play a 40h game, then so be it. If you choose non-pausable realtime, then a grand campaign will probably take 6-12h, depending on what speed you chose! That would be 6-12 years per hour of play.

[darkjedi]

that's a little too fast. i think 1 year should take 2 hours or so. wouldn't that be better?

[Kubboz]

That is too much, I'm afraid. Even assuming you'd have devoted 6 hours a day to play this, this would take 3 and a half week. Almost whole month! This could be a very very slow setting, but not a main speed.

[1224]

Actually I don't see a problem playing a single save for a month. I'd rather play a few deep slow games than many shallow fast ones. Although I think 2 hours/year might be on the slow side. I'd prefer to have the standard speed at about 1hour/year, and then the ability to speed it up.
What rob said about at least 6 years/hour is way to fast. Cause that would leave us with just 10 min/year. And assuming we need at least 5min for and engine, 5 min for the rest of the car and 2.5 min each year for managing finances. That would mean we will just be able to develop 1 new engine each year along with one new model every second year. And lets face it not all companies are Saab who use that development speed.
I also believe that in single player mode it shouldn't be the time that hinders the development but rather the money, up to a certain limit of course. I know rob said there is a pause function but I rather just have a little slower standard speed and not use it.

[oxygen]

How about turn-based? 4 turns= one year.

[Spookyashell]

1) You do unlock parts with research, yes, that is true for all parts of the game.
2) The playtime of the grand campaign very much depends on what your playstyle is. It runs in realtime, but you can pause at any point in time... so if you want to play a 40h game, then so be it. If you choose non-pausable realtime, then a grand campaign will probably take 6-12h, depending on what speed you chose! That would be 6-12 years per hour of play.

Thank you for the answers.

1.) I guess my question should have been, are gearboxes, suspensions, brakes and so on parts in the game ? Coz in the videos I've seen there is only engines and the car chassis. I have not seen anything about picking what gearbox to put in the car, or anything else than engine and chassis.

2.) I think thats a little fast, but it is ofcoz your desicion as the developers. I hate it when I've reached end of time in games like this. You have a very enjoyable game and then you have to restart. But I can see it from your point of view too. Some people don't like 100 hour long campaigns.

3.) Will you get reviews on your cars in the game, from a ficional car magazine or something like that, or will sales be your only indicator of how good a car you've acctually made? Sure hope you get some reviews. Love the reviews in Detroit. "Unsafe at any speed, buy auto and life insurance" .

4.) Do you plan to make expansions to automation after release, or maybe start work on a sequel? I think many gamers have waited a long time for a good realistic car tycoon game. I know I have.

Keep up the good work !

[Kubboz]

Actually I don't see a problem playing a single save for a month. I'd rather play a few deep slow games than many shallow fast ones. Although I think 2 hours/year might be on the slow side. I'd prefer to have the standard speed at about 1hour/year, and then the ability to speed it up.
What rob said about at least 6 years/hour is way to fast. Cause that would leave us with just 10 min/year. And assuming we need at least 5min for and engine, 5 min for the rest of the car and 2.5 min each year for managing finances. That would mean we will just be able to develop 1 new engine each year along with one new model every second year. And lets face it not all companies are Saab who use that development speed.
I also believe that in single player mode it shouldn't be the time that hinders the development but rather the money, up to a certain limit of course. I know rob said there is a pause function but I rather just have a little slower standard speed and not use it.

well, in single player it would automatically pause during design.

1.) I guess my question should have been, are gearboxes, suspensions, brakes and so on parts in the game ? Coz in the videos I've seen there is only engines and the car chassis. I have not seen anything about picking what gearbox to put in the car, or anything else than engine and chassis.

2.) I think thats a little fast, but it is ofcoz your desicion as the developers. I hate it when I've reached end of time in games like this. You have a very enjoyable game and then you have to restart. But I can see it from your point of view too. Some people don't like 100 hour long campaigns.

3.) Will you get reviews on your cars in the game, from a ficional car magazine or something like that, or will sales be your only indicator of how good a car you've acctually made? Sure hope you get some reviews. Love the reviews in Detroit. "Unsafe at any speed, buy auto and life insurance" .

4.) Do you plan to make expansions to automation after release, or maybe start work on a sequel? I think many gamers have waited a long time for a good realistic car tycoon game. I know I have.

1.There will be vast list of gearboxes to choose from, you will be able to choose the suspension type for each axle, and then tune the ride height and stiffness, choose the brake type (and details) both for rear and front wheels, and their size as well

4.Yeah, there will be after-release expansions, if Automation is successful. For example, diesel engines, wankel engines and motorsports management are to be released in the expansions.

2. and 3. I can't answer. wait for the almighty Killrob to answer these.

[Killrob]

WTH are you even discussing here? If the game is pausable, in what way does it even matter that it runs "fast"? If you want to pause you can, and if you want one year can take 1 real year.

In multiplayer it needs to be reasonably fast, otherwise games would never be played to completion, which would be a pity.

Turn-based has been discussed before, check out the threads that did that.

Car reviews, or any kind of feedback on your cars are important aspects that we want to implement, yes! But not if they have to be as stupid/non-informative as in Detroit.

Cheers guys!

[darkjedi]

whoy not running it slower for SP and faster for MP?

[Killrob]

Of course you can, there will be lots of different speeds to select. In SP you'll be able to select game speed freely, unless you've set up your game differently.

[Spookyashell]

WTH are you even discussing here? If the game is pausable, in what way does it even matter that it runs "fast"? If you want to pause you can, and if you want one year can take 1 real year.

In multiplayer it needs to be reasonably fast, otherwise games would never be played to completion, which would be a pity.

Turn-based has been discussed before, check out the threads that did that.

Car reviews, or any kind of feedback on your cars are important aspects that we want to implement, yes! But not if they have to be as stupid/non-informative as in Detroit.

Cheers guys!

No. More that progression is too fast and you feel the game fast forwards. Like the campaigns i Railroad tycoon. Just when you felt you had finally got the company set up the way you wanted the game was over and you were given, bronze, silver or gold.
What I'd really like is for the game to go alot further than 2020. But I see the problem with you guys have to invent technoligies and predict the future.

I felt the car reviews in Detroit was informative and very well made for its time. Remember it was made 19 years ago.
Unsafe at any speed ment you had too big an engine compared to brakes, suspension and so.
A real gas guzzler speaks for itself, reasonably priced speaks for it self.
Most of them did. As you remember you got 3 lines per car.

One thing I miss from all previous car tycoon games is making a car model and having it available with many different engines without making a different model in order to get the same car with different engines. Like you get your MX-5 with 1.6 , 1.8 and 2.0 .
Do we have to make the car 3 times to do that or can you make a car model and set it to available with the following engines (then pick from engines you've made)

[Killrob]

Different versions of the same car will be possible, yes. You'll be able to create a series and have several models using different engines and different options within it.