[FIXED]Electric upgrade

[Frankschtaldt]

Electric motors currently are massively limited.
They're essentially equivalent to a single cylinder and can never get any bigger. While they do get upgraded fuel options that improve their power output over the years they still languish WAAAAAAY behind petrol in terms of capability after the first couple of years of the game.

I think this is a fairly accurate portrayal of what actually happened but I think it prevent players from trying to play out what could have happened which is half the fun of this game.

I have two suggested fixes:
a) Substantially increase power, size, weight, cost etc of electric motors. That way when people want to make a 10hp electric motor to power their first car they just turn the size sliders down but when they have the money they can make a 100hp+ monster to compete with their oppositions new V8.

b) Give electric motors access to 1, 2 and 4 cylinders. Representing using 1, 2 and 4 electric motors as has been done in the real world.

Option b would probably also need some of option a to make it really fill the hole.

[Eric.B]

Electrics and wankles will probably get a make over as they don't exactly work properly in the game yet.

This will be a good thread to talk ideas for them. It'll be 3 or 4 versions before I touch it.

[Eric.B]

Double post, Sorry Eric!

Forgot to add, eventually components will get a popularity rating. This is rating will cause the population to buy more of the vehicles with that rating. Just like vehicles, this rating will adjust based on what's being built and random factors.

I also might make ratings fluid, so the more popular a component the better the tech will become.

We'll see.

[Frankschtaldt]

So it might become possible to influence the popularity of certain engine types etc by making good cars that use them and advertising/racing them? Sounds awesome!!!!
Can't wait to have everyone wanting wankels cuz I keep winning all the races with them =p

As long term thing. If electric is getting an overhaul. Is it possible to change it so that cars using electric motors don't need (or possibly just can't use) a gearbox? Or at least are limited to a single speed box? I ask because to my knowledge, every electric car ever built has only had one gear because the motors rev range and torque curve simply means they don't need more.

[Eric.B]

Forgot to mention electric cars are disabled in 1.13...

Hopefully I can get them working properly for 1.14...

[freeman2344]

Electric motors currently are massively limited.
They're essentially equivalent to a single cylinder and can never get any bigger. While they do get upgraded fuel options that improve their power output over the years they still languish WAAAAAAY behind petrol in terms of capability after the first couple of years of the game.

I think this is a fairly accurate portrayal of what actually happened but I think it prevent players from trying to play out what could have happened which is half the fun of this game.

I have two suggested fixes:
a) Substantially increase power, size, weight, cost etc of electric motors. That way when people want to make a 10hp electric motor to power their first car they just turn the size sliders down but when they have the money they can make a 100hp+ monster to compete with their oppositions new V8.

b) Give electric motors access to 1, 2 and 4 cylinders. Representing using 1, 2 and 4 electric motors as has been done in the real world.

Option b would probably also need some of option a to make it really fill the hole.

The best way to model what you're after would probably be a redesign of the entire research system (which would surely be on the expansion's agenda), where it's possible to invest money in specific research directions, making the development of bigger or more powerful electric engines or reliable wankels (RX8...) possible in contrast to historical reality - of course at significant costs. The current research system is, frankly, too random and untransparent, though the last update was a step in the right direction already.

[Frankschtaldt]

Good thinking 99. Eric has already said electricz will get a major overhaul before release. Dunno if changes along these lines to research a feasible though? Would be good if they could happen =)

[Arakash]

Good thinking 99. Eric has already said electricz will get a major overhaul before release. Dunno if changes along these lines to research a feasible though? Would be good if they could happen =)

imo rewriting the entire research system to be something that reminds me of the system from HOI is probably not something id describe as feasible Just a guess ofc.
I like the idea though.

[Eric.B]

Well I do have plans on introducing a "popularity" variable, giving customers a preference to which type of engine they like for example.

Also I plan on increasing/decreasing values for different types of things based on what's being built. If you build a lot of wankles, and everyone else does too, then wankles will get better while everything else will get worse...


Of course, mice and men, I've got SOOO much to work on now, who knows when/if I'll get to that!

[Arakash]

Well I do have plans on introducing a "popularity" variable, giving customers a preference to which type of engine they like for example.

Also I plan on increasing/decreasing values for different types of things based on what's being built. If you build a lot of wankles, and everyone else does too, then wankles will get better while everything else will get worse...

Both of these things, especially the last one are really interesting.
I like the idea of having to adapt to new formats if your old ones get less efficient over time because people are using other ones. Or the opposite.

[Eric.B]

Well it already happens with body types, seems to work well I think.

[Eric.B]

Electrics have been reimplemented. I still have a little tweaking to do to get the stats for engines as a whole, but they're much better now than when they were in older builds of the game.

[bryanr73]

A thought on the electric motors.
I really like the idea of option between an electric motor (typically 1) via transmission, but there should also be a direct drive - wheel mounted (2 or 4 motors) or inboard mounted (typically 1 or 2 motors). Of course wheel mounted have to be limited in size.

Also, while adjusting the length of the motor to change output makes sense, you could also have a slider for number of turns (or winds). Lower winds have more torque while higher winds have more rpm (thus hp). This would allow a trade-off in design. The basic fact of DC motors is: voltage is speed, and current is torque. Double the voltage, double the speed.

Very cool game. I look forward to its further development

[Eric.B]

A thought on the electric motors.
I really like the idea of option between an electric motor (typically 1) via transmission, but there should also be a direct drive - wheel mounted (2 or 4 motors) or inboard mounted (typically 1 or 2 motors). Of course wheel mounted have to be limited in size.

Also, while adjusting the length of the motor to change output makes sense, you could also have a slider for number of turns (or winds). Lower winds have more torque while higher winds have more rpm (thus hp). This would allow a trade-off in design. The basic fact of DC motors is: voltage is speed, and current is torque. Double the voltage, double the speed.

Very cool game. I look forward to its further development

Both direct drive and multiple engines could be added to the game easily via the modding system in v1.22.

I still have a little work to do on cylinderless engines, but I probably won't be implementing these.