Add some luxury features to vehicle designing

[Celeste]

Today, I thought about what makes people buy a specific car. I
recognized that not only cost or power is important for buyers but also
those little "luxury things", that makes a good day in a car. I thought
about things like a radio, a navigation set, power steering, park
distance controll.

So I think that these things, that are commenly bought in by car
companies, should by implemented to the game. I thought about a menue
when designing a car with boxes (don't know the correct english name)
where these features are shown with their cost to implement. So you
could implement the features you like to the car. Of course, only at that time
available features could be added. The more features you would add, the
higher the car cost would be. But also the rating of the car and the
appeal to potential buyers would go up.

So I here is a list of features (with the year they were introduced to
cars) that are coming to my mind:

windshield wipers (1908)
Electric starter (1911/1913)
radio (1922)
Electric windshield wipers (1926)
Mechanical windows (1928)
ventilation/heater (1929)
Sunroof (only for certain types of vehicles) (Date:??)
air conditioning (1938)
electric windows (1941)
Power steering (1951)
Radio / cassette (1968)
Heated seats (1971)
electric seats (19??)
Automatic Climate controll (19??)
Radio / Navigation (1993)
PDC rear (1982)
PDC front (199?)
Xenon Lights (19??)
HUD (200?)
Reversing camera (20??)
LED Lights (20??)


I don't know how to price these items. But I think new features should
be some kind of expensive and should get much cheaper as time goes by.

Im not sure, if this is too difficult to play or too difficult to
implement for Eric. What is your opinion?

[Arakash]

Interesting idea. Like the extensive discussion recently on things like options for drivetrains and engine valves, I think it may be a question of the level of abstraction you want in the game.
At the moment, i think your idea is basically abstracted through the interior technology/innovation sliders during vehicle design. (that's my interpretation at least)
Thats not an argument against having it no longer abstracted, but i think it does give some perspective and perhaps depth to the discussion.

I wonder if it is something that can be modded into the current game by players.
I think the components for example can be modded fairly easily, so i wonder if this could just be added in as another(or series of) tickbox in the vehicle design stage, limited like the others by data and skillreq.

[Sarchez]

That sounds like a good idea, and I think it might fit nicely into an expansion pack of some sorts.

GearCity Gold® (Eric, you can buy the name cheaply)

There's plenty more to add, if you wanted (you'd also have to choose between some of tem, like mechanical or electrical windows), but there's also the question if you really want to sit and add each one, every time you make a new model ?
I mean, they may only add/subtract a small part of the overall rating for the car - but can you imagine buying a car no mechanical or electric windows today ? 80 years ago, it might be a luxury item but today it's the norm. So defaults wouldn't be static either.

I think (like the options for drivetrains and engine valves), this should come as an expansion to the core game, so you can choose if you want your game with this added layer of complexity or not. Add in a secondary income stream (spareparts being sold to importers), and you're well on your way there.

[Eric.B]

I've answered this question before, ages ago: http://www.ventdev.com/forums/showthread...400#pid400

Sorry to burst your bubble, but NO.

(Unless enough of you guys demand it)

Also the expansion will probably be called: GearCity: Motor Mogul (to tie into AeroMogul)

[Sarchez]

GearCity Gold® and AeroCity®
Sounds better. (you get a bundle-discount)

Anyway, I still think it's something to consider including in the expansion with "Grand Prix Manager 3"

[Celeste]

I've answered this question before, ages ago: http://www.ventdev.com/forums/showthread...400#pid400

Sorry to burst your bubble, but NO.

(Unless enough of you guys demand it)

Also the expansion will probably be called: GearCity: Motor Mogul (to tie into AeroMogul)

Sorry, didn't see the old thread before. I can accept your decision. As Sarchez said, I am not sure if chosing those items would get boring during the play because if you have a look at my list the older items would obviously be a "must-have" and there would only be the option of chosing between two or three actual items. Not really funny when playing.

[geozero]

I demand it...

[Arakash]

I've answered this question before, ages ago: http://www.ventdev.com/forums/showthread...400#pid400

Sorry to burst your bubble, but NO.

(Unless enough of you guys demand it)

Im still interested in whether this sort of thing is possible to be modded in, as i was wondering in my first post.
If it is possible to mod it in, then i think that would be a good way for the people who want the feature to still get it.

[freeman2344]

I would love this as well. If done properly, I don't think it would cause unnecessary micro-management and it would really help to give your cars "character". Implementing something like this or at least the option to mod it in should IMO be a higher priority than a lot of other stuff suggested here.

[girao]

I've answered this question before, ages ago: http://www.ventdev.com/forums/showthread...400#pid400

Sorry to burst your bubble, but NO.

(Unless enough of you guys demand it)

Also the expansion will probably be called: GearCity: Motor Mogul (to tie into AeroMogul)

I understand the reason you made it this way, but i believe there are to types of people that play this type of games, the hardcore car fans that like games and the people that like management games.
you can make the best of both worlds in a "easy" way make it possible to house between casual mode and hardcore mode, in casual mode you have it like now, in hardcore mode you chose every thing in the cars...

other ting is trying to make history repeat, its more accurate but i would like to think that if we wanted it has possible to make a car be better in early times, like having common rail diesel engines in the early 80's instead of end 90's...
But for this be possible you need to create a development facility to researcher the technologies needed to make the components, big discoverys like anti look breaks instead being exclusive to a brand, because its a market changer it will be given for free to all the brands 4 ou 5 years later.
And like happens now whit build parts like engines, we be able to charge royalties to other brands use advanced tec we had discovery first or pay if other company discovers first or have the change to create it for ourselves to avoid pay the royalties...

And in later in game make it possible to make join ventures whit other car brands in order to reduce developing costs...


This is just a few ideas how to make the game more complex for the people that really love cars.

in other things it can be possible to chose the engine be build in steel, iron or aluminum and other tings...

[Arakash]

This is just a few ideas how to make the game more complex for the people that really love cars.

in other things it can be possible to chose the engine be build in steel, iron or aluminum and other tings...

I think you might benefit from looking at this thread which discussed adding in various engine options and the level of complexity in Gearcity in general.
It also mentioned the game called Automation, which goes into that level of detail on car engines and vehicles in general. (it actually does ask for the type of material used in construction)

I really encourage you to go have a read of it before posting further on the topic as its extremely relevant to the topic you were discussing, specifically the different engine materials.

Once youve looked at that thread, ill summarise a general point i believe i made there:
A higher level of complexity is not automatically desirable or wanted, you have to justify it, as it can have serious consequences.
One of the consequences relevant to me personally is that it can create barriers for people like me who do not have extensive engineering/engine knowledge, which is a problem i have with the Automation game.
If you've ever played a Hardcore Wargame along the lines of War in the East/War in the Pacific, you'll be aware of the large sacrifices to gameplay/useability that a game with no limit to its complexity makes.

[girao]

i have read and yes the goal is to make the game easy for people that only wanna play a management game, that's the reason i said to have the option of casual mode or hardcore mode when making a car.
however i realize the amount of work needed to do it, but i believe as a expiation pack or something like that would be a good thing...

A technician game if not well made is some times almost impossible to play but whit good players feedback it could be made...

[Arakash]

however i realize the amount of work needed to do it, but i believe as a expiation pack or something like that would be a good thing...

We definitely agree on this.

I raised earlier the possibility it could be added in as some kind of option for modding, which i think might be an ideal situation, letting people add in the number of components/luxury features they want for their own desired level of complexity.
From what Eric has said on IRC, i think that you can mod in your own components in general, but not luxury features as tickboxes which sounds like what would be wanted here.
Im not overly clear on the details there.

[freeman2344]

You can already mod in components as of right now, I've done it many times.
Modding luxuary features in with tickboxes, however, would surely require a substantial developmental effort - in fact so substantial that Eric may just as well put it all in himself and make the option toggleable, so I doubt that's the way to go. Something similar already exists with the attachments such as LSDs or Overdrive functions, so maybe that could be expanded.

[Arakash]

You can already mod in components as of right now, I've done it many times.
Modding luxuary features in with tickboxes, however, would surely require a substantial developmental effort - in fact so substantial that Eric may just as well put it all in himself and make the option toggleable, so I doubt that's the way to go. Something similar already exists with the attachments such as LSDs or Overdrive functions, so maybe that could be expanded.

I do remember asking him about it on IRC at one point, but i really cant remember his exact words on it.

Edit: I deleted all this, because i really dont think theres anything to be gained from a a number of back and forth posts with a lot of guesses, when we can easily just get direct answers.
We should just ask Eric
1. How he thinks it could be implemented (tickboxes, or some other way)
2. How practical it is to have it as moddable vs a regular feature

[girao]

2. How practical it is to have it as moddable vs a regular feature

Having a game open to modding is always nice, see in GTA series mooding is funny and is one of the best advertising things because people will wanna show what they made, i see a lot of times nice modding in games i 9GAG and a lot of people see them...

[Arakash]

2. How practical it is to have it as moddable vs a regular feature

Having a game open to modding is always nice, see in GTA series mooding is funny and is one of the best advertising things because people will wanna show what they made, i see a lot of times nice modding in games i 9GAG and a lot of people see them...

I definitely agree.
One of my favourite examples is the Grand Strategy game Crusader Kings 2. After several expansions, it has tonnes of small mods, several absolutely huge balance/improvement mods and a couple of massive Overhaul mods, such as the Famous Game of Thrones mod.
Its really quite impressive what a dedicated modding team with a highly moddable game can do.
My Steam says ive played 500+ hours of that game

[Eric.B]

Essentially I'll look into this at a future date. I may possibly put it up for a vote.

If I had to implement it, I would make it another button in the vehicle designer. This button will bring up a window full of check boxes. Adjusting the sliders will automatically check the boxes and checking the boxes will automatically adjust the sliders.

Personally I'm not in favor of the idea, but it would be possible to implement with being encumbering.

[Frankschtaldt]

If I had to implement it, I would make it another button in the vehicle designer. This button will bring up a window full of check boxes. Adjusting the sliders will automatically check the boxes and checking the boxes will automatically adjust the sliders.

If this is how it were to be implemented (ie; not actually changing anything about the way the game works but adding a visual representation of what the sliders mean for tose that want it) I'd be okay with it being included....

.... However, I personally feel it's really not worth the effort. Very little gain for quite a lot of work.