Component file modding

[freeman2344]

Hi,

I've been having a blast playing around with the components.xml file since yesterday and a number of questions have come up in the process that I can't seem to be able to wrap my head around.

1. Is it possible to activate the addons, such as the LSD? I've noticed that several AI vehicles have these equipped by default.

2. How exactly do the values specified in the components.xml file influence the engine or vehicle? They obviously don't work as multipliers as a setting of fuel=2 does not double fuel consumption. In fact, raising the fuel value actually raises the MPG, which infers that a higher value equals less fuel consumption, but how exactly is this calculated? I suppose there's a rather complicated formula in place here. Would be nice to get a few hints as to how this formula can be sensibly manipulated using the components file. Of course, this does not only apply to fuel, but all other parameters, such as RPM, power or weight. As it is, I find myself doing a lot of trial and error to get the parameters the way I want them.

3. Is there a hidden multiplier for RPM and Power, which is dependent on time progression in order to limit early game engines to low HP and RPM? This seems to be the case. I suspect that this multiplier will rise as time progresses when the other timeframes are unlocked?

4. How does the "system" calculate engine rating? I've made a bunch of changes that should make engines rather crappy, but they still get very good ratings. I suppose this is not working as intended yet.

Thanks for your time.

[Eric.B]

1) I'm not sure if I have the GUI set up for LSD any more. If I do, all you have to do is lower "year" to something like 1900. Make a new game, and if you still don't see an option for it in the GUI, then it's bugged. The AI is broken right now, it's allowed to do stuff it' shouldn't be allowed to do right now...

2) They are multipliers, but they only effect a small portion of the overall piece of the pie... For the rating, Cylinders plays a roll in 5/19ths, Fuel Type 3/19ths, layout whatever number is there, etc. it's pretty complex formula. There are 18 variables that comes to play just in the Fuel Rating. As for the MPG, It still needs to be tweaked but it's a pretty disgusting formula... Fuel Type's Fuel Rating for example has this effect: 5 km/l * 1.005^(DesignYear-1899) * FuelFuelRating

There are things that divide and multiply this stuff as well as a bunch of subtraction and exponents!

All in all 22 different variables for the fuel mileage. (Not double counting year as more than 1 variable)

Did I ever tell ya'll I failed nearly all my college math classes!


3) Time is a major multiplier, there are also some other hidden ones as well. But time is probably the most important. It effects almost all stats. In real life you notice everything progressively gets better. So we too raise the baseline to cover general techniques becoming better...

4) Currently there is a bug, which I made when I added the design image ratings. It's fixed in 1.12. The overall rating is an average of other ratings... (10+10+10+10+10+10+10+10+100)/9 does not equal 10 (9.5 being 5 stars!)

*Edit fixed some spelling and grammar, long night :3

[freeman2344]

Thanks for the quick response. Very helpful.