[FIXED] Fifteen cylinder engine

[oskar_maybach]

So there have been plenty of 7, 9 and even some 11 cylinder single row Radials, but I haven't found anything about one with 15 cylinders.

Do you know of any such engine? Or why 15 was implemented in the game but not 11?

I know I can mod a different number of cylinders for the game, I'm just curious about the real world influence on this decision.

Best regards

[Eric.B]

15 cylinders can be used in a W configuration. And W's are a bit more common in automobiles. Radials are rarely used in automobiles. Most technologies in the game center around automobile tech. We'll need bounty #42 to be funded before I start making more specific airplane or ship technologies in the game.

https://wiki.gearcity.info/doku.php?id=g...#cylinders

[oskar_maybach]

As the wiki states and a quick ingame check confirms, I can build 12 and 18 cylinder Ws but no 15 cylinder ones. But I can build a 15 cylinder Radial, and yes I noticed that during an aircraft contract.

While we're on the topic of the wiki, the gearbox comfort rating, as in having a reverse for example, probably shouldn't detract from a vehicles drivability as in the stated formula: https://wiki.gearcity.info/doku.php?id=g...iveability
Probably a typo in the wiki I guess, it just irks me.

Thank you for your answer and time spent developing this game.

[Eric.B]

OK, I read you wrong originally. I thought you were asking why there were 15 Cylinder Radials but no 11.

As the wiki states and a quick ingame check confirms, I can build 12 and 18 cylinder Ws but no 15 cylinder ones.

It's interesting that there are no W15s in the game. I will check the components file to see if they're paired together.

While we're on the topic of the wiki, the gearbox comfort rating, as in having a reverse for example, probably shouldn't detract from a vehicles drivability as in the stated formula: https://wiki.gearcity.info/doku.php?id=g...iveability
Probably a typo in the wiki I guess, it just irks me.

You linked vehicle driveability, which is handling. Reverse is not a factor in handling. The gearbox comfort rating has a minor affect on handling. Performance gearboxes are rarely smooth and easy to operate. Smooth gearboxes often aren't geared toward keeping maximum traction on the road.

[oskar_maybach]

Ah interesting, I guess I got confused from the toopltip for "Smoothness" in the gearbox designer, that states smoothness increases performance.



So performance unequal driveability, that makes sense since these are different vehicle ratings. So smoothness shouldn't increase performance, but I still believe it should increase driveability in the sense of "reducing driving difficulty".

And it seems that the gearbox comfort/smoothness/shifting ease doesn't have any effect on the vehicle performance rating, only the gearbox performance rating has. At least if the formulas on the wiki are up to date.

[Eric.B]

I believe at one point, the smoothness values affected gearbox performance.

I don't have the code or game in front of me, so I can't confirm current or past formulas.

Driveability is handling, not ease of handling, but performance-oriented handling. Think of a race car, like F1 or IndyCar, where the torque applied by the transmissions can easily spin the car out. And not like a modern car with traction control, which would make the vehicle easier to drive and better handling in most consumers' hands, but not in the hands of a professional.

All ratings in the game really need to be remixed and revamped. That's part of the efforts of the FBS. Much of this stuff was designed in 2010 / 2011 when the game was much smaller in scale and scope.

[oskar_maybach]

Ok makes sense, I feel like the numbers behind the ratings make sense, it's just the wording is less than obvious in some spots.
Thanks for your answers

[Eric.B]

I plan on adding/revisiting the help buttons when 2nd Gear is finished. I'll put this one on the list to address!

[Eric.B]

I added 15 Cylinders to the W layout. Changes will be in the next update that I diff the data files. (No idea when that will be.)

[oskar_maybach]

Cool!
Just out of curiosity, are you going to remove 15 Cylinders from the Radial layout?

[Eric.B]

In general, I try to avoid removing features.

Having reread this thread, it seems like you were looking for examples of 15-cylinder Radials. Radials are typically an odd number of cylinders and they can be multi-banked. So you only need to look as far as a 5x3 Radial engine like the Armstrong Siddeley Hyena. I believe there are a few tank variants too. 3x2 = 6, 3x3 = 9, 5x2 = 10, 5x3 = 15.

[oskar_maybach]

Yes that was my original question.
I just assumed we'd only have single banked/rowed radials because we don't have 14 or 18 cylinder radials, and I guess I didn't think about the 9 as multi-banked.
If we interpret the 15 as multi-banked, can you then add the 18 (9x2) to the Radial as well, as the 18 is already in the game anyways? And I guess the 10= 5x2 would make a lot of sense as well.
But I don't want to annoy you too much or take away your time, I just get easily irritated ever so slightly by inconsistencies. I totally understand and accept that these are topics as well for the Bounty for aircraft parts.
Thank you for your consideration

[Eric.B]

Gearbox smoothness ratings now have a small effect on the gearbox performance ratings in 2nd Gear.