Wed Jan 26, 2011 11:21 am
Automation FAQ - Updated 2/4/13
Frequently Asked Questions
Thought I might post a few answers to some of the common questions we get asked.
1. Will you be able to drive your cars?
This is probably the most common question we get asked!
As a 3-man team this is already quite an ambitious and complex project as is, and we're dedicated to making it high quality, realistic and fun.
To do a realistic driving simulator would take a lot of money and many years of work on our part.
We may consider providing tools to export cars to another Race Sim though, but that isn't a key feature of the game and may not make the final cut.
2. When will Automation be released and how can I get it?
The Engine Designer Demo is currently available to both for those that have preordered the game and for the public.
A Car Designer Demo will be released later this year.
The full game is still some time away, and we're prioritizing quality over rushing the game out unfinished.
Automation at this point in time, will be a download only game, but may have boxed distribution in some markets when completed
3. So you've built a car, what do you do now? Is the game just about building cars?
Its not just about building cars, its about running an entire car company, you'll be designing cars and engines, researching new technology, building new factories, setting prices, exporting cars to new markets, managing your company's finances etc.
If you've ever played "Detroit", "Car Tycoon" or "Motor City", we're basically building a more technical, more fun version of those.
4. I don't know what a kW even is, where are my Horsepowers!?
You'll be able to choose whatever combination of units you like, you could have weight in pounds but power in KW if you wanted, or power in HP but distance in Miles - you should be able to set it up to use whatever unit scheme your country usually uses.
5. I don't see any turbochargers/v8s/I6s etc. will you be able to have those?
The engine designer demo will only have N/A Inline-4 engines - the full game will have lots more engine configurations.
If you have pre-ordered you will get them as they are done. Currently Preordering gets you V8s, Inline 6s and Turbos
See http://automationgame.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=137 for a further discussion on this.
6. Are you coming out with a Linux/Mac/Android/IOS/PS3/Commodore 64 version
Windows PC Only I'm afraid, Its a big enough project already without having to worry about other platforms!
7. What are the system requirements?
Automation is still in development so these are subject to change:
Minimum Requirements
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7
Processor: Dual Core (Intel Core2 DUO E4500 or equivalent)
Ram: 2gb
Graphics Card: NVidia 8600GT/ATI Radeon X1650 (Must support Pixel Shader 3.0)
Internet Access (Offline play possible)
Recommended Requirements
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7
Processor: Quad Core
Ram: 2gb
Graphics Card: NVidia 260GTX/ATI Radeon 4870 (Must support Pixel Shader 3.0)
Internet Access (Offline play possible)
If you are unsure about your computer you can ask here.
8. Will my Ford, Volvo, Lada, My Favorite Company be in the game?
Due to copyright issues, we can't have real car companies in the game.
However in cosmetic terms, there will be a big range of styling parts from different era's and styles, so you could build something similar to a real model, also the mechanical parts available should mean you can get the specs close too.
And of course, part of the fun could be replicating an existing car maker, building the same models, using the same tactics, and see if you can do better than the real company!
9. What can I do to help/make you work faster?
Honestly our biggest motivation is seeing people interested in the game, so come join the forums, let us know what you think of our ideas, add some of your own ideas etc.
it may sound lame, but we are doing this all for you guys, the car nerds who have been waiting for a game like this, the people who had high hopes for "Detroit" and "Car Tycoon" but were disappointed.
Also, if you have a question about how something is going to work, ask us, often people's questions will really help us think about what we need to do and how things should work
Lastly - spread the word, the more interest we can drum up the better!
10. Do I have to buy the Forced Induction Edition to get Turbos/Supercharger ect?
No both Naturally Aspirated and Forced induction Edition pre-orders will get turbos twin-turbo and superchargers in the full game and in the demo when they are done.
The only in game content difference is the V16 engine configuration.
11. When will you raise the 12krpm Rev limit, Give access to 130 octane Avgas etc.
As Automation is a game focused on running a car company that builds road cars, and maybe a few touring car style race cars, those kind of technologies don't make sense to include.
We chose the 12krpm rev limit as its should cover pretty much any roadcar you could desire, and because the way we get engine sounds produced starts to run into issues above 12,000rpm.
12. Will I get to bolt things on myself manually etc?
No, that's really straying from the core concept of the game.
13. Will I get to watch my car drive around a test track etc?
Not in the first release of the car designer, but eventually, yes.
14.Are Wankels, Diesels and Hybrids coming?
They would be done as DLC, assuming we're successful enough to keep working after release.
15.I Downloaded the demo, why don't I seem to have Turbos/V8s/I6s?
You need to Preorder to access this content.
16.What if you run out of money/get hit by a bus? What happens to my preorder?
We've omitted a lot of our own money and 3 years of our lives to this project, so we'll do everything in our power to make sure this game gets finished.
But in the end, if you're not comfortable spending $25 -$35 to unlock the current content, don't preorder yet.
17. If I preorder, do I still need to buy the game when its done?
Nope! Its called a preorder because you're buying the full game in advance of it being released.
18. When is (BIT OF GAME) being released
If we haven't announced a release date for something, its because we don't know ourselves, the next thing to come out is the car designer, which I'd estimate will come out late this year.
19. WIll you be able to design interiors?
Kind of, you'll be able to spec interior finishes etc. But you won't see them, getting custom interiors to fit each car would add a really long time to development.
Anything else I missed? Ask us!
Thought I might post a few answers to some of the common questions we get asked.
1. Will you be able to drive your cars?
This is probably the most common question we get asked!
As a 3-man team this is already quite an ambitious and complex project as is, and we're dedicated to making it high quality, realistic and fun.
To do a realistic driving simulator would take a lot of money and many years of work on our part.
We may consider providing tools to export cars to another Race Sim though, but that isn't a key feature of the game and may not make the final cut.
2. When will Automation be released and how can I get it?
The Engine Designer Demo is currently available to both for those that have preordered the game and for the public.
A Car Designer Demo will be released later this year.
The full game is still some time away, and we're prioritizing quality over rushing the game out unfinished.
Automation at this point in time, will be a download only game, but may have boxed distribution in some markets when completed
3. So you've built a car, what do you do now? Is the game just about building cars?
Its not just about building cars, its about running an entire car company, you'll be designing cars and engines, researching new technology, building new factories, setting prices, exporting cars to new markets, managing your company's finances etc.
If you've ever played "Detroit", "Car Tycoon" or "Motor City", we're basically building a more technical, more fun version of those.
4. I don't know what a kW even is, where are my Horsepowers!?
You'll be able to choose whatever combination of units you like, you could have weight in pounds but power in KW if you wanted, or power in HP but distance in Miles - you should be able to set it up to use whatever unit scheme your country usually uses.
5. I don't see any turbochargers/v8s/I6s etc. will you be able to have those?
The engine designer demo will only have N/A Inline-4 engines - the full game will have lots more engine configurations.
If you have pre-ordered you will get them as they are done. Currently Preordering gets you V8s, Inline 6s and Turbos
See http://automationgame.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=137 for a further discussion on this.
6. Are you coming out with a Linux/Mac/Android/IOS/PS3/Commodore 64 version
Windows PC Only I'm afraid, Its a big enough project already without having to worry about other platforms!
7. What are the system requirements?
Automation is still in development so these are subject to change:
Minimum Requirements
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7
Processor: Dual Core (Intel Core2 DUO E4500 or equivalent)
Ram: 2gb
Graphics Card: NVidia 8600GT/ATI Radeon X1650 (Must support Pixel Shader 3.0)
Internet Access (Offline play possible)
Recommended Requirements
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7
Processor: Quad Core
Ram: 2gb
Graphics Card: NVidia 260GTX/ATI Radeon 4870 (Must support Pixel Shader 3.0)
Internet Access (Offline play possible)
If you are unsure about your computer you can ask here.
8. Will my Ford, Volvo, Lada, My Favorite Company be in the game?
Due to copyright issues, we can't have real car companies in the game.
However in cosmetic terms, there will be a big range of styling parts from different era's and styles, so you could build something similar to a real model, also the mechanical parts available should mean you can get the specs close too.
And of course, part of the fun could be replicating an existing car maker, building the same models, using the same tactics, and see if you can do better than the real company!
9. What can I do to help/make you work faster?
Honestly our biggest motivation is seeing people interested in the game, so come join the forums, let us know what you think of our ideas, add some of your own ideas etc.
it may sound lame, but we are doing this all for you guys, the car nerds who have been waiting for a game like this, the people who had high hopes for "Detroit" and "Car Tycoon" but were disappointed.
Also, if you have a question about how something is going to work, ask us, often people's questions will really help us think about what we need to do and how things should work
Lastly - spread the word, the more interest we can drum up the better!
10. Do I have to buy the Forced Induction Edition to get Turbos/Supercharger ect?
No both Naturally Aspirated and Forced induction Edition pre-orders will get turbos twin-turbo and superchargers in the full game and in the demo when they are done.
The only in game content difference is the V16 engine configuration.
11. When will you raise the 12krpm Rev limit, Give access to 130 octane Avgas etc.
As Automation is a game focused on running a car company that builds road cars, and maybe a few touring car style race cars, those kind of technologies don't make sense to include.
We chose the 12krpm rev limit as its should cover pretty much any roadcar you could desire, and because the way we get engine sounds produced starts to run into issues above 12,000rpm.
12. Will I get to bolt things on myself manually etc?
No, that's really straying from the core concept of the game.
13. Will I get to watch my car drive around a test track etc?
Not in the first release of the car designer, but eventually, yes.
14.Are Wankels, Diesels and Hybrids coming?
They would be done as DLC, assuming we're successful enough to keep working after release.
15.I Downloaded the demo, why don't I seem to have Turbos/V8s/I6s?
You need to Preorder to access this content.
16.What if you run out of money/get hit by a bus? What happens to my preorder?
We've omitted a lot of our own money and 3 years of our lives to this project, so we'll do everything in our power to make sure this game gets finished.
But in the end, if you're not comfortable spending $25 -$35 to unlock the current content, don't preorder yet.
17. If I preorder, do I still need to buy the game when its done?
Nope! Its called a preorder because you're buying the full game in advance of it being released.
18. When is (BIT OF GAME) being released
If we haven't announced a release date for something, its because we don't know ourselves, the next thing to come out is the car designer, which I'd estimate will come out late this year.
19. WIll you be able to design interiors?
Kind of, you'll be able to spec interior finishes etc. But you won't see them, getting custom interiors to fit each car would add a really long time to development.
Anything else I missed? Ask us!
3d Artist, Game Designer, Marketing Guy
Follow us on
Twitter - http://twitter.com/AutomationGame
ModDB - http://www.moddb.com/games/automation
Facebook - http://goo.gl/omJzt
Chat http://automationgame.com/irc
Follow us on
Twitter - http://twitter.com/AutomationGame
ModDB - http://www.moddb.com/games/automation
Facebook - http://goo.gl/omJzt
Chat http://automationgame.com/irc
now we only have to link a single page when one of the usual suspects among questions comes up xD
