So, I've found an interesting car game

"Bad Idea Hat" (taoistlumberjack)
12/18/2013 at 20:48 • Filed to: Because Game

It's called !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and although it's beta, it seems to be fairly polished. The basic premise is that you run your own car company, but with the added twist that you can also design your own car from the ground up. Yes, that means you can even design your engine.

There's a demo available for those of us who are too poor due to Christmas to afford the $25 to purchase the full version. It only gives you limited options, with the I4 being the only engine build choice. The best I could do was 381hp at 7800 rpm, so I would really, really like to see what could be done with better engine options.

DISCUSSION (26)

Biased Plies > Bad Idea Hat
12/18/2013 at 21:00

Someone involved with that (developer maybe?) was (is?) on here. I'll see if I can find them, if they're still around.

Edit - couldn't find it via the Oppo search function or a quick google search. Must've been before Kinja.

Lets Just Drive > Bad Idea Hat
12/18/2013 at 21:00

A friend of mine has been on board with the beta since it launched and I track their progress via FB and Twitter. The game has been in development for ages and I'm honestly worried that we'll never see a full version - the finished product.

From what I know, though, that would be a terrible shame because it's a pretty excellent Car Guy thing.

KamikazePigeon > Bad Idea Hat
12/18/2013 at 21:15

I absolutely love this game.

Only downside is that they're a company of only 4 or 5 people from what I've heard so developments are slow.

On the other hand, I've lost hours upon hours playing the demo!

STREPITUS > Biased Plies
12/18/2013 at 21:17

The dev team posts semi-regularly on FinalGear. You can possibly get in touch with them there if you're interested.
http://forums.finalgear.com/entertainment/…

and

http://forums.finalgear.com/entertainment/…

I've been following development since 2010. I really wish I had a computer capable of playing it though.

Biased Plies > STREPITUS
12/18/2013 at 21:19

Interesting, didn't know that, thanks. I don't really play games, just trying to figure out if they were still on Oppo. I am going to search for that Finalgear user name on Jalopnik though.

Edit - some success: http://jalopnik.com/496620897#comm…

And, Roberto G. I think that might be the original one.

Bad Idea Hat > Biased Plies
12/18/2013 at 21:44

Thanks both of you. I'm going to definitely be getting the full version after Christmas, so I can try out something bigger than an I4 and build the best sportscar of the 1950's.

By the way, I just got my I4 NA up around 800hp. Yes, it has a short lifespan, why do you ask?

Grindintosecond > Bad Idea Hat
12/18/2013 at 21:45

This is what will suck the 40 year old guys back into car games. This is something to tinker with and play and enjoy, especially the tycoon aspect. I don't have the endless hours to practice on iracing or Rfactor anymore. Kids need to learn to read. But this is nice. It does not take a commitment of a few hours at a time.

Bad Idea Hat > Grindintosecond
12/18/2013 at 21:47

Do you know what I've done all night? I've built engines with my daughter, showing her what everything does. Then, I tested the engine to show her the various sounds at different RPMs.

Yes, this is no longer a game. This is a teaching tool.

Grindintosecond > Bad Idea Hat
12/18/2013 at 21:54

Exactly! that is the real future. I've done some of that with my 4.5 year old daughter using Kerbal Space Program. showing here rockets we try to build and make work. what orbit is. what the moon does. Landing on another planet! she really likes it. Once learning is fun then they learn. I never understood why teachers hate that idea.

Grindintosecond > Bad Idea Hat
12/18/2013 at 21:55

LOL. how is the engine configurator? can you do any configuration up to a v-16 like a W16 or a vr5? or madly a straight-11? I wonder these things. Making the perfect mini-van for a sporting 60's generation. Like a Porsche 356 is to beetle, what would the Porshce equivalent of the microbus be? heh i love mad science allowed in games.

Grindintosecond > Lets Just Drive
12/18/2013 at 21:58

I know it's a pain for people to ask of your friends when you arent involved in what they do but.....any chance to see what they're up to on this? I would imagine this is a side-project to their real jobs and the real hold up is money. I wonder if a Steam green light would help or a kickstarter perhaps?

Lets Just Drive > Grindintosecond
12/18/2013 at 22:01

No idea, sadly.

Check them out on Facebook at Automation.

Bad Idea Hat > Grindintosecond
12/18/2013 at 22:08

I want to star this comment more than once. I do the same thing with KSP. I can't believe that could be considered an educational game, but I don't know any game recently that's better. I want my daughter knowing that learning is fun before someone says to her otherwise.

xxxxxx > Bad Idea Hat
12/18/2013 at 22:09

I got 613hp with the I4

Bad Idea Hat > Grindintosecond
12/18/2013 at 22:21

All I can do in the demo is mess with an I4, but it allows a handful of options as to how parts are constructed, and from what materials.

I thought I read that the game allows up to V16, as well as inline engines past four cylinders. I hope they stay away from H16 though.

Grindintosecond > Bad Idea Hat
12/18/2013 at 23:55

Id like all insane ideas because they would let you have vibration and lifetime issues but if its small enough...a wacky fun car. ill probably buy the game but id like to see some blog posts or something on progress. in the demo i cant get the chassis to save it. ill play around with it. great find!

Eazy-O > Bad Idea Hat
12/19/2013 at 08:51

I've dicked around with the demo and I really like it. Hoping for some more options in the design department. Unfortunately, they're never gonna let you test drive the cars, or so they say. Would be awesome as heck.

wabbastang > Grindintosecond
12/19/2013 at 10:57

Saw a bit on their site that they would be doing a Steam early access version..

Ugh why does it try to install to /ProgramData...standards ppls

Bad Idea Hat > Bad Idea Hat
12/19/2013 at 11:47

Okay, one of my projects on this was to, as best I could with the demo, recreate my xB. Damn near hit it dead on. Engine performed almost right down the line when built to spec. When I got it into a car, it came very, very close to performance value. These guys have something amazing on their hands, and I will be giving them my money shortly.
Also, apparently I could mod my engine up to around 170hp in this game. My mind is going in very bad places for a car that is a DD.

NaturallyAspirated > Grindintosecond
12/19/2013 at 16:55

They already got Greenlighted on Steam:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/fi…

Andrew Lamb > Grindintosecond
12/30/2013 at 23:48

G'day! I'm the lead artist/co-founder of the project, so I can answer a few questions.

It is indeed quite a slow project to develop, it's technically complex, takes a lot of testing and iteration to get working the way we want it, and it's got a pretty large scope. Our team is 3 - 5 people plus some contractors and a great beta testing team, 3 of us put in full time hours, and for 2 of us it's our only job (Artist and Programmer, the producer also works as a Physicist!)

I can assure you there is no need to worry about it not ever being finished, we're in this one for the long haul, but it WILL take quite a long time.

We do always release bite sized chunks of the game as they are finished though, and now that we're doing reasonably well sales wise we can afford more outside help :)

Any other questions feel free to hit me up or pop over to Automation Forums

Andrew Lamb > Bad Idea Hat
12/30/2013 at 23:50

Hey, co-founder of the project here.

That's really heartwarming to hear! We certainly aim to be an educational tool as well as a fun game :)

Andrew Lamb > Biased Plies
12/30/2013 at 23:51

Hey, developer here if you have any questions :)

DeltawingGothamDeserves > Bad Idea Hat
01/03/2014 at 10:02

Theres another one called Next Car game where you basically just get to destroy it. Still in Alpha.

yung bramblepelt > Bad Idea Hat
01/03/2014 at 10:03

Wow, this looks really cool. I don't know shit about engines, but I'm hoping this will help!

treav0r > Bad Idea Hat
01/07/2014 at 01:43

the current engine capabilities allow me to built a ~10l v8 bitrubo with ~3000 hp, but that is quite hard. 1500hp is more likely to achieve as a new user