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Old 03-10-2021, 01:54 PM   #1
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Default 43's Truck Stop: The Three-Speed Transmission

[Been a little quiet 'round here.... :) ]

With the advent of Overdrive, and High-Torque Motors, no longer are _CW_ designs constrained to "one-speed" acceleration and top-speed. In fact, it's now possible to have a "proper" three-speed "gearbox" (or equivalent) in one's vehicle.

For this experiment, we're using a really high-performance vehicle -- a Luxury with a Thundercat plant (Acc.: 15; TS: 180) we took off ARF many moons ago. Adding Overdrive halves Acc., but adds 20 to TS (Acc. 7.5; TS: 200); adding Heavy-Duty High-Torque Motors doubles Acc., but TS drops by 1/3 (Acc.: 30 [!]; TS: 120). "First gear", then is "HDHTM active"; "second gear" is "nothing active"; "third gear" is "O-drive active".

The driver has to switch between these manually, however; and as anyone who's ever been trapped behind someone driving a manual-transmission at a traffic signal knows, this is a pain-in-the-neck. :) So: Is it possible to make a three-speed *automatic* transmission here.

The answer, believe it or not, is: "Yes."

Under "Body Types" in the _CW_ rulebook, "Price" mentions a list of things the car body comes with -- "headlights, trim, seats, doors, *instruments* [emphasis added --43], basic targeting system, head-up windshield visual display, etc." [_CWC2_, p. 50]. While it may be considered "stretching the definition", one could use a basic Link to connect the O-Drive, and HTM, to the car's speedometer; then have the systems switch on|off at the appropriate speeds. In the case of our experimental vehicle:

-- at speed 120 and below, HTM is active;
-- between speed 122.5 and 180, nothing is active;
-- at speed 185 and above, O-drive is active.

So, starting from 0:

Car accelerates 0-30, then 30 to 60, 60-90, 90-120, 120-135 [HTM off], 135-150, 150-165, 165-180, 180-187.5 [O-d on], 187.5-195, 195-200 (could go to 202.5, if one wanted to push one's plant).

If the acceleration would cause the car to push the plant, it accelerates only to the TS allowed; *then* the Link switches on|off. For ex.: If our experiment was traveling 100 MPH with HTM active, if the driver wished to accelerate with HTM, he could only go to 120; at which point the HTMs switch off and he loses Acc. 30. (He could take his firing action to keep the HTM on, and accelerate up to 30 MPH, but he'd have to push the plant.)

That's all for now.
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Old 03-11-2021, 07:55 AM   #2
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Default Re: 43's Truck Stop: The Three-Speed Transmission

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Originally Posted by 43Supporter View Post
and as anyone who's ever been trapped behind someone driving a manual-transmission at a traffic signal knows, this is a pain-in-the-neck. :)
Pretty rare around here but I know what you mean.

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Originally Posted by 43Supporter View Post
While it may be considered "stretching the definition", one could use a basic Link to connect the O-Drive, and HTM, to the car's speedometer; then have the systems switch on|off at the appropriate speeds.
Actually, this should be the default setup every time you start the vehicle but I'd rule you'd need a firing action to "deactivate" the default. Probably need another firing action to reactivate if you need it turned back on before you restart the vehicle.
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Old 03-11-2021, 01:34 PM   #3
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Default Re: 43's Truck Stop: The Three-Speed Transmission

How about an Automated Driver Assist Computer ? $1,000 ( $500 for Cycles ) . Simpler than a Vehicle Computer & would be incredibly easy to add on to the basic Drive-By-Wire systems included in all 'modern' ( post 2030s ) Vehicles . Could also reduce D Hazards of an Heavy Braking by 1 - to a minimum of D0 .

Late 21st Century Cars should be easy to throw around a fair bit I reckon - even today we have cars that are very hard to roll unless you something extraordinarily stupid . After seeing the amount of cars left on there roofs during the 70s & 80s , I find this rather comforting tbh .
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Old 03-11-2021, 02:28 PM   #4
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Default Re: 43's Truck Stop: The Three-Speed Transmission

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Late 21st Century Cars should be easy to throw around a fair bit I reckon - even today we have cars that are very hard to roll unless you something extraordinarily stupid . After seeing the amount of cars left on there roofs during the 70s & 80s , I find this rather comforting tbh .
_CW_'s not-very-granular acceleration rules don't make it all that practical to have anything beyond what I describe in the OP -- for ex.: If one has Acc. 30 available, one does not necessarily *have* to accelerate 30; one can accelerate 30, or 25, or 20, or what-have-one.
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Old 03-11-2021, 05:01 PM   #5
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Default Re: 43's Truck Stop: The Three-Speed Transmission

Or just link ($50) everything to the guns ;)

Combat starts:
"I fire the front MG and deactivate overdrive and activate the HT motors"

Why wouldn't this work?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Racer View Post
How about an Automated Driver Assist Computer ? $1,000 ( $500 for Cycles ) . Simpler than a Vehicle Computer & would be incredibly easy to add on to the basic Drive-By-Wire systems included in all 'modern' ( post 2030s ) Vehicles . Could also reduce D Hazards of an Heavy Braking by 1 - to a minimum of D0 .

Late 21st Century Cars should be easy to throw around a fair bit I reckon - even today we have cars that are very hard to roll unless you something extraordinarily stupid . After seeing the amount of cars left on there roofs during the 70s & 80s , I find this rather comforting tbh .
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Old 03-11-2021, 10:01 PM   #6
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Default Re: 43's Truck Stop: The Three-Speed Transmission

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Originally Posted by juris View Post
Or just link ($50) everything to the guns ;)

Combat starts:
"I fire the front MG and deactivate overdrive and activate the HT motors"
We've been doing this for years. We don't see Overdrive that often, but people link HTMs to things all the time.

I'm also partial to the Voice Controls, but they're spendy. :(
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Old 03-12-2021, 08:19 AM   #7
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Default Re: 43's Truck Stop: The Three-Speed Transmission

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I'm also partial to the Voice Controls, but they're spendy. :(
Alexa, engage the overdrive.
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Old 03-12-2021, 02:09 PM   #8
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Default Re: 43's Truck Stop: The Three-Speed Transmission

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Or just link ($50) everything to the guns ;)

Combat starts:
"I fire the front MG and deactivate overdrive and activate the HT motors"

Why wouldn't this work?
This would be doable -- it's just pointless, esp. as HTMs and O-d performance envelopes are non-adjacent; one way or another, you'd be either pushing the plant, or hamstringing your acceleration.

I never got to use HTMs in the arena, myself -- they came out after I left NOVA. (This is why so many of my designs are Turbo-equipped ICEs.)

Name your car's computer "Mona Lisa" rather than "Siri" or "Alexa"....

"Monalisa -- Overdrive!" B)
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Old 03-14-2021, 03:15 PM   #9
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Default Re: 43's Truck Stop: The Three-Speed Transmission

If your driver is doing the driving like he should be, using his firing action to turn HTM or overdrive on and off isn't an issue.

If you have a car that can go at 200, you really want a dedicated driver to stay shiny side up. He can fire off the DWs, and he can plan that around his acceleration and deceleration (since he'll probably be putting them on auto).

If you are travelling above 120 you probably aren't doing any shooting anyway, you are running.

If a device requires a firing action then you need to exercise a firing action to action it. Making it work by default based on your speed is a cheat. If you are going to do that you might as well remove the concept of firing actions and let people do things when they want.

Speed changes happen at the start of a phase (before movement), firing happens at the end of the phase (after movement). To be pedantic if you linked to a weapon you would be switching off/on the HTM for example before you declared acceleration in a subsequent phase. There may be situations where this would be undesirable.

Generally I have found that HTMs can be engaged for all normal combat speeds (usually below 60), faster than that and you burn through HS too quickly to manoeuvre (and you HAVE to go straight in some of your phases).

Overdrive tends to be used in our road campaigns more for the fuel savings than the extra speed. Note that overdrive works at all speeds so technically you can engage it at 20 mph and never burn a PU (this is probably cheating).

I couldn't make a luxury with a Thundercat plant that had a top speed of only 180. I calculate a maxed out chassis can still make 205 base top speed. Based on that, travelling at 25 mph (which is less cheaty) with overdrive engaged burns less than 0.1 PU per mile giving you a range of over 4000 miles! This is enough to get you from anywhere in the USA to anywhere else in the USA (max 3500 miles) without stopping for a recharge (but it would take you almost a week driving 24 hours a day so this probably isn't that helpful)

Even at default highway speed (55) however your range is over 580 miles (and a reasonable 10 hour driving day). In under a week you can travel from anywhere in the USA to anywhere else. Without overdrive you will make less than 380.

Whilst the cost of recharges might not make much difference to you (the difference in cost for a 3500 mile journey is $263 and you'll you probably spend more on armour repairs), the ability to travel long distances without recharging means that it gives you flexibility.

Of course you may like to stop every 200 miles or so and stop for a recharge and coffee and donuts, but that cuts into your margins and your margins should be tight in a realistic game.
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Old 03-14-2021, 10:36 PM   #10
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Default Re: 43's Truck Stop: The Three-Speed Transmission

In our races and arena duels where a vehicle has a significant gap between (HD)HTM top speed and regular top speed, that driver will often push their power plant until they've reached either their regular top speed or whatever cruising speed they like and then turn off their (HD)HTMs. It's usually only a turn or three and car electric plants have a ton of DP.
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