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Alternitive to Vehicle Decay

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 12:54 am
by Agar
Constructing vehicles is a long involved process broken down into several parts and requireing advanced and obscure resources and machinery. Please, for the love of Jos, don't have them become used!

I propose a different way to balance out vehicles: Fuel

Now, before this hitch comes up, I am fully aware many boats and land craft are powered by people. In that case, I would offer the people's tiredness as fuel. Reverse resting as it were.

Now as a vehicle owner (possesion is 9/10 of the law) I'd rather them stay the way it is now. You get rest while riding bikes, and cars run forever. But if this game is going to stay both balanced and realistic, that can not be the case forever. Neither does it have to be a huge demand on the oil that is sparse on some continents. Alcohol can also be used to power vehicles.

With the great variety of things that can be made into high grade alcohol, there are many sources of fuel. Oil refined into petroleum, potatoes and rice distilled to alcohol, riders pedaling or rowing.

By making vehicles fueled, they still contribute to the consumption equation without having the labor of decades disintergrate.

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 1:00 am
by kroner
bring on the item deterioration! :twisted:
fuel would be nice. but deterioration is also key.

you haven't really given any strong arguements against it except that it would make the game harder for you. well too bad for you.

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 1:06 am
by nitefyre
If vehicle/building deterioration, I would expect that they reflect the requirement of labor/resources that built them , and that it would be highly unfair to the characters to even measure their deterioration on the same level as the current tools. I think the destruction of buildings/vehicles will be as devastating for Cantr History/ Culture as making notes fade, would be, because as Cantr is a society simulator, it is nice to have these reminders and landmarks of the past to reflect upon. I know one of my characters has written his novel with parts only remembered by him, by the names of buildings. I am for a reasonable deterioration of tools/items, but with alternatives to fix them, and recover lost resources. If vehicles were to fall apart, I would expect them to be fixable by replacing them with a spare tire (for example- that's very lifelike!) and similar for the tools, like a new bowstring for bows or new blade for blades.

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 1:48 am
by wichita
As the annoyed owner of a Ford with an inoperable speedometer, bald tires, and the ability to die going up hills, I cannot accept the concept of vehicles that do not deteriorate! Sorry.

I think in the long run it would be less time consuming to repair decaying vehicles than to refuel.

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 2:28 am
by Bowser
Its already been said that making a car is a very INVOLVED process. It would take one person decades to make one. Processing the huge amount of resources into Steel and Iron for a Limo and then actually constructing the Limo would take over 100 years of man power.

Vans, Limos, and other large vehicles will no longer be cost effective.

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 2:33 am
by Nixit
It depends on how long it takes them to deteriorate.

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 2:47 am
by Bowser
Nixit wrote:It depends on how long it takes them to deteriorate.


....and how much work/resources it would take to fix or overhaul.

I can see replacing an engine or tires... its that body that is unimaginable.

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 3:10 am
by swymir
There just aren't enough vehicles being built other then bikes that makes me feel that it is neccesary to have them deteriorate. Perhaps in the future when they become a bit more common until then fuel sounds like a good alternative to me.

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 5:26 am
by Nick
Bowser wrote:Processing the huge amount of resources into Steel and Iron for a Limo and then actually constructing the Limo would take over 100 years of man power.


Assuming the resources aren't stolen. :twisted:

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 8:32 am
by kroner
if deterioration makes vehicles impossible to maintain, then they are too expensive. deterioration is not a problem, though it's implementation may require some manufacturing cost adjustments.

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 12:02 pm
by formerly known as hf
There's no choice for 'both' :twisted:

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 6:11 pm
by Solfius
agree with farmer,

the fact that currently deterioration would make vehicles not cost effective (or w/e) I think reflects the current trend to market garden industry in lieu of proper industrialisation. I don't think vehicles will be cost effective until Cantr has an industrial revolution and can mass produce.

That said, implementing maintenance, which is vital to a long period of automative functionality, would help greatly redress the balance (which I do agree is currently out of equilibrium). Finally, how long does a car last normally in RL anyway? 30 to 40 years? then in Cantr terms...600 to 800 days, isn't that long enough?

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 7:39 pm
by Cookie
Solfius wrote:Finally, how long does a car last normally in RL anyway? 30 to 40 years? then in Cantr terms...600 to 800 days, isn't that long enough?


600-800 years, might as well not bother programming deteriation if its going to take that long. No-one will care!

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 7:56 pm
by Solfius
*ahem* that was 600 - 800 days, which is still over a year and a half RL (approx)

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 8:02 pm
by Cookie
Oh right, a mistake. I'll try again shall I...

600-800 days, might as well not bother programming deteriation if its going to take that long. No-one will care!