Cars

[Jos Elkink]

A very basic question I have: why are cars so unpopular?

I know that the production of cars is simply way too difficult at the moment. This is partly unintended (and is being reversed slightly in recent times) and partly because we want to allow for a still interesting game once we have more mass industry type companies.

But are they also really far lower rated than I would have suspected? I mean, why are cars not used as a major status symbol? To me it is probably the strongest indicator of a wealthy / powerful person in Cantr. And why do I hear stories of cars that are simply staying there and hardly ever used?

Are cars really *only* useful when trying to run a multi-location empire? Like the Lad Empire or the Stone Knights? And does the whole problem reduce to having a lack of players who like political/military strife and a surplus of players who just prefer friendly social communication?

So, why are there so few cars? And why are so few of them actually used?

I know it's hard to make, but we're playing well over four years now!

[T-shirt]

Building a tandem bike is far far easier. Just mixing together some rubber, steel and iron with a screwdriver and you're able to transport lots of resources. Doesn't go too fast, but a little longer travel time outweighs the time needed to make a car.

[olaf]

I have a character in the Kwor region that is getting limited by his tandem bike and is very seriously wanting a motorised vehicle (for quick transporting of large quantities of trade goods - he is quite limited by having no ready supply of soda for window glass...

IRL if I lived there, I'd make my car without a windscreen if I absolutely had to!

Also, for me as a player, I think I have found it very difficult until now to seriously weigh up the "value for money" of each vehicle... Until, that is, you posted the very comprehensive table 5 minutes ago! Thank you SO much! We've been trying to get that info for ever!

But of course, I think Anthony's point was if we knew that we wouldn't bother with most of the vehicles. And also that they were going to be modularised soon? Is this happening soon?

[formerly known as hf]

Most of them need more than sand paths, which is one major drawback. Which is why you end up seeing a lot more 'dirt motorcycles' than you do any other kind of motorised vehicle.

Also, any organisation that has the resources and facilities to build a motor vehicle, doesn't actually have much use for one. They'd be most useful for traders, who don't have the ability to make one, and would probably just make a boat (more capacity and spped usually)

Most large organisations capable of making a vehicle usually have little need for especially fast methods of travelling and lots of space - a rickshaw or bike cart will do them.
This is because few large organisations have control over a number of locations from a central point. Usually it is based in just one location, and if it happens to be more than one, those locations are fairly autonomous. So there's not much need for fast travel between them (even less so now that there are radios)
There are some exceptions to that, but not many.

[WojD]

I think problem is also long time to get resources. Few years of work for one car... Maybe if we 'invent' more eficient methods of massproduction (eg. Big Smelting Furnace) this makes cars more popular.

[Lauren]

That's what I was thinking, is that cars need to run on improved roads, and everyone's a bit more busy doing other things than improving roads.

[nitefyre]

Clan MacGregor just built a van, to augment their older stationcar, to use to go to the Djorf Hills South Festival, that occured not too long ago. With the advent of radios, etc, cars are more useful for transportation, rather than communication.

There is no mass assembly line, nor is working on improving sand roads an easy thing. <b>Considering that many of the roads have already had their projects started and you don't know which name leads to which place that you want improved. This is a royal pain in the ass.</b> Also, sometimes they're at the wrong end of the path. The first obvious tier of construction would thereby, as stated earlier, bikes and dirtbikes.

[Bowser]

Who owns car? People who own all the machines needed and have large amounts of metals. Usually those people are powerful in their town so they rarely leave. The sad part is that the ones who should have the cars are the resource runners. I lent my tandem bike to someone to get me some limestone, they never came back. I spent a lot of energy working my way to the top and now that I am in a position to have a car, it seems It would be best if I demoted myself back down to resource collector.

My characters own a Limo, 5 Vans, 2 passenger cars, 4 sportscars, a handful of motorbikes, and too many boats to count. I haven't ridden a bike in years and who know where they are now. Most of my vehicles stay parked in the town I reside in.

[nitefyre]

Who owns car? People who own all the machines needed and have large amounts of metals. Usually those people are powerful in their town so they rarely leave. The sad part is that the ones who should have the cars are the resource runners. I lent my tandem bike to someone to get me some limestone, they never came back. I spent a lot of energy working my way to the top and now that I am in a position to have a car, it seems It would be best if I demoted myself back down to resource collector.

My characters own a Limo, 5 Vans, 2 passenger cars, 4 sportscars, a handful of motorbikes, and too many boats to count. I haven't ridden a bike in years and who know where they are now. Most of my vehicles stay parked in the town I reside in.

I agree, unless you have a very strong government structure which can continue in your absence as if you yourself were there, then you probably wouldn't want to leave those precious vehicles in somebody elses hands. Fortunately, I think I found a few of that calibre, who my characters trust to caretake with the same strength and honor.

[Just A Bill]

There are some folks rich enough to afford cars, and for them they are status symbols. I suspect those rich enough for cars don't want to travel because they are needed where they are, and have no reason to travel, because others will bring things to them.

They could allow others to use the vehicle to gather resources for them, but that involves trusting someone with a huge asset. What could you offer someone when he/she comes back from a resources gathering trip in your car, that would be more valuable than the car itself.

[Stan]

I haven't read all the responses, but for me it's two words:

Roads
Glass

[Jos Elkink]

There are some folks rich enough to afford cars, and for them they are status symbols. I suspect those rich enough for cars don't want to travel because they are needed where they are, and have no reason to travel, because others will bring things to them.

They could allow others to use the vehicle to gather resources for them, but that involves trusting someone with a huge asset. What could you offer someone when he/she comes back from a resources gathering trip in your car, that would be more valuable than the car itself.

Aah, yes, good point (Bowser's, of course), I never thought of that. I'd say that's the real reason.

I mean, I know construction is (too) difficult, but that's not the only explanation after four years. And roads are often already improved. But I never thought of this problem ... Funny one, actually ...

[AngelSpice]

1 of mine is close to a motorized vehicle. It just needs an engine.

[nitefyre]

1 of mine is close to a motorized vehicle. It just needs an engine.

*spikes the price of magnesium by holding back supply*

[TatteredShoeLace]

My chars were all spawned after the iron changeover. Since then my Car company has made 8 vehicles, 4 of which have motors. I am fairly certain I've made the first car since the change using the new process to make iron and steel, and with some luck on others, I will have a jeep in no time.

The company car does wonders for resource runs as well as picking up new applicants.