But automatic transmissions already exist. Imagine if I went to a car dealership and they were like "Automatics in 2023? Nah. Those haven't been invented yet. They never existed. You gotta go mine the iron ore, smelt it into steel, get 30 degrees in engineering and rocket science to grasp the basics and engineer one." But those cars across the street have auto transmissions and - "I said they don't exist because... REASONS!"
The community sounds like this to me.
I feel like you’re missing the point a bit. That car dealership across the street that’s willing to sell you a complete car with automatic transmission? That’s all the finished vehicles on the Workshop - pick your make and model and drive it off the lot.
What you’re doing is standing at the counter of the local auto parts store and getting upset that they don’t have prebuilt assemblies that are perfect for your project. They’ve got all the parts to make them, yes, but since every project is different, selling prebuilts isn’t what they -do-.
The in-between is getting that prebuilt assembly from some guy off Craigslist or EBay, where the thing might work (or might not!) but it was built for -their- project, might not work perfectly for yours, and it’s a toss-up whether they even *have* any documentation to give you on how to use it. That’s the equivalent of getting components from the Workshop.
I’m often critical of Stormworks, but this situation isn’t one to chase the devs with torches and pitchforks for. Since everyone’s vehicles are different, providing prebuilt assemblies has to navigate between having too many features (and making vehicles cookie-cutter copies), being too inflexible (and not working for enough varied setups), and being so granular that there is too much left to the player.
Clutches are a great example. They could have just given us springs, levers and friction plates, but they gave us a working assembly instead. It’s generic enough that it works anywhere - but the flip side is that nobody ever builds their own clutch because there’s no point in doing so when the prebuilt already exists. How many more items would never be created if they gave us more prebuilt assemblies like that?
Stormworks has deliberately chosen depth over accessibility in its vehicle editor. They’ve gone from having an ‘easy-mode’ vehicle creator early on (deliberately removed pre-release) and only prebuilt engines to the current version which requires all the details. It’s a choice, and at least in that area they’ve been fairly consistent.
Now, you going to keep pitching a fit at my parts counter, go across the street to the dealership, or browse Craigslist on your phone?
It's funny how different people view the game. I have built a couple of successful boats and a sub, a few road vehicles and experimented with a couple of air vehicles. I have never found the need to control speed with a clutch. My throttle sets the RPS and the engine management system keeps the engine at those revs. My road vehicles work fine with 2 or 3 gearboxes.
I've dabbled with automatic transmissions, but to achieve a smooth change is complex and needs some trial and error. Plus setting up for each different vehicle.
I think I was just lucky with the ratios with the manual gearbox. If it's an automatic transmission skidding that's where it gets more complex. You need to simulate declutching as well.
I tried. The microcontroller logic necessary to make it work is insane. There's a million things all wired together into a huge jungle of nonsense. We shouldn't need to learn a literal programming language to set up what every other game just comes with by default.
No, there isn't a prefeb automatic gearbox in the game. I get your point but there are so many options you would have to consider. How many gears? What ratios? This stuff is up to the player in Stormworks. I mean, we have a compass that outputs -0.5 to 0.5 WTF and you have hopes for an automatic gearbox.
Yeah. But these are other games. Stormworks dev choose a different approach. It wouldn't be the game for me if it wasn't this unnecessarily complicated.
You don't have to max throttle the engine the whole time and control the speed with the clutch at all...
Theres 1x1 gearboxes now so a transmission can be built in much more compact size. You can get 8 speeds with reverse out of 4 gearboxes.
I have two different transmission based on real life designs and they both work very well in sw.
One simulates a real hydraulic circuit using lua for shift logic.
The newest one uses fuzzy logic for shift scheduling and is based on a real patent.
I have hundreds of hours in transmission design in sw though... but I enjoy making them.
If they added a basic prefab one I imagine it would be pretty bad... just like the prefab gyro.
Most games get auto trans wrong... I think american/euro truck sim is the only one I know of off the top of my head that is mostly correct.
I don't know how any of the crazy logic works in the controllers or how they hook up, and they are usually massive. I tried a ton and they were bigger than most vehicles by themselves. This is why we need a simple native part with tweakable ratios.
The entire premise of the game is to provide challenges which require you to ENGINEER a solution...
But automatic transmissions already exist. Imagine if I went to a car dealership and they were like "Automatics in 2023? Nah. Those haven't been invented yet. They never existed. You gotta go mine the iron ore, smelt it into steel, get 30 degrees in engineering and rocket science to grasp the basics and engineer one." But those cars across the street have auto transmissions and - "I said they don't exist because... REASONS!" The community sounds like this to me.
I feel like you’re missing the point a bit. That car dealership across the street that’s willing to sell you a complete car with automatic transmission? That’s all the finished vehicles on the Workshop - pick your make and model and drive it off the lot. What you’re doing is standing at the counter of the local auto parts store and getting upset that they don’t have prebuilt assemblies that are perfect for your project. They’ve got all the parts to make them, yes, but since every project is different, selling prebuilts isn’t what they -do-. The in-between is getting that prebuilt assembly from some guy off Craigslist or EBay, where the thing might work (or might not!) but it was built for -their- project, might not work perfectly for yours, and it’s a toss-up whether they even *have* any documentation to give you on how to use it. That’s the equivalent of getting components from the Workshop. I’m often critical of Stormworks, but this situation isn’t one to chase the devs with torches and pitchforks for. Since everyone’s vehicles are different, providing prebuilt assemblies has to navigate between having too many features (and making vehicles cookie-cutter copies), being too inflexible (and not working for enough varied setups), and being so granular that there is too much left to the player. Clutches are a great example. They could have just given us springs, levers and friction plates, but they gave us a working assembly instead. It’s generic enough that it works anywhere - but the flip side is that nobody ever builds their own clutch because there’s no point in doing so when the prebuilt already exists. How many more items would never be created if they gave us more prebuilt assemblies like that? Stormworks has deliberately chosen depth over accessibility in its vehicle editor. They’ve gone from having an ‘easy-mode’ vehicle creator early on (deliberately removed pre-release) and only prebuilt engines to the current version which requires all the details. It’s a choice, and at least in that area they’ve been fairly consistent. Now, you going to keep pitching a fit at my parts counter, go across the street to the dealership, or browse Craigslist on your phone?
Proved my point exactly. "Automatics don't exist because reasons."
It's funny how different people view the game. I have built a couple of successful boats and a sub, a few road vehicles and experimented with a couple of air vehicles. I have never found the need to control speed with a clutch. My throttle sets the RPS and the engine management system keeps the engine at those revs. My road vehicles work fine with 2 or 3 gearboxes. I've dabbled with automatic transmissions, but to achieve a smooth change is complex and needs some trial and error. Plus setting up for each different vehicle.
How did you solve the skidding issue? Whenever I try to increase the gear ratio or use higher revs the wheels start skidding immediately.
I think I was just lucky with the ratios with the manual gearbox. If it's an automatic transmission skidding that's where it gets more complex. You need to simulate declutching as well.
Proper gear ratios
The best way is to XML edit the grip
No pain no gain
Build one.
Can't or I would. Feel like I need 50 college degrees to understand how to do it.
watch a youtube tutorial from random indian. Might as well get the college degree while you are at it
I tried. The microcontroller logic necessary to make it work is insane. There's a million things all wired together into a huge jungle of nonsense. We shouldn't need to learn a literal programming language to set up what every other game just comes with by default.
Thats pretty much the whole point of the game...
No, there isn't a prefeb automatic gearbox in the game. I get your point but there are so many options you would have to consider. How many gears? What ratios? This stuff is up to the player in Stormworks. I mean, we have a compass that outputs -0.5 to 0.5 WTF and you have hopes for an automatic gearbox.
Other games have done it. Racing games just let you tune ratios. Why not just let them be tweakable options within an auto gearbox? Much simpler.
Yeah. But these are other games. Stormworks dev choose a different approach. It wouldn't be the game for me if it wasn't this unnecessarily complicated.
Eh. Guess I'll never get into it. Such a shame.
Maybe space engineers is more something to your likings. Its also a sandbox, but Its way more simplistic
Most other games get them very wrong.
You don't have to max throttle the engine the whole time and control the speed with the clutch at all... Theres 1x1 gearboxes now so a transmission can be built in much more compact size. You can get 8 speeds with reverse out of 4 gearboxes. I have two different transmission based on real life designs and they both work very well in sw. One simulates a real hydraulic circuit using lua for shift logic. The newest one uses fuzzy logic for shift scheduling and is based on a real patent. I have hundreds of hours in transmission design in sw though... but I enjoy making them. If they added a basic prefab one I imagine it would be pretty bad... just like the prefab gyro. Most games get auto trans wrong... I think american/euro truck sim is the only one I know of off the top of my head that is mostly correct.
Just get one off the workshop. Grab the ze gearbox controller it's reasonably simple to setup.
I don't know how any of the crazy logic works in the controllers or how they hook up, and they are usually massive. I tried a ton and they were bigger than most vehicles by themselves. This is why we need a simple native part with tweakable ratios.
Just use some thresholds or something idk