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Engine Quality is a bit confusing


eldergamer

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I've been checking the engine quality before I even try and start a vehicle. I found a Van I liked and it said the engine quality was 56. I tried to start it and it wouldn't start. I found a car on the side of the road with an engine quality of 8 and it started right up. Is an engine quality of 8 better than an engine quality of 56? Could someone explain exactly how this works?

 

Thank you

Eldergamer

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Higher is better. If you couldn't start a 56 but the 8 started right away, then either the 56 was out of gas, dead battery, or the random chance roll was just screwing with you.

The better the quality, the higher chance it will start, the more difficult to hotwire, and the better fuel consumption for that vehicle.

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Thank you Fenris_Wolf for your response. It's official then the quality of the engine number is broken. It must be... I'm not doubting you Fenris_Wolf, your PZ may indeed work correctly but mine makes about as much sense as a Doctor Who episode. I feel like every vehicle I approach is generated from the maximum improbability drive on Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. I've found vehicles that are almost perfect in every way that I've added fuel to and they just won't start. Other's that could only be described as rolling wrecks, with damaged everything, engines and parts in the red that have no business running start right up. It's madness!

 

What's worse is I've built vehicles in real life from the ground up. I know what it takes to make one run but in PZ...

 

I would really appreciate a developers input. Please explain the method to the madness.

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Well the thing is the starting of the car is determined by a random roll, probability and statistics state unlucky streaks happen from time to time. If your curious, heres the bit of java code that determines the success:

Spoiler

        if (this.engineState == engineStateTypes.Starting)
        {
          VehiclePart gasTank = getPartById("GasTank");
          if (((gasTank != null) && (gasTank.getContainerContentAmount() <= 0.0F)) || (getBatteryCharge() <= 0.0F)) {
            engineDoStartingFailed();
          } else if ((!SandboxOptions.instance.VehicleEasyUse.getValue()) && (this.engineQuality < 100) && (Rand.Next(this.engineQuality + 50) <= 30)) {
            engineDoStartingFailed();
          } else if (Rand.Next(this.engineQuality) != 0) {
            engineDoStartingSuccess();
          } else {
            engineDoRetryingStarting();
          }
        }

 

Basically, a random number is chosen between 0 and the engine quality +50. If that number is equal or less then 30, the attempt fails.

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That clears up many things. Thank you. I hope that the developers rethink this approach. It's disheartening to keep finding vehicles I want that have no possibility of repair. If I put the time and resources into repairing something I should be able to have some level of success. Even a lemon of a vehicle can be made to run. It may run badly and be in need of constant repair but it does run. Case in point, pick any Harley Davidson from the 1970's.

 

I hope the developers eliminate this... ahheemmm "FEATURE" from the game. It's not fun or immersive in any way. What is immersive is knowing if you put forth time, effort, and resources you can achieve some level of success even in a zombie apocalypse.  I mean isn't that what this game is all about, taking an impossible situation and making it work?

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Thank you Fenris_wolf, The last suggestions you gave me on vehicles not starting was very useful. It turns out vehicles not starting was not as wide spread of an issue as I though. Because the vehicles motors were making a starting sound (AKA Turning over) and the batteries condition was 100% I was assuming that the battery had a charged. Some did not. I went back and changed out the batteries on those vehicles and a number of them did indeed start.

 

I still don't care much for idea that some will never start no matter how perfect there condition but it's nice to know it was not as common as I was thought.

 

Eldergamer

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ya sadly if you follow the math, theres always a chance it wont start:

quality 10 has a 50% chance of starting... 10 (quality) +50 (free bonus) = 60... with a roll of 30 or less (out of 60) not starting: 30/60 = 0.5 = 50% chance of failure

quality 40 = 40+50 (bonus) = 90...30/90 = 0.33333 = 33.333% chance of failure

quality 100 = 100+50 = 150....30/150 = 0.2 = 20% chance of failure

 

As you can see theres always a chance it wont start on any given turn of the key, and there is a 'diminishing returns' effect quality has.

IMO thats all fine and good, but whats needed is a way to increase a engines quality, through improvements or general maintenance. But the vehicles and mechanics system are hardly finished yet, so such features may indeed make their way into the game at a later point.

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