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Panda Bear
Hey, everyone.

In my upcoming game, we're planning on having a whole lot of focus on vehicles, mostly smuggling runs out around the western former-US areas. Because of this, my players are very interested in upgrading and customizing their vehicles. The only problem is, there's no rules for this in the core book.

I'm currently cooking up a set of house rules-- mainly a maximum on augmented vehicle stats. I'm thinking any stat on the vehicle, be it max speed, handling, or armor, can be upgraded to half it's original value again, and no more. So, 2 Handling can be boosted to 3 handling, 200 max speed can be augmented to 300, and so on.

My problem right now is determining a cost for this. I want it to be expensive, since I see it possibly becoming broken, since there's already so much stuff that these players are stacking on to their vehicle checks. At the same time, I don't want it to be too unbelievable because even today, making slight modifications to stock cars and bikes can be rather cheap and very effective.

Anybody have any ideas? Comments? Maybe a whole vehicle tweaking system of your own? Any help would be appreciated, so thanks in advance.
odinson
Modding cars isn't cheap. There are also lots of websites that have prices for things like that. I'd just choose the most relevant sort of mod for the stat.

http://www.suspensionconnection.com/
http://shop.enginekits.com/osb/specials.cfm

If you were going from a top speed of 200km to 300km, I'd suggest that beefing up your engine wouldn't be the only thing needed. You would need a heavier transmission and differential to be able to handle the higher torque.

http://www.modsfortrucks.com/display.php?w...sion'&n=&o=
5000k for a tranny.
Panda Bear
QUOTE (odinson @ Jul 16 2007, 01:48 AM)
Modding cars isn't cheap. There are also lots of websites that have prices for things like that. I'd just choose the most relevant sort of mod for the stat.

http://www.suspensionconnection.com/
http://shop.enginekits.com/osb/specials.cfm

If you were going from a top speed of 200km to 300km, I'd suggest that beefing up your engine wouldn't be the only thing needed. You would need a heavier transmission and differential to be able to handle the higher torque.

http://www.modsfortrucks.com/display.php?w...sion'&n=&o=
5000k for a tranny.

Well, I'm sure you meant to say "dollars" instead of K, seeing as $5000 is what's listed there. Anybody paying 5 mil for a transmission is insane. eek.gif

I'm trying to keep the system simple, I don't really want to have to go into the details of exactly how the stat is augmented, unless the player opts to do so. These are some really helpful sites, though, so I might change my mind.

When I say "cheap," though, I mean relative to the cost of the vehicle. I was thinking of scaling it based on the vehicle's base price, since that would make the ones that are already really good a bit more difficult to push even further, but I don't see them spending more than two or three times the cost of the vehicle itself in total upgrades because, really... Once you reach a certain point you might as well just buy a better model, or have one truly custom-built.
Fortune
Do you really need a system? You could just wing it, and go with what feels right on a case-by-case basis, using such variables as different vehicles, mechanics, parts availability, etc to explain away any discrepancies.
Panda Bear
QUOTE (Fortune)
Do you really need a system? You could just wing it, and go with what feels right on a case-by-case basis, using such variables as different vehicles, mechanics, parts availability, etc to explain away any discrepancies.

When it's done in this sort of volume (all of my players will be using it throughout the game) I'd prefer to have a more structured solution. Especially when one of the players is a little combative when it comes to house-rules.

I'm thinking a full upgrade package for a vehicle should cost about three times as much as the vehicle itself at most... So I can always take that number and divide it by the total number of possible upgrades. That means for a Suzuki Mirage-- 1 upgrade to increase handling, 2 to increase Accel (+5/+15 then +5/+10), 5 to increase Speed (20 mph each), 1 to increase Pilot (+1), 3 to increase Body (+1 each), 2 to increase Armor (+1 each), and 1 to increase Sensor (+1) makes 15 total upgrades. That means each upgrade costs 1,300 nuyen. Also, the upgrades may interfere with one another. I might cause excessive upgrades to Body, for example, inflict penalties on Acceleration.

Does any of this seem too unreasonable? I'm more concerned with simplicity and game balance than realism.
Solomon Greene
I've been afraid of vehicle rules since I helped one of my pc's build a van using Rigger 3 and it took three hours to figure it all out, but let me think..

How about something along the lines of this:

Determine the percentage increase of the stat, multiply it by the base cost of the vehicle and that's your cost.

So, for example, let's assume a base cost of 20,000 for a vehicle. To raise the speed of a vehicle from 200 - 300 is a 50% percent increase, so it costs 10 grand. To raise a vehicle's Body Stat from 12 to 14 is a 16% increase, so it costs 3200 dollars.

It's not the most solid ruling, but what do you think?
kzt
Most of the upgrades that are made to racing cars tend to have hugely negative impacts on carrying capacity. Cages are not light (or cheap), and running at high speed without one is silly. It also also tends to occupy seats and part of the trunk. Moving the fuel tank into the cabin improves both safety and handling, etc. Lightening the vehicle typically improves top speed and handling.
Panda Bear
QUOTE (Solomon Greene)
I've been afraid of vehicle rules since I helped one of my pc's build a van using Rigger 3 and it took three hours to figure it all out, but let me think..

How about something along the lines of this:

Determine the percentage increase of the stat, multiply it by the base cost of the vehicle and that's your cost.

So, for example, let's assume a base cost of 20,000 for a vehicle.  To raise the speed of a vehicle from 200 - 300 is a 50% percent increase, so it costs 10 grand.  To raise a vehicle's Body Stat from 12 to 14 is a 16% increase, so it costs 3200 dollars. 

It's not the most solid ruling, but what do you think?

I like it. It's a little simpler than mine, but it's also cheaper. I think I'll use it if I decide that mine's too expensive.

I think it is reasonable, though, to put some more restrictions on it, also based on the size of the vehicle. So every upgrade generally has a trade-off, in terms of effecting other stats and also space within the vehicle. I think I'll give the player a bit of room to decide where this goes, but it'll have to make sense. For example, he can either put a hard shell around the outside, which would be heavier-- reducing Handling and Acceleration slightly-- and more expensive -- maybe +500 or so to the cost-- or he can put in a cage, which is cheaper and a bit lighter, but sacrifices most of his cargo space.
Solomon Greene
You might want to consider picking up a copy of Rigger 3 and modifying what you find therein. You're pretty close to the complex math of that book, you should be able to crib some good ideas from it.
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