Automation is a simulation video game developed by Camshaft Software for Microsoft Windows that allows the player to create and run a virtual car company and design vehicles to sell.[1] It is currently available via Steam.[2]

Automation
Developer(s)	Camshaft Software
Publisher(s)	Camshaft Software
Designer(s)	Robert Hoischen
Programmer(s)	Caswal Parker, Jayelinda Suridge, Isaac Blomfield
Artist(s)	Andrew Lamb, Hannah Grace, Casey Frost, Mathew Child
Composer(s)	Michael Trott
Engine	Unreal Engine 4 (originally Kee Engine)
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release	WW: 12 March 2015 (Early access)
Genre(s)	Simulation

Gameplay

The game, currently still in early access, allows for the design, creation, testing, and sale of various vehicle platforms and drivetrains. More features will become available closer to the official release date.

There are three components to the game: engine design, car design, and a tycoon simulator. The engine design component was released first in order to drive demand for pre-orders and fund the development of the rest of the game. By April 2014, it had sold 10,000 pre-orders. In April 2015, pre-orders reached 25,000.[3]

Development

On 25 May 2017, the first version of Automation within Unreal Engine 4 was released as an open beta.[4] It included a host of new content and features, including a more robust paint system, more engine configurations, and most importantly, a significant graphical update. The previous version of the game, built in Camshaft Software's own Kee Engine, is deprecated.

On 13 July 2018, an option became available to export vehicles made in Automation to BeamNG.drive as drivable vehicles.[5]

As of 9 November 2020, more options became available in terms of customisation. The "Light Campaign v4.1" update added 3D fixture placement (wherein parts can be placed independently of the car body surface), as well as transparent windows and lighting controls.[6]

The upcoming "Light Campaign v4.2" update aims to further rework both the business simulation aspect of the game and the way vehicles and engines are engineered.[7] Planned additions include balance shafts and harmonic dampers,[8] more turbocharger configurations, and the ability to engineer a better weight distribution into one's cars.[7] As of 22 December 2021, this update was released in an opt-in alpha form, with further work being done by Camshaft Software for a more stable release. [9]

References

External links

• Official website