Unfortunately, I don't see how this will benefit, as everyone will still be able to max out Acceleration, Downforce, Handling and Braking. As such, we'll just see the same Design Path for every car.
We need a way to add a bit of Controlled RNG, while using the same elements of the design into the car.
Developing a Part:
Lets use the Front Wing as an example. We could imagine the Front Wing could bring 4 different stat changes to the cars we have today:
- Downforce - The Forces of the Air pushes the car down, improving high speed cornering
- Acceleration - The Drag or Airflow around the car. Higher Downforce would mean lower Acceleration
- Tyre Efficiency - Helps pin the wheel to the ground, reducing damage from reducing under-rotation.
- Cooling - As it directs airflow around the car, it can also throw the air into the car's Sidepods or Engine Intake.
So lets take an option on designing a new front wing. We would have three options to find Improvements:
So if we chose the option to Improve Downforce:
- ++ Downforce
- - Acceleration
- + Tyre Efficiency
- - Cooling
What about an option to Reduce Drag:
- - Downforce
- ++ Acceleration
- - Tyre Efficiency
- + Cooling
Or maybe even a balanced approach
- +Downforce
- +Acceleration
- +Tyre Efficiency
- +Cooling
This way, when we develop a car, we will be able to help produce parts which forces us to make sacrifices in other stats. Never allowing us to achieve the perfect 100/100 car.
Where does the Design Office come in.
Well instead of just granting +1 Point like it does now. each level grants a benefit. Lets see an idea:
- Allows Development of the Front Wing, Engine Cover, Rear Wing and Underbody
- Grants an additional 1 Point of Stat to be applied to a developed part
- Reduces the cost of Developing Aero bodywork by 3%
- Allows the Design team to develop 2 different parts per race.
- Allows Development of the Sidepod, Suspension and Braking System
- Reduces the negative affects of developing a part by 1 Point to a developed part
- Reduces the cost of Developing mechanical device by 3%
- Grants an additional 1 Point of Stat to be applied to a developed part
- Allows Development of the Gearbox and Engine
- Grants 5% chance that a part will have no negative effects.
~20. Grants an additional 5% (10% in total) chance that a part will have no negative effects.
Okay okay, this is all well and good, what about the Design Chief? Well the Design chief will still give the same benefits they do now, to each part they develop. For example, if you have a Design Chief with + Downforce, and - Handling. All parts you develop which has Downforce, you will always gain +1 and any part that affects the Handling will always be reduced by -1.
How can we make cooling and reliability more impactful.
Lack of cooling could increase Health Loss of an engine. Lower cooling levels will cause the engine drop much faster. Resulting in you running an underperforming engine longer. Lets make an example:
- Engine with 25 points of cooling will last 1-3 races before losing substantial power
- Engine with 75 points of cooling will last 2-4 races before losing substantial power
- Engine with 95 points of cooling will last 3-4 races before losing substantial power
- Engine with 100 points of cooling will last 4 races before losing substantial power
Lack of Reliability could cause your engine to break altogether. Lower Reliability will cause the engine to fail midrace resulting in a substantial loss in power. Here's an example
- Engine with 30 Points of Reliability, have a 85% chance of not losing substantial power
- Engine with 65 points of Reliability, have a 95% chance of not losing substantial power
- Engine with 90 points of Reliability, have a 98% chance of not losing substantial power
- Engine with 100 points of Reliability, have a 100% chance of not losing substantial power
Supplier Parts? There will be no change here, the options we have is very good and affects each car in the way we'd expect.
What about Research? Well research will be similar but give smaller gains. Focusing on a single part of another team (diffuser) will help increase your team's acceleration and downforce gains in your next Diffuser Development
Next year's car? Each season end. You will gain a token to develop 5 parts of the car from a randomised car equal to the following:
- Level 1 - All car stats average 100 in total (10-20 points each)
- Level 5 - All car stats average 115 in Total (10-25 points each)
- Level 10 - All car stats average 130 in Total (10-30 points each)
- Level 15 - All Car Stats average 140 in Total (10-35 points each)
- Level 20 - All Car Stats average 160 in Total (10-40 points each)
What will all this accomplish?
- Different Teams will focus in Different areas on different parts, making large diversity between the components of the cars
- Different Teams will have different advantages on different Tracks resulting in a competitive season.
- Allows more options post races to design on your car's development path.
- Grants access to a risk vs reward. Extreme designs with higher rates of failure or balanced careful progression to ensure your car finishes but not always on the podium.
I hope this helps flesh out an idea for the design system and provides a solution to the current 100% every stat on the car problem.