Battery not charging while car engine is running?

[JONES]

Not sure if this is intentional design or if my copy is acting strange, but my car's battery isn't charging while the engine is running. This strikes me as odd since there's an alternator on the engine model, and in real life a car's alternator charges the battery as the engine runs.

[Cougarific]

Yeah, realism and immersion are not this game's strong suits.

When you can install a prefabricated handbrake system and change tires in seconds with no tools, and fix the car's structural integrity with putty and sealant, don't go looking for realistic driving or car maintenance mechanics.

Fixing a loose wheel by tapping on it twice with a crescent wrench?

Even House Flipper does a better job of making you feel like you're actually doing maintenance.

[Mattrex]

Your car is, technically, not a car but an anomaly roughly in the shape of a car. Not to say that an alternator wouldn't be fine, but there's a pretty good built-in explanation for any time the car doesn't behave like a real car would.

[JONES]

Originally posted by Cougarific:

Yeah, realism and immersion are not this game's strong suits.

When you can install a prefabricated handbrake system and change tires in seconds with no tools, and fix the car's structural integrity with putty and sealant, don't go looking for realistic driving or car maintenance mechanics.

Fixing a loose wheel by tapping on it twice with a crescent wrench?

Even House Flipper does a better job of making you feel like you're actually doing maintenance.

Idunno about you, but I find the game to be pretty immersive.

[Cougarific]

Originally posted by JONES:

Idunno about you, but I find the game to be pretty immersive.

If you're looking for magical crafting and looting using a magical car that runs on magic and is repaired with magic, sure ... it's immersive.

If you're looking for something that reflects doing things in the real world in a zone contaminated by anomalies, not so much.

[WESTG4M3R4L1F3]

you need lithium battery it last longer

[Captain Flappy]

Originally posted by Cougarific:

Originally posted by JONES:

Idunno about you, but I find the game to be pretty immersive.

If you're looking for magical crafting and looting using a magical car that runs on magic and is repaired with magic, sure ... it's immersive.

If you're looking for something that reflects doing things in the real world in a zone contaminated by anomalies, not so much.

"Real world in a zone contaminated by anomalies" The car IS an anomaly... hence why you can do this crazy stuff.

[Cougarific]

Originally posted by Captain Flappy:

The car IS an anomaly... hence why you can do this crazy stuff.

You can instantly build a pneumatic hammer from scraps of iron and plastic and a 3-story antenna from a box the size of a microwave because the car is an anomaly?

I need a bit more realism in my PC gaming, but to each his own.

[Cougarific]

Originally posted by Tramp In A Caravan:

Then go play "simulator" games, not this one.

Cool - refund requested.

I was gonna hang on to it to see if the devs improved things but you've convinced me to give it back.

[PerfectLife]

battery charging kit is easy to make
it does recharge if you turn off lights and radio

people sure are trolling alot because they're mad about pride stickers.

[Angry Nord-Grunge Syndicate]

Originally posted by PerfectLife:

battery charging kit is easy to make
it does recharge if you turn off lights and radio

people sure are trolling alot because they're mad about pride stickers.

There are also lightning rod, solar and wind generator upgrades to car from tech tree. Just got lightning rod, but haven't gotten to use it yet, so no idea how much it charges.

[Daft Vader]

I would like to look at this from a technical perspective. The game wants to focus on the exploration of an anomalous zone and not be a car mechanic simulator 2024.
Having to remove and insert the bolts one by one when changing the tyre would stretch the game loop so much that you would probably spend 80% of the game time in the garage.
The same goes for repairing car parts with putty or sealing kits. There has to be a simplification somewhere.

In my headcanon, putty is also an anomalous mixture that you can paste onto metal and then does its job. Absolutely no problem for me to believe that in that context.

However -> I blame the lack or non-functioning of an alternator more on the increase in difficulty. Because that gives you another resource to watch out for. I don't think that's ideal. I would have preferred a working alternator that also charges the battery. On the other hand, a not insignificant part of the charge (I'm going to say a number, 10) would be used up every time the engine is started, which would make you think twice about whether you'd rather leave the engine running at the next stop.

But hey, "the car is an anomaly" is just as good an explanation, even if I like my gameplay idea better.

So, now I have to get back to my car. It needs another set of new bumpers...
Oh God... is it happening to me already?!

[FinementCiselé]

Originally posted by Mattrex:

Your car is, technically, not a car but an anomaly roughly in the shape of a car. Not to say that an alternator wouldn't be fine, but there's a pretty good built-in explanation for any time the car doesn't behave like a real car would.

This and to mention in the lore it as been stated that the ARC system you install in the very begining of the game consume more energy than an alternator can provide, thus ending in a constant depletion of battery.
It is also notified in the lore than quirks can drain your battery faster and having them fixed ASAP can improve you QoL and savings (battery usage is not your only concern reguarding quirks)
Is is also notified in the lore that even without battery the ARC system will always provide enough for the car to move (not run as expected tho) so even if you find out yourself astray from energy depletion, what you lose is wipers, lights and shielding/usage of options you put on your car (e-brake and such) as long as you have fuel you can always drive. (in a poor state i admit)

See it as the alternator is barelly enough to make the ARC system run and everything else cost you energy, not that lighting and wipers are required, they are comfort tools.

[Daft Vader]

Originally posted by FinementCiselé:

the ARC system [consumes] more energy than an alternator can provide, thus ending in a constant depletion of battery

If that were true, the supply and removal of electrical energy to the battery would have to vary with the engine speed and not remain constant when the headlights are off and decrease when they are on.

But I already know the answer to that.
"The car/anomaly is an/looks like a anomaly/car and tries to/does not behave like a car"

[Crimson Rain]

Originally posted by Cougarific:

Originally posted by JONES:

Idunno about you, but I find the game to be pretty immersive.

If you're looking for magical crafting and looting using a magical car that runs on magic and is repaired with magic, sure ... it's immersive.

If you're looking for something that reflects doing things in the real world in a zone contaminated by anomalies, not so much.

It's almost like that's the point of the game...

[Crimson Rain]

Originally posted by Cougarific:

Originally posted by Tramp In A Caravan:

Then go play "simulator" games, not this one.

Cool - refund requested.

I was gonna hang on to it to see if the devs improved things but you've convinced me to give it back. :cozybethesda:

Did you stick your head under a rock for all the pre-release advertisement for the game? It was obvious enough from the anomalies in the exclusion zone and the footage of working on your car in promotional content that absolute realism isn't the focus.