Confusing percentages

[Timmiej93]

So I'm getting quite confused with this game, the more I play it.

For instance: My repair order notes a minimum repair percentage of 60%, and lists 2 spark plugs to be replaced. The four spark plugs have percentages of 2%, 4%, 55% and 70%.
Sometimes the game only wants the two lowest spark plugs replaced, and that's good enough, and sometimes you have to replace the 55% one too.

Secondly, I often find parts on a car that are lower then the minimum repair percentage, but are not in the repair order, so don't need to be repaired, even when you had to find all the issues your self.

This makes the game VERY confusing to me, because I constantly have to check if a part is actually on the order list, instead of just checking if the percentage is too low, which would make way more sense. It would help a great deal if parts of a car that are NOT on the order list, would have a higher percentage then the minimum percentage listed.

Anyone agree with me?

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Since this topic is going kinda crazy, here's my current opinion:

The current way where parts are NOT on the repair oder list, but ARE broken doesn't make sense, since the customers come in and only tell you "The steering is loose", or something like that, and YOU have to find what's actually the problem. The only reason there's a set object list for it, is because it's a game, not because the customer asked you to repair all those things, but because you find those to be the problem.
Having a part that's NOT on the order list and still being below the minimum percentage wouldn't make sense with this in the back of your head, since the orders list is a list that YOU compose, since YOU found the actual problems with the car. Therefor, I feel there should be NO parts that are lower then the minimum percentage on the car that are not part of the issues the customer stated.

BUT, I also feel that it should be possible to find issues the customer hasn't noticed yet.
Example:
A customer comes in and asks you to check the steering, since it feels loose. You do a test drive and find out the exhaust is totally broken too. That should then enable an option to call the customer and tell them their exhaust is broken too, and ask them if they want it fixed. If not, fine. You could still do it for your own consious and to feel good about it, but you don't have to. If they tell you to do so, it just becomes part of the orders list, as an extra section, and you'll get paid for it.

I'm gonna post this in the suggestions part of this forum too, since I feel this would be a great addition to the game, and make orders more diverse.

[SomeBloke]

Agree, and when repair % is say 73, you *sometimes* have to repair a part at 73.

[Red Dot Games]

OK if this is confusing - we will make that rest of car parts will have greater % than minimum from order.

Are you agree ?

[Brummbaer]

hm, i understand it so, Your Repairparts don`t should be lower as 60%, so you can take a part with 62% to fix a Part with 22%.

The Problem can be, when you check the parts with dismounting e.g. your 2% 4% 55% and 70% Spark Plugs mixed the 55% with the 70% Spark , the Program show you an Error, while the 55% is now the 70% Spark, thats Ok, but the 70% Spark is now the 55% ;).

For me its too much Act, I take a New One, but often i have mixing Parts an then, the Game begins LOL .

Sorry for my bad English, hope you understand what I`ll say.

[Red Dot Games]

Yes but consider that in few days you will get new functionaly in which you can "highlight" selected part from order info - and this part will glow - so you will be 100% sure in which place go new/repaired one.

[Timmiej93]

Originally posted by Red Dot Games:

OK if this is confusing - we will make that rest of car parts will have greater % than minimum from order.

Are you agree ?

This would be great.
It would make a lot more sense if only the parts you need to repair are below the minimum percentage.
Thanks for the quick response!

[Red Dot Games]

We would like to hear from other players about this idea. We dont wanna rush some major changes - also read my previous post about highlighting parts from order info.

[Timmiej93]

Originally posted by Red Dot Games:

We would like to hear from other players about this idea. We dont wanna rush some major changes - also read my previous post about highlighting parts from order info.

I don't think anyone would mind this kind of change, but you can always ask of course, that's up to you.
About the highlighting selected parts from the order info, that would still be kind of strange right? As the minimum percentage on the order would state 50%, but the sparkplug that's only 40% can stay, as long as the highlighted sparkplug get's replaced.
I also wouldn't use the highlight functionality, since that would make it a bit too easy for me.

[Red Dot Games]

@up but this highlighing will work only when you will find part condition (and it will appear on list) - not before

[Timmiej93]

I totally agree with Vadimus. I don't think in real life a customer would come in and say: I want the first, third and fourth sprark plug replaced. They'd probably say something like: Pleas check my spark plugs (or iginion system) and fix what needs to be fixed.

[cal52413]

With this game you only fix what needs to be fixed (i.e. the parts under 30% highlighted RED - that are broken), to a standard more than the percentage stated. This is simple enough to grasp and in my opinion i think its more realistic, i think customers in a garage would come to you only when things are broken, for example, a customer doesnt bring their car in and say one of their pistons in the engine is warped but everything else is 100% brand new out of the box quality. By that logic the car is never used!

If it isnt broken it doesnt need to be replaced, thats the premise of mechanics, things will wear to a state where they are near replacement, the only things that you replace in this game (or are told to replace) are broken. It would be so unrealistic to make everything 100% other than the items that need to be changed what kind of customer brings a car in like that?

[Draa]

Originally posted by cal52413:

With this game you only fix what needs to be fixed (i.e. the parts under 30% highlighted RED - that are broken), to a standard more than the percentage stated.

I've been trying to point that out for 3 days. It seems to be a hard concept to grasp though.

I would also note that the part must be RED AND INCLUDED IN THE REPAIR ORDER. In other words if the car is in for Brake work and you find a RED muffler you should leave it unless it's ALSO listed on the repair order.

Granted, things like Spark Plugs and Brake Pads would ideally be replaced in sets or pairs, but this being a video game that's not the way it works. Which is fine by me.

[cal52413]

Yerr.. its about making it so whats broken will need replacing everything else should be higher than these broken parts.
If someone brings in a car with pads that need replacing on the front, but are hanging in there on the back, the mechanic would think ''ill replace the one and advise on the others unless you want me to change them''. This would be a better option than outright saying everything on the car should be above x%

[Draa]

Originally posted by Vadimus:

The problem is - even if you replace parts that are not required to be replaced, but are in the 'red' zone / broken - you don't get paid for it.

That's only if they aren't listed on the repair order. As long as they are in the area of the car that's noted on the repair order you will get paid. Otherwise you give your customer some free stuff.

[Timmiej93]

Originally posted by Gauge:

I have a different view. First I agree with OP that it is confusing. However, I would prefer to keep the other parts that are of a lower percentage but not on the work order.

This would simulate a mechanic finding other problems that the owner did not know about. Then, we could fix them for some extra cash. Perhaps the percentage of return for fixing them could be lower or something. It could act as an optional fix. Yea, you will get paid less for fixing it, but you already have it on the lift. You could then weigh the pros and cons of time vs. money yourself.

I do totally agree with you on this part, but it would be better to be able to call the customer and tell them you found a faulty part, that really needs to be fixed, and then have a RNG (random number generation) decison if the customer wants it fixed or not, and then continue with the repairs, but saying there's a minimum of 60%, and then being fine with parts that are lower then 60 would be crazy.

@Draa & cal52413
I don't think either of you get what I'm going for here. I totally understand that only parts on the order list and below the minimum percentage need to be fixed, but while you're pulling apart the engine and find a pushrod that's at 5%, it would be just pure stupid to leave it in in real life, nobody would do that.

Originally posted by Gauge:

This is what I mean. Have the required list to finish the job, then have an optional list of everything under a certain percentage. But you get paid less for the optional list. You still make money, just less. That way you can fix things that are worn if you are in the area, just like a real mechanic would do. You could also weigh the time vs. money aspect yourself on the optional job.

I'm not a professional mechanic,but I work on my friends car, and if he asks me to change something, I'm not going to let him drive away with something else that is broken or so closed to broken it should be fixed.

Well of course you wouldn't let a FRIEND drive away with broken parts, but in a business aspect, you would let the customer know, and put the decision in their hands, and most importantly: make them pay for it. It's a business after all, and nobody works for free or gives away free parts, that's not how life works for a business.

[Draa]

Originally posted by Vadimus:

Originally posted by Draa:

That's only if they aren't listed on the repair order. As long as they are in the area of the car that's noted on the repair order you will get paid. Otherwise you give your customer some free stuff.

Once you inspect the element AND it is the one that was in the area, you open up your order by pression "O" and it is listed as the item needed to repair.

I was saying that it doesn't make sense to replace one thing if the whole car is broken - thus suggested to increase the condition of all other parts (but not to make them 100% new).

I agree with your last statement but I've worked on enough crap cars to know that most people will replace the minimum to keep it legal and on the road.

I've been a mechanic for 35+ years so I've seen it all. Most of the time the customer just doesn't have to cash to fix every broke part on the car. It's usually when I say it's dangerous that they'll include a part that they wouldn't otherwise buy. The exception is parts that we normally replace in pairs or sets. I wouldn't put brake pads on one axle, or a couple of plugs in a car that has 8, or 1 strut when they're almost always done in pairs. Though I've had people ask me to do it many times.

Edit: In other words people do replace some broken parts and not replace others. Usually they'll come back a week or two later and have more work done. Even so it's not unheard of to leave some parts that you know are bad(that is unless it's dangerous to the customer or others on the road).