Manual vs Automatic (Split from Driving a BTR)

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by jester

1st Gear is left and forward

2nd Gear left and to the rear

3rd Center and forward

4th Center and to the rear

5th <not all manuals have a 5th gear> to the right and forward <1 vehicle is was right and rear>

Outside US, this will change according to the car model. On several the position will be different (especially ancient models that have a better chance to survive in T2K). Also you forget the reverse drive (usually you can't go on reverse while going forward but it may depend). By the way, I wouldn't be surprised to find some other solutions.

1st solution
1st Gear is left and forward

2nd Gear left and to the rear

3rd Center and forward

4th Center and to the rear

5th to the right and forward

Reverse to the right and to the rear.

2nd solution
1st Gear is left and forward

2nd Gear left and to the rear

3rd Center and forward

4th Center and to the rear

5th right and to the rear

Reverse to the right and forward (rare, I found it on old japanese cars, may be italian but not sure).

3rd solution
1st Gear is left and forward

2nd Gear left and to the rear

3rd Center and forward

4th Center and to the rear

Reverse to the right and forward.

4th solution
1st Gear is left and forward

2nd Gear left and to the rear

3rd Center and forward

4th Center and to the rear

Reverse to the right and to the rear (rare I think).

5th solution and an amusing one which is not that uncommon
Reverse to the left and forward (never saw one to the rear)

1st Gear Center and forward

2nd Center and to the rear

3rd to the right and forward

4th to the right and to the rear.

For all, the neutral is at the center when your stick is dead in hand. If you forget to put it on neutral (check this before starting the engine), your vehicle will jump forward or backward when you start it. Not really a problem but it is enough for a small crash or to throw you down the cliff. In addition, you engine will stop each time.

Finally, there is a last one on older models such as the citroën 2CV and several other older models: the stick will be find next to the stearing wheel. It also seems that many pre-WW2 vehicles had only 3 gears. Again several might survive and that can be fun as well (4 in my village alone, inlcuding a truck, owned by collectors). At last, the newest 4WD vehicles often have a second stick.

Then, in game terms you can have a lot of fun if you want to be mean with your players:
- Destruction of the vehicle clutch pack (I hope it's the right term) on fairly short notice (especially with US players and women from all nationalities )
- Full destruction of the engine after using reverse instead of forward.
- Full destruction of the engine because of the driver leaving the 1st gear on and forgetting about the others. 1st gear is only to start, to control the engine brake and shouldn't be ran at more than 10mph (else your engine will blow up quite quickly). It might also chose to simply leave your car. That happens to my cousin with an old honda civic. He put the injection on and the gear went down from 4th to 2nd gear without notice. As a result, he heard a big noise and felt his car driving over something before coming to a dead stop 50 meters later. He had left his engine behind.
- Regular bumping accident (vehicle going backward while you hoped to go forward, reduced attention as you focus on the stick...).
- Inhability of the player to even start the vehicle.
- Funny habit of having the engine coming to a brutal stop every 10 meters or so. (It happens even with someone used to this). Trust me, if you driver does that all the time, you'll quickly feel like shooting him in the head (because of minor wounds for the other PCs and NPCs).
- Jumping down the cliff because you forgot to start in neutral (make your day)...

The stick advantages:
- It's more sturdy (from dust, mud...) and may last longer (It brakes faster also as the driver is always the weak point).
- It doesn't need any electronic.
- It is easier to repair (you can fix it with less advanced technology).
- It allows you to fully control your engine break and you might not even have to use your regular breaks in hard slopes. (Actually, you might be capable of controlling a car in a steep slope even without brakes). I have gone down a mountain road (4-5 miles with 15-20% slope) in a mitsubshi CJ (from the early 1950's) who had lost its brakes. We arrived alive as the driver was able to maintain the vehicle speed under 20mph but I'm not feeling like doing that too often. Someone talked about the movie "Gods must be crazy", look at the landrover, that's exactly it.
- You can start your vehicle in 1st, 2nd (fairly easy), 3rd (average), 4th (very difficult) and 5th (heroic) gear. As a result, you can use a vehicle with a damaged one.

Another thing with it in game terms again. If your player tries the stick before moving to check were all positions are, you should grant him a fair bonus in controlling it.

I always try the stick before starting a car I don't know just to be sure. I can start a car in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear (I'm not good enough to start it in 4th and 5th and know very little people who can). I usually change my brakes later than usual (I gain from 10000 to 15000 miles with them). I have used all sorts of manual gear but I once drove a bit to close to a tree (because of the stearing wheel stick on a 2CV, now I know).

No I'm not making fun of anyone, I have witnessed and experienced almost all of these and these are only clues for those who don't know. Actually, from what I read many of your players are going out of the US and they will have to deal with that. Anyway, when I drive an automatic you better not forget to buckle up. At some point, I will harshly brake as I foget I don't have to use my left foot.