Steamforge Vehicle System Spec - wwestlake/Steamforge GitHub Wiki

Steamforge Vehicle System Spec (UE4.27.2)

Overview

A modular, craftable vehicle system within Steamforge, supporting land and water vehicles powered by steam, magic, or hybrid systems. Vehicles are built, modified, and maintained by players using the same core modular design philosophy as the rest of the game.

Primary Vehicle Classes

Type Description Propulsion Concept
Land Rigs Steam wagons, steam bikes, animal carts, steam tanks Steam Engines, Gearlines, Traction spells
Boats Rafts, barges, small ships, steamboats Paddle wheels, enchanted sails, aether engines
Specialty Mining carts, cargo movers, sledges Steam pushers, Rail-based, Lift spells

Technical Design Goals (UE4.27.2)

  • Modular construction framework
  • Custom movement components for land & water
  • Steam & Magic hybrid power system
  • Vehicle component snapping
  • Buoyancy systems for boats
  • UE4 PhysX vehicle system heavily modified or replaced

Core Vehicle Structure

Base Chassis Blueprint

  • Defines:
    • Physics bounds
    • Mount points
    • Weight limits

Add-ons

  • Power Modules (Engines, Boilers, Aether Coils)
  • Drive Components (Wheels, Tracks, Propellers, Paddles)
  • Control Assemblies (Steering, Rudder, Braking)
  • Utility Mounts (Cargo, Storage, Armor, Weapon Hardpoints)

Fuel / Power Systems

  • Steam Lines
    • Water + Fuel (Coal, Wood, Magic Ore)
  • Aether Conduits
    • Magic energy channels
  • Hybrid Power
    • Steam systems enhanced by magic tech

Construction Flow

  1. Place or Acquire Base Chassis
  2. Snap / Attach Drive & Power Components
  3. Route Steam / Power Lines (uses modular grid system)
  4. Add Control Systems
  5. Mount Additional Fixtures
  6. Test, Repair, Customize

Future Features

  • Crew Mount Points (Player Positions)
  • AI Pathfinding for Automated Vehicles
  • Physics-based Damage Modeling
  • Repair Mechanics (Line Patch, Gear Replacement)

Visual / Gameplay Style

  • Industrial, Clunky, Engineered Beauty
  • Functional Over Fancy
  • Closer to Mad Max & Steampunk Navy than sleek sci-fi
  • Player creativity with real constraints

Notes

  • All vehicles are deeply tied into Steamforge's modular build philosophy.
  • Power and propulsion lines use the same construction logic as base building.
  • Encourages emergent engineering and player-made solutions.

End of Spec