by ZachC

A well known designer in There was hanging out with me as I researched my column this week. After looking at far more buggies and other vehicles than he ever expected to, he asked a very interesting question: “Aren’t the designs supposed to get better with experience?”

Good question. The answer is more complex since some designers are newer than others. On the other hand, we have some who have been doing this for awhile now yet their designs never seem to get any better… just different. Then there are others who don’t even log in anymore nor do any new designs yet their buggies have been regularly relisted for years. One that amazes me has been relisted for something like 4 years now at 100,000t! There are only 2 left (the same 2 that have been relisted for 4 years!). Honestly, if they haven’t sold after all these years why would anyone actually expect that they ever will? This also affects the resale market. Never discontinuing old vehicles lowers the value of the purchase the original buyers made back then. For instance, who wants to buy a “beta” buggy that’s still being listed? The resale market is critical for a developer, especially one designing buggies or cars. When buyers see older models from a designer appreciating because they’re no longer produced it can provide a motivation to buy the newer products from that designer. I never feel bad when I see one of my old discontinued buggies bringing far more money than my original listing price. Those resales can help you sell more of your new buggies.

Enough of Zach’s marketing theories. This week I continue the lead up to Halloween with a buggy from tonguesports. The Haunted 2 is limited to 10 copies and is priced at 18,850t. This buggy has a diabolical paint job to go with the theme, but it also has excellent shine. Tonguesports has done a great job with this one.

I tired of wading through the buggies this week so I decided to see what else I could find. I started with the 2007 Scions and quickly found the Mantis - Scion tC by Zeva. If you like green, this deep dark color will appeal to you. The tan upholstery works well with it too. Priced at 16,700t this is one to take a look at.

There were very few Scion Fuse paintjobs in auction. There were even fewer t2B Concept Cars. I finally decided to include a ZMW here. I do try to avoid that, but the ZMW Passion just kept drawing me back. It’s priced at 8,350t. You’ll have to buy a Fuse chassis from Shop Central for 7,500t which brings the total to 15,850t. Not bad considering what you’d pay for many other vehicles in There.

Next I wanted to look at some Coupes and Muscle Cars. I have given up on the Muscle Cars and apparently so have most people. The model and mapping are still the worst I’ve ever seen from There. It looks like I’m not alone in that sentiment since there are very few being created. Those that have been done, including mine, leave a lot to be desired; not because of lack on skill or creativity on the part of the developers, but because the pixilazation, stretching, and the poor modeling simply ruin anything you try to do with the template.

That moved me on to the Coupes. I love the coupe. It’s too bad they couldn’t fix the gap between the body and the hood in this model though. It’s sad that you end up looking right through this split to the ground or the tires. On the other hand, the mapping is fairly good and there are some good paintjobs available if you’re willing to overlook that little problem. One that I liked is the Beulvary GTZ by Santasantita. This is a beautifully done shiny red paintjob priced at 9550t. Santasantita does a lot of beautiful work and this paintjob adds to her credentials as one of the premier developers in There.

Another coupe I really liked was the Royal Blood Twilight Coupe by Arudius. The color blend is excellent as is the shine on the windshield. I also liked the original treatment done on the sides. This paintjob shows a lot of creativity and skill. Priced at 15,000t I found it a bit pricey since you still have to buy the chassis from shop for 6,400t. That brings the total to 21,400t plus whatever you spend for custom rims. On the other hand, it’s excellent work, and because of the price it’s likely to be somewhat exclusive.

That’s what I found this week. Maybe I’ll browse through the SUVs next week. It’s been awhile since I’ve checked those out.