Rigs of Rods

I tested a few open source programs while searching for just the right one to write about. First off , I was very impressed with the depth and variety of programs available to the masses. There's literally something for everybody, if time is taken to sort through everything.

I used sourceforge.net to look for programs. The first two I looked at were poertry generators. They aided students in finding words that rhymed based on what they had already written and in the proper context of the poem. Pretty impressive. I wanted something a little different though. Something that I normally wouldn't look into. What I found was Rigs of Rods.

Rigs of Rods is a physics based game that allows the user to drive vehicles on various terrain. The physics is what makes Rigs of Rods valuable in an educational setting. I think the simulator would pair well with a technology course. I could also see it being used in a shop or auto design class. Vehicles handle and perform as they would in real life and,based on the conditions in which they are being driven, operate differently. It reminds me of a simulation based game I used in technology. My classmates and I had to construct bridges in order for trucks to pass over a body of water. If the bridge was shoddily built then the truck and the bridge would collapse into the water. We had to consider weight, materials, and cost into our design. Although not as involved as that particular simulation, Rigs of Rods shares many of the same fundamentals.