[Poll] Existing Karts improvements

[hiker]

The downside is that the images are not visible directly in the files explorer, and you need to use a special tool like the DXT plug-in for GIMP.
A solution would be to have a script automatically convert .png and .jpg images to .dds when creating the distributed archives.
This also would avoid having a loss of quality due to working with lossy compressed images.

I'd say that the whole pipeline (from gimp via blender to stk) becomes way too complicated. For now I don't think that it would give us that much benefit (though it would need to be tested). We can have a look at that later on

More importantly, I think the textures should be stored in DXT format on the GPU while the game is running. That would save a lot of space on the GPU and maybe speed up a little the game (if there are less memory transfers...).

Most bottle necks are still the karts and their animations, and (I suspect) the fact that the blender b3d exporter does not always(?) use indices for existing vertex, I have seen a simple cube that contained way more than 8 vertices, so some of them were duplicated. But I'll check that later.

Cheers,
Joerg

[Kinsu]

Well, I think we can say that the more karts STK features, the better it is ^^

I wouldn't totally agree with that: the quality of the karts (visual, as well as in game, i.e. behaviour of the kart while driving) are more important than getting more karts

I agree, I was of course assuming that features added to STK's main package were of good quality I was mainly thinking to add locked karts, that will make people do challenges to unlock them.

[KroArtem]

I believe STK does run well enough to be usable with Gallium

Unfortunately, I can't agree with you right now. You won't have fun playing with gallium drivers.

Though, with classic mesa stk works practically perfectly for me.

[hiker]

I agree, I was of course assuming that features added to STK's main package were of good quality

*grin* Kind of true, but I think most people would agree that some things can be improved

I was mainly thinking to add locked karts, that will make people do challenges to unlock them.

Sure. Note that with each kart you can add your own .challenge files to lock them. Finding interesting challenges is ... a challenge Any suggestions for challenges are welcome

Cheers,
Joerg

[Kinsu]

but I think most people would agree that some things can be improved

I do, this is why I am going to improve Gooey, Mozilla, and Konqi if I can.

Finding interesting challenges is ... a challenge

It is ! This is a point that could give a lot of interest in the future campaign (EDIT : I meant "career") mode of the game. I've seen in a lot of games a system of trophees : independently of challenges, when players acheive something notable they earn a trophee, they can then consult all of their trophees on a kind of wall specific to the player.
The "notable somethings" could be facts a little like challenges, but not necessarily related to a specific track. For instance : "Hit 5 opponents with only one cake", "Finish first of every race in expert mode", "being hit 5 times by a bowling bowl or a cake, and still finish the race in the top 3". The trophees could also be accompanied by titles given to players : eg. "Bird hunter" for players who succeed in hitting 10 times a bird opponent in a race...

[STKRudy85]

I don't read all your answers I'm coming of weekend,
but my opinion is to let kart which need improvement (like gooey and mozilla) and replace them by some new character as emule.

I worked long time on all them and I made a lot of minor improvement on each one. To get them better again they must be totally re-created.

And I think characters

standard 13
+ addons-pack 12
+ emule by kinsu
+ another chuck by funto
+ another Bigbuckbunny by Kalado
-------------------------------------------

28 karts,
I still waiting for toren1994 license for Tarentula and plee the bear license, characters are ready to use now

I think track making and track improvements is more urgent than character

[Kinsu]

I like Gooey and Mozilla, and I really think they have their place in the game so I will still try to do what I can

I think track making and track improvements is more urgent than character

I agree. I may add to the kart making tutorial a note specifying that in the same time than editing it, maybe people who want to contribute will be more enclined to make tracks...

[Funto]

+ another chuck by funto

Sorry to insist on this, but according to the original author of the BSD Daemon :

Many folks have asked about the BSD daemon's name. Contrary to a myth first started by some advertising droid at Walnut Creek, the daemon's name is NOT Chuck. He is very proud of the fact that he does not have a name, he is just the BSD daemon. If you insist on a name, call him beastie.

[hiker]

Finding interesting challenges is ... a challenge

It is ! This is a point that could give a lot of interest in the future campaign mode of the game. I've seen in a lot of games a system of trophees : independently of challenges, when players acheive something notable they earn a trophee, they can then consult all of their trophees on a kind of wall specific to the player.
The "notable somethings" could be facts a little like challenges, but not necessarily related to a specific track. For instance : "Hit 5 opponents with only one cake", "Finish first of every race in expert mode", "being hit 5 times by a bowling bowl or a cake, and still finish the race in the top 3". The trophees could also be accompanied by titles given to players : eg. "Bird hunter" for players who succeed in hitting 10 times a bird opponent in a race...

Yes, hopefully we can add something like that, a career mode, ... Also with 0.8* we hopefully will have ghost replay, so we can add some ghost data that needs to be challenged. Unfortunately I think the 'core developer team' (auria and myself) will probably not have time for that in the near future - the framework would need some design, but someone (else) could obviously work on that right now

Cheers,
Joerg