My thoughts on the main STK tracks

Re: My thoughts on the main STK tracks

Postby fracture » 21 Dec 2020, 00:37

Update: there is now an improved version of Volcan Island in the addons and while it is definitely an improvement from the original, there are two problems. First off, the terrible sand textures still haven't been replaced. Second, some of the rock placements just feel unnatural like someone just placed a bunch of random rocks next to a volcano, though it's probably better off that way. AI works very well and the track feels a bit more exciting, although I do think revamps should focus on actually improving the graphics (less polygonal curves, smoother roads) and quality of textures instead of just simply adding details, although for a track like this it wasn't needed as much.

I'd probably move both Volcan Island and Shifting Sands up a few spots in my ranking since they have been improved on.

Green Valley will inevitably return since Sven is already working on it. Alayan said something about Paradise Peaks could return if given graphical improvements. While I do like the music and atmosphere, I think the driveline is somewhat repetitive and Lost Chasm would be a better choice if it didn't have some of the worst quality textures.
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Re: My thoughts on the main STK tracks

Postby Typhon » 21 Dec 2020, 10:41

fracture {l Wrote}:Update: there is now an improved version of Volcan Island in the addons and while it is definitely an improvement from the original, there are two problems. First off, the terrible sand textures still haven't been replaced. Second, some of the rock placements just feel unnatural like someone just placed a bunch of random rocks next to a volcano, though it's probably better off that way. AI works very well and the track feels a bit more exciting, although I do think revamps should focus on actually improving the graphics (less polygonal curves, smoother roads) and quality of textures instead of just simply adding details, although for a track like this it wasn't needed as much.


Hmm, interesting… I'm the creator of this Add-On and can give you some answers about that. First "problem", the sand textures: I didn't replace them because then I'd have had to recreate all sand road textures and road changes to make it look good, though there are quite a lot of reference points in the media repo. And the rocks, I didn't want that someone can simply stay at one side of the road. And the details, I've heard before that volcan island feels a bit repetitive, so I changed it to make it not look symmetrical anymore.

Regards,
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Re: My thoughts on the main STK tracks

Postby QwertyChouskie » 21 Dec 2020, 19:53

I just downloaded the addon, and I gotta say that it looks SOOO much better! I definitely think it should go into 2.0 along with the other revamped tracks :)
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Re: My thoughts on the main STK tracks

Postby fracture » 21 Dec 2020, 22:17

I think it should be in the game too. I do think the rocks add a bit of challenge without breaking the AI. The track still feels symmetrical but only because of the driveline. All the extra stuff added outside of the track makes the island look bigger and less like Gran Paradisio Island, because the two tracks being very similar was a problem with 1.0 (also Snow Peak and Northern Resort). If you're going to make another track with a theme already used in another track, at least give it a different feel so it doesn't look like another variant of the track (Shifting Sands and Hacienda are both desert levels but one focuses on ancient Egypt while the other has a more mexican feel). In this case Volcan Island feels like an island with a volcano on it whereas Gran Paradisio Island feels more like a beach resort but without the actual buildings.
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Re: My thoughts on the main STK tracks

Postby tlbomb » 22 Dec 2020, 16:22

Hello! I've already downloaded the Update of the Volcano Isle, and it is MARVELLOUS!! :D :D . But I've seen one problem on the track :( . The problem is the water ramp, where you should jump over the water. If you drive over the ramp, you always rebound at a huge wall. I don't know if that is wanted like that. I can continue driving like that, because there is a way to drive around it, but the AI-Karts don't 'know' that way, so they always rebound at the wall, which makes the track a bit boring in the end, because they are stuck at this passage. :( . Please fix that passage, so that the track will get more challenging. I am looking forward to the next version of the track!
Sincerely, tlbomb.
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Re: My thoughts on the main STK tracks

Postby Typhon » 22 Dec 2020, 18:28

tlbomb {l Wrote}:Hello! I've already downloaded the Update of the Volcano Isle, and it is MARVELLOUS!! :D :D .


Many thanks :)

tlbomb {l Wrote}:But I've seen one problem on the track :( . The problem is the water ramp, where you should jump over the water. If you drive over the ramp, you always rebound at a huge wall. I don't know if that is wanted like that. I can continue driving like that, because there is a way to drive around it, but the AI-Karts don't 'know' that way, so they always rebound at the wall, which makes the track a bit boring in the end, because they are stuck at this passage. :( . Please fix that passage, so that the track will get more challenging. I am looking forward to the next version of the track!
Sincerely, tlbomb.


Huh? :think: I don't get blocked there and neither do the AIs…
Bildschirmfoto_2020-12-22_18-23-07.png

Bildschirmfoto_2020-12-22_18-21-28.png


Can you show me the spot in a screenshot or in a video?
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Re: My thoughts on the main STK tracks

Postby tlbomb » 22 Dec 2020, 20:13

Sorry, I might have downloaded an older version of the track, my failure XD
It seems to take a while, until the game shows me the newest addons.
But anyway, nice!
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Re: My thoughts on the main STK tracks

Postby tlbomb » 22 Dec 2020, 20:18

To give the AI a chance, I am going to play the track mirror-inverted XD
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