FreeGameDev

I have new idea: wings item.
Kart can use it to fly for a while to avoid bowling ball.

This is not a bad idea, but maybe a bit difficult to code in the physics without losing control, and also I guess it would be useful quite rarely?

Auria {l Wrote}:This is not a bad idea, but maybe a bit difficult to code in the physics without losing control, and also I guess it would be useful quite rarely?

What about a spring that lets you jump over things - but main problem is: the jump (and same with wings) can be misused, e.g. to end up on part of the tracks you were not meant to be, using shortcuts that you can't use while normal driving.

Cheers,
Joerg

Yup, that's the same problem with wings. I thought of those as well when I was flying in Artist Debug Mode, thinking: "woah, this is fun, it should be in the game!".
But that raises too many problems, like: how do you determine if the player took a shortcut or not? Is he still on the road?

So except if the duration is very short or limit the altitude, I don't really see how it could be integrated, nor give an advantage to the player...but it would definitely be fun

I think advantages in gameplay (except fun) seem not real

Another type of protection may be more interesting

It's good idea but That goes created can - be the other problems as those already to quote above.

We could put wings when karts die?

What about wings that catch you up to the kart in front of you?

charlie {l Wrote}:What about wings that catch you up to the kart in front of you?

+1 this idea

What about Thunderbird for that?

Funto {l Wrote}:What about Thunderbird for that?

Er, what do you mean by that? The wing item is like Thunderbird's wing? Or what?

hikari.to.yami {l Wrote}:

charlie {l Wrote}:What about wings that catch you up to the kart in front of you?

+1 this idea

Idem

An item that lets you catch up to the kart in front of you - that sounds cool. But how should it actually work?
1. Where should you be placed on the road? An easy way would be exactly there where the kart in front of you has been when you activated the item. In some rare occasions this could be annoying. E.g. when the kart in front of you fell of the track, is driving offroad, etc. I would suggest the item should you bring where the kart in front of you had been, it it would be rescued at the time when you activated the item.
Note that rescuing is not always satisfying. (Sometimes you get double rescued, because of an irregular placement by the rescue system.) But the item will improve as rescuing will be improved.

2. The landing - if the item brings me to the player in front of me, it shouldn't feel like being rescued. The karts speed after using the item shouldn't be zero. I would prefer to be able to drive with the speed I had when I was using the item.

3. What about bifurcations? The kart in front of you might be quite far away which makes this item probably too strong. If you only race against one kart and you chose the wrong way you are the first kart in that branch and the item shouldn't bring you anywhere. (this is not really a problem for the player, since he should wait until the opponent kart is in front of him again. The problem is rather how to find out who actually is the kart in front of you.)

4. What should the rescue item look like. Thunderbird? Alternatively the effect could also be done by using some kind of teleport effect. That effect could enable switching branches in order to get to the player that is the one with next better rank.

5. Hight of flight - if the player can fly or is carried by thunderbird, finding a proper hight of flight could be challenging. Especially on subsea tracks.

hikari.to.yami {l Wrote}:

Funto {l Wrote}:What about Thunderbird for that?

Er, what do you mean by that? The wing item is like Thunderbird's wing? Or what?

I mean Thunderbird coming and grabbing the kart instead of adding new wings to the kart.

Tuxfan {l Wrote}:An item that lets you catch up to the kart in front of you - that sounds cool. But how should it actually work?
1. Where should you be placed on the road? An easy way would be exactly there where the kart in front of you has been when you activated the item. In some rare occasions this could be annoying. E.g. when the kart in front of you fell of the track, is driving offroad, etc. I would suggest the item should you bring where the kart in front of you had been, it it would be rescued at the time when you activated the item.
Note that rescuing is not always satisfying. (Sometimes you get double rescued, because of an irregular placement by the rescue system.) But the item will improve as rescuing will be improved.

Well, maybe just put in the middle of the road regardless of the kart's position?

Tuxfan {l Wrote}:2. The landing - if the item brings me to the player in front of me, it shouldn't feel like being rescued. The karts speed after using the item shouldn't be zero. I would prefer to be able to drive with the speed I had when I was using the item.

Absolutely!

Tuxfan {l Wrote}:3. What about bifurcations? The kart in front of you might be quite far away which makes this item probably too strong. If you only race against one kart and you chose the wrong way you are the first kart in that branch and the item shouldn't bring you anywhere. (this is not really a problem for the player, since he should wait until the opponent kart is in front of him again. The problem is rather how to find out who actually is the kart in front of you.)

O.o ... er ... I'll let others think about it.

Tuxfan {l Wrote}:4. What should the rescue item look like. Thunderbird? Alternatively the effect could also be done by using some kind of teleport effect. That effect could enable switching branches in order to get to the player that is the one with next better rank.

Both are fine by me, but Thunderbird is pretty cool I think.

Tuxfan {l Wrote}:5. Hight of flight - if the player can fly or is carried by thunderbird, finding a proper hight of flight could be challenging. Especially on subsea tracks.

As long as the kart doesn't touch the ground, no need to be high.

Funto {l Wrote}:I mean Thunderbird coming and grabbing the kart instead of adding new wings to the kart.

Ow, yea, that will do too, +1 for this

The way I'd do it is to:

1. Drop the kart level with the kart in front
2. Kart is dropped in the middle of the track or at nearest recovery point - if the opponent kart is there, it gets squished/hit.
3. Kart is dropped off at full speed.
4. Height would be not-so-high - just above karts on the ground.

For the animation, I'd not use the Thunderbird. I think it's going to be tricky to make that look good. I'd have two white small wings appear either side of the kart and some kind of cheeky flapping sound.

Tuxfan {l Wrote}:An item that lets you catch up to the kart in front of you - that sounds cool. But how should it actually work?
1. Where should you be placed on the road? An easy way would be exactly there where the kart in front of you has been when you activated the item. In some rare occasions this could be annoying. E.g. when the kart in front of you fell of the track, is driving offroad, etc. I would suggest the item should you bring where the kart in front of you had been, it it would be rescued at the time when you activated the item.
Note that rescuing is not always satisfying. (Sometimes you get double rescued, because of an irregular placement by the rescue system.) But the item will improve as rescuing will be improved.

2. The landing - if the item brings me to the player in front of me, it shouldn't feel like being rescued. The karts speed after using the item shouldn't be zero. I would prefer to be able to drive with the speed I had when I was using the item.

3. What about bifurcations? The kart in front of you might be quite far away which makes this item probably too strong. If you only race against one kart and you chose the wrong way you are the first kart in that branch and the item shouldn't bring you anywhere. (this is not really a problem for the player, since he should wait until the opponent kart is in front of him again. The problem is rather how to find out who actually is the kart in front of you.)

4. What should the rescue item look like. Thunderbird? Alternatively the effect could also be done by using some kind of teleport effect. That effect could enable switching branches in order to get to the player that is the one with next better rank.

5. Hight of flight - if the player can fly or is carried by thunderbird, finding a proper hight of flight could be challenging. Especially on subsea tracks.

3. You're right. If it just put it ahead of the kart at the front, you could use it a suitable time before the finish, and then get in front of the leader a second or so before finishing. Also, what happens if you are several several laps behind?

I think that it may be better to take you to one of:
1. in front of the next kart
2. the middle of the group
3. a fixed distance ahead of where you are when you use it.

Or if you insist on taking you to the front, how about having it swapping yours and the front kart's positions? And just bad luck if they happen to be about to go over the edge or something?

Doesn't sound that useful vs. a monkey mode (speed + invulnerable). I would rather have a cupcake, zipper, or plunger instead of this item.

I think this would be an item useful to players near the back... like the bullet in MKWii.

charlie {l Wrote}:I think this would be an item useful to players near the back... like the bullet in MKWii.

YES! We don't have any real powerful items in STK.. A Bullet Bill-type item'd be welcome in my game.
-Iridium

I say meh. Wings taking you to a certain position sounds like cheating in my book, even if everyone can do it.

I rather the suggested brainstorming on monkey-mode be made, rather than this item. Monkey Mode sounds more unique since wings is famous for being part of Mario Kart. Basically, with monkey mode you grow x2 in size which means you will travel twice as fast. Add super bumping ability (animation = punches karts on impact) and you got yourself a unique version of the Mario Kart star effect. It doesn't even have to be a monkey, it could a free Open Source mascot (Thunderbird, amarok-wolf, SuSE-chameleon, etc).

I don't get that comment: "wings is famous for being part of Mario Kart."

You presumably mean the winged shell that hits the lead kart? Which is totally different to what is being suggested here.

If this suggestion is "too much like MK" then you need to rip out half of STK because there's far more obvious overlap - bananas, present boxes, zippers etc.

MK Wii's bullet is just evil. Totally unfair, to me it's the part that most ruins the game, I vote against such a thing.
Better go with some item that makes you more powerful (= invincible, faster, throwing opponents, more in the spirit of the star in MK than of the evil bullet).

charlie {l Wrote}:I don't get that comment: "wings is famous for being part of Mario Kart."

You presumably mean the winged shell that hits the lead kart? Which is totally different to what is being suggested here.

If this suggestion is "too much like MK" then you need to rip out half of STK because there's far more obvious overlap - bananas, present boxes, zippers etc.

I mean you have winged shells, and wings is pretty much found in all Mario related games (has been done a million times (paraphrasing). I am saying why copy models, instead of working on unique ones? Supertuxkart is definitely not a copy and paste of Mario Kart. All that needs to be worked on is replacing bananas which seem to be one item that stand out the most. Just cause someone copies the same effect of an item, does not mean it is duplicate. Now if we make it look like the same thing, then it is basically a lazy duplicate. I love Mario Kart, but I think STK has enough potential to separate itself from it (unique at least in model).