FreeGameDev

Hi there,

I thought I share my status about making my first STK track. It's also the first bigger thing I do in Blender, I was used to 3ds Max till yet.

You'll probably say "another factory gray-ish track?". I am indeed doing a factory track, but it's design is colorful instead of gray, as said, it's a freaky comic/realistic factory, and not a "real" one.

I finished the drive line till yet which I need to smooth in some corners after I scaled it up a little bit to fit ingame. I hope it doesn't look that boring...


Yes there are indeed some stairs, I'll add an even floor to it in case the "Reverse Track" feature gets implemented soon - you wouldn't be able to drive those upwards.

It's good, Good Luck for You

In case you're not informed: reverse track feature has already been implemented so it's a good idea to design your track thinking about the fact reversing is possible.

Great! We have to modify some other tracks to work with that then too, right?

Is it also possible to define another track name if you want to drive the track reversed?
I remember another game in which reversed maps got some specific ramps and tunnels with metallic look, so you actually saw what has changed compared to the default version. I like that idea too, but it would require two versions of the track or objects which are just visible in the reversed mode.

Great! We have to modify some other tracks to work with that then too, right?

Indeed, some of the tracks have been modified to be suitable for reverse driving but some of them are not. However this is where I don't have up-to-date information, you can look here though:
http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/supert ... ticket/630
http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/supert ... ticket/583

Is it also possible to define another track name if you want to drive the track reversed?

As far as I know it's not possible now.

I like that idea too, but it would require two versions of the track or objects which are just visible in the reversed mode.

Sounds cool but I'm sure this this is not implemented yet.

Pac-Man {l Wrote}:I like that idea too, but it would require two versions of the track or objects which are just visible in the reversed mode.

This could be solved by an additional property for all track objects, for example "visible-in" with the values "default", "reverse" and "both", defaulting to "both". Such a feature could be really handy, because it would be possible to rearrange boxes, nitros, zippers, bananas and other objects in other positions if the track is played reverse. So, for example in jungle track a big ramp could appear at the big bump just before the finishing line if the track is played reverse.

Oh, and I have the impression that this track will be fun to drive. I like the idea of stairs in the road and a road that is so heavily inclined on the side in some parts, this will surely make the track interesting. I think this is the first track to over this feature in STK (at least I cannot remember of another track ).

Yeah, there is one problem with the stairs though.
I wanted to add a small path around it as an alternative drive way for reversed mode, but the AI would never drive it, right?
So I have to put some plane over my stairs like a ramp for wheelchairs. Wouldn't be a problem.

The curves on my track are a little bumpy right now, I subdivided the meshes already to make them more detailed, but I have to tweak those a little bit more to give a smooth driving experience (feels like a 1920's road atm).

Pac-Man {l Wrote}:Yeah, there is one problem with the stairs though.
I wanted to add a small path around it as an alternative drive way for reversed mode, but the AI would never drive it, right?

There would be a random chance that the AI is using the alternative way.

So I have to put some plane over my stairs like a ramp for wheelchairs. Wouldn't be a problem.

That would be the right approach. You can then add a 'bumpy' sound (similar to the wooden bridge in ... can't remember, somewhere), then that would just be fine.

Cheers,
Joerg

Wolfs {l Wrote}:

Pac-Man {l Wrote}:I like that idea too, but it would require two versions of the track or objects which are just visible in the reversed mode.

This could be solved by an additional property for all track objects, for example "visible-in" with the values "default", "reverse" and "both", defaulting to "both". Such a feature could be really handy, because it would be possible to rearrange boxes, nitros, zippers, bananas and other objects in other positions if the track is played reverse. So, for example in jungle track a big ramp could appear at the big bump just before the finishing line if the track is played reverse.

While we would welcome a patch for this (would make for a more perfectionist game ), I don't think we will spent any time on this in the near future. Jungle track is fixed, besides we can already disable certain tracks to be driven in reverse.

Cheers,
Joerg

Thinking about it, a driveline which the AI always drives in reverse mode would be nice too and a must for reverse-only-routes around ways you normally can't take in reverse (like stairs).

Pac-Man {l Wrote}:Thinking about it, a driveline which the AI always drives in reverse mode would be nice too and a must for reverse-only-routes around ways you normally can't take in reverse (like stairs).

Agreed, but since we don't have any tracks needing this (and I seriously think that stairs should have an invisible plane on top to make it easier for the physics in any direction), this will be very ultra low priority

Cheers,
Joerg

Track taking shape... veeery slowly...
the textures are my own, created with Inkscape, I will try to reuse as much as possible to keep the track size low...


I was shocked a little that there is a slow down material possible, but no speed up one

There is, just give a texture the zipper property and eventually tweak the values.

But a zipper makes me boost with the special effects, doesn't it? I actually just need a floor on which karts can gain higher speeds than the default one.

Hmm, I don't see the problem. Maybe you could explain the usage scenario?

Arthur {l Wrote}:Hmm, I don't see the problem. Maybe you could explain the usage scenario?

conveyor belt probably

Well, that seemed to work fine in Coyote Canyon, so still I don't get it.

Pac-Man {l Wrote}:But a zipper makes me boost with the special effects, doesn't it? I actually just need a floor on which karts can gain higher speeds than the default one.

You can actually specify the details, i.e. how much boost a kart should get, and what the top speed is. So you should be able to tweak this to your liking. Example (from jungle track):

{l Code}: {l Select All Code}

  <material name="zipper_jungle.png" compositing="blend" disable-z-write="Y" backface-culling="N">
    <zipper duration="5.5" max-speed-increase="5.0" fade-out-time="5.0" speed-gain="2.0"/>
  </material>


The values are documented in data/stk_config.xml.

Cheers,
Joerg

are shape "P" of road on the map just for display or secret way ?

betharatux1 {l Wrote}:are shape "P" of road on the map just for display or secret way ?

I think, The roads are superposed

see the First picture of track

Ludsky {l Wrote}:see the First picture of track

aye! i totally forgotten that, i am sorry
furthermore if side up way forgotten to blocked with wall, easily jump for doing a short cut. ( but that absolutely will be not possible )

Pac-Man {l Wrote}:the textures are my own

that's cool !

hiker {l Wrote}:

Pac-Man {l Wrote}:But a zipper makes me boost with the special effects, doesn't it? I actually just need a floor on which karts can gain higher speeds than the default one.

You can actually specify the details, i.e. how much boost a kart should get, and what the top speed is. So you should be able to tweak this to your liking. Example (from jungle track):

{l Code}: {l Select All Code}

  <material name="zipper_jungle.png" compositing="blend" disable-z-write="Y" backface-culling="N">
    <zipper duration="5.5" max-speed-increase="5.0" fade-out-time="5.0" speed-gain="2.0"/>
  </material>


The values are documented in data/stk_config.xml.

Cheers,
Joerg

But it would still give my kart an instant boost with the zipper sound and the blur FX, do I see this right?
I want to do a conveyor belt indeed, and it would look a little unrealistic if a kart gets a sudden boost right after it touched the conveyor belt.

sorry, I don't think there is a way at this time to make a speed boost without the effects to go with it. That could be a feature request but I can't tell you when it could be ready given how small a team we are

Well I'm also a programmer mainly, but I didn't have a look at it yet