EA build 20160520

[purdisc]

THE FRIDAY 20th update is LIVE!

- Mannahatta cleaned up - no more weird wall collisions
- TPP Menu issues now cleaned up

The latest TT competition will run until the final second of May 31st midnight GMT. Leaderboards

Same rules apply. Prizes:
1st - AMAZING 3D crystal engraved Trophy
2nd - T-Shirt - new batch
3rd - poster - will post image soon

All winners will be notified by email (prize delivery times may vary - we will keep winners informed). The ghost file is needed for verification.

The competition is TIME TRIAL mode on MANNAHATTA in the FF4000 craft…Flash, Flash, I love you, but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth etc etc
find Leaderboards here:
http://steamcommunity.com/stats/389670/leaderboards/1142744

Meantime, here’s a WIP shot of some of the re-work we’re doing on Niagara. It’s still WIP but we think it shows the direction we’re heading.
Imgur (http://imgur.com/KIpMNOD)

[Lion]

What build am I running? I am on the [test_pilot] branch in steam, but I don't have a map called Mannahatta at all?
Nevermind, is that some internal name for the New York track? (a mangling of Manhattan)

As I type this I am rank 60

[blackwiggle]

Yeah it's Manhattan.
Did you get you preferred screen resolution working Lion, or still unavailable?

I got a PSN reply from Xtriko the other day saying he was about to download and try the new cockpit view, have yet to hear back what he thinks of it, I know he's been waiting for it to appear.

I can see Niagara could end up looking something like the old Brooklands track, it's certainly wide enough.

Although I'm yet to download and try this latest update, I do think Niagara needs something to spice it up racing wise .

There is one thing I have noticed missing from FF that has been in every Wipeout, maybe not so much on Manahatta, but that thing is track undulations and bumps.
The ironic thing is I used to think a lot of them on the Wipeout tracks were unnecessary, and would of been better left off, especially on the pre barrel roll Wipeouts, where they severed no real purpose, but after racing around Niagara which has none, and considering the sheer length of the track, I can see why they were added to the Wipeout tracks, they would have been pretty dull racing around them without them.

While on basic gameplay [just throwing a idea I had into the ring], during weaponised racing, maybe some random 'Super Speed Pad's' that could be differentiated from the normal ones by appearing faulty [small sparks emanating from them ]
Maybe that sort of random track damage could be triggered by weapon fire [and given a option to turn that effect on/off when online, just in case everybody end's up hating it being in play]
These faulty speed pads could either be a advantage or disadvantage, depending on where on the track they appeared, and the ability of the pilot to handle the sudden huge acceleration running over one gave their craft.
I've thought of a few strategic ways having this sort of thing in play could bring to a race, depending on your current pickup's and where in the field you are...... anyway, I suppose it depends how it was implemented to a large extent.

[purdisc]

hi Lion

The TPP build should have the Mannahatta track. We've heard of this thing happening before now and I believe it's a Steam issue which clears in a few hours. However as you're playing it (74th at time of my typing) can I assume that you do have it? I'm slightly confused, but that might be my age.
;-)

FWIW Mannahatta is taken from the name of a poem by Walt Whitman where he refers to Manhattan by it's original native American name. It was always the intended name for the track but NY kind of crept in and we've only just taken steps to restore it's original name.
https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/l/loving-whitman.html
http://www.whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/1891/poems/306
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannahatta
...so, there you go. Poetry, eh?!
;-)



What build am I running? I am on the [test_pilot] branch in steam, but I don't have a map called Mannahatta at all?
Nevermind, is that some internal name for the New York track? (a mangling of Manhattan)

As I type this I am rank 60

- - - Updated - - -


Yeah it's Manhattan.



Hi Blackwiggle


Yeah it's Manhattan.
Although I'm yet to download and try this latest update, I do think Niagara needs something to spice it up racing wise.

There is one thing I have noticed missing from FF that has been in every Wipeout, maybe not so much on Manahatta, but that thing is track undulations and bumps.
The ironic thing is I used to think a lot of them on the Wipeout tracks were unnecessary, and would of been better left off, especially on the pre barrel roll Wipeouts, where they severed no real purpose, but after racing around Niagara which has none, and considering the sheer length of the track, I can see why they were added to the Wipeout tracks, they would have been pretty dull racing around them without them.


We were acutely aware that Niagara needed some sherbet and have made some changes to the track both structurally and aesthetically which should be coming out in the next build. You can see the graphics in the image I linked to in the update. We’ll be throwing some more out over the next few weeks.

With that image in mind someone on FaceBook commented that we should focus on the physics and handling. My answer was that we were and there was a tonne of work going on under the hood which won’t be seen immediately. What I should have said was that programmers write code and our artists work on the aesthetic of the tracks. While it’s not impossible to have a coders doing artists’ work to the same level and vice versa, it’s not the case at R8 Games. In other words, by necessity we’re not neglecting physics and handling just because we’re improving the graphics.



While on basic gameplay [just throwing a idea I had into the ring], during weaponised racing, maybe some random 'Super Speed Pad's' that could be differentiated from the normal ones by appearing faulty [small sparks emanating from them ]
Maybe that sort of random track damage could be triggered by weapon fire [and given a option to turn that effect on/off when online, just in case everybody end's up hating it being in play]
These faulty speed pads could either be a advantage or disadvantage, depending on where on the track they appeared, and the ability of the pilot to handle the sudden huge acceleration running over one gave their craft.
I've thought of a few strategic ways having this sort of thing in play could bring to a race, depending on your current pickup's and where in the field you are...... anyway, I suppose it depends how it was implemented to a large extent.

Thanks for that, I’ll throw it into the mix. As you mention, random-ish elements can be fun but need to have an on/off toggle. For fun races yes, but serious racing wouldn’t necessarily work. I could see it becoming a barrel roll type of trick where the racing becomes more about how many tricks you can pull off than the actual pure skill of the pilot. Individuals or teams could intentionally damage pads to take advantage of them later. I like the idea though. Cheers.

[Lion]

I got an email from Carlton Gaunt with a Test Pilot password, I entered that, steam confirmed that I had the right password, and I launched the test_pilot branch of the game. The maps that I see available for selection are:
NY | NIAGARA | FURY | ATLAS
NY RR | NIAGARA RR | FURY RR | ATLAS RR

If I set times on the track I see as NY, you see entries in the Mannahatta tables

AHA! i found where to look for my build info. I am running BuildID 1138729 according to the Local Files tab in the properties on Steam

[purdisc]

hi Lion

yes - our bad that the Leaderboard still shows up as NY when it should read Mannahatta - I've logged it as a bug and it will eventually be fixed. Probably not before the next update incase it upsets the Leaderboard and the TT comp'

That sounds like the current TPP build. I will confirm.



I got an email from Carlton Gaunt with a Test Pilot password, I entered that, steam confirmed that I had the right password, and I launched the test_pilot branch of the game. The maps that I see available for selection are:
NY | NIAGARA | FURY | ATLAS
NY RR | NIAGARA RR | FURY RR | ATLAS RR

If I set times on the track I see as NY, you see entries in the Mannahatta tables

AHA! i found where to look for my build info. I am running BuildID 1138729 according to the Local Files tab in the properties on Steam

[mikee74]

Please in the next Update more speed for the Ai or more braking effect with the demage in the side barriers.
The game is to many easy.
Ever wins or i wait after start 15sec.
Atlas i musst wait 27sec. or more.

[purdisc]

hi mikee74

The AI will be totally re-worked in the next update. You're the only pilot I've actually heard saying that it's too easy. What's your Steam username? Assume you've been entering the Time Trial mode. Can you see yourself on the Leaderboards?

As the game develops you will see the progression from the FF4000 and onwards in speed and handling and the ability to customise all craft in the garage. As your racing career progresses you will also find that it becomes way more challenging.


Please in the next Update more speed for the Ai or more braking effect with the demage in the side barriers.
The game is to many easy.
Ever wins or i wait after start 15sec.
Atlas i musst wait 27sec. or more.