A bunch of questions for those in the know...

[Dogg Thang]

It seems there's a lot of info floating around that people know about and, of course, we do have some official sources right here so I thought I'd ask a few questions that I don't yet have answers to.

Announcers - anyone know how the announcer is this time?

Sound effects - has there been any major changes to the sound effects from Pure to Pulse? Like the ship sounds?

Photo Mode - there has been much talk of this but I couldn't help wondering if it's just something that was put in the previews to make it easy for people to take screenshots. Is it going to stay in the final version?

Nightmare tracks - no preview seemed to make much mention of the track difficulty. Anyone know if there's a Vostok Island waiting for us at the end?

Night/Day - I'm pretty sure the answer to this is no but I've asked on every version since 2097 so it would be wrong not to ask now: any lighting variations on tracks?*

Pure Extras - probably just my own pipe dream but, with the potential to just drop new content on a memory stick, has there been any mention of any Pulse exclusives for Pure? Like allowing us to play the mythical Mirage or something? I'd pay real money for a UK non-Puma Delta...that's not really anything to do with Pulse...

*Original IGN image of Pulse - http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/DoggThang/wipeout-pulse-20070628005856123.jpg
Dogg's Evening version - http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/DoggThang/wipeout-pulse-DT2.jpg

[tapioca]

Please SL, will there be a giant "Psygnosis style" owl somewhere in the scenery of one of the tracks ? Just like we had a fat cat on Sebenco or Manor Top… that could be a nice wink to all the fans of the good ol' years (©).
In the downloadable packs maybe ?

Will there be new games modes added via the download packs ?
I was thinking of Countdown Mode (quite like Burnout's Eliminator mode : at the end of each lap, the racer in last position gets a countdown of 5-10sec before he is eliminated). Would be OK in single player mode, but for multi, a points system would be a better idea (so that nobody has to wait until the end of the race when already eliminated)

[RJ O'Connell]

Silverstream> Citta Nuova > Spilskinanke > Vostok Island, just so we're clear. ;)

[Dogg Thang]

Hmmm... Citta Nuova had one tough turn but I wouldn't put it in the same league as Silverstream or the others. The difficulty with CN was more that the opposition seemingly contracted rabies on the starting grid and went totally ballistic.

[rageagainstgeorge]

How can you say the esses of Citta Nuova aren't hard. Hardest corner sequence in Pure I reckon.

[stin]

Silverstream is alot harder than shitta even I mastered on both tracks but Silverstream still is the hardest of all, even Dogg Thang said it.

stevie:)

[Sausehuhn]

@ Dogg Thang

The difficulty with Citta probably isn't that corner and - I can tell that from playing the game in multiplayer - also not the AI. Cause the track is still hard even though there's no AI.
The problem with Citta is to manage the track fast. This one hairpin causes a crash sometimes, but mostly not. And if you hit the speed pads right after (and that is the case in 90 of 100 laps I would guess) it's really nothing to scare about.
It's this left-right-up-and-down section and then again the chicane at the very last end that makes the track so complicated to master. Not because you can't manage it, but because it's a tricky thing to get fast through these corners without losing too much speed.
Especially if you're racing against some real good pilots it's very challenging I tell you. On the other hand this section is a good part of the track to catch-up again if the others can't handle it ;)

[RJ O'Connell]

Then at higher classes, there's a low-hanging billboard at Citta Nuova that often times you can end up slamming into.

It goes up there with Spilskinanke's insane broken track sections as the most frustrating sequence in a Wipeout game, ever.

[Rapier Racer]

Yeah that billboard is a pain in the ass but can be easily avoided after a few practices of the track pitch control is an absolute must on this son of a..

[q_dmc12]

I use no pitch control and narrowly avoid it every time:p

[G'Kyl]

Then at higher classes, there's a low-hanging billboard at Citta Nuova that often times you can end up slamming into.

Hate that! ;) It IS easy to avoid but I ran into it so often it made a lasting impression on me.


It goes up there with Spilskinanke's insane broken track sections as the most frustrating sequence in a Wipeout game, ever.

The broken pieces aren't the problem at Spilskinanke. To me, they make for the most exciting section in 2097 once you find the rythm to fly smoothly across them. It's the tunnel that causes me headaches - especially since I'm flying only Qirex in 2097. :)

Ben

[Sausehuhn]

If you mean the zig-zag tunnel, Ben, then I can just fully agree with you.

[Rapier Racer]

I use no pitch control and narrowly avoid it every time:p

And how long do you take your finger off the X button for ;)

[q_dmc12]

split-second maybe, no more than that

[Fascia]

I've once managed to go AROUND the billboard at Citta Nouva, using a well timed precision (see: Lucky) turbo. I havn't managed to repeat it yet though.

[Chill]

split-second maybe, no more than that

Hey, me too!! :p

[Lance]

.
I lOve Spilskinanke, but this is going offtopic into a racing tutorial instead of answering Dogg's questions. Please return to the topic.
.

[Dogg Thang]

Thanks Lance. I'm sure someone must know the answer to a couple of them! I'm especially curious about the sound as that's something you can't get from screenshots.

[G'Kyl]

I'll give it a try...


Announcers - anyone know how the announcer is this time?

Announcers (zone, starting grid and in-racing) are the same as in Pure.


Sound effects - has there been any major changes to the sound effects from Pure to Pulse? Like the ship sounds?

There might be minor changes, but I haven't recognized any noticable ones.


Photo Mode - there has been much talk of this but I couldn't help wondering if it's just something that was put in the previews to make it easy for people to take screenshots. Is it going to stay in the final version?

You ask that the guys with the PREVIEW code? ;-)
Seriously, though, I bet it will stay. It's an officially announced feature and I've already seen it work.


Nightmare tracks - no preview seemed to make much mention of the track difficulty. Anyone know if there's a Vostok Island waiting for us at the end?

There's only a handful of tracks in the preview, but those there are require a bit more technical flying than most courses in Pure. There's no Vostok Island kind of track, however. :)


Night/Day - I'm pretty sure the answer to this is no but I've asked on every version since 2097 so it would be wrong not to ask now: any lighting variations on tracks?*

No.
;-)


Pure Extras - probably just my own pipe dream but, with the potential to just drop new content on a memory stick, has there been any mention of any Pulse exclusives for Pure? Like allowing us to play the mythical Mirage or something? I'd pay real money for a UK non-Puma Delta...that's not really anything to do with Pulse...

What kind of extras do you mean? Unlockables? Mirage will be a ship that's available for download. For everyone, that is, worldwide. There will be no region-specific content this time.

Hope this helps.
Ben

[Dogg Thang]

Thanks for the answers, Ben. Yep, that certainly helps. I'm surprised by the lack of change in the Pure announcer but not disappointed - I think the Pure announcer worked well. Though the Zone mode announcer beats all.

Just to clarify this -

You ask that the guys with the PREVIEW code? ;-)

I wasn't looking for answers from the preview code as that is what it is but more someone who may be close to (or actually be) official sources.

Actually, on the photo mode, I was wondering when I posted these questions what the point of it is without replays. But, since then, I have realised that the photo mode will be the perfect way of showing off our custom ships!

And on Pure extras, what I was wondering there is will Pure get any content as a teaser for Pulse or as a bonus from Pulse.

Thanks again for the answers!