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TrackMania - Extensive First Look Preview
Chris Leyton
30/10/2003
Build your own tracks and race on them, as we get the inside scoop from the developers...
TrackMania, coming from new boys Digital Jesters, has been compared by themselves as Stunt Cars meets Lego and reading through the blurb from them about the game makes it all sound very attention-grabbing which prompted us to contact the development team in France, Nadeo, to speak with the Project Manager on the game, Florent Castelnerac, about many of the interesting ideas on offer!
TrackMania is also described as a new type of racing game, in which players create their own wacky but playable courses quickly and easily using a bank of over 300 different construction blocks. These courses - which can be built in one of three interesting themes - form the basis for races! Huge loop-the-loops, jumps and ramps; banked corners nudging vertical - there's no way these courses could exist in real life - mark this down as different from the norm. This is only one of the features that make racing round them at breakneck speeds such an exhilarating thrill.
Getting your head around the exact focus might take a little time as there appears to be an awful lot presented but Florent gave his own fix on TrackMania and what has inspired the team. âIt's a combination of track design and racing â“ weâve deliberately crafted the single-player game to require both skills. However, you can play with your âvirtualâ toy as you want, like a 'kid' in a sandbox but with objectives. The challenges are really new â“ I would say Stunt Car Racer meets PipeMania! But along with the simple Hotwheels and track-building toys of our childhood there are some games that inspired TrackMania - Lemmings, 4D Sport Driving, Quake, Sim City and Super Monkey Ball were kind of tools for discussions.â
The variety in the course design is literally endless, from simple bowl tracks to complex designs, will be a fascinating experience to undertake. Seeing some of the already constructed courses is a real eye opener and the latitude to create something really special, even over the top, is possible. Using the simple and intuitive editor, players can let their imaginations run wild, modifying them block-by-block, to create complex and spectacular tracks. Then, when the tracks are completed, players can test their creations in real-time and experience all the fun and excitement of high-speed racing.
Florent, âThe building in itself is really simple. The difficulty is that you have to find the best design. You have a defined set of blocks to correctly build your track â“ and these can range from single pieces to hundreds. There is no specific reward for cool design beside the thrill of racing them â“ but, believe me, thatâs quite a reward."
Three separate options of races are available to cater to all speed junkies: rally, speed and stunt. Each presents a unique style of driving, under one central premise: your heart will be firmly in your mouth. âThe main âmodeâ of TrackMania is a blend between building courses and racing them. With each challenge, you have to reach the finish line within a target time. To do the best time you always have to choose between improving the track design and improving the drive. For people who love puzzles, there are special challenges that are reminiscent of games like PipeMania. For people who prefer racing, there are also special levels. In each challenge the target time increases with the difficulty level."
TrackManiaâs gameplay is very simple and straightforward. The first laps do not require any particular knowledge in trajectory, braking or acceleration. The game controls have been limited to acceleration, right turn, left turn and braking. Players will be able to pick up the game controls quickly, and immediately take part in exciting competitions. The different views include: outside, far, near, and in car.
In order to master TrackMania and become one of the best drivers, players must develop a precise style of driving in order to achieve accurate trajectories, and take calculated risks where necessary. Perfect timing and speed will allow players to take a tight corner on two wheels to gain a few extra seconds. Between experienced players, victories will depend on milliseconds gained here and there through calculated driving. Obstacles include: holes in the road, bumpers, 90° corners, jumps and loops.
The only requirement to win a track mania race is that you must go through all the checkpoints and reach the finish line.
When you succeed in challenges, you win currency. With this currency you can buy blocks in the shop. You start with twenty blocks in your bank â“ but by the end of the game you can finish with thousands.
There will be three different vehicles available in TrackMania. Each one has been adapted to suit its particular environment and possesses its own specific characteristics (acceleration, speed, braking). To achieve the best results players will have to modify their style of driving according to their track and vehicle.
Quizzed on the focus of the driving experience, which appears very âaracadyâ whilst also offering a certain amount of realism, brought an interesting answer.
"It's difficult to describe. Weâve deliberately created a blend between realism and arcade mode. Easy to control at the start, but with genuine physical reactions and no limit in the different ways you can drive them. That's why the number of vehicles is not the issue. There are three cars, each with a different style. The classic one is reminiscent of old video games and needs to get its speed out of slopes and turbos. The âcountryâ-style car takes is curves the best on two wheels. Too much and you fly. With this one, all jumps are risky because of the shock absorbers. The ârallyâ one is full of acceleration... and skids... and brakes. The perfect car to go off road, and introduce yourself to some trees.â
A choice of three distinctive gaming environments includes desert, countryside, and snow. Each location has its own unique vehicles and handling controls, players must learn to adapt their driving techniques in order to master the tracks in each of the different environments.
TrackMania incorporates a certain sprinkling of physics to make the game feel like a proper challenge and the AI in the game is really about how good you and your opponents are, however there is a very, very long progression and rewards system â“ which offers challenges to suit all tastes, all sizes and all difficulties. There is no car deformation but cleverly in multiplayer your opponents are ghost cars. You can see them, but canât crash into them. As Florent expressed, âThe courses themselves are enough to concentrate on without worrying about hitting your opponents.â
The in game feature list is extensive as well as impressive and we have only covered a small portion of what is on offer! For instance, there are 50 single-player challenges and Florent spoke of the many nuances the game serves up.
"We have concentrated on encouraging the player to discover a lot of tricks in building and driving. For example, you may learn to create a spiral ring in your track before taking a jump at an intersection to have enough speed to reach a higher level. For driving, you will learn that with the âcountryâ car, it is best to brake before a slope in order to acquire speed from them, and that's the opposite with the ârallyâ car."
Players can also trade courses via e-mail.
