Z-Kart Community Project - Sprite slots now open.

[GooberMan]

I'll add them and package it in to the next build. Then copy/paste everything in to your local version.

[GooberMan]

New version y'all. The Wolfenstein map is in, which now means that every cup is selectable from the Select Cup menu.

More importantly though is that I've started playing with speed curves.

Arachnotron, Mancubus, and Cybie Jr. are now classified as heavyweight racers. They are quite a bit different to the other racers (who are currently all middleweight). Heavyweight racers are slow off the line, and slow to pick up speed. To add insult to injury, they also have a very rubbish turning curve at low speed (half that of the middle weigh racers). Where heavyweight racers shine though is at top speed. At around the 75km/h mark their turning curves are finally equal. And then heavyweight's turning curve improves. They also have a higher top speed than middleweight racers. Not by much (about 15km/h) but it's enough to make them a real danger at top speed. Basically, once they get going, they're not stopping unless they suck at controlling their beast or something gets in their way. Letting go of the accelerator/putting on the brakes is also a bad idea because their turning starts getting rubbish again.

Their boost speed is also substantially lower than a middleweight racer (approximately 50km/h). They make up for it by actually being able to control the kart to some degree while boosting. The boost in this sense isn't so much of a sprint option like the middleweight racer. Rather, it serves a far more dangerous purpose - it gets the heavyweight racer up to top speed.

These curves are going to require a metric fuckton of balancing. So this is a first stab at it.

Also, while I'm here:

MAPPERS, I expect within a couple of weeks (ie after I sit down and do the code) that the physics will start getting towards a near-final state. Still, how's progress going? Do y'all have blocked out courses? It would be nice to fill out the roster a bit more. For those who already have maps in have you done more work on them? Have you implemented circuitproperties_setup and/or put AI lines in? I can do these things myself (in a quiet moment when I get bored and I want to battle Doom Builder for an hour) but I don't want to stomp over work that is already there - or, even worse, have the work disappear in the next version of the map you upload.

EDIT: Oh wow. Brainwave. Just had the idea that your health acts as a speed penalty. The less you have, the more the penalty. This could solve rubber banding quite elegantly.

[scalliano]

Currently in the process of tarting up Hell Keep a bit as it still looks a bit basic. Also added a second set of waypoints for the AI racers. Should be done in the next couple of days.

Also made a start on Abandoned Mines - more complex layout, so it might take a bit longer.

[Ringman]

My sister is creating the lost soul. She's halfway done.

[ChronoSeth]

For those who already have maps in have you done more work on them? Have you implemented circuitproperties_setup and/or put AI lines in? I can do these things myself (in a quiet moment when I get bored and I want to battle Doom Builder for an hour) but I don't want to stomp over work that is already there - or, even worse, have the work disappear in the next version of the map you upload..

I still have quite a bit of work to do, particularly on Tower of Babel. Entryway needs some tweaking to be more AI-friendly, and Tower of Babel needs the entire second half of the track reworked (it's boring, repetitive, and doesn't let players build up any speed).

Regarding AI paths, how exactly are they supposed to work? I've already tried to add a basic path to Entryway, but it doesn't quite work as I expected.

[Discordance]

Still, how's progress going? Do y'all have blocked out courses?

:/

[Dreadopp]

Still, how's progress going? Do y'all have blocked out courses?

I haven't actually started mine yet (been trying to get through some other projects first), but I do have a general idea of what I want to do. I was mostly waiting for the physics to be completed further and whether there was going to be any more textures available for use.

[GooberMan]

Regarding AI paths, how exactly are they supposed to work? I've already tried to add a basic path to Entryway, but it doesn't quite work as I expected.

Alright, so everything you need to know about AI paths (for now).

There's four basic types. I really only support the Line 1 and Line 2 types at the moment. Place these first nodes on the same line as the finish line. They all inherit from PathNode, so for all intents and purposes you treat them like one - give it a TID, and the first special parameter points to the next node in the path.

That's about where the similarities end.

The first node in the path needs to have the same TID as its editor number (so 30201 for Line 1, 30301 for Line 2, etc). The second to fifth special parameters are reserved for future use and WILL NOT be compatible with standard path nodes.

The AI currently aims for two path nodes ahead. I was going to change this to be some kind of distance-based thing, but I may not considering how successful the current method is (and how much more work ACS needs to do to interpolate positions compared to just GetActorX/Y/Z).

When AI karts spawn, they aim for either line 1 or line 2 depending on if line 2 exists and if they're an even numbered racer. If the AI line doesn't exist, it follows the racing line.

Racing lines, by the way, are almost exactly the same. However, the angle you place them at matters. Have it facing the direction of the race.

[armymen12002003]

Great job with this just a quick question are there gonna be any wolf 3d racers in this?

[scalliano]

SS Guard is planned as an unlockables character.

Any takers for Phobos race 4?

[armymen12002003]

SS Guard is planned as an unlockables character.

Any takers for Phobos race 4?

Okie dokie lol

[GooberMan]

I left a little something I'm testing out on Mt. Erebus. But don't try that at home, kids. Still a ways to go (and you won't be allowed to do it like that).

[scalliano]

Nice! Might be worthwhile working on the kart parts for the death animations then. I'll get on that after I've finished up the Archie.

[Mikk-]

Just something to note, the AI in Wolfenstein is pretty awful at navigating the map, constantly crashing into the walls - then again, I don't blame the AI, I found it pretty hard to navigate the map. Lots of small, sharp 90* turns do not make for a good kart map, I'd double the width of most turns, especially in the part that resembles Grosse.

[GooberMan]

The AI is not being told to slow down at all in Wolfenstein. It treats corners like straight track. The addition of heavyweight racers shows just how quick-and-nasty the method used in Icon of Sin is (hence why I've not told anyone the details) so I didn't set it on those nodes.

Any map that's cramped will also feel not quite right. They especially make life hard for heavyweight racers in their current form.