levi, I think this is probably your most ambitious track and probably one of your best so far. It uses forty-five degree roads and attempts huge changes in altitude - both of which show you're really on your way... and to help you along, I think you're ready for a little bit of feedback to help you get to that next level. So, please
don't take what follows as criticism in any way. It's not. It's simply to offer some suggestions that you might take into consideration for your next projects.
To begin, then, the change in the road from a flat area to an upward incline is sometimes a little bit abrupt. When a truck hits the rise (marked by the x in the picture below) the truck has quite an impact and the momentum often throws it almost uncontrollably into the air.
<center><img src="http://mtm2.com/~forum/images/levisafternoon1before.jpg" width="632" height="325"></center>
Of course, there are times when you might want that effect, but in most cases I think you'll want a smoother rise. Consider the following picture. Notice how the road begins to rise at the very left of the picture and continues until it reaches the train tracks.
<center><img src="http://mtm2.com/~forum/images/levisafternoon2after.jpg" width="632" height="325"></center>
To get that effect I used the direct keyboard <img src="http://cownap.com/%7Emtmg/traxx/images/sidedk.gif"> button. That way I can raise the terrain one point at a time, use the S and X keys to raise and lower it, and I make very slight changes until it's finally the way I want. Often, I will make one side of the road look right, then, to make it level, I use the altitude numbers at the cursor to match the other side of the road. It takes a bit of practice but after you get used to it you'll wonder why people would do it any other way.
Next is something that will bug some racers. And that is, bumps just before a corner or curve. What happens is you're going down the road a full speed, hit the bump, get tossed into the air a little bit, and of course with the wheels off the ground, you cannot turn and so you end up in the ditch, or some other unpleasant place.
<center><img src="http://mtm2.com/~forum/images/levisafternoon3bump.jpg" width="632" height="325"></center>
Somebody like Fila does that sort of thing on purpose - he's a nasty fella, that guy is - but I think most people would rather keep their wheels on the road while cornering. The only solution is to gradually raise the terrain before a corner, or to raise it after the turn. And, of course, once you get the knack, you can bank your corners so the rise is built right into them. But no matter how you do it, the key is to help racers around as quickly as possible and with as few surprises as possible.
And lastly, this one should be easy to recognize. Trains, in the real world, have trouble going over bumps of this sort.
<center><img src="http://mtm2.com/~forum/images/levisafternoon4train.jpg" width="632" height="325"></center>
It's not the biggest problem but it's easy to fix too.
And I think that's all I have to offer for now. I hope you find these notes helpful.
Keep up the good work.
