Track: Krazy's 1st
Type: Circuit
Checkpoints: 10
Lap time: 1:13
Music: Mr. Vain remix
It's amazing to think about the number of tracks that have been made for this game, and even more so when you consider the variety add-on tracks have to offer in terms of type (rumble, drag, free-roam, race-rumble, cops 'n robbers, etc.) degree of difficulty, length, flat & fast, medium paced with lots of jumps…on and on. There's literally something for everyone out here, which makes this the greatest game in the universe. Yep, that's right, in the universe - we've checked lol. Well, Phineus checked for us since his hometown is…out there somewhere. Based on his findings MTM 2 came out on top, and we're simply relaying that info to all of you.
Getting back to the subject of variety and MTM 2, Krazy's 1st by NKA_Krazy provides for a good platform on such a topic. For starters, this is his debut track, and as such, the norm is that first timers generally produce straightforward, uncomplicated pieces of work, which is definitely the case here. That's not a negative observation or knock against Krazy in any way. Like anything else, it's a learning process, and by and large everyone starts on the ground floor and works their way up. Where the variety topic comes into play is this track won't appeal to everyone, which holds true for every track for that matter…and yes, even ZooN tracks, believe it or not. But let's say you're an intermediate or even a rookie racer just starting out, and you've recently been introduced to add-ons, only discover quite a few of them are extremely complex in terms of navigation and difficult (at best) to traverse. Enter Krazy's 1st - an undemanding circuit with a layout that's not only easy to follow, but extremely fast paced with ample road space for plenty of elbowroom. That combination appeals to LOTS of racers, and even the pros sometimes need a break from Pinsane, Petrifying Springs, Valley of the Kings, Fine Line, Prideaux Pass, Cumbria, and the like. That's a great lineup, no doubt, but if you were to do a couple of laps on each of those tracks, afterwards you'd be looking for the nearest bottle of aspirin and cold compress to put on your head in an attempt to alleviate the killer migraine you'll have lol.
As for Krazy's 1st, as we said, it's a short, relatively flat circuit with a few average length straights in between to really get the mph count up. He's thrown in grandstands, a nice parking area, lots of trees, a few other props for filler, and a very nice soccer field for those who want to take a break from racing and relax by kicking the ball around. NKA_Krazy chose to go with the retro look; yep, this is actually an MTM 1 track. There's nothing wrong with that, especially if your one of those die-hard racers from the 97 - 99 time frame and long for the ambiance of yesteryear. From strictly a racing point of view this track certainly has the potential to produce some memorable runs with fantastic finishes. The reasons why are obvious, and have actually already been stated: easy layout and ample room to maneuver. Getting out in front and hanging on is crucial obviously, but there are a couple of spots where others will definitely make passing attempts. Tactically the approach to checkpoint 6 should be your first consideration for a pass. It's a
180° hairpin, so expect racers to try and sneak in underneath in an attempt to pass. If successful there, position yourself smartly, because next up is a tight
left-right combination, and if you don't set up properly for the left turn, you'll handcuff yourself for the ensuing right, giving the opponent and easy mark for the pass. Although basic in design, you're not going to get cheap wins just by getting a jump on the pack, especially if the skill levels of all involved are evenly (or near evenly) matched. In fact, if your not efficient when executing all the turns, expect those who do know a thing or two about cornering with surgeon-like precision to close on you, and in a hurry.
We made a few observations which we hope will help Krazy avoid some common pitfalls associated with novice track makers in his next track…and we certainly hope there is a next track! We'll begin with models. Overall they looked good; nicely placed, not haphazardly cluttered together, however this model
here should have been custom fitted with object boxes. The same flaw exists on the left side of the marker for
checkpoint one. Doing "seatbelt checks" from slamming into invisible portions of a model breaks down a racer's psyche after a few laps - they start crying and everything lol. Refitting models (especially those in the racing line) with object boxes would preclude such undesirable characteristics, yielding a happy racer, and a happy racer is…lol, ok that's enough of that! Moving right along, the bulldozer seen
here is sunk into the grown, which seems to suggest you placed the model, and then made a few terrain changes in that area. A good rule of thumb is to wait and place models last if at all possible. Next up is the penda walkway. Creatively speaking it adds to the atmosphere you were shooting for, but as you can see, it's a good ten feet off the ground due to the dip. Which brings us to the road textures. The bottom line is this is an MTM 1 track with MTM 1 textures, which didn't tile very well in that game, so needless to say they can't be expected to do so in MTM 2 either, which isn't a tragedy by any means. About the only thing left to say concerning the layout is all the turns have
90° angles instead of actual curved roadway. It gives off the impression you're somewhat of a T-square fanatic.
Lastly we noticed that the
directional signs are set to collide. Models can be set to one of thirteen different types. In this case, setting them to "sign", then assigning a weight of a few thousand pounds (5000 lbs is a good starting point) would have been a better option. Upon impact by a truck they would breakaway, as you would expect them to. If after testing you're dissatisfied with the effect, simply adjust the amount of <a href="http://cownap.com/~mtmg/contests/expo2003/replays/WeightTest.zip" target="_self">assigned weight</a> until you're content with the results. The larger directional signs are more a matter of personal preference - we've seen them both ways; break-away & set to collide.
Oh wait, one last thing- trees. We noticed you placed them in rows with a good measure of precision and symmetry, which is somewhat unrealistic. If in fact you were shooting for that classic MTM 1 retro look, then your approach was definitely on the mark. For a more natural look we recommend that you experiment with a more random pattern. A final note on your trees: there was speculation about whether or not they were floating; one judge said they were (ever so slightly) and another maintained that they weren't, and included
this picture to support his position. Since anonymity is priority one with our group, we're not going to mention that Malibu350 was the guy who said they were floating, supporting his claim with a
picture of his own. Much to our surprise, it was later revealed he used
this piece of machinery to raise the tree slightly off the ground, and then had his daughter snap a picture while he held it in place lol. Malibu350 was relieved of his duties as a judge and is now handing out towels in the MTMG locker room until further notice. We can only guess that the pressures of job finally pushed him over the edge lol.
A very impressive showing overall for your first time out, Krazy. Keep at it, partner, and by all means try the
MTMG Beta room before releasing your next track. Our guess is you'll be extremely pleased with the final results.
