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Happy Thanksgiving :o)



Rachel's Park 1603kb

http://malibu350.com/borchives/rachelviolet.jpg


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My god man...

I'm speachless, believe it or not.

The sheer beauty of this thing is just amazing. Phone wires, mailboxes, fences, the checkpoint markers are a great touch. It reminds me of a small town right East of my own.

The real "racetrack" in it isn't hidden very well though. Once you get haulin' around it, you really gotta stay on your toes, and pay attention to where your going. I caught myself gazing around more than once, and ended up stomping the Pizza Dude. That one corner by the Church is really tricky if you don't watch your speed.

Excellent detail, no lag at all, top notch Mal.

Huh, what'ya know... I guess I could find the right words

I'll have a lookat it tonite and i expect it to be like anything Mal does.
He's usually the type of guy to take a very simple layout and turn it into some exiting one. Cant wait to get back home now!


Who's Rachel anyway? hehehe

Just by looking at the picture i don't like the way the fence is done. Boooo, i'll scrap this one.






Yeah right, i ain't believing myself neither
Hehe

This track has the absolute worst texturing and modeling I've ever seen! And it is horrible to drive on!







Nope, add me in with Fila Great job Mal, it's in the game for good!

Thanks guys, it was a fun track to put together..



This is Rachel. ... almost called the park rachel's mantis instead lol ;o]


or cownap

Darn nice track bud. will add it to Team SLO's hof as soon as i get some time to turn a few laps on it or that someone send me some.

I got a .59.59 on it... lol

Might as well call it a minute flat!

That's my best so far, still testing a truck that'll whoop on it eventually, but that's the best I got so far, something to judge from anyway.

Shortly after the release of Orient Express, Mal pleases us with another creation. This guy seems to have plenty of free time, lol.

The track is certainly on the easier side compared to Orient Express, which doesn't mean it is a trivial drive. True, the braking pedal is unlikely to fell apart on this one, but thanks to the use of small but effective changes in elevation, not even the straight gives you an opportunity for a little (cow-)nap.

The "rhythm" section between CP6 and CP8 is my favorite part. Lap after lap this alternating sequence of turns shows you that no matter what you do, you are always on the wrong side of the track, lol.

Talking about the technical quality of Mal's textures usually ends up in a discussion about size, location and inauguration date of the statue he deserves, so let's skip this part...

The tones of the ground textures match perfectly with the autumnal colors of the trees. The appropriate palette and the absence of object that would require the missing colors almost let you forget the 8-bit color of MTM2. The result is a very dense, atmospheric drive.

Collision-wise, almost everything you see is what you get, which is another good thing. (Eventually I was able to recover from the disappointement that the narrower part at the bridges entry/exit is no- collide, lol).

Very well done, Mal

So true lol



I like that part where the road separate in two just before that bridge. It sure will be ground for some exiting moment when in a tight race both racer will separate and meet again to step on the bridge together. that is an original feature witch i dont remember seing on any other track before.

> i dont remember seing on any other track before.

There are a few

Yep, MIYH's Box Canyon is one of my favorite straights for that very reason lol.

Oh! doesn't change the fact that i haven't seen it .

Head out to the country and see Rachel's Park,
a quiet country village where the dogs don't bark.
It's an autumn romp on a circuit as fine
as the one forever known as Farm Road 29.

Begin the race on a fork in the road,
whether high road or low -- quite unfortold.
Then cross a stone bridge as the vista expands,
with pretty fall trees and a landscape as grand.

Then head down the road and swing round the lake,
to pass by the homestead where fresh pies are baked,
(where the horse lives in the barn and the kids stay up late).

Coasting downhill, cross the bridge on the lake,
then go under the overpass, where the slow trucks run late.
Then cruise down the road and past the school house,
where young track makers learn how to handle their mouse.

Then down the country lane and through the covered bridge,
past the lovely lakeshore where there's nary a midge.
Follow telephone lines that are trafficing fun,
where folks race through their modems, until some have won.

At the church a tame praying mantis lives in the trees,
and the pizza guy stops to give thanks for cheese,
where some racers are inside, to pray, on their knees,
then sing and give thanks, grateful to be free.

Round the bend by the lake and relish the breeze,
then carry on driving through the thicket of trees,
and when you emerge prepare to disembark,
you've come to the end of your tour of the park.

Aynsley? Is it you?

LOL, no.

Wow, how long did it take to write that?

It's really good! Bill Clinton and his new book better watch out.

It has a Winterkill-like flare to it if you ask me lol. That's where my money is.

I love every one of Mal's conversions, but this one is undeniably my favorite. Just talking about it makes me want to hop in my truck and run a few laps on it, but since I'm at work right now (slow night lol) that's not possible. The layout is nothing short of superb, which Mal isn't directly responsible for since this is a conversion. However, on most of the tracks he's brought over from 4x4 he makes adjustments in varying degrees to the terrain/layout to facilitate improved racing for MTM 2. I can't comment on the differences between Rachel's Park and the EVO 4x4 track he used as a base. I usually fire up EVO 4X4 to have a look-see, but again, I'm at work so like...I'm handcuffed lol. "If" this is purely from scractch, however...well, I say RF should give Mal is first born, and throw in a case of Bud for good measure lol.

One of the things that makes this such an incredible track is the model work he's done to create an ambience that's just mind blowing in my opinion. Makes me wanna camp out under one of those trees with a red and white checkered blanket, a picnic basket with a big 'ole turkey leg, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn on the cob, green beans (gotta throw a green vegetable in there to keep Mom happy) pumpkin pie, apple pie...the works. I'd usually add my wife and son to the mix, but with only one picnic basket I think it's best I leave them out that way I don't have to share lol.

One thing I noticed about this track that I don't recall ever experiencing before when racing is when coming around that last corner and heading for the finish line, I actually ducked my head as if to avoid colliding with the tree branches that are within very close proximity to the road lolol. I laughed at myself of course, and I think I muttered something like "that dang Mal" lol. It's a speedy little sucker with extreeeeemely tight turns and a split-level fork at the start that can really take you by surprise at the start of a new lap if you're not careful. Lastly, it's not the kind of track you can just hop on and expect to cruise through it without having "issues". You have to practice this one a little, learn the turns, the characteristics of the layout, as well as when and where to use a little accelerator control. So yes, expect to crash and hit stuff...a lot of stuff lol, but once you get the hang of it you'll love it, I assure you.

It's pretty much automatic that a Malibu350 track will yield a Copey Rating of "10", but this particular one is special to me, so it gets an unprecedented "10+"! Mal, I almost sent ya a check out of sheer appreciation for this one...but I used the money to buy Snickers bar instead. Sorry man, maybe next time lol.

Outstanding work, bud...truly. I think people would be shocked if they knew how much time you put into making a track like this. On top of that, you do your own beta testing on most of your stuff lol - geez!! As for Rachel's Park, however, every time I run this baby I'm amazed all over again...and then I crash into something because I wasn't paying attention to the road lol.

Same to you pal.

Great track. I found some old screenshots....


<center><img src="http://mtm2.com/~forum/images/parklodge.jpg"></center>




Well said!




Well, said. ha!

Aint it the truth lol, does mal even have a job? does he even leave the house?