Fast Lap:
00:37.11 by SLO_Jumper
Garage Setting:
1300 med tires/soft suspension
Clouds are not necessarily a bad thing, Mal lol. I’m telling ya man, time and time again you’ve taken these very small, basic layouts and made them into MTM 2 classics, and that’s not just my opinion either. I think one other guy feels the same way, but he doesn't play the game anymore, so I guess we can't count him, huh? LOL kidding, of course.
I don’t recall what track I was reviewing, but I mumbled something about just because a person is well versed in binedit/binedit 2, paint programs, and can manipulate Traxx doesn’t mean they know how to make tracks…ya know? In many ways it's a craft, and it takes significantly more than just connecting the dots and filling in the blanks. Ragin Cajun is probably one of the finest examples of simplicity (layout) combined with complexity (superb model work – both animated and static) that will max the fun meters of racers irrespective of the level of play, whether it’s rookie, intermediate or pro. Few track makers are able to pull off such a feat, but Mal has done it time and time again…and he makes it seem so routine. It’s sickening lol.
What many of you may not know is this is one of the few tracks where Mal used beta testers. I suppose you could say it’s (beta testing) kind of a pet peeve of mine because I harp on track makers about this all the time. It just makes good sense to have different eyes looking at your work with the collective goal being to come out with a final product that’s measurably better than it would have been without input from others. Where Mal fits into all of this is he rarely uses testers. On the surface that may not seem to have much impact, but let me tell ya, line up 6 or 7 of his tracks and set aside some time to just wander thru them having a good look around…and be sure to max out your graphics settings. If you’re not amazed and impressed by the superior workmanship and attention to detail, then maybe Scrabble is more your speed lol. All I know is it literally astounds me that he’s capable of staying on top of all the microscopic details, and again, given the complexity of his tracks…well geez, I kinda get all misty (in a good way) just thinking about it lol. Winterkill probably best described how I felt after he ran a few laps on a beta version and noticed a few trees that were “root-side up”, as he put it: “
I guess you had to give Cope something to notice so he wouldn't feel he'd wasted his time testing, in case everything was otherwise perfect." Yep, that pretty much sums it up, too, but Phin had already beat me to em lol. I recall Mal handing me a beta version of “KC’s Backyard”. I found one boulder that needed adjusting, and suggested that one of his bridges be tilted slightly more to the right. That’s all I found lol. As a matter of fact, now that I’ve written this stuff and thought about it a little, I’m not sure if I want to beta test any more of Mal’s tracks. I would probably feel more useful watching the snow melt in my backyard lol.
All kidding aside (temporarily), Mal’s work seems to always fall into the “that’s just incredible” category. Ok so maybe I did unfairly label him a “master of short circuits”, which could suggest to some that he’s incapable of producing a decent rally. But we know that’s not true because of classic tracks like “Rock Ridge”, “Panama”, “Skull Islands”, “Siberia Creek” “Deadman’s Gulch”, and “Kodiak Island”. I don’t know, I kinda thought that if someone put the word “master” in front of anything it was typically a compliment of sorts. Then again maybe Mal’s just cranky—who the heck knows lol. The bottom line is like every track I’ve reviewed buy this guy, to include the couple I haven’t (yet lol), this baby is a slam-dunk “
10” – no doubt about it. What more can I say, bud – another great track in a long line of masterpieces! I can’t wait to see what’s next. Say – what is next, anyway?
![[:P]](./images/smilies/smilie_wag.gif "Razz")
