MTM2.com

I know there are a lot of things you can edit about MTM2, new tracks, new trucks, the UI, etc. I want to know, can you edit the way the computer trucks race? For example, I can't stand how much the truck fishtails on me and turns into a dull ice skate when I want to make a full speed turn. However, when I race on a lower level so I can control the truck better, the computer trucks virtually come to a stop in the turns. Is there any way you can make the computer trucks on the rookie level, drive as hard as the professional level without me having to battle the sliding and fishtailing? I don't want to go online and race other people because they want to do rumbles on professional. I want to race the computer on rookie, and have them drive as hard and fast as if they were on professional.

Unfortunately, you can't mix and match driving levels. And yes, I agree the fish-tailing is a bit of a problem the first time you try out the pro driving level. However, once you get used to it, it's actually not much of a problem at all. May I suggest you try these couple tracks in order to better acquaint yourself with the pro 'feel'. Both have wide lanes and are very forgiving while you're getting used to the differences in driving level.
<ul><li><a href="http://cownap.com/~tracks/details.cgi?t=3201">Muskoka Road</a></li><li><a href="http://cownap.com/~tracks/details.cgi?t=990">Alpine's Crazy</a></li></ul>
There are a few other wide lane driving school type tracks too. Let us know and we'll see what we can hook you up with.

Being the short track fan I am, I do suggest that you find short easy tracks. There fast and simple. A great beginners tool. Onan made great nascar style tracks here =

http://www.karf.net/~tracks/tracks.cgi?s=ONaN&m=on

As I said, great for learning corners and speed. Once your ready, this is a
GREAT test of skill track =

http://cownap.com/~tracks/details.cgi?t=3887

Made by Malibu_350. Short fast and takes all basic skill's.
My 2 cent's. LoL

you will also see that rookie settings are slower.. once you get used to pro settings you will get far better lap times.. also your setups make a big dif in races.. it seams I very seldom ever have any gears set over 1200 .. med tires for dirt .. deep for sand shallow for roads .. thats if the track maker has set up the textues corectly .. also .. shocks make a dif in handling...

hope that helps..

I hear ya, Hockey, but to tell you the truth there's still quite a bit of racing going on, so I for one encourage you to come on out and play with us. We'll be glad to help you out - show you shortcuts, racing lines, give you general tips and the like. One thing's for sure, and that is you'll get a lot better in a shorter period of time racing online than you will by being a strictly offline racer. When I was learning I would often times pull my truck over, hit "K" (next truck - we call it "riding with") and hop in the truck of someone who was a really good racer and just watch. I also watched replays of tracks, and coupled that with offline practice. The cumulative result was my racing ability improved, and quickly. Course, there are still those days when you race like crap no matter how good you are lol. It happens to us all.

Seriously though, I hope you venture out onto the zone. I think you'd have a lot of fun, and hey - I'd personally make it my goal to transform you into a 'turn and burn' rocket-like racer . . . then you can beat up on SLO_Jumper like I do lol. I also call him names when I'm beating him, but that's just because we're such good friends lol.

Come out bud - look me up!

When you talk about the Zone, the last few times I've been there, there have only been a couple of rooms open, and they're locked with teams only doing their thing. I understand that. But also I've noticed that it seems like MTM2 has died at the Zone. Everyone who goes there now, just goes to chat. Everyone I talk to there says that MTM2 has died there, and its just turned into a chat room.

People will tell you stories if you let them. It's like asking for directions in a city you've never been too. You're better off just buying a map. And for mtm2, here's a good starter map.

http://shadowprincess.com/tourneys/mtm2.html

You won't hear talk of chat only or the game dying there.

The Zone isn't nearly as lively and robust as it once was, but it's anything but dead. The people who tell you that may not play MTM 2 for any number of reasons, but by no means is it dead.

Tell ya what, I don't know what kind of connection you have, but if you're on cable or dsl, check out one or more of our track lists and come to the Zone. We'll run with ya - guaranteed. If you're on dial-up, my guess is you know someone with cable or dsl lol - have them d/l it for ya!

For our Fast Lane events (every Friday night) we pick one list to run for 6 weeks to allow people to get to know the tracks. We're currently running the Replica Fan List, which may be a good one to start with.

Is your Zone name HockyUltima? If so, I'll add you to my friends list and you can buzz me when you sign on. I work nights, home during the day. I'm not sure what time zone you're in, but I'm fairly sure we should be able to squeeze in some racing time.

So come out, bud and let's do some racing!

Actually, I like that detail. Real trucks and cars do slide around turns when you take them at fastspeeds, while the beginner and medium settings of MTM2 make the trucks corner as if they were on steel rails (and no 10,000 pound truck will do that at speed).

The trick is to learn how to drive on dirt, since the characteristics of the pro setting in this game follows that type of driving, whether the track has dirt or paved roads. You steer with the throttle as much as you use the steering wheel.

Start your turn early, then control the angle of the slide as you reach the apex using throttle and quick steering actions. It takes a little time to learn, but once you get it down, you will have much more fun (and be a better driver in the real world in wet or loose tractions conditions).

This may seem like a silly suggestion, but if you get the chance, watch a few episodes of DUKES OF HAZZARD, and notice how the professional drivers get around those dirt roads so quickly. Note that they will swing the back end out BEFORE they reach the turn, then use throttle and counter-steering to maintain the direction of the car.

TIP: ...Using a steering wheel & pedals is best with this game, since it is difficult to control powerslides using a keyboard (which makes fine control of steering difficult, and only allows full on/full off throttle control). Joysticks are OK, but not as good as a wheel.

The people telling you that MTM2 is dead are probably the ones that don't even have the game installed. A lot of them just go to the Zone to brag about how good they are/were at the game, or to flood it with useless garbage preventing other people to use the chat.

But there are still people in there that like to race/rumble, so come on in and join us.

MTM2 is NOT dead.

Yup, that's all too true. There's many people on the zone that just chat all day, never play a single game, and say how they could beat anyone if they wanted to. That's all talk, and those are the ones who say "MTM2 is dead."

There are, however, still a good number of people that still play the game actively every day.

So, as Scat said...come join us sometime.

Um, the only factual part to your statement, BD is that power slides are hard to control with keys. Even that's somewhat subjective since it can be done, and effectively; it's just a bit more labor intensive without a controller. But if you're looking at running fast laps, only use powerslides if you absolutely have to. Anytime you're slideing you're losing time. Precision cornering and throttle control will yield faster times in the long run.

As for what's best - wheel or joystick, the answer is neither is better, however, a joystick is the preferred tool of rumblers because you can do 360º turns almost effortlessly. Yep, you can pull it off with a wheel, too, but it's a little more involved. I'm a wheel user myself, but I've never held the opinion that a wheel is better. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I've raced against some super fast guys in this game; some had wheels, others used sticks. But just to give you and idea, here are the names of some MTM 2's elite racers with their weapon of choice:

SLO_Jumper - stick
SLO_Raz - wheel
GTX_Bug - Not sure, stick I think. I've raced him tho. Well, he was racing lol.
GTX_Fly - wheel
GTX_Nefarious - stick
RIP_DirtyRacer - wheel
RIP_Boom - stick I think.
RIP_Buzzz - stick
RIP_Shaggy - wheel
NIRco_uLtRaMaX_ - wheel

Now, on the flip side, Mal holds the HoF record for Smoke & Mirrors @ 4:24, which is nothing short of an awesome lap time. Bimmer took a HoF record from me (World Grand Prix 1) - both guys are on keys. Bimmer also took the fast lap time on Learning to Fly from MonkeyBrnz (wheel). Still, complex tracks like Strip 'n Go Coal, Valley of Kings, Cumbria, Lakebed Extreme and the like will ultimately prove to be too much for guys on keys with respect to running fast laps. There are just too many subtle nuances that go into running HoF laps, and based on what I've seen, it's just too much for keyboard users. Yes, there are always exceptions, but track for track, a joystick or wheel will win out over a keyboard user.

If you watch any of the replays on our HoF page you couldn't tell who uses what. Moreover, regardless of whether you use a stick, wheel or keyboard, if you don't have the reflexes, patience, determination, and know-how with respect to breaking a track down in order to assess where you can pick up time, it really doesn't matter what you use lol.

My advice would be to get whichever one you prefer (stick or wheel). It'll take some time to get used to it, but in the long run you'll be much happier . . . and so will your fingers lol. Oh, and as for powerslides, yes, they can be tricky to get the hang of,

That may be true on realistic driving games, but I have found the opposite when racing with MTM2's not-so-realistic physics . While I haven't raced online in a long time, I use to win a lot of races using the sliding method at the Zone.

And while we are on this, the powerslide method may apply to other games too. Look at the RALLY races on Grand Turismo, which are usually done on dirt tracks (like the "Pike's Peak" course). The fastest cars slide around turns rather than "brake and turn", which is a technique used best on pavement courses.

Have you ever seen a car win the real Pike's Peak without powersliding? Neither have I. Dirt tracks are a completely different animal compared to asphalt tracks like Laguna Seca, and require different driving methods.


My point is, different track types require different techniques. I don't powerslide when playing Viper Racing, Grand Turismo (on paved tracks), Sports Car GT, etc, but I DO use the slide technique in MTM2 with success. Most of the MTM2 tracks are on dirt, and the way the physics are written, even the trucks driven on paved courses show some dirt-track-like reactions, and don't brake and accelerate very realistically.


As to the stick versus wheel argument....

That choice depends on the individual and what they are use to, I suppose. I've been driving real cars (pretty fast sometimes) for over 25 years, so my driving instincts and skills do best with a wheel in my hands and pedals beneath my feet. Yep, there's a number of people who developed very good racing skills using joysticks, but they did so by playing games, not by driving in the real world.

You must admit that developing good driving abilities with a joystick in hand isn't going to improve your real world driving instincts very much, since real cars don't come with sticks for steering. braking and acceleration (except those for the handicapped, of course)..

For me, a wheel is best when driving sims, and gimme a stick for realistic flight sims (I'm very good at those, and flying RC aircraft too).....As far as using keyboards, lets play chess or Space Invaders .

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SPEAKING of using joysticks for driving monster trucks, there was a blue Camaro monster truck in the 80's that had a custom-made joystick for gas, brake and steering. It never did well in races though, because the driver would get tossed about while driving over cars and obstacles, which made fine control of the stick position difficult (something gamers don't have to worry about). Anyone remember the name of that machine?

That's my whole point right there - wheels work best for you. To say that wheels are best for this game is untrue. Far too many fast guys out here with sticks, and actually, depending on the track and what kind of stunts are involved, sticks make for easier maneuvering.

As for powersliding . . . I tell you what, run some of those tracks on our HoF using your powersliding technique. I guarantee you won't match those times lol. Again, powersliding is a handy little technique, but if I'm chasing someone (or they're chasing me) . . . and I'm talking dirt or whatever, and they're powersliding while I'm taking corners with smooth, precision-like turns . . . I'll run em down every time. Hehe done it all too often, bud. If you want I can prove it; hop online and pick a track lol.

> ...As far as using keyboards, lets play chess or Space Invaders.

is that a fact?

I've spent a few years fine tuning my keyboard and got pretty good at it if I do say so myself, not by choice mind you, but by circumstance. ... bolting pedals to the floor here and clamping a wheel to my desk was not an option anymore than a stick would be so I made the best of what I had to work with.

???

No...It's a suggestion. What's that comment all about? I don't understand your point... It wasn't my intention to insult a friend, if that is how you took it, but your post almost sounded hostile.

I too have been driving with the keyboard since 2003 (because I also had no choice), but it's not even close to my preference of choice. I only used it for testing new trucks.

I haven't been racing games for a long time, as I don't feel the same amount of control pushing buttons as I do with proportional steering, so I don't enjoy keyboard driving as a result. When I play a driving game, I like it to feel as much like real driving as possible, and so I use a wheel. A joystick just doesn't give me the same driving pleasure, and keys even more so.

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Cope, my wheel hasn't worked for 2 years now (I could not get the trucks/cars to turn to the right), but I think I fixed it, so I thank you for the inspiration to do something about it.

I took it apart (musta been 25 screws), unsoldered the wires and removed the potentiometer, took THAT apart, cleaned it out, reassembled everything, and now I have a working wheel again! I had intended to try to replace the pot, but it turned out to be a unique design that I don't think I could have easily replaced, so I'm glad it was repairable.


if we hadn't had this conversation, my wheel would still be sitting in dusty, unusuable condition in the bottom of my closet, so I appreciate you giving me the urge to try and fix it. Now I may have to look into obtaining newer driving games again.

Looks like I'm pretty rusty though. I'm practicing on Maui Waui and Zoonette Euro, since those are 2 tracks on Team Slo's list that I am familiar with, but I feel like I'm starting all over...

...so give me some time to get used to racing in the game again, and I'll see what's the best I can do. It's been years since I did this ( I raced online between 1999 and 2003).

.

P.S...I use automatic tranny, since I'm use to 4 and 5 speed shift patterns and a clutch in the real world, and my game wheel just has a push/pull shifter and no clutch. Are those best times on your site done with Auto or Manual transmission? (I heard that manual is faster in MTM2). Just curious. I may have to start practicing using the shifter this time.

No hostility there DOGGe, you showed disdain for keyboard control and so prompted a response from a keyboarder -- "I've spent a few years fine tuning my keyboard and got pretty good at it if I do say so myself".

As for what Cope was saying in his last posting, my eyes were opened to that when I saw Jumper running my own track -- like I'd never been able to run it. Where I'd be powersliding he'd be controlling his momentum and steering/accelerating to much greater effect. Still, I like to powerslide, and think the rookie setting should have been disabled by the patch.

It was the "Is that a fact?" line that disturbed me, not the rest, since I was stating my preference when I mentioned keyboard play with driving games, not factual information. it just seemed a little harsh of a response, that's all.

I too love to slide. I suppose TRI could have done better just slowing the trucks down instead of giving them what feels like perfect traction in rookie mode. That would have helped new players develop skills they could use when moving up to pro mode.

Still I may have to eat my words, or at least gum them a bit. Some tracks do work well with powersliding, while many others seem to work better when you avoid sliding. I suppose preference has a lot to do with it.


Perhaps I played the "POWERSLIDE" driving game too much during my PC racing days ( ).

I too have used keys for the entire time that I've been playing MTM2 (since '98 ). I use keys by choice, and at anytime could take my gamepad or joystick and use those for primary controls, but I use the keyboard. All the experience I have with controlling a truck using keys, I can give a competitive race to anyone no matter what their use for controls is, in my opinion. As Cope already mentioned, I also have taken HoF times from 2 wheel users and set my own new records on another track.

I think, what it comes down to is how much time you have put into a certain type of controller; If someone has used a wheel for 10 min, they're going to feel like they're starting all over again, let them use that wheel for a year or so and they'll have it mastered well enough to give competition out there in the races. I think this goes for any type of controller used, and the keyboarders that can stand up to wheel/joystick users is a great example of this.

Realistically, there is no best type of control to be used, it's the time you put into practicing, and perfecting it that counts.

So true....You have to develop the skills in order to be good with anything.

Also, concerning your race times beating a couple of wheel users.....Just having a wheel doesn't make one a great driver. Some folk never become that great at a task or job, regardless of how long they do it (I know, because I have worked for managers who fall into that catagory) .