Project Monster. (No longer in the works, sorry)

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 1:09 pm

About the cameras:

For replays, those were exactly my thoughts - zero in on one guy or get a wider angle and watch everyone. I think the any-spot-on-the-truck thing would work too.

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 12:29 pm

What kind of parts are going to break off here?

IDK how you're going to have the body "break" but might I suggest that is has several "points of attachment" to the frame, that is when one point "breaks" the body is free to move around (and flex) as it would only be attacked at the remaining "P.O.A's"

Just think about when Grave Digger's nose moves around after some slight damage, or when Raminator's bed was hanging off on one side in that freestyle video on Midwest Monsters.

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 12:31 pm

What kind of parts are going to break off here?

IDK how you're going to have the body "break" but might I suggest that is has several "points of attachment" to the frame, that is when one point "breaks" the body is free to move around (and flex) as it would only be attacked at the remaining "P.O.A's"

Just think about when Grave Digger's nose moves around after some slight damage, or when Raminator's bed was hanging off on one side in that freestyle video on Midwest Monsters.

wee_jimmy_mehrts · Post by **wee_jimmy_mehrts** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 8:59 pm

How Many Gears are each of the trucks going to have?
the original MTM2 three or are you going to a 4 speed gear box?

SLO_SCATTER · Post by **SLO_SCATTER** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 11:18 am

As long as there's an automatic tranny mode. Besides, that's what real monster trucks use anyway. The drivers (ie-Dennis Anderson) just shift the auto tranny manually, if that makes sense.

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 11:22 am

The parts that will break off will be body parts. I don't know about swivelling or not.

You will be able to select between manual and automatic transmission.

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 12:32 pm

It's not really a swivel, it's more of a "flexing."

I was just asking lol, I wasn't trying to put another demand on the list lol.

carcrusher · Post by **carcrusher** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 7:24 pm

are you able to do a replay camera like the ratbag games have that you can move the camera to wherever you want in the stadium and then play the action?

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 12:36 pm

I hope to have a pretty good replay system going. It would probably act sort of like in mtm2 if you go too long, but the numbers would get awfully big. I'll think about it.

EJD · Post by **EJD** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 8:15 am

A few more ideas...

1. You can watch other trucks in Freestyle so you know what you have to do to get a higher score.
2. At the end of the Freestyle run, the camera zooms to the crowd and three boards with numbers pop up. Say, [8][5][6] makes your score 19. These are the judge's scores!
3. There are sometimes camper vans to SMASH through!
4. The ability to specify the truck you want, e.g. Grave Digger number 1 to 20.

Hope some of these help make Project Monster even better!

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:09 pm

...which is where addons come in, buddy.

What's the point of having the judges when judges can just type in numbers like they do now in mtm2.

You can smash through objects in mtm2, its just a matter of how they are laid out on the track. Again, addons.

If you want a certain truck you can make it or download an addone somebody else made... just like MTM2.

EJD · Post by **EJD** » Sun Jan 01, 2006 5:25 am

I stand corrected!

But what I really mean for the Judges and thier boards is in Single Player mode, where no-one else is watching online.

DaveTheSmasher · Post by **DaveTheSmasher** » Sun Jan 01, 2006 10:43 am

It's a good idea but tough IMO because you would have to program the AI to score you accordingly... you could go out and have a real awsome run and get scored low OR you could go out and wreck early and have a real great score... I'm sure matt's capable of programing this up but unless we have an event mode where you could get a set amount of trucks per arena and then compete it would be rather useless... but that is my oppion... plus how could we manage to set up a good scoring system... what would be the most realistic way...

I love the idea of your own music to be added... And I have an idea concerning entrances... perhaps a possible weather setting for arena entrances where the lights dim and a spot light could come on maybe fireworks for a particular truck when they blast out of the tunnel... and if there was an event mode we could watch each truck come out of the tunnel and mess around the arena like a lotta MJ's... oh and what about a spectator mode where you don't have to play anything you just sit back and watch the show unfold via the nifty replay system...

ThisxTimeXItsxWar · Post by **ThisxTimeXItsxWar** » Sun Jan 01, 2006 11:43 am

hell, i'd be content with a free roam as fs, scoreing or not, it'd be fun ;)

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 8:35 am

Maybe free roam should be a game mode.

Well, my holiday break is all done. Anyone know what that means? It means it's time to start working on Project Monster again!

I just assigned the front movable parts (shocks, shock rams, four-link bars) onto the brand-new front part skeleton. Oh, I forgot to tell you about that. Real monster truck axles are not meant to rotate from side to side, and I was having problems with the four-way skeleton, so I split it into two parts before the holidays. Nothing was properly mapped yet, so that's what I did. I can now increase or decrease the amount of pressure applied to the front suspension system with the S and X keys.

Next stop: Mapping the rear parts

Edit - finished! The parts for the rear suspension are in place and will move and rotate the same way as with the front suspension, except controlled with the A and Z keys.

Greenday19 · Post by **Greenday19** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 10:55 am

Wow Mat, sounds like you're making a lot of progress pretty fast. Keep up the great work man.

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 11:22 am

I think so. Here's another update. I examined my previous garage and realized that monster trucks are high enough off the ground not to require a pit, which is a word for the space underneath a vehicle (a walkway under the floor) used by mechanics during work. You can just duck a little and get right under a monster truck, but you need a pit to get under a car that way. So I took out the pit, this being a monster truck garage. Here's a picture - I actually used A, Z, S, and X to position the suspension.

pablo · Post by **pablo** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 11:53 pm

hey man, this game is gonna be epic. In terms of steering will we be able to use our controllers and steering wheels or just keyboard?
Also, what percentage are ya up to in terms of completeness?

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:41 am

Steering wheel, joystick, and keyboard will be supported. I've tried them out with Acknex and they work just great. Glad to see you like the game. Forget my previous idea about the percentage - I'm about 15% done.

EJD · Post by **EJD** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 11:11 am

More ideas coming your way Mat!

1. Online freestyle tournament, like http://www.geocities.com/chillydog1313/mjmain.html but in Project Monster.
2. If you lose a wheel, you can keep running. Just like Mr. Meents did last year in Atlanta, driving Maximum Destruction!
3. Camera flashes in the crowd when you pull really spectacular stuff, like a wheelie, big air or donut!
4. Cockpit view where you can look down through the floor and see the wheels, etc.

Those would be very cool!