'Floating' karts

[You Kissed a Boy and Liked It]

I have not played the beta, nor have I watched much gameplay footage, so I'm simply throwing this out there in advisement --

Please take care to ensure that the karts 'stick to' the tracks realistically, and exhibit logical 'weight'. I've noticed in some racers (e.g., Moto Racer 4) that certain vehicles (bikes, in this case) feel like they're 'floating' just above the surface of the race track. This is, suffice it to say, is very disconcerting and rather immersion-breaking.

I hope The Karters will not suffer this problem... As it seems to be a recent-ish occurrence (game engine related... dunno), because I do not recall ever having this sense in games of this genre in the past. ⚠

[Withywarlock]

I know what you mean, and it's something that I often miss when critiquing a game. The Karters plays smoothly, but without going back into the beta I couldn't tell you how floaty the vehicles were. I'm looking back at a First Impressions video I did, and powersliding seemed to be the closest the game got to "grippy" controls on the track, helped by the tyre marks.

Could you tell us some examples of games you've played in this genre, just so we can compare & contrast our experiences? ^^

[CrasheR]

well, when i can assure that the kart doesn't floats, otherwise it sometimes get inside on the ground, but devs already know about it. so, don't hurry

[💀]

To be honest it's almost the opposite: actually is really hard make small jumps or see your kart floating, the kart stays most of the time on the ground, gravity seems to work just fine, we will se during phase 2 about these issues maybe on multyplayer sync aspect

[You Kissed a Boy and Liked It]

Fistfantastic eredeti hozzászólása:

Could you tell us some examples of games you've played in this genre, just so we can compare & contrast our experiences? ^^

Too many to list all of them. However, some examples of racing games that conveyed good / relative / satisfactory (i.e., it wasn't a grievance that entered my mind) vehicular 'weight', Blur (PC/PS360) (*very good), Super Mario Kart (SNES) ("Mode-7" visuals, so it felt quiet "Scalextric" / 'magnetic'), Diddy Kong Racing (N64) (*probably the best of the kart games, in this respect -- karts followed the track undulations almost 'too' well) and, for a more modern, PC / Steam example, Gas Guzzlers (*well-polished in all such respects).

One racing game I will make special mention of -- as being a definitive example of good conveyance of vehicular weight -- is GRiD. I did not put copious hours into said arcade / sim racer, but the sheer 'thud!' of the chassis of the cars hitting the bitumen, after landing a jump etc., was as visceral as I've experienced in a racing game and has stayed with me ever since. It's the Gears of War cover system of vehicular weight, if you will.

Now, The Karters is a kart "battle" racer, with cutesy drivers and all manner fantastical shenanigans -- thus, I would not expect it to be GRiD + furries (lol). But, I would entreat the devs to take care that the game does not suffer from what (as broached) Moto Racer 4 bikes do -- vehicles feeling like "hover" bikes / karts. For this one aspect of a racing game can undermine eveything else [good] it may engender... ⚠
(NB: The ATV's in said game, aren't too bad in this respect -- only the two-wheeler bikes (esp. road bikes) feel like they maintain a 'gap' between wheels and track. Rather disconcerting, given many of the tracks are of a dirty / mud variety and, as such, serving to exacerbate the "hover-y" feel.)

[You Kissed a Boy and Liked It]

Costa eredeti hozzászólása:

To be honest it's almost the opposite: actually is really hard make small jumps or see your kart floating

I'm not actually referring to how much "air" a vehicles gets -- they can fly to the Moon, as far as I care, as long as they hit the track with a thud! and then race as if gravity has them / their wheels anchored to the surface (not hovering above it).

One possible solution, I guess, might be to have the wheels of vehicles 'sink' into the tracks (where applicable -- dirty, mud etc.), in order to 'hide' any such anomalies. Dunno... Just spit ballin'.

But, as I said, it's not how stratospheric the jumps are or are not, but how well 'glued' to the tracks the vehicles are whilst racing normally.

[Withywarlock]

In that case I can say that The Karters ought to meet your expectations. We have quite similar tastes and experiences, so I'm glad I asked. The Karters is definitely more reminiscent of CTR/Diddy Kong Racing than other racing games, and I think as the beta goes on the devs will be able to do more to make karts feel stickier. They've done a real good job of listening to feedback so far.

If you've signed up for the beta, I hope you can see for yourself! ^^

[You Kissed a Boy and Liked It]

^ Yeah. I hope so. Been waiting for a worthy successor to carry the halcyon battle-karting days torch since the late 90's, only to be [mostly] disappointed.

Here's hoping The Karters finally buries Mario Kart and ushers in a new Age or karting utopia... 🤞