Different sort of track ...

[FranknFurter]

Hi folks, as on requests for my old 'Smokey and the Bandit' game setup I have a question/request here from my side:

Who would like to create (or modify an existing track) maybe in a 'Texarkana, Texas to Atlanta, Georgia' style like in the movie? (If you're looking for some new tasks concerning track creating )



And, as a second thought, was it possible to create a 'non-circular' track or 'open' track like in the later versions of NFS? (In HP2 you had that choice already)
Afraid this isn't really possible since I already deleted the last Block of a track, the game then behaved quite a bit strange ..
But perhaps the Hex Tinklers here might find a way ..? (Like adding a 'just ONE round' option?)

Another question: how many blocks can a track have in general? I noticed for example that SlawekR's large Hong Kong' track has 254 blocks, this is more than on any track I've seen and also doesn't correspond to the number of track blocks in any of the 'default tracks'. Ok, you can add as many blocks as you wish perhaps, but is there a certain limit? (like 256 perhaps? -> 2⁸) .. just wondernig .. as always

In addition to that, the game by default 'spreads' the (also by default) 5 cop cars allover the track and lets them 'patrol' within their range of assigned number of blocks so far.

As you can read in the 'Ghost file ..' thread, DrSpeed would probably manage to add three additional cop cars:

Yes, that would work. A Smokey and the Bandit style race would be: you have Bandit and Snowman as the speeders. The police team would be Sheriff Buford with 7 other police cars (who all can have any police car in the game)

Question here: would the additional three cops become regularly 'queued' into the row of cops or would they be shattered allover the track more or less randomly? And, if the game recognizes a somewhat increased or 'irregular' number of blocks in a track, would it divide the blocks' number properly so there wouldn't be too many passages without cops? (I will post that question later in his thread, too ..)

Ok .. those might be silly questions to some of you perhaps but some may have applicable answers?

Greetings
Frank

[XJ220]

There was an HS drag strip at JP Racing which, according to its description, actually allowed for proper drag races as long as you set the number of laps to... 2? So, to some degree, it is already possible. Don't ask me how, though

[WiLL]

Yea, I always Remember that one   
Choose the Good day,an better week.

[nfsfan83]

It depends, sometimes track has 100 block sometimes more than 200, Honkong was based on Pacific Spirit track and have 254 blocks. My wish is possibilty to add segmented tracks to NFS4.

[FranknFurter]

Hello Slawek!
Yes, I think 'GT1' has the least number of Blocks (104) while 'Summit' has by default 216 Blocks, the highest number so far of the NFS:HS/HP tracks. You once mentioned those 'segmented tracks', although I have to admit I cannot really imagine what you mean by that

BTW Nice to hear from you, I'm a great fan of your work. Do you have any recent projects still? What do you think of the idea creating a track like that? I'm not so good at that, I can tinker a bit with TRedit, but I am lacking those artistic skills of you track makers

Greetings
Frank

[nfsfan83]

Hello Slawek!
Yes, I think 'GT1' has the least number of Blocks (104) while 'Summit' has by default 216 Blocks, the highest number so far of the NFS:HS/HP tracks. You once mentioned those 'segmented tracks', although I have to admit I cannot really imagine what you mean by that

Segmented track, I mean not close (circle) tracks from NFS1 you know, you have one race not few laps

No, at now I don't have any city projects in plans also I think, people are not interested huge city tracks

About your idea, to create one big long track, is it very hard, need many textures for each city etc

[FranknFurter]

Hello Slawek,
sorry for my late reply ..

Segmented track, I mean not close (circle) tracks from NFS1 you know, you have one race not few laps

Ok, so 'segmented track' to you means an 'open track' as I called it , like it was on HP2 where you could choose between circulated races (laps) and an 'open' track with a 'one-time' race on the same track.

Even JP Racing's 'POWER PARK DRAGSTRIP' is not a real segmented track if you look at it in TrED, it is just that the track polies (and all other) are missing on the 'invisible' part, if you look at the 'Virtual Bitmap Road Data' you can see that it is still a circulated track.

No, at now I don't have any city projects in plans also I think, people are not interested huge city tracks

Cannot agree, I have all of your large city tracks, I even reworked your 'Hong Kong' track with some illuminated textures within the 'business area' .. I think it was more the problem that not all of your tracks could be loaded because they were too costly, but with the VEG Patch running this is no problem anymore.

About your idea, to create one big long track, is it very hard, need many textures for each city etc

It is more the idea of combining/merging already available tracks, like you start in 'Texakarna, Texas' (Deadly Outback here for example or just default 'Redrock Ridge'?), drive through a more green rural area like Hometown (which had to be 'extended' a bit perhaps) and then arrive in a fictional 'Atlanta, Georgia' which could be something like 'Atlantica'? just like in the movie.

If it is not possible to make that as a 'segmented' track, think of 'Mystic Peaks SE' where you circle down a double loop (which could be simply a tunnel to save textures?) after reaching the summit and pass through the valley village again? Or, is it possible to just race the same track 'back' again?

Again, thanks for your great work so far ..
Greetings
Frank

[nfsfan83]

No problem I also replay lately In Hot Pursuit 2 you don't have open track???

Coastal Parklands

http://wiki.nfsunlimited.net/wiki/NFSHP2_Track:_Coastal_Parklands

maybe you mean in Hot Pursuit 2010 No matter.

I mean segmented track like this:

http://nfs.wikia.com/wiki/The_Need_for_Speed/Courses

In this you have start and finish and there are 3 segments in City theme.

About your idea mixed tracks at now it is for me unenforceable sorry I don't have patience

Few years ago I think about Rout 66 big track but it is also open track

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4NZgeZG7kw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6KJ6WMTR-g

And best one 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veJvULuBhzc

[FranknFurter]

Hello Slawek!

Yes, in HP2 you do have open tracks (Start-Finish), it is one of three options within a track 'family' you can choose, that's what I meant. I don't remember the names, but have two circular tracks to drive laps upon and one open-track option where you drive the whole course one time from Start to Finish.

Compared with NFS4 that would mean: Atlantica and Aquatica share a certain part of the whole track while Aquatica splits off to a different part of the course, that's how for example Hometown HS is done, it has an additional 'parallel' road taken from the 'Country Woods' course, it departs from 'Crystal Springs' crossing (blocking open) and unites after the village (at the tunnel which is simply closed on Hometown) crossing again.

Tried that for myself with Atlantica and Aquatica, copying the additional blocks from Aquatica into Atlantica, but that didn't work for me since I'm lacking the real talent of track editing, Kudos to everyone -like you- who can handle that stuff properly ...
Same with Redrock and Lost Canyons where the junctions simply aren't used.

But in HP2 you would have the possibility to run the whole track from Start to Finish as an 'open track' (or 'segmented? track') using both parts of the track. At a certain point you run the 'common used' parts of the track in the opposite direction and you sometimes don't even notice that.

Would be nice if someone would manage that to run such 'merged' tracks also in HS like you could do it in HP2.

... what do you mean with 'no patience', if I look at your tracks I always admire your patience to make such efforts on it. If I start to alter something and have to go to the same spot (from start) again and again just to observe if the AI works properly there or if a single polygon value works out right on the track or just a single texture fits in, I have to make a looong break then, go fishing for some days and then return to it again

As said, I admire those who are really into track editing or making, I am into car editing where you can see the results immediately. I am able -such as some others here -, to loose myself in such insignificant details on a car for days, this doesn't work on track editing where I loose my patience after a few trials.

Greetings
Frank

P.S.. 'Route 66' is a real GREAT Idea! I once tried to convert the Cars like Lighting McQueen from 'CARS' into HS .fce format, but at that time the source codes from the 'granny' format weren't really available. I had Pixar's Cars game on my machine when my son was younger still, and of course I tried to have a look into the files ..

[nfsfan83]

Wrote "no patience" I mean I don't want again spent few hours a day to make track

[FranknFurter]

 .. ok .. I understand that .. same with me .. but once you're into a project again, I always wonder where the hours go ..

[nfsfan83]

But maybe you find team to make this. Wish you good luck

[FranknFurter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4NZgeZG7kw

.. nice clouds background here btw, is the sky.qfs taken from your 'Cape Hatteras' track? I like that too, did you have to edit the texture for Hometown, either the .ini files? Can you post the entries for it then, I want to try it

[nfsfan83]

I send in 5 parts of WinRAR. Just unpack and replace Hometown 

[nfsfan83]

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