- Joined
- Mar 9, 2022
- Messages
- 9
As the title says, a system that allows a player to build their own race track and sharing it with others.
Why does it matter?
Racing might be easily overlooked but it adds a certian depth to each game. Something everyone can master to compete at a high level with other players.
It also allows player to advance their own flight skill. What might come in handy in other cases.
How could it get implemented?
There are three major steps. It also builds on top of the invisible hall frame feature and the turing off save zone feature
The first foundation would be checkpoints.
Building a checkpoint would use a similar technology as halls do it. With the difference that they are only 2D and of curse there would be an invisible version of it. For now the only possible shape should be a square. Maybe one day other shapes could get added.
The second foundation would be the race track window.
First there should be a new inventory tab called "Racing" (for inv 2.0 a separate window) were we can find a list of all exsiting race tracks.
And somwere a button to create a new race track.
When clicking on a race track from the list, more details will be displayed (similar to when clicking a station in the station list).
Information that could be presented would be: The author time (the time the author needed to finish the track), how many chakpoints, a leaderboard were the top race times are displayed. And the option to show the track on the map. (This would be nice to have but is not really necessary for a first implementation)
Showing the track on the map should focus the station that holds the first checkpoint. (like the button to show the siege station on the map)
The third foundation would be creating the race track.
This uses the option of turning off the save zone.
After clicking the button to create a new race track, the inventory closed itself and a text saying something like: "Fly through the first checkpoint to start recording".
When flying through the first checkpoint, this checkpoint will be marked the start checkpoint and the text is replaced by two timers. The upper is showing total run time and the lower is showing the checkpoint time. (Time that passed after crossing a checkpoint).
After flying through the second checkpoint the option to finish recording will become visible. (To guarantee a functioning race track)
When pressing finish recording the last crossed checkpoint fill become the finish line and the total run time while crossing this checkpoint will become the author time. Each checkpoint time should also be saved. When this happened the create track window will open and the user is able to add a name and description.
The key is that a race track can be made out of checkpoints that are located on different stations. So you could have a station for each ceckpoint. Or a station with all checkpoints.
Also each checkpoint can be used multiple times but to use one checkpoint again you have to cross at least one other checkpoint.
Also a checkpoint can be used in multiple race tracks, allowing variations of exsiting race tracks.
When a station become part of a race track, the save zone, if active, must be turned off to allow every player to fly the race track.
The turned off save zone can't be turned back on while it's part of a race track.
The station can't be sieged to garante that the checkpoint stays intact.
If the station was a border station or part of a nation, it won't be one anymore. (To not have unsiegeable stations that are still part of a nation).
Another idea would to turn off the station inventory, to prevent having additional save inventories to store items.
About halls, hangar hall should stay active, factory and cap not sure, stays a open question.
To start the race the player has to fly through the start checkpoint. After doing so, a indicator will appear on screen guiding the player towards the next checkpoint.
The indicator could be the same has the one showing during selecting the warp destination.
After crossing the finsh line, the time will be uploaded and the race is over.
What impact would it has?
I think it would has quite some impact. A few gamplay opportunities would arise.
Ship building, more motivation to build small scale ships.
Stations that are only designed for race tracks.
Piracy and protection service. If the race track is outside the origin savezone pirates could attack racing ships.
Salvage, when pushing towards perfection, players will flight closer to structures or the checkpoint is quite narrow, what could increase the chance to crash.
Giving players the option to specialise and compete. Might come in handy during siege, when they have to flight within caps to drop of other players. Just a idea.
Making Starbase more atractive for players who like racing games.
~ OrchideeFan944
Why does it matter?
Racing might be easily overlooked but it adds a certian depth to each game. Something everyone can master to compete at a high level with other players.
It also allows player to advance their own flight skill. What might come in handy in other cases.
How could it get implemented?
There are three major steps. It also builds on top of the invisible hall frame feature and the turing off save zone feature
The first foundation would be checkpoints.
Building a checkpoint would use a similar technology as halls do it. With the difference that they are only 2D and of curse there would be an invisible version of it. For now the only possible shape should be a square. Maybe one day other shapes could get added.
The second foundation would be the race track window.
First there should be a new inventory tab called "Racing" (for inv 2.0 a separate window) were we can find a list of all exsiting race tracks.
And somwere a button to create a new race track.
When clicking on a race track from the list, more details will be displayed (similar to when clicking a station in the station list).
Information that could be presented would be: The author time (the time the author needed to finish the track), how many chakpoints, a leaderboard were the top race times are displayed. And the option to show the track on the map. (This would be nice to have but is not really necessary for a first implementation)
Showing the track on the map should focus the station that holds the first checkpoint. (like the button to show the siege station on the map)
The third foundation would be creating the race track.
This uses the option of turning off the save zone.
After clicking the button to create a new race track, the inventory closed itself and a text saying something like: "Fly through the first checkpoint to start recording".
When flying through the first checkpoint, this checkpoint will be marked the start checkpoint and the text is replaced by two timers. The upper is showing total run time and the lower is showing the checkpoint time. (Time that passed after crossing a checkpoint).
After flying through the second checkpoint the option to finish recording will become visible. (To guarantee a functioning race track)
When pressing finish recording the last crossed checkpoint fill become the finish line and the total run time while crossing this checkpoint will become the author time. Each checkpoint time should also be saved. When this happened the create track window will open and the user is able to add a name and description.
The key is that a race track can be made out of checkpoints that are located on different stations. So you could have a station for each ceckpoint. Or a station with all checkpoints.
Also each checkpoint can be used multiple times but to use one checkpoint again you have to cross at least one other checkpoint.
Also a checkpoint can be used in multiple race tracks, allowing variations of exsiting race tracks.
When a station become part of a race track, the save zone, if active, must be turned off to allow every player to fly the race track.
The turned off save zone can't be turned back on while it's part of a race track.
The station can't be sieged to garante that the checkpoint stays intact.
If the station was a border station or part of a nation, it won't be one anymore. (To not have unsiegeable stations that are still part of a nation).
Another idea would to turn off the station inventory, to prevent having additional save inventories to store items.
About halls, hangar hall should stay active, factory and cap not sure, stays a open question.
To start the race the player has to fly through the start checkpoint. After doing so, a indicator will appear on screen guiding the player towards the next checkpoint.
The indicator could be the same has the one showing during selecting the warp destination.
After crossing the finsh line, the time will be uploaded and the race is over.
What impact would it has?
I think it would has quite some impact. A few gamplay opportunities would arise.
Ship building, more motivation to build small scale ships.
Stations that are only designed for race tracks.
Piracy and protection service. If the race track is outside the origin savezone pirates could attack racing ships.
Salvage, when pushing towards perfection, players will flight closer to structures or the checkpoint is quite narrow, what could increase the chance to crash.
Giving players the option to specialise and compete. Might come in handy during siege, when they have to flight within caps to drop of other players. Just a idea.
Making Starbase more atractive for players who like racing games.
~ OrchideeFan944