TrackMania2: Centralised News about the Game

Discuss everything related to Trackmania 2.

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w1lla
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TrackMania2: Centralised News about the Game

Post by w1lla »

Centralization of news concerning TM2 to facilitate research
Feel free to participate
The system requirements to run the game:
Hylis wrote:We are working harder than ever to make it work on smallest graphic processor as possible.

Sure it could be nicer on bigger, but it is quite nice and at a very good framerate on little configuration. It is even hard to believe (but obviously, we have too, since we did it ourselves :mrgreen:) our test map in TM² runs at 50-60 fps on a Acer Revo that I bought one year ago. It does not mean it will at release or multiplayer, but we think it is even faster than Nations.
Hylis wrote:We want to make a perfectly running DX9 version, in order to be supported by the maximum number of hardware at really high performance. If we do a DX11, it will be as an update later.
Hylis wrote:
pod.Gameurs wrote:I return to the point of fifteen environments:

-The game folder will end up containing 40GB? :shock:
-Specific environments? (Drift / Free, I know that this community expects to see much more than race)
-Themes such extravagant as Moon / Toon will be available too? :P
for now, it is 9 environments, 3 TM2. So this will be 'wise' surface. we are looking carefully at drifting and stunts to see, even though it's not obvious. Maybe we should make a block powerdrift to avoid forcing players to learn how to drift.
Hylis wrote: (...)
Fix is working on rendering quality that could improve again the graphics and we have just decided to split the new effects into two level of quality so it could work on lower end machines but also be more impressive on higher ones.
(...)
__________________________________

Titles (environments) sold separately at three months intervals:
Hylis wrote:The business around maniaplanet should be simple. We expect to sell each 'Title' (one environment for a game, like TM² Canyon for example) separately at a reasonable price. All the titles could be use independently but they combine themselves into a single place: maniaplanet.

In fact, it is likely that users will buy planets (the new name of coppers in maniaplanet) With it, they would be able to acquire the different titles. This part is being worked out but it is quite close to what we did with coppers capable of buying TM United.

And to answer haenry, DLC for me is when a content is necessary to fill a space that exist virtually in the game. By making separate environments, I feel it is less like DLC, but more like separated content or standalone add-ons if you prefer. In fact is also content, but not here to complete an already existing one, but to add to it.

Zooz, our minimal plan is for nine environments and current ambition is for fifteen. We will adapt to the situation anyway. There could be more or there could be less.
Hylis wrote:the price of each title will be independent. You can see this as smaller game release more often. The goal is to make a continuous release. If we release three environment in the year, at 19€90 each for example, then it would make you pay 59€70 each year for the three different environments and getting at the same time the online and engine evolution. And if you prefer only TM² and QM, for example, you can take only two and it will cost you less.
Hylis wrote:The idea is to release around three titles per year, one for each game. I would like to see one TM², one SM and one QM environment each year. Now, this is more like the general idea. We may do less if there is too much work on each, or may be more if we have a better production capacity (it is really not linked to the number of people only, but the quality and ability to be more while keeping deepness)

so, this year, we want to release two title: one TM² and one SM, and ideally, we would like to release three titles next year. But now that we are well advanced on the first TM², we have to work a lot on the first SM.
__________________________________


link between the three games ?

Hylis remains unclear about this
Hylis wrote:
Ancestroll wrote: Maniaplanet: a name to describe a universe tying three video games.

Image

Can you imagine that three so different games come together after a while?
Can we suggest that their contents will be "complementary"?

So many questions no answers.
Just a picture (above) which is so simplified "Maniaworld.

And you, what do you think?


is mainly used to symbolize that mania is at the center of it all. Basically, MT is a car and physics and a shooter is not much more

Hylis wrote:
insomnia wrote: Another question: We heard, MP will unite the community of all three games/genres. But how united are the games itself, so to bring it to the point:
Will it be possible to create game servers with TM2, QM and SM maps on it at the same time? (so switching game modes between the maps, like environments, time attack mode or deathmatch mode with time limit assumed))

Florent? :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Don't know yet. In fact, either we 'impose' a way where everybody can play every server (it will limit all servers to one environment, but could offer players to jump more simply from one to another -like a follower group-) OR we leave it up to the players to organize whatever they prefer: welcome everybody by using only one env or making a crazy mix for them and some of their friends. We'll see :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

__________________________________


environments:
Hylis wrote:
BLaHiTiS wrote: great environments. So do I see that you can use each environment in night time as well ? It kinda looks like snow reinvented :)

"yes", for track and shoot, the four moods are available.


For TM² and SM, the four "moods" (Dawn, Day, Dusk, Night) are effective.


(New)
Hylis wrote:(....)
We had stop to work on the september 2009 environment, Valley, because it was too difficult to push this environment to the end from first try. This is why we decided to start with Canyon instead of Valley and use the car of it that is more appropriate for the american style desert.
(....)
__________________________________


Import blocks:
Hylis wrote: we are supporters of static blocks. In addition, the lighting is better ... because otherwise I will not tell you the framerate.

in fact, for importing blocks, there will probably collada format blocks and examples. It will be possible to make a different geometry but if you want to add a texture, it will make a texture daughter of an existing and add a mod. It is the parent who will be used if the player did not mod. The geometry will be integrated into the challenge, the service guarantees so that all the maps will be playable without broken link.

materials will be in number and effect presets, and I do not think this is a bad thing. We can expand the list with updates in case, but his number should rather be done.
level building blocks, will it be with in-game software or external software type Blender?
Hylis wrote: rather type blender in my opinion. After perhaps an edition simplest piecewise could exist in another tool (preferably external, so we focus on the rest) but it's not too objective. Either people really want to model a block from an example, it is better not to pretend. It sure is hard, but we think it's better than doing full levels: mrgreen:
Hylis wrote:I think I already explained this. The geometry is superbly compressed in the track or replay file. For each texture you use in your block, you should select a default texture from the original set of texture in case your additionnal textures are missing. This way, all the challenges are always playable/replayable. Now, the size of the tracks could become quite bigger if changes too many things, but that's a little like loading your track with too many blocks. We have time to see what happen in that case, but that's not the best use of the system I think. It is better to have variations than extreme and total makeover made by the community to start with. An environment is too much work that also requires a lot of experience and management. So, this scenario is not our primary target.
(Update!)

Block import might be cancelled or (partially) become available later on, in an update.
In any case it won't be available in TM² Canyon at launch.

Hylis wrote:Block import was a feature designed for TrackMania 2, when we wanted to make the release of the 3 environments to come with the ability to import blocs. Because we would do ShootMania and QuestMania, and that it would be quite a long time.

Now that we are working on ManiaPlanet, we prefer to wait. TrackMania 2 development will be spread over the release of the three environments and we will take time to see how it goes from there.

In addition, the block became quite more high definition, and that's a very big challenge to make. But I can tell that yes, if we do block import, it would have used collada today.
Hylis wrote:It is always a difficult decision to deal with openess features. July is soon, and I am happy that we will start with the rights information and spirit about the game. It will help to concentrate on the game itself.

(...) I think it is the right decision we made so far. I would like to move slowly but surely and to really feel the moment to include this feature or not.

Recently, thanks to ShootMania, I have really discovered additionnal benefits of a limited number of blocs. When it helps player to see more easily the track they have in front in TrackMania, it also helps to read the map in ShootMania. I think alphabets are usefull in that way. With an editor enabling everything, it would mean that the player need to read everything the map make wrote in order to understand it. Wether it is because you don't know the bloc, or because there are too many variations of the same, it is not a very good service made to the player.

Maybe we should open for "scenery" blocs first. But if we do, it will be later. First, we will see what the "basics" do in TM, SM and QM :)
__________________________________


And management of the servers with Enviros ?

Hylis wrote: en fait, la solution viendra de l'aspect pratique. Mon avis est qu'il faut laisser la liberté aux joueurs sur le coup, et qu'ils s'oganiseront bien (si on leur donne les outils de filtres adéquats) J'ai pensé à une solution qui consiste à faire deux extrêmes: soit mono enviro, soit ouvert seulement à ceux qui les ont tous. Mais ce serait critiqué inutilement. Parce que en pratique, je pense que c'est ce qu'on peut avoir: les mono enviros, ou ceux qui veulent jouer sur tous, au moins occasionellement.
Hylis wrote:
In fact, the solution will come from the practical aspect. My opinion is that we must leave it to players at the moment they start playing, and they will organise themselves well (if we give them the suitable filters) I thought of a solution which consists of two extremes: either one environment only, either to those who have all environments. But it would unnecessarily be criticized. Because in practice, I think that is what may have: single Environment players, or those wishing to play at all of them, at least occasionally.

__________________________________


TM2 and eSports :

Hylis wrote: To Nadeo, the eSports is very important, and I think it was well proved with our dedicated development, or even a complimentary color in a race. I still believe in eSports and its positive future. It is a way of bringing people of all countries, or those of the corners. With online, it's even a highly effective way to do it at lower cost to the players.
Hylis wrote:
wells. wrote:Cool. So do you think that TM2 and SM will have their places on the eSport scene ? And what about TMNF which has a big place now on eSport ?
Yes, they will have all their place. But the question is how big and which ones bigger than others.

Time is the answer. Take the TrackMania history and look where we ended. Think maniaplanet the same way. We will start somewhere, in some time, and will see things evolve from there. Maybe we will do a Nations 2, maybe we will not. I don't need a petition for it in order to think to it. But today, it would be useless to do it. If players want to do esport on Nations, the game is good enough in that respect, and it is not a hotkey or customizable interface that would make it a revolution.

So, we are always looking after competition because that's what action multiplayer games are often about at the highest level.
__________________________________



Collisions in TM2?

Not between cars.
Hylis wrote:For years we know what we would if we integrate the collision, but we do not because you have more important things on our list. Like for example make a good fps and good rpg.

(New)

Some kind of car damage seems to be in the game, as we can see in the second screenshot of TM²:

Image

As you can see the car's paint is scratched and the bumper is hanging down on the left side.
So, no collisions between cars, but colliding with environmental elements seems to cause damage to the car.
More info will surely follow, the pic will be updated once the puzzle has been finished (more info about the puzzles at the bottom of this post)

(New)
Hylis wrote:On a gardé les collisions avec le décors si ça vous semble raisonnable comme choix.
Hylis wrote:
We kept the collisions with the scenery, if that seems a reasonable choice to you.


(source)

__________________________________


The maniascript :
Hylis wrote:Notre idée, avec ManiaScript, est de faire un langage orienté jeu. Cela veut donc dire qu'il devra savoir manier les principes de sauvegardes, temps réel, interface et réseaux assez facilement. Il doit aussi pouvoir évoluer. Il y a beaucoup à faire dans ce domaine mais on avancera lentement et surement.
Hylis wrote:
Our plan with ManiaScript is to design a game oriented language. That means it should know how to manage savegames, real time, interface and networking with relative ease. It has to be able to evolve. There is a lot to do in this domain but we advance slowly and surely.

Hylis wrote:pour un mode de jeu, un script s'éxécute côté serveur
pour un manialink ou un mediatrack, par exemple, le script s'exécute côté client (protégé)
Hylis wrote:
For a gamemode, a script is executed server side.
For a ManiaLink or ManiaTrack for instance, the script is executed client side (protected).

Hylis wrote:à guise d'exemple, le premier ManiaScript réalisé en interne est un jeu de solitaire type spider qui se lance lorsqu'on roule sur une voie annexe d'un circuit et qui se referme lorsqu'on quitte cette voie.

C'est débile, je sais :mrgreen:
Hylis wrote:
To give an example, the first maniascript we realised internally is a game of spider (the card game) that starts when we enter a certain zone and quits when we get out of that zone.
It's kinda stupid, i know :mrgreen:

__________________________________



Ergonomics and content management :
refresh wrote:It would be really valuable to have a real content management in ² TM, SM and QM:
to manage maps, cars, skins, blocks and other additional content directly in the game

Because now you can just add content through the game, but we can not move, delete, rename, create folders ... It would be really nice because that's what I've done a hell monster in the track editor: I never think of going to sort all this in Windows before launching the game: you do realize that it once we have the editor under the eyes.
And even then ... It would be much more practical and "user-friendly!
Hylis wrote:@refresh
I am not certain that it will launch. Maniaplanet will then evolve to make it more comfortable using a certain system.
__________________________________



Ergonomics and Datamanagement :
refresh wrote:Il serait vraiment appréciable d'avoir une véritable gestion du contenu dans TM², SM et QM:
pouvoir gérer les maps, les voitures, les skins, les blocs et tout autre contenu additionnel directement dans le jeu.

Parce que actuellement, on peut juste ajouter du contenu via le jeu, mais on ne peut pas déplacer, supprimer, renommer, créer des dossiers... Ce serait vraiment agréable car c'est ce qui fait que j'ai un bordel monstre dans l'éditeur de circuits: je ne pense jamais à aller trier tout ça dans Windows avant de lancer le jeu: on ne s'en rends compte qu'une fois qu'on a l'éditeur sous les yeux.
Et puis même... Ca serait tellement plus pratique et "user-friendly" !
Hylis wrote:@refresh
Je ne suis pas certains que ce sera au lancement. Maniaplanet devra ensuite évoluer pour rendre plus confortable un certains usage du système.
Refresh wrote:
It would be really appreciated to have a real data management system in TM², SM and QM:
To be able to manage the maps, the skins, the blocks and every other content directly in the game.
Because right now we can only add things in the game, but we can't move, erase, rename nor create folders...
It would really be nice because that is what made a mess in my track editor: I never think of ordering everything in Windows before starting the game, one only starts realizing it once in the editor.
Even, it would be practical and user friendly.

Hylis responds:
I'm not certain that will be included at launch. ManiaPlanet has to evolve to make certain applications of the system more comfortable to use.

__________________________________



The Map Editor:

Hylis wrote: (....)
Olivier is working on the track editor (making a selection, copying it or saving it, moving it).
Jseb just included light information in map files in order to guarantee each player to have it.
Stephen, Massimo and Bertrand are working on a new road, wall ride, ramps and tunnels at the moment.
(...)
So we finally will be able to select more than one block, and move it, copy it or save it.
That was one big thing missing in previous editions, and will allow builders to work faster and more efficient.
Light information in map files will help people with slower pc's to reduce loading times and prevents calculation errors client side.
And we will get new building blocks! We can't have enough of them :)

__________________________________


Game Console Versions?

(New)
Hylis wrote:We are focusing on PC at the moment.

__________________________________


Is there anything known about a release date yet?
Hylis wrote: It is unfortunate, since we really want to get into the action with the players, but there are many things to prepare on many sides. When I wrote Q4 2010 at E3 time, I really believed it. The game is well playable at the moment. The team is working on making more blocs (they take more time to do than original ones!) and still on making the maniaplanet application. This application is quite simple, but it needs some arrangements in order to welcome all the update that we want to do afterward.

There are two things I would like to insist on:
1. I don't want you to think that we are adding a lot of features.
Our goal at the moment is really to make only what is needed. Like I have read somewhere: something is perfect when you can't remove more, not when you can't add more. That's the spirit and our goal at the moment. We target a pure fun game at the moment. After, the players activities will tell us where to expand.

2. I don't want you to think that we are losing our time
We are moving fullspeed! All the team is working hard and is really concentrated on a daily basis. And with all the experience of the team, we are making the right choices to make things quickly but solid enough for a big future of maniaplanet.

Even with this two parameters, we have a lot of work. When we announced TrackMania 2, our plan was to first release one full game. Now, we have added ShootMania and QuestMania to take care but also the maniaplanet application and servers. So, things takes more time. For example, I still have to decide if I will include the splitscreen mode and the block import at first release. The engine is done to welcome both features, but the interface are to be done. My idea is that since we want to release three TM² environments, we may use those occasions to update the game with these features.
(New)
Hylis wrote:The dates I am giving were always sincere. The Q4 2010 for the beta was a real one, but after some months, I wanted to make the gameplay model even more solid, the graphics even better and to make some blocks for both of it based on this thougts. Meanwhile, we were improving the ManiaScript speed and stability since it is difficult to make too many evolution on a scripting language once code is started to be wrote on it. I have spent some 'weeks' in meeting and setting up the publishing internally. This is also how we are able to launch this normally this month (Note: today is April 8 2011) , with upcoming printed press articles combined with community priority reveal ;)

The weeks after E3 (Note: E3 Expo = June 7-9, 2011) is serious, but if we have some new discovery on ShootMania, we may prefer to wait a little to overcome the new challenges, instead of launching maniaplanet and do that at the same time. I feel we are on a great path at the moment, but if there is a new great ideas that has to be done before the first release in order to make it possible, I would have to make a choice. It is far from simply releasing a game, it is releasing an operating system that should enables players to create in it, but also support evolution from us. Also, making an online system that handles the maniaplanet system, instead of three separate games, is a development we had to make before the beta of TM².

Anyway, I hope you will appreciate the quality of the work as soon as possible!
(New)
Hylis wrote:Until mid-june, we reveal the game
after, we start talking about the beta ;)
__________________________________


Are there images available yet?

(New)

Screenshots are being assembled by the community at the moment.
Nadeo has found a very original way to share the first screenshots.
Every time a player starts up TMUF, he receives a piece of a puzzle.
After assembling these pieces, a screenshot appears.
The community is working together hand in hand, throughout all nations of the world to acquire all the pieces and complete the puzzles.
The first screenshot/puzzle has been finished:

Image

The second picture is done too:

Image

And the third screenshot puzzle has been resolved, gg community!

Image

Forum member djkueken made a nice artist impression of the first teaser:

Image

6 new images have appeared all over the web:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Click the pictures for the hi-res versions.

__________________________________


About backwards compatibility:

(New)
Hylis wrote:TrackMania United Forever, fruit de l'union du TM boite rouge, de ses deux add-ons, de Sunrise, de son add-on, du jeu TrackMania Nations et finalement de l'add-on Forever et l'ensemble des circuits qu'il est capable de lire, y compris datant de 2003 restera en tant que TrackMania 1.

Maniaplanet est un nouveau départ qui bénéficie d'une rupture de compatibilité ascendante à certains niveau, dont on aurait pu garder pour le départ avec certains efforts additionnels, mais dont on aurait du à maintenir encore dans les années à venir.

Néanmoins, nous venons encore de faire un nouveau serveur dédié pour le jeu et certains systèmes en ligne sont encore développés en compatibilité avec celui ci, comme le réçent manialive, framework open source pour piloter les serveurs dédiés ou encore maniahome, pour permettre aux joueurs de recevoir des notifications des actions de leur buddies sur la toile ingame.
Hylis wrote:
TrackMania United Forever, fruit of the union between TM "red box", its 2 add-ons, Sunrise, its add-on, the game TrackMania Nations and finally the add-on Forever and all tracks together that it can play, including the ones from 2003 will remain under the name TrackMania 1.

ManiaPlanet is a new start that will break backwards compatibility to a certain level, we could have kept it with some extra effort, but then we would have been forced to maintain that compatibility for many years to come.

Never the less, we have just made a new dedicated server for the game (TMF) and certain new online systems are still developed in compatibility with that, like the recent ManiaLive, an open source server controller, and ManiaHome, which lets gamers receive notifications about the actions of their buddies on the ingame web system.



(source)
__________________________________


What about some moving footage?

(New)

A teaser came up on the Ubisoft website, it is the first moving image of the Canyon environment.
Click here to download the original file.

Nadeo showed a trailer on the Gamers Assembly, click here for a inferior quality screener. (will update link when HQ is available)

An official trailer has been released, check it here.


__________________________________
__________________________________

Quotes have been found in the English forums, but also in other languages, thanks to everyone who have been gathering info for helping me making this news post as complete as possible.
Last edited by Knutselmaaster on 25 May 2011, 08:34, edited 45 times in total.
TM² Info
SM Info
QM Info

OS: Windows 10 x64 Professional
MB: MSI 970A-G46
Processor: AMD FX-6300 3500 mHz
RAM Memory: 16 GB DDR3
Video: SAPPHIRE DUAL-X R9 280X 3GB GDDR5
KB: Logitech G510s
Mouse: Logitech G300s
Mode Creation
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Sammon
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Re: Central News about the Game

Post by Sammon »

Hold on a second...50-60fps on this? That has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor. :lol:

Glad to see it'll work on older, less-powerful computers. :D
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Re: Central News about the Game

Post by redfog »

yeh, had a choc with the TM2 grafics, had a little stress thinking my computer wouldn't stand on that, but all is good so. :D
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Re: Central News about the Game

Post by Lodder »

It will definitely work on mine then, even thought i have a low profile computer, which i hate as it overheats liek there's no tomorrow :?
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Re: Central News about the Game

Post by timae »

i hope they add the new games technology with duo- and even quad-coreincreasing.
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Re: Central News about the Game

Post by exigen »

Sammon wrote:Hold on a second...50-60fps on this? That has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor.
In that hard to believe this :? :D
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Re: Central News about the Game

Post by Zooz »

redfog wrote:yeh, had a choc with the TM2 grafics, had a little stress thinking my computer wouldn't stand on that, but all is good so. :D
There are lower and higher settings you know :mrgreen:
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Re: Central News about the Game

Post by tcq »

As a true fan, low graphics means nothing to you, as long you are able to play the game :)
Who cares about PC3 or higher.
PC1, PC2 is total okay. I just hope that TM2 will run on my laptop, even if he struggles mostly on TM ^^
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Re: Central News about the Game

Post by timae »

tcq wrote:Who cares about PC3 or higher.
i care! because i need them to create HQ trackmania clips - my way of creativity ;)

but i agree - racing is the best on PC1 !
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Re: Central News about the Game

Post by metoxys »

timae wrote:
tcq wrote:Who cares about PC3 or higher.
i care! because i need them to create HQ trackmania clips - my way of creativity ;)

but i agree - racing is the best on PC1 !
PC3 ftw
I am an extreme multimedia and HQ enthusiast but unfortunately I have to live with this [rage]LOW-END LAPTOP[/rage] that lags like [badword][/badword] on PC2 and can't even do PC3 Low
I usually play on PC0 with Minimum shadows :cry:
Unless I test skins I make
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