Lets Watch More Closely the Trailer

[eyebo]

What do you mean variable geometry?

There will be custom block geometries that you can make in an external program like 3DS Max or Blender and import into TM2. Hylis talked about using the COLLADA format for these files.

[xis101]

Hylis talked about using the COLLADA format for these files.

Seems I missed this. ^^ Can you give us a source link?

[Hylis]

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.

[daytonatamuro41]

I'm too lazy to search in this topic right now, so I'll say it myself.
Nadeo's logo IS in the trailer, right at the end along with the TM2 Canyon logo, Ubisoft and ManiaPlanet logos.
And I have seen many of Nadeo/Focus Interactive's trailers in the past, and I know a Nadeo trailer when I see one. This is definitely one of them.

[eyebo]

Thanks for the update Hylis. You've probably said this new information about the block imports before somewhere, but I haven't caught up with all your posts yet. I've been reading through them going back to your first ones in June, but I'm only a little past halfway through reading them.

[Trackmaniack]

What I'm referring to with variable geometry is that, say you have a long straight, right? There are, say, widgets on the corner with which you can manipulate track twist. Now apply that to all the default pieces. There! Variable geometry blocks.

[eyebo]

Hylis talked about using the COLLADA format for these files.

Seems I missed this. ^^ Can you give us a source link?

Here's the Source you asked for. But it's in French.

What Hylis said last June about custom blocks is that having an in-game editor or widget for tweaking block geometries would be the equivalent to adding a car modeler in-game. (Source) That surely seems like a task best left to programs like Blender that have been in development for years and years in themselves.

I've been on the fence about custom block importing.

One of the problems from a user-perspective is that it would make infinitely variable blocks and that would really affect how things felt as you drove tracks. You couldn't expect the same thing from similarly looking blocks because the user has tweaked them.

On the the flip-side it would make it a lot easier as a builder to get just the right block to pull off some new transition or idea. And I've dreamed of having scenery blocks that were infinite in their variety... barns, windmills, castles, the list could go on forever.

But as a builder I also like having the limitations of the editor and a set number of blocks and striving to make good tracks out of the given blocks. It puts everyone on even footing as track builders. We all have the same tools and blocks. No one is hoarding blocks that give them an unfair advantage as builders. Plus, it's the limitations that really provides a challenge to your creativity and ingenuity. To me it's one of the fundamentals of TM, much like the exclusion of car-to-car collisions.

I'm happy that the Nadeo team is gradually cutting out, or putting on hold, features that make the game too complex (or introduce too many problems) and just keeping the core things that will make it fun. Hylis once quoted Antoine de Saint-Exupéry who said "Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away". (Source)

I just love that quote, and it's that simplicity which has always drawn me to TM and kept me playing it. Keep doing what you know is best Hylis!

[Hylis]

thank for your post Eyebo!

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.

Knutselmaaster is more disapointed, but 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

[TheStalker]

I'm a really dissapointed about that.

Custom blocks would grant endless possibilities. I really hope you'll add this feature at some point.

Without this, what makes TM2 different from TM1? Better graphics, probably better physics... is there anything more?

[GrimR]

is there anything more?

more blocks, visual damage, maniaplanet, enhanced editor and mediatracker and even more (can't remember what)