The solution for SM

[zixxiz]

All F2P games have accounts with money in their servers (even if secured with cascade for local).
So all. The future is F2P.

Well, SM isn't Free to Play (I had to think about what you meant by F2P for a while) and problems like that will not occur. Also, not very many people run Trackmania servers as businesses like you.

actually that's not hacking.

in reference to fps those are called cheaters. no clue what fps you played, but i never heard about people who installed a script being called hackers.

Sure, but cheaters have typically called hackers in the games that I have played where they are prevalent (specifically Combat Arms). While this may not be the right definition, it is a common usage. Additionally, you should be careful using the term "script" in association with cheaters because many id software and Valve games have console script functions that are not cheating in anyway. whereas "cheaters" or"hackers" would normally use external executables to modify the streaming game content.

What i was getting at was that if it was online only that someone on the Scene would obtain the game executable and hack away at its code to enable Private Server Play (totally independent from Nadeo servers)...
My point being that the restrictions will only impose a bigger challenge to the pirateers/hackers to make the game freely available to the masses thus reducing potential sales to Nadeo

SM neither has a monthly cost like an MMO or a high initial cost like COD and I personally think price point is one of the main reasons why folks set up alternate servers. Additionally, while these servers may mean loss of profit, they still generate publicity for the game and "get the word out" which is good.

[BLiNNeMaNS]

actually that's not hacking.

in reference to fps those are called cheaters. no clue what fps you played, but i never heard about people who installed a script being called hackers.

you should be careful using the term "script" in association with cheaters because many id software and Valve games have console script functions that are not cheating in anyway. whereas "cheaters" or"hackers" would normally use external executables to modify the streaming game content.

those executables are scripted right?

btw, there's also maniascript/maniacode for maniaplanet to keep it a little closer to home.
And i was careful using the term 'script' in association with cheaters. I never made the assumption all who use scripts are cheaters.

What i was getting at was that if it was online only that someone on the Scene would obtain the game executable and hack away at its code to enable Private Server Play (totally independent from Nadeo servers)...
My point being that the restrictions will only impose a bigger challenge to the pirateers/hackers to make the game freely available to the masses thus reducing potential sales to Nadeo

SM neither has a monthly cost like an MMO or a high initial cost like COD and I personally think price point is one of the main reasons why folks set up alternate servers.

Guess you never been to a private lan party before.
Main reason for pirateers/hackers to make the game freely available is the quality of the (multiplayer) gameplay. They want to be able to play it with others or provide the service for others to do so. Beside that it is in fact as ripbox says. the bigger the challenge, the more fun to crack the code and be the 1st to do so in the scene.

[VATO]

Why do you think that SM will get played mostly by TM players?

Maybe in the beginning because all TM are familiar with the game but I don't think Nadeo is trying to make a fps-game that feels like a race game (that would only fail too).

If they can make the game a succesful competitive shooter than they can attract a very big audience out there that they don't reach now...

[Melissagirl]

The main audience of SM, at least at first, will be TM players.

Hence SM MUST perserve that special TM feel, otherwise it will be a total flop.

I suggest the following:
-The player has to advance from start to finish, along a "track", with checkpoints (much like TM).
-On the way,the player must overcome (=shoot) bots, which of course can also shoot the player and kill him.
-The bots path is always the same.


Thats it, what do you think?

I think that would ruïn the entire game.
I guess the only "TM players" will be Modders

I want Shootmania to be a huge succesful online shooter, with huge maps and lots of enemies
I would like to have more weapons available, but what I've seen is not that dramatically bad, just make a custom mod (cyber style) and it fits almost perfectly.
And I would like to change some things at the person you have, like gender, hair styles and colors of the suit. (but thats maybe only me.)
The most important thing I think there must be is a good framerate and no laggs online.

[Zell]

No problem that it won't come with bots... Those aren't easy to program, and even when it's included, the pro players will get bored of them really fast.

But just one question: Will Shootmania (Nadeo) allow mods?
For example, would it be possible for someone to create bots and be able to add them through the console like in Counter Strike, or the pro bots in CPMA Quake 3?

[jonthekiller]

I don't think it will be possible to add bots.

[Omnixor]

@zell: there'll be a thing called ManiaScript, I believe a lot could be created with it. and get used to TM terminology ^^