Some reflections about the solo mode

[edk]

Involving currency for official tries in any capacity is an awful solution. (Sorry, I was not a TMUF player.) It does nothing except encourage accumulation which in turn creates unfair advantages. A simple 5 minute timer to upload would be the better method, allowing to upload a saved replay (in the scenario of allowing any and all replays).

As someone who also plays more competetive games, namely StarCraft 2, the difference between official and unofficial tries to me is like the difference between playing ranked and unranked. Or even like the difference between playing a lan tournament versus online play. Noone really cares about unranked or online play. The only thing that matters is how you play when the pressure is truely on. You can be a ladder beast, but fail in tournaments. Much like in TM, you can be an unofficial beast, but fail in official tries (when the pressure is actually on).

I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything, or say one way is the right way, just offering up some thoughts.

I really like the idea of more difficult tracks offering more points. The idea of allowing players to decide what tracks are worth the most based off of what is tried the most is also good. Comparing that to tracks being worth a simple maximum at all times, which is rather boring. A multiplier would be nice, say A tracks recieve no multiplier (x1), B tracks recieve a x2 multiplier, c tracks x3, d tracks x4, e tracks x5.

I don't really have anything else to add to this topic. My only hopes are that no currency is involved and that whatever changes occur will keep things fair across the board.

[7Alvin]

I don't like the TMUF's system neither since it's not the same for everyone.

The pressure of official mode... some people sometimes doesn't know they were in official and just did an awesome WR run. I know that TrackMania can have a lot of lucky parts but for me everything is skill enough to deserve a WR. If the best strategy for a WR is to get the best lucky cut or something... he just deserves it. In the case of Kripke, he's trying more to get a 59 official than trying the first .58x ever without thinking of this 5 minutes to wait, so it's harder for players to get near the perfect runs which is the most important thing for me.

I also agree for the multipliers for B C D and E maps, it's way harder to get great runs there and everyone is playing A maps because they worth a lot.

[simonche]

I agree on everything with 7Alvin, what does Nadeo think about this btw?

[jeromecortez]

I'm also in agreement with 7Alvin on this one. I've never been a fan of the 5 minute timer and would much prefer if the whole "official time" thing were dropped. Solo mode should just be a simple time attack mode, where every run can potentially count so we can always see what the true best times are, while not having to use other sources to find them. I rarely play the solo mode because of the timer, it just feels like the time in between official runs are wasted and would rather just hop online and have all my runs counted as dedimania records instead.

Multipliers for the B, C, D and E tracks are also a nice idea, I'm all for it.

[serujio]

interesting that in some way the solo mode works like the tournaments played in rounds, where you have to play your best in some few tries to be the winner, have to focus. Seeing on this perspective it looks nice.

[banskel]

Did anyone get gold in D10? The map is too hard for 5 laps... I want to finish solo mode but some tracks are too hard
or too long... They need to make it a little easier.

[kripkee]

interesting that in some way the solo mode works like the tournaments played in rounds, where you have to play your best in some few tries to be the winner, have to focus. Seeing on this perspective it looks nice.

Well, you/we can't really compare the solomode with any of the modes on online servers.

In TimeAttack is every run 'official' to set your local or dedi to have a time. If you add a warm up, this is something else. In RoundMode is every run 'official' too, to set your local or dedi. If you add warm up too, this is more the training like in Solomode^^ (I like my english).

Just a question: do you play the solomode?
If yes, you are motivated enough to hunt if you have a top10 World/European/... record or 'only' if you beat gold official to earn some planets?
If no, how can you tell us, that the solomode is 'nice' where you have to play your best time in some few tries to be the winner?

No offence against you, but something similar wrote other players since the beginning of TM²Canyon. And most of these guys don't play the current Solomode. This is why I ask you if you play the solomode.

[Guillaume]

I agree with Alvin.

[Netsky]

First of all , i agree with alvin.
in my opinion the actual offi-system should be changed, for me its more luck then skill to get a good official time,
most official runs are ruined by bugs cause you want a perfect time and you risking it more.
the easiest way would be to count all times, same as playing online where every time counts..
we would have overall much better times and a better overview how good we are compared to other players.
the other option is (and i hope it could be option 1) to give the player like 10 attempts in a row every few minutes.
i would be happy if nadeo would change the system in a similar way as i said, also much more players would play the
solo maps more, because it wouldnt be so frustrating..
i also want to mention that its a great idea to bring in a mulitplicator for the tracks as you guys said, for me its more skillfull to get a good time on d or c tracks then on a tracks too.
and saying that some players should spend more time for the tracks isnt correct, why should i hunt a track like 10 hours to get my pb in official , when i know that if the system would be different i could get it in like 10 mins ?
i just hope nadeo changes something , thats all.

[TMarc]

I was not thinking of hours to spend on one and the same track

Perhaps this official timer could be less long if players have already high ranking in other TrackMania games - they drive much better and easier get Gold medal already on the first attempts.
Or keep the official timer only for a possible free-to-play version

Anyways there is another issue: if I reach only bronze or silver in the training, I can't drive official at all. This means I cannot obtain silver or bronze medal in official run either.