Maniaplanet 3 Feedbacks

[djhubertus]

Many players think that the new texture of the common block (grey/black like asphalt) doesn't fit with the look that Shootmania should have.

If there any possibility that we could have the old texture back, a choice to change between the two textures, or even a white-look of the actual texture ?

Please say yes, I really want to see again the real look of Shootmania.

+1000

Under makes a texture mod but you need title pack :< http://www.maniapark.com/ressource.php?id=2064

[samp]

Just noticed, old TMN tracks' signs work again! Thank you!

[xxluke]

Things I like :
- Mapping tools (air mapping & mix mapping).
- New blocks (horizontal grate and so on).
- New gameplay blocks (teleport are really fun).
- The friend list & chat in general.
- The Multiplayer button on station.
- The Home button to access station.
- The Item editor (If I understand how to use it) and the other two of course(even if I think I'll never use them).

Things I don't like :
- Lack of documentation for editors, the wiki maniaplanet for SM is completly outdated.
- New textures for common blocks (especially the black ground asphalt-like and the grey walls), I think we loose the "warm atmosphere" of shootmania, even if contrast is better.
- New design & sound for weapons - especially rockets & nucleus.
- New interface, the server list (both in multiplayer & after entering the station). Why not an "explorer" style list with top colonne sort ? Apparently this is an old server browser (in the station), why it is here if it so ?
- New interface, the "join friend on server" button in friendlist is too small, globally the buttons are too small.
- Jumping in the Tunnels.
- Siege V2 weapon select.
- The new design of the score board : I can't see the number of hit if I am not in the current score page.
- The mix between old and new interface part.
- Can't navigate fully with keyboard in menus.
- healing too fast on heal pad.

+1 for the things I kept in the quote

[TheBigMiike]

It's temporary the old serverlist because they are preparing a new one so don't worry, you'll have a better serverlist later

[novationx]

- New interface, the server list (both in multiplayer & after entering the station). Why not an "explorer" style list with top colonne sort ? Apparently this is an old server browser (in the station), why it is here if it so ?

Exactly, this is the first server browser... it was already changed once for a better one, where is it now ? why you guys have chosen to put back that horrible outdated interface ?

I thinkI will never understand Nadeo, really.

The big problem with you guys is that your games are awesome : great gameplay, very nice ideas, that's why I like Nadeo, but you just don't know how making a good UI, that's why I dislike Nadeo.

I'm not gonna list all the things that bothers me, I will not even be able to.

For example there's the new chat. At first sight it looks good (better than the older...), but in fact it can not do a message wrapping, first if you write a message too long it will be cramped... and then if you contiue to type, at least your message will be cut in two parts... Seriously guys, we are in 2014 and you can't even make a good chat.

I think most of the people in the team are composed of game developper. But build a game and create an interface is two separated things. I think you should continue to develop these great games but you have to recruit some guys who their only job is to make a clean UI.

And please, pick some graphic artist too, because apparently you don't have one. You wanted to improve the interface, fine, but all the work is half done, look at this ugly window of "display settings" : there's no design, the sliders are horrible, some texts are cramped and half hidden, no explanation and we just don't know what are some settings...

Sorry for being a bit agressive to the devs team, I love ShootMania and TrackMania, and MP3 brought a lot of cool changes and awesome new stuff, but I completely don't understand some of your decisions. And it's often about the looks of the game, the graphic design or the user interface.

I can't help myself to think about those wonderful games that could be ShootMania or TrackMania if we have a clean and well designed UI. For me it has always been the real bad thing about Naedo's game.

I am now, officially, ur biggest fan. I am too not a fan of the design. Ingame good, menus bad. I am happy that you share my opinion so their eyes are now a bit more open.

[Joader]

- New interface, the server list (both in multiplayer & after entering the station). Why not an "explorer" style list with top colonne sort ? Apparently this is an old server browser (in the station), why it is here if it so ?

Exactly, this is the first server browser... it was already changed once for a better one, where is it now ? why you guys have chosen to put back that horrible outdated interface ?

I thinkI will never understand Nadeo, really.

The big problem with you guys is that your games are awesome : great gameplay, very nice ideas, that's why I like Nadeo, but you just don't know how making a good UI, that's why I dislike Nadeo.

I'm not gonna list all the things that bothers me, I will not even be able to.

For example there's the new chat. At first sight it looks good (better than the older...), but in fact it can not do a message wrapping, first if you write a message too long it will be cramped... and then if you contiue to type, at least your message will be cut in two parts... Seriously guys, we are in 2014 and you can't even make a good chat.

I think most of the people in the team are composed of game developper. But build a game and create an interface is two separated things. I think you should continue to develop these great games but you have to recruit some guys who their only job is to make a clean UI.

And please, pick some graphic artist too, because apparently you don't have one. You wanted to improve the interface, fine, but all the work is half done, look at this ugly window of "display settings" : there's no design, the sliders are horrible, some texts are cramped and half hidden, no explanation and we just don't know what are some settings...

Sorry for being a bit agressive to the devs team, I love ShootMania and TrackMania, and MP3 brought a lot of cool changes and awesome new stuff, but I completely don't understand some of your decisions. And it's often about the looks of the game, the graphic design or the user interface.

I can't help myself to think about those wonderful games that could be ShootMania or TrackMania if we have a clean and well designed UI. For me it has always been the real bad thing about Naedo's game.

+1

Also someone should teach them basic marketing P
Promoting it together with IGN Proleague and IPL 6 was a great idea with the unfortunate ending that IPL6 got cancelled due to financial issues. Im certain this game would be a lot bigger today if IPL6 took place back then.
Still how it was dealt with was really bad as a launch tournament in America with basically (or close to in comparison to an IPL6) zero viewers on scenewas imo the worst option although it was probably the only possible solution.

What was really lacking is a follow-up plan after that. After the launch tournament the advertising went to 0. There was little to no effort made as far as public perception goes to promote the game internationally together with eswc.

Everyone knows what happned after eswc then...
Tournaments are what keeps this game alive as it is a pure esports game. Nowadays noone can expect casual gamers to have fun with a game where the only progress that can be made is one's own improvement.
Right now it might not be too late, but if shootmania keeps going like this, it will be dead by the end of the year.

Another problem is that international (non-french) fans of the game have literally no place to go. Every important website for the game is solely in french and besides those small esl tournaments every tournament is held in France/ in french language which makes it hard for everyone who is not capable of speaking french to keep playing this game

As I dont want to be the guy who only critizises I want to give some possible solutions:

-Relaunch ESL GO4Shootmania
ESL is widely used portal for esports and a small prizepool with 100$ a week and maybe 300$ in monthly final will not only
be a small investment but also one that might bring more non-french players to the game.
-Create an english website for this game with daily/weekly news on tournaments etc.
same as with the one above small investment (also you can involve voluntary community members)
-Hire an english caster
Im certain there are people who are willing to shoutcast this game if it was worth it.
In collaboration with go4 cups it can be worth it again

I think for nadeo one of the main goals now should be to increase the playerbase. Of course there a still problems with the game, but compared to other AAA-games shootmania is one of the most fluid and bugfree experiences in years and gameplay-wise one of the most enjoyable shooters out there.

I hope nadeo can take some of my suggestions into consideration as i think they would make this game more alive again.

Greetz,
Joader

[appor]

Hey
I Have been very happy experimenting the new MP and heres my feedback

# Pros:
- Blockmix:
For me this was the best. The air delete portion is really great, works just like cut tool.
The different top & fillup blocks that can be selected from left bottom corner are great detail too, helps alot.

- Teleport:
Really interesting to see what can be done in the future with this, already many ideas coming in. Cool device and the usage is well executed and "tactical" too (to aim and then teleport).

- Forcefield & Shoot through field:
I liked these and few cool uses already.

- Stair blocks:
These are super. These are something i have subconsciously wished, because the stairs are "atmospheric" blocks too and adds really different feel than blank castle ramp.
Even if the usage is exactly the same between castle ramp and stairs, the look and the feel is so much different. I really wish more of this feel.
Angle selection is good too (one 3 high agnle in the mix would make selection perfect ofcourse )

- Rocket ammo is clearer ball:
The clearer rocket ball is funny and nice

- New white wall castle block:
Wow, this is really better than the previous ones! Great blocks, love it

- Fire torch blocks:
Great! Adds little animation too. But they dont seem to give much of ambience light, thats my only downside.

+ Many more pros, cant remember all..

# "Cons":

- The default castle block:
In old maps the new look of default castle block makes the maps look weird and too black. The block is still nice in
new maps when its set to right places. I still feel the floor feels too dark in other moods than in day mood. All the older maps turned half darker and the game feels more black then ever.
Also, the floor dont seem to reflect light (or receive light enough to expose textures), which made all the
lights lose ambience light and made map feels even more darker even if placing twice of amount of lights.

I think the new look would be better as a skin option to set with paint tool, so you could choose with paint the needed look (the white wall, the MP2 old wall, or the new walll + some others).
Also would be great to set the floors with paint, like have 3-5 different floors to choose.

The white rocky floor blocks were really great and they gave littlebit extra texture in shadower areas. But found out that the poles, jump pads and teleports, etc have only the black castle floor for ground.
So all the white floors has black spots all over if you need jump pads, or gets flickery with blockmix.
For that i hoped that the walls and floors would run as a skin, and you place the pure object on top of the floor (so you place a pole that dont have ground attached below, and same pole fits for all floors)

- (Jumping in bunkers. I guess could get used to it after all, but it feels not so good in bunkers and in pipe tunnels
In high caves its very nice and can build more stuff inside caves, which is great, but grass bunkers and the pipe mountain tunnels are so low high it made feel sketchy. How about if grass bunkers would have powerpath floor, or the pipe tunnels too? Would feel better maybe

# Other/suggestions:

Here are few ideas/suggestions that came to my mind while playing:

- Items for all modes:
Please add items, atleast the small normal blocks for all modes.

- More clear way to see is the editor in blockmix/airmix/normal mode. For example text or logo appears in somewhere.

- Shoot through force field -block, for floor:
The same force field block that opens with 3 rocket shots, but for floor.
For situations, for example if there is hole drop in the floor, you could keep the floor "locked" and
walk on top of it, but still open access through the hole to down level by shooting through it.

- (Teleporter receiver block that has big receiver plate:)
Block that has big receiver plate, would be easy to aim from very far or down below.
Teleport is great also for getting player up, but sometimes the plate gets hidden by the edge, so only little slice is showing of the plate, so with bigger plate could have longer teleports or teleport to higher levels.
(45 degree receiver plate ?)

- Gate teleport: (Maybe this is possible with item scripts or something, but i cant use them in my used modes)
Simple gate teleport would be cool too for another uses. Where you have gate and the location is locked, and always teleport to same place from the gate. This would make possible to teleport from places where are walls between destination or longer distances, from ground to high place, secret places, etc..
(The visual effect could be like: The player flys through the walls with warp fx effect, so the player sees where he is teleported and dont only appear in the destination)

- Now when the blockmix system is behind: options > unlock > select feature, and these systems are for "experts". Could there be free insert too? Like press F3 to set free insert on/off and could add blocks fine tuned when needed.

- Force field block that has the opening load pad at both sides

- More texture on the black floor castle blocks:
The black floor colour is nice but the floor looks very simple surface from far or low light, almost like gap, some texture
could make it more interesting and could make better to see difference between shadow and floor.

- Could set poles to max height:
I hoped that the blockmix will remove the height limit, but still could not place high objects to max height.
Would be great to place poles etc to max height

- Some floating objects would be just pure objects without surface under:
For example pure jump pad or pure pole and its just the floating pole without anything under.
This could decrease the block amount too, because every object dont need remade floor to fit. So you could place
just pure floating pole on top of black or white floor.
Or the teleport receiver plate would be just the plate 3d, so you can attach it to pillar like floating plate

- Autosave while mapping (on/off):
Ive had for long time this bug that when the editor gets really slow, the game just closes down.
I have to save the map many times during mapping. Specially just after calculating shadows the game can close down with 70% chances.
Also i have this bug that it leaves sometimes the delete on, and everywhere i scroll my mouse it deletes the block and have to save & quit.
But for many situations, autosave could be very useful. On/off option that backups the project every 2mins or so,
and could retrieve like 5 history stages of the map if the game crashed or something.

- (just detail) Copy paste tools paste portion:
When pasting the copy, the green copy visual thing dont show all the shapes (i guess the blockmixed or floating are not seen sometimes),
so you cant see the edges of the paste sometimes. Would be great if the paste portion would be even more clear than
the green look, could see better how it will look before placing. Same with underground editing, not only fractal squares but has more visible skins.

- Different stairs:
The stairs are awesome, would be really great to have different looking stairs too, to avoid over use of same look.
So could make variative spots. Ofcourse, it feels extra suggestion and community could make it, but then the blocks cant be used in many modes i use, so i suggest
How about block subselection?
For some of the blocks there could be variative blocks/looks.
For example if you pick stairs block, could choose 2-4 different stair looks from the subselection list.
So the main block list would stay clean and if some blocks has sub looks they could still be there.
(Same way like in blockmix there appears subselection list to left down corner)

- The Fan block:
The fan block is funny idea, but i have a feel this block will be outcast block at some point maybe
But its still funny and nice, but maybe could have some cool addon effect too.
Like when you shoot near the fans wind, it bends the rockets flying line or other physical fx.
(The fan could have damage %, when its shot like 30-40 times, its less noisy, less wind and has broken feel?)

- Corner stair piece would be just nice addon:
http://media.merchantcircle.com/1414239 ... _full.jpeg

- Very thin basic wall block:
Basic white wall block that is very thin.
Could leave more space inside rooms when building surrounding walls, etc many other. Would be basic tool block.

- Wall skins:
I would really suggest this option.
With skins, there would be no problems "old maps looks now black".
It would also become benetifical in future updates, no need to change the whole look but just add skins = it gives more but dont take away

- (Idea) For bots:
I had this new even simpler idea for inserting bots:
In the editor, could be own bot logo button in the bar. when you click it, the bot appears in the tip of the cursor. Then you can just click the map with the cursor and it inserts the bots. And to delete, run the bot cursor over the bot and press del. Would be very simple & fast, no coding.
The 'bot settings' could be in the menu; to set skin, gun, ghost pattern, target point, behaviour randomness, etc..
So the overall adding would be quick and very clear = click logo + click map, then from the menu can manage detailed settings if need. This way you could quickly just test map

- (Idea) History stage:
Like in video/pic editor programs, you see every action you have made in the history list.
So you can choose specific actions from the history list and undo them. Could undo 20-30 block inserts more rapidly, or choose specific actions to undo.

- (iDEA) Background shadow rendering:
Maybe it could slow too much editing? But very slow background shadow rendering ,so it wont take much power.
When building areas that has dark shadows and need to check lights, it takes the little extra time to render the shadows always. If the shadows could be set to calculate in the background, could still build while calculating and you could see little by little when the shadows gets done while you build.

- Help grid:
If i remember right, i have seen option for this, but i cant remember and could not find?
But, basic help grid, shows the cubic grid in thin white lines (both, flat + height)

-------

Overall great update, I like alot!

[PapyChampy]

Nice and detailled feedback, thanks.

+1 for autosave by default, even if a similar plugin existed.

About the editor help : press the "H" key in the editor and then press the "Show helpers" button.

[TriXda]

Hey there,

I have been playing the new Maniaplanet for quite a while now and I am really unsatisfied with the new walljumps.

Firstly, I don't see any improvements in using the new "progressive walljump". It feels pretty much the same as before. In addition to this your movement with walljumps is really limited. I miss the the double walljumps by using a rocket. Also the "escalator jump" which is a really nice and skilled move for obstacle players doesn't work anymore. I really dislike the new walljumps and i hope there is a way to get these old moves back or delete the new walljump script.

Since the update the jumping in underground paths and bunkers on ground is disabled and i really like the suggestion from appor

- (Jumping in bunkers. I guess could get used to it after all, but it feels not so good in bunkers and in pipe tunnels
In high caves its very nice and can build more stuff inside caves, which is great, but grass bunkers and the pipe mountain tunnels are so low high it made feel sketchy. How about if grass bunkers would have powerpath floor, or the pipe tunnels too? Would feel better maybe

I hope there is a way to implement this suggestion because jumnping in the small tunnel paths and in ground bunkers is pretty useless in my opinion. I you can jump in the big underground areas where you now can place many new blocks with the blockmixing tool would lead to an awesome gameplay.

greetz, TriXda