Did I just buy Trackmania Nations 2?

[t0mme]

Let me start off with the good. I really love the new environment. Especially the handling of the car and the amount of control you have over your drift. My favourite environment has always been Island, but I think Canyon is just a tad better.

However.

I just came to the realization that I in fact just bought the follow-up to Trackmania Nations Forever and not Trackmania (original/Sunrise/United). I bought the original Trackmania on releasedate for €45. What I got were three environments, a track editor and two game modes (race and puzzle). Afterwards I bought Sunrise on releasedate for €30. What I got were three different environments, a track editor and three games modes (race, puzzle, platform). I bought United for €30. I got seven all the seven environments, a track editor and three game modes.

But today I bought Canyon for €20. It has one enviroment (though a real good one) and one game mode. One! In fact, it has about as much content as the FREE Nations had. I knew it had one environment, but I figured that if it's a good one, that's fine, because I only play two environments (snow and island). But the thing that made Trackmania so unique, its puzzle mode, is nowhere to be found! And the one real innovation Trackmania had throughout its history, platform mode, is also missing!

Canyon is no more than an updated Nations for which you now have to pay. And now I'm afraid I have to pay extra to get the real Trackmania content, if that's ever going to be made... Has Trackmania just become a game where only multiplayer time attack matters? Did Nadeo just abandon the one thing that made it stand out?

Promise me a free update with puzzle and platform mode. Please?

[seeba]

Nearly everything you say, about the game modes, and the environments, is true. Nearly
But this is not as bad as it sounds, because you will be able to create custom game modes in the future, as far as I know.
However, this is not yet possible, it still has to be enabled.

You won't have to pay for updates / patches for the games you already bought - in this case, TrackMania² Canyon. So, every update for Canyon, you will get for free.
This will include the possibility to create custom game modes as well as the ability to create custom blocks - although we don't know yet when this will happen. But anyway, Nadeo said that this will come.

You only have to pay for other parts of the game, e.g. for TrackMania² Valley when it's released, or for ShootMania Storm or whatever.

I think I answered the most important parts of your post... if not, feel free to remind me of the missing parts and I'll try to answer them too.

By the way, in case you're interested: game modes will be created via ManiaScript, an integrated scripting system.
If I remember correctly, Nadeo even created some game modes for ShootMania (Capture the Flag or something like that) using ManiaScript.

[Zaiks]

I am really hoping for more content as well. I miss platform and puzzle (stunt is fun but not my favorite mode), but for now I am satisfied with what TM2 is delivering. I consider this the start phase of a new TM era, and I expect updates in the future. It has happened to every TM title so far. Blocks were added, along with new content and features. We just have to be patient.

EDIT:

[...]
This will include the possibility to create custom game modes as well as the ability to create custom blocks - although we don't know yet when this will happen. But anyway, Nadeo said that this will come.
[...]

I am so looking forward to this. It will be awesome... I can just imagine some of the tracks (heck, games even) made by creative minds out there.

Although one thing that bothers me is this: If puzzle/platform/stunt will only be available as "custom modes made by players", there will be more than one version of these modes out there, and casual mapmakers are not very likely to download custom game modes and integrating them into their maps in order to make, say, a puzzle map.

But maybe that's not how it works. I just hope for puzzle, platform (and possibly stunt) as default modes patched into the game for everyone to enjoy.

[maniaracer]

Platform was a lot of *fun.

sometimes so ANNOYING THERE WAS RAGE!!

[t0mme]

I could have lived with all that, but in my view the price tag of €20 is too steep at this moment. If somebody asked me if they should buy Canyon, I would recommend that they download Nations instead and afterwards decide wheter they want to spent €20 for one new environment or €30 for six additional environments and two/three extra gamemodes.

Hopefully, I'll be able to recommend Canyon in a year or so. But Nadeo, come on. Put the Trackmania back in Canyon. With that excellent handeling of the Canyon car, it should be heaps on fun!

[seeba]

...or €30 for six additional environments and two/three extra gamemodes.

It's even cheaper: http://www.amazon.de/TrackMania-United- ... 990&sr=8-1

I hope I'm allowed to post this link If not, feel free to delete it

[Keras]

Platform in itself doesnt need a own gamemode. Driving platform tracks in TA mode is just fine.
Puzzle was not part of Sunrise neither of United afair so I doubt it will (officially) come back. What they will most likely include in a future update is stunt and maybe also a real platform mode but thats not very important imo.

[maphios]

Platform in itself doesnt need a own gamemode. Driving platform tracks in TA mode is just fine.

I have to disagree with that. Driving platform maps is more than just trying to be the fastest on a difficult map. It´s about mastering a map with all it´s obstacles in one run.

In order to do that you don´t have to be fast, you just have to be concentrated. For me driving in platform mode is much more than TA, because you always have to be creative and careful in your round. In TA otherwise you can easily respawn at a CP and drive to the next CP with full risk, because it just doesn´t matter if you do a quick respawn. But in platform there is this tension when you see the finish line and know that there is just one jump/stunt left to do in order to finish this round with 0 respawns. I think you can´t get this tension in TA mode and that´s what platform is all about.

So personally I would love to see a platform mode as soon as possible in TM2. That would be really great !

[maniaracer]

The depth of control from TM1 is enhanced in TM2
<3

I guess Platform will be next patch viable? <3 platform mapper - d00d

[Keras]

@maphios You are missing that to get the fastest time you have to make as less respawns as possible since each respawn means lost time. So if you get to the last spot 10 sec ahead of current rec you know you will have just this one try to make it. Actually in platform mode many people will have 0 respawns eventually which makes it kind of pointless to drive the track again.