Track style meanings?

[Serpwidgets]

For myself, I try not to worry about labels and simply make something I enjoy driving. What you call a map is of lesser importance to how it actually feels to drive it... and if its competitive and fun.

Yeah I know what you mean, but I wanted to know that I was classifying my tracks so that people downloading them would not think they were inaccurately described. I had seen A08 described as LOL, but I would have thought LOL was more of a joke track, like "ha ha the finish line was right behind the start" type of stuff, or something that wasn't intended to be raced seriously.

For me much of the joy in racing is in dealing with the unpredictable, which is usually sparring with a solid opponent, cutting people off on turns, etc. I find it boring when your time is a function of how well you ape the same inputs over and over, like fullspeed tracks... it's just guitar hero with a 3d output. In TM the only way to produce some unpredictability is to require the driver to cross stuff like bumpy landscape, so I usually make maps with some speed, some corners/jumps that require using your brakes or being more accurate, and either going up the side of a dirt hill (going down there's not enough gravity to make any difference) or across a block with a rough dirt surface. It sounds like a lot of people might consider them LOL tracks.

[eyebo]

Fullspeed tracks can be made to be very boring, but they can also be designed to be very challenging. It's actually quite challenging to traverse some transitions and stuff in Canyon and keep the car from sliding. For some fullspeed tracks, it's also about taking the right line, so you maximize the speed of the car through changes in elevation, etc. I'm not a fullspeed driver really, so I'm sure there's even more that goes into it than that. But there's definitely more to it than "guitar hero with a 3d output", though I know what you mean because sometimes it feels that way to me on the easier fullspeed tracks.

Having offroad parts doesn't make your track a lolmap. lolmaps are usually containing some aspect that makes them lucky or hard to get a consistent time. Some people perceive some short maps to be lolmaps only because of their lack of skill, so they "luck" their way to the finish. I think you're right about lolmaps needing some air control. That is often the case. But there are other maps that require air control as well. My latest Canyon map is actually a speedtech map and the last transition in it requires some air control if you want to get the fastest time. Every trial and RPG map I've ever driven also require some air control.

What I've seen of lolmaps is that they usually contain some trick that is the highlight of the track, and the entire race is won or lost depending on how you perform that trick. Keras was also right in saying that they are usually very short maps. 99% of lolmaps I've seen have been under 25secs long.

There is also a genre of "minis". They are often the same length as a lolmap, but are quite clearly 100% skill based. They usually are tech in nature, requiring some drifts... and have a lot of room for improvement of times.

The maps used in driving competitions... leagues, cups, and such... are usually tech or speedtech, and usually have a time of 45secs to 1:15 so there's a lot of turns and places to gain time on your opponents.

It is good to know styles in order to label things correctly when uploading to MX or telling your friends what kind of map you made. I didn't mean to imply otherwise.

I guess my main concern is that people don't get stuck in a style and think you have to build a certain way... or think that you can't put more than one style in a single map. The possibilities in TM are wide open. I like to see people fully explore those possibilities regardless of style or genre.

[Serpwidgets]

What I've seen of lolmaps is that they usually contain some trick that is the highlight of the track, and the entire race is won or lost depending on how you perform that trick. Keras was also right in saying that they are usually very short maps. 99% of lolmaps I've seen have been under 25secs long.

Ok, that's exactly what I took it to mean. It's to do a certain stunt, or baffle drivers with a ridiculous shortcut, or demonstrate some novelty. Etc.

I guess my main concern is that people don't get stuck in a style and think you have to build a certain way... or think that you can't put more than one style in a single map. The possibilities in TM are wide open. I like to see people fully explore those possibilities regardless of style or genre.

I know what you mean. I think my style is pretty much my own, which is why I was trying to figure out the best way to label them on TM Exchange. I doubt my tracks will ever be hugely popular, especially with those players who think this game is about perfection. I tend to have strange tastes, but I'm not trying to please anyone else... I make my own tracks because they're fun for me to drive.

[eyebo]

I tend to have strange tastes, but I'm not trying to please anyone else... I make my own tracks because they're fun for me to drive.

That's definitely most important. If you can't be happy with your own maps, you can't expect anyone else to be.

Regarding labels on MX... if you're not sure what to label your maps... just use "Race". It's why we put it there in the dropdown list, for those maps that don't fall into other categories, or for authors that aren't sure where to categorize their maps.

Have fun mapping

[NTGultimate]

You forgot one important style of map. Perhaps because it's not just a style, it also a separate gamemode.
Rounds.
My personal favourite. It's a shame that rounds isn't that popular.

[Omnixor]

it's not a style, it's just a server mode. like TA, laps, etc.

[M1ku-H4tsune]

Then there's also Nascar, 5-7 laps on easy maps, but because there is some competition you can still easily make a wrong turn. Focus, timing and knowledge about the maps and ingame physics will bring you the best times.
Aside from Nascar there's Nascar United, same story as Nascar stadium, but on envimixed maps, on some events there is a pit stop involved. On some tracks you can reach 1000 kmh.
Next up there is Dirt, most of the track is made out of (guess what) dirt blocks, and the style is rather hard, as it is really really hard to find the right angle to go through the corner with, and speed, and side of the track (more towards the inside/middle/outside).
Dirt Nascar, same story as dirt, but only oval shaped.
Speed fun, it's a little bit like Fullspeed, with a little touch of Nascar, the tracks are ~40-90 seconds long, and you need to stay focused on the track and try to estimate what's coming and if you can handle it with the speed you're driving with (too fast for a corner or too slow for a jump). But it's fun to drive the style.