Why Signs on Tracks?

[skalamanga]

Hi all,

The strangest thing happened tonight when I was racing on a server. I'm kind of baffled by it and I would like some opinions on it if you care to give them.

So out of the blue one of my tracks randomly came up. One of my better tracks that I'm pretty proud of actually.

Here's a vid of it: http://youtu.be/57MopA09Y7Q

A few seconds after the map began the admins and some clan members (which I sort of know and there is no bad blood or anything) started complaining that there was no signs and they collectively decided to delete the map from the server. Fair enough like it's their server and they can do what they want. But it wasn't because the map was bad. It was because there was no signs and by signs I mean big green ones with the white arrows and or those big blue ones with the with triangles on them.

To me the map is staright forward, super simple in route and the CP's are clearly visible at all stages of the map. It is a 29 second map. It doesn't require hours of training to memorise yet they deleted it purely because there was no signs despite driving very close times to mine several times.

They have added other tracks of mine and have said to me why is there no signs on them but this is the 1st time they deleted the track with me driving it. I don't care about that I am just baffled as to why they need a big green arrow pointing right when the only way to go is right.

Personally I don't like signs on tracks. I get more fun and sense of accomplishment if I find the fastest route on my own. I find the signs to be a distraction and having them on tracks has made people lazy and spoiled the fun factor of actually being good at driving a track.

Seriously like I can't find any of these arrows in the editor so I don't know how to add these signs even if I wanted to. If signs are a pre-requisite of a good track then why didn't nadeo include some in the editor?

[serujio]

there are signs in the editor.

I don´t like to get lost when playing a new track for only 5minutes in a server, so I think its necessary. And I agree with the server admins you are talking about, the track on the video need signs

[Omnixor]

no sings? bitch please. 5-1-4, 10-3-1, 10-3-4.

[banjee]

To me the map is staright forward, super simple in route and the CP's are clearly visible at all stages of the map. It is a 29 second map.

I'm gonna be completely honest with you. I watch the YouTube video and if I was playing this track on the server it would probably take me 3-4 min to find the route without signs. Maybe it was the low resolution of the video but the first two jumps were completely blind and for me if I don't know which way to go I'm just gonna go straight off the jump, which in this case, would have been wrong both times. So that is already 2 restarts, right off the bat. I guess you can see where I'm going with this but it all boils down to one thing: The accepted norm is that tracks should have signs, its just the way things are done, I guess, but you have a choice to do things whatever freaking way you want to do them. My advice, If you want your maps on the server, add the signs.
One last thing to think about, when you say that the map is easy and straightforward, that is coming from the perspective of the author. The map is naturally easy and straightforward for you because you spent hours building, testing, and perfecting it and it's ingrained in your memory. Everyone else, on the other hand, has never seen the track before and has absolutely no idea what to expect. That's the reason why most people add signs.

[skalamanga]

They are signs omnixor yes. I use them all the time. However there are no arrows pointing in a particular direction on them. Is there something I'm not doing to get them to have arrows on them?

Thanks for your comment Banjee and let me be honest. I've been playing Trackmania for many years. I've had a high rank offline and online for many years also in both Tmuf and TM2. I am not a noob to driving or track building. Respawing because I went straight over a jump I should have turned on slightly right beforehand is not something new to me nor is it an unbearable chore or sacrilige as you make it out to be. It's Trackmania. The game is about exploring routes and learning tracks and respawns come part and parcel if one makes a mistake.

Even if there was a sign pointing right above the jump, sometimes one would make a mistake either by being a little too far right or whatever, the point is it is trackmania. One can simply respawn and try again. It's a fundamental part of the trackmania experience that a perfectionist like me loves. So for anyone to try make it seem like some sort crime against humanity for making them respawn because they learned something about the tracks route is just silly to me.

[Omnixor]

there should be paint bucket button in the editor.

[zootie]

Interesting topic.

I do also believe there should be sufficient signs on a TA track.

But at the same time I'm also guilty of not using them , purely because I
think the track is easy and no need for them (or just being lazy).
Reality hit me when I started racing some of my tracks I have not raced in awhile and then discovered I forgot where to go !!

Signs should also be placed correctly, some tracks I've seen where you see a sign, but was actually there for another piece of the
track .. you can guess the rest.

Happy painting those sign blocks.

[om23]

once I built a map full of signs, but the direction was always wrong

[zootie]

If you have TMUF try this map.. classic case of how to use signs...

http://united.tm-exchange.com/main.aspx ... 59007#auto

[HaagseSmurf]

If you dont use signs in this tm2 track you will get lost
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOQtqoK5Jxo