Hylis wrote:As for the gameplay, it is not mistakes I think, but more choices and taste. I made it to be a good combo, a good variation with other gameplays, and this is why it ends up to be polarizing for some people. It is hard to make sweet and bitter at the same time.
This is an excellent quote.
And I believe you could be talking about any TrackMania environment when you said that.
Valley will very likely also be a polarizing environment. Some people will love it, others may not. Right now some people seem to hold it out as their hope of the "perfect TM environment". I worry that people may build up their expectations too high.
The important thing is that Valley brings a good variation to the gameplay of other environments. I worry most that the blocks will be designed in such a way that allows new transitions to be discovered with the blocks for years to come. Canyon blocks are seemingly "too beautiful". There's a lot of stuff around the edges of them that makes it hard to create new transitions. Still, people like s'habba, are finding new transitions weekly... and making incredibly fun tracks.
Transitions are one of the things that kept the track building scene in TMUF alive for years after it's initial release. I can't underestimate how important it is to maximize the possibilities there are with the blocks. I think the addition of the latest blocks in ShootMania (beta2.0 and beta2.1) shows that Nadeo still understands this.
The reason my profile picture says "eyebo love Valley" is because I know that I will stick with it long enough to learn to love it. I choose to appreciate the beauty of each gameplay for what it is. And I find the challenge of learning a new environment to be fun.
Of course I'm not as good in Coast as I am in Canyon. I'm not as good in Rally as I am in Island. And I'm not as good in Stadium as I am in Bay. But I have fun in all of these because I enjoy the challenge that each environment brings.
I didn't used to be so broad minded though. If I may make an analogy with music: Growing up, throughout my teen years, I only listened to Country music. I was repulsed at the thought of listening to almost anything else. If it wasn't produced with analog instruments with meaningful lyrics, then it wasn't for me. It simply sounded wrong to my ears. I was very strict about this. But somewhere along the way I learned that there was merit to other types of music, and although I still avoid certain types of music on moral grounds, I enjoy a much broader variety than I used to. This brings me enjoyment.
Perhaps that analogy can be applied to TrackMania. Some are simply more picky about which environments they want to drive. If it doesn't immediately give them pleasure to play it, then they avoid it. And so they may never know the enjoyment of learning to enjoy something new.
Ever heard the term "acquired taste"? It's when you don't like something at first, but the more you're exposed to it and try it, the more you learn to like it... even love it. Usually we apply it to food or music... but even some games are like that.
It's been my experience that acquired tastes are much more satisfying than those things that you tend to like immediately. It's as if you've discovered the secret ingredient. It makes it more special. And usually, because it takes longer to understand, it is a deeper enjoyment.
It doesn't mean you have to learn to like everything, but perhaps we should give some things more of a chance before discarding them.
We live in a very fast paced world of instant gratification and a million things to distract us. It's good to slow down once and a while and try something new... something we may not enjoy at first... perhaps because we don't understand it or because we're not good at it. But with time and skill it may become a joyful thing to do. I'm not saying it has to be a TM environment. It could be learning to play trombone, or guitar, or learning how to cook. Learning new skills can, with persistence, bring a lot of joy.
