Hey everyone.
I'm taking a short break from MT2 to work on something else: a racing map for OP2. Doing this will be tricky, but it will help me work out problems that may arise as I begin to work on a lot of AI code as well as get me better acquainted with OP2Mapper.
Anyways, since this is about the racing map and not MT2, let me tell you a little about that...
It will be a six-player map with multiple vehicle to choose from, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities (explained in detail below). There are three laps. Obviously, your objective is to come in first place. Throughout the race, there are various checkpoints; if you're killed you respawn at the last checkpoint passed (assuming you have enough lives, which the host will set with initial vehicles). There are also various item zones you can pass. These items have various effects, ranging from repairing your vehicle, to giving you a temporary speed boost, to spawning a vortex. Each vehicle also has a special ability, either active (such as spawning a Guard Post) or passive (such as an RCC effect).
Here are the vehicles (subject to change):
Scout - The fastest (but also weakest) racer. Comes with an RCC and can detect traps*.
Lynx - Armed and durable, but is also the slowest racer. Special ability TBD.
ConVec - Average speed and defense. Best described as "balanced". Can deploy a Guard Post with a random colony-specific weapon every 40(?) marks.
Robo-Surveyor - Second fastest racer. Can deploy EMP Shockwave Mines
Scorpion - Armed and fast, but very vulnerable. Immune to EMP, of course.
Cargo Truck - Fair speed, high durability. Can drop Spin Bombs, which make victims spin around wildly and lock out the player's control temporarily.
* - If it will work out, "traps" will be spawned as wreckage flags visible only to the player that placed them, allowing Scouts to spot them early.
And the items (again, subject to change):
Nanobots - Fully repairs your vehicle.
Turbo Boost - Gives you a temporary speed boost.
Gravity Generator - Spawns a small meteor on one of your enemies.
Speed Up - Permanent speed boost (tech upgrade).
Defense Up - Permanent HP/armor boost (tech upgrade).
TMHFKEBD - This rare item is a time bomb. Five marks after being deployed, it destroys everything in the blast radius and releases (non-spreading) Blight over a small area. I don't really know what it stands for...
Mass Driver Control Uplink - You have a 1% chance of getting this. It kills everyone on the map; including yourself. Not available if there are no extra lives at the start.
That's all for now. Coding hasn't even begun yet (I need a specially-designed map, and that will take awhile) so if you have any suggestions now is the time to make them...