New Killer Track Design Ideas

[thefellow3j]

(Couldn't find an open thread for this one...)

If you got a crazy, off-the-wall idea for an "Experts Only!" track, this is the place to put it. No holds are barred: throw in track elements from other games if you want!

Example: A split-level version of F-Zero GX's Serial Jumps (the last Sapphire Cup race) that introduces a steep magnetized drop to the lower track in the last big turn. Major barrel roll opportunities here!

[Darkdrium777]

Outpost 7.

'Nuff said.

[Xavier]

^ and ^^ : Combine the two! Outpost 7-like 180-degree turns combined with big gaps between each of the sharp turns!

Now that wouldn't be any fun at all.

If Wipeout didn't have a "wuss wagon", courses without walls would become seriously difficult (as they are in F-Zero). I found FZGX's "Lightning: Halfpipe" to be a fun challenge since you weren't allowed to fall off the course, ever -- same with the murderous final Story Mode course, where you basically have to navigate a twisty, loopy track for several minutes without ever falling off the track. Like Zone mode, but with only one shield point!

[swift killer]

Spilskinanke II please. Moar twists, moar difficulty, less magstrips.... and mind blowing surroundings.

[Chill]

I thought of that loop idea a while back... but with the boost pads becoming very important... the only thing keeping you up to enough speed to stay on the loop!!

But then I came up with the idea of possibly turning mag-strip on and off by yourself... like mabye even a foot pedal or something... of course you don't wanna learn with the pedal held down all the time, cause then you can't go off pumps, or ramps and do barrel rolls!! And besides, it would kinda force you to have to cover more ground, therefore you'd be slower than without it. But if ready to go upside down, you better hit that switch or else you're a goner!!

And another idea is to have moveable parts to the track... like make the track actually move!! for example, you could jump into a straight-away that has 8 or so straight aways all going down the same direction hugged around some revolving long cone... but once you get on, it's down with the pedal, or else you'll fall off when it revolves!! Then they would all end up getting back together in one track some way...

And making tracks with different type of scenery than all kind of much the same... like one be in a dirty dark rainy city, with trash flying around as you race buy, then one in like some vacational spot... perhaps even on other planets and other parts of the world like the first Wipeout and Wipeout Fusion... but we gotta use the island up first before the ability to put more effects and graphics into a future HD Wipeout without lag...

[Xavier]

Moveable parts woud be pretty interesting. Could they be implemented on a race track where the ships are flying at the speed of sound? I can't imagine levers and gears manipulating huge sections of glass/metal/etc. quickly enough, unless they did something with switches and simple doors like in Fusion.

And making tracks with different type of scenery than all kind of much the same... like one be in a dirty dark rainy city, with trash flying around as you race buy, then one in like some vacational spot... perhaps even on other planets and other parts of the world like the first Wipeout and Wipeout Fusion... but we gotta use the island up first before the ability to put more effects and graphics into a future HD Wipeout without lag...

They basically implemented your first idea in Pulse; in the decade since Pure, Wipeout racing has taken off again and there are courses all over the place. One, Basilico, seems to be in just the dirty dark rainy city (abandoned doe to some disaster) that you desire, though I suppose the PSP's screen is too small to see little bits of trash flying around.

I really like how they expanded all over the world. I was disappointed to find that everything was on Makana Island in Pure -- I'd been thinking that "Staten Park" was Staten Island, just outside New York! -- and thought that the construction of new courses in many different countries was a natural development. I loved the bright utopian atmosphere in Pure and would like to see more such settings.

Has humanity reached other planets yet in the Wipeout future? We seem to have a lunar base of some kind by 2160 (the Katmoda course in Fusion); have we expanded to Mars in the years since then?

[swift killer]

Something like the city scapes in the graphic novel: Ramayan 3329AD

[Chill]

They basically implemented your first idea in Pulse; in the decade since Pure, Wipeout racing has taken off again and there are courses all over the place. One, Basilico, seems to be in just the dirty dark rainy city (abandoned doe to some disaster) that you desire, though I suppose the PSP's screen is too small to see little bits of trash flying around.

Oh yeah your right Xavier! hahaha... but I thought Basilico was way too bright if it was abandoned in my opinion... it shoulda been a dark lightless city you know?? totally feeling deserted.. that woulda been better...

the reason I like to think of other planets, and perhaps other places on earth is to see weather to the extemes... I know hard to generate on HD... but mabye not so much down the road... like fusion, it had rainforest storms... deep snow.... and it had even the moon. Well I just think it would be cool to see weather and such on another planet that doesn't usually happen on earth, and mabye even birds that don't exist on earth!!

[Criz]

I would like to have a track that goes vertical for about 75% to later change to a freefall.

[LOUDandPROUD]

Going with the weather theme here, I think it would be neat (and challenging) to have a really windy track that's mostly walled, so as to buffer the wind, but with an open section or two (similar to Sol 2) that offers no protection from the high winds. So, not only would you naturally have to be careful not to fall off the track in those open areas, but you'd also have to compensate/counter-steer for the wind. How about incorporating a jump onto the track where you're battling the wind while in mid-air too? I'm imagining hearing the wind during the whole race, with it really howling when you hit those open sections and the jump. Hmm, maybe they could call the track Chicagopia? LOL. (Sorry to any non-U.S. folks that don't get the reference) Anyway, I think that would be really cool.

[Chill]

WOW really never thought of that idea! see, heavy weather effect can indeed have a purpose!!!!

[Xavier]

LoudAndProud, that would be fun! Maybe you could have areas where the track forks into two, with one side having walls (but being slightly lnoger) and another with no walls and a vicious wind (but slightly shorter).

That assumes that the wind blows from one side to the other. What if you get a head- or tail-wind? The forward race would be a completely different experience from the reverse! Phantom class + massive tailwind = Zen class!

[LOUDandPROUD]

Haha! Yes! You get the idea! How about piloting in a blizzard too?! What fun!

[Ally]

Awesome idea about the wind.

[Velocitar64]

This is an image i drew 6 years ago O.O I just found it and added text today.

It's kinda terrible But it's appropriate to the thread.

[stinkleroy]

Thats a very good idea L&P!! Bringing in weather effects opens up the floor for lots of new ideas and hazzards. There could be thunderstorms with lightening strikes, blinding sun spots on some tracks or perhaps the sun could overheat you and drain your energy bar.

A track in the eye of a tornado would be pretty cool purely for the visual aspect

[Lion]

lightning strikes - by which I guess you mean forked lightning? - if they damaged your ship or obscured your vision, would be a right royal pain. if the lightning was just white flashes then it wouldn't seem so random and like the game was picking on the player

[Xavier]

Wind certainly would be fun to deal with, especially if there were a choice between windy and non-windy (but longer or otherwise more challenging) paths. Was it Anulpha Pass that had that thin shortcut path off to the right of the main course? Imagine that area being buffeted by winds while the main course is quiet -- then put the shortcut directly above the main course so that if you fall off, you're stuck driving "normally".

How about a blizzard course with many indoor segments? Imagine an "Orcus 2" where you're underground most of the way, then BOOM! you're being buffeted by snow and wind (and are suddenly in the light of day).

Has Wipeout ever made use of dirt on the track to slow you down?

It's really too bad F-Zero hasn't come out with a next-generation game in so long. FZ and WO should be leapfrogging each other in innovations, each spurring the other to new heights.

[stinkleroy]

The idea of lightening was more that of a distraction rather than a destruction tool. As you said, it wouldnt be fair to randomly strike somebody, but since when has wipeout been fair?

[andy]

There could be ... blinding sun spots on some tracks or perhaps the sun could overheat you and drain your energy bar.

Cool idea. Maybe there could be a fast racing line in the sun, and a wiggly slower line in the shade, so you'd have to take a gamble and use a little strategy and hope you've got enough shield energy to make it through.