Turbo Sliders future

[dede]

To continue on the demo vs full player discussion. On the server side I think statistics would be a feature for full version players only. For it to work properly, we must have some way of protecting nicknames as Dede was saying. This is very important for us server owners who wants to take the game further with statistics, ranking etc.

If you mean that demo players shouldn't get their laptimes recorded, I don't agree with you. Extra features would be ok, but laptimes are essential for this game. If you want to kill lapwanking, then your idea is good

[Anddru]

To continue on the demo vs full player discussion. On the server side I think statistics would be a feature for full version players only. For it to work properly, we must have some way of protecting nicknames as Dede was saying. This is very important for us server owners who wants to take the game further with statistics, ranking etc.

If you mean that demo players shouldn't get their laptimes recorded, I don't agree with you. Extra features would be ok, but laptimes are essential for this game. If you want to kill lapwanking, then your idea is good

But how do you kill something that's already dead?

[Janne]

To continue on the demo vs full player discussion. On the server side I think statistics would be a feature for full version players only. For it to work properly, we must have some way of protecting nicknames as Dede was saying. This is very important for us server owners who wants to take the game further with statistics, ranking etc.

If you mean that demo players shouldn't get their laptimes recorded, I don't agree with you. Extra features would be ok, but laptimes are essential for this game. If you want to kill lapwanking, then your idea is good

But how do you kill something that's already dead?

A sleeping object is not dead.

[The Dude]

If you mean that demo players shouldn't get their laptimes recorded, I don't agree with you. Extra features would be ok, but laptimes are essential for this game. If you want to kill lapwanking, then your idea is good

I ment to say ranking not statistics. Ops :p

[FDV]

I would like to be able to press PAUSE in the offline races..

[dede]

I ment to say ranking not statistics. Ops :p

Ranking isn't directly implemented inside the game, so it means that you want the possibility to differenciate players in logs/racestats to exclude them in case they aren't full version players. I don't think that would be the way either.
Remember that if we go "full demo", we'll have enough players for every mod in the game (racing, wanking, cups&seasons, xbumpz, battle, etc). Basically we would be able to play anything at any time. I think that putting a limit to one of those "mods" would mean killing that mod (since players will have still enough mods to play without paying any fee).
In my opinion with a good account system we could think about having extra web features assigned to "supporters" (those who will purchase the full version / donate). In-game extra features can be only minor things (e.g. personalizing car color).

[The Dude]

I think that putting a limit to one of those "mods" would mean killing that mod (since players will have still enough mods to play without paying any fee).

Well, I think you exaggerate the impact of being excluded from ranking. They will still be part of results, statistics etc. Most of the players you are referring to isn't hardcore racers/wankers, they just want to have fun with a few competitive races. At least, that was what I heard of old players who was there last time this game was freeware. The idea here is to get some money to support the master server(s).

What did you ment by in-game features like personalizing car color? It is even possible today with a demo version.

[dede]

The idea here is to get some money to support the master server(s).

That's not a problem, since JGG said that TS.com & the master server can remain where they are now, even if we go completely freeware. They would just stop paying for the dedicated server which hosts currently the record server & US racing servers + websites about TS (ippon-team.com, and maybe some other). To me it seems a good deal.

What did you ment by in-game features like personalizing car color? It is even possible today with a demo version.

I know, but it was just an idea. That can be considered an extra feature, because it doesn't affect the game itself. Excluding players from the official ranking just because they aren't full version players would mean that we'll have only about 10-20 active players in the ranking. It would be nice to have thousands of them, instead.

[Ande]

Some news to come. The new version will probably be called 2.0.0. There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, 1.0.8 was advertized as 1.8 somewhere. Second, as there are changes in the game engine, the game will be incompatible with older versions and old track records are not valid any more. And third, it just looks cool .

Here is a list of new features I have already coded. It will still take time to test, debug and document everything. And there are still a couple of new fixes I might add. But things are going forward and I hope to be able to release a beta version in a few weeks.

New features in 2.0.0: (more to come?)
----------------------------------------------
- Track restrictions removed from the demo version.
- Game engine improvements: smoother network game and more accurate lap times
- New track record format and directory, old records not valid any more
- Support for total conversion mods (read README-totalmod.txt)
- New server script options (/source and /cmd, read README-autoserver.txt)
- Start positions can be freely adjusted
- Random start mode added, added command /startmode [0|1]
- Added command /demoplayersallowed [0|1]
- A track can be selected multiple times in tracks menu by holding Shift.
- It is possible to kick spectators by IP and define how many spectators are allowed with /spectatorsAllowed, /who also lists spectators
- Fixed sticky Alt after Alt+Tab
- Tracks can have gravity (to enable for example space ship races or battles)
- Automatic support for more resolutions, including widescreen ones
- Added command line parameter -capture <n> which saves the first n seconds of recordings as bmp files in directory capture
- Updated libraries, using DirectX is now optional

[Ande]

Some info about total conversions. Maybe some of you guess why I wanted to include this. But I think it adds nice possibilities for anyone who would like to do something really different.

Beginning of README-totalmod.txt:

Making Total Conversions of Turbo Sliders

This document explains how you can make total conversions of Turbo
Sliders. As explained in README-mod.txt, almost everything in the game
can be modified. You can add new tracks with custom graphics, add new
cars, play PunaBall, missile battles or XBumbz - all within Turbo
Sliders. If, however, this is not enough, you can make a total
conversion. It means replacing all default cars, tracks, tiles,
graphics, sounds and music. In a way, it means you can make your own
game based on Turbo Sliders. Turbo Sliders 2.0 supports this without
having to overwrite any original files. Original Turbo Sliders and
any number of mods can co-exist in the same installation directory.
Different mods can even use the master server to advertize their
games, even though joining players must be running the same mod.


GENERAL ARCHITECTURE

A total conversion modification installs itself in Turbo Sliders
directory by adding a directory named mod_<name> where <name> is the name
of the mod. This directory must contain info file mod.dat and it must
at least have directories named data, tracks and cars. Cars, tracks and
tile definitions must all be defined inside the mod directory hierarchy.
Optionally, mod can also redefine samples, music files, menu images and
fonts but if they are not present, original ones are used. Mod is started
by running sliders.exe with command line parameter "-mod <name>". Original
Turbo Sliders and all mods share player data, macros, language files, logs
and server scripts. Hardware, network and other global options are shared
in sliders.ini but mods have their own game specific settings redefined
in game.ini.

[Tijny]

That's BEYOND AWESOME, keep it up

[Punatiainen]

- Track restrictions removed from the demo version.
- Added command /demoplayersallowed [0|1]

Just wondering, what will be the difference between demo version and full version then, when track restrictions are gone?

Or does /demoplayersallowed mean older demo versions of the game?

[Jarno]

Sounds really good Maybe we have soon 3d because of gravity

[Tijny]

I've been thinking a bit (and I'm not sure if it's realistic at all), it'd be great to have extended scripting capabilities as an addition to the total conversion feature, which can actually affect the gameplay. This would offer unlimited possibilties for coders.

For example:

Code: Select all

// Pseudocode which would teleport a player upon entering a specific checkpoint

function OnPlayerEnterCheckpoint( Player, checkpointid )
{
  if (checkpointid == 3)
  {
    Player.SetPosition( 502.45, 152.52, 0.0 );
    Player.SetRotation( 180.0 );
  }
}

Again, not sure if this is realistic at all, but it would be sooo cool

[Badeend]

^ That would be a fantastic addition to completely customize the gameplay

[dede]

Just wondering, what will be the difference between demo version and full version then, when track restrictions are gone?

It means there won't be any difference, if demo players are allowed to the server.

Ande, very good job! Now I remember a couple of bugs:

1) When a player disconnects, his car keeps moving -> it could cause problems for other racers, so make it stop (don't disable it, just make it stop moving)
2) (not important) /promode 0/1 works in the middle of the race, but it doesn't enable back disabled cars. Maybe make it possible?
3) currently there are problems linked to track downloading. If a track is damaged and not working, maybe the game should download it again instead of displaying the error message: delete the old track&files, and download automatically the track from the server.

Here come some suggestions if you got more time:

1) web-based account system (I'm available to describe how it should work, if you are interested contact me via e-mail)
2) possibility to accept/remove players in the middle of a race (if the race is long, it might be possible to let players play - starting from pitlane, for example - when they connect, without waiting the end of the race). Maybe with the same logic, there could be a way to autokick&exclude players disconnected (car is removed from track). Just an idea copied from MRO.
3) adding some other tiles to the /data/ folder could make tracks smaller to download if they use those tiles (and some of those tiles are really nice).
(EDIT) 4) Possibility to ban IP ranges.
(EDIT2) 5) Possibility to assign cup points manually (not so important, just an idea)

Some questions now:
- Currently we have some statistic scripts running, and a ranking based on laptimes/videos. Will anything change for those? Ok, I guess we'll have to remove all old videos&laptimes, but will the format of videos and logs/racestats change? If so, we need to fix these scripts also.
- Old videos will still work?
(EDIT) - "Totalmods" will be downloadable inside the game or it will be required to download and install them outside? It would be nice to have it inside the game

[Hini]

I have a question about total conversion mod...

mod.dat will be contain all variables like:
-type of start
-point rules
-and much more ?

Because we have a little idea for our mod, but we don't know how about it work. It's called The Chaser.

Rules are simple: one of players is "infected" with a red color. On start of game, server randomly choice the title "chaser". When he touch someone the infection goes to that guy. In our amateur version of it - catched guy stops and he wrote his nick by hands. In the mod it will be stop for 2 seconds and his name will be displayed somewhere. There's no lap but Time like in Puna.

So if that all variables we can change in mod.dat - can we create something like that ?

[dede]

So if that all variables we can change in mod.dat - can we create something like that ?

I doubt that. But I have a suggestion to make it easier. Play it in a xbumpz track without killterrain (and also without carhiteffect and wallhiteffect), with timelimit set to what you prefer. Each player should take a different color, so you can just write the color of the chaser car, which is a bit easier.
There was also a "mod" called DisableGame which was very similar to your mod. There were one or two chasers, and the goal was to disable rest of players (chasers were driving a lap, others weren't -> /promode 1).

[Jazzyclub]

great!! directx work more fastest of old library...

about total conversion, im one of thinking the same thing of tijny o hini...because changing a structure of the basic code FINALLY i can make my oneway track like RALLY!!

[Hini]

and one more ! this time about car animation

Ande... can you add a one more type of car animation ? One frame for riding forward and for ex. 8 frame's for each turn. For example - sport bike animation - i can't do a lean animation because it can't be done with animation like now

With car like formula, we can turn the front wheels it will be awesome

Edit:
I have another idea... It's possible to do a Nascar track style bend ? on it you can ride faster...

[Jazzyclub]

hini slowdown, isnt a topic for requests...ande say what feat/changes are in next version (after 2 years an update!! woooo) and when him specified what is the total conversion is to tell to us how it work...

the things we have asked (me and tijny) is to know what total convertion can do...nothing else

[Mouse]

HOLY BALLS.

I'm VERY excited for the widescreen support!!!! Using an HDTV as my PC monitor... TS is hard to play, this will ROCK. I was not expecting to see such a huge list of features... DUDE! There is so much stuff that looks, as Tijny said, B3YOND awesome.

Ande, you da man.

Question:

Start positions freely adjusted? Does this mean i can use a command in-server to set people on pole, P2, P3 ect.... or is it to set each spot in the track editor (like battle tracks)? I hope you mean both because they would be awesome features.

[Ande]

Here are some answers to questions. I probably have missed many of them and I am sorry for that. As a general note, you have all mentioned many nice feature requests which I'd love to implement but in order to ever get the next version ready, I must stop doing new things at some point and concentrate on testing.

First of all, about starts. Free start positions are track specific. It will be possible in Editor to set every 20 starting positions individually, with arbitrary starting angles. I don't think there is any easy way to support free starting positions so that they would actually work in every existing track. The new start mode will be a game option which can be used in every track. Instead of the current system, all the lights are lit at the same time and then, after a random time, lights go away and race starts.

New mods don't really add new game engine features like the scripts Tijny mentioned. But that is a good idea worth considering in the future. And maybe something could be added to support ideas like chaser/tag etc. If you have other gameplay ideas like that, let me know of them. Perhaps I can think of easy ways to support them later. The idea of total conversion is just to be able to redefine tiles, cars and graphics without the need to overwrite existing ones or having to have the original cars etc. present. I really don't want everyone to make their own mod since that would divide the player population. But if someone makes a really original set of new cars and tracks and it gets more players than the original game, I am fine with that .

And yes, demo version will at first be very much like the full game. There is a nag screen telling that if you continue playing the game, you need to register, but there won't be any other restrictions, at least for now. First I would like to see the game get more players. Later I can worry about how honest people are and what to do with the dishonest ones .

About gravity, it is really not used anywhere yet and I don't know if it is of any use. I just added it because it was such a small thing to do and it could possibly enable someone to make an xpilot/thrust like space mod.

About widescreen support, it basically means that there are widescreen resolutions available in display settings. You can use them in old versions too using command line parameters. Menu screens fit screen better now though.

[Anddru]

My idea was to make a lot of suggestions for 2.0.1 Ande, but if you want them now, here are some:

• • TeamPlay - so you don’t have to make colors yourself. Besides that make better laptimes so both players have to pass before it counts
• Basket (instead of goal-line, goal-zone), this could also be used for "TeamBalls" and lots of other things
• Improved punaball (as it is now, its almost just a square, make more details in the corners)
• Elimination / Knockout - so it would work automatically
• Le Mans - make it possible to drive with time
• Server Sertings – you should have a possibility to make a lot of different server settings. An example: You press “Start Server” you do now have the possibility to just run server normally, but you could also chose “Punaball”, “Race” or so, and then when you come into the server it would have settings for those settings. Of course it should to make new Categories, modify them and so on.

[Jazzyclub]

for the server setting, is what i have always asked...

stop to type command to set the server, just set all the thing by a GUI like TS options

more easy too for newbie!!