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Deleted member 31817

Nov 7, 2017
30,876
I stopped buying the character bundles as it's much easier to get them individually and they're the most unique parts of the Grand Prix.
What do you mean the character bundles? Like right now I want to get one of the GP characters but they're not selling any individually on my store so the only option is to buy one of the bundles with a kart and wheels and stuff
 

Wrestleman

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,304
Virginia
I definitely agree. With a game like this, it would have been better do underdo the collisions than to overdo them. Fewer instances of invisible walls even if it means more clipping through obstacles without harm.

I may be wrong as I can't actually see under the hood, but based on my own dealings with similar vehicle systems, there's a great chance it's got basically nothing to do with invisible geometry, I think they've got the geometry on the collisions as simplified as it can reasonably be -- it has to do with the way the karts detect their wheel points and what's in front of the body.

Fixing that is going to be a drastic change to the game's mechanics and feel; so they probably put it on the backburner to do a lot more R&D if I had to guess. You want to find ways to mitigate it without just giving up and completely changing things.

Major point here is they'll fix it in the collision logic, not the collision meshes, most likely, so it'll be like the matchmaking and the checkpoint system; A large sweeping change that comes along slower (they're likely running on a post-launch, downsized team and probably only get so many manhours per month to focus on Q/A and fixes when they're also responsible for new content and stuff).

Speculative, of course.
 

Gradon

Saw the truth behind the copied door
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,470
UK
What do you mean the character bundles? Like right now I want to get one of the GP characters but they're not selling any individually on my store so the only option is to buy one of the bundles with a kart and wheels and stuff

Thd character bundles are as you've explained. You can buy characters on the first Square. Wheb you buy one it'll reroll and display another one.
 

Serena

Member
Oct 25, 2017
92
I'm having an almost impossible time doing to time trials on Sewer Speedway and Blizzard Bluff. I cannot consistently hit the jumps to make the shortcuts. I've watched videos and know what I'm supposed to do but I just can't do it consistently. Does anyone have any tips?

For Blizzard Bluff it's the lake jump, and for Sewer Speedway it's the big jump after the alligator/power pads.
 

Fuhgeddit

#TeamThierry
Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,711
I am almost done with this grand prix, yes! I have been gathering up wumpa coins and also buying stuff I've missed in the past. I really enjoy this game.
 

selfReg

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,792
I'm having an almost impossible time doing to time trials on Sewer Speedway and Blizzard Bluff. I cannot consistently hit the jumps to make the shortcuts. I've watched videos and know what I'm supposed to do but I just can't do it consistently. Does anyone have any tips?

For Blizzard Bluff it's the lake jump, and for Sewer Speedway it's the big jump after the alligator/power pads.
funny that you mention the lake jump on Blizzard Bluff. That one gave me all sorts of grief for a while but after I made one small change I hit it all the time basically. For one, you need to make sure you have Sacred Fire from the turbo pad next to the rolling rock, and also enough reserves to carry you to the lake jump. The game makes it almost impossible for you to make the jump without Sacred Fire except maybe for Speed class characters on regular Fire. Also, before you get to the actual jump, right when you get off the ice, you need to straighten out so that you hit the jump from a non-drifting position. I do this by hopping and air braking off the ice which gives me a second to ensure I'm driving totally straight into the jump. I hop off the jump at the latest possible moment.

the same thing can be said for Sewer Speedway. Before the big jump to the shortcut, I tend to drift into the left part of the pipe and power slide boost into a preliminary jump, then I air brake hard right to again hit the jump straight. After the all complaints, Beenox made it so that you can actually hit the jump from different angles consistently, but I still always try to hit it straight on.
 

Deleted member 31817

Nov 7, 2017
30,876
Thd character bundles are as you've explained. You can buy characters on the first Square. Wheb you buy one it'll reroll and display another one.
Got it, the only issue I have now is since I have basically nobody unlocked I imagine my chances of getting the GP characters isn't great.
 
Oct 27, 2017
8,680
Is there a universally preferred driving style or does everyone use whatever they want? Or do you use something different depending on mode? Trying to figure out what's best but not quite getting a feel of what works and doesn't.
 

Deleted member 31817

Nov 7, 2017
30,876
I assume acceleration is handy in multiplayer since it can be a clusterfuck with items
 

selfReg

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,792
Is there a universally preferred driving style or does everyone use whatever they want? Or do you use something different depending on mode? Trying to figure out what's best but not quite getting a feel of what works and doesn't.
online, it's at least 90% speed honestly lol. It takes a bit getting used to obviously but once you do, you may never go back. Accel is also great, particularly for really scrappy online matches.
 
Oct 27, 2017
8,680
Thanks. Speed has helped with boss races in adventure but I felt like it sort of stunted my drifting abilities when trying for more finesse but that could just be my skills and lack of getting in the way.
 

Deleted member 31817

Nov 7, 2017
30,876
Like today's challenges are all based around Spyro but he's not featured on the store :(
 

selfReg

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,792
honestly, I've dropped the dailies completely haha. I mean, I get what I get incidentally but I don't make it a point to do them. Same for the weeklies. I do the quick challenges everyday and work on the themed/pro challenges whenever I get some extra time. That has been good enough to get into the top 5% for a few months now.
 
Oct 27, 2017
8,680
Like today's challenges are all based around Spyro but he's not featured on the store :(
=[
I almost hate to tell you I nabbed both Spyro and his blue special skin between xmas and today but that's also with some purchases and re-rolls for the latter. Might be hidden but you never can trust.

...I've also purchased some Wumpa coin... I'm sorry for being part of the problem.
 

Deleted member 31817

Nov 7, 2017
30,876
=[
I almost hate to tell you I nabbed both Spyro and his blue special skin between xmas and today but that's also with some purchases and re-rolls for the latter. Might be hidden but you never can trust.

...I've also purchased some Wumpa coin... I'm sorry for being part of the problem.
I bought winter guardian Spyro before buying him and he still hasn't come up yet lol
 

Deleted member 31817

Nov 7, 2017
30,876
Did the same when I bought the wizard Komodo bro but I only had to beat him in arcade.

Spyro was there xmas night (east coast NA). Not sure how often they cycle him out front.
Yeah I'm only focusing on buying characters rn so I'll get him eventually

Also it's so annoying that the race intros play in online mode

Whyyyy
 

TheOGB

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
9,993
You can turn them off in the options, but for online you'd still most often be waiting for others to skip them or play through them. Only twice have I been in a lobby where everyone had the setting turned off.
 

Deleted member 31817

Nov 7, 2017
30,876
You can turn them off in the options, but for online you'd still most often be waiting for others to skip them or play through them. Only twice have I been in a lobby where everyone had the setting turned off.
Yeah I know that but they should be off bu default for multiplayer and it's wild that they aren't
 

TheOGB

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
9,993
I would guess they use that to get everyone synced up, but clearly I don't know shit about programming or game dev >_>
 

Deleted member 31817

Nov 7, 2017
30,876
How the fuck do I win the crystal grab things in adventure mode
 

Serena

Member
Oct 25, 2017
92
funny that you mention the lake jump on Blizzard Bluff. That one gave me all sorts of grief for a while but after I made one small change I hit it all the time basically. For one, you need to make sure you have Sacred Fire from the turbo pad next to the rolling rock, and also enough reserves to carry you to the lake jump. The game makes it almost impossible for you to make the jump without Sacred Fire except maybe for Speed class characters on regular Fire. Also, before you get to the actual jump, right when you get off the ice, you need to straighten out so that you hit the jump from a non-drifting position. I do this by hopping and air braking off the ice which gives me a second to ensure I'm driving totally straight into the jump. I hop off the jump at the latest possible moment.

the same thing can be said for Sewer Speedway. Before the big jump to the shortcut, I tend to drift into the left part of the pipe and power slide boost into a preliminary jump, then I air brake hard right to again hit the jump straight. After the all complaints, Beenox made it so that you can actually hit the jump from different angles consistently, but I still always try to hit it straight on.
Thank you! I think it's the straightening out I'm missing. If I do that consistently I hope I get it!!!
 

Ryuhza

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
11,437
San Diego County
Thanks. Speed has helped with boss races in adventure but I felt like it sort of stunted my drifting abilities when trying for more finesse but that could just be my skills and lack of getting in the way.

Drifting with Speed just requires more foreknowledge of the tracks than the other classes. You can't drift as well reactively as a style with better turning, but when the race is under your control, you usually just have to know when to start drifting and where to plant your wheels. And that comes from practice, experience, and experimentation. Air braking will take care of everything else.

If you don't know what air braking (also called U turning for whatever reason) is, it's a possibly accidental gameplay mechanic from the original that has become a staple of CTR's gameplay and especially higher-level play. Basically, when you're in the air, you can hold the brake button to turn very sharply, then release and press accelerate to regain your speed before landing. It completely defies physics, but makes for a great skill-based mechanic; one that is practically mandatory for good times on tracks like Turbo Track or Dragon Mines. You can also hold down while turning during an air brake to turn even more sharply.

Come to think of it, there are several degrees of turning in CTR achieved through varying methods:

  • The weakest turn you can do is during a drift, when you steer in the opposite direction of your drift. This is great for speed characters trying to keep boosts going through straighter sections of track.

  • The second weakest turn you can do is by turning without drifting. At high levels of play, there's almost no reason to turn like this. What are you, normal?

  • Mid level is a drift without steering too hard in one way or the other.

  • A stronger turn is achieved by steering into your drift. For some classes, this may be almost as tight as an air brake turn.

  • Stronger still is turning while in mid-air, but not while air braking. This is a very safe way to turn somewhat sharply as a speed or similar character. The most you'll risk is running out of boost reserves.

  • Regular air braking is almost as strong as it gets. It's an invaluable tool to master, but carries a great risk. If you hit the ground while still holding the brake button, you'll lose your boost and a bit of momentum. On tracks with singular blue fire pads, messing that up is killer. But it's a necessary skill to have if you want to make up for the speed class's shortcomings.

  • Then there's extreme air braking, done just like the regular kind except that you also hold down while turning. So instead of just braking and turning left or right, you'll be turning down-left, or down-right. Think of it like popping a wheelie and reorienting your vehicle while its nose is pointed upward. That doesn't happen in the game, but I thought it was a nice visualization. This is the strongest turn you can pull off in the game, and it can carry you through areas like the S-cuve in Turbo Track with incredible speed.

How the fuck do I win the crystal grab things in adventure mode

Use your brakes, learn the crystal locations, chart an efficient path. Try, try again. There are only 4 of them in Adventure mode, so it's not too much work.
 
Oct 27, 2017
8,680
I just got blown up by a bunch of bunny hopping fools online in my first online race. I take it it's during these bunny hops where air brake turning is a thing, not off jumps? If so, then I guess I agree with the CTR=hard poster but maybe not since since the AI doesn't do it... right? I do just wish it was about driving lines and drifting finesse over mastery of hopping gimmicks but ah well.

Also I saw everyone using a shortcut in that gingerbread track that I've tried and failed. Guess I have to take it at a different angle lol.
 

Qwark

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,026
I just got blown up by a bunch of bunny hopping fools online in my first online race. I take it it's during these bunny hops where air brake turning is a thing, not off jumps? If so, then I guess I agree with the CTR=hard poster but maybe not since since the AI doesn't do it... right? I do just wish it was about driving lines and drifting finesse over mastery of hopping gimmicks but ah well.

Also I saw everyone using a shortcut in that gingerbread track that I've tried and failed. Guess I have to take it at a different angle lol.
I don't think what you see online is necessarily what is happening. I think the bunny hopping is more a result of the awful netcode instead of a legit strategy. At least I haven't managed to do bunny hopping air brakes, but maybe you're just playing god-tier players.

I love the game, but I can't stress enough how awful the netcode is. Someone's right behind you, just kidding they're actually way in front of you. Better dodge this bomb, oh darn you just moved right into its actual invisible path.
 

Ryuhza

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
11,437
San Diego County
I just got blown up by a bunch of bunny hopping fools online in my first online race. I take it it's during these bunny hops where air brake turning is a thing, not off jumps? If so, then I guess I agree with the CTR=hard poster but maybe not since since the AI doesn't do it... right? I do just wish it was about driving lines and drifting finesse over mastery of hopping gimmicks but ah well.

Also I saw everyone using a shortcut in that gingerbread track that I've tried and failed. Guess I have to take it at a different angle lol.

Like Qwark says, you can't trust what you see online. The spasmodic hopping is some aspect of that. Also, if you hear honking when players drive by you after hitting you with an item, they aren't being cheeky. The game does that automatically. The other player won't even hear it on their end.

But yeah, online is a mess. I prefer to race with friends in private matches. No items, just speed.
 

selfReg

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,792
I just got blown up by a bunch of bunny hopping fools online in my first online race. I take it it's during these bunny hops where air brake turning is a thing, not off jumps? If so, then I guess I agree with the CTR=hard poster but maybe not since since the AI doesn't do it... right? I do just wish it was about driving lines and drifting finesse over mastery of hopping gimmicks but ah well.

Also I saw everyone using a shortcut in that gingerbread track that I've tried and failed. Guess I have to take it at a different angle lol.
yeah I think when you see people hopping in spots where you're normally just drifting, they really are just power slide boosting but the game is interpreting their boosts as hops. Hopping haphazardly is not conducive to success in this game as it's a reserve killer. You only really air brake when you have decent air time or when you have to make very tight turns.

that Gingerbread Joyride shortcut is pretty doable but I'd say you need to hold Blue Fire to hit it. I'm referring to the one where you jump over the gate at the bottom section of the first sort of fork.
 
Oct 27, 2017
8,680
I don't even know what people mean when they say holding blue fire or sacred fire.

I'm also referring to the mound of snow near a wall that would completely bypass a curve but I never seem to get distance.
 

RockmanBN

Visited by Knack - One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
27,981
Cornfields
I don't even know what people mean when they say holding blue fire or sacred fire.

I'm also referring to the mound of snow near a wall that would completely bypass a curve but I never seem to get distance.
Perfect boost chains and large jumps build up boost reserves. If you have reserves going into a yellow or blue fire boost pad, then you keep that boost until your reserves run out. High level play is basically trying to maintain reserves so it never runs out.
 

Ryuhza

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
11,437
San Diego County
I don't even know what people mean when they say holding blue fire or sacred fire.

I'm also referring to the mound of snow near a wall that would completely bypass a curve but I never seem to get distance.

It has to do with an unfortunately arcane system within the game relating to turbo pads. Basically, when you hit a bunch of perfect boosts while drifting, you build up an invisible gauge known as your 'reserves' or 'boost reserves'. When you have reserves, the turbo/boost that you get from a turbo pad lasts longer. Your reserves are constantly draining, and so must be frequently maintained with more boosts for them to last. Braking will kill your reserves. Hitting or even clipping obstacles will kill your reserves. Getting wiped out in any way will kill your reserves. Maintaining reserves at high speeds is navigating an obstacle course at breakneck speeds, but with more practice, you'll find yourself in the zone and able to maintain the speed from turbo pads indefinitely. It's also a mandatory skill for a couple of Oxide's time trials.

Oh, and turbo pads themselves are not created equally. Unfortunately, there's no visual distinguisher on the pads themselves to tell which gives what speed, you just have to learn through experience and commit them to memory. Most aren't out of the way. Anyway, there are three-ish levels to pad speed:

One is known as 'sacred fire' (an utterly unhelpful name to anyone trying to learn, but I didn't come up with this stuff. I just call it red/orange fire), which is the most common turbo speed you'll get on most tracks. You can tell when you have it as the fire spitting from the back of your kart's pipes will be bigger and more constant, and you'll find yourself going faster than you would from plain drift boosts. You can also get this kind of turbo by activating a turbo power-up when you have 10 wumpa fruit, allowing you to achieve it even on tracks with few or no turbo pads (such as Slide Coliseum). This is the base level of turbo you'll want in order to clear that curve gap on Gingerbread Joyride. You can probably clear it with a well-timed drift turbo and a well aimed jump, but that's a lot riskier and more difficult, like with the river jump on Blizzard Bluff.

The second level of speed is called blue fire or maybe 'ultimate sacred fire' or some rubbish. It's called blue fire because it makes the fire from the kart's pipe's blue. Very easy to see, if the speed didn't tip you off. These are less common and more valuable to maintain through drift boosting. With these, you can get some crazy air and perform unlikely cuts across gaps on the tracks.

The fastest pad speed is called... I dunno, super-duper blue fire? It looks the same as the regular blue fire, but it absolutely does not feel the same. It is notably faster. The most obvious example of this speed is on Tiny Temple, where it is given by the final turbo pad jump just before the finish line. That track is really good for practicing maintaining and controlling it, as you'll need to do so for two nearly-full laps in order to beat Oxide's time there.


In short: you want to do a lot of perfect boosts and avoid hitting obstacles to make turbo pads last longer. Since you tend to get bigger air while going faster, this is where airbraking becomes a real godsend. Oh, and there might be other intervals of speed between those three, but I haven't done the science and can't be certain.

But that's all advanced stuff. Don't feel like you've got to learn it now, just ease your way into whatever you're doing. And if you lose enough times in online, the game should match you with less insane players and give you a better experience. It's just a pain to get to that point.
 
Oct 27, 2017
8,680
So the green turbo pads have different boost speeds? Why not make them different colors? I didn't know you could store boost for that matter.

This sort of turns me off haha. I appreciate skills=wins but this is just absurd. I was already turned off by "hitting 15 opponents with bowling bombs IN A ROW". Not happening.
 

Yoss

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,680
Canada
So the green turbo pads have different boost speeds? Why not make them different colors? I didn't know you could store boost for that matter.

You can change your gauges in races using the triangle button, one of them shows your boost stores.
Edit: thought it was a boost meter but turns out it's jump hangtime
 
Last edited:

selfReg

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,792
So the green turbo pads have different boost speeds? Why not make them different colors? I didn't know you could store boost for that matter.

This sort of turns me off haha. I appreciate skills=wins but this is just absurd. I was already turned off by "hitting 15 opponents with bowling bombs IN A ROW". Not happening.
believe me, when you get the hang of it, the fun factor will increase exponentially. Don't be too hard on yourself right now and don't measure yourself against online players. By the way unless otherwise stated you can do all challenges offline against easy AI or even a dummy 2P.

Yoss that meter is hangtime from jumps. Unfortunately there is no visual indicator of reserves.

as soon as you boost, you have reserves. You are constantly burning reserves. Therefore you need to powerslide boost constantly. It sounds like a chore but it will become second nature. The more you boost, especially triple perfects, the more reserves you will gain. The more reserves you have, the longer your "fire" will last without a boost, regardless of what speed/type of fire. The bottom line is you gain faster speeds by hitting turbo pads, and that higher speed will only last for as long as you have reserves.
 
Oct 27, 2017
8,680
It gets used up automatically to make your turbo boost from a pad last longer. It builds automatically when you do perfect drifts in a row. If you focus on drifting and drift boosting as much as you can and avoid hitting anything you'll start to notice it.
Oooh.

Off-topic regarding your av: I'm pissed there's no Jet Moto 1/2 remaster/remake/sequel. I've imagined one since the PS3, just how gorgeous the tracks would look on modern consoles. And dual analog controls.
 
Oct 27, 2017
8,680
TBF, that's arguably the toughest track in the game. But the difficulty goes away once you learn the track. It's the rainbow road of CTR.
I felt I had it down but first place just sort of zips ahead.

Man, my kids and I are so into this game's aesthetic (and the trilogy for that matter) that I've been searching for/buying figures, making masks and wishing for a Netflix cg series or movie. An announcement of a rumored Crash sequel needs to happen soon.

Hand drawn masks of my kids' favorite characters:
20191228_17053978jlg.jpg
 

selfReg

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,792
that's great man haha. I love the fact that Crash is alive and doing well for a new generation of young fans. Crash is pretty much synonymous with gaming in the 90s for me.
 
Oct 27, 2017
8,680
Yeah. My skills deter me from being able and willing to 100% the titles but I do love the overall design of these games. I didn't stick with it back in the day after the psx titles but I'm now curious about them and what a sequel or post trilogy remake would bring.
 

BPK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
183
Considering buying this game to play with the wife. Did they ever add split-screen online?