Multiple Routes In Racing

[ainsz]

What success have you had (if you have) at making races designed solely with multiple routes? My attempt, Multiple Routes plays out mostly fine with other players, common mishaps being the player strays way off course or they be completely indecisive on whether to go left or right and crash into a wall. What techniques do you find best in ensuring the player doesn't get lost while keeping the flow of the race moving at consistent pace?

 

As of now I think for Motorstorm style races to really see their full potential, we need either a lot more prop space or dual - quad checkpoints. But until then, managing a balance between checkpoints and props can lead to making some interesting setups, the races themselves can be hit or miss when testing with other players however.

 

Even more linear races Next Exit can really benefit from having an alternative path or a shortcut.

Edited April 6, 2014 by ainsz

[GTAMYBABIES]

I made one on highways. It's easier to make them that way as you can use off and on ramps and roads parallel to them.

 

I use a lot of signs and construction fences to make tracks with multiple routes.

Edited April 6, 2014 by GTAMYBABIES

[elless777]

I usually place construction barriers where I can. Either inbetween cp's or alongside them if the course changes. Or if things are absolutely impossible to place, then I

will make it a GTA and place boosts along the path to help.

 

This is actually a major source of contenton for me.

Rockstar should make ALL terrain available to put barriers etc on. It's a real bitch trying to make off road tracks and I could do with another 50 available constructions too.

 

When I add roads to my races, I usually try and use the natural course of buildings etc to steer people the right way.

 

 

Good post btw.

Edited April 23, 2014 by elless777

[KimberJane]

I've made one a few weeks back where you begin on the beach and all race to Trevor's house then all the way down to the airport. Racers make their own route. Just one checkpoint being Trevor's.

 

Also last night I made a race called Rooftop Rumble - Getaway!! Simply put you all get to Martins anyway you want from the spot Rooftop Rumble begins. Really interesting to see people take different routes

Edited April 7, 2014 by KimberJane

[Jobbo]

I was thinking of a race to or from Madrazo's to duplicate a mission; mainly to see what the best route really is. Good to see it's not a mad idea

 

Over the weekend I made a race which was intended to require finding your own route; however, the quickest route becomes fairly obvious fairly quickly. PS3: http://rsg.ms/QVLd9K - I made it a GTA race in the hope of getting the cops to chase you but they aren't really attracted enough even if you can acquire stars, so probably worth just running as a standard point to point if you want to try it.

 

Opinions have been mixed; a few people complained it was disorientating; one rage quit due to respawning so far back after crashing, and nobody really seemed to know the quickest routes and short cuts. I think the idea has legs, but needs refining.

[ainsz]

I use a lot of signs and construction fences to make tracks with multiple routes.

Signs would help a lot in directing the player if they didn't appear so negligible. Unless they're placed in such a blatant way, which usually uses more prop space, most players just don't notice them. All they need is a small aesthetic change so you can differentiate them from generic road signs.

 

I usually place construction barriers where I can. Either inbetween cp's or alongside them if the course changes. Or if things are absolutely impossible to place, then I

will make it a GTA and place boosts along the path to help.

 

This is actually a major source of contenton for me.

Rockstar should make ALL terrain available to put barriers etc on. It's a real bitch trying to make off road tracks and I could do with another 50 available constructions too.

Good point, even if a flat road has too much gradient, it won't let you place props alongside it. his is something I hope Rockstar refine in future, possibly more options will arrive in the Capture update.

 

I hadn't thought about the use of GTA Race pickups as a way to guide players but it's a good idea. I'd imagine it would even it encourage players to deviate between different routes if they're made to choose between say a boost on one or a rocket on the other.

 

Opinions have been mixed; a few people complained it was disorientating; one rage quit due to respawning so far back after crashing, and nobody really seemed to know the quickest routes and short cuts. I think the idea has legs, but needs refining.

 

It is a major part in the balancing act, not having checkpoints so far apart that players spawn too far back. but of course the nature of having multiple routes means you need spaced out checkpoints. Having dual - quad checkpoints, or have the player spawn near where they crashed instead of at the previous checkpoint would fix this.

[handcuff_charlie]

It would be best if we could get an option for X number of "parallel" checkpoints. Sort of like dynamic props in DM's.

 

It is really hard to do alternate routes in the current creator because races run best when you can see the next checkpoint from the previous one or soon after tripping it. If an alternate route isn't along that line of sight, then pretty much no one is going to take it.

[LuapYllier]

I would like to see a "split" option when placing a checkpoint in the creator. It will turn the point purple and allow you to place two purple points both connected to the previous one. Then continue on using yellow points. When you get to the point where they come back together you select "merge" and it draws a line back to the last point on the alternate path.

 

Done this way eveything about driving in the race will feel exactly the same except the one point where instead of one yellow checkpoint popping up you are shown two purple checkpoints. The only issue that I havent figured out yet is what to do about arrows in the last single CP prior to the split...maybe instead of arrows it just shows a big question mark or exclamation point? Indicating that you should look at the options in the minimap.

[ainsz]

Parallel checkpoints is all it would need to be done right. As long as there's 2 blips shown on the map, the players will make their own way. As long as the line of checkpoints separate and merge where necessary, it would work without having to differentiate them with colours and such.

[stronktank]

Played your Multiple Roads track. It's a great track imo, though could use some tweaking here and there (for example at cp 26, the gate is closed if you choose to take the right route,... (or is this like a joke?). Love the choices you made but without the hud i'd been in the sewer somewhere. Really good indications of the road split. Though some better guidance along the roads you choose would do. Great finish. Will replay with more players.

Will experiment with the idea myself, and do think rockstar should add a multiple roads option. Though some of my races have the option at some points.

[ainsz]

Thanks for the feedback. Didn't know the gate was closed until I'd tested the race and meant to go back and fix a few things at some point. It is funny to see other racers crash into it though. Glad you liked it.

[Jobbo]

What success have you had (if you have) at making races designed solely with multiple routes? My attempt, Multiple Routes plays out mostly fine with other players, common mishaps being the player strays way off course or they be completely indecisive on whether to go left or right and crash into a wall. What techniques do you find best in ensuring the player doesn't get lost while keeping the flow of the race moving at consistent pace?

It has taken me ages to play Multiple Routes and I really liked it. The only thing I'd change would be to move the checkpoint next to the broken concrete barrier on the freeway closer to the middle of the gap; I approached from the wrong side, jumped cleanly off the flyover with a nice handbrake U-turn and realised I'd not triggered it.

 

On a motorbike, even with checkpoints relatively close together (compared to my creation) it was a little annoying at times having to spawn so far back after hitting the scenery, but overall yours is a much better example of what can be done

[ainsz]

Thanks for trying it out mate. I've refined most of the track and it's now suited for that jump off. Took me a while to realise what you were talking about, thanks for pointing that out.

[GR Choke]

this is the best 1 ive got

 

racing underground

http://rsg.ms/1orF0xA

[BridgeHat]

I would like to see a "split" option when placing a checkpoint in the creator. It will turn the point purple and allow you to place two purple points both connected to the previous one. Then continue on using yellow points. When you get to the point where they come back together you select "merge" and it draws a line back to the last point on the alternate path.

 

Done this way eveything about driving in the race will feel exactly the same except the one point where instead of one yellow checkpoint popping up you are shown two purple checkpoints. The only issue that I havent figured out yet is what to do about arrows in the last single CP prior to the split...maybe instead of arrows it just shows a big question mark or exclamation point? Indicating that you should look at the options in the minimap.

 

The checkpoint prior to the split could look have a unique appearance (colour or some icon) to indicate that it's the biggining of a split + instead of it containing one large arrow, it could have two smaller arrows in the center next to each other that point towards their respective proceding checkpoint.

 

As many have mentioned, support for multiple paths would be a brilliant addition. What'd be even better? Support for nested split paths, meaning - you've got two routes to take, route 1 and route 2, and if you go down route 1, you're confronted by another split, now you have to take either route 1A, or route 1B. They'd only need to support 1 or 2 nested splits, and we could make the most confusing races seen.

 

+1 to your sentiments

[handcuff_charlie]

The only issue that I havent figured out yet is what to do about arrows in the last single CP prior to the split...maybe instead of arrows it just shows a big question mark or exclamation point? Indicating that you should look at the options in the minimap.

 

 

I think a "Y" would suffice, or even two sets of chevrons, one pointing in each corresponding direction. I'm not a fan of having to look at the mini-map while driving in order to figure out where to go.

Edited May 28, 2014 by handcuff_charlie

[BridgeHat]

^^^^

 

Lol.

 

Charlie,

 

Check out my post directly above yours.

 

Great minds think alike?

 

Well, all minds think alike, great or bad, so it's kind of a short sighted, but still meaningful.

 

Anyway, it amuses me that we both reacted the same to this thread - scrolled through thread, saw Luap's post, said to ourselves 'I can resolve that', immediately posted a possible solution without reading any other posts.

 

How do I know you did this? Because you wouldn't have knowingly repeated essentially the exact ideas directly following my own.

 

Couldn't resist bringing attention to it.

Edited May 28, 2014 by BridgeHat

[Fozzybear210]

http://socialclub.rockstargames.com/games/gtav/jobs/job/m-a56xtlrE6b6uqNBFlZ_A?platformId=

I have a track from the film death race. It is a circuit race but there is more than one path. At one end you can either veer to the left of the trailers and containers or stay right and risk a shunt into the water. At the other end you can either take a tight left and lose speed or take it wide to the right and follow the train tracks between the structures. Whichever path you choose you still hit the checkpoints fine. Adds to the excitement of the race. From battling with another car to them disappearing down another section then an epic sideswipe as they rejoin the main track.

[guitarone01]

One of the first races I created contains multiple routes. Player's Choice is an all freeway lap race that offers the player the choice in which path they want to take. There are at least 4 different ways around the track and each way offers different ramps with unique difficulties. I worked hard to get each path's run time fairly close so as to not offer an advantage to one.