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ModNation Racers |OT| Loading, Moaning And Creating Vinyl Clothing

r1chard

Member
This morning it occurred to me that breadcrumb trails can cross over each, including in opposite directions :)

I've had fun doing all manner of twisted things - the hard part now is figuring how to convince the AI drivers to stop trying to drive down the normal part of the track (and just running straight into the barriers I put up to prevent them doing so :)

It's also too bad you can't pave breadcrumb trails to make them look like regular track... unless you're going for that off-road look of course.
 

MrPliskin

Banned
Decado said:
I thought the difficulty was a symptom of cheating AI? Adding a new mode doesn't effect that :(
AI never really cheated. Being in 1st means there are 11 other racers behind you using weapons....hard to block all those.

I finished all the SP stuff before the patch. Somethng to brag about I guess.
 

B-Dex

Member
Hey GAF! I made and published my first track: Swamp Fever. Check it out it's by me B-Dex on PSN.

(I'll take some pics soon)

Of course any feedback is appreciated.

PICS!

2dwagow.jpg

2zs3ep4.jpg

118hggo.jpg
 

RagnarokX

Member
UFG today confirmed IGN's report that the patch will hit on the 4th. It will go live at 2AM PST on Wednesday.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010...1-02-releases-august-4th-brings-improvements/
Modnation Monday said:
This Wednesday, August 4th at 2:00am (Pacific Time), the ModNation Racers Title Update 1.02 goes live improving many of the issues the community has been concerned about. On behalf of UFG, we want to thank everyone for supporting ModNation and being patient as we’ve worked hard to make it the best experience possible. If you didn’t see the patch details on the IGN last Friday, here is a run down:

Load Time Improvements
While there are still loads, you will see decreases in load times throughout the game.

New “Casual” Difficulty Mode
We’ve added a “casual” difficulty setting in the options screen.

Challenge friends in XP Series
We’ve added the ability to invite your friends to XP Races & Series.

No more “Hot Lap” Cheaters
We fixed a bug that allowed players to cut the track and post unbeatable times in Hot Lap.

Get into Online Races Quicker
Along with improved load times, we’ve removed the online game room from the ModSpot so you can get into the race faster.

Improved Server Stability
We’ve addressed issues to improve intermittent disconnects that players were experiencing.

Three Challenges now more attainable
We wanted to provide you challenges, but didn’t want to sacrifice fun. We found 3 challenges that proved extremely difficult and changed the conditions to complete them. This includes:

* Devastator takedown on Wild Run
* Devastator takedown on Modobahn
* Sideswipe 3 opponents on the cliff side on Fracture

The Tin Bucket Unlocked!
Finally this is an item is unlocked and available to everyone by default.

Collector Card Improvement
Now see all player creations in their entirety.

Improvements to ModNation Racers don’t stop here, we are still constantly listening to the community and are committed to making ModNation Racers one of the most enjoyable experiences you’ll have on your PS3.

Also, one of my tracks, Gardens of Deception, will be featured in the Hot Lap on Sunday :D
 

James-Ape

show some balls, man
I bought this game on Friday, I wasn't so sure of it at the start - i enjoyed the drifting but something seemed off with the rest of the handling. Anyway a few days later and I'm used to the handling, in fact i really like it.

I really think that have a solid base for a great racer here, but at times I find the controls a bit too complex for a kart racer. A button for drifting, one for boost, one for shields one for weapons and one for triggers is quite complex, especially for kids (not to mention stunts and side swiping). I know BLUR or MK get away with having boost as one of your items, and obviously with time you get used to it, but I'm sure there is some way they could have simplified it. or at lest let us change the layout.

Also what's the rule for losing weapons when you get hit? sometimes i seem to lose them all and others I just go down a level.
 

reKon

Banned
James-Ape said:
I bought this game on Friday, I wasn't so sure of it at the start - i enjoyed the drifting but something seemed off with the rest of the handling. Anyway a few days later and I'm used to the handling, in fact i really like it.

I really think that have a solid base for a great racer here, but at times I find the controls a bit too complex for a kart racer. A button for drifting, one for boost, one for shields one for weapons and one for triggers is quite complex, especially for kids (not to mention stunts and side swiping). I know BLUR or MK get away with having boost as one of your items, and obviously with time you get used to it, but I'm sure there is some way they could have simplified it. or at lest let us change the layout.

Also what's the rule for losing weapons when you get hit? sometimes i seem to lose them all and others I just go down a level.

I don't remember the rules, I haven't played the game for a little bit as I've been catching up with my backlog of games. I may be able to answer this question tomorrow =]

As for the controls, all it takes is time to learn. That's what I love about this game. It's one of those where you must take the time to refine your skills and get better and better. It took me 5+ races to master the controls in the demo (which I did about 30 races :lol ).

It ridiculous how over looked this game is and may be the rest of the year. It is really one of the best multiplayer games out right now..
 

James-Ape

show some balls, man
It is a very enjoyable game, and i don't mind there being more of a depth to it than just managing weapons, but i do think they could have simplified the controls somehow. Its a bit of a barrier.

I also have and issue with losing weapons for being hit, not only do I potentially lose boost for mistiming a shield but I lose weapons (as well as losing speed) it seems like you are being overly punished.
 

rc213

Member
Gotta admit even I don't understand the rules. I'm positive at times when I have weapons upgraded to the 2nd level and get hit sometimes it wipes them out and sometimes it just drops them a level.
 
moai said:
so how are the loading times after the patch?

I'm still trying to figure that out. :lol It definitely feels faster to jump into an online race but I haven't been playing much recently. Someone who plays frequently will be a better judge.
 

expy

Banned
Will let you guys know. Testing now.

Edit: I fucking love automatic download!

Edit2: You can skip the intros.

Edit 3: Slightly faster load into the ModSpot.

Edit 4: Got my star Creator trophy!!!! :lol

Edit 5: How the hell did I reach 603,708 Create XP... lol

Edit 6: ModNation Superstar!!!! :D

Edit 7: Load times are definitely faster.... I'd say a good 30-40% increase in performance. Loading into career and out back into the selection UI is a lot quicker as well.
 

Doncortez

Member
expy said:
Will let you guys know. Testing now.

Edit: I fucking love automatic download!

Edit2: You can skip the intros.

Edit 3: Slightly faster load into the ModSpot.

Edit 4: Got my star Creator trophy!!!! :lol

Edit 5: How the hell did I reach 603,708 Create XP... lol

Edit 6: ModNation Superstar!!!! :D

Edit 7: Load times are definitely faster.... I'd say a good 30-40% increase in performance. Loading into career and out back into the selection UI is a lot quicker as well.

Thank you for the update....Ill tell my kids that its safe to play again without the awful load times....:lol
 

thuway

Member
The initial load times were absurd, but as long as they are relatively OK, I don't mind. I'm gonna pick up this game now.
 

expy

Banned
Davidion said:
How substantial is the load time improvement? I've been looking into picking this up.

They're still there... But they've been improved quite a bit. It's noticeable (I;ve played quite a bit of ModNation lol).

Edit: PLATINUM!!!!! :D
 

snap0212

Member
Davidion said:
How substantial is the load time improvement? I've been looking into picking this up.

Copied from IGN:

The Initial Load after Choosing the Game at the XMB
Pre-Patch: 1 minute
Post-Patch: 54 seconds

From the Green Start Screen to ModSpot
Pre-Patch: 28 seconds
Post-Patch: 31 seconds

Loading Creation Station
Pre-Patch: 20 seconds
Post-Patch: 14 seconds

Load out of Creation Station
Pre-Patch: 24 seconds
Post-Patch: 28 seconds

Load into Online XP Race
Pre-Patch: 41 seconds
Post-Patch: 31 seconds

Load out of Online XP Race
Pre-Patch: 21 seconds
Post-Patch: 9 seconds

Loading Single-Player Crazy Crater Finale
Pre-Patch: 55 seconds
Post-Patch: 40 seconds

Source: http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/111/1110438p1.html
 
i don't see any difference in casual mode for the campaign... i guess i just still suck.



however i have started a new track...


questions:


how do i split the track - that is, create gaps in it... i want to make a staircase of platforms you drop down with sheer drops in between?


can anyone confirm if the criteria for star creator have changed?
 

thuway

Member
snap0212 said:
Copied from IGN:

The Initial Load after Choosing the Game at the XMB
Pre-Patch: 1 minute
Post-Patch: 54 seconds

From the Green Start Screen to ModSpot
Pre-Patch: 28 seconds
Post-Patch: 31 seconds

Loading Creation Station
Pre-Patch: 20 seconds
Post-Patch: 14 seconds

Load out of Creation Station
Pre-Patch: 24 seconds
Post-Patch: 28 seconds

Load into Online XP Race
Pre-Patch: 41 seconds
Post-Patch: 31 seconds

Load out of Online XP Race
Pre-Patch: 21 seconds
Post-Patch: 9 seconds

Loading Single-Player Crazy Crater Finale
Pre-Patch: 55 seconds
Post-Patch: 40 seconds

Source: http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/111/1110438p1.html

Holy shit thats unreal. I guess I'll be skipping the game. They need to improve the code of the game, or offer an install, or something, because those numbers are absolutely whack.

Speaking of whack, its pretty sad when a kiddy looking Kart Racer's rules are so complex that grown men can't understand them.
 

expy

Banned
NinjaFusion said:

how do i split the track - that is, create gaps in it... i want to make a staircase of platforms you drop down with sheer drops in between?


can anyone confirm if the criteria for star creator have changed?

They must have... I had like 20k Create XP a month or so ago... Now I have 608,000. :lol
 
Yeah, consider me unimpressed. I wasn't expecting seamless loading or anything, but things still feel the same with regards to loading times. It'll do I guess.
 
thuway said:
Holy shit thats unreal. I guess I'll be skipping the game. They need to improve the code of the game, or offer an install, or something, because those numbers are absolutely whack.

Speaking of whack, its pretty sad when a kiddy looking Kart Racer's rules are so complex that grown men can't understand them.
The game already is installed. What hurts load times (kind of like with LBP) is the game constantly streaming with the network. If you weren't fully integrated, it would probably help a bit.

Still, MNR is a fantastic game and shouldn't be avoided even if loading is longer than many games.
 

expy

Banned
My loading times vs IGN's.
snap0212 said:
Copied from IGN:

The Initial Load after Choosing the Game at the XMB
Pre-Patch: 1 minute
Post-Patch: 54 seconds
Mine: 52 sec

From the Green Start Screen to ModSpot
Pre-Patch: 28 seconds
Post-Patch: 31 seconds
Mine: 29 sec

Loading Creation Station
Pre-Patch: 20 seconds
Post-Patch: 14 seconds
Mine: 10 sec

Load out of Creation Station
Pre-Patch: 24 seconds
Post-Patch: 28 seconds
Mine: 26 sec

Load into Online XP Race
Pre-Patch: 41 seconds
Post-Patch: 31 seconds
Mine: 18 sec (wtf IGN?)

Load between XP races (in a series)
Mine: 18 sec

Load out of Online XP Race
Pre-Patch: 21 seconds
Post-Patch: 9 seconds
Mine: 6 sec
Mine: 16 sec (from lobby to ModSpot)

Loading Single-Player Crazy Crater Finale
Pre-Patch: 55 seconds
Post-Patch: 40 seconds
Mine: Not Tested

Source: http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/111/1110438p1.html
 

thuway

Member
BoilersFan23 said:
Still, MNR is a fantastic game and shouldn't be avoided even if loading is longer than many games.

I'm a fan of Party-four-player- Kart Racers. My favorite being Crash Team Racing followed by Mario Kart 64 (or DS). I was hyped for this game because the PS3 severely lacked 4 player co-op casual titles. (Minus LBP)

MNR has one too many esoteric and complex rules that make it a headscratcher among headscratchers. Sony is trying to branch out to a more casual and mainstream audience with titles like this, not the most hardcore of hardcore. I play Gran Turismo, and I've had a long history with Kart Racers, yet I still can't wrap my head around Mod Nation.

On top of complexity, they have absurdly long load times. I'm hoping the patch is nicer than what IGN claims, and I'm hoping United Front is looking at the eventual sequel with a curious eye. Games in this genre, moreso than any other genre are made to be easy pick-up and play.
 

expy

Banned
thuway said:
MNR has one too many esoteric and complex rules that make it a headscratcher among headscratchers. Sony is trying to branch out to a more casual and mainstream audience with titles like this, not the most hardcore of hardcore. I play Gran Turismo, and I've had a long history with Kart Racers, yet I still can't wrap my head around Mod Nation.
Which rules are you referring to? It does take a few dozen races to get perfectly accustomed to the controls, but that's about it. And well, practice DOES make perfect in this game.

The difficulty level was up there at first, but granted, it did make me a pretty good racer, I consistently finish 1st in XP races no matter who I'm racing against. I finished the career with all challenges complete before I headed into the online arena though.
 
expy said:
Which rules are you referring to? It does take a few dozen races to get perfectly accustomed to the controls, but that's about it. And well, practice DOES make perfect in this game.

The difficulty level was up there at first, but granted, it did make me a pretty good racer, I consistently finish 1st in XP races no matter who I'm racing against. I finished the career with all challenges complete before I headed into the online arena though.

This isn't a good thing. Kart Racers need to be jump in and play games with rules that can be learned within a couple of races.
 

expy

Banned
DoctorWho said:
This isn't a good thing. Kart Racers need to be jump in and play games with rules that can be learned within a couple of races.
I did say perfectly. lol

After like 5 races, I pretty much got the jist of what was going on... Wasn't until later where I completely got everything down to a science, I could wait until the very last moment to pop a shield to protect against a level 3 missile attack (even if it was spaced out).
 

thuway

Member
expy said:
I did say perfectly. lol

After like 5 races, I pretty much got the jist of what was going on... Wasn't until later where I completely got everything down to a science, I could wait until the very last moment to pop a shield to protect against a level 3 missile attack (even if it was spaced out).
YOU did,

What about girlfriends? Sisters? Non-gamer friends? This is where Mario Kart excels and sell 10 million units and every other racer is left in the dust.
 

MrPliskin

Banned
DoctorWho said:
This isn't a good thing. Kart Racers need to be jump in and play games with rules that can be learned within a couple of races.

Eh, the core mechanics are easy enough that if you buy it as a casual gamer and play through the campaign stuff, you'll be fine because the difficulty ramps up accordingly. All of the initial tracks are crafted to hone your skills in particular areas, and a lot of that is "lost" on people who are more skilled when it comes to gaming.

The only time a casual gamer would feel truly frustrated with the game would be if they immediately went online against players who have been honing their skills for months. Against the computer, however, they teach you all the skills you need, and the tracks begin to change to perfect certain skill sets gradually.

Nothing here it too 'daunting' or challenging for casual gamers. It's easily accessible.


thuway said:
YOU did,

What about girlfriends? Sisters? Non-gamer friends? This is where Mario Kart excels and sell 10 million units and every other racer is left in the dust.

Mario Kart, just like ModNation Racers, has a steep curve for "perfect" and "beginner". The reason it sells 10 million copies is because it's Mario, not because people find it easy. It's a fun Mario game. If ModNation racers were a perfect Mario Kart clone, it wouldn't sell the same. It's not Mario. Don't be blind.
 

V_Ben

Banned
thuway said:
YOU did,

What about girlfriends? Sisters? Non-gamer friends? This is where Mario Kart excels and sell 10 million units and every other racer is left in the dust.

I've had friends pick up the game, and be racing like "pros" after 1 race. It doesn't take that long to get the hang of drifting.
 

MrPliskin

Banned
Truespeed said:
Loading times are rarely 'fixed' in patches. Fundamentally, it's a design flaw and the patch is just a bandaid.

In the case of MNR, I wouldn't say it's a design flaw, so much as it was a solution to one problem that created another.
 

SaitoH

Member
Messed around with the game post patch and I'd say it's a noticable improvement. Though just the fact that you can skip the logos when booting up makes me happy.
 

reKon

Banned
fuck you guys that can't handle an easy learning curve, seriously. We finally get a kart racer that's very deep and strategic and all you can do is find things to complain about like its inaccessibility. When I was like 10, I first had to learn how to play smash bros. I ended up becoming great after constantly playing over and over. The more I learned, the most fun the game became. Stop comparing this to Mario Kart. Because this game, MK has some catching up to do in many areas.
 
I just downloaded the patch, the loading are much better. But they're still way too long :(

Also, is it me or did they improve the framerate too? I haven't played it for weeks, and it seems like the game is a little bit smoother than it used to be.
 

Truespeed

Member
MrPliskin said:
In the case of MNR, I wouldn't say it's a design flaw, so much as it was a solution to one problem that created another.

They should have pulled a Bayonetta and dumped the entire thing to the HDD.
 

James-Ape

show some balls, man
I've read up on what causes you to lose your weapon, level 2 hit moves you down a level, level 3 gets rid of your weapon completely.

What's the reasoning behind this? This is my biggest complaint about the game.
 

Oni Jazar

Member
All we can hope for is that MNR 2 is a solid 60fps game with very little loading. That + MNR1 + a few tweaks would be the revolution that the original tried to be.
 
So how is the "Casual" difficulty?

I had heard prepatch that this got Blur brutal as far as SP is concerned. Does this still hold true?
 

Diagol

Member
AgentOtaku said:
So how is the "Casual" difficulty?

I had heard prepatch that this got Blur brutal as far as SP is concerned. Does this still hold true?

I'm sorry, but the casual difficulty is BS. I just started playing this game 2 days ago cause I heard the patch came out last week.

I decided to play the game on casual after hearing how brutal it is. Well...rubberband is still there, and the AI is still just as insane and cheap as I've heard. I even switched to Expert to see the difference and there was none.

What the fuck was the point in introducing "Casual" difficulty when it doesn't even play any different?

Seriously...I get the main enjoyment out of playing online but United Front Games better fix it in the next game or at least with another patch. Career just...isn't fun with all the BS rubberbanding.
 

coopolon

Member
Damn, this game is pretty tough. Although I didn't know there was a casual difficulty until reading this thread just now.

I'm on the last race of the 3rd circuit I think? I've actually had to settle for 3rd or 2nd in a few races because despite repeated attempts, I kept not being able to get first. And I've never had a problem getting 1st in any Mario Kart game, although if I get blue shelled at an inopportune time it might take a retry.

I guess some people like the difficulty?, but I feel like I'm losing because the controls aren't nearly as good as Mario Kart's. They're just too loose for me, but maybe I need more time to get familiar with it.

I dislike the weapon system so far. How is this an improvement in anyway over what Mario Kart does? There's more blue shells, and blocking is harder. But that might be because I suck ass with the shield. I still haven't gotten the timing right I suppose, although sometimes, like with rockets, I pop the shield at the right time to avoid the first several, but inevitably my shield runs out before they are done.

But the load times. Oh god the load times. Assuming the patch actually did decrease them (which I guess is questionable?), I can't even imagine how bad they were before hand. I'm renting the game, but if a friend asked me if I should get it, I would give him a big HELL NO until they fix these load times.
 
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