ModNation Racers -- General Info and Discussion

Played it last night.
Good:
Graphics are good not great
Drifting works well
Customization of cars and character
Editor is easy to understand

Bad:
Long ass load times
Online cut off on me within 30 minutes of playing
 
Oh. My. God. The load times are insane! Seriously, I'm doing a write-up for the beta and I literally had enough time between launching the beta and getting to the Press Start screen to write a few paragraphs. Worst of all, this game is on the HDD, really no excuse for these long load times, even for a beta.
 
Yeah, I got a code from GameSpot a few moments ago. I'm heading out to work until 10 tonight, so I'm gonna let it and the GT5 demo download.

Should be fun!
 
i guess im just sol i saw the screen where it says to register to get it and when i do i end up back at the same screen. did it change for you all who got one or did you just end up at the same screen again?
 
Wow -- these load times are quite significant.

Is it me, or is the break too strong? Kinda feels like you stop almost as soon as you hit the breaks.
 
You guys actually got into a game? I couldn't.

and yeah the load times are horrible. Server maintenance every late afternoon, so hopefully it gets better.
 
[quote name='ArmorForVictor']it keeps freezing on me here with a 60GB when loading the modspot anyone else have this problem?[/QUOTE]

Are you waiting long enough? This game has some seriously long load times...
 
[quote name='Snake2715']Is there gameplay insrtuctions I am missing?

not a huge sense of speed, but only played two races.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I was wondering about the controls. I know when you're racing that R1 uses the boost (amount indicated on the right side of the screen) and square uses whatever your item happens to be. X jumps/bounces, for whatever purpose that serves.

I've been trying to figure out if there's any way to make the camera move back a bit. The back of the car and back of my character's head are taking up way too much TV screen real estate.
 
[quote name='Snake2715']Is there gameplay insrtuctions I am missing?

not a huge sense of speed, but only played two races.[/QUOTE]

If you keep a steady meter build up, you can use boost throughout the game with L1. As it's been pointing out. You can also hit the boost spots on each level and get boost items.

The game seems really fast when I played it and I enjoy it that way.

I don't think you can move the camera back, are you playing on an SDTV? because the character and the car seems normal to me and don't take any room.

Anyway, I think the game is great fun and it's a shame the netcode/server/loading times, whatever it is, is not really delivering atm. Hopefully they can work on that and address these issues now.
 
The jump seems to allow you to drift... which builds massive boost

L1 is the boost you got... or pushing O can use boost meter for a shield.
 
Yeah, the game keeps stuttering. The music even kind of cuts out too for a split second. I hope they're able to fix this stuff before next year...
 
not for me and i have slow net... maye its your host?

What does seem to happen is if I am winning the host drops it on ranked. They need to implement a punishment for that... happened 3 times now.. what a joke.


Just got an invite to sodium 1 on ps home... interesting looking thats for sure... hmm.
 
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i'm impressed with the creation tool for characters. i made the ears into tusks and the mouth is turned 90 degrees.

try out my alien girl, zahiant:
14kfj8n.jpg
 
I have tried playing the beta on a SDTV and it is pretty much impossible to play due to unreadable text, and the cart and driver pretty much take over the full screen during the race. Seems like no way to change the camera angle either. Because of the camera issue, its impossible to actually pay attention to the course. I know I shouldn't be comparing it to Mario Kart, but the controls are just not as fluid. The three tracks that I have played on are not that exciting or fun. The in-game weapons are boring as well. I am pretty disappointed so far. The customization though is top notch!
 
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4tygames, I suggest doing what I'm currently doing: go here. You'll have to accept the Terms and such to gain access to the forum, if you haven't already, but one of the sections in the template provided (2nd post in the thread) regards the camera. I've actually got an HD tv, only 720p but still should do the job, and I don't really like the camera. It just seems too cramped. I'd much prefer a Mario Kart approach, where you take up MUCH less of the screen. I know people probably want to see their creations and cars, but I'd appreciate the OPTION to toggle it.

Edit: I was just thinking. Perhaps my problem isn't how close the camera is, but its angle. It seems to be level with the ground, whereas I might enjoy it being a big higher, perhaps more akin to an isometric view. That would probably let me see more of the road ahead.
 
[quote name='Nirron'] I know people probably want to see their creations and cars, but I'd appreciate the OPTION to toggle it.

Edit: I was just thinking. Perhaps my problem isn't how close the camera is, but its angle. It seems to be level with the ground, whereas I might enjoy it being a big higher, perhaps more akin to an isometric view. That would probably let me see more of the road ahead.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info! I'm glad I'm not the only one who disagrees with the camera angle.
 
[quote name='4tygames']I have tried playing the beta on a SDTV and it is pretty much impossible to play due to unreadable text, and the cart and driver pretty much take over the full screen during the race. Seems like no way to change the camera angle either. Because of the camera issue, its impossible to actually pay attention to the course. I know I shouldn't be comparing it to Mario Kart, but the controls are just not as fluid. The three tracks that I have played on are not that exciting or fun. The in-game weapons are boring as well. I am pretty disappointed so far. The customization though is top notch![/QUOTE]

I disagree with all of this. I think the gameplay is insanely fun and the controls are very fluid. The stocking up 3 weapons makes the game fun and the boost meter and all the moves you can do with it make the game a lot more strategical and less random compared to the Mario Kart series.

The camera for me is perfect and the customization aspect of the game is top notch. Dare I say, better than LBP? Even at this stage, I believe so.

Now, if they can only get the netcode/server issues fixed up.
 
The framerate certainly takes a hit with a lot of action on the screen, the above poster said what I was about to say about the netcode needing work.

Otherwise, I'm liking what I'm playing thus far. It's fun, fast and certainly has a ton of customization. Although, I dunno if it's just the beta limiting it, but the track creator seems rather limited in terms of length of the track.
 
I forgot to mention the frame rate, also, I have a name! ;_;

Vanigan: It does but not in the beta. You can see the option for it when you go the racing spot. A Spanish article awhile back says the game is going to support up to 4 players split-screen. I'm not sure if it's online but from the options it gives you, there is a 'host split-screen online' choice, so my guess would be that it will support 4 player split-screen online or at the very least 2.
 
Well, I already was interested in this game, but now it's a must buy. Let's hope it becomes an actual competitor to Mario Kart so that Nintendo is forced to step things up too.
 
I played a Time trail and a few online matches so far in the beta. It would seem drifting helps out a great deal and considering I rarely do that it did take some getting used to with this game. Overall, I can say that this beta is quite enjoyable. I only customized one character and made a matching car. I can already see myself going mad trying to get my modifications just right in the final release of the game. I'm so glad I've already preordered the full version.
 
[quote name='Vanigan']Is there split screen play? If so, how many players (2 or 4)?[/QUOTE]

4 player was confirmed.

i like this game. i think it controls just as well as mario kart and the AI isnt nearly as cheap. i like the weapon collecting to make it more powerful as well as more boost and a shield you can put up for a second as well.

some of the costumes these dudes made with in the first couple hours just blows my mind too.

only bad thing i can say is that the custom tracks (from what i saw browsing through them) really dont seem to differentiate that much from each other.
 
I hope the game allows you to re-map the controls. I like to have the accelerate/brake on the face buttons, and the drift buttons be the shoulder buttons.
 
Just got done playing this for about an hour. I didn't really even do any racing. I spent like 40 or so minutes creating a character, a vehicle, and trying to design a track. The other 20 minutes was spent trying to get a game going. Just a few quick things.

- The creation options seem ridiculous. Like, there is already quite a bit you can do in the beta, and that's with probably 95% of the clothes, stickers, skins, and facial features still locked. Its going to be pretty cool once the full version comes out, seeing what kind of crazy stuff people come up with.

- The track creator is okay. If you try to fill the ground with dirt (it may do it for other terrain as well, I didn't try though), it seems to lag the game all to hell. Seems like the frame rate drops to around 15 or so as you try to create a track. That definitely needs fixing.
 
cant get a game to run. server issues.. it goes to the game matching and you see the players come in and it just says waiting... you cant type to the other players but it just sits.. not like last night or even this afternoon when it was fine.
 
Played it tonight with two friends.. we each hammered out a track in under five minutes. The creation tools are ridiculously easy, and seemingly limitless. Went from a "Hey, that looks cool.." to a "Holy crap, let me pre-order that right the hell now". Had so much fun with the limited supplies given for the beta.. cannot wait for the full game.
 
How's the feel of the racing now that you've had time to play it some more? I see a lot of drifting in the game, is it more like later Mario Kart drifting that's over the top, or more like classic Mario Kart where it's helpful and easy, but doesn't provide that much of a boost?

Oh and can you all work together on a single level?

Looks like this is due out sometime in June... rats, I was hoping it would be sooner what with the beta going on right now. Although interestingly enough, there's a listing for a ModNation something on the PSP too.
 
Load times are pretty bad. Like...Heavenly Sword bad. I don't know how to make good Racer mods, though. Do I have to play online to unlock things or are they just not available? The track creation tools are really simple, and it's definitely a lot easier to make a level than LBP. My only wish is that you could make turns a bit sharper.

As for racing...I'm not sold on it. The AI seems to be set to Hard because no matter what I do they always beat me. They even fired a rocket which went past me, which then disobeyed the law of physics to hit a wall then bounce back at me. Just yikes if that's the normal difficulty.
 
Its weird the game will just not go into a race sometimes.. you will sit with other races in the staging area if you will, and it will just say waiting, no host shown, nothing. You can still type or talk to the other racers, but thats it..

I put it down and came back to it later, and all was well again. This has happened more than once and no amount of logging out, turning off the system. Leaving that game room and entering another fixes it. I know its a beta, but just saying for people that have not tried the beat yet.

The boost is used up really quick. You have some pretty good control over drifting, and it adds to the boost fairly quick. The game is faster than i thought, its just a matter at getting the boost, and hitting the arrows that speed you up.

Some people are really fast. They are either really good at using boost or know of some serious shortcuts. I can normally place pretty high, but just like Mario kart don't count anyone out. I was in first and second and almost to the end. There was a item launch just as I was making a jump... it slowed me down mid air and dropped me between the jump and landing... as I started to go I was stuck if you will between those and had to hit select to reset... which blows your cart up and starts you back on the track... needless to say I finished last because of that... my track times were the fastest for that race as well, which pissed me off. I was pulling laps faster than anyone else.


You can keep your items and gather more balls to upgrade the random item you are given. From what I can tell you can get up to 3 stages of the item and each is a bit different... now the risk you run is if you get hit with someone else's item, you lose yours. So holding out for the high upgrades you risk losing it all together. I have done that a few times.

Also your boost meter is the block (shield), as well as the sideswipe meter. Sideswipe took me a while to figure out. Its the right analog stick flicked one way or the other while next to another cart, left analog is steering. It uses boost, but bumps them pretty hard. It can throw them into a wall or really mess up a turn for them.

I see some of the faster players boosting while drifting, and I think thats the key. I think it may keep your boost meter even to do that (infinite), but I have not mastered it yet.

The one thing I don't like is the drifting function kind of locks you into one direction. If you hit x to jump and then turn say right, you can not drift back to the left at all. You need to hit x to jump and then land while holding left.. There have been many times I wanted to make a small correction before drifting into a corner, and drifted off the wrong way.

Overall I think the game is actually really good, and compared to some other betas I have read about, seems to function really well at this stage.
 
(To change skin color) Just put big square stickers on the body parts.

Thanks for the tips guys - so much easier now.

Changed Cheapy's skin to rubber and made Wombat. Nose updated to real nose.


MODNATION_2.jpg
 
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[quote name='KingBroly']How do you change skin color?

Oh, and the rubber-banding as it stands right now is too extreme.[/QUOTE]

In regards to the racing?

The skin color on that is too shiney.

Go into edit. Hit Triangle and then change it to a less shiney skin color. reduce metallic add more rubber.

Otherwise cool idea!
 
[quote name='zekeike'](To change skin color) Just put big square stickers on the body parts.[/QUOTE]

Press triangle when selecting a skin. You don't necessarily have to choose one just be in that option while you're pressing triangle.
 
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